13. The fire is back.
"Good morning, good morning, the sun is out, why aren't you?" The always early, always happy Jennifer walked into the bedroom, waking the long sleepers up.
"Some volunteers needed to help with breakfast, I got some fresh rolls in the oven already, Angel has been very good to us again," she announced. Alice and Ruby got up to help her, while Ashley slowly woke up from her deep slumber.
She sat up on the bed, and stretched her sore body. After the previous night's abuse she knew she had to take it easy today and she really should not be found. Which was going to be hard, as it was Friday so the ranks of the men would start to swell, especially in the afternoon.
By the time she got up and walked down to the kitchen, looking to help out a bit, most of the work had been done already. She sat down with the rest of the girls on the table, and started to have breakfast. General chatter sounded, but Ashley was not paying attention to what the girls talked about. She was still thinking of the previous day's events.
After breakfast, when it was time to leave the cabin and go in hiding, she reluctantly approached Phoebe.
"Phoebe ... erm ..." She did not know what to say. She never had problems talking to Phoebe, why was it so hard this time?
"Yes?"
"Erm ... would you ... can we -"
"We should go and hide together now," Phoebe simply stated.
Ashley felt very relieved by the way Phoebe talked to her. It was very matter-of-factly, showing that Phoebe maybe still was not fully over it, but also that she wanted them to stay together.
Silently they walked to their favourite niche. When they went in, Ashley immediately put her arms around her friend, giving her a long hug. "Sorry about yesterday. I really wasn't trying to cheat on you or anything."
"I should say sorry too I guess..."
"Why?"
"I didn't think well. I was so angry of being found, and then saw you hugging her, so intimately..."
Ashley felt her trembling in her arms. Phoebe took a deep breath and let out a loud angry scream. She continued, "I'm so confused, I just don't know β I love you, you know, really I do, and then I saw you like that..." followed by another loud scream. "Ah, that was nice, I needed that."
"I understand your thinking. Emily hugging me so tightly to help me warm up a bit. And later you saw me watching Emily... watching people having sex just turns me on, you know."
"Were you watching me as well?"
"Yes."
"And me wrestling Emily?"
"Yes."
The horn sounded, the morning hunt was on. The girls lowered their voices while they continued to talk.
"Did you cheer for me?"
"No. Honestly, I hoped you would lose. So at least I wouldn't get another pounding from you."
Phoebe grinned, "Yeah I was a bit rough on you I guess."
"That wasn't a bit. That really hurt."
"Sorry, I was just angry. I won't do it again. Can we forgive and forget?"
In reply, Ashley gave Phoebe a long, deep kiss.
Ashley whispered, "Yes, I forgive you."
Phoebe smiled, and the girls kissed again.
It was a very sunny day, very different from the previous days. With everything still very humid thanks to a few days of rain, it was promising to be a hot and humid day. Temperatures soared, even under the rocks it was getting hot, made worse by the total lack of wind that could have provided some cooling. Both girls started to sweat a bit, having to stand against each other only made them feel hotter. The only cooling they had was the rock they leaned against. They could not leave the place for fear of being found.
Silently they stood there, hugged against one another, listening to the noises around them. A few hunters walked by, one even looked behind the bush, but they were not discovered.
"I'm so hot," Phoebe whispered.
"I know you are." Ashley moved her hand up Phoebe's chest and cupped her breast.
"Stop it, that's -"
They heard footsteps on the path near them, and froze. Two men walked by. The footsteps continued, and were soon gone.
"That's not what I meant. Now stop it, you only make it worse."
Ashley squeezed Phoebe's breast once more and then slowly withdrew her hand.
It was all quiet again around them. The girls were standing quietly against each other, both feeling rather uncomfortably hot and sweaty.
"So hot, it's unbearable," Phoebe complained.
"And it's only getting hotter. This afternoon we have to find a better place."
"Sure. I'm hot. Sweaty. I'm dripping."
"What you trying to say here?"
"Nothing," Phoebe said innocently. "Just that I'm hot. And dripping."
"Right."
They both grinned quietly, and hoped the end signal would sound soon so they could come out and go to the pond to cool down in the water.
Ashley heard footsteps again, and the voices of two men talking to each other. It was too far away for her to hear what they were saying. Some distance away from them the footsteps stopped, and then suddenly she heard a loud voice, "Look at that! Hey blondie, good to see you again!"
"Oh, fuck you!" That was obviously Emily's voice.