12.3.09

a Bear in Sainsbury's part one

Standing in the toiletries aisle, the bear looked a little confused. He put forwards a paw and attempted to grasp a plastic bottle of herbal essences silk'n'shine conditioner- but in the process, he knocked three more bottles of the 'all natural experience' from the shelf to the floor. He watch silently as the sugary pink liquid spread towards the shelving unit, and turned the white faux wood of the display a slight salmon colour where it met the shiny white floor.

The bear sat down with bump (somewhat reminiscient of a 4 year old mid-tantrum) and wrinkled his big brown nose. The smells of the rainforest and guava fruits wafted up and surrounded him with a sticky overwhelming feeling of unfamiliarity.


bears were
not supposed to be in the rainforest.


Suddenly he felt himself yearning for snow, for the evergreens and icy rivers of his native home, as though his body were being pulled towards the memory. He had missed the rugged feeling of weather worn fur (as opposed to the well conditioned, sweet smelling conditioned coat he had become used to as a city bear) and the strength of his claws tearing through bark (as opposed to the well manicured new nails he now sported in an off-white eggshell to match his lowlights)


The bear slowly, calmy stood up in the aisle. As he rose, he glanced around him at the clinical isle, bright white and full of smoky pastel pinks and sea greens typical of the common household bathroom.

He puffed out his chest, and stretched his limbs, taking himself to twice the size of the bear he was when he entered the store. He bared his teeth and shook his whole body, growling as a little old lady with a full shopping trolley shuffled past the end of the isle.



With a long sigh, he dropped down to all four paws, shrinking back to a manageable supermarket size.

The bear padded quietly out of the store, without so much as a glance behind him.

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