Green Eyes Floating
80
Inspiration From the History Master - Alastar Packer
This is a story of a recollection inspired by Alastar Packer. Alastar is a writer here on Hubpages, whose work I love to read.
Fifteen years ago I lived in Caroline County, Virginia. Our neck of the woods really was in the woods. It was a private property owners association situated between Fredericksburg and Richmond, not far off of I-95. It was a beautiful area. There were five lakes on the 500 acres of property, and my family lived on one of the two largest of them. Once upon a time, the whole place had once been a pine tree plantation. The place had a history, a rather violent and sad one. The ‘big house’ still stood on the main lane entering the property, and story after story was always emerging about ghost sightings in both the house and the nearby family cemetery. Remember the cement pond from the Beverly Hillbillies? They actually had one of those. A small one, filled with black water, sticks, leaves and snakes. I didn’t hang out by the pond. I had a look at it a couple of times, from a very safe distance. I don’t do snakes. That aside, the acreage was really very pretty. The lake my family lived on had a decent beach, with sand running into and under the water for a long stretch into the lake. During the spring and summer, my sister and I swam there almost every afternoon when I got home from work.
What lots hadn’t been cleared to make room for houses were heavily wooded. The roads through the area were mostly gravel, and the property had its own camping area situated near one of the lakes. When the weather was too cool for swimming, we rode mountain bikes, often late at night. The only traffic we usually encountered were occasional herds of deer. That may sound unimpressive, but pedaling in the dark and suddenly having to steer through a herd of deer was intimidating. My night vision was less than best even back then, and we didn’t have lights on our bikes. On a good night we had moonlight and starlight but no bike-light.
One afternoon, late in the fall, I managed to get home from work before dark. My family lived on one end of the main lake and my sister’s family lived on the other. We were the only families on our side of the water. A few undeveloped lots of woods separated our lawns. That afternoon, since I had a whole 15 minutes of daylight to burn, I phoned my little sister, and told her I’d be down for a visit shortly. I changed from my scrubs into a sweater, jeans and sneakers and headed out the door to her house. The weather was nice so I decided to walk.
My folks’ property had a long graveled driveway, and was ringed with woods, except at the lakeside. I cleared the drive way and stepped onto the road. The road sat high. A bank sloped down on the left side, and past that a short span of grass stopped where the woods began. It was getting dark fast, but I still had twilight to see by, and I didn’t have far to go.
A few strides down the road and I heard leaves crackling in the woods below me. I stopped and looked into the trees. I couldn’t see anything beyond the wood line other than more trees and brambles. I walked a little further, and heard the noise again. When I stopped, the noise stopped. When I started forward again, the noise started again.
On occasion I’m a dork and don’t have the sense that God gave a goose. I thought the thing in the woods pacing me was one of the neighbors’ dogs. I stopped, picked up a stick from the bank, threw it at the woods, and yelled, “Go home!” Feeling very brave and in charge, I resumed walking. So did the thing in the woods. I stopped again, and yelled at it again. But, when I resumed my pace, it kept pace right with me.
My friend in the woods was invisible, but made enough noise for me to know he/she/it was there, and was nearly matching me step for step. In twenty yards, I cleared the edge of the woods and felt much better to be walking next to my sister’s lawn. Another 15 yards (or so) brought me to her driveway. No more than five paces into her driveway, and I heard a noise at the woods edge. I looked to my left, and suspended in the shadows past the edge of the trees, were two large emerald eyes gazing at me. The eyes appeared to be nearly as big as the palm of my hand, and nearly my hand’s breadth in distance from one to the other. The other thing my startled little brain processed was that they floated higher off the ground than my waist, and I’m five feet and six inches tall. Green-eyes belonged to something a whole lot taller than I preferred it to be.
Suddenly, my little sister’s driveway was way too long! It took a few moments for my blonde brain to decide the next course of action, but luckily only a few rapid heartbeats passed when it occurred to me that I might be in danger of being something’s dinner.
I turned towards Alicia’s house and began kicking up dirt, moving toward her door as fast as I could make my sneakers go. The light was mostly gone, and as I ran, I saw her door open and my heart lifted when the house lights spilled out, lighting up the end of the drive. She stepped quickly onto the landing, her hand hanging onto the door, shouting at me to hurry up! I had no problem complying! I cleared the end of the house, headed up the stairs and was through the door in seconds. She was right behind me, pulling it shut and locking it.
