A Servant of Wisdom

By Invid Fan
(c)2013

"And when Abram was ninety years old and nine,  God appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am El Shaddai; walk before me, and be thou perfect. And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly."

-Genesis 17:1-2

Chapter 1

	A new start.

	Tom closed the door to his old Ford hatchback. It slammed with the familiar sound that said it had probably latched all the way, but maybe not. That meant there would be some trouble opening the thing, although usually the problem existed while you were inside. He hadn't had to roll down the window to use the exterior handle in awhile, though. Such good fortune could not last.

	He looked around. He had almost missed it. There was no road here, exactly, leading through the metal gate. No sign. Just a larger than normal flat grassy pull off next to the two lane forest road, a wood post, barbed wire fence, and a padlocked gate. Tom felt the key in his pocket, next to the map. Both were a mystery.

	The soles of his sneakers were thin, the rocks hidden in the grass sharp. This must have been a stone covered parking spot at some point, before nature took its course. It probably could be paved, if he was going to...

	Tom shook his head. He had to nip that thought in the bud. He was unemployed. Broke. There was no money for this. No money for living. He was here to look at his unexpected property, live on it for a few days to save on hotel costs, and try and sell it. Maybe get enough to get his life together.

	If it wasn't too late.

	Standing before the gate, Tom reached out to tug on the lock. The metal was rusted, but it held. Maybe the key wouldn't work. Well, wouldn't that suck donkey balls. Come across half the state, up into the Adirondack's, everything he owned stuck in the back of a ten year old car, and not be able to get into the reason he was here. How would he pay for a hotel? He had SOME money, what was left after selling his furnishings and settling the back rent on his old apartment, but it wasn't much. A hotel would eat up everything. Maybe he could just pitch his tent next to the car, in the rocky grass. It didn't look like many cars used this road.

	Or he could just try the key. He laughed. It was definitely easy to fall back into assuming everything would go wrong. The idea of life and luck finally turning his way would take some getting used to. If, in fact, it was the case. It didn't pay to get your hopes up. What was the saying? "When God closes a door, he opens a window"? Whoever came up with that never considered that a window is a smaller opening and hard to use, and may be a couple stories up in the air.

	Reaching into his pocket, Tom pulled out the envelope. It was addressed to him. That, at least, was certain. The enclosed letter had his full name right. Yet, it did have to be a mistake. Tom had no relative named Shedeur. Certainly not one who would mention him in his will, let alone leave him over two square miles of empty forest in the middle of a state park. Mystery upon mystery.

	The silver key fell into his hand. It was shiny. New. So obviously not the key for this lock he had to laugh again. It was stupid. Life was stupid. Grabbing the rusted lock with his left hand, he inserted the key.

	It turned easily.

	Tom stood there, in shock, as the gate swung silently inward. The rocky grass continued on for ten feet or so, room enough to pull his car in, maybe. Beyond that were trees. Old, yet healthy, with thick underbrush, the green of spring leaves filling the branches. Bird song was everywhere. Where the grass touched the forest... a path.

****

	Why he had kept his camping gear, two decades after leaving scouts, he had no idea. Maybe he had hoped, in some future time, to be able to go off into the wilderness with a girlfriend, or wife. Or by himself, to just commune with nature. Maybe never to return.

	It was getting harder to stave off that idea. Life... had become a chore. Something he did, without joy. Without meaning. There was an end to it, yes. An end he could move towards slowly... or quickly. The deals he had made with himself, the goals he had set, which he had to live to see to completion, were no more. Rather than give him hope for a future, they sat there as reminders of past failure, mocked him as a dream never to be fulfilled.

	No one would miss him, if he vanished.

	With a sigh, Tom settled the shoulder straps, the backpack a bit heavy but the weight distributed well. He had considered going on with just a water bottle, waiting to see what was awaiting him before lugging camping gear in. Something, though, as he had taken a half step though the gate, compelled him to take all he needed now. To enter as if he was to stay.

	The car was locked. Whether it could be unlocked, that was always uncertain, but worst case he could go in through the back hatch. He had a metal canteen hung from his shoulder, complete with faded Boy Scout logo on its fabric covering, filled with water from a rest stop restroom some ways back. A second one, newer and plastic, attached to his belt. Both a sleeping bag and dome tent were bungee corded to the metal pack frame. Wishing he had a hat, Tom walked forward through the gate.

****

	Something was different.

