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Isabella enjoyed days filled with space to breathe. Time in nature soothed her soul, allowing her to take a step back and heal. A walk through the forest calmed her down, It allowed her to reset, refocus, readjust, restart, as much as she needed to. Sometimes all you needed was a break in a beautiful place. It brought her back to her time in California. She had seen many places, made them her hideouts when she just needed to get away. Hiking in hidden places—caves and lagoons on beaches and Falls—came back to her in this moment. It wasn't the same without her family.
When the world moves too fast, and you lose yourself in the chaos, Isabella reminded herself to pause, amidst the busyness. During the moments when life seems to be moving at one hundred miles per hour. Nature allowed Isabella to reacquaint herself with who she was and take it all in, right where she was. She wanted to remind herself she's doing her best and it's all she can do. She allowed herself to take a moment to stretch her legs and feel her muscles relax. Let any tension fall away. Take in as much air as her lungs would allow and just breathe. To find herself in the appreciation of life.
Usually enjoying hiking would be the case for her, if she wasn't annoyed by Klaus trying to antagonize Stefan. He had been pestering him constantly, attempting to get a rise out of him. It was even worse when she received her monthly visit from Mother Nature this morning. Isabella always tried to be her usual kind self when it was shark week. She couldn't always control how she felt, and even if she tried to, she was bound to snap at some point. It's not her fault things were falling out of her without her control, so she can't be held responsible for the things she might say or say.
Self control is strength. Calmness is mastery. You have to get to a point where your mood doesn't shift based on the insignificant actions of someone else. Don't allow others to control the direction of your life. Don't allow your emotions to overpower your intelligence. She repeated this mantra in her head like a broken record, more so on her period in order to make it less likely for her to lose her cool.
Isabella trudged behind Klaus and Stefan as they trekked through the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee.
"You okay?" Klaus taunted Stefan, who was carrying an unconscious Ray Sutton over his shoulder. "Is Ray getting heavy?"
Stefan sighed in annoyance. "I'm fine," he muttered in assurance.
Klaus grinned. "You sure about that?" The hybrid teased, amused by Stefan's agitation. "You know, we've been walking for quite some time now. If you need some water or a little sit down..." he trailed off. Both, along with some ibuprofen, would be essential right now.
The blank expression on Stefan's face morphed into a look of irritation as he shifted the weight of the dead body on his shoulder. "You know, I get that we're, uh, we're stuck together, but if we could maybe just skip the chit chat, it'd be great."
