More Than I Thought

8

The books were a godsend. I poured over them adding the information to my journals. Information I didn't know I possessed poured onto the pages of those journals.

"Rom the next time you go out see if you see any finger mushrooms."

"What?"

"Remember that time we were out with Bo and he showed us that mushroom that grew up from between those trees. They kinda looked like tan fingers then the ones that grew by the pine looked like brown tobacco worms.

"Yeah, he said that they had been used as medicines by the natives." She seems to drift off in thought, "I remember seeing a bunch of them over by the little waterfall." She is muttering to herself, but I pay attention. "Does the book say anything about how they spoor"? We spend an hour looking up the horticulture of mushrooms.

The outside broke into our little bubble on a cold winter afternoon. We gals were in the cabin working on altering clothing when D pounded up the stairs. "There are people out there."

"What people? Where?" Nan asked as Nell headed out to get Craig and Mark.

"Men, women, and I think a few kids." He was gone, back down the stairs.

"Rom, I need to know if any are injured," I tell her knowing she would be the one to go. Gathering her a bag in case someone was badly injured.

"Give me a couple of scent neutralizers. If they check out, the shed will be full." The shed was a large kwanzaa we'd agreed would be where we'd evaluate those who we found. Not one of us wanted to bring strangers into our home.

Craig came in as I headed out, "Where are you going"?

Rom was filling in Craig and Mark, "D identified a group on the mountain, I'm going out to see if they can be invited home." She turned back as she reached the door, "Are you prepared for a mixed group?"

We all knew what that meant we just prayed we'd never have to deal with it but our home and our safety was the most important thing. Craig was to be our executioner, he didn't take the job lightly. He said he didn't want any of us to scar our souls. He was already damned. He was wrong, I could see how much the violence had pained him, his soul glowed orange like a beautiful sunrise.

"Just don't bring a nonfriend home", he tells her. I knew he hated sending Rom out there but she was the best one for the job.

After heading down to see what might be coming I realized there were children with the group. It broke my heart to see them shivering and so thin. Rushing out to the shed, I made sure the beds were made and there were light foods. If they'd not eaten in a while, heavy foods could be far more dangerous than not eating at all.

I can see Rom as she is grabbed by the young man. The young woman and children want to come to us, I send them encouragement to come to me. The rest of the group is dark and I can feel their nastiness in my head. Craig waves me back, a soft voice asks, "May we enter?". The door widens to allow for their entry and then shuts out the world as Mark and I rush forward to tend to these frozen foundlings.

Cool baths have been drawn, we each take a child and move them into the bathroom. Nick, Craig, and D have rigged a water system. We have hot and cold water anywhere we need it. I leave Nan and Nell to finish with the kids as the young woman gets a screen around her bath. They all hurry as if they realize the others are coming and want to be away from them.

Rushing back to the door I see the woman come in. She is clutching a large designer bag as it's a life preserver. Her ora is dark and has swirls of grey, angry reds, blues, and dark greens. Nothing about her is happy or calm. She is taken to a back room to be examined and to bathe. She argues with me when I try to relieve her of the bag, screaming at me that I'm trying to steal it. Instead, I tell her to take a bath then put on the robe, I'd be back in a few minutes to examine her. But I can see what is wrong, she's dying and using drugs to fight instead of common sense.