	He noticed that immediately. The air felt... he couldn't explain it. Tom felt refreshed. Awake. Almost like going from a smoke filled room into the clean summer air, yet the air had already been as fresh and pure as Tom had ever breathed. The pack felt lighter, too. Leaving the gate open, he moved across the grass. The rocks weren't as sharp as he had feared, nowhere near as sharp as they had been around his car. The ground under his sneakers actually felt... nice.

	Without hesitation, Tom walked into the forest. The path was virgin, no footprints visible, yet it also was clear and easy to travel. Roots and rocks, where they did cross the path, acted as natural steps. The air around him was cool, comfortable. Shafts of light came through the trees, giving it all a mysterious, almost spiritual air.

	All thoughts of the outside world wiped from his mind, Tom continued onward.

****

	The sound of the brook welcomed Tom into the clearing. He stopped, the rays of the sun feeling just as refreshing stepping into them as it had felt stepping into the shade half an hour before. Eyes closed, he raised his face to the sun. It almost seemed to caress him, like the hands of a woman. A sigh escaped his lips.

	A splash broke the spell, but only slightly. Eyes opening, he saw a bird, hawk or eagle he was too ignorant to say, fly off with a small fish in its claws. Fish... he could fish here. Tom had always loved fishing, when his father had taken him. Sensing this was his destination, he let his pack fall to the ground at the edge of the forest, walking forward through the tall grass. The clearing was the size of a baseball diamond, maybe more. It was flat, open. A stream wandered through, flowing east to west. Tom smiled as he remembered an old Scoutmaster telling the boys that all rivers flowed south, so you could find your way home using them when lost. His own Dad had laughed, naming a half dozen that flowed otherwise, including three local ones.

	Wisdom did not always come with age, or authority.

	He walked up to the stream. It was deep, deep enough for fish worth catching. At its widest the water was ten feet across, although flat stones made a ford where the banks closed in to almost half that. The water was clear. Pure. Looking to his right, Tom saw a flat rock right on the bank. Unthinking, his worn sneakers found themselves in the grass a few feet away, as did his socks. Sitting on the stone, Tom let his feet dangle into the slow moving water. It felt... Good. Right.

	Purifying.

****

	"Come"

	The voice came from everywhere. Tom was not startled. Part of him, he thought, had been expecting this. A part of him long hidden under cynicism, and despair. His mind was in a fog, yet he thought clearly. Getting to his feet, the hard rock warm against his bare soles, he looked east. There, not far from where the stream flowed from the forest, lay another path. He walked toward it.

****

	Singing. He heard singing. As soon as his feet crossed under the branches arching above him, song filled his head. It sang of life. Of wisdom. Of obedience. The trees, white birch, seemed to lean over the path, branches entwining. They formed a wall, the pines and maples of the rest of the forest hidden. Tom could feel the ground rise, could see the end of the path, bright white light framed by two trees.

	Entering the hilltop, he saw Her.

	The Oak tree sat in the center of the circular mound. It rose forty feet, bark pure white. Its branches divided in graceful curves, pointing upwards towards the sun. Its leaves almost sparkled, sometimes green, sometimes silver, always beautiful.

	"Come," the voice said again. It was Female. Wise. Tom had no choice but to obey.

	As he approached, Tom had enough of his wits still to marvel at the ground under him. His bare feet felt like they were walking on silk, even as his eyes showed just undisturbed grass. Coming before the Oak, he saw a large flat rock before it. Three feet high, maybe four feet long, it was dark with age. With... power.

	"Kneel."

	Tom knelt before the altar. He knew that's what it was. And he knew who was before him. Even before she spoke again, he knew... knew...

	"Yes," the voice said, seeming to come from every branch of the Oak. "You know me. Have known me. I have had many names. I was Shaddai, when I changed Abram to Abraham. I was Wisdom, when the world came to me with sacrifice. I was Ashratah, when the profane rejected me from my own house."

	"And how may I call you, Lady?" It came out of Tom a whisper, and he wondered that he could speak at all. The Oak pulsed, its leaves singing.

	"I am Wisdom. Other names you will learn, if you displease me."

	"Why am I here?" He was a nobody. A failure. This was a god. No... GOD. Why...?

	"I know you, Thomas. Watched you. I will make my covenant between me and you, and your descendants after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your descendants after you. And I will give this land, for an everlasting possession. For Wisdom has blessed you, and yours. You will worship me, honor me, as is your duty."

	"How?"

	"The first fruit of your labors will you give to me, until the end of days. So shall the covenant be sealed."

	His mind was confusion. He needed time. Time to think. Her presence was overwhelming. To... to serve a God. To be a new Abraham, or Adam! Slowly, Tom pressed his forehead to the ground.

	"Yes, my Lady."

****

	Alice could not decide if she had chosen wisely in life.

