Nature’s Soundtrack

Last night was her toughest one yet.  She spent more time shivering than sleeping. Admiring the mystery of the mist that gently embraces the air, she stands to stretch. Then, in one swift move, grabs her book bag, places one foot in front of the other and continues her expedition.  The constant thought of turning back floods her conscious, but the prospect of what she would be returning to makes her quickly dismiss it.

As she walks, she pays close attention to the sounds of her surroundings.  “It’s nature’s soundtrack,” her mother would tell her.  She can hear two blue jays talking, a sparrow singing, and a sound that is not indigenous to the woods that had been her home for the past four days.  She listens closer and a smile begins to form through the dirt and smeared makeup on her face.  In a mixture of exhaustion and joy, she drops to her knees and sighs, “That’s highway noise, I made it.”

© LaRonda Moore

[163 wds]
Inspired by FFfAW Challenge #109
Photo courtesy of Yarnspinnerr.