Lara was finally done with humanity. She'd never had much passion for it, but the last month had brought her to the end of her rope. Almost literally.

It was the ultimate string of bad luck – losing both parents in the same month, losing her job because she was late or absent each day (due to her depression), and then there was the cheating husband problem that had escalated right when she had needed him the most.

She wanted to be done with her life, to move on to something else entirely.

She had let out her thoughts to Dr. Fay Burns, a highly-recommended therapist. They talked about her life, her upbringing with ex-hippie parents, and her extreme depression over her recent losses. Instead of the expected talk against suicide, Dr. Burns took a different tack, encouraging Lara to cater to her wants and desires. “You'd like to go back to the lifestyle your parents originally lived? You want to be part of nature, to be free of humanity? Do it. Go be alone in the woods you love so much,” the therapist had suggested. “I have just the thing for you. Come by after three and pick it up.”

Later that afternoon, she had returned to Dr. Burns' office to retrieve the medication. “This will change you, as you have never changed before,” the doctor explained in a cautionary tone as she handed a small vial to her. “Enjoy. It will be glorious. And it will last you a week.”

The words were cryptic but exciting, and they echoed through Lara's head as she approached the woods at the back of her yard. The neighborhood bordered on the great forests of the Northwest, the perfect place to commune with nature. She ingested the liquid, and began to walk into the trees.

A wave of calm fell over her. Whether it was the peace of being in the woodland, or an effect of the medication, she was not sure. But everything seemed okay now. All was well.

Then she started to grow fur.

She could see it coming forth from every bit of her skin, but she was not scared. She was strangely comforted, in fact. “I'm changing,” she murmured serenely. “I'm becoming part of nature.”

Despite the oddness of the experience, she continued on, curious as to what would happen next. Her clothes began to feel tight; she felt like she was bulking up, and she definitely had increased in height. When a button popped off her pants, she unzipped them, loath to remove them quite yet. But her shoes were another story – they were so tight that her feet began to ache, and she practically ripped them off, tossing them into the brush. Watching her feet and hands grow long, sharp nails through the thickening fur, she shook her head in wonder. How was this miracle even possible? What kind of animal was she becoming?

Suddenly her pants split, and she had to get them off. When she removed them, she was amazed at how strong and beautiful her once-imperfect legs had become. Muscular and velvety, she stroked her hand down them, then shredded her underwear off with her very sharp claws. The cotton material caught on one, and she laughed at the sight, although the sound was more of a twisted growl. Gingerly, she fingered her ears which had migrated to the top of her head. They had grown rounded and much larger. The lower part of her face was forming into a snout, and a stubby tail popped forth from her lower back.

She looked down at her growing feet, thrilled at how animal-like they were becoming. With each step, she could see the progression in her footprint from human to animal, and every intermediate between.

The feeling of growing taller left her giddy, and something gave way in her spine, pushing her to quadrupedal stance. And still her mass increased. Her shirt burst open, showering buttons everywhere, and Lara pulled the last remaining shreds of humanity from her thick, furry body.

She was a bear.

She ran through the underbrush with abandon, experiencing and admiring her new form. It felt magnificent! She was queen of the forest! And there were no stupid humans to bother her!

She continued on and on, accustoming herself to her new four-legged gait and increased weight. The crisp dead leaves felt good beneath her feet, and her fur was so thick, she was not bothered by the branches poking at her as she forced her way through the shrubs and weeds.

Eventually, she grew hungry. She glanced around, knowing she was lost, but not caring in the least. She did not want to be found. But she was quite ready to eat.

Normally, a pizza would have sufficed. But her favorite food no longer held any interest for her. Instead, she needed something natural, basic, and tasty. She rubbed at her plump, furry stomach, relishing how good it felt. She was just so big and strong! No longer was she the slight, weak female that had to starve herself to stay that way. She was muscular, powerful, and no human male could even hope to stop her like this!

Far off, she could hear the sound of rushing water. She went to investigate, and discovered a small waterfall cascading over rocks into a river. On the opposite bank, she could make out a bramble of wild blackberry bushes. Well, she knew they were safe for humans, so they most likely were bear-friendly too.

Joyfully, she splashed through the crystal water, enjoying the feel of it running down her fur. Reaching the opposite side, she shook herself off, amused at how dog-like the action was, and began to feast on the berries.

But presently, the fur on her back prickled. She had the distinct sensation that she was being watched. As she sniffed at the air, testing her much-improved sense of smell, something crept out from the bushes.

A male bear.

Uncertain of what to do, Lara let a growl escape her throat, but the male held up a paw, almost as if to say 'wait'. Curious, Lara watched him approach. He picked up a stick in his sharp claws, and walked over to a sandy area near the shore.

This bear was acting far more intelligent than she had ever thought bears could be...

With a strong grasp, the large animal scratched into the sand, “I'm Benton.”

Lara gasped a very human gasp.

“I was a man.”

Lara stared at him in shock. Another transformed person? And how could he tell she wasn't a real bear? Maybe she smelled different? She picked up a stick. “How long you bear?”

He notched two lines in the sand, followed by “Yrs.” After this, he etched, “Very very happy now. Stay bear always.”

This man had been a bear for two years, and he liked it! Lara etched her name beside his, and he smiled.

