Flirting With the Wind

Standing up from the bench I headed towards the soldier’s quarters to make my offer of truce to Sergeant Stiglitz; I call it a truce because well I don’t really like saying sorry. It was well past dinner time and closing in on eleven o’clock. I knocked on the door hesitantly and heard some giggling from inside but no answer. Not wanting to bother anyone I just turned to head away from the door but the door opened causing me to turn and look who opened it. It was Private Hermann and he smiled at me gesturing for me to come in. One foot after the other I entered the living quarters for them only to see Private Martin sitting on his cot smoking a cigarette wearing a plain white wife beater and loose slacks much like Private Hermann was.

“Sergeant Stiglitz?” I question in a more quiet tone just in case he was sleeping. They nodded and gestured to the closed door where the familiar female voices had come from. Just as I was about to leave out of awkward jealousy the door opened to reveal Bridget and Darcy who both smiled at me with that notorious mischievous glint in their blue eyes.

“Hermann, Martin,” they say and before I could react both men grabbed me from behind. I twisted and thrashed until I was thrown into the room cursing in any language I knew as the door shut behind me.
“Darcy, Bridget, what in the hell is this about?” I demand hitting the door trying to open it but it did not budge. After I got no answer I sighed leaning against the door to see Sergeant Stiglitz sitting on his bed shirtless only in a pair of boxers. Sweet baby Jesus this was going to be a problem.
“Was there a reason why you are here,” he questions as I took a sharp intake of air. I refused to look at him; he looked too perfect almost like he was a sculpture or painting, hell if I was an artist I’d paint the man everyday of my life. What the hell was I thinking?! I needed to get out before I did something incredibly stupid and unladylike.

“It doesn’t matter, I’m leaving,” I state stalking over to the only window of the room. It was a fairly small window and I opened it then a hand stopped me.
“Wait,” Sergeant Stiglitz says. Okay I had to think of what in the hell he was doing in here alone with my cousins. Damn it that only gets me angry, wait that’s kind of a good thing yet terrible at the same time. Stick with the bitter angry bit and hopefully he’ll back his wonderful body away from mine.
“No, this is a bad time, I’ll let my cousins back in here for you,” I reply coldly. Ha, there you go Mira, stay strong.
“I know this looks less than innocent but they planned this all to get you in here, I had only just woken up,” he states sincerely. I looked into his blue green eyes searching for a lie wanting for it to be a lie so that I could stop reacting to him like such a damn fool. But he looked so admirable with how he held no lies in his eyes and damn it he had me convinced. Stupid vain side of me that thinks he is so good looking.

“Okay well in that case, I only wanted to call a truce,” I say in a rushed manner hoping to make this conversation quick.
“For what?” Sergeant Stiglitz inquires furrowing his eyebrows together. He was pretty much naked his body only inches from mine, I needed to leave.
“I was just- never mind forget it I have to go,” I stumble to say suddenly unsure of how to react with the proximity he was in especially with so little clothing. I had to keep it together and not stare at him.
“To that bar?” he counters. I stopped and turned to look at him. Had he seen me sneak out at night?
“When did you notice?” I inquire. I wanted to know if I ceased to be as stealth-like as I thought I was.
“Only the other night by accident, I had gone for a drink you were there playing card games,” he states.
“Oh,” I respond letting out a breath.
“You wanted a truce,” Sergeant Stiglitz muses.
“Well Sergeant that’s what I am calling it, we can treat each other like human beings like we had in the beginning,” I counter with a soft smile.
“I never got a chance to tell you I am sorry for your loss of your father,” he states sincerely.
“Sergeant, no sorries will make up for my losses only remind me of how much it hurts to have lost, don’t bother with saying sorry it wasn’t your fault anyways,” I say as my smile fell.
“Call me Hugo, we’ve known each other long enough to call one another by first name,” he replies.
“So now what Hugo?” I inquire after a long pause whilst I fidgeted slightly.
“I don’t know,” Hugo answers honestly.
“It might be good if you dressed,” I suggest gesturing to his bare stomach. Hugo looked at me apologetically realizing he wasn’t exactly properly dressed to be in another’s presence let alone a woman. It was incredibly hard to focus with him wearing so little clothing. I bit my bottom lip trying to keep myself composed as he pulled on a pair of slacks and a white tee shirt. He caught me staring and I diverted my attention to the wall pretending that was what I was looking at the whole time.
“So you think I am good looking?” Hugo inquires with a hint of humor in his tone of voice.
“Don’t get too big headed about it, I said you were good looking not that I was attracted to you,” I counter giving him a look.
“And what’s the difference,” he asks.
“Attraction to me has to do with actions as well, not only outer appearance,” I state pointedly.
“So my actions prove to be unattractive to you,” Hugo comments.
“No that would require you to have actions of your own,” I point out.
“I am just a puppet then,” he counters sitting down on his bed.
“A good looking puppet at least,” I smile. Hugo looked to me with a playful smile his eyes twinkling with amusement.
“I should be so honored to be called a good looking puppet by someone like you,” Hugo says sarcastically. I gave a small chuckle.
“You should,” I reply as Hugo gave a chuckle of his own.
“And what are you?” he asks.
“I have no clue, maybe the audience.” I answer leaning against the desk that was beneath the window. It quiet for a little while and we found ourselves looking at one another no words being exchanged until finally I looked away from his gaze. I bit my bottom lip.
“I should go, and you can go back to bed,” I finally say with a weak smile as I stood up straight. Hugo didn’t say anything else as I climbed out of the window. Instead of going out I just went back to house and went to bed.

