Hers

4 Nature

One thing I never stopped enjoying is the outdoors. No matter how much it would remind me of family outings I had to keep it for myself. My sole escape from reality. The outdoors and my alone time are the things that have been keeping me sane when I'm home. Whether leaving my window open to hear the birds crippling or to let the beautiful moonlight in. I find peace in it.

The kind of peace that may be odd to others. I find peace in being alone in my room with the lights off with no music just the sounds of life outside my window. I find peace walking along a trail without a phone or any other distraction unless I'm trying to capture the image.

That's exactly what I'm doing today. I'm getting a head start on my photography project. I also need to get out of my house before Dixon shows up. He's been calling all morning and I've been putting off speaking to him. I know he will show up soon so I rather not be here when does.

I'm too angry to have a proper conversation with him. I don't want to say anything I will regret. My mother isn't here to stop me from saying all the harsh things that will slip off my tongue. So today will be my peace day with nature.

With my camera battery full as well as my stomach I start my car for the Northern Keys where bobcats are slighted the most. I don't plan on actually capturing an image of any bobcats. Just seeing one in person would be enough for me.

From my research I know they are adaptable predators so I have to be extremely careful. As I drive along the coast I go over the information I wrote down early this morning.

There's five different places I can find a bobcat, wooden areas, semi desert, urban edges, swampland or forest edges. The Northern Keys are tropical so I guess that falls under forest edges.

I park my car and take my camera with me. The last time I was anywhere near the Keys I was with both of my parents on a boat. It was the summer of course so we were out all day. I remembering smiling a lot that day so it must have been fun.

I shake the memory away as I walk along the grass and dirt. It seems to warm for a place a bobcat would be. Maybe the swamp or desert areas. My map skills are way off so I could be in the wrong area all together. The lower keys where deer are spotted might be more accurate.

With my hope of finding a bobcat and capturing a beautiful image of the large cat pushed away for now. After an hour of walking I start to take pictures of my view. Palm trees and and other plants show up on the screen. I adjust my lens before holding it out again to take a few more.

I can develop them and hang them in my room. I kick around a few rocks with my boots as I walk back to my car. The walk back seems much longer. I hope I'm not lost. I gasp when a hare runs past me. I'm beyond scared. My nerves are all over the place.

"Breathe Olivia. It's just a small, harmless animal." I tell myself. Once my heart rate steadies I began walking again.

I see paw prints in the ground that weren't there before. I'm sure they weren't because I was looking for them. Four toe prints and a paw print is the usual type of print for a bobcat since they have retractable claws.

But these prints are fresh like the bobcat is still in this area or has pasted through recently. I hope it's the later because I didn't read up on bobcats behavior. I wouldn't know what to do if I came across one.

I just went over the basics wanting to get out of the house and away from a confrontation with Dixon. I'm sure he went to my house looking for me and when he didn't find me I'm sure he has been trying to call.

I stop in my tracks when I hear something moving behind me. It's louder than a small hare I know exactly how they sound. Whatever this is it isn't a hare.