Page 22 of How Does It Feel?

“Nooooo, please no!” I begged the tractor as if that would help.

A curious raccoon wandered down a tree in front of me to watch the show.

“What are you looking at!?” I shouted aggressively as I got down from the yellow seat and attempted to pull all my hair out in frustration.

“I’m sorry, you didn’t deserve that,” I mumbled at the trash panda apologetically.

He didn’t. He was just being nosey.

Angry and frustrated, I grabbed a pair of rusted hedge clippers from the tractor. I didn’t think I’d need them because there were no real threats out here, but just in case. I huffed and stomped off back on my trail, now more determined than ever.

And when I say stomped, I mean on the balls of my feet because I was still very much in high heels.

“Uuugghh, maybe that stupid mushroom is bad luck,” I grumbled and growled at the animals that walked with me.

A skunk had joined the team, with whom I avoided making any eye contact. Finicky things skunks were. I loved all animals . . . well, except snakes. Don’t ask me why, but I am petrified of snakes. The slithering, the hissing—they’ve never bothered me, and I never bother them.

It was comforting to have the company of the animals in the dark forest though. Animals had always been oddly unafraid of me. I have no memory of it any other way, maybe when I was very young. Had they not been more distant when I was with other people, I might not have ever realized they didn’t usually get so close to humans. Whatever the reason, I was grateful for it. It drove me to want to do my job to the best of my abilities. All creatures deserved to be loved and taken care of.

That didn’t mean I wasn’t still wary of the skunk that trailed behind me.

A few creatures scampered beside me along the way as I stopped every few feet to pull a high heel free from the dirt. Walking on the balls of my feet was exhausting, but I refused to take my shoes off. You’d be shocked at the number of poisonous insects that littered your average forest floor.

Starting to grow weary again as I realized I happened to be following the same ominous trail of fireflies, I began to sing some old fluffy songs in a weak attempt at soothing my frayed nerves. I was just about to pick up a new melody when the ground scuttled with the sounds of my forest friends suddenly running to hide. I turned, startled at the sudden movement behind me.

And then I saw it.

The first living luna moth I had ever seen.

The creature I had moved across the country to find.

I nearly fell to my knees at the sight of it. They were early.

Three weeks until they were supposed to arrive in Willow Springs.

The large moth fluttered silently behind me before it landed on a nearby tree. The slow flap of its pale neon-green wings taunted me. A long tendril trailed behind each wing. These tendrils were part of what made them so rare, somehow adding to the majestic beauty of the mysterious luna moth.

In a trance of wonder, I moved closer. Two long fern-like antennae rested atop its fluffy body, only adding to its adorable aesthetic.

Something moved nearby, and I had to stifle a scream as my pulse quickened. I turned, caching the movement with my peripheral.

Another one.

I gasped as another luna moth fluttered past me.

The one on the tree took off, fluttering with his companion.

I clamored to follow them, still in somewhat of a shock.

Tuna-teeth! These high heels were going to kill me! I was moving quickly to keep up with the moths as they floated along the twinkling trail of the fireflies. My cheeks felt hot even though my skin was chilled with the cool night air as I breathed heavily in an attempt to keep up with the winged wonders. Several parts of my body were exposed from the dress now, but I didn’t care. I didn’t care about anything as I chased the moths.

Several more Luna moths glinted under the moonlight up ahead.

“Holy esophagus . . .”

I was shaking with excitement now.

It was stunning. More and more lightning bugs flew to the area, twinkling all around me and the beautiful moths in a mystical display.