The Outcast

Chapter 2: The Dragonfly

Chapter Two: The Dragonfly

River Quinn

Meanwhile in Toronto, Canada…

There it was.

The rare arrowhead spike tail dragonfly was perched on a scrubby bush about four feet away from me. I couldn’t believe I was standing this close to the creature that had been the object of my interest for weeks. Camping out in Dahl Forest for three days was finally paying off. I hurriedly turned on my camera and lined up the shot. I took a deep breath of the clean forest air and cautiously approached the dragonfly, praying that it wouldn’t decide to take flight before I snapped a couple of shots. Ever since I had read about this rare species of dragonfly on the internet I just couldn’t stop thinking about it. I wanted to see it and photograph it for myself.

At the age of seven I had discovered I had a strange fascination with these fast-flying predatory insects. Some kids find bugs disgusting while other kids find bugs interesting but as they grow older the fascination usually dies out. Apparently my fascination had only increased as I grew up.

I slowly inched closer to where the dragonfly was hovering and stopped when I was so close I could see the single line of yellow arrowhead shaped markings on its long body. Adrenaline coursed through my veins as I zoomed in on the target. And just as I was about to click the button that would capture the image forever, the unthinkable happened. My damn cell phone started ringing. The song ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ by Nirvana was playing from my phone disturbing the peaceful quietness of the forest. The sound must have alerted the creature because it was flying away in a matter of seconds. I managed to snap several pictures in a rush but I doubted they were any good. I dug my phone out of my pocket and groaned in frustration when I saw the caller ID; it read Mom.

“Yeah?” I asked agitatedly as I absently kicked a random rock. I didn’t usually have an attitude with my mother like most teenagers do but right now I was seriously annoyed with her. I had been so close to getting the perfect shot of the dragonfly when she had to decide to call me at that precise moment.

“Is that any way to answer the phone River?” she patronized me. I rolled my eyes at her even though she couldn’t see me. I was already 18 years old and my mother still treated me like a little kid.

“Why didn’t I put it on airplane mode” I muttered to myself but of course she heard me.

“Now what’s that supposed to mean?” she questioned and even though I wasn’t looking at her I was willing to bet anything that she had her hand on her hip right now.   

“Nothing mom. So why did you call?” I asked her.  

“I was just checking up on you and reminding you that you have to be back no later than today. The moving truck is going to be here early tomorrow morning and you still have some things to pack and I’m not packing them for you River you’re 18 years old” she ranted on and on. The way she said my age sounded as though she felt the need to remind me that I was legally a grown up now but in reality she needed the reminder more than I did.

Ever since my dad had walked out on us ten years ago, my mother had become an overprotective parent. Since she had become a single parent she had to play the role of dad and mom in my life and she had done an excellent job as a parent, but having the fear that I would leave her like dad did she tended to be overprotective at times. Still, I loved her nonetheless. Even now when she was dragging me to another country where we would start a new life. I did wish she could have waited until I was done with high school but it wasn’t her fault. Being a journalist required her to travel frequently and I was pretty used to it by now. Still it would have been so much better if I could have finished my last year of school in Canada.