Runaway Bear Read online

  Runaway Bear

  Christine Gardner

  Published by Christine Gardner, 2017.

  RUNAWAY BEAR

  ©Christine Gardner 2014

  Other Books by the author

  For Young Adults and Children

  Sanctuary

  Last Chance

  Beast of War

  No-one’s Good at Everything

  Non-fiction

  Not Guilty

  What Did You Say?

  Demented Mothers

  Fiction

  Her Flesh and Blood

  Stony Creek (Book 1, Red Dust Series)

  The Road to Karinya (Book 2, Red Dust Series)

  Red Wine and Summer Storms (Book 3, Red Dust Series)

  Connections

  Inheritance

  Dark Innocence

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Runaway Bear

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  Janet Wilson was standing outside the toyshop waiting for the bus home after a busy day shopping. It was pension day and she had bought some groceries, just enough for one, plus a chocolate bar as a special treat, as she usually did on pension day. She was looking forward to getting home and sitting in her comfortable old armchair, with her feet up, and sinking her teeth into that dark chocolate that she liked so much. She was startled when she suddenly felt a tap tap tap on her leg. She looked down and was amazed to see a fluffy white teddy bear.

  “Hey you up there!” yelled the bear in a little growly voice.

  “Hello,” she said. “Aren’t you a cutie?”

  “Never mind the cutesy-pie stuff, just pick me up!” he demanded.

  Janet was very tired after shopping all day, and her back was aching from carrying the heavy bag, but she carefully bent down and picked up the little bear. He was heavier than he looked, but very soft and fluffy, and so cuddly.

  “Don’t even think about it!” Somehow he seemed to know just what Janet was thinking. “I don’t do cuddles. Why do you think I want out of that place?”

  “Well I have no idea,” she answered slowly, “but I’ve never actually met a talking bear before.”

  “No I thought not,” the bear grunted. “You people, you think you know it all, don’t you. Just because all your hair’s on your head I suppose. Which, by the way, looks ridiculous!”

  Janet was getting a bit tired of this bear’s bad attitude. “Would you like me to put you down?” she asked, getting just slightly grumpy herself.

  “No! Don’t you dare! I have to get on the bus and I don’t have any money. If you carry me they’ll think I’m one of those stupid bears and they don’t charge for them.”

  “But why are you running away?” Janet asked him.

  “It’s dead boring in there, that’s why. And it’s dangerous. I’ll be safer out here on the street than in that place.”

  Now he had Janet puzzled. She could understand that sitting in a shop all day must be boring for a smart bear like this one, but dangerous?

  He saw the little smile starting on her face and got mad at her again. “Look, you stupid woman! You’ve got no idea what it’s like. All day I’m mauled by horrible children with dirty hands. They squish my tummy, turn my arms and legs around and around in circles – how would you like that ‘ey? And as if that wasn’t enough to put up with, now they’ve put dinosaurs in with us!”

  “Do the dinosaurs talk too?”

  He gave her a really disgusted look at that. “Don’t be silly, dinosaurs can’t talk. Don’t you know anything?”

  “Well, yes, but I didn’t think bears talked either, you see,” she replied.

  The bus pulled up then and the bear looked anxiously over Janet’s shoulder towards the toyshop. He snuggled into her neck and hid his face in her collar. He felt very soft and very cuddly.

  “Quick, get in, woman! There’s Joe looking out the window. Come on! Quick, quick!”

  He pretended to be an ordinary bear while they were on the bus, except for the occasional comment in Janet’s ear, like, “What on earth do you smell of? Some horrible flower I think.” He sniffed loudly. “Awful.” Then, after a moment or two of silence, he craned his neck to look in Janet’s green bag full of groceries. “What have you got? Have you got any honey? I’ll like honey, I think. Bears like honey, don’t they? Is that chocolate? Is that like honey?”

  “You’d better be quiet,” she muttered under her breath. “People are looking at you.”

  “They just think I’m cute,” he said. “You lot are all the same. Can’t see what’s under your noses.” He sniffed. “Think you know everything, you do.” He was quiet then, though, until they got off the bus.

