packing up camp

She was fully engrossed in her work. When she painted, she created her own universe - on the canvas and in her mind. Sio hummed quietly to herself as she worked, sketching in the wild colors of the gulley as she loved it best. A decidedly gruff, masculine voice broke the spell of her concentration. Siobhan took a deep breath to steady herself. He hadn't caught her completely off guard, so she managed to avoid triggering a complete episode. Her shoulders seized uncomfortably but she didn't lose control of the rest of her muscles and body. Turning slowly to face him, she moved aside to reveal her painting-in-progress. "Why, I'm painting," she said plainly. His bluntness was well met. Siobhan didn't spend much time around others these days. Every new social situation brought out a different shortcoming - was she speaking too loud? Too soft? Was she making enough eye contact? Oh, right, eye contact. Slowly she raised her pink eyes to meet his and blinked.