Highlands And Lows...A Short Story

It's time for another weekly writing prompt challenge! Personally, I like these photos...kind of thought-provoking, which is good if they're being used to inspire.

And, of course, if you'd like to participate, here's the rules:

1) Write a story using both photos.
2) Keep your word count to 500 words or less.
3) Submit your completed story to your blog hostess (Nicole, Leanne, and Tena) via the inLinkz linky on their sites. (If you need a bit of help with this step, just leave a comment on their sites and they’ll get you linked up!)
4) You have the until next Tuesday to post.
5) Have fun, don’t stress, let those creative juices flow!  

Let's see what I come up with!

Highlands And Lows

As soon Heather stepped from the car something deep inside told her this once-in-a-lifetime trip was a huge mistake. She should have recognized while planning her European vacation that her battle with homesickness and panic attacks had not yet been completely conquered. Still, with so much on the line, she willed herself to overcome the ailments she suffered since she was a teenager at summer camp.

"Are you sure this is the place?" she asked the cab driver who nodded and spoke with such a heavy Scottish accent, the recent college graduate barely understood him. "Okay, thanks," she said and she watched the Mercedes Benz taxi drive away.

"I knew I should have called the tour group before I left my hotel," Heather said to no one. A friend recommended she hire a tour guide to take her and other foreigners to the highlands of Scotland. Now, it looked as if she either arrived on the wrong date, or the rest of the tour group were late. Of course, Heather chose the worst case scenario and that became her reality.

Heather recognized the signs immediately. The tightness in her chest began to restrict her breathing as the attack began. Her heart began to race and she knew she needed to find a place to sit, a place to clear her mind and meditate. Years of practice controlling her emotions kicked in as Heather sat on the ground, breathed in and out at a controlled rate. After all, she still had her cellphone with her.

Images fought for Heather's attention. Normally thoughts of her mother offered comfort, but not this time, not since her mom warned her against taking the trip. No, she would not think of her mother, or, by extension, her father. She tried thinking of college, the friends she met and the experiences she had. So far, it wasn't working and a new feeling of fear crept up from the dark spaces of her mind.

Maybe it was the time she spent in London before taking the train to Scotland. Maybe it was her love of Masterpiece Theater productions. Whatever brought the image to her mind, Heather welcomed it, embraced it and her heart rate began to calm. For in her mind came the soothing voice of Benedict Cumberbatch as he described clues gleaned from a Notting Hill street lamp surrounded by fog.

Yes, it's working. Heather reminded herself that when she arrived back in the states, she'd order all three seasons. It's a lot cheaper than therapy.

Word Count: 423