Free S.P.I.R.I.T by Dawn Gray

eyes as he tucked his face close to mine. I looked up at the fading light in the sky and then slowly let my lids drift shut.
     
    After what seemed like hours, I felt Zander’s weight lift off from me, and I shivered from the chill that was in the air. Gently, I felt the legs of the insulated army pants over my bare skin from my waist down, and then softly a hand brushed my face. I opened my eyes to look at Zander, who looked as if he had just woken himself, and smiled as my body shivered under his touch. He brought the shirt down over my head and helped me find the armholes as I struggled to keep my focus.
    The sky had darkened and the town was now lit up like Christmas, making me well aware of the time. Zander smiled at me as he sat down on the grass to tie my boot, and I couldn’t help but smile back at the little smirk.
    “We fell asleep, didn’t we?” I whispered, and watched him nod, glancing up at the stars as he looped the laces.
    “For a good hour or so,” he replied and patted my foot. “My ass was starting to freeze, it was the only reason I even moved.”
    I laughed aloud, unable to hold it in as he stood and reached down to help me up. With the vision of Zander rubbing his cheeks to warm them up filling my head, I was all smiles as I followed him down towards the town once more.
    “Any time now,” he said with a grin.
    “Any time, what?” I replied, stretching my arms above my head.
    “Any time now, you can stop sending me images of me rubbing my ass, that’s not what I did when I woke up,” he answered, glancing back at me. I couldn’t erase the smile from my lips and I tried to think of other little things to fill my brain with.
    “Rain drops on roses, and whiskers on kittens,” I mumbled and watched him stop; this time prepared for it, and turned with a look on his face as if he had just lost his mind. “Favorite Things?” He shook his head to the reference. “You have got to be kidding. It’s a Julie Andrews song from the movie ‘The Sound of Music’.”
    “Oh, right, right!” he said and nodded, but lack of acknowledgement in his voice was anything but convincing.
    “When we get out of this, I’m going to tie you to a chair and make you watch it with me,” I threatened, walking passed him. “It’s unreal that you don’t know this movie, it’s a classic!”
    “Sam,” he said quietly, as we rounded the last corner before dipping into the woods. “Of all the things that happened to me in my childhood, ‘The Sound of Music’ was probably the last movie I ever thought of watching.”
    “Tell me, then, did you watch “A Christmas Story’?” I asked, crossing my arms over my chest. He stood there a moment, unsure that he should answer, and then slowly nodded. “I bet you wanted a ‘Red Rider’ Beebe gun for Christmas too, didn’t you?”
    He laughed. “Move it, woman, we’re almost there.”
    “You do realize that the whole ‘you’ll shoot your eye out’ thing was completely correct.” I babbled. The crazy conversation kept the feelings of dread from creeping up under my skin.
    “I never shot my eye out, hence the reason I joined the army, because I was rather good at firing a weapon.” He encouraged my chatter as he moved closer to me, gently brushing my back with his hand as the woods grew darker. “Listen baby, keep your voice down.”
    “Why?” I whispered, stopping to look at him, but Zander shook his head and then pointed to his temple. Do you feel something?
    Not at the moment, but I need to be on guard. I nodded in response, then took his hand and let him led on.
    We weaved in and out of the forest with ease, and slowly marched upon a small, one-story house pushed back from the road. Nailed to the door was a ‘No Trespassing’ sign that Zander completely ignored as he dug a key out of the potted plant beside the front steps. He held the key up to me, raised his eyebrows and then slipped it in the lock, turning the handle at the same time as the