A couple days later I found myself walking the woods until I heard a twig crack behind me and I turned around to see a child about seven years old she was shaking from the cold her clothes all mussed up with dirt. Tears streamed down the little girl’s dirty face her deep brown eyes full of fright. I took off my jacket immediately and wrapped it around her shoulders ignoring the yellow Star of David she wore on her tattered dress.
“Shh Das ist in Ordnung, ich werde dich nicht verletzen (Shh its okay, I’m not going to hurt you),” I reassure as she cried flinched from my embrace eventually settling into my arms crying for her mama and poppa. It broke my heart to see this and I wondered where her family was.
“Hanna,” I heard a gruff hushed voice whisper loudly. The little girl had not heard the voice but I looked up keeping my eyes peeled grabbing a nearby tree branch with my free hand as protection. I heard the voice again calling the name Hanna but this time the little girl heard it ceasing her crying and looked up from my arms in the direction I was looking. Three men bearing weapons and shabby clothing stood before us. The little girl jumped out of my arms and ran towards them then into the arms of the man with a scruffy beard and dark hair.
“Poppa fand ich ein Engel (Poppa I found an angel),” the little girl says to the man.
“Wer sind Sie? (Who are you?)” one of the men demanded.
“Wer kümmert sich erschießen, wird sie sagen, jemand unseren Aufenthaltsort (Who cares shoot her, she’ll tell someone our whereabouts),” the other says hastily.
“Nein! Nicht zu verletzen, mein Engel (No! Don’t hurt my angel),” the little girl says breaking from what I assumed to be her father and ran to me.
“Gehen Sie zu Ihrem Poppa Kleinen, keine Notwendigkeit, aufregen, sind Sie sicher, dass mit ihm alles, was zählt (Go to your Poppa little one, no need to get upset, you are safe with him that's all that matters),” I say with a soft smile.
“Poppa können sie mit uns kommen? (Poppa can she come with us?)” Hanna questions her father.
“Hier Kleinen Ich brauche nur meine Papiere aus meinem Mantel und kommen, können Sie es warm zu halten mit (Come here little one I just need my papers from my coat and you can keep warm with it),” I reply to the little girl. She walked over taking out my passport from the pocket.
“Hier gehen (Here go),” she smiles.
“Danke (Thanks),” I respond putting the passport in the side of my boot. I stood up straight and looked at the men.
“Wer sind Sie? (Who are you?)” the man asks.
“Ich werde wieder kommen später am Abend mit Essen, nicht mir folgen, wenn Sie tun, Sie werden auf einer Oberstleutnant estate werden und ich werde nicht in der Lage sein, Ihnen dann helfen. Das Essen wird in diesem Baum werden dort, es wird bis zu Ihnen, wenn Sie es machen wollen. (I will come back here later tonight with food, do not follow me, if you do you will be on a Lieutenant Colonel's estate and I will not be able to help you then. The food will be in that there tree; it'll be up to you if you want to get it.)” I say in German.
“Wie können wir Ihnen vertrauen? (How can we trust you?)” another man inquires.
“Das ist Ihre Wahl, aber wenn du mich töten wirst du mehr auf der Flucht, als Sie zu sein haben, und ich will sie nicht töten jemand von euch vor allem kleine Hanna. (That is your choice but if you kill me you will be more on the run than you have to be and I don't want them killing any of you especially little Hanna),” I say seriously. They looked at me long and hard waiting for my composure to falter but it did not. The men nodded and I headed off back to the house. It was only about four in the afternoon but it was October so the weather was beginning to chill. As I crossed the gardens passed the soldier quarters I was stopped by Hugo.

