An Odd Morning

Anna's eyes fluttered open at the crack of dawn, with the tower sticking up over the trees Anna had an unobstructed view of the beautiful sunrise. While Anna would normally love to get up and watch the sunrise, today she couldn't care less. Instead, she tightened her hand over Eric's. The brown-haired teen was pulling her in tight as they both squeezed onto the single cot in the fire tower. Eric was still fast asleep but seeing as the sun was out, and the storm had passed, Anna wanted to get back to the lodge as soon as possible. "Eric...Eric, you gotta wake up," Anna gently whispered out while patting the teen's hand,

She heard a low sigh leave Eric's nose which was quickly followed up by Eric pressing his face into Anna's shoulder, "Mhm, you feel so warm...I've missed waking up like this,"

Anna's lips curled up into a smile, she pressed her body back against Eric's turning her head and gently placing a small kiss on his forehead, "I've missed everything about you, it was stupid for us to break up, we should have tried long distance. We could have made it work, I know it,"

"We have that second chance now, after this week when I could back to Dartwin and you go home, we'll stay together this time. Nothing's splitting us up," Eric replied as he sat up on his elbow, looking the blonde girl over, "We're meant to be,"

"I know...but," Anna sighed as she shut her eyes for a long minute, "Are you sure about this? Do you really want me over Zoey, because after you talk to her, there's no going back,"

"I wouldn't want to go back," Eric dryly replied before pausing and letting out a slightly defeated sigh, "I...Zoey helped me through our breakup, she was my best friend in Dartwin, and she clearly wanted to be more, but I just never...felt what she did, I think." The teen tried to explain, so the reality of the situation didn't come off as cold as it was, "I never stopped loving you Anna, Zoey was never going to change that, so in the end, this is for the best. She deserves better than that; she deserves someone who can love her like no one else can,"

Anna soaked in the words Eric said, they sounded real and full of compassion but what did that really count for? In the end, Anna and Eric were going to return to the cabin together; they were going to have to go up to a sweet innocent girl and tell her that her boyfriend was leaving her for his ex-girlfriend. It made her stomach twist into knots; Anna felt like she was caught in a tug of war between her morals and her own heart. "I, um, I think I need to get a little air," Anna mumbled out while pulling herself off the cot and walking towards the door of the fire tower. The blonde girl slipped outside, letting the cool wind chill her, making her mind clear up and focus.

Suddenly Anna heard the humming of an engine, the blonde girl quickly lifted her head and extended her body over the railing of the tower, looking down at the ground below. "What the hell?" She muttered out while trying to spot the vehicle making the sound, though in an instant everything went silent. Just behind her she heard Eric slowly making his way outside as well, "Did you hear that?" Anna quickly asked while continuing her search,

"Hear what?" Eric asked in confusion,

"I thought I heard something, like a car or whatever," Anna replied with a quick glance, "It was close by,"

"I don't hear anything now," Eric said with a raise of his brow, "Are you sure you heard something?"

"Yes Eric, I heard something," Anna snapped back with a furrowed brow. Suddenly the pair both heard the engine return, revving up while moving further up towards the mountain, "See!" Anna exclaimed,

"Yeah, what the fuck?" Eric muttered as he too quickly began to scan the area, sudden the teen caught sight of a man driving through the woods on a snowmobile, "Whoa, right there, see him?" Anna squinted her eyes and was just able to make out the figure as he disappeared into the distance, leaving only a distance hum of his machine, "Who the hell was that? I know it's kind of a dick thing to say, but Brian's dad own's this mountain, er, this area of the mountain. It's technically private property,"

"Yeah, but maybe that was a ranger coming to find us," Anna replied with a large smile, "I bet as soon as the storm cleared up the others called someone to look for us!" Eric watched as Anna scampered to the other side of the tower, "We can totally get seen by one of them on the way back...um, let's see, we came from that way I think...so if I'm right, considering the time it took...Ah-ha!" Anna cheered, "See, look, we can see the fucking lodge from here! Eric let's go!"

"Count me in, I'm so fucking done with this place," Eric smiled as he and Anna rushed back into the tower, grabbing their packs before heading carefully back down the rickety stairs. "God, I hope everyone else made it back though," Eric tacked on as they both began to walk back towards the lodge.