Born 01 - Born

I put my bundle down on the dirt and take the pile she offers. They smell funny. I pull on the shirt and the pants over my soaked underwear. I pull my bra off when the shirt is on and covering me.
    She takes it in her hands. "What's your name?"
    I feel my lips tremble. "Emma."
    She leans in and kisses me softly on the lips. "Emma, it's okay. You're safe here. No infection and no others and no military. We take care of each other." She takes my soaking wet bra and picks up my pile of filthy clothes and leaves. I stand alone by the fire realizing she kissed me. I liked that she kissed me. It was a nice feeling. Not nice the way Jake's kiss was. Hers was sweet and soft. It makes me feel happy.
    I look down at Leo, who turns his face in the light of the fire and whines. I pat his head and look to where she's walked. She drops my clothes in a basket and points to a bright orange glow in the woods across the camp. "Come to the fire. We sing and play guitar."
    Leo and I follow her through the woods to where a large bonfire is burning. I can hear the music faintly in the crackle of the flames and embers. It's folk music but better. It hits me with a wall of emotion. Everything lifts away from me. The music becomes embedded in my soul. I haven’t heard music since before. I feel like an outsider, but the people at the fire smile at me. Someone shoves over on the log in front of me to make space. Leo sits and watches me sit in a crowd. He doesn’t know how to respond to this. He whines a little.
    Heat waves rise from the huge fire, making it hard to see across to where the musicians are. The logs are built higher than the people sitting. I can make out a man with a small guitar. He's old and has a beard. A man starts singing with the soft guitars. His voice is incredible. It's raspy and sweet. I am in a trance. I sit and close my eyes. The music brings back something soft and sweet that I never realized I was missing. Its return aches in my chest. The sweet voice makes my skin shiver, and my throat thick with unfamiliar emotions. We sit in a huge circle, warmed by the fire and the raw human emotions inside of the song. It's about love and sacrifice. A woman's voice accompanies the man's and the guitars. She adds softness to the song that his raspy voice doesn’t have.
    This is the greatest moment of my life. I have experienced nothing like this, even before. Time passes. I don’t know how much. Songs are sung. Whiskey is passed. I drink and sway my body with everyone else. My guard is not only lowered but it is destroyed in the camaraderie of the people at the fire and the song in our hearts.
    In the light, I can see Mary. She sings and laughs and drinks. Her eyes sparkle vibrantly in the orange glow.
    Slowly people trickle away from the fire. Leo has crept up and is lying on my feet. The pile of logs and lumber on the fire has burned down to ash and in the embers I see something I never expected. Will's the singer with the haunting voice that has me lit up. He feels the music. I can see that. His eyes are closed and his fingers gently stroke the guitar. He finishes the song and I can't help but see him differently.
    He walks to where I'm sitting and sits beside me.
    "You're a good singer," I say, trying to be nice.
    He doesn't notice my attempts at being polite. His tone is cold. "We need to talk."
    Sitting beside him makes my insides crawl. He doesn’t look sweet and soft like Mary does. He looks annoyed and angry with me. I feel intimidated by him. He doesn’t seem like the goof Anna described. He is intense.
    I nod. "I know."
    His long legs seem huge compared to mine. He is thick and strong looking. His face is handsome like Jake's, but more commanding. I want to listen to him for some reason. I feel like he could keep me safe, like he does everyone else here. I don’t know why I think it's him that does it, but I do.
    "So where are they?"
    I shake my head and try not to watch his mouth. "I don’t know. They were at my farmhouse last time I saw them."
    "How did they look?"
    I gulp. "Great. Jake was hurt a bit but I got him medicine. They were fine when I left, though."
    "Where did you meet them?"
    "First my cabin." I start the story at the beginning and try not to stare at his lips as he processes what I have to say. I want him to sing to me some more.

Chapter Eleven

    I wake with a wolf foot in my face. He kicks slightly in his dream and scratches my cheek.
    I push it away and look around. I'm more comfortable