Chapter 1 - Carol

Carol's eyes rose with the sun. She was curled protectively around her kid sister. She could hear her father's snoring behind and was thankful for what ever time she was given without having to deal with him.

She gently shook Sophia awake.

The little girl opened her eyes with a start but didn't make a peep. I did my best to smile at her as she looked up at me. Little girls should wake up to smiles.

I nodded my head toward the tent door and she nodded. I unzipped the flap as slowly and silently as I could. Stopping every time his snoring halted.

After what seemed like an eternity we grabbed our shoes and stepped outside. I didn't bother zipping the tent back up, we had barely opened it slit and I didn't want to risk waking him.

I shoved my feet into my Doc's and helped Sophia tie her canvas shoes. I was starving but Ed didn't want us eating any of his MREs in front of the others so we wouldn't need to share.

He really got the idea of pulling together, that one.

The camp was silent though, and I was starving. I'm sure Sophia was too but she had learned not to complain a long time ago.

I took her hand and we made our way over to our SUV. Looking around to check no one else was awake I pulled on the handle. Didn't budge.

Damn.

Of course Ed locked the car. No way I would risk waking him up to get the keys. I'd rather risk a mob of geeks.

I turned to walk away and gasped.

"Jesus, you scared the crap out of me," I whispered.

Sophia tugged hard on my arm and glared at me. She didn't like it when I swore.

I rolled my eyes at her and looked up to see the man's back, retreating as silently as he appeared.

I bit my lip, and looked back down at my sister. No one else seemed awake and there was no food or chores yet...

I followed him, pulling Sophie along after me. She was dragging her feet. She didn't like new people. Well, like is the wrong word. People terrified her. Scared me too. We knew what people where capable of...

The man's tent was set up on the edge of camp. He was starting a little fire when we got there, no matches, boy scout style.

I smiled, he didn't look like much of a boy scout. Filthy, bloody pants, muddy boots, greasy hair and a sweat stained formerly white shirt with cut off sleeves. He had a handsome face though.

I stood at the edge of his little camp not sure what to do. His back was turned and so there was still time to walk away and pretend like this never happened.

"Can I help you with somethin'?" He said without turning around.

How did he know we were here?

"Um," I said, biting my lip. "Actually we were wondering if there was anything you needed help with," I said cringing at how stupid I sounded.

The man looked us up and down over his shoulder and snorted as he turned back to his work.

"Look your obviously real capable, and maybe you don't NEED help, but that don't mean it wouldn't lighten your load. Plus we got nothin' else to do and no where to do it 'til rest'a camp wakes up. "

He didn't say anything thing.

"Come on Sophie," I said pulling her away, not sure why I had bothered. I never reach out. It's always better for Sophie and I to keep to ourselves.

"You know how to skin an animal?" He asked.

Sophie looked up at me with a grimace but I gave her a glare to be cool. That skill could come in handy.

"Ain't nothin' I can't learn, and then next time you WILL have someone who knows how, who can help you." I pulled Sophie back over to the man's fire and knelt down next to the man.

He pulled a Rambo sized knife from his belt and pointed it at me and then Sophie, "either of you wake my brother up from his hangover you'll be in a world of hurt, got me?"

I nodded my head and squeezed Sophie's hand as she leaned into me trembling a little.

"It's o.k., Sophie's real good at keeping out of the way," I smiled down at her. She nodded back at me and I pulled her favorite book of fairy tales out of my pack and handed it to her. She took it and moved over to the other side of the fire and tried her best to ignore what we were about to do.

"Roll your sleeves up," he said without looking at me as he dropped a pile of squirrels in front of the two of us.

I swallowed hard and pulled my sleeves down further. It was summer in Georgia and hotter'n hell but there wasn't a prize in the world that could tempt me to reveal my arms right now.

He looked at me like I was stupid. "Look you don't know what your doing, it's gonna be messy and you'll get blood all over yourself."

I pursed my lips together and nodded my head. "It's o.k. I'll do a wash later. I can do your wash too if you want, in exchange for teachin' me."

He just frowned at me. "I can do my own damn washin' woman, now watch real close to what I do."

I didn't take my eyes away and when he was done he had a perfectly skinned squirrel. He stuck it on a spit and put it over the fire.

"Hey you, little girl."

Sophie looked up from her book and blanched.

"Make yourself useful and turn this spit while I watch your mother butcher a perfectly good squirrel."

Sophie just looked at me.

I smiled at her and waved her over.

"It's O.K. Soph."

She put her book down hesitantly and crawled over to the spit. She took the end from the man and stared turning the creature just as he had been doing. He watched her for a moment, assumably to make sure she didn't fuck it up before nodding and turning his attention back to me.

Handing me the handle of his hunting knife he raised his eye brows as if in challenge. Did he think I would chicken out?

I took the damn knife from his damn hand and stared working on the animal.

He would tisk every now and then to let me know that I was doing something wrong but other than that he was silent. I took that as a good sign.

When I was done I held up my finished product. It wasn't as neat and tidy at his, but it was still recognizable as a squirrel.

He nodded to a pile'a sticks he had at the ready as spits and I did my best to skewer it as he had done.

Nodding his head again, he said, "you know how to pay attention, learn, that's rare."

I gave him a tight smile before looking back at my knees. He got up and dug around in a pack before pulling out a second hunting knife and came back kneel next to me. He handed me another squirrel and took one for himself. We finished the rest of the squirrels in silence. He made quick work of his, finishing six in the time if took me to get just two more done.

"You got the basics down, the rest will come with practice," he said handing me one of the grilled squirrels.

I was so hungry and surprised by the sort of complement that I smiled at him, a real smile.

"Thanks," I said. "Maybe next time you go hunting I can help you again."

Why did I just say that? Why am I pushing my luck.

"We'll see," he said eyeing me as he took a bite of his own squirrel shish kabob.

I motioned Sophia over to me and handed her my squirrel. The man had given her one of her own, but who knew when our next meal would be. Children shouldn't have to go hungry.

"You wanna learn to skin 'em but your too good to eat 'em?" He sneered.

I looked up in shock. "Just tryin' to look after my kid sister," I said defensively. "I'm not like you, I don't know how to hunt, so who knows when the next time I can get her something to eat will be."

I bit down on my words.

He looked at me for a long time. "You both helped prepare them, fairs fair. You can each have two," he said handing me another squirrel with a pointed look that said, 'and you better eat this one.'

I took it with a tight smile and a thanks.

"'Sides, I don't much see the point in starvin' yourself, who will look after her when your too weak to?"

I just nodded my head and took a bite. God I must have been starving 'cause those squirrels tasted like heaven.

When we finished our meals the man showed me how to burry the carcasses so they didn't attract any scavengers and how to clean my blade and sharpen it with soap stone before putting it back in its sheath.

The camp had slowly been coming to life as we had worked and ate but everyone gave the man's tent a wide birth, I noticed.

Just then I heard Ed shouting for us and Sophia gasped and ran over to hold my hand.

I looked around in panic to make sure we weren't in his line of sight.

"Please don't mention to my Pa we was talkin' to you," I asked with a pleading look before hurrying off in the direction of Ed's voice, dragging Sophia behind me.

"It was a good morning, huh Sophia?" I said.

"I think we had a good couple of hours without daddy," she whispered.

I smiled at her. "Lets not tell him that." I said with a wink. "We only just got up, I had to go pee and I thought he needed his sleep so I dragged you with me so I wasn't in the woods alone, kay?"

She pursed her lips and nodded firmly, knowing I would do all the talking anyway.