	Leaving, she knew, had been wise. Leaving that horrible, hope destroying home. Leaving the family that, while genetically hers, sanity demanded she reject. Bruises, both physical and mental, could heal. But that required time. Distance. Distance from their source.

	Well, She was far away now.

	Most teens, when they run away, go to the city. Go to where there are others like them, where they can find a home yet fade into the shadows. Where there is opportunity. Alice had been in the city. Had grown up seeing such kids on the streets. Been smart enough to know she did NOT want to end up there. Thus... she had fled to nowhere.

	Leaning back against the counter, she looked around the general store. You saw such places in movies, on TV. The no stop sign town with one store that sold everything. Food, fishing poles, postcards... if the tourist or local needed something and didn't want to drive thirty miles to a "real" town, they came to Nathan's Hunting Supplies. Prices were high, but so is the cost of gas. The store was clean, neat. Well run. She knew that as soon as she got here. As soon as she saw the job posting online, truth be told. Something about it had screamed to her that this was it. Her refuge. Two hundred miles from home.

	They wouldn't look for her, she knew. Report her. That would invite questions. Questions her family, her father, would not want. The school would be told she was gone to live with some relative. Friends... her friends... they...

	Sleigh bells tinkled as the door to the shop opened. Pushing herself off to stand behind the register, Alice brushed her hands down her brown apron as the man entered.

	"Hello! Welcome to Nathan's!"

	He wasn't a local. Alice knew that, or thought she knew it. Having only been there a week, she most likely hadn't seen ALL those who lived in town (which, really, they seemed to define as anyone within a gallon of gas from the store). She had seen many, though, especially the men, as they came to check out the New York City girl now in their midst. Offers to go to the local bar had been turned down every day so far, protests that she was just sixteen met with counter offers to share a six-pack in the back of their pickup. That, she figured, must be what counts as a pickup line in these parts.

	The man in the store did not have the look of one of these. For one, he obviously did not know this place. After a nod to her, he just slowly walked around, taking inventory. He did not look like a tourist, either, be it hunter or nature lover. His build was average, not muscular, or particularly weak. A few inches below six foot, maybe, hair light brown and short, clad in slightly dirty jeans and a faded blue t-shirt that said "This was witty when I bought it". All in all, just some guy.

	Yet...

	Alice's eyes followed him as he walked past a wooden barrel filled with fishing poles. Something about him was strange. Or interesting. Strangely interesting, maybe. She watched him stop to examine one of the long flexible poles, checking the price. The shake of the head told her the man would continue on, but after another few moments he seemed to grab one at random. She smiled.

	"Can I help you with anything?"

	Her voice seemed to startle him. Brown eyes looked up. Large, shining brown eyes. Alice found herself wetting her lips.

	"Um," the stranger said, looking around. Her body tensed, ready to go over there. His head was shaking 'no', though, as he looked back. "The list of needed help is a bit too large at the moment. Let me whittle it down a touch."

	"Whittling knives are up here in the case."

	He smiled. The stranger smiled at her. Why that seemed so important, Alice couldn't say.

****

	Mr. Falk (Alice could not, as he tried to insist she do, call him Nathan) had not tried to sleep with her. Had not given her the run of his house, or even let her crash on his couch. So far, there had not even been any flirting. She was glad of that. One reason for coming out here was to try and avoid using her body as currency. In the city, she knew, it likely would be her only option. But, her boss WAS cute, for all he was probably three times her age, and her ego was a bit hurt that he hadn't even tried.

	Plus, if she was in his bed, she wouldn't be spending her nights in a tent.

	It was a good tent. She wasn't complaining there. Old as the canvas dwelling might be, it was large, with lots of room for her to change and lounge around. It had been in storage, probably to be cut up Mr. Falk had said. He had set it up for her in his back yard, with a warning that her silhouette would be visible to anyone walking by if she had a bright light in there at night. Only one other house was visible, but the point was taken. A rain fly had also been donated, in case the tent itself was no longer waterproof, as well as two old sleeping bags. One to sleep in, the other to sleep on.

	She WAS allowed to use his bathroom.

	Alice settled down onto her two mattresses, the evening still warm. She had eaten a bit, a meatloaf sandwich at the diner across from the store. Mrs. Wither was giving her a discount, knowing Mr. Falk wasn't paying her all that much. They were definitely being nice. Perhaps they were so used to the story of troubled kids going to the city, the idea of one coming out here touched them. It had to be the main reason he had given Alice the job. Surely he could get a local girl to do this, without the hassle. Unless there was something she didn't know yet.

	Which again brought her to why he wasn't hitting on her.

