50 Shades of Life |Paul Lahote| •A Twilight and Originals Crossover•

i. "from therapy to hell"

Sitting in a tree in the middle of a swamp has to be one of the most therapeutic things for a person. Being able to observe beautiful animals in their natural habitat was a sight for sore eyes; it was refreshing to know that with the constantly changing world of people, this would never change, the swamp was consistent and reliable. The swamp had never betrayed Henrik, and it most likely never would.

This was Henrik's happy place, it wasn't with the wild, chaotic people of New Orleans. To be alone with her thoughts was absolute bliss to the long haired brunette.  It was in solitude with the company of birds flying low to the water to look for a snack, or a baby alligator on it's mother's back swimming by, or even the occasional hoot of an owl at night that captivated her so deeply she came to the swamps every chance she got.

Henrik sat on a sturdy tree branch that allowed her to swing her legs back and forth while she sat. She rested her frizzy, untamed hair, due to Louisiana's high rates of humidity,  on the tree's base, only listening to the peaceful sounds of nature. All thoughts that plagued her mind vanished as she focused on breathing deeply. Maybe its unconventional, buy this was how she meditated. 

Her house was too tense right now, but she didn't know why. Her mother, her aunts, her uncles, except Elijah, he was on a small vacation in France, was on edge. Henrik knew they were hiding something from her, but she didn't try to intervene, they would tell her if they needed to. So, she continued her breathing. 

In, out. In, out. In, out.

Her eyes shot open when a particularly loud screech announced itself. She sat up straight looking for the source of the interruption, her eyes fell on a small group of wild pigs. She wondered why she hadn't gotten used to the sound yet, it wasn't a rare occasion to hear a wild pig declare its presence. She relaxed again against the tree, adjusting her position as her bottom was becoming rather numb. 

Deciding that her meditation was over, she reached into her Jansport backpack, one of the most reliable brands in her opinion, that was also hanging by a branch and pulled out To Kill a Mocking Bird. It was a goal of hers to read the classics before she turned twenty-five. She had already read The Great Gatsby, Pride and Prejudice, and Wuthering Heights. 

Multiple hours and quite a few chapters later, Henrik sighed heavily knowing she should begin heading back to her house. Her mother scolded recently her for staying out too late, so to avoid stressing her mother too much, she needed to get back in New Orleans by nine o'clock. Being out of town wasn't always the safest decision, especially because she was two hours away.

She put the fascinating book into her backpack and grabbed her professional camera instead. She captured a few stunning photos before deciding to climb down the tree. She had cast a silencing spell on herself so she didn't disturb the wild life. On the ground she took a few more pictures of the smaller bugs and plants. While the swamp looked green and brown from a distance, you could admire its true depth of beauty up close, which is what Henrik preferred to do.

It was a peaceful walk back to Henrik's truck. Yes, a truck, because "They are more practical and durable than a Honda," according to Henrik. She wasn't wrong, the amount of times her truck got stuck in the mud was quite often, thanks to the water saturated soil the Mississippi River provided generously, but she managed to free herself every time with her magical capabilities. A simple levitating or moving spell could get her truck out of a rut in a short span of time.

The 18 year old witch had her truck within eyesight when her head started aching. It was a dull stabbing pain at first, which she expected to clear up soon. But, when it did not clear up and her brain began to feel like it was shrinking and then expanding too big for her skull, Henrik knew something was wrong.