Excerpt 

With Jake leading the way, the four family members kept in a fairly straight line, skirting trees but maintaining a northwesterly direction. “This is a lot less dense than I thought it was. The satellite view made it out to look heavily wooded.”

“This is less dense?” Ellen commented questioningly, surprised at Jake’s comment.

“Definitely, though I wasn’t able to make out elevations.”

“So you didn’t know about this hill.”

Ellen was successful in making Jake wish that he had kept his mouth shut. “No, I didn’t, but we’ll have to start down, soon. The lake isn’t on the hill.”

“I hope so,” she needled.

By the sound of her words and breathing afterward, Jake could tell Ellen was beginning to get winded. He admitted to himself that he felt the effects of the incline. He saw the crest up ahead. “When we reach the top, we can stop for a few, okay?”

Ellen didn’t answer, but she kept walking. The two kids were doing much better. Even Julia wasn’t breathing hard.

Jake arrived at the top and saw a few decent boulders about twenty feet below. He thought that was a good place to stop and catch their breath. He walked down the hill to them and stopped, taking his pack off as he did. The others followed. Like it was choreographed, they all reached for their canteens and took a drink.

“How much further?” asked Ellen after quenching her thirst.

“Half a mile, tops. It should be all downhill from here.”

“Are you sure?”

He looked at Ellen. What do you want? A guarantee? To avoid an argument, he said, “Yes, I’m sure.”

“Look over there,” said Julia. She pointed at a black bear cub.

Jake saw it, but before he had the chance to say anything, Julia had gotten up and was walking toward it.

“Julia, no,” he cautioned sternly.

“It’s just a baby, Dad.”

“Yes, but the mother could be—” Too late. The mother charged toward Julia, growling fiercely.

Ellen screamed as Jake pulled out his knife and ran to his daughter.

Jake slipped in between the bear and Julia. “Run!” he shouted.