Brook “Bob” Cat had lived on the mountain top for many years. He loved the singing creek and beautiful water falls, the leaves as they flashed all the colors of the spectrum in the spring and fall. He found a quiet peace in the morning fog as it covered the valleys, it made Brook feel hidden and safe. He needed to be safe for there were those that would hurt him and maybe worse, lock him in a cage someplace where he would no longer be free to roam his beautiful mountain top. There were many who disagreed with Brook for he was a peaceful cat that did not hunt like the rest. He did not believe in taking another life uselessly, just for the sport of it. Brook did not believe in boundaries and war. Some of the animals on Brook’s mountain thought that they had a right to certain areas and would become very aggressive in order to take away land from others. And Brook refused to do this. So he climbed high into the mountains and found a place that was safe and beautiful. But sometimes in the morning as the sun rose and the fog hid the valleys he would often wonder and dream of what it might be like down there. He had heard that there were many dangers, but also that there were many things of beauty and much to be learned. Brook liked to go to his favorite place by the waterfall and think about these things and what adventures may wait for him if ever he decided to leave his mountain.
And then one morning in late fall as the trees he loved had become a kaleidoscope of bursting color. As he stretched and came awake under the large pine tree and on the cushion of thistles that made his bed. And as he looked down at the rising fog lifting from the valley Brook knew it was time to leave. He had a feeling that in those hidden places below, there was more to be done and things to learn and until he found out what those things were he would never be satisfied. For if there was one thing Brook had it was curiosity. Even in the safety of his high mountain top he always longed to know what was on the other side of the hill, but had never dared to go there. Now he would. And so it was on that beautiful morning in late October that Brook took a deep breath and with a sigh looked back at his home and started down the trail to the valley.
Brook took slow steps, one out of fear of what might happen to him, the other because a part of his heart was staying behind with the few friends he had in the mountains. The old bear and deer, his best friend the wolf that had the reputation of being a fierce killer but like Brook Cat love peace and would spend many nights with Brook by the water fall listening to the wind rustle through the pines and the waters gently rippling as it splashed and ran into the creek and down the mountain. It was at these times that they would talk about where the creek ran to, what was at the other end? Did it go all the way down and around the mountain? They knew that the water could not come back up the mountain and Brook now wondered if he would ever be able to climb back up to his home. If the water couldn’t go back up, could he?
So many fears, but courage carried Brook further down the trail until he reached the last point where he could see back up to his home on the mountain, and as the sun grew late Brook made himself a bed of leaves and placing his head across his fore-paw he curled, slept, dreaming of the old bear, the wolf, and the waterfall.
( to Be Continued)…
The lights below were not those of the moon and stars, or the sun rising through the fog, they were mystery lights. Brook had never seen such lights-what where those lights and what or who was Brook about to meet..
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