Civil Vicious

Chapter 1: The Cave

My name is Jack. 

Forgive me, but I'm afraid that's all I'm able to remember so far. I'm sure I have a last name, but I just couldn't tell you what it is. It's been so long since I've heard my own name. And to tell you the truth, the fog still hasn't totally lifted from my memory. 

For a long time, I didn't have a name. The people I lived with called me, "Friend," and I called them the same. Except for one, one of them went by a different name which I think was more of a title than a name, but I guess I'm still not completely sure.

My memory begins after they had already found me. 

I awoke laying on my back in what appeared to be some sort of cabin built from timber and stone. As my vision blurred into focus, I saw three of the walls and the roof appeared to be formed out of rock, but the fore wall was made from tree branches. At its center was a door, bound together with some sort of handmade lashings. 

The structure was dimly lit, I could see a fire flickering across the room which filled the air with the thick smell of smoke. Above the fire was a spit that roasted the flesh of some kind of animal. The floor was made of dirt, covered in odd shapes which I soon recognized as animal pelts.

 When I looked down, I saw that I was resting on one of these pelts. 

When I looked up, I saw faces.

They were female, they were dirty, and they were curious. Three sets of eyes peered down, tilting their heads with bewilderment as they examined me. One of them poked my arm with a finger, like she was curious to find out if I could move. When she did this, I tried to speak but my mouth was so dry that I couldn't force out any words. I tried to sit up, but then my head started pounding so violently that I nearly vomited. It was like by brain had clawed at the inside of my skull in a desperate attempt to escape. 

I winced, nearly coming to tears, and then the three women put their hands gently on me and eased my head back down onto the soft pelt. They eased a wooden bowl against my lips. A bitter liquid dripped into my mouth, and then I blacked out again.

***

Again, I came to. 

This time there were dozens of eyes peering at me, both men and women. The fire in the cabin's corner was larger now, brightly illuminating the room and the people inside it. They all stared at me curiously. My eyes slowly adjusted to the light, and I saw that they were all naked. Some had animal skins draped around their shoulders for warmth but were otherwise exposed. 

The sight shot a jolt of alarm through me. My skin tingled nervously at all those strange people and their curious eyes seeming to dissect every inch of my appearance. I sat upright. My head still throbbed, but this time it was tolerable enough to keep from passing out. 

I then realized that I was also naked, laying exposed to an odd and alien crowd. In a panic, I threw one hand over my groin, covering myself from their intrusive eyes. My other arm shot out in front of me, held up instinctively as a frail means of protection against the peering crowd of mute nudists.

"Who are you?" I groaned. 

My voice was hoarse, and each syllable felt like knives scraping against my dry esophagus. I tried to say, What do you want? Where are my clothes? but fell into a fit of violent coughing as soon as I tried to speak.

A young woman ebbed through the crowd. I remember her eyes, they were kind, understanding, and sympathetic. Though her face was dirty and her hair was unkempt, I remember her looking pretty and inviting. 

She knelt next to me and gave a shallow smile. Slowly, she reached her hand toward my outstretched arm. Still terrified, I jerked my arm in her direction to try to keep a buffer between myself and her. When I did so, the people in the crowd jumped. Some of the men stepped forward, intending to protect the young woman in case I lashed out at her. But to my surprise, she held a hand up and motioned for them to step back, and they obeyed. 

The young woman turned back to me, her eyes remained warm and welcoming. Slowly, she reached her hand toward mine once more. Her fingers gently touched my wrist and eased my outstretched arm down to my side.

"There's no need for that," she said softly. Then she reached down to my groin and pushed away the hand that covered my nakedness, "There's no need for that either."

Then I started to cry. A wave of fear, or perhaps confusion, swept over me and released a flood of inexplicable sadness. I used a hand to wipe away the tears running down my cheeks, but she grabbed my hand again.

"Please, don't be ashamed," she whispered. Her eyes peered kindly into mine, almost lovingly.

She turned back to the cluster of onlookers and reached out an open hand. Another girl stepped forward and handed her a wooden bowl. She turned back to face me and raised the bowl to my lips. 

Tentatively, I sipped from it and felt cool water splash onto my tongue. I grabbed the bowl with my own hands and drank eagerly. Once I drained the water from the bowl, she handed me another. It was filled with some sort of greens and berries. I took the bowl and ate, not aware of how hungry I was until taking the first bite and feeling berry juice coat my taste buds.

Once I had eaten all the food, she smiled and took the empty bowls from me. 

"Let him rest," she said, turning to the crowd. "We'd better finish gathering before the sun sets."

With that, the crowd funneled through the doorway and disappeared into the sunlight. The young woman remained sitting next to me until the place was empty. Once we were alone, she gave me another warm smile and motioned for me to lay back down. 

When my head eased back onto the pelt, she brushed a strand of hair from my forehead and whispered, "Rest." Without another word, she turned, walked across the dirt floor toward the door, and disappeared.