	Alice closed her eyes. Why had she done this. Left school. She was now a dropout. A dropout! Her! There was no going to school here, not if she expected to work enough to support herself. The tent would not be there for her come winter. She had to get settled enough to get an apartment. If they had apartments in this place. Maybe a cheap hotel that rented by the week.

	Or some guy she could shack up with.

	No. Again, she could have just as well done that in the city. Alice was not going to be some farmer's woman, or a hunter's snuggle bunny.

	But what if he looked like the man from the store?

****

	The cell phone jarred her out of sleep.

	Alice did not reach for it right away. She lay there, eyes open in the dark, listening to the Madonna song play. It could be anyone. Her parents. The police. Police... wouldn't that be the logical thing to do? Call her, get her location that way? They could do that, right? But her parents would not have gone to the police. Biting her lip as she sat up, sleeping bag falling away from her nude body, she reached for the phone. The screen had barely flashed on, revealing a phone number, before she had the rectangle of metal and glass at her ear.

	"Krissy!"

	"Alice!" The voice was crying. Krissy was crying. Alice grabbed the phone with both hands, body tense. The tent vanished. Before her, she saw her friend, eyes red, slightly overweight form shaking. Alice closed her own eyes, but the vision stayed.

	"Krissy! What's wrong?!"

	"He... He... He hit me! Hit me!"

	Her eyes squeezed shut tighter, tears coming. The bastard. BASTARD! And she was here! What good could Alice do here?! Fucking bastard!

	"Call the cops. 911. Do it, Krissy! Do it! You'll be safe!"

	"They didn't do anything last time!"

	"It will be different! Just call them! Are you OK? Did he hurt you?"

	"No." There was a loud sniffle. "No, I'm OK. He slapped me. In front of Zak. I've got to get out of here. Help me get out of here, Alice. We have to get out of here..."

	"Krissy..."

	"Why did you leave me? Alice, why did you LEAVE?"

	"You didn't want to come!" Alice bowed her head. "I asked! You didn't want to come! Remember?"

	"I didn't want you to leave!"

	Alice's forehead throbbed. She shouldn't have left. Krissy was right. But Krissy should have come! Could have! But she shouldn't have abandoned her friend! Damn it, she was selfish! She was a selfish bitch!

	"Dad took my money." Krissy's voice was angry now. "All of it. We can't leave without money, Alice. I'm not going onto the street. Please." Her voice broke on the final word.

	"Krissy... I..."

	"Please. I beg you. We'll do anything..."

	"We're friends," Alice said. Her shoulders straightened, composure returning. "You don't owe me anything." She sighed, tired mind trying to think. "Maybe... maybe I can buy a bus ticket for you online. The same one I took. You'll have to walk a ways after the last bus, or I can ask Mr. Falk to come get you..."

	"Two tickets. Zak is coming. I can't leave Zak."

	"Krissy..."

	"That's why I didn't come, Alice! I couldn't leave my brother! There's no way I'd leave him here. Dad will kill him!"

	"I don't know, Krissy..."

	"We'll work. Both of us. Don't even have to pay us. Please. Please..."

	She didn't have the money. One ticket, maybe, yes, she could do that, although she'd have to ask one of the locals to put it on their credit card, but she'd be able to hand them cash to make good on it. But, two...

	Alice's shoulders slumped.

	"I'll try. God damn it, I'll try, Krissy. Get somewhere safe. I'll call you tomorrow."

	"Thank you! Oh, God, thank you!"

	"Just... get somewhere safe. Please."

	"We will. Bye!"

	Alice heard the phone go dead. Her friend's voice continued to speak. Continued to plead.

	"Please," Alice whispered, phone dropping to the ground. "Please, God... help her..."

Chapter 2

	"In the name of Wisdom, I sacrifice this first catch."

	It wasn't much of a prayer. Rather trite, really, when you consider he was saying it as he killed a living thing. The flapping fish held on the rock altar before the White Oak, Tom sliced his fishing knife down into its body just behind the front fin. Its blood, juices, whatever you want to call them, came out, even as the fish struggled harder for a moment beginning to still. Liquid, clear-ish red, hit the rock as his knife began moving down the length of the sacrifice's body, following the ribs. It had been years since he had filleted a fish, but Tom's hands were steady. One filet now off, he turned the fish over, repeating the process. The rock under his hands warmed, as if nourished by the blood. So, too, the tree before him glowed.

	"In the name of Wisdom, I offer this in thanks."

