Pine Valley

Today is Friday, your work week has just ended, you're trying to decide what to do for the weekend. You've been cooped up indoors all week, desperately seeking excitement in your life. Sitting in the vintage wing back chair you thrifted, you lean over to open the window. Your cat, Mr. Mittens jumps into the windowsill.

It's autumn, you know the seasons change is inevitably on it's way. Seasonal depression has already begun to sink in. It's fifty-eight degrees out, there's a cool, crisp breeze. Whispers of leaves as they're blown across the pavement, seemingly calling out your name.

Unsure of what to do with yourself, you pull out your phone and open Facebook. Aimlessly scrolling through your feed as you've grown accustomed to, anything to distract yourself from being left alone in your thoughts. You come across an article about a truck that had crashed, toppling over.

{Local delivery truck transporting endangered birds overturned on rt 588 - authorities on the hunt for missing barn owls}

You think nothing of it and continue scrolling.

You see that your friend Jim had been posting his photography from his hikes, with the majority of the photos being birds, of all things.

It sparks a thought, remembering you had read the title of that article, you begin frantically scrolling up to find it. Realizing that you used to hike at a local park, just off of rt. 588, the wheels start turning. You shoot a message to Jim, and although you've been Facebook friends for years, you've never hiked together. This could be the perfect opportunity to make a new friend!

"Hey buddy, you wanna go on an adventure?"

Impatiently waiting for a response, you shoot up out of your chair, grab Mr. Mittens from the windowsill, slam the window, and head to the door for your shoes. Running down the stairs to your car, only to realize when you get to the bottom, you had forgotten your keys. You do the walk of shame back up your stairs to grab your keys and your phone goes off.

It's Jim!

"I actually just got in my car, I'm headed to the park to help look for some missing owls!"

Eager for the much needed excitement to distract you from your depressive episode, you head back down the stairs to your car. You hop in the driver's seat, pull the seatbelt over you and click it into place. Pulling out your phone to send your response.

"I just saw that article, I was about to head out that way too! Let's meet up, we can look together!"

Ignition on, windows down, music cranked up. It's pure bliss.

You arrive at the park, noticing Jim hasn't arrived yet, you send another text to inform him that you've arrived.

"Hey man, I just got here, I'm parked by the footbridge, I'm gonna hit the trails and start looking, let me know when you get here!"

Climbing out of your car, feeling the breeze on your face, you take a deep breath. It smells wonderful, that incredible scent of the damp leaves. Beginning your trek across the footbridge, you hear a car pull in, glance back, it's Jim!

Turning around, beginning to run back towards his car. He's loading up his gear in his backpack, camera around his neck. "That thing looks like the dang Hubble telescope!" you say, jokingly.

Both of you now, overjoyed and eager to look for these owls, head back to the footbridge.

You notice a slightly overgrown path that you've never seen before and ask Jim if he wants to check it out. Both of you in basketball shorts, assessing the overgrown path, decide to take it. He nods.

Beyond thrilled to just be outside, you're power walking, as Jim is taking a slow stroll, scanning the area through his viewfinder. He shouts "I see a barn! Let's go take a look at it!"

.

.

This is where I abandon my second attempt at this story, as I realize I have exceeded the deadline.

I haven't written anything since 7th grade, I am now almost 30 years old, thoroughly enjoying this new venture.

I'm proud of how far I've come, and I look forward to participating in future writing challenges. It took me my entire life to realize that it doesn't have to be perfect when you start something new, but you have to start.

I'm glad to be here, and I can't wait to see what the future of my time on Vocal has to bring :)