The kiss was sweet and tender, but too brief. When it was over, James rested his head against mine. Sitting there with him brought back a flood of memories of our time spent at Judaculla Rock. I remembered sitting like this one night under the stars. So confident James and I had our whole lives ahead of us. Those memories now seemed a script from someone else’s life. I didn’t know if we’d ever get back to the way things were between us. But when James wrapped his arm around me, the bittersweet feeling was replaced by a feeling of hope. Maybe we couldn’t go back to where we were, but we could go forward.

We watched the sunrise until the fire had gone completely cold. When James rose, he pulled me to my feet before bending to pick up my canvas sack and hand it to me.

“Here’s your hat; what’s your hurry?” I asked, quoting an old movie. The reference was lost on him.

“Hmm,” James said, giving me the once over as if I were speaking gibberish. “I don’t know about that, but we’ve got to move on.”

“Why?” I asked. I’d become attached to this meadow. I glanced at the cave, thinking I’d even miss seeing that old icebox.

James tucked a bit of my hair behind my ear, lips tipping up. “Although no one comes looking for Fringers, staying out in the open for too long is risky. Being a Fringer is more than just being banished from Judaculla. We’re supposed to become invisible and stay that way. Even though we’re not inside the town, we’re fair game if we are spotted. I know it sounds counterintuitive, but we’re going to get a little closer to town. It’s a they-can’t-see-anything-under-their-own-nose kind of thing. Plus, we don’t have to worry about a hunter stumbling upon us out here in the woods.”

He picked up his shovel and began mixing the embers with soil, turning the area over and over. I watched as he bent low to place his hands a few inches above the pile of ash. “It’s out,” he said, rising. He gathered his backpack, then turned toward Judaculla.

I didn’t harbor warm, fuzzy feelings for Judaculla, but just as in Woodvine, I’d follow James anywhere. After casting a final goodbye to the peaceful meadow, I fell into step with him.

“We’ll go into the co-op first, so we can get something to eat. Then, we’ll head to the other side of Judaculla. That will put us closer to where the Elders hold their council meeting.” James led the way back toward the direction of The House. I walked alongside him, foolishly hoping he’d take my hand and thinking I’d be that much closer to having him back once we reached the Elders.

9

The Last Night