Then we shared a Kodak moment. I’m not sure which was better, the surprised look on her face or the frantic expression on mine.
When I’m excited, I talk very fast, but I was out of breath and my heart was hammering, so she got a reprieve from the verbal barrage. I managed to blurt out that there was something in the woods. It had big green eyes. It was half as tall as me. Next thing out of her mouth was an exasperated and demanding question, “Why did you walk?”
Between gasps for air, I managed to tell her that it wasn’t dark yet and the weather was nice, and followed by an angry question of why shouldn’t I have walked, and that followed by, “What IS that thing out there?”
I love my sister, but on occasion she frustrates me. You see, even though I’m 18 months older, she’s the dominant one in our relationship. The reason being, she thinks and considers actions before she carries them out. I commit the action and if I bother considering the consequences, it’s brief, if I bother at all. Therefore, when my actions have gotten me into jams, it’s usually her I’ve had to call first to figure out how to undo what I’ve done, that I’d not have done if I’d thought about it before I did it. Confused? It’s ok. I confuse myself on occasion too. I’m not brilliant, but I know when to give up the lead. Welcome to femme's world.
After I huffed and puffed and demanded to know what was in the woods, can you believe she hesitated before answering me? She waited. She did that thing she does. That pressing her lips into a tight line thing, and then the “I’m going to think about what I’m going to say a few moments before I answer her” thing. I hate it when she does that.
A few moments of blood pressure rise occurred before she finally answered. “It’s a panther.”
A panther. A big one. She knew about it. She hadn’t told me.
It turned out that nearly EVERYONE in Caroline Pines knew about it and collectively decided not to tell me! The reason for their decision was that I might be SPOOKED!
Yup … I was livid.
The panther had been sighted in various areas of The Pines for over a week. I worked in Richmond, 30 miles away, and was gone most days. I worked long hours, and usually got in late enough to be too tired to do much other than clean up and go to bed within an hour or so after I got home. If I did go somewhere, I drove.
Because they were worried I’d be spooked, I’d nearly ended up being a cat-toy on my sister’s back lawn. The thing had even been to her house in the night, prowling around her back deck, huffing and growling, for over an hour at a time. We waited until we were as certain as possible that the coast was clear before she drove me home that night.
Two days later, one of the Pines residents reported they’d seen the cat on the dam road, directly across the lake from my family’s yard. The dam road was the levee area that kept the water in the lake, but a spillway under it allowed excess water to flow into the North Anna River. The game warden had reported that Caroline Pines was on the very edge of the panther’s territory. Due to heavy rain that year; its regular hunting grounds were flooded. He’d come to our area to hunt. They’d tried to catch it but hadn’t been able to. We were stuck with it until the flood water in its preferred territory had receded.
The resident, who saw it that morning at daybreak, said the cat was solid black and about eight feet from nose to tail-tip. It stood for a few moments sniffing the air and swishing its tail, and then it bounded off into the woods, luckily in the opposite direction of our property. I knew we had bears in Virginia. I’d seen them myself when travelling along Skyline Drive in the mountains. But, I didn’t realize they had big cats as well. There must not be many. It was my only interaction with one, and I’m glad I never had to repeat it. The only cats I’ve seen that large since then have been at the zoo.
I discovered, after a bit of research, that there have been other incidents involving large black cats reported throughout Virginia and Appalachia. And, often in the area where the cats were sighted, the sightings continued for a while, and then it moved on. However, while in the area, dogs, cats and other animals went missing. Many were found dead later, having been mauled. I’m so glad the cat only paced and stalked, and never decided to pounce.
As for my emotional reaction and attitude towards my sister – well, we’re sisters. We get crossways with one another, but we’ve learned to work past it most of the time. We’re so alike in many ways, and so different in others. However, had that big black cat gotten up close and personal with me in her yard, she would have been the first to jump into the melee and I’d have ended up with a panther coat for Christmas. We have our issues, but she’s always got my back.
