drecker

The wilderness of her heart was beckoning once again...

She stood up suddenly from the little table, scattered pages rustling in her wake as she moved swiftly toward the door. Opening it, she looked outside and tasted the air. It was fresh with the smell of wet earth. A wind blew down from the mountains and caught the loose strands of hair that fell around her temples. A chill ran through her. She stuck out her arms as if to catch the invigorating rush of the wind in a delicate, hidden embrace.

Her eyes closed as her other senses were overwhelmed in a moment of sheer pleasure. Silent wishes escaped through the subtle rise and fall of her chest. She stood alone in the doorway. Alone but happy. Alone but fulfilled, if only for a few moments. 

A clipped sound of metal. Scuffling feet across gravel alerted her to the encroaching procession of a stranger. Her breath stopped, and her face fell down as she backed away and pushed the door gently closed.

She stood alone, breathless, by the door for a few moments longer before slowly turning herself back to the table. A small glowing screen and her papers, still rustling, awaited her.
With a trembling sigh, she resigned herself to her fate.