It was a cold, breezy morning on the coast. The wind whistled as the dew dripped off the leaves so carelessly falling onto the pavement. I caressed the soft leaves of the trees as I walked slowly along the hiking trail. “Deep breath in,” I say aloud, slowly exhaling while my dog sniffs a nearby tree. He lifts his leg to do his business. I take a puff, and exhale. I wait for him to finish while a hummingbird sits on a distant branch peeking out through the leaves every now and then.
We continue on through the dreary, darkened road as a lady riding horseback passes by on the other side of the trail. I nod in her direction, and she nods back, while my pup and her horse are trying to figure each other out. We part ways, and as we start our walk again, I begin to hear the far crash of the thunderous waves slapping against the shore.
We stop. Suddenly, through the tall endless redwood trees, there appeared a light. A beautiful and bright sun began to rise. The breeze almost seemed to cease immediately into a calm and gentle whoosh. We continue. Turning the corner of the pathway, concrete jungle turns into sand. I remove my slides, and thrust my toes deep into the soft, warm, cream-colored sand. “So relaxing,” I sigh as I stare into the distance. My pup looks at me and wags his tail. The corners of my mouth slowly widen as we both take off across miles and miles of endless land.
Down to the shore we go, as I stumble over a rock buried slightly beneath the surface. “Ow, damn it!” I laugh loudly as my pup looks at me in confusion while we continue down, slowly, carefully, to the water. The sun is brightly and beautifully beaming as we find our place in the sand. As we lay on the beach, with the waves crashing at our feet and paws, sun bright on our faces, I turn to examine the surroundings. I see miles and miles of clear, sparkling fresh water, sand that seems to never end, and a very lush tree just right in the middle of it all. What caught my attention about the tree was that it seemed to be the only plant life in the sand for miles and miles.
We approach it, curious as to how it grew there. I looked beyond the tree and circled around it, my pup curiously sniffing at it. A single marigold lived next to the tree, just a little behind it. It was the most beautiful goldenrod-orange color with bright yellow peeking through the middle. “How wondrous,” I thought, “To see nature bloom in its natural habitat or even be able to create its own?” We sat down next to the flower, and as we sat, the marigold began to bloom. Just a peek of the sun allowed the petals to expand and the colors to almost glow so brightly. I take another puff while the pup still seems curious about the blossoming, gigantic tree. “Life is bliss.” I say as I watch the clouds in the sky drift away slowly but also at a steady pace. My pup looks over to me, sniffs the tree and does his business. I stand up to leave as my pup sits next to me now sniffing the crisp, cool ocean water air and I inhale in and exhale out, my pup now seemingly impatient with me. I smile. “Come on, Teddy.” I say to him as we leave behind the marigold to blossom and the waves to crash against the sand alone.
About the Creator
Raiya Allen
I’ve been writing since I could hold a pencil still between my fingers. It’s always been a passion of mine, and I always excelled in English. I’m excited to start writing again and hopefully I’ll make amazing stories for all to enjoy. ☺️
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Britain in Talks With NATO to Boost Arctic Security
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