Touching Spirit Bear: Part Two

by Ben Mikaelsen
After committing a violent crime, Cole Matthews is given a choice: jail time or isolation on a remote Alaskan island. Clinging to life after a savage bear attack, Cole wonders if he still has a chance at redemption.

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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. wring
    twist and compress, as if in pain or anguish
    She spoke little except to wring her hands and ask, “How are you doing?”
  2. trauma
    physical damage to the body caused by violence or accident
    You’re lucky to be alive, and your body will continue to react to the trauma for a long time.
  3. relinquish
    part with a possession or right
    Because of what happened, they will probably relinquish authority over your case and send it back to the court system.
  4. monotonous
    tediously repetitious or lacking in variety
    During the next week, Cole settled into the monotonous routine of the detention center.
  5. sprawling
    spreading out in different directions
    The push sent Cole sprawling to the floor, yards away from the line.
  6. smolder
    have strong suppressed feelings
    But could he control his anger? Even now it smoldered.
  7. irk
    irritate or vex
    It had irked Cole, watching his sports gear, including his dirt bike, snowmobile, bicycle, skis, and even his helmet, all sold through a newspaper ad like some junk at a cheap garage sale.
  8. prowl
    move about in or as if in a predatory manner
    Was the Spirit Bear still out there prowling like a ghost under the thick canopy of spruce trees?
  9. vault
    jump across or leap over, as an obstacle
    Cole removed his shoes and flung them ashore, then obediently he vaulted over the side into hip-deep water.
  10. churn
    be agitated
    Wind blowing directly into the small protected bay had churned up a heavy surf, and Cole fought to steady the heaving boat.
  11. scour
    examine minutely
    He began scouring the shoreline for firewood.
  12. wry
    humorously sarcastic or mocking
    “What would you guys do if I refused to cook anything?” Cole asked with a wry smile, as he sharpened a sapling for a hot-dog stick.
  13. deliberately
    in a careful unhurried manner
    He picked his footing deliberately along the slippery bottom, working his way upstream.
  14. sheepish
    showing a sense of shame
    By now, big blisters had formed on Cole’s hands, and, with a sheepish grin at Edwin, he pulled on the leather gloves.
  15. redemption
    the act of delivering from sin or saving from evil
    “Maybe Garvey and I want redemption for our own mistakes in life. We were never able to help those we hurt.”
  16. lope
    run easily
    The solitary gray animal loped along the shore, stopping every dozen strides to look around and sniff among the rocks.
  17. waver
    be unsure or weak
    “Please don’t take me back.” Cole’s voice wavered.
  18. grimace
    contort the face to indicate a certain mental state
    He was so lost in his thoughts, a low hanging branch smacked him hard in the forehead. He bent over, grimacing, momentarily dazed.
  19. dawdle
    take one's time; proceed slowly
    He neither rushed nor dawdled. He moved deliberately, trying not to look ahead at how far he had left to go.
  20. conjure
    summon into action or bring into existence
    Edwin looked deep into the flames, his faraway gaze conjuring up memories.
  21. parole
    a conditional release from imprisonment
    Cole couldn’t help but smile at his parole officer.
  22. fleeting
    lasting for a markedly brief time
    Since returning to the island, he had caught only one fleeting glimpse.
  23. makeshift
    done or made using whatever is available
    He built a fire in the cabin’s barrel stove, then hung the clothes across the room on a makeshift clothesline.
  24. ingenuity
    the property of showing inventiveness and skill
    He realized that a beaver had persistence, patience and ingenuity.
  25. hectic
    marked by intense activity or agitation
    If animals existed in a world of instincts and senses beyond the conscious thoughts of the mind, what happened to people in their frantic worlds of noise and hectic rushing?
  26. meander
    move or cause to move in a winding or curving course
    Cole felt a part of the patterns as he meandered along the shore.
  27. delinquent
    a young offender
    He no longer thought of himself as Cole Matthews, a juvenile delinquent from Minneapolis, Minnesota.
  28. writhe
    move in a twisting or contorted motion
    As he writhed slowly on his back near the coals, his heart pounded a steady beat like a distant drum.
  29. defiant
    boldly resisting authority or an opposing force
    Now Cole had danced half the night, but still a defiant flicker of anger remained inside him.
  30. overwhelming
    very intense
    He caught his breath, feeling an overwhelming shame.
  31. pry
    move or force in an effort to get something open
    Several times he cut himself prying his knife against the slippery wood.
  32. resentment
    a feeling of deep and bitter anger and ill-will
    Then Cole felt a growing resentment that he was being forced to endure this lonely existence.
  33. trudge
    walk heavily and firmly, as when weary, or through mud
    Now Cole trudged along in a confused daze.
  34. plod
    walk heavily and firmly, as when weary, or through mud
    Days plodded by slowly.
  35. frigid
    extremely cold
    He stripped and entered the frigid water.
  36. maneuver
    direct the course of or determine the direction of traveling
    With the three of them working, they floated the log back along the shoreline. By dark, they had maneuvered it up beside the cabin next to Cole’s totem.
  37. pelt
    cast, hurl, or throw repeatedly with some missile
    He kicked at the ground, pelting Cole with gravel and dirt.
  38. pummel
    strike, usually with the fist
    As the blows pummeled him, Cole’s own anger smoldered.
  39. wince
    draw back, as with fear or pain
    Wincing, Cole sat up.
  40. amble
    walk leisurely
    Then, as suddenly as it had appeared, the Spirit Bear swung its massive head around and ambled away, vanishing ghost-like into the trees.
Created on Thu Dec 03 17:32:01 EST 2015 (updated Tue May 10 10:08:59 EDT 2022)

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