The Third

Chapter 12 // Winter Air

A breeze rushed into the truck bed and blew my hair back ever so slightly. I got a whiff of the northern winter air that I'd witnessed only a couple times before. The trees that surrounded us were bare aside from a few tough leaves, shy to separate from their branches.

Mattaeus pushed me, urging me to get out from the stuffy compartment we were crammed in for hours. I extended my leg out and let my bare feet touch the ground; it was much softer than the solidified dust that was the Phoenix desert. My toes sunk into the earth and cool mud slopped between them; and it was a cooling sensation I hadn't been accustomed to. It was different. It was a good different.

"Welcome to Michigan. Kimberly, meet Ricky," Reid pointed to the short man with short, light brown hair and eyes to match, "and James." Then he pointed to the other man, taller with a slender frame, a dark brown buzz cut and hazel eyes.

Ricky stepped forward a couple steps, not hesitating, and reached his hand out. "Nice to meet you, Kimberly."

"The pleasure's mine," I smiled lightly at him, "just call me Kim."

"Deal." He flashed me a grin and winked happily at me.

In my perephial vision, I saw James and Mattaeus roll their eyes at each other, and breathed a couple short chuckles.

I slowly paced towards the huge pine trees that were scattered around us, and suddenly I was sucked into reality. I came to the realization that we weren't in Phoenix anymore. This was Michigan. This was completely different. It was almost freedom.

My every move wasn't being observed. I wasn't pacing the same few feet every day like a caged animal. I wasn't trapped by the stinging heat. I was in the midst of a natural lake breeze, forming slight goosebumps up and down my arms. I was able to function as I had before.

I sucked in all the air my lungs could hold, and I held it there. The scents of pine, and rivers, and animals, and sweet wildflowers filled my insides.

Glancing down at a hollow tree stump, a crumpled piece of faded white paper caught my eye. I descended to my knees and reached for it. It was soggy and wet, the ink was smeared and I could barely make out the poorly drawn map of the world.

Red and black dots scattered the map, and I was about ready to toss it into the wind. Useless, I thought.

But as I turned it over in my chapped hands, my eyes were fixed to a key on the back. The first word I read...Freedom.