The bear lunged, jaws snapping shut on empty air.
Ren didn't feel the teeth. Instead, she felt a massive, powerful yank at the back of her neck.
Two giant talons had clamped firmly onto the loose, sodden fabric of her wool dress.
Ren was hoisted into the air like a wet teabag.
"AAAAAHHHHH!"
Ren screamed. Her mother's Facebook algorithm had just been vindicated. She was dangling helplessly, her limbs flailing over the forest canopy as the dress bunched up uncomfortably around her throat and armpits.
"PUT ME DOWN! I AM NOT FOOD!" Ren shrieked, kicking the empty air as the ground rushed away. "I AM HIGH CHOLESTEROL! YOU DON'T WANT ME! I TASTE LIKE STRESS AND BITTER HERBS!"
The Golden Eagle ignored her frantic shouts. It banked sharply, holding her like a bag of groceries as it navigated the dense forest canopy with terrifying precision despite the pouring rain.
Ren squeezed her eyes shut. She waited for the inevitable drop. She waited to be smashed against a rock.
