She knew she was far away from home, but she promised herself she’d push a little further each day. Momma would be so mad if she knew how deep she was going into the Florida swamps, but the alternative was mind numbing boredom around the house.

There was a path she followed the first few days, but that ended; now it was stepping through tall grass, wedging through the spaces between twisted trees, and tracking through mud of various shades of brown.

She came upon the dying oak tree which she decided was her stopping point for yesterday. She walked faster- new scenery was up ahead.

Not long later, she came upon a barrier of trees that seemed to encompass something. Sweat and mud made it easy to pull herself through a nearby space. When she reached the other side, she gasped.

She had found some sort of swamp lagoon. The area was clear of much vegetation, yet the distant air was green. The water was still, dark, and the size of two backyard pools. She decided this is what she was looking for all along.