	Both filets off, he left them on the alter and picked up the carcass by the tail. Moving to his left, he stood before the fire. Yesterday had been spent building the stone fireplace, rocks stacked up to the level of the altar, with slightly higher sides to hold in the wood and coals. The fire wasn't that big, but figuring it should do the job he lowered the fish head onto the center of the coals, letting go of the tail. The body dropped down, sparks and smoke rising. Picking his knife and the two filets up, he stepped back.

	He could hear her. Hear Wisdom sigh in pleasure, the smoke rising up into her branches even as the blood trickled down to the ground. Bowing, trusting a God could make sure the unattended fire did no mischief, Tom turned and began the short walk down to camp.

****

	Tom was not a religious man. Had not been raised religious. Mom and Dad had taken them to church on Christmas Eve and Easter, maybe a few other times. Now and then, Mom would get the bug, and they'd go for a few weeks. Then something would come up, they missed a week, then a month. He wasn't even sure what he was, religiously. Whatever type of Christian wasn't Catholic. Sunday school, needless to say, had not been a regular part of his growing up. He knew little, mostly what you pick up on TV, or in movies. He knew of animal sacrifices. Kind of remembered the Jews did them, although he didn't think they did now. You'd probably have PETA bitching about them if they were.

	Stepping out of the Sacred Path, Tom made his way across the meadow to his camp. The sun was up, a little, the day just starting. He had risen with the desire to test out his new fishing pole, using some worms he had gathered before bed. Five minutes later he had a fish. What kind? Who knew. The kind big enough to eat. Sitting down on the collapsible chair he had bought with the pole, he tossed some butter in the waiting frying pan, then the fish.

	This was how it was going to work, he thought. The Lady would provide. He, Tom, would give her part of the first whatever. After that... well, probably, there would be holy days at some point. Her version of Christmas or the 4th of July. But, apart from that, just don't anger her, be ready to jump when she called, and life would be good.

	He could do that.

	The idea that there WAS a god, though, a living... well, not breathing, god, still amazed him. He hadn't been an atheist, naturally. No sane moral person would call themselves one of those. But, god, or, God, had been for those better than him. For those with family, friends. God had seemed to have no place in his plans for Tom, so Tom had not bothered to have a place for God.

	That, he now knew, had been very stupid of him.

	The fish sizzled nicely. He probably should learn how to cook it well, but for now he just wanted something in his tummy before going back into town. Flipping the fish over with an old metal spatula, he thought again about what he was going to need. A saw, yes. Ax, not just the small hatchet he had. A book on how to build a log cabin would be nice. Maybe some plans. Tom was sure, with Wisdom to guide him, he could build something on his own. She had already strongly hinted, though, that she would not actually DO any work. Provide, yes, but it was up to him to use what was provided to create what he needed.

	A wife.

	That's what he needed. A wife. It was kind of required, if he was to found Wisdom's new people. No woman, no descendants. His eyes went over to his tent. A woman. Companion. Someone... to be with him. Talk to him. Hold him. Someone... to UNDERSTAND him.

	"Lady," he whispered, "help me to find her."

****

	One hundred and twenty dollars.

	At least. More, probably. Taxes, fees. Close to a hundred and fifty dollars, maybe, to bring her closest friend and her younger brother out of bondage.

	And Alice didn't have it.

	Eighty. If she asked Mr. Falk for all of her next paycheck, she'd have eighty. And she had to pay for food. Would have to pay for food for all three of them! And there wasn't a need for more employees here. She knew that. Most of the customers came in when Mr. Falk was here, and he only paid her to work when he wanted time off, or to stock shelves. The sweet man was generous, but not THAT generous!

	God, what was she going to do. Sitting down on a stool behind the register counter, she lay her head down on the worn, polished wood top. What could she do...

	Alice didn't even look up as the sleigh bells rang. Fuck customer service. She needed someone to help HER! A white knight, to swoop in, save her and her friend...

	"Um... excuse me."

	Alice raised her head. It was him. The man from the day before. She looked up into brown eyes that seemed to swallow her. He, too, seemed to be staring at her. Realizing that, she jumped up, hands reflexively going to straighten her long dirty blond hair.

	"Oh! Sorry! Um, hi! What can I do for you?"

	The man smiled. It was an honest smile. Not one that wanted something from her. Well, given he was in a store, he probably did want something. God, she was being an idiot. His eyes left hers, looking around.

	"Well, I do need a book or magazine on building log cabins, but..." His eyes returned to her, concern plain to see. "Are you OK? Anything I can do?"

	Yes. He could give her a few hundred dollars.

	The man blinked.

	"Excuse me?"

	Oh God! She had said it aloud! Her hands flew up to her mouth, eyes wide in horror.

