Fallen From Grace

One

  The brisk morning was calling her name. Danielle pulled her too long, dark locks into a sleek ponytail before donning her well worn hiking boots. She clucked her tongue twice and Duke was at her heel in an instant. His big brown eyes boring into hers as his tail thumped excitedly against the hardwood floor.

  Danielle was a sucker for those puppy dog eyes and stroked her hand over his head, scratching behind his ears "Ready bud?" She smiled and he stood, tongue hanging out in a dog like smile. He enjoyed being out in the woods just as much as she did.

  The pair exited the house and started across the yard, a fairly open area which quickly transitioned into woods. Danielle loved her mountain life, tucked away from people and surrounded by nature. It was peaceful and serene. She lived on acres of wooded area that she was thrilled to call her own. Her closest neighbors, an older couple with a vacation home they only spent a few weeks at every year.

  Duke led the way through the familiar woods. With no need for a leash, he happily trotted down a path worn in from their frequent fall hikes, stopping every so often to lift his leg at his preferred trees and bushes. Danielle laughed at the dog and pulled her flannel tighter around her body. The temperature had steadily been dropping as summer came to an end. She didn't mind the cold, in fact she found it refreshing, but soon she'd need to wear more than a long sleeved shirt.

  They hiked contently for over an hour before Danielle's stomach began to growl. She cursed herself for having skipped breakfast and coming out on the hike with no snacks. She whistled to Duke, signaling it was time to turn around. His head popped up a moment and he looked at her with a stubborn expression.

  "Come on Duke, I'm hungry. Let's go" She reasoned with the dog, who only cocked his head, remaining in place. Apparently he wasn't ready to end the morning's hike. His nose thrusted back to the forest floor and he lowered his body to a hunting stance. Danielle furrowed her brows, calling to him once more. It was unlike Duke to blatantly ignore her. He was a very well trained dog, so her curiosity piqued as she stepped closer.

  Danielle assumed maybe a rabbit or squirrel was nearby. It was in Duke's very nature as a German Shorthaired Pointer to hunt. She rolled her eyes seeing nothing nearby "Alright. Enough. Let's go" She cajoled, patting his back, encouraging him to follow. He shot her a look and took off, nose to the ground on the trail of something. "Duke!" She called out with an exasperated sigh.

  "Damn dog" She grumbled under her breath, taking off at a jog to follow him.

  As she neared the creek, Danielle had to slow down to keep her footing. The earth sloped down with branches, tree roots, and rocks threatening to trip her up. Duke however had no issues bounding down and disappeared behind a grouping of large oak trees. Danielle lowered her center of gravity and eased down to follow, calling out Duke' s name to no avail. The dog continued to ignore her.

  Cursing and kicking at twigs as she reached level ground, Danielle brushed dirt from her backside. Dukes barks echoed through the woods and she approached him slowly in case he tried to run off again. Danielle stopped dead in her tracks as she rounded the tree grouping and saw Duke standing over a woman, curled up at the roots of the tree.

  "Oh my God" Danielle whispered, hesitating a few feet away from the scene in front of her. The initial shock wore off quickly and she patted her pockets feverishly, cursing when she realized she'd left her phone back home.

  Her head whipped around, searching for help she knew wasn't around. The woman hadn't moved since Danielle's arrival. Duke nudged at the woman with his nose and a pit formed in Danielle's stomach. 'Was she even alive?' She thought to herself. She took another step forward, peering down and taking in the woman's general condition.