In a remote corner of northern Michigan, the residents of Leelanau County have a secret society that has been living on the peninsula for thousands of years. They are the bear-transforming descendants of tribes who crossed Lake Michigan millennia ago to escape the destruction of their clan.
One evening, a traveler has a chance encounter with a spirit bear and discovers he has a hidden history of his own. In the months that follow, he becomes deeply involved with the Sleeping Bear Clan and—depending on your point of view—a murder.
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From Chapter 3, Welcome To Reality
You’re part of a genetic clan although you’re parents probably never knew about it, either. Our clan’s spirit animal is a black bear.” She was watching to make sure I was tuned in. “There are two worlds existing in parallel balance, side by side, the one you can see is the material world around us. The other world, some cultures refer to it as the invisible world, the spirit world, nirvana, a heightened sense of reality, a vision of clarity. We—members of our clan—have the ability to slip into that that world and return as bears.”
My sideward glance must have indicated my skepticism. Nonetheless, she continued. “Blue is what we call a spirit bear. She can easily see both worlds and travel extensively between them. That magical honey was other-worldly, wasn’t it? Well, that’s because it is. A few weeks ago Blue started on a journey to find out if there were more of us outside The County. Obviously there are, but she could easily spot hibernating clan members like yourself. Talk about a cosmic harmony! She knew she wouldn’t have time to mentor you—that’s really not the role of a spirit bear anyway—so she gave you her unique signature, knowing you were heading here, and figured someone would take you in. Looks like that’s going to me.” Hannah shot me a pleasant smile.
But I wasn’t so sure about that. We were strangers just hours ago and now she was telling me fairy tales. I tilted back my beer to avoid saying something rude and started to consider an exit plan. My bike was still on the rack. I could run out.
***
CONTENT
Intro
A Blue Tattoo
An Unexpected Encounter
Welcome To Reality
Unwanted Developments
Life With A Spirit Animal
Transformative News
The Real Legend Of The Sleeping Bears
A Sinister Truth Revealed
Father Of The Bribe
The Bear Lunar
Counter Measures
Playing With Fire
The Circus Comes To Town
A Return To A Beginning