	"Oh God! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to say that! Please! Don't think I'm like that! I'm sorry!"

	He laughed. There was a... self depreciation in that laugh. The man's life had been hard, too. She could hear that, see it in how he moved, now that she looked. Shaking his head, the man's smile was rueful.

	"It never hurts to ask, naturally."

	"God, I'm an idiot. I'm sorry."

	"You already said that, and I said it's OK. Don't worry about it."

	Her face had to be bright red. Alice hated being embarrassed. It was just, well, embarrassing! Focusing, willing the blood to leave her face, she regained her composure. Eyes going back to the stranger's face, Alice almost lost it again. There was sympathy on his plain face.  She didn't want sympathy. She was strong. Could take care of herself. Was going to.

	"OK," she said, taking a deep breath. "I'm not sorry. What did you need again?"

	He nodded, moving back from her a touch. That... that was sweet, giving her more personal space. His eyes went around the store.

	"I have some land near here, and I'm thinking of building a home on it, maybe a log cabin type thing. Right now I'm in a tent."

	"I'm in a tent, too," she said, without thinking. His eyes widened a bit. Alice smiled. "That's going to have to change before winter."

	"Exactly. So, I have to figure out what I can build by myself before fall. I have experience with Lincoln Logs, so there's that."

	She laughed, rewarded with the stranger's smile. She moved her right hand up to brush some of her long blond hair out of her eyes.

	"I love log cabins," she said.

	"Really?"

	"Yeah." Her face once again felt a bit hot. "I saw Little House on the Prairie a lot as a kid, although that wasn't really a log cabin. I even designed one in school."

	"You did?" He leaned forward again, one hand on the counter. Alice found herself leaning towards him as well, hand holding onto her side.

	"In Mechanical Drawing. Our teacher thinks he's teaching future architects, so he likes giving us all these design projects. It was fun. I did a log cabin last semester."

	A wave of depression hit. Her current project was on her desk at home. A restaurant to fit into Central Park. She'd never finish it. Never hand it in to Mr. Keller. Never... never graduate. Never...

	"Hey." His voice was soft. His hand was, not on hers, but next to it on the counter. Alice's gaze came up into his eyes. "If you want to talk about it with a total stranger..."

****

	Her name was Alice.

	Tom watched as she dove into the burger and fries. She had said the diner gave her a discount, but it was obvious she had not been spending much on food regardless. This might even be her breakfast, or brunch. Hell, if he didn't do something for the poor girl, it might end up being her "lupper". He felt a bittersweet smile at that word. His sister had invented it, combining lunch and supper. Little Mary...

	Alice was a runaway. It hadn't taken any prodding to get that out of her. She was almost proud of it. Proud she had taken the initiative to get out of a bad situation, had the strength to get out of the city. Ah, the folly of youth. Only exceeded by the folly of age. Sixteen, she came up to his shoulders, her body slender rather than slim, with soft curves. Blond hair fell perfectly straight just past her shoulder blades, her eyes blue, intelligent. Very intelligent, much more so than him it seemed. Tom was firmly average in his estimation. She was anything but.

	"I thought it was all going to be OK," she was saying, swallowing. The teen paused to take a sip of her drink. Non-diet Coke, as if she realized even empty calories were better than none. "Once I got here, I mean. I had a job, a place to sleep. I was safe. I could stop worrying for awhile."

	"But."

	"But," she agreed, shaking her head. Alice looked down at her half eaten burger. Tom sighed.

	"There's always a 'but'. I learned that." Her eyes came up, regarding him with... sympathy? Naw. It wasn't pity, though. That was good.

	"I have to get my friend out of there," she went on. "Have to. I promised."

	"How much was the ticket?"

	"At least $60 each," Alice said, eyes dropping. "Too much. And I can't ask anyone. I know what it will sound like if I ask someone. What... what they'll expect as payment. And I can't. Not even for her..."

	Tom closed his eyes. He agreed. If he offered to help, he knew what it would sound like as well. What this beautiful girl would think he wanted in exchange. Did he want it? Yes. But that's not why he would help. Although... what if she was the one? What if The Lady had sent her, sent her and her two friends? He needed a wife. Wives. Companions. Helpers. Even the boy would be a welcome addition. Four of them could build a home. Plant crops. Make the land bountiful.

	He felt a soft touch on his hand. She was looking at him.

	"What is it?"

	What indeed. Tom took a deep breath, eyes meeting hers.

	"What if... well, what if you three came to work for me."

	"What?" Her eyes widened. He chuckled.

