Jessica was tired. She’d been attacked from all sides, not just physically, but mentally and emotionally. All she wanted to do was get back to a sense of normality.
She dressed in warm clothes and wearily went down stairs. The sun was beginning to rise. She turned, her small dog looked at her, his head moved from side to side, his tail wagged with excitement. She stroked his back; it felt warm to the touch.
‘Come on sausage,’ kittling his ears, his fur soft and silky. ‘Let’s go for a long walk, so I can clear my mind of ‘stuff’, that I would dearly love to forget,’ she emotionally said to her faithful companion.
It was the middle of October, the autumnal leaves of burnt yellow, orange and browns were beginning to fall. The many vibrant and varied colours, a sight to behold. Autumn was Jessica’s favourite season of the year.
There was so much wildlife to see and hear. A wild rabbit frightened by the sound of her footsteps rustled through the undergrowth, scurrying at great speed up the embankment, its white bob tail conspicuous among the vegetation. The sun now popped through a wispy cloud illuminating a sparrow flitting between the bare branches of a beech tree.
The walk emerged from the small urban forest and now followed the waters of a tributary of the River Tweed. The soft gurgles of the river soothed Jessica’s fraught worries and images. She stood still to admire a heron perched on a rock in the river, then watched as with ease it flapped its extensive wings and soared down the watercourse looking for another perch on which to catch sight of a tasty morsel.
She closed her eyes, took several slow deep breaths and listened to her beating heart. Lub dup, lub dup. Its sense of calm and rhythm the beginning of a healing process, the unpolluted air had cleared her fuzzy mind and she felt relaxed. The first time for many a day.
This is an extract from a longer fictional story about finding wellness beside the river.
It was shared in response to the Tweed Stories ‘Writing the River’ online creative writing workshop, held on Thursday 30 July 2026 and delivered in partnership with The Wilson’s Tales Project. With thanks to everyone who participated so enthusiastically.
Image: Autumn leaves by the River Tweed © Walter Baxter (cc-by-sa/2.0) geograph.org.uk/p/7344823
