I stood motionless. Paralyzed in fear.

A grizzly bear.

The sight of him made my blood curdle. His hungry eyes. His hulking mass of filthy, matted fur. I could taste the stench of his foul breath. I could hear the growl of his empty stomach.

I fumbled for my knife. But it was too late. He charged and drove me to the ground. Crushing me.

Everything went black...

Wait. Let's pause for a moment. You're probably wondering where I am and how I got here. (At this point, I'm wondering the same thing.)

It all started 6 weeks ago when I was approached with the craziest idea ever. Prospecting for gold. In the Alaskan wilderness. I would need to be bloody insane!

That's why I said yes.

Sure, I knew there would be dreary weather and fiercely cold nights. And perhaps a vicious bear attack.

But by the end of this story, you'll see that it was all worth it.