Lost Creek Hollow Lynx

Esma jumped, when she heard her mother address her, because she had not seen her in the beginning. Briefly she wondered, how that had happened, but then it was not a new thing. Ever so often the world inside her creative mind took over the one she was existing physically. And when it was not easy to discern, which was which, it was just as easy to miss people. 

"Hi!" she squeaked and fell silent, suddenly feeling that her reasons for coming to find her mom were selfish. Surely Ash Paw had better use to her plants than to spend them on a silly game that her daughter had come up with. Grown up people did not believe in magic and it would be very shameful, if her mom found out that Esma, who was almost an adult, was still engaging in games that served no purpose.

It was not that Ash Paw had ever done anything to instill these ideas about, how the world worked in Esma's mind. Nor had she contributed to her lack of self-confidence. The seed had already been there, a bit of help from other puppies and Esma's own talent of catering to it and helping it grow - and here she was, wrapped in doubt and embarrassment.

"What are you doing?" she asked, looking down at the meat and then back at her mom.