Born Wild

New living

 "Koda you creep why are you doing this?" he said to himself. 

He followed her stealthily for a few minutes, making sure not to step on twigs or fallen leaves. He knew if she saw him that things would be weird between them, but this was the only house in this part of the forest that he knew of so he had to know why she was out here.

She stopped and pulled out her tent from her book bag to set up and crouched down to lay the tent out and grab the poles. He couldn't just leave without saying something.

"Nice house!" He blurted. 

She jumped back out of fright and fell in the mud. She sighed and looked up at him in confusion. "You followed me?"

"Look, I didn't plan on it at first, but as I was heading back I saw you go into the woods. There are no other houses out here besides mine." 

She sighed and he walked over to pull her out of the mud.

 "Come on." He helped her roll up her tent and shove it back in her bag before they started to walk.

"It's pretty pathetic, isn't it. Living in a tent." She said quietly as she looked off to the side.

"It is not pathetic..." he reassured. "Is it uncomfortable and an awful idea? Yes. There are bears out here. However, it isn't pathetic and I'm not judging you. I'm sure you are in a bad situation and I know what that's like. Honestly, my living situation isn't much better."

He made her feel a little better. They walked for a few minutes until they came across a tiny abandoned looking house in a forest glade. The paint was almost completely chipped off and shingles had fallen off the roof. Tall grass and weeds grew around the house and the front door stairs had patches of moss.

They walked inside onto the creaking floorboards. The air smelled dry and crisp with notes of laundry detergent and fireplace smoke. The beige paint was chipping in the inside and there was minimal furniture, but the house didn't feel eerie or abandoned. It felt warm and welcoming. He took her muddy raincoat and told her to make herself at home. He placed her coat on the counter, put logs in the fireplace near the couch, and lit a match. The fire filled the room with a warm orange light that echoed off of their skin.

He took off his coat, hung it up, and sat on the couch. After they stared at the fire for a few moments.

 "Tala, you can trust me."

She glanced at him and back at the fire, hesitating to speak. "I lived in Tennessee until about a week ago. Until I ran away...I took a bus here and have been sleeping in the forest for a few days." A few tears ran down her cheeks. "I am homeless. But I am actually better off now than I was at home..." She paused and pulled something out of her backpack. "I had this postcard in my dresser. I said, why not here? I left everything behind." She wasn't ready to open up about all of the details.

Koda brushed her hair from her damp face. "Well, you aren't homeless now. You can stay with me. You can have the couch or even take my bed and I'll sleep on the couch I don't care." 

She half smiled and thanked him.

That night on the couch, she pulled her blanket up to her chest and held the cover with her elbows bent. She stared at the ceiling and thought about how everything changed so fast. Just a few days ago she was under the control of her father and tonight she was in Washington with a job, a new friend, and a place to sleep.