| She woke up to a crisp fall morning. The sun was shining and there were very few clouds in the bright blue sky. Jacki was up early for her morning walk. She popped in her walking tape, which happened to have all her favorite Creed songs on it. The walk was routine for her now. Each morning started out this way, a mini celebration of life. The exercise was an everyday part of her life now. It gave her a chance to dream and also a chance to focus on the day that lay in front of her. After her walk, she got ready for the weekend. She packed her car for the trip she was about to take. A few friends and her were going to take a long weekend away. They decided to go up north and rent a cabin for the long weekend. She loved the northwoods and that is where they were headed, the middle of the woods. ..... After a 6-hour car trip they finally were able to get out at the most beautiful spot she had ever seen. The trees seemed to reach into the heavens. The air was the cleanest she had ever had in her lungs. Close by the cabin was a lake that had the clearest water. Jacki had seen places like this before, a few years prior, when she had been a camp counselor. This time she had the time to appreciate the beauty she had around her. .... After they had gotten settled, they all went their separate ways. Two of her friends went and took a nap. The other friend ran into the closest town to pick up things they had forgotten. Jacki wanted to go for a hike. She knew she should wait for her friend to get back from running errands, but she was very impatient. She put on her hiking boots, sweater and threw some things into a backpack. She then set off for a short hike. Each day she had been walking. This time was different. The woods let her mind wander everywhere. The scenes gave her the opportunity to create stories inside her head. Sounds were everywhere. Birds, falling leaves, the slight breeze and even the insects were singing songs. She didn't notice that she had been gone for about an hour. Jacki heard sounds that resembled people. She avoided those sounds and kept to the wandering trails. She was about to embark on a journey that would change her life. Jacki started to walk up the hills more. The inclines were fun to hike. She saw a shimmer of water through the trees and wanted to get closer to it. She wasn't paying attention to her footing and turned her ankle on a rut in the ground. She immediately fell down to the ground. Jacki wasn't a wimp. A sprained ankle wouldn't stop her. She tried to stand and could not put any weight on the hurt ankle. "Damn." She whispered. She looked around and only saw trees. "Hello?" She called out. Jacki shook her head. "I should have known,� She thought to herself. Jacki got up one more time. She hopped from tree to tree in search of someone or something to help. The hopping soon tired her out and she sat back down again. She tried to yell again. She saw the water again through the trees and had this feeling she should get herself down by the water. Jacki mustered the strength and hobbled down to the water. It was the most breathtaking site she had ever seen. If only her ankle wasn't throbbing, she probably would have enjoyed it more. She yelled down here again and got no answer. The stillness and quiet was starting to become frustrating. She propped herself up on some rocks and started to sing to herself. She got out her water bottle and tried to figure out what to do. It was about 2 in the afternoon. At least she still had several hours of sunlight left. She began to sing again and did not realize that she was being watched. Jacki started into several Broadway musical songs and was having a grand old time when she heard the distinct sound of laughter. She looked around and could not see anyone. "Ok, unless deer or cute little bunnies have learned how to laugh... someone had better pop out of the woods that is human..." She was expecting to see one of her friends come out of the woods. "I hope I didn't scare you." A tall looming figure started toward where she was sitting. Jacki twisted around to see who was coming out of some of the trees. It was like a scene from a dream. She shielded her eyes from the bright sun and was the messy brown hair, the deep dark brown eyes and the killer smile she'd looked at many times before. She swore she must have hit her head when she fell. He sauntered over to where she was sitting. "I was walking, heard singing and found you down here." He smiled and looked at her. She didn't know whether to pinch herself or laugh. He noticed her leg was propped up. "Ooh, what did you do?" He knelt down by her. She still had not opened her mouth. "I tripped." He looked up to her. In the sunlight, his eyes were bright and sparkling. She contemplated what to say. Do I say something stupid, do I stay quiet, do I ask what he is doing here? She popped out of her reverie and her mouth started in. "What in the world are you doing in the same woods that I am in? I mean, when I saw you come out of the woods, I figured I had hit my head when I fell down. I didn't expect to be found by Mark Tremonti." He gave her a puzzling look. "Not to say that you CANNOT be in the same woods that I am in, but damn, I mean, of all the places to meet you." Jacki realized that her nervousness was taking over. She shut her mouth and blushed. He laughed. "Sorry. I guess I am not used to meeting a rock star after I twist my ankle." She smiled. "That's ok. I can only think what you must have thought after you heard me laughing. I have to admit, I was listening to you for a while." Jacki blushed again. "It was really good. That is why I stopped." She grinned. "Well, I had no choice to stop. The ankle can't support weight. I can't hop all the way back to my cabin." She took some of her water. He looked around. "Where is your cabin?" She described how to get to her cabin. "That is past where our cabin is." She looked at him. "Our?" |