English Short Stories for Beginners and Intermediate Learners
CHAPTER 6: ANIMALS AND NATURE To relieve some of the stress and anxiety he had been accumulating for
quite some time, John set off on a nature walk. He heard that spending a
day or two in the mountains would do wonders for him and his mental health. The isolation would give his mind time and space to detox and
refresh. Animals would be his only companions during the walk.
His house was located in an apartment complex, so it was pretty rare
to see any wildlife besides the occasional squirrel. Groundhogs and foxes were even rarer sights. Because he spent all his time indoors, he mostly
saw spiders and house centipedes. He was not particularly fond of the
latter.
It was not too long of a drive to reach the mountains since the town he
lived in was near a mountain range. Upon parking and exiting his vehicle,
he was immediately greeted by a few deer grazing in an open field. They
slowly picked at the grass and wagged their tails, not paying much attention to John. Then, suddenly, a large booming sound from far away
caused them to scatter frantically. It was the sound of a gunshot. Hunting season must have started.
John was unsure where to begin hiking, but his question was answered
when he saw some other hikers walking towards an opening in the forest.
And what a beautiful forest it was! The evergreen trees and sun shining through them made for some breathtaking scenery. The lake added to the
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vastness of the place, and a feeling of smallness struck John from deep
