Scaredy Walk

She breathed in deeply, extending her belly to inhale all the air she could into her diaphram. Her arms swung ahead and behind her to get the most out of her exercise. Ann was feeling good. The peace of the countryside, the bright blue sky and the briskness of the air made it a perfect day to take a walk.
She whisked along the road, eyes roaming around, when a curled mesquite branch reached out and grabbed her hair. At least that's what it felt like, an arm extending into the street, claws outstretched and pointing directly at her eye. An angel, or possibly just a bit of a breeze, cast it out of the way as it approached, and narrowly missed hitting her face.
This interrrupted Ann's exercise concentration, and made her more aware of the side of the road where she walked, both from the trees above and to the side, and the road below. The road was smooth enough, a paved road with a bit of gravel to the side, buffalo grass beyond that, then the mesquite trees against a fence.
With the bit of scare behind her, she fell back into a routine again. Not that she should be scared, why, she had walked this space for at least a year now, and with vigor. She had heard about the mountain lion or other large cat that supposedly lived in the park. The nearby park, and neighborhood for that matter, had plenty of acreage, hiding spaces and water to support an entire litter of wild cats. Coyotes were heard frequently, and foxes, raccoons, armadillos, rattlesnakes and deer in abundance were seen on a regular basis.
Thinking about her former walking partner and dog, Buddy, who had protected her and given her unconditional love, Ann felt a pang of grief for him. He had disappeared about a month before, after suffering several seizures in a row. One night, when he had followed her outside to throw away the paper towels from cleaning up the drooling and pee mess, he would not return inside, so she went to bed. Next morning, he wasn't around. Not worried, she went about her Saturday with no concerns about his late return. There was never any return, however. He was her protector, putting the space between her and potential predators.
The rustle in the grass beside her started her somewhat. She turned to look to her left, saw nothing, and continued on. Probably just a deer or a couple of them.
To be continued ...