The pine needles crunched under foot. Uneven earth and the random stone created a bumpy path. The scent of dirt rising in a steady wave. The path was just forgiving enough to keep her at a brisk pace. The warm air brushed her cheeks. The faint sound of water over stone was somewhere ahead and to her right. Birds called to each other, unseen in the branches above. As she walked the trees thinned out and she stepped into the sunlight. As the rays hit her face she stopped and closed her eyes. She tilted her head towards the sky and smiled. Standing in the sun, all her worries seemed to melt away. This was where she always returned. She couldn't help it. Something deep down inside her inevitably called out and try as hard as she did, she was helpless to the draw.
She took a long, slow breath in through her nose and let it escape her lips. As she opened her eyes, she was momentarily in awe of all the colors. The greens, browns, blues. The stark white of the few clouds that dotted the sky. The landscape was burned into her memory, but it was the first time she had been back in months. The seasons had changed twice. Far too long to be gone, she thought. A small shake of her head and she took off. It was time.