[hail2thechief]

PART V

Lacey was off the ground. There was divot in the tree that allowed her to step up and reach for the lowest level branches. Carefully pressing her pants against she tree, she was able to climb and maintain her dignity. She wisely wrought out her pants behind the house before her ascent, so they weren’t feeling quite as burdensome.

Lacey moved one foot to a small stub then pushed herself up to a sturdy branch. This was too easy, she was halfway there already. At that very moment she saw a large news truck pulled up across the street, apparently that tree falling was a bigger deal than she thought.

Lacey stood up and brushed the leaves away to watch the news reporter step out and chat with the cameraman. Perhaps she’d gotten a bit too distracted, because her pants now sat at about mid-thigh. Startled by this revelation and the restriction it put on her legs, Lacey lost her balance and threw her hands out to regain equilibrium.

Unable to control herself, Lacey fell forward, her stomach landing square on the thick branch. The air was knocked out of her as was her concentration. A chilly breeze ran its way through the narrow avenue between her legs, quickly waking her up.

Her legs shivered, well, at least the parts down to her ankles, where he jeans currently hung on for life. Grinding herself against the branch and spreading her legs in every wayward direction, she was able to right herself and avoid a disaster. Were anyone underneath her they would have been privy to an anatomy lesson like no other.

But Lacey was able to pull herself up, and to her relief, the pants were not lost. Leaning on the tree she pulled her pants back up and noticed a few holes that had tore their way into her shirt.

Someone standing close might be able to make out her white bra, but other than that, nothing major. She re-focused and got back to her climb. But not before she felt a few drops of rain fall flat on her head.