	"It's stupid, I know. I have no money. But, hear me out. I want to start over on this land, which is beautiful. A... well, a gift from God." Literally, although he refrained from saying it. "I want to build a home, tend the land. Live off of nature. I can't do it alone. If I pay for your friends to come here, the three of you could come live with me. Help me build what we need, farm, hunt, whatever else. I can't pay you, but neither would you need to spend money. And... yes, I know what this sounds like."

	"Yes," she agreed, voice dry. "It does sound like that."

	Tom reached into his pocket, not easy to do when sitting, pulling out a pocket knife. He slid it across the table to her, the teen's eyes widening.

	"You three should be able to hold me off, but here's a knife. I promise never to hurt you."

	She took it, hands nimbly opening the small blade.

	"You won't expect us to sleep with you? Cause we won't."

	Something in her voice sounded uncertain on that point. It was probably his imagination. She was strong. He nodded.

	"It's been so long, I doubt I remember how, anyway." His eyes caught hers. Alice blushed.

	"We..." She took a deep breath. "Thank you."

	"We'll figure out who has to thank who later."

	"OK." Alice smiled. That's how she should be, Tom thought. This girl should always be smiling. She reached into her own pocket. "Let me call Krissy, tell her what's up." She paused. "Um... mind if I talk to her alone first?"

	Tom stood, laughing.

	"I'll go settle the bill. Wave when you're done."

****

	"We're going to what?"

	Krissy's voice reacted about how Alice expected. She smiled, picturing her friend, eyes wide in surprise and shock. It made her feel better, having someone else joining her in being unsure about all this. A reminder of how lonely she had been the past week.

	"You heard me. He pays for your tickets and picks you up at the bus stop, and we go live on his land. I'll talk to Mr. Falk, see if I can take the tent with us. It's big enough for the three of us to use, if you don't mind sleeping next to your brother."

	"None of us will be in HIS tent?"

	"Not unless we want to."

	There was a moment's silence.

	"You want to, don't you?"

	"I... I don't know. You know I won't do this lightly, Krissy. You know that, right? Neither of us are like that."

	"We'd have more options if we were."

	That was true. Options that could lead them downward even faster. Alice wasn't going to have that argument now, though. There wasn't time.

	"Krissy... this is the only way. The only way I can bring you here. I'm sorry. If you say no... that's it. If you go back home, wait a few weeks, maybe I can get the money together..." Alice was almost crying. She wanted her friend to come. Wanted to see her. The whole thing with the man Tom didn't matter. Maybe they could just tell him to forget it once Krissy and Zak were here. He couldn't force them! That would be evil, but if it saved Krissy from her father...

	Alice heard low voices on the phone. After a moment, Krissy spoke.

	"Zak's for it. I think he just wants to play in the woods."

	"And you?"

	"Why not," Krissy said, Alice relaxing as the words penetrated her worry. "It doesn't sound that bad, and I do trust you. You've steered me away from many bad people. If you say he's a good one, then he is."

	"I think he is." Alice turned in her chair. Tom was over by the register, looking at her. She waved. "I'll let you talk to him, then we can see about bringing you home."

****

	Krissy had never been out of the city.

	This was not something she was ashamed of, or even an indication she hadn't traveled. Krissy had traveled. It was more that New York was so big, the adjacent places just a continuation of it regardless of their names. You could travel on the subway for half an hour, more, even, and still be in the place you called home. New York was not a city. It was a world.

	A world she had now left. Krissy looked out the bus window. Night had fallen. She could still make out the trees lining the highway, the outline of buildings, but mostly it was lights. Lights on signs, lights on posts, lights on vehicles moving towards her, or away. White, red, green. Blurs, only occasionally coming into focus.

	She thanked God they had left. Thanked him for getting them away from her father. Thanked him, even, for making Dad slap her the other night. That had done it. Dad had never hit her. Never. And he never would again. She never would have had the guts to do this, without the sting of his hand.

	Not that the same message couldn't have come from on high less painfully. She wasn't that dense.

	At the sound of a page turning, Krissy looked over at Zak. Her brother was reading, the bulb over his seat giving off just enough light. Getting Zak away from there was worth the slap. With Mom gone, only she had been there to shield him. Shield him from anger that for some reason had been growing. Smiling, she put her light hand on his dark brown arm.

	Zak's birth had not destroyed her parents' marriage. It should have. That probably would have been for the best of all involved. But, no. Dad and Mom stayed together, Dad... tolerating raising the evidence of her infidelity. Krissy had learned early on that brothers and sisters of different colors were not normal. Had heard the teasing neither side was old enough to fully understand. She loved her little brother, though. All the teasing did was bring them closer together.

