A Long Walk

Alice was afraid to leave her spot that kept her relatively covered, but knew she would eventually have to get going anyways. Slowly, she walked out from behind the tree, and put one arm across her chest, and the other between her legs. Once she reached the road, she took a deep breath and began walking back the direction she had come from. This part of the road was hardly ever used anymore, so until she came back to the main thoroughfare Alice felt safe from being seen.

At first, she was nothing but tensed up, constantly afraid a car might come around the corner. Then, after several minutes, she started to calm down. She still felt embarrassed, but took her situation in a more relaxed manner now. No amount of panicking, or sprinting would do her any good. She knew she would have to save her energy for the busy part of the road, where more cars would be.

Alice looked around, taking in all the sites nature had to offer. Birds were chirping, flowers were in full bloom, and the trees on both sides of the road created a shady overhang. The world seemed at peace, in balance. Doing a walk through a forest was one thing, but walking through one while completely naked was another. It gave a heightened sense of awareness, more of a natural connection with her surroundings.

Alice watched a squirrel scurry across the road right in front of her, carrying some acorns along with it. She smiled. While she would never optionally do this, Alice couldn’t help but admit the experience wasn’t completely terrible.

~~

An hour passed, Alice slowly making her way along the old road in the country. She had yet to see a single car, and had even let her hands fall to her sides. A beaming smile was all she wore in the middle of the forested countryside.

Alice has long ago admitted she was enjoying her walk, but then heard a sound that washed away all the confidence she had built over the past hour. Tires on asphalt, meaning someone was headed her way. She quickly darted into the trees, crouching down to avoid being seen. Luckily, the car didn’t head down towards her way, but instead turned at the fork in the road, headed towards a small town a few minutes from her Grandma’s house. This fork in the road would mark the beginning of the busier section of the walk. Distance-wise, Alice knew she was halfway there.