Here's something you might be interested in.
He woke to the dawn, a vibrant cheerful pallet smeared across the great expanse of sky and sea. The Zane Grey Pueblo sat high on the cliffside above the seaside hamlet of Avalon presenting him one of the best views in town. Straight off the transisland trail, he had fallen asleep at dusk without undressing or closing the curtains.
Stretching, he sat up gazing at the colors through the trees and casement windows. Crossing the room in two swift strides, the tall man turned the small brass latch and let in the new day along with scents of thyme, anise and sage wafting up from the canyon.
Scratching himself he thought of the lava lamp his friend Peter had when they were kids. The ever changing colors and undulating clouds blowing swiftly back out to sea transfixed him. Hearing Maria come in to set up the continental breakfast brought him out of his daze.
He rummaged through his sack for the tiny tube of Crest and squeezed a bit onto his fingertip. He proceeded to spread the paste onto his teeth and while he cleaned his teeth, thought of the woman they had past on the Cottonwood Trail a few days earlier. The woman with the sweet smile. Funny how far and deep a thing as innocent as a smile can go.
He had come to the island with a few friends but they had caught the ferry back to the mainland the afternoon before. He had wanted to stay on island for a few more days. They had come to hike and fish, but he had sent his poles back with them. Having all just returned from deployment they had leave to burn, but he didn't want to go back. Not to the mainland, not to his company, not to the Middle East, not to any of it. Didn't know what he wanted to do instead. Had no idea, in fact, what he wanted. He just now knew what he didn't want. Not that knowing was going to reduce the three remaining years to his tour. Not that now knowing that he didn't want to be a career Marine like his father and grandfather had both been was going to simplify the telling. They'd take it hard regardless. At least he had a few years to figure out the rest, the what next part.
In the meantime, he'd been offered a private guide to parts of the island off limits to bipeds. Not that he needed guidance logistically, but legally, he couldn't get into Grand or Silver Canyons without Conservancy permission and without a guide. It'd be some of the roughest hiking so far but the views would be well worth the strain. He refilled his three camel skins then slung his pack on his shoulder, grabbed a few bagels from Maria's neatly stacked tray, slugged back an OJ and trotted up the road back towards the interior.
He was supposed to meet his guide at East Summit and he knew how hairy that road was. Better to head up sooner rather than later. When he crested the summit, he saw two people not one as he had expected. One was an off duty ranger, the other a scientist with the Feds. As she turned towards him to be introduced he saw that it was the woman with the so sweet smile. "Thank you, Jesus," he thought to himself as he shook her hand. She'd be going on to Valley of the Moons but would be trekking along with them as far as Silver Canyon.
"Sweet," he thought with cocky grin but just nodded stoically instead. And with a broad slow smile in return she made his knees buckle. Brushing past him she said, "Come then. Let' see just what kind of Soldier you are."
"Warrior, Ma'am," he corrected, when what he really wanted to say was "man". "I'm just a man. Please take me as I am." The reality was, he'd never be just a man ever again. They would always expect more from him and he would forever deliver despite any personal preferences or desires. Well beyond comfort zones. Honestly, he found it all exhausting. He wanted to swim in wanting and be satiated. He wanted to be self serving. To wallow in unawareness and apathy. He knew, though, that would never now be possible.
His tenderness though showed in his sea foam green eyes. The woman knew he thought and felt more than he said. He was quiet only in that he didn't waste words...
He woke to the dawn, a vibrant cheerful pallet smeared across the great expanse of sky and sea. The Zane Grey Pueblo sat high on the cliffside above the seaside hamlet of Avalon presenting him one of the best views in town. Straight off the transisland trail, he had fallen asleep at dusk without undressing or closing the curtains.
Stretching, he sat up gazing at the colors through the trees and casement windows. Crossing the room in two swift strides, the tall man turned the small brass latch and let in the new day along with scents of thyme, anise and sage wafting up from the canyon.
Scratching himself he thought of the lava lamp his friend Peter had when they were kids. The ever changing colors and undulating clouds blowing swiftly back out to sea transfixed him. Hearing Maria come in to set up the continental breakfast brought him out of his daze.
He rummaged through his sack for the tiny tube of Crest and squeezed a bit onto his fingertip. He proceeded to spread the paste onto his teeth and while he cleaned his teeth, thought of the woman they had past on the Cottonwood Trail a few days earlier. The woman with the sweet smile. Funny how far and deep a thing as innocent as a smile can go.
He had come to the island with a few friends but they had caught the ferry back to the mainland the afternoon before. He had wanted to stay on island for a few more days. They had come to hike and fish, but he had sent his poles back with them. Having all just returned from deployment they had leave to burn, but he didn't want to go back. Not to the mainland, not to his company, not to the Middle East, not to any of it. Didn't know what he wanted to do instead. Had no idea, in fact, what he wanted. He just now knew what he didn't want. Not that knowing was going to reduce the three remaining years to his tour. Not that now knowing that he didn't want to be a career Marine like his father and grandfather had both been was going to simplify the telling. They'd take it hard regardless. At least he had a few years to figure out the rest, the what next part.
In the meantime, he'd been offered a private guide to parts of the island off limits to bipeds. Not that he needed guidance logistically, but legally, he couldn't get into Grand or Silver Canyons without Conservancy permission and without a guide. It'd be some of the roughest hiking so far but the views would be well worth the strain. He refilled his three camel skins then slung his pack on his shoulder, grabbed a few bagels from Maria's neatly stacked tray, slugged back an OJ and trotted up the road back towards the interior.
He was supposed to meet his guide at East Summit and he knew how hairy that road was. Better to head up sooner rather than later. When he crested the summit, he saw two people not one as he had expected. One was an off duty ranger, the other a scientist with the Feds. As she turned towards him to be introduced he saw that it was the woman with the so sweet smile. "Thank you, Jesus," he thought to himself as he shook her hand. She'd be going on to Valley of the Moons but would be trekking along with them as far as Silver Canyon.
"Sweet," he thought with cocky grin but just nodded stoically instead. And with a broad slow smile in return she made his knees buckle. Brushing past him she said, "Come then. Let' see just what kind of Soldier you are."
"Warrior, Ma'am," he corrected, when what he really wanted to say was "man". "I'm just a man. Please take me as I am." The reality was, he'd never be just a man ever again. They would always expect more from him and he would forever deliver despite any personal preferences or desires. Well beyond comfort zones. Honestly, he found it all exhausting. He wanted to swim in wanting and be satiated. He wanted to be self serving. To wallow in unawareness and apathy. He knew, though, that would never now be possible.
His tenderness though showed in his sea foam green eyes. The woman knew he thought and felt more than he said. He was quiet only in that he didn't waste words...