  When they arrived at Janet’s house and she took him inside, he was very pleased, although he tried hard not to show it. She took him into the spare room and he forgot his dignity and jumped up and down on the bed.

  “This is pretty cool,” he said between bounces. “I’ll have this one.”

  “Oh, you’re staying then, are you?” she asked him.

  For the first time he looked a little unsure of himself, then he grunted again. “Oh, may as well, I suppose. Till I get too bored anyway.”

  “Do you have a name then?” Janet asked. “Or should I just call you Bear?”

  “I’ve always thought Bruiser would be a good name,” he replied. “Suits me, don’t you think?”

  Janet looked at the fluffy little bear and noticed the anxious expression on his face. “I think Bruiser suits you very well,” she said at last. “And this will be your room for as long as you want it.”

  Bruiser smiled, and his button eyes looked wet and shiny, then he grunted. “Yes, well, just till I get bored.”

  Just then there was a knock on the door. “Now who could that be?” Janet wondered. “I’m not expecting anyone.”

  When she opened the door she heard Bruiser, hiding behind her, say “Oh no!”

  A large and angry man stood there. “Madam,” he said crossly, “I’m Joe Snipes from Snipes’ Toy Shop, and I believe you have one of our bears.” Joe had seen Janet get on the bus with Bruiser and had followed them all the way to Janet’s house. He was not happy being away from the shop for so long.

  “Oh dear, I suppose I do, Mr Snipes. He . . . that is . . . I found him, at the bus stop. I am sorry, I didn’t know . . .”

  Joe realised he had upset the old lady and thought she seemed an unlikely teddy bear thief. “Well,” he said, “I’m sure you didn’t mean to take it. Some kid must have picked it up and then dropped it outside. It’s not the first time. In fact . . . he looked closely at Bruiser, now in Janet’s arms, “I think it may have been the same bear last time. Isn’t that strange?”

  “I suppose he is a very expensive bear, is he?” Janet asked.

  “Not really, only thirty dollars. That’s not a lot for a teddy these days.”

  Janet was very sad. “Maybe not, but I’m afraid it’s too much for me, Mr Snipes. I only have my pension.”

  Joe looked at Janet. He looked at the bear. It really was quite grubby. It had been on the shelf in the toy store for a long time. Most children these days wanted toys that walked and talked, rather than just sat. And the old lady looked so lonely, like she really needed that bear.

  “I’ll tell you what I can do; I can give him to you at a special pensioner price of ten dollars. How is that?”

  Janet did some quick mental calculations. It would mean baked beans for tea instead of her fortnightly treat at the fast food restaurant nearby, but that was a small price to pay. “That would be wonderful, Mr Snipes. I’ll just go and get my purse.” She handed Bruiser to Joe and rushed inside to get the ten dollars before he could change his mind.

  Joe held the little bear gingerly. “That’s funny,” he muttered. “I could have sworn this bear didn’t have a big smile like that before.” He frowned and then looked at the bear again. It wasn’t smiling at all. Joe shook his head. I must be imagining things, he thought. I’ve been overdoing it a bit. I really need to have some time off. Yes, a holiday, that’s what I need.

  When Janet handed him the ten dollars he snatched it and handed Bruiser over quickly. “Good riddance,” he mumbled very quietly.

  “Pardon?” asked Janet.

  “Good luck. Enjoy your little friend,” he said as he rushed out to his car.

  Janet waved, and Joe thought for a second that the bear was waving too. The Gold Coast would be nice, he thought. Yes, just to get away, that was all he needed.

  After Joe had left, Bruiser ran around the house excitedly. “This is my house now! That’s my chair. That’s my table. That’s my bath.” He looked at Janet and then at the bag of groceries on the table. “That’s my chocolate! And we’ll be having no dinosaurs in my house!”

  Janet sat and watched the little bear run around. “Does this mean you have decided to stay forever then?” she asked him.

  Bruiser arranged his face into its grumpiest expression and pretended to consider his answer carefully. “Well, I suppose I’ll have to now, won’t I?” he said in his grumpy little bear voice. His eyes sparkled though, when he added, “After all, you have paid for me, so I’m your bear now, aren’t I?”

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