He led her to the waterfall, where salmon appeared to be spawning. Keeping his eye on the water, a fish jumped out, and he caught it right in his mouth.

Sitting on her haunches as she watched, Lara clapped her front paws together in praise, and he came up beside her on the bank. He placed the fish at her feet with a wink, then drew “For Lara” in the sand.

As she dined, he caught several more, and together they munched on whole, raw fish. As a human, finding a bone in her fish was so disgusting to her, that she often avoided fish completely. Now, it all was simply delightful, and her sharp teeth were doing a great job crunching them up.

She yawned, and Benton indicated her to follow him. He led her past the waterfall into a den deep in the rocks. It was warm, dry, and surprisingly clean. “I keep a clean house,” he scribbled into the sand, his eyes twinkling.

“Cozy,” Lara wrote back.

“U sleep here.” He pointed to a sandy spot.

Lara nodded happily.

They ran together, hunted together, and spent every waking (and sleeping) moment together. Benton taught her all there was to know about being a bear, and Lara knew she was in love. It was a weird situation; the man that she had fallen in love with was in bear form, and, permanently so.

And a week later, when Lara noticed clumps of her fur falling out, she grew depressed.

“Changing back,” Benton noted sadly. His eyes were full of sorrow and pleading. “Stay.”

Lara shook her head, confused. “How get permanent?”

“Potion Place.”

Potion Place? What was Potion Place? She stared at the handsome animal beside her. He was truly happy this way, and, in the few words they exchanged, he had stressed that he did not ever want to return to humanity.

But hers was creeping back.

Forlorn, he watched her change, and tears flowed from her eyes. “I'll be back,” she said, studying her nude human form with near-anger. She didn't even care that she was naked in front of a man...who was a bear...

“U r a pretty woman,” Benton wrote.

Yes, he was still a man in there... “Fat lot of good it did me in life,” she retorted with a half-smile. A man was a man. Even when he was a bear.

“U sure you don't want to be person anymore?”

She looked up into the soulful ursine eyes, and she could see love for her that she had never seen in any man. Even her husband.

“I'm sure.”

The bear embraced her with a careful, gentle grasp, and she ran off.

“Dr. Burns! Please! I need to talk to you!”

The door opened. “I have a client...oh, you're back! How do you feel? Did it help?”

“I want it permanent! Make it permanent!”

“I...don't deal with that...”

“Please, where's the Potion Place? Is that where you get that stuff?”

Dr. Burns eyed her in amazement. “You met Benton, didn't you?”

“I want to spend the rest of my life with him.”

“As bears.”

Lara nodded.

Dr. Burns handed her an address. “Bring a few credit cards with you.”

“They're welcomed to my life savings if they can do this.”

The owner of the small shop, a Mr. Wintergreen, handed her a familiar vial. “This is going to be a more gradual change, due to its permanency. Did you take care of everything in your human life yet? You know, did you tie up loose ends?”

She gaped at him. “It all goes to my nephews and nieces. The only other loose end I have is my damned husband. But I can fix that when I'm a bear. In fact, I'll need to be a bear for that.” She made a nasty smirk. “Thank you, Mr. Wintergreen, you've given me a whole new life. I can never repay you.”

“Don't kill your husband, Miss.”

“Oh, please, I'm a nice bear. I'd never hurt a human. That would look bad for my species.” She winked and walked out.

Lara took the serum the moment she left the shop. She returned home, getting together her important belongings and lugging them out to her car. Already she could feel her body beginning to change; she was definitely getting taller. She ran back inside and left a message for her husband, simply reading: “I'm leaving you”. “Stark, direct, and to the point,” she smiled craftily. Writing those three words gave her her final release from this life, and a shiver of excitement ran down her growing spine.

She drove off to her sister's house and left the boxes in her garage. She was thankful that her sister was at work so she could avoid any confrontation, for there was no changing her mind now. In everything but her physical appearance, she already considered herself a bear. She jotted a note on one of the boxes: “I'm starting a new life. Don't try to find me. Love you!” And with that, she drove off to the forest to change.

She remained in the woods, already living like a bear, as each new change brought her closer to happiness. Yet she preferred not to return to Benton until she was fully transformed.

Night fell, and she curled up to sleep against a small depression in a hillside. She rose at dawn the second day to find that she had reached her full height, and her beautiful, thick brown fur was returning.

The close of third day brought the conclusion of her transformation, and as night came on, she could not wait to return to Benton. But there was one more thing to do before she left humanity forever.

She crept out of the woods and went to the window of her husband's bedroom. Glancing inside, she could see his newest girlfriend lying in bed with him. Well, her leaving him did not seem to have bothered him one bit, the bastard! She crept to the front door, which of course was unlocked, and went in. In all her six-foot grizzly glory, she threw open the bedroom door. Growling and shrieking, she lunged at the unsuspecting couple.

“BEAR!!” they both yelled in terror, running into the bathroom to hide.

Her work here was done.

Plunging through the dark woods, she wondered how she would locate her mate. She had traveled so many miles into the forest before she had come upon him originally.

But somehow, over the myriad smells in the woods, she caught his scent, and she was barreling toward it, not caring how much noise she was making. And, after what seemed like hours, she heard the rush of water...

He was waiting for her at the entrance to his den, and he welcomed her with open arms.

And both bears were very, very happy.