The Deer Incident

"Ring! Ring! Ring!" Kora picked it up. "Kora!" Laura shouted, "Kora! Are you coming to the secret meeting?!" Unfortunately, her best friend tended to shout a lot. "Yes, I'm on my way." Kora replied, sighing inwardly. At least calming Laura down was as easy as taking candy from a baby. She heard a faint rustle in a bush. Probably nothing, she thought. Kora got a slight whiff of mint. She always smelled mint when she was excited. But… she heard the crack of twigs nearby.

Glancing at every nook and cranny nervously, Kora started to feel uneasy. The rustling seemed to be coming closer and becoming louder with each second that passed. Kora pressed the accelerator a little harder. A few minutes passed and nothing happened. Her eyes still scanning the forest before her, Kora lowered her guard. She started to sweat and she had a weird feeling that she couldn't exactly put her finger on. Lost in her train of thought, she didn't notice the tiny head that poked out of the forest.

Suddenly, a deer galloped out of the forest as fast as lightning and stopped in the middle of the road, blocking Kora's way. Kora froze. Snapping back to attention, she slammed the brakes. The tires screeched and Kora winced. The deer seemed to be bracing for impact, but fortunately, impact didn't come.

The car had missed the deer's nose by about two inches. It was paralyzed, its eyes wide open in fright. Kora stepped forward, careful not to scare the deer even more than it already was. Its eyes followed Kora's every move, but it didn't run away, as it was not seeing her as a threat. The tension flowed out of the animal's body, and it became more relaxed. Kora put her hand on the deer's snout and thanked the gods that she didn't crash into it. Even though she knew the deer couldn't understand what she was doing, she felt good. Sending it back into the forest, she felt a small smile tugging at her lips. Well, that was weird!

Kora walked back to her car and sat down, her eyes bright with the surprise of what had just happened. Letting out a breath that she didn't realize she was holding, she thought of it, and fiddled with her fingers absentmindedly while she did. Did I just… almost crash my car into a deer? It seemed so hilarious and thrilling at the same time, Kora wondered if she was in a dream. She sat there, all the while noticing her phone ringing but not picking it up. Laura could wait. Could she? Kora decided not to think about it. Recovering from her feelings of shock, her sense of wonder, and her nervousness, she started the car again.

Kora realized that nature was unpredictable, making her more aware and appreciative towards it for the bliss happiness and excitement it gave everyone around it.

A thrilling encounter that reminds us to appreciate the beauty and unpredictability of nature.