Alexander Ranch

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The day was absolutely beautiful. I loved being out in the heart of nature on this warm spring day. It was just perfect. Not too hot, not too cool, just perfect. The camping areas and cabins weren't all filled up yet either, so the area wasn't overrun with vacationers. I hadn't seen another person out here all day. It was a couple of weeks before the Memorial Day Holiday. Everyone was too busy with last minute school, work, or other duties to be out and about yet. So, it was just me, myself, and the great outdoors.

I walked a trail that followed the river. I'd packed food and water, of course, and had stopped to read in the shade for a while once I found a nice spot. I felt, for this short period of time, like the only person on the planet. It felt great. I normally only got to read in snatches. I was either too busy or too tired. I mused over my satisfying, yet all-consuming, position at Hanley's Pet Care Services.

Work had been crazy busy. We'd recently had to let some people go over a major liability infraction. Now, whenever I wasn't actively working with the animals, I was hiring and training. Our company provided every pet service one could imagine from veterinary care to day care and training. We didn't, however, provide all of these services in one location. This was another reason work had been so busy. I was constantly bouncing from one facility to another.

Still, I loved my job. I much preferred working with animals than working with people. The people I worked with were an okay bunch for the most part. Considering that I was the company director, I only hired people that leaned towards work and not drama. Office politics is not my thing. Still, I tended to keep to myself. The fact that I was always working in a different capacity and moving from facility to facility made sticking to myself easy.

Even though I loved my job, lately I'd been longing for some free time, or me time. I was starting to actually agree with my boss, the owner, when he said, "Lela, you need to take some time off. We don't want you burning yourself out."

"And, leave all this, John?" I'd tease back.

However the grueling hours I'd been working were starting to catch up with me. Because I was also a certified vet tech, some days I would help out in the vet clinic. Though John had made me the Director of Operations, I couldn't stay away from working directly with the animals. I didn't want to be stuck behind a desk all day pushing paper. So, when the clinic got busy I would step in and help out. The techs and other vets were always surprised to see me donning scrubs and seeing to our furry patients. Or, if we had a difficult client with behavioral issues, sometimes I would take over the training to do one on one with the recalcitrant or over active critter. This freed the trainers to do their jobs more easily in a group. But, today I had no one to worry about but myself.

The day seemed to go by so fast. The relaxing, lazy day had been refreshing but not nearly long enough. I hadn't intended to go for a long hike. The day's agenda started out as just going for a long drive and maybe a short walk. A little over two hours after I'd left my home, I was at the river near the camp grounds. From there the call of nature lured me to walk, explore, and enjoy the solitude. Now, I glanced at my phone to check the time and sighed. It was time to head back. If I started now, I would make it back to my car near sunset. At least the hike back was mostly downhill.

The thought of watching the sunset over the river gave me a little spunk. I had a long week ahead of me. But after today, I would start using some of that vacation I had due. John was always telling me I needed to take more time off. I decided he was right. I stood, stretched, picked up my pack, and slung my hat over my head. Letting out a long breath, I headed back in the direction of my car.

I had only walked around a half mile when a sudden feeling made me stumble. I'd been mentally planning my next days off and hadn't been paying much attention to my surroundings. I hadn't seen a person all day and hadn't felt the need to keep my senses tightly closed. I opened them wide now, and the wave of evil that hit me was staggering. I quickly shut them down.