“What happened to your jacket?” he questions eying my bare arms suspiciously.
“What happened to Amelia Earhart?” I counter.
“What?” Hugo responds confused.
“Exactly,” I smile.
“You’re acting more strangely than usual,” he states focusing his eyes on me.
“I wasn’t aware you were gauging my level of strangeness,” I state.
“Mirabel come inside there Major Hellstrom is here to see you!” my Aunt Catherine announces.
“Who the hell is she talking about now?” I mutter aloud to myself.
“You know him as Deiter,” Hugo answers.
“Damn it,” I curse as I walked back towards the house. Once I got to the living area I saw Major Deiter Hellstrom stand from his seat on the couch whilst my aunt turned slightly to face me then stood up as well.
“Please tell me you weren’t outside without a jacket,” she sighs.
“Alright, I wasn’t out without a jacket,” I reply with a soft smile.
“I was just telling Major Hellstrom about you,” Aunt Catherine states.
“I hope nothing good,” I respond with a smile.
“I believe you meant nothing bad Mirabel,” Major Hellstrom replies with a subtle smirk.
“Oh you’re right, hope you did not go too out of your way to be here,” I comment.
“Of course not,” he smiles.
“Perhaps you can take Major Hellstrom on a walk around the gardens Mirabel,” my aunt suggests.
“Sure,” I say elongating the word.
“I’ll leave you two to yourselves,” she smiles walking out of the room leaving me alone with Hellstrom.
“Shall we?” Major Hellstrom says with a devious smile.
“We shall,” I reply.

I led Major Hellstrom outside to the backyard gardens. He walked far too close to me for my liking and his eyes bore into my figure. We walked along and I stopped to show him the fountain that held the colorful Koi fish in it. As I pointed I felt his presence behind me, his hot breath spilling onto my neck making me feel incredibly uncomfortable with the proximity in which he was and my body went rigid as his hand touched my bare arm.

“Aren’t you cold Fraulein?” he says seductively in my ear.
“I’d like my space Major,” I respond monotone.
“Do I make you nervous?” Major Hellstrom inquires sounding somewhat amused.
“Uncomfortable would be the proper term Major,” I state moving away subtly.
“Playing hard to get are you?” he counters smirking evilly.
“I assure you that is not what I am trying to do, Major, you should know I have no interests in being wooed, I plan on joining the convent,” I reply.
“Convent? I find that hard to believe Fraulein, I hardly think nuns spend their nights gambling or drink the way you do,” Major Hellstrom states.
“You have got to be a sinner before becoming a saint, I am merely getting the sin out of my system,” I counter pointedly.
“A very interesting philosophy you follow, and are men not part of sin?” he asks backing me against a tree trunk one hand resting on the tree above my head, the other gently touching the side of my face.
“I do not indulge in those sorts of sins, now if you please keep your hands to yourself Major,” I retort trying to remain composed.
“I told you to call me Deiter,” he snaps his eyes looking manic for a brief instant before going back to the cold nothingness that they were before.
“I figured you liked being called Major, being that you have worked so hard to get such a high ranking position,” I point out as the sarcasm seemed to bury hidden beneath the words. Major Hellstrom pressed his lips roughly onto mine kissing me for what seemed like forever and pulled away smirking whilst I stood paralyzed at his actions.
“I like your fight Mirabel, it is most attractive,” Major Hellstrom says, “But alas I must leave you once more, I shall see you again my pet.”

I looked at him blankly not wanting him to see the anger he caused me to feel. He brought my hand up to his lips and kissed it then walked away smirking evilly. The man was more than dangerous. Major Hellstrom had known I lied saying I planned on joining the convent. I felt vulnerable and weak for his presence was so unnerving, his intentions unknown yet known at the same time. Major Hellstrom had me scared like I was squaring off with a poisonous serpent that could kill me with just one bite. I hadn’t realized I was holding my breath until something nudged me slightly and I flinched like a frightened child who had just seen a ghost.