Mercedes' Mountain

Chapter 2

When I arrived home, I hauled my purchases up to my bedroom. I laid the jewelry on the dresser, taking a moment to admire each piece before placing them in the jewelry box. The beautiful wooden box had been a gift from Larius. He had hoped I would think of him whenever I used it, which I did, only not in the way he wanted me to.

I placed all the jewelry in the box, except for a small pair of earrings. They were mini silver dream catchers, dangling from a half inch silver chain and accented with small turquoise stones. Of all the jewelry, these were my favorite. I put them on then examined my reflection in the mirror. Pulling the elastic from my hair, I gave my hair a good shake and smiled at what I saw.

At forty, I was occasionally pleased with my looks. My face was still free of lines, even when I smiled. Instead, when I smiled, deep dimples appeared, dimples I didn't truly appreciate until I became an adult. No child likes being teased and told they have holes in their face. Fortunately, I got over it.

The small mole beside my mouth was a plus. My lips were pleasantly full, my nose, like my mother's, slightly pointed, but well proportioned to my face. When lined, my brown eyes stood out. Because my lashes were so thick, mascara had never been a necessity, but I used it anyway. And as far as my body went, years of dancing kept me lean and in shape. There were still some features that I considered questionable, but overall, I was happy with the way I looked.

After admiring the earrings another moment, I took them off and placed them on the dresser. Then I pulled my hair back into a ponytail and finished putting everything away.

I walked over to my bedroom window and gazed out into the deep wooded area. Feeling the sudden need to explore a little nature now, I changed into a comfortable pair of jeans, a long sleeved shirt, and hiking shoes. Not knowing how long I would be out, I grabbed a light denim jacket, just in case the weather turned cooler.

As I exited the front door, I took a moment to again study my surroundings, musing that if my city friends could see me now, they would definitely find my new contentment both absurd and unbelievable. After all, how could a person ever be happy in a place like this after being spoiled by having every luxury known to man within walking distance? How could you not miss the hustle and bustle that makes life so exciting and go live among the hicks?

I smiled as I pondered the many heart attacks, strokes, and ulcers that would probably be omitted if more people chose the kind of life I was now living. No heavy traffic, no loud noises, no sirens blaring all hours of the day and night. Just the sound of God's land communing with me. It was all I needed.

I placed a small compass in my pocket, just in case I got lost. Then I proceeded on my uphill trek through the woods. This was another brave step for me. My life long fear of snakes was not easily forgotten, but I tried not to think of the slithering creatures. I just prayed that I wouldn't cross paths with one. That would really be all I needed. To be found a week later, lying catatonic under a tree from a snake bite. That's probably how long it would take to find me.

Still, my surroundings were beautiful. The only sounds that stirred were the slight rustling of the leaves from the wind, and the crackling of the dried ones on the ground where I stepped. The woods seemed to go on and on. I felt like Little Red Riding Hood, hoping there was no big bad wolf hiding somewhere waiting to pounce on me. Though I had only been walking for about forty-five minutes or so, it seemed longer because it was uphill.

Just as I was about to throw in the towel, turn back and hang up my hiking shoes for a good long while, the hill started to crest and the view ahead of me seemed to grow lighter. Light at the end of the tunnel, my mind mused. With new incentive now, I decided to keep going, anxious to know what secret view was up ahead.