Lust of the Heart

The umbilical cord of adolescence is final severed. Curfew that established Rebecca's existence will be gone as soon as she crosses the frame that holds the front door in place. Rules and regulations will cease to control her life when she lifts her right hand to the American flag.

"The day has finally arrived for me to have the freedom I've

She read her entry carefully, word for word. Afterwards, she made a few changes that included plans to meet Stewart after her training. She reached her hands towards the back of her neck and slowly removed the necklace holding her gold diary key. She placed it in the holder and sealed her thoughts with a turn of her wrist. Gently placing her treasure between her white cotton undergarments, she exchanged it for the five-by-seven photo of Stewart.

The frame holding Stewart's photo in place looked as if it had been dipped in furniture polish. The fine black lines in the glossed sculptured wood provided personality to the olive background surrounding him.

Rebecca sat at the foot of her bed with her legs straddled across the iron bar. She gazed into Stewart's picture. She wished, for a moment, that she could snap her fingers and bring him to her room. Starting form his crew cut, her eyes slowly wandered down through the essence to the top of his boots. Without realizing it, she had undressed him with her imagination. She reached out to touch the sides of his midnight hair, gliding her finger down to his plush brows. She stroked his cheek with her left index finger while bringing him close to her face. She stood up to kiss his lips with passion as if he were standing right before her. Suddenly, she snapped into the reality that told her of the dangers of being overtaken by an image captured in a moment of time. She quickly began rubbing the frame on her thigh to remove the traces of her saliva from the glass.

“I guess we'll be together after all, “ she spoke softly while placing his photo in the corner of her travel bag.

Chapter 5 Excerpt

Tossing her cover off, Rebecca stretched her arms to the white plaster above her head while rotating her neck around and around. The cold floor sent shivers up her spine as she wiggled her 128- pound frame from side to side. As she placed her feet inside her fuzzy slippers, she called for Lynda.

There was no answer. She called for her again. Still no answer. Rebecca reached under the lamp shade and switched on the light. At that point, she realized her roommate had already departed.

“Some friend you are,” Rebecca murmured to the empty bed.

She grabbed her navy blue sweatpants from the bottom of her clothes pile. Exchanging her pajama bottoms for her exercise pants, Rebecca moved as if she were competing for prizes on a timed game show. Next, she traded her spaghetti strap night top for her sweatshirt. Realizing that she had forgotten to put on her bra, she took her arms out of the sleeves. Working underneath the shirt, Rebecca turned the wired strip of cot so that she could fasten the clips from the front. Then she maneuvered the bra around and placed each of her cups into their proper holding section. When she had properly fitted her support gear, she guided each arm back into its sleeve.

As the time continued clicking, Rebecca quickly put her socks and tennis shoes on her feet. By the time she reached the bottom of the stairs, she could hear her roommate yelling, “Airman Mellows here, present and accounted for.”

“Great,” Rebecca mumbled. She knew that she had only a few seconds left before her name would be called. She made a mad dash for her spot.

Chapter 7 Excerpt

Alex smiled when he saw Rebecca exit the building. He opened the trunk so that she could place her luggage inside. She closed the hood and took her place as if she were his mistress. Alex smiled at her through the tinted window and took his place at the driver's seat.

The drive through the countryside was a peaceful one. For the first time since she had left the boundaries of her childhood home, Rebecca did not feel the loneliness. In the middle of her listening to Alex's voice, she felt a queasy feeling in the pit of her stomach.

The lines between his lines made her question whether or not Alex was committed to another relationship. The idea of his being a married man entered her mind. She dismissed it when she didn't see a ring on his finger. Although her ability to discern the truth from error told her to question Alex about his life before arriving in Europe, she couldn't bring herself to put him on the spot. When she noticed Alex saying phrases that provoked doubt to rise within her, Rebecca chose the words that would reassure her that was being honest.