travel mug. She was going to go to one of her favorite hiking spots and try her hand at taking some nature photographs. She knew it would be hard to break into a new area of photography, but this was her dream. She was feeling inspired today, and if there was ever a time to go for it, today was the day.
Emily looked at her phone one more time before dropping it into her camera bag and grabbing her car keys. She hadn’t heard from Scott in a few days, which was unusual. He usually came around at least once every other day and had dinner with her, or asked her to come over and watch a movie with him. Lately, though, every single time she saw him, he became violent. So she was actually grateful that he wasn’t paying attention to her right now. He was probably on one of his drinking binges that left him so incapacitated he couldn’t even leave his apartment.
Emily sighed as she walked toward her apartment door. What kind of relationship was this, where she was relieved when she didn’t see her boyfriend? She needed to make a change, and she knew it. She just wasn’t sure how to find the courage to do it.
Emily pushed away her troubled thoughts and climbed into her car. She would worry about Scott later. Right now, she wanted to take a day for herself, to do what she wanted to do and to work on her business. She felt excitement coursing through her veins as she made her way to a nearby redwoods forest, and started down a well-worn hiking trail.
The September air was pleasant-not too hot and not too cold. The shade from the redwoods kept the bright sun from beating down too fiercely on Emily, and also muted the light to help her take better pictures. She took hundreds of photographs. First, she took close-ups of everything that caught her interest. A uniquely shaped leaf, a cluster of late-blooming wildflowers, a large, jagged rock, and even a banana slug that she came across as it slowly slid across the path. Emily took her time, wandering slowly through the forest and enjoying the chance to escape into such magnificent nature that she was lucky enough to have right in her backyard.
When the path meandered up to the open edge of the forest, overlooking a small valley of trees below, Emily took some landscape shots. She photographed the expansive view from multiple angles, losing herself in her work for the first time in months. She worked for hours, not even noticing the hunger pangs in her stomach until she was walking back to the trailhead. A glance at her watch told her it was late afternoon, and she smiled happily. What a wonderful way to spend the day.
Emily climbed into her car and started driving back toward home. She kept an eye out for a place to grab some food, and the first restaurant she spotted was a small roadside café advertising fresh sandwiches and soups. Emily stopped in and ate what was quite possibly the best turkey club sandwich of her life. She savored every bite, and then indulged in a slice of the café’s homemade pie for dessert.
Full and happy, Emily finally turned her car back toward her apartment. For once, she was actually excited to get home. Instead of only having an empty, lonely apartment to look forward to, she was excited to get the photographs she had taken up onto a computer screen and see if any of them were any good. She wasn’t sure yet how she was going to make a business out of selling them, but she would figure things out eventually. She always did.
Emily parked her car in front of her apartment building, and bounded up the stairs two at a time. She was humming under her breath as she climbed the last few steps, but when she rounded the corner to where her apartment door was located, her happy mood instantly disappeared.
Leaning against her doorway, with his arms crossed defiantly across his chest, was Scott. He sneered at her when he saw her, and Emily’s blood ran cold. His eyes were dilated, and although he didn’t seem drunk right now, he was definitely under the
Emily looked at her phone one more time before dropping it into her camera bag and grabbing her car keys. She hadn’t heard from Scott in a few days, which was unusual. He usually came around at least once every other day and had dinner with her, or asked her to come over and watch a movie with him. Lately, though, every single time she saw him, he became violent. So she was actually grateful that he wasn’t paying attention to her right now. He was probably on one of his drinking binges that left him so incapacitated he couldn’t even leave his apartment.
Emily sighed as she walked toward her apartment door. What kind of relationship was this, where she was relieved when she didn’t see her boyfriend? She needed to make a change, and she knew it. She just wasn’t sure how to find the courage to do it.
Emily pushed away her troubled thoughts and climbed into her car. She would worry about Scott later. Right now, she wanted to take a day for herself, to do what she wanted to do and to work on her business. She felt excitement coursing through her veins as she made her way to a nearby redwoods forest, and started down a well-worn hiking trail.
The September air was pleasant-not too hot and not too cold. The shade from the redwoods kept the bright sun from beating down too fiercely on Emily, and also muted the light to help her take better pictures. She took hundreds of photographs. First, she took close-ups of everything that caught her interest. A uniquely shaped leaf, a cluster of late-blooming wildflowers, a large, jagged rock, and even a banana slug that she came across as it slowly slid across the path. Emily took her time, wandering slowly through the forest and enjoying the chance to escape into such magnificent nature that she was lucky enough to have right in her backyard.
When the path meandered up to the open edge of the forest, overlooking a small valley of trees below, Emily took some landscape shots. She photographed the expansive view from multiple angles, losing herself in her work for the first time in months. She worked for hours, not even noticing the hunger pangs in her stomach until she was walking back to the trailhead. A glance at her watch told her it was late afternoon, and she smiled happily. What a wonderful way to spend the day.
Emily climbed into her car and started driving back toward home. She kept an eye out for a place to grab some food, and the first restaurant she spotted was a small roadside café advertising fresh sandwiches and soups. Emily stopped in and ate what was quite possibly the best turkey club sandwich of her life. She savored every bite, and then indulged in a slice of the café’s homemade pie for dessert.
Full and happy, Emily finally turned her car back toward her apartment. For once, she was actually excited to get home. Instead of only having an empty, lonely apartment to look forward to, she was excited to get the photographs she had taken up onto a computer screen and see if any of them were any good. She wasn’t sure yet how she was going to make a business out of selling them, but she would figure things out eventually. She always did.
Emily parked her car in front of her apartment building, and bounded up the stairs two at a time. She was humming under her breath as she climbed the last few steps, but when she rounded the corner to where her apartment door was located, her happy mood instantly disappeared.
Leaning against her doorway, with his arms crossed defiantly across his chest, was Scott. He sneered at her when he saw her, and Emily’s blood ran cold. His eyes were dilated, and although he didn’t seem drunk right now, he was definitely under the
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