The Dark Side of Reality - by femmeflashpoint
"I have a bad feeling about this ... " - by femmeflashpoint
For more information on sightings and activities of black panthers in Virginia, you can have a look via the following link: http://en.allexperts.com/q/Wild-Animals-705/2009/3/black-cat-Virginia.htm.
And, a last note of advice: if you're the sort who likes walking after dark in or near the woods, leave the catnip at home.
vote upvote downshareprintflag
- Useful (7)
- Funny (2)
- Awesome (13)
- Beautiful (3)
- Interesting (12)
CommentsLoading...
TY Jesusmyjoy. Appreciated. :)
Oh boy am I EXCITED! Where to start. First off thank God the cat decided against an attack femme, because if it had you would never have heard or seen it until possibly at the last moment. It followed you for a different reason. The state wildlife man admitted it was a panther! Why they just announced the Eastern Cougar extinct just when sightings and stuff are being reported more than ever, how strange. In the Hub Life on a S. Georgia farm Warren Smith said it was no secret they were around-his father even had one jump across the road in front of his car once- and the ones around N. Florida and S. GA had black fur. Black-coated panthers have also been seen up the Appalachian chain. Eastern West Virgina is a hot spot for sightings and it makes perfect sense one could be driven further east for awhile. Thanks for the link and your kind words about my articles femme. Loved the way you wrote about this encounter. One thing though. If you were five-six and the eyes appeared twice again as high from the woods edge, unless the cat was standing on something, that would have made for a Very big cat, wouldn't it have? Btw, tell your sis I said hi and thank her for being a big sister to her older sister!~:))
Alastar - when I saw the cat, I had cleared the hill. The road slopes down, and so when the lawn is reached, it, and the driveway, are at the same level at the woods. And, it's flat there, no hill at all. I'm glad you pointed it out. I didn't think to include it. I'm thinking it was nearly as high as my chest, which would have made it standing at about 4 feet, but that's only a guess. It was at least 40 yards away. Still, I bet that would have made for a really impressive pounce, lol!
We have bobcats back home, and I've seen them. The Kentuckian bobcats look much bigger to me than the Hoosier bobcats. The Kentucky wildcats are heavier, more muscular and broad through the chest, flanks and shoulders. The bobcats in Indiana are more sleek and streamlined.
But the panther - wow! That cat made the bobcats look like house pets! I've seen jaguars that look to be the same size as the panther, here in the Fort Worth Zoo. They're native to Texas and they're beautiful! They love to swim when it's hot and when they roar, you feel the vibration go all through your insides even if you're halfway across the compound, lol. They fascinate me and I could watch them all day. But, I have no inclination to climb in and get up close and personal with them. Watching is good enough, lol.
Thank you for the read, and it's true, I really do love your articles. I'm making my way through them during my downtime.
And, Alastar - no idea why it only stalked. It had ample opportunity to come after me, and it was obviously interested or it wouldn't have bothered stalking me at all.
Maybe it had already dined on rabbits and was full but still curious, lol.
No idea, but puzzling.
Thanks for sharing. Perhaps you had perfume? Who knows why you were not "cat-nip" for dinner... Thanks God, or something you were not on the menu...
How does your "ready, fire, aim" philsophy work for you? I am sure it provides opportunities for excitment!
Flag up and interesting!
girl, you do know how to tell a story. Once started, there is no waiting to finish it.
what a great story. even though you were afraid, the experience must have left an impression on you that is priceless. There is something about being close to raw nature that reminds us that we are all one. what a rush!
Great story - Everyone who lives outside of a city must be aware they are sharing their living space with the inhabitants who live there prior to them building their dwelling. Here in Arizona, that includes quite an assortment, and includes many critters who can and will harm you given the chance. We have bears, mountain lions, bobcats, javelina, rattlesnakes, scorpions, black widow and brown recluse spiders, coyotes, and many other biting or stinging type bugs and insects. The good news is that most of these would just as soon avoid contact with a human, but if startled or accidently provoked, they will respond. When it comes to bears and mountain lions, or in your case panthers, we are rather far down the food chain. You are lucky this particular panther was not hungry or you would most likely not have written this great hub.
Dallas - The "ready, aim, fire" philosophy works well for me! I'd have maybe considered it if I'd had a firearm, or a even a slingshot, and hadn't been so busy running. :)
Shea - it was indeed a rush, but the rush came after I made it indoors and my head finally put together I'd gotten stalked by a cat, lol.
