Cara Randall has dedicated her life to helping protect and save hybrids. Her hospital and shelter, Sanctuary, helps the injured or mistreated hybrids of Samta, New Kanoa. While she has success with her job, she's lacking the one thing she wants most...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
I had no idea where I was but I found myself standing in the middle of the most beautiful and serene meadow. It was kind of like the one that I took Yoongi and Cara to; although, instead of wildflowers dotting the green grass with pops of colour, this one was littered with fallen leaves in various shades of autumnal colours. I felt a pull while standing here, though I knew I'd never been here before; I've never been to a meadow that was beside a babbling brook before.
I walked down the slight hill towards the brook. The water looked so clear as it meandered, twisting around boulders, large rocks and even some old tree branches. The quiet, continuous sound of the water trickling past the obstructions was so relaxing; it reminded me of how Yoongi, Cara and I would sit on the back deck, snuggled up together as we listened to the summer rain.
This would be the perfect place to meditate – if my brain switched off long enough that is. Between the soft burbling waters and the various songs of the birds overhead in the many trees lining the creek, I felt much of my stress evaporate.
I set off again, the brook behind me as I wandered back up the hill. When I'd gotten here, I'd spotted a large dead tree that overlooked everything. Since I didn't know where I was, I thought I should try to get the lay of the land.
It took me a few minutes to make my way to the tree. It had looked small where I had first found myself here, but standing at the base of the trunk, I realised it would've been a proud and magnificent tree when it was alive; I could imagine the branches covered in leaves as they stretched towards the sky. But now, it stood bare and lonely, like a lanky skeleton forgotten while the rest of the world thrived around it.
I didn't want to climb the trunk if it was rotten, so with all of my might, I tugged and jerked the branches to see if there was any give. When I realised it was sturdy, I pulled myself up and onto the lowest limb. Using all the agility I had, I quickly made my way to the highest bough and looked over the meadow. Along with the creek I was at earlier and the hill the tree stood upon, there wasn't really anything else around apart from some woods quite a distance away. The meadow was desolate of life apart from me and some birds that I could hear singing to the sun.
Climbing down, I sat against the trunk while I caught my breath. I ran through everything I knew. "Okay Jiminie, let's think about this," I said out loud to myself.
"Where am I?" I looked around and noted what I saw. "I'm in a strange meadow with no signs of life, but at least there is access to fresh water. There are no landmarks that I can use to identify where I am. There are no roads, nor are there any houses."
"What can I hear?" I closed my eyes and focussed on what I could hear. "There are birds in the trees and some flying overhead. There is a rabbit or two eating grass, and there are some deer in the woods. There are no sounds of cars or civilisation."
I slumped against the tree. I thought by doing that exercise that I would be able to find out where I was, but all that ended up happening was I became more depressed since it felt like I was the only person in the world at the moment.
