A Glimpse

The carpool members were tired. They were cranky. They had been walking through the bush for what seemed like weeks. With each breath, with each step of their search, their collective hopes diminished.

And then, they heard the noise. It was off to the right somewhere. Although it was, in truth, very faint, it crashed like thunder in their expectant ears. Each carpool member stopped, transfixed. Their eyes attempted to pierce the dusky underbrush. Their hearts pounded. And then they caught a brief, fleeting glimpse . . .

Later on, they would realize that their precious glimpse was merely a fraction of what they had come to see. But sitting around the fire in silence, they all felt refreshed. Renewed. They would continue the search.