Poolman - I'm very happy about most predators preferring to avoid contact with humans. That's ok with me because I'd rather avoid open confrontations with them too. I prefer to respect and admire from a distance. I did grow up in the country, and on a farm, but most of our wild animals weren't quite so big to contend with.
Snakes were always an issue, and we were in habit of always watching for them, and steering clear of them. But the bigger animals were almost never in our area, other than coyotes, and occasionally wolves.
Prettypapers - thank you so much for stopping by! I've heard you've been keeping a tight schedule lately, and keeping you and your hubby in my prayers!
I know it's been straining for you, and appreciate you took the time to stop by for the read and drop me a note.
What a recounting! Those black panthers are curious critters. I remember hearing them scream when I was a child living way up on the Kentucky mountains. And they occasionally killed some of our dogs. The one you saw was huge and could have killed you easily. And to think people knew and didn't tell you is crazy. Ignorance is not bliss, it is suicide!
Hyphenbird - second to last trip home to Kentucky, I was in one of my great auntie's front yards with a younger (and very small) cousin. He caught sight of a bobcat, a huge one, perched on a log on the ridge behin my auntie's house, just quietly observing us. Next thing I knew, the little cousin was running towards the ridge, yelling at it to leave.
It left, but not until I went after the cousin trying to get him away from the cat and the ridge. When it DID leave, it took it's time. It didn't seem to be intimidated by me, and looked at my cousin as if he might be a kitty-treat.
They come to my family's property frequently, and on occasion will kill dogs or horse colts. But, most of the time, they leave things alone. However, when one seems to develop an affinity for a particular piece of property that has animals and children, it causes a bit of alarm.
whew! this was awesome!! you silly sausage/your "go home!" is priceless!! but I hope your sis lets you know when big prey is out and about from now on! :) hubby and I enjoy wathing the wildlife...like Poolman and Will we are in Az as well...but thats all...just 'watch' I dont think, no I know I would still be frozen to your sisters driveway if that had happened to me!! :)
LOL RN! I'm with you, I'd rather watch than interract when what I'm watching has big teeth and sharp claws.
Thx for stopping by!
Oh my goodness what an awesome experience this was. Your writing drew me into the situation with you and I could feel your heart beat. I love the photography, simply stunning and beautiful. I think next time I read a story like this I will stand well back out of claws way lol
Hi Bluestar- thanks for stopping by!
I felt the same way when I read your story on Grandpa Miller. It was over 100 F here in Texas, but during the read, I was feeling chilled and ready for a whiskey, and I don't drink whiskey, lol.
I have friends in N. Ireland, but when I lived across the pond, I didn't manage to get there for a visit. But, even south of there, it was soooo cold in the winter. I packed well when I left the states for my last winter stay there, bringing as many sets of thermal undies as I could cram into my luggage, and I STILL was freezing every time I went out. I'd be bundled nose to toes, waiting for a train, or hiking through town with my teeth chattering.
I had the strangest experience while living on your side of the pond. I had never been there until 2001, and yet, nearly everywhere I went after I arrived, felt familiar. Familiar like home feels familiar. I had the same sensation when I visited, and later moved to Virginia, but not as intense as when I was in the U.K. and Europe.
It was fascinating, but at the same time, it gave me the heepie-creepies, lol.
Femeflashpoint , I do hope you carry a pepper spray or some similar thing with you when alone , I don't want to sound like a dad buuuttt, Take care of you out there. We all have lost touch of what lies out there in the woods. The cat , probably currious ! Be well dear....:-} Awesome story!
ahorseback - thank you for stopping by and the kind word of caution. :)
I've been advised to carry pepper spray, but so far, I haven't invested in any. I was toying with a can on a friend's keychain a long time ago. It leaked. I didn't know it. And, I ended up with a good amount of it getting rubbed into my eyes. I thought the stuff would never stop burning, and it burned realllly bad, lol.
But, the good news is, there's an alternative that doesn't make me feel quite so bad to use ... canned air! It's available in mini-air-horn cans, and it's a very cool concept. It'll either keep the prey away, or make them really mad, lol.
