Brisk wind blew through the field, penetrating through Jared’s flannel jacket. Allowing his hand to fall into his lap, few tears falling down his cheeks, he looked around the field. His eyes slowly looking along the grass. Dandelions growing all around and floating through the air as the wind took off with them. He smiled weakly to himself, imagining all the spirits that laid before him, played and were happy all together in this sanctuary far away from civilization. The fresh wind grazing against his cold wet face send small goosebumps along his arms.

  He leaned his head back against the tree, staring up at the top of the fir trees surrounding him. A flock of crows rested up on the tops. Cawing. Watching. Jared wasn’t a religious man. Nor was he one to really have any beliefs. His life wasn’t exactly like others after all.

  Pushing himself to sit up straight now, he grabbed his backpack that was rested beside him. As he unzipped his pack, he pulled out his sketchbook and pencil. While also grabbing a twinkie that got squished at the very bottom. Closing back up his pack, he leaned against the tree, sitting more up straight, as he unwrapped the twinkie, plopping one end into his mouth. Grabbing his sketchbook and pencil he flipped several pages of art away to find a blank page.

  As the time went on through the day, the sun lowering with each minute, Jared had drawn part of the top tree line, a simple black, grey sketch. His view from where he sat. It wasn’t the greatest, but he had talent enough that anyone would recognize. Placing his pencil and book down on the grass beside him, he shivered lightly from the coldness the wind brought.

  Being as it was now around 7:30pm, he let his hand and eyes rest. His neck a tiny sore from looking up and down constantly, nothing a little swimming can help fix. Letting out a sigh of relief. His mind felt clear. Solid. At ease. This place is his sanctuary after all. It always was the place to go in any situation Jared found himself in. No cell service. A good mile hike away from the road everyone would use that lived around.

  Nothing but the sound of birds, trees in the wind, frogs and crickets chirping, pure mother nature doing what she did best. This, was a life Jared was content and happy with.

  Jared was used to being in the cold. With swimming regularly, always hiking and keeping himself busy while he wasn’t working his dead end jobs, he was very healthy and adjusted. But don’t let his physical fool you. Sometimes, even the most healthiest person can have a deep seed in their mind and soul, that can eat at them. Or is it really that way?

  Looking along the tree line that marked the forest around the cemetery, Jared winced his eyes to try and see better. Though the sun may still be up, it was casting many shadows as the sky was turning a deep orange. Maybe it was a deer. Deer sometime love coming up and grazing in the field. Or maybe a raccoon. It’s not uncommon to really see any animal come by. But this… Jared started to feel the wind slow down compared to earlier, and the air, it decreased more in temperature.

  Jared didn’t think much of it at that time, trying to focus on what the dark shadow might be. Maybe if he caught a glimpse, he could sketch it up. He stood very cautiously and slowly up. Watching his very movement to not spook whatever creature it was. Pulling out of his jacket pocket he pulled out his cellphone, trying to catch a picture. But just from the flash going off, the shadow disappeared immediately.

  Shit! I missed it!

  Jared sighed in defeat over such a rookie mistake. Looking at the photo he took he groaned to himself. It was all blurry. Nothing could be made out. There was nothing but trees and all the shadows from the sun. He really wondered to himself what the creature could have been. Admitting defeat, he packed up his items, placed his backpack back on, and started to head back down the mountain to his Chevy.

  As much as he was in tune with the mountain and forest around these parts, it still wasn’t smart to stay past dark. There was cougars and many other dangerous animals that no one wants to come into contact with.

  Hiking down, grabbing some blackberries as a snack. He finally reached to the road where he was parked. Unlocking his Chevy he sat into the driver seat, closed the door, and locked all the locks. He never left them unlocked.

  Finishing off the blackberries, he wiped his hands on a mechanic rag, avoiding any possibility of getting his clothing filthy. Turning on the vehicle, he blasted the heater to get himself, and the inside nice and warm. Jared closed his eyes as he had relaxed into the plush, ripped up seat.

  The first time he laid his eyes on the Chevy 1993 G20 Conversion Van, it was at a second hand dealership. Typical sleazy car salesman. Overpriced. Jared was only 19 years old. After finishing high school, his grandfather was allowing him to stay with him, but told him to prepare for the future. And as Jared attended college becoming a certified mechanic, he thought this, ugly root beer brown with rust spots and chipped paint. Would be the perfect thing to own.

  Interior was basic back then. 3 row bench seats. Driver, passenger split buckets. But, as Jared continued his education, as a project he planned on converting the bench rows completely different. Taking out the rows he made a makeshift twin bed lifted up a foot from the floorboard with three storage space compartments. On the driver side he fixated a makeshift little kitchenette. A “sink” with no real drain. But good for storing water if he needed to do a quick wash and shave. Underneath his sink, was a space for a cooler to store his food. And a portable propane single stove that could be placed on top of the sink with a board to make solid.

  On the passenger side near the doors, he made a small desk that folded and collapsed beside the walls, with a foldable chair to go flat with it. Or if someone visited him and didn’t want to sit on the bed, there was a chair for them. That is, if anyone ever bothered.

  Jared never planned on being homeless. He honestly had no idea what he was going to do. After finishing college and his grandfather grew ill, life just flipped. But as he sat in present day. Heater blasting, he was happy that he did his little project while having all the resources at his disposal during that time.

***Hello! Minerva here~ Just wanted to say thank you to all who have read my first two parts to Cemetery Solitude! I don't have a schedule yet, as this is going to be something I will probably just be sharing immediately after I write another part. I don't know exactly how much is to much.... But I hate making people wait if it's something they like. I know not all creators can be that way. Maybe if this actually takes off and hoping I don't get writers block... Blah blah blah. ANYWAY! Please subscribe to my silly novel here. Anything you want to say or question, I will read everything! So, please subscribe. Thank you for reading my story (T.T)***