I stared at the long cracks in the wood.
That man I could get attached to.
And he was the last person I ever should.
* * *
I crept out of the Military House. The sun now showed on the horizon, lighting the front lawn in a simple, brilliant view that only occurs in the early morning hours. I pushed my hands into my pockets, a brisk chill in the air. It was a perfect day outside.
There was no way I could go back to sleep.
The dream still lingered in my mind and shivers continued to creep into my tense shoulders.
I trotted down the stairs and lifted my face to the sun, tipping my head back and closing my eyes. I breathed in the fresh air and relaxed my body, pushing away black monsters with gaping mouths. The birds were chirping their calls, and the city itself was quiet.
This is what I needed.
I put one foot in front of the other, strolling down the walkway to the fence. The gate was closed and locked. I couldn’t leave, but it was a joy being outside.
I stared through the spaces of the wrought iron fence and examined each of the buildings across the street. They were new and colorful and were built strong when the rest of the world was still so torn.
The human race was rebuilding.
It just took so damn long.
I peered down in surprise when a particular stalker fox sat down on his haunches next to me. His eyes appraised the area as I had been doing. I shook my head, and muttered, “You have a real issue, mister. Stalking isn’t polite.”
He tipped his head back to look up at me.
His tongue lolled outside his mouth.
“Yeah, you’re cute when you smile.”
I sighed and sat down on the concrete walkway next to him. I lifted my hand very slowly, debated for a moment, and then touched the top of his head. His fur was soft under my fingers. The silver of his coat gleamed in the morning light. I dug my fingers in a little and scratched behind his ear.
He closed his eyes and tilted his head closer.
I snickered. “You’re a weird fox.”
His silver eyes opened. Barely.
My lips trembled. “You don’t need to glare.”
His expression didn’t change.
“Okay. Okay. You’re super cute too.”
His tongue lolled out again.
I laughed loud and clear.
His furry head turned, and he licked my right cheek real quick. Then he sat back on his haunches again, all innocent. His tongue made another appearance as he grinned.
I snorted hard. “You’re pretty sneaky too.”
A throat cleared loudly.
I placed my right hand on the walkway behind me and twisted to see who was there.
