Consequences

hair made her skin tone lighter and her eyes appear deeper green. It wasn’t as if she suddenly looked like Marilyn Monroe, but her reflection looked more blonde than ever before. Claire wasn’t sure what she thought of her new look, but she did know that Tony wouldn’t be back until tomorrow. So she pulled it back in a ponytail.
    While dressing, Claire realized she didn’t own anything old as in old shoes. Everything was new or at least looked new. The clothes that had been in her closet almost six months ago were gone, now too large. Whether she shopped or not, her wardrobe never waned. Currently, sweaters and jackets multiplied while she slept. Luckily, her feet weren’t changing size, so the hiking boots she requested months ago were waiting and ready. She decided she would just clean them when she got home.
    Catherine didn’t approve of Claire’s plan. The ground would be muddy and slippery. What if she fell and twisted something? Claire promised she would be safe. She told Catherine it had been so long since she hiked in the woods. She wanted to stay out as long as possible. Claire said she would return, she simply didn’t know when. Catherine promised dinner upon her arrival, no matter how late. She also provided Claire with a packed lunch complete with water bottles and a thermos of warm coffee. It was after ten when she left the backyard.
    It had been almost a month but Claire knew each turn to find her lake. At almost noon she reached her destination. The shore looked exactly like she remembered, except now the trees surrounding the lake were multicolored with rich vibrant reds, yellows, and oranges. Green was definitely the minority. Certain varieties of deciduous trees were completely bare. She suddenly wondered what made some trees lose their leaves earlier than others. She had some research to do.
    The scent of autumn filled the air, thick, poignant, fresh, and spicy. After yesterday’s wind and rain the air was still, the remaining leaves didn’t rustle, and the lake was calm. The water resembled a giant mirror. The colorful trees on the shoreline reflected on the water. Claire wished she had a camera. The simplistic beauty made a picture-perfect postcard.
    The sounds of nature were everywhere: bees or yellow jackets buzzed in the autumn sunshine, birds sang, and forest rodents scurried through the fallen leaves. She watched as ducks swam on the beautiful smooth lake, leaving wakes as their trail. Some floated near the shore, occasionally dipping their heads under the water, filling their stomachs for their flight south. September was almost half done, she would head south too if she could. Hopefully she would be going to Atlanta before long.
    When Claire dressed, she put on jeans, a workout T-shirt, and a jacket. Now that the sun glowed high and strong, the warmth allowed her to remove the jacket. By late afternoon she even took off her boots, rolled up her jeans, and waded into the water. Part of her understood the possibility that she may not make it back to the lake before winter. She wanted to experience as much of it as she could. Of course, she hoped that her debt would be paid soon. More realistically she recognized that her duties now included travel. If she were expected to accompany Tony out of town, she wouldn’t be home to explore.
    The cold water made her feet tingle. She watched her brightly polished toes as she stepped on pebbles and her toes squished in the underwater terra. When she stood still the minnows swarmed, investigating the bright red toenails. Some even nibbled at her toes, it tickled.
    Claire ate her lunch midafternoon, but her stomach told her she needed dinner soon. Finding some coffee in the thermos, no longer warm, she pretended it was a frappuccino without the crushed ice. It helped to fill the void until she reached the promise of Catherine’s dinner.
    The daylight hours were decreasing and before she knew it the sky began to redden. Glancing at her watch, it was after seven; she wondered where the day had gone as the most beautiful scene unfolded before her eyes. Sitting on the shore she watched the sky as the sun settled over the lake. She couldn’t make herself get up and go back to the house as the lovely postcard picture transformed into a stunning explosion of crimson. The setting sun caused the few cumuliform clouds to change from white to gray to pink, and then to a vibrant red. The radiance beamed onto the leaves, altering their color. The scene