As Anna felt her strength leaving her, she had already swum to the middle of the lake. Panic tightened her throat. Bathing guests on the lake shore realized that something was wrong and were about to jump in to help her.
But then they noticed a bear running from the forest into the water, swimming directly towards Anna. Everyone screamed in confusion, but no one had the courage to jump into the water.
Worst-Case ScenarioAnna had known that she shouldn't have gone into the lake that day. And when she had attempted to swim after such a long time, she should never have swum so far.
It was bound to go wrong, and now there was no one to help her. But of all the worst-case scenarios that came to mind, none of them involved a bear swimming towards her.
Better to Drown?The bear was rapidly approaching her, and Anna wondered if she should just stop trying to stay afloat and let herself sink into the depths of the lake.
It would probably be a more peaceful end than being torn to pieces by this huge animal. On the other hand, something in her subconscious clung to survival and kept kicking.
Face to FaceShe didn't have time to make a decision, as the bear was already almost face to face with her in the lake. It was within reach and would surely tear her to shreds. But then the animal did something that no one had expected.
But how had Anna managed to get herself into this dangerous situation in the first place? Why was the bear so desperate to reach her? And what would he do to Anna once he reached her?
A Big Step for AnnaFor Anna, it had been a big step to drive with her family back to the idyllic lake. The place was an absolute favorite among the locals, especially on such beautiful weather days like today.
The whole shore of the lake was then filled with visitors. And today was no different. Families brought all imaginable sports equipment to the lake, and the snack bars were busy.
She didn't want so many spectatorsIt looked like the whole town had come here again today, and Anna saw many familiar faces. But while others enjoyed the hustle and bustle, Anna was upset.
What she wasn't particularly happy about was the hustle, the loud screams of playing children and adults. She was very nervous and wished for a few less spectators.
She hesitated to go into the waterWhile her two sons immediately ran into the water as soon as the car stopped, Anna took her time and started unloading all the supplies she had brought for today.
She took her time to find a good spot, set everything up carefully, and made sure the drinks were nicely chilled. In reality, she was just trying to delay the inevitable.
Bad MemoriesAt the sight of the clean, clear water where seemingly every local was having the time of their lives, Anna's heart slowly tightened more and more.
Her thoughts immediately returned to that unforgettable day almost a year ago. She had to concentrate hard now to avoid trembling and bursting into tears.
Anna tried to shake off the memory before it became unforgettable. Because she knew that if that happened, she probably wouldn't be able to get into holiday mood today.
But even with the most positive mindset, all the people around her were still a problem for her. She didn't know it yet, but this problem would soon be resolved.
A Familiar Car Pulled UpAs Anna slowly and nervously prepared herself to go into the water, a car pulled up near the shore. Anna immediately recognized the markings on the vehicle, as did everyone else.
They knew that this couldn't mean anything good. The driver was jokingly referred to as the "fun police" by the locals. A person who seemed to be determined to spoil everyone's fun.
The Forest RangerThe forest ranger stepped out of the car wearing sunglasses and holding a microphone in his hand. He started by telling everyone not to panic, but he had bad news to deliver.
The locals were used to such bad news. It was always bad news for the locals, never for the tourist. A collective sigh of disappointment could be heard across the lake, except probably from Anna.
There was a bear in the areaA few miles away from the lake, a brown bear mother with her cubs had been spotted. The rangers had no idea if the animal was heading in their direction.
One would expect a bear mother with cubs to stay away from so many people. But to be on the safe side, the ranger would appreciate it if everyone went home today. For their own safety.
People started to leaveAfter that, the ranger's car quickly drove off, presumably to continue tracking the bear's movements. But as it turned out, the ranger would only rediscover the bear when it was too late.
In the meantime, Anna saw that most people were getting out of the water and hesitantly began gathering their belongings. No one wanted to encounter a bear mother.
Is the risk worth it?This was a place where almost everyone had seen a bear before, and most people knew better than to mess with a bear mama protecting her cubs.
But despite the risk, there were still a few people who didn't go anywhere. The now tranquil lake radiated an inviting calm. Was it worth the risk to stay a little longer?
Is it really worth the risk?While Anna had initially been determined to drive back home with her boys like almost everyone else, she now realized that the lake looked inviting without so many people around.
She could finally go into the lake and swim a few laps without all these people possibly seeing her. And for her, that tiny risk of encountering the bear mother was worth it.
Anna decided to stayHer boys were visibly confused when she told them that they wouldn't be leaving like almost everyone else, but they didn't have a problem with it. On the contrary, they were glad to be able to continue playing.
If their mother said it was okay, who were they to question it? And so, they quickly got back in the water to try out their new swim fins.
Anna patiently waited for everyone who wanted to leave to go. It took about half an hour, sitting on the sidelines, but at least the lake was now mostly empty.
And in all the excitement of the situation, Anna had almost forgotten about the bear in the area. She contemplated whether she should go for another swim now. She had always loved it so much.
Much fewer peopleAfter another half an hour, there were only about 15 to 20 people left in the lake, including Anna and her boys. The lake was practically empty now. Before, there had easily been over 300 people.
Anna could now easily choose a peaceful spot by the lake where she could start swimming without being judged or observed. The cold water felt invigorating.
She was still embarrassedThe reason why Anna preferred to swim alone was that something very embarrassing had happened to her at the lake last year. So embarrassing that she still turned red and started trembling when she thought about it.
She had never been the best swimmer, but she could always keep herself afloat. So she always went into the lake with great confidence. Something she would quickly regret.
She loses her bikini topIt didn't take long back then for Anna to feel a very severe cramp in her calf. So severe that she could hardly keep her head above water and started screaming for help.
But in all her panicked thrashing in the water, Anna had actually managed to lose her bikini top. As is often the case in life, Anna's cries for help did not have the desired effect.
Never forgottenPeople thought Anna was joking. Everyone watched as she struggled back to the shore. No one thought to help her because it seemed like a joke and not an emergency.
But because everyone was looking at Anna, flailing and slowly making her way to the shore, everyone also saw her emerge from the water without her bikini top, exposing her bare breasts. Now 200 people were roaring with laughter.
Building her confidenceSince then, Anna had hardly ever swum. But she wanted to build up her confidence in swimming again, otherwise she was afraid she would completely forget how to swim over time.
She assumed she had already experienced the worst swimming experience ever, so it should only go uphill from here. But poor Anna was very wrong.
In the middle of the lakeThe swimming was going quite well at first. So well that Anna didn't even pay attention to how far she was drifting from the shore. It felt good to swim without thousands of eyes on her.
It wasn't until she started feeling tired that she realized she had actually made it to the middle of the lake. After a year without swimming training, that had been a significant distance.
PanicAnna now started to panic. She felt her muscles beginning to ache and her energy draining rapidly from her body. The last time something went wrong for her at this lake, there were enough people to save her.
But that was no longer the case due to the bear threat. And just as Anna began to think about the bear, she noticed something that was a thousand times worse than laughing neighbors.
Anna started screaming for help, knowing that she would not be able to make it back to the shore alone, but there was no one around anymore to hear her cries and help her.
The last lake visitors were already at the parking lot, loading their cars. They couldn't hear or see her from such a distance. But there was someone who heard Anna.
The bear saved AnnaThe mother bear responded to Anna's cries and quickly started swimming towards her. Anna feared the worst, but the bear actually grabbed her by the shirt and pulled her to the shore of the lake.
After bringing her to safety, the mother bear retreated back into the woods. Anna still doesn't understand why the animal did that for her. But one thing she knows for sure; she will never swim in this lake again!