Know The Earth, Know Thyself - Chapter 2

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After a five-minute-long prayer that ended with nearly half the circle in tears, Ingrid and Josh set out on the Beech trail.

Which is to say, Josh led Ingrid down the trail while they each held on to either end of a substantial tree branch.

“Josh, don’t you think this is a little ridiculous?”

“I don’t know what you mean," he replied, tightly gripping his end of the branch.

She tutted. “I think you do. I don’t want us to get separated.”

“Hey, less opportunity for sin, right? Heh heh...”

Sighing, the young woman dropped the subject and found that there was a lot to appreciate about this forest, especially since her overly nervous hiking buddy wasn’t exactly keen on making small talk.

Gazing through the leaves of the tall trees, listening to the birds as they sang or pecked at wood or chirped for their mothers to feed them filled her with a tranquility that seemed so elusive at home or at church.

...So much for the “peace that passes understanding.”

If they did outings like this more often, maybe she’d be able to find that peace instead of having to spend every week in that horrible sanctuary with these insufferable--

“Uhm! Ingrid??” Josh stammered, breaking her train of thought, not turning to face her.

“Yes, Josh?

”

I need to...use the bathroom!”

Ingrid looked around. Nothing but trees and bushes. She smirked. “Well, Josh, if you really have to go--”

“I know!” He shot back, dropping his end of the stick and running to the right into the foliage with his hands between his legs until he was out of sight.

Sighing for what had to be the 10th time that day, the young woman decided she ought to take care of business, too, just in case, and she stepped off the trail for some privacy.

...Not that any living beings she came across would say what they saw—she and Josh were the only humans out here, and squirrels are not famous for their eloquence—but it felt safe, nonetheless.

But on her way back to the trail, she saw a big, dark, furry round thing in approximately the same spot where she had left the branch. Her eyebrows furrowed in wonder for a second, then her heart skipped a beat, and she stopped dead in her tracks as she realized what it was.

A bear.