I haven't used any yet, but I have it on good advice, that it works great. :)
Femme, great story telling. I wouldn't know what to thank if I saw one of those green eyed things. Luckily, you were close to the house. Like you said, green eyes mean much bigger. I have heard of where you use to live. I have family in Fredericksburgh. A lot of forest in that area, large enoguh for something to roam around unseen with the farm land. It may have changed by now. I haven't been back there since 2000, or 99. I feel a connection with you, like I have seen you before. I believe it is because you look like my wife's mother. She passed in 06 at the age of 39. When my son was little, he would look up at the wall and stare for minutes. We always felt like it may be her watching over him. A few times, we saw shadow figures with long curly hair. I may be wrong, but I feel like you may understand. I don't know why but it is a gift that God gave me. I hope I am not offending you for going off topic. Your a great writer and I will get to the rest of your work. Thank you for all your kind comments and consideration dear Femme.
Lyric - thank you so much for stopping by and the read. :)
And, a special thanks for sharing the information about your little man! God's very good with those special little gifts that lift the heart, encourage and inspire, isn't He? Some believe once we're gone from here, we're gone. My personal take on it (from personal experience) is, He's a very big God. And, I think visits are allowed from that realm to this one.
I can't explain the familiarity thing. I often feel those connections as well, and usually can't place where I've met the person I feel connected to, or familiar with, but whether I figure it out or not, doesn't take away from it. :)
No worries - you have not offended at all.
That would make sense. I believe in it. I didn't at first because I never went through anything like that. I didn't want to come off as being nosy, rude, or weird. I can't explain it. Same thing for strangers on the street. It is almost like I have known them before or there is another connection. I have been like this since I was little. I feel what other people feel when I connect with them. It has worked hand in hand with my songs and poems. When you write, you have to write a related incident for your audience to connect. I like writing country love songs because I want others to feel the emotion. And thanks for reading that. True story. He was 13 weeks early. He truly is. My passion is singing and writing songs. I believe inside that is what he wants me to do, but the opportunity feels off by miles. I can't find work and I am in a spot. So I work online, it is all I have. Luckily, writing is my passion. I hope to benefit from it, I would be telling a lie if I didn't admit it. Life is hard. When your born, there should be some type of manual that comes along with your birth certificate. lol
Lyric, if this helps, I got frustrated and discouraged, recently, about a literary project that seems to have been taking too long to complete. My time has been limited, and I've whittled away at as many hours as I can, to make room for writing.
Writing was one of my first loves, lol. And, after deciding journalism wasn't for me, I dropped the idea of being a full time writer years ago. But, the yearning never left. So, I came to Hubpages, and put some earnest thought and time into what I've written here, and also began writing a few weblogs to put in some much needed practice time. To see if I could remember enough to still make some passable work.
Writing, in some aspects, is like the various tasks I mastered in the medical and mortuary fields. When you don't use the skill, the skill can get rusty. I wasn't good at what I did because I was crafty and brilliant, I was good because those who TAUGHT me were crafty and brilliant, lol. And, they had a love for sharing and teaching, and I soaked up all they would give me, therefore, the credit must go to them.
With the writing, I became frustrated because the project I'm working on is fiction. Being a former journalism major, I didn't delve much into writing fiction, although I've read tons of it, and love it. I 'thought' I could hit the keyboard and just start churning out copy, but, it didn't turn out to be that way at all. I've stumbled and stuttered (so to speak) with the work, and though I love doing it, it's been slow and difficult for me to put together. It's a whole new realm for me to write in. And, with the problems occuring with the project ... I got discourage and began to doubt my abilities. But, two nights ago, I found something. :)
I was reading an interview with Frank Peretti. Peretti says he has to be 'moved' to write what he does. He has to be given the idea, and then he depends on God to help him craft the work. He also said that he's a slow writer, and cannot (so far) churn out a novel every three months like so many of the other fiction writers do. Stephen King, in Stephen King On Writing, suggests that writers should be able to produce a novel in three months, if they maintain and achieve a goal of 2,000 words per day. I do good to produce a chapter or two per day. However, I felt HUGELY encouraged by Frank Peretti's comment, and decided, everything in God's good time. So, I've relaxed about it enough to stop fretting over it. It will come, and I'm confident of that.
