The Fire Within

Reveal

"Where are we going anyway?" Cirice asked from the back on Alex's motorcycle. The city lights all morphed into a blur as they barreled down the interstate.

"I wanna show you something. It's gonna be a bit of a drive." he shouted back over the wind. For a moment Cirice wondered how they could hear each other so well, given that they were going at least seventy miles per hour and the wind was close to knocking them both off. Cirice sighed and tightened her grip around his mid section.

Her chest was pressed against his back, her sternum brushing against his spine. She wondered about him. Was he hungry? Or lonely? Did he wonder about her as well?

Without thinking, she leaned in, laying her head against his shoulder. She could smell the faintest whiff of cloves. He must have been the one smoking on the porch that night.

Her thoughts began to muddle and soon took autonomy against the whoosh of the wind and the purr of the motor. It was almost as if she were being hypnotized, and it was only when it stopped that she was pulled back to the present.

The bike was pulled off to the side of a dirt road. A dense forest lined either side of it, fall colors and evergreens all mixed to create a gorgeous scene.
Cirice undid the helmet and dismounted the bike, stretching her legs.

Above her the sky was dark blue, hinting at the coming dawn.

"Where are we?" she asked slowly as Alex dismounted the bike and rolled it onto the thin shoulder of the road.

"About 20 miles North of Leominster." Alex replied, securing the helmets onto the bike.

"Jesus, that's off of 202, isn't it?" Cirice asked casually, looking up and down the road. It seemed to just stretch for miles and miles.

"Yeah. There is this really cool trail that leads to an overlook. I thought it would help you clear your head." he commented thoughtfully as he revealed a long, dark object. A click revealed that it was a flashlight.

"Come on, sun will be up soon." he said, gesturing to an overgrown path.

"Great, you rescue me from rapists just to bring me here to rape and murder me?" Cirice shot, crossing her arms against the chill. The air was pure up here, nothing like the city stuff she had breathed for so long.

Alex chuckled and approached her slowly.

"If I wanted to murder you, do you think I would waste the gas?" he asked, his brows furrowed quizzically. Cirice shrugged and he laughed.

"Come on," he said, gesturing forward.

"Oh, and when you do submit to me, it will be consensual." he added before starting down the trail. Cirice scoffed, scandalized.

"Wait a second!" she called, racing forward. Alex tried to hide his smirk as he turned to provide her with some illuminated footing.

"What makes you think you're my type anyway?"

****

The sky was just beginning to turn yellow in the rainbow array that signaled the suns arrival when Cirice spoke.

"So how did you find this place?" They had been walking for awhile, Cirice falling into a wanted silence so she could contemplate why she had followed a complete stranger into the woods.

"My dad used to take me here as a child. There is an old church on the way. It's as old as this country is." Alex said, slipping off the flashlight as orange appeared in the sky.

"Looks like we won't make it to sunrise, but the church is cool." he noted, gesturing to the sky.

"You hike alot?" Cirice asked, fighting to keep herself from panting. In the city, she didn't need endurance--sprinting was enough.