When I glanced back, the camp appeared to be undisturbed. James must still be asleep. Suddenly leaving this way, sneaking off in the middle of the night, seemed cowardly. But what choice did I have? I hadn’t come this far only to be forced back to Woodvine without the person I’d come here to get.

The walk down the path took longer than I remembered. After several minutes, I began to worry I’d missed the tree that led to the Elders’ cabin. I wished I’d used a brighter marker than the black headband. Thinking I’d gone too far, I turned around to backtrack my way down the path. I jumped when something moved in the breeze off to my right. It was different from the natural way branches swayed and leaves fluttered. It was a floppy kind of movement like an empty sling around someone’s neck.

Feeling proud of myself, I removed the headband and pulled it on, protecting my ears against the breeze. Peeking through the branches, I saw the cabin. I watched the area for a several minutes. There was no sign of life. James was right. No one would be here until tomorrow. Faced with spending another night in the cool night air or seeking shelter in the cabin, I decided to go with the later. What difference did it make if I were discovered by the Elders? After all, they were the reason for my trip out here.

I made my way to the cabin, not surprised it was unlocked. Calla had indicated everyone in Judaculla trusted each other, so there was no reason to lock the door. The cabin was smaller inside than I imagined. There were three rooms. The largest had a long table with a few hand-carved chairs. I guessed this was where the Elders sat during the council meeting. Six wooden folding chairs faced the table, probably for those in attendance.

Black-and-white sketches of what I thought were the previous Elders formed a black band on the four walls of the room. Each Elder’s face was more severe than the last, their dead eyes staring ahead as they gave their dismal judgment.

A small kitchen was opposite the gathering room, and a sitting room was tucked behind that. There was a single couch against one of the walls in the sitting room, and two chairs flanked the opposite wall that was covered from floor to ceiling in windows. Handmade quilts were casually draped over the backs of the chairs. I grabbed two quilts, and settled on the couch. From my position, I could just make out a patch of the black sky through the window. I fell asleep gazing at James’s star.

While it was comforting at night, falling asleep gazing at the stars, the wall of windows announced the sunrise like a spotlight being thrown onto a stage. I sat up slowly, rubbing my eyes against the glare of the morning sun.