Chapter 11: Campfire

For when I was hungry, you gave me food; when I was thirsty, you gave me drink; when I was homeless, you gave me a welcome;

The group sat on ancient worn logs about the fire. Above, a full harvest moon shone brightly, ghostly illuminating the forest around them. Close, crickets sang joyfully; somewhere in the distance wolves howled balefully. The fire crackled and spat, contained in a central ring of field stones. The flames warmed Sarah’s exposed legs against a modest chill in the September air.

“Tonight, we welcome a new sister, Sarah, to the Blessed Shelter,” Brady announced. His voice carried easily in the calm air. “Sarah means princess and she is mother of our Hebrew kin,” he continued. Except that Sarah wasn’t her given birth name. She supposed it didn’t matter; she was Sarah now, for better or worse. “Matthew tells us to feed the hungry, provide water to the thirsty and supply shelter to the homeless. Sarah needs us as much as we need her.” He turned to face Sarah across the fire, his eyes boring into hers, flickering with intensity in the firelight. “We welcome you, Sarah. Our home is your home. Our love is your love. Please stay as long as you like. Let us pray.”

Around her, the group bowed their heads in unison. Sarah uneasily watched for a moment, then lowered her eyes and bent her head. Her head swam with unexpected fog, her body ached. She desperately wanted Brady’s touch. I don’t know if anyone is listening or not, but I think I’ll like it here. I’d like to stay, at least for a while. I’d like to belong.

Sarah had existed on her own for so long, it seemed unbelievable to her that she might connect with others, to belong to something larger. She doubted if there was anyone listening, but she found a remarkable comfort in the ritual of praying. She surprisingly realized that she would indeed like to stay here a while, if they would have her.

Sarah murmured, “Amen,” with everyone else.

Lawrence passed, dropping white pills into upturned palms. Sarah hesitated.

“Take it,” Rebecca whispered in her ear. Her warm breath tickled. Sarah regarded her for a moment; Rebecca’s face seemed earnest and open. “Unless you want the mother of all headaches.”

Sarah held out her hand as Lawrence passed. The pill rested staring at her in the moonlight. She wanted the simple euphoria regardless of what her brain whispered. Without further thought, Sarah placed the pill on her tongue and swallowed. Within minutes, her limbs, breasts and between her legs began to tingle.

Come, let’s drink deeply of lovemaking until morning. Let’s feast on each other’s love!

“And Proverbs tells us,” Brady said softly, “we should love everyone.”

“Amen.”

It happened so slowly that Sarah barely noticed. It might have been S flooding her bloodstream, it might have been simple change blindness. Sarah blinked and noticed that most of the group had dissolved from about the campfire; only Rebecca remained seated beside her, staring at the flames. Sarah glanced about. Shadowy figures had migrated from the campfire glow, but remained visible by both muted firelight and moon rays. Two women, perhaps Chloe and Laura, lay together in the grass behind Sarah, kissing. On the other side of the fire pit, Ivan lay clothed in the grass; Winona and Brandy lay on either side of him, naked, their hands stroking him. Hua and Uma stood nearby embracing. Uma appeared to have shed her clothing.

Sarah inhaled sharply as she noticed Brady sitting on the ground, his back resting against a large pruned pine, legs crossed at the ankle. Patricia and Susan sat easily beside him on either side, both nude, Brady’s arms about their shoulders, his hands lightly stroking the bare skin of their breasts. As she watched, Susan upturned her face and kissed Brady passionately.

Sarah’s vagina pulsed and her breasts burned beneath the light blue fabric of her dress.

Rebecca’s hand touched Sarah’s, her fingers warm and comforting. She kissed Sarah’s ear, sending shivers down Sarah’s spine all the way to her toes.

“Did you want to go to Brady?” Rebecca whispered in her ear.

Sarah shook her head. “He’s sort of busy,” she murmured.

Rebecca laughed. “What exactly do you think free love is about?” she said with a twinkle in her eye. “Neither Susan or Patricia will mind. You love who you want.” Rebecca’s fingers lightly stroked the back of Sarah’s hand. The gesture seemed more intimate than a kiss.

Sarah sighed softly. Her body desperately wanted to walk over to Brady and Susan and Patricia. Instead, she averted her eyes to watch Hua and Uma. Uma’s hands disappeared under Hua’s coveralls. Light moans carried over the fire from the two.

“I’m not sure I’m ready for an orgy,” Sarah said softly.

Rebecca laughed kindly. “I’ve never really thought about it as an orgy, but I suppose it sort of is. I think of orgies as a Caligula sort of debauchery. This is more ... an expression of love, but not restricted to one person.”

Sarah thought about that for a moment. “Must be a dream come true for the guys,” she noted, somewhat cynically. She idly wondered why the female contingent here far outnumbered the males.

Rebecca was quiet for a moment, then she repeated: “It’s home, for now.”

With that, Rebecca grasped Sarah’s hand and pulled her to her feet. Sarah followed her to where Brady sat. Both Susan and Patricia looked up with with glassy eyes as they approached. Sarah wondered if her eyes resembled Susan’s or Patricia’s. Probably. She struggled to concentrate, her nerves afire.

“Plenty of room,” Susan laughed.

Brady gazed up at Sarah and Rebecca; his eyes flickered with displeasure for an instant as they raked over Rebecca, but softened considerably when they found Sarah. Susan shifted away from Brady’s shoulder, lifting his hand from her breast. Instead she switched sides and settled beside Patricia, her hands searching for and caressing Patricia’s breasts. For a while Sarah hesitated, swaying; she eventually replaced Susan, the grass soft against her legs as she settled. Brady’s arm draped across her shoulders as it had previously across Susan’s. His fingers traced across the fabric of the dress, finding her hidden nipple, gently circling.

“I’ll come find you in a while,” Rebecca said. Sarah watched as Rebecca retreated to the firelight alone. Sarah’s body screamed at her as Brady’s fingers traced lazily over her right breast and nipple. A moan escaped her lips. Images of the hotel bed, Brady’s fingers and mouth, rose unbidden into her imagination, driving new pangs of arousal through her nerves. On the other side of Brady, Susan and Patricia necked while Brady’s right hand stroked between them. This was not the Sarah she knew. It was impossible to think straight with Brady’s fingers wandering across her body, her nerves singing. The sensations of his fingers overwhelmed her, and she simply stopped trying to resist.