[Ibby]

Snapshot I; August 24th, 2009. 8:35-8:37 PM.

August 24th, 2009. 8:35-8:37 PM.
Sandgate, VT.

The night in Vermont is black and silent, cut only by the sound of a stream gurgling in the distance. The only light glows faintly from the house behind me, shrinking back behind me as I walk into the night. The gravel of the road beneath my feet, I can feel through my shoes.

Bugs chirp. The water gurgles further. I see a shadow on the road ahead of me, unsure if it is my own, or a trick of my eyes, or just the trees in the moonlight. I walk quietly, mumbling only to myself. A lone power line stretches overhead.

There is a small clearing ahead, almost invisible in the dark. I look into it briefly, wondering what wildlife, seeing far better than I in the dark, stares back. There is a rustle in the bushes nearby. I ignore it. Something glints on the side of the road. I bend down to see what it may be. It is nothing.