Stick with what your talents are, please don't be discouraged, put forth what effort you can, and pray about it. We both acknowlege where the talent comes from. He had no intentions of wasting it. :)
I dont know why the most beautiful places are always also inhabited by the most dangerous creatures. I love Appalachia and am terrified of bears. Now from your story the wild cats will be included.
I live in Southern Minnesota. Not much dangerous here or so I thought. Both bear and cat have been reported in my area which is very unusual. I run in rural area and think about it occasionally.
An engaging read.
Tamarajo - don't feel bad, I'm afraid of big cats and bears too, lol. Snakes, spiders, bugs in general, and of course, I love being outside. Doesn't seem quite fair, does it?
If you'll read Alastar Packer's note regarding animal sightings, you'll find it interesting I think. I'm not the only one 'seeing things'. :)
I thank you for all the encouragement Femme. You make all the sense in the world. I do appreciate everything. I am still new writing short stories. But poems and lyrics, I can write in minutes. I believe one or both was my gift. It is just hard to get noticed. I don't publish my songs on here. I believe they are too good and would be stolen. I am just trying to build a brand so to speak with my name. We have access to the world now. I just wish I could go to Tenneesse and write country songs. All I want. Maybe someday.
Lyric - this is what I do. I pray about it, see it, believe it, and that seems to be the best approach I've ever done to achieve a dream. :)
What works for me is not everyone's method, but ... that's what I do to see dreams go from an idea and desire to something tangible.
So, please keep your chin up, exercise your faith, and don't be discouraged. :)
Hi femmeflashpoint.
Very good story.
When I was panning for gold on Vancouver Island there were plenty of cougars.Although they are very beautiful, you never know what they are thinking.I always slept with a knife on one side of me and a hatchet on the other- just in case they tried to come into the tent at night and have me for a midnight snack.
Joe! Lol!!! I'm thinking I might not have slept at all unless it was in a truck, car or camper! Couple nights ago, I was advised by a colleague to be careful when I leave the building at night for breaks because seems the area the office is in (situatated just a few acres north of DFW International Airport), there are bobcats and coyotes who like to hang out in our parking lot. They haven't gotten anyone yet, but, they're often seen in pairs.
So, now when I step out into the parking lot at night, I pay attention to make sure I don't end up as kitty-chow. :)
I had the best defence.
I prayed to God to surround the tent with angels. I believed he did and slept like a baby
Ok, Joe. You definitely got me on that one, lol.
I agree. That was the absolute best defense. ;)
Femme-I'm seeing a theme as I read your wonderful hubs. Your like the panther in the sense that I think you have Nine Lives. You sure have led a interesting life and I'm so glad you share it with your hub friends. Your stories are always riveting and I love reading about you and your sister too. You didn't even have to tell me that you always have each other's backs-It's very clear in your writing that you too love each other despite the differences. Sister's are such a blessing and I'm glad you have yours :-)
Hi MT,
You know? You might be right about the 9-lives thing. I might should make a list and count how many I have left. :)
My sister and I do have a great deal of fun together when we're not head-butting.
It never comes out well doing that with her. Her head is harder than mine. ;)
femme
Scary tale femme, although well written! I live in Va so I'll keep my eyes peeled! Voted up and awesome!
weestro,
Thank you so much!
I was in Oklahoma for a cycle trip two weeks ago. The first night, a little bob-cat showed up near our cabin and the next day, another friend found "big" cat prints on one of the trails.
I woke up with a migraine that morning that knocked me out of riding that day.
I'm kinda happy I was out of commission ... it would have been "just my luck" to have an encounter I probably wouldn't have liked. :)
femme
But would have made for another interesting hub! We have a fox behind our house that loves to bark at night, hopefully nothing bigger!
weestro,
The foxes don't spook me, and I have to admit, I've got a big affinity for them. Wish I had one for a pet, lol.
I'm posting the trip in my Pack Rides blog, hopefully today, if I can get the photos edited in time.
Other than the scenery, and being in the good company of friends, the cycling part of the trip (which was why I went), was a near-total fail.
Big cats (which in the area are probably cougars and bobcats) aren't the only un-friendly creatures in the Anadarko mountains in Oklahoma.
femme
jesusmyjoy 8 months ago
wow nice work