	"Do you have enough light, Zak?"

	"Not really." He moved his bookmark, a white straw wrapper, closing the book with a sigh. It was some fantasy tale with a dragon on the cover. Putting it in his lap, he leaned back in the large cushioned seat. Krissy squeezed his arm again.

	"We'll be there soon. Don't worry."

	She'd worry, though. With Mom gone, it was her place to worry. Worry about Zak. Worry about him being safe. About him getting enough to eat. He was small for his age, looking not even twelve instead of fourteen. Was that her fault? Had she not given him enough food, or the right kinds? Dad hadn't cared. It was her job. Maybe, though, he just looked like his father. Whoever that was. Mom had never said anything about the man, but Krissy could see her hooking up with some skinny wimpy guy, the total opposite of her hulking husband. Well... Krissy couldn't actually see it, really. Could not picture her late mother in bed with anyone. Especially not Dad. Whoever the one night (or week, or month) stand had been, he had been smart. No question about that. Zak certainly didn't get it from anyone else. Not from Krissy. She was honest about that. Alice was smart. She wasn't. Alice was many things she wasn't.

	"I love you, Krissy."

	Zak's eyes were closed as he whispered those words. She smiled, tears threatening her eyes. With no sound but the rumbling of the bus, she slid her hand down his arm until their fingers touched, intertwined.

	"I love you to, Zak. We'll be OK."

	Let us be OK, she prayed. God, let us be OK...

Chapter 3

	Tom watched as the bus unloaded its passengers.

	He was not a people person. Countless jobs over countless years had proven that, as had his social life. Meeting strangers was something he avoided, something that rarely led to good things. That he now had a stranger beside him, a teen girl no less, and was waiting to meet two more, almost seemed more surreal than meeting a god.

	God was everywhere, after all.

	 It had been a long drive. To save money, and keep the two kids from having a long layover waiting for the connecting bus, Tom had bought them two tickets to Glens Falls. The small city was just outside the Adirondack park, a metropolis compared to the place he had met Alice but which probably wouldn't even register as a town to kids from New York. Not that it mattered. It was dark enough that you couldn't see much beyond the street lights anyways.

	"There she is! Krissy!"

	His blonde companion jumped up and down, waving. A heavy set girl exiting the bus waved back. Tom considered her. She was not fat, really. She may have been called that, by those who felt if you can't see a girl's ribs she's obese, but at this point in her life her body just had fleshy curves. Hips swelled out, more than filling her blue shorts. Breasts were not the small firm half spheres Alice's seemed to be, but large soft pillows that could not stand on their own, promising comfort and pleasure. Her hair was black and curly, falling just to her shoulders. As she carried two duffle bags towards them, he admired her strength. This was NOT some weak little girl. He was impressed.

	The boy next to her, he had no idea what to make of. He was Black, for one thing. Skin as brown as could be. Tom had nothing against Blacks. He just... well, Black teens were to be avoided. Everyone knew that. There was nothing racist in admitting it. The kid looked OK, though. Smart, even. Walking up next to his sister, wearing a small backpack obviously meant for school, his eyes took in Tom the same way Tom was regarding him. That was more than fair.

	Alice didn't wait for them to walk the final few feet, throwing herself into Krissy's arms. Tom watched, amused. Also a little aroused, he was not quite ashamed to admit. He was a lonely man, after all. The boy was watching the girls as well, expression amused, resigned. Tired. Tom could relate. Stepping towards him, he reached out his right hand.

	"Tom."

	The boy looked at him.

	"Zak." His brown hand slowly came out, taking Tom's. They shook once, then released their hold simultaneously. Almost as if neither were good at this kind of thing. Tom nodded, attention turning back to the girls. "And you are Krissy, I assume?"

	The two teens separated, Alice now holding one of the bags. The heavier girl looked at him with distrustful interest.

	"That's me."

	Tom held out his hand. He was conscious of those around them. A small group, true, and people they'd never see again, but he was with three runaway children in a public area. They really should be leaving. After a moment's pause, Krissy's hand touched his.

	It was soft. Warm. Unfamiliar. He let go quickly, face feeling hot.

	"OK, let's get everything into the car."

****

	"He doesn't seem like a cannibalistic serial killer."

	Krissy tried to keep her voice low. The man heard, though. She saw him pause, just for a moment, before continuing on through the mostly empty parking lot. Well, that was OK. He had to know what all this sounded like to her.

	He seemed OK. Not... dangerous. That he wasn't overly friendly was in fact reassuring. She almost got the feeling that if they DID just run away, he'd curse the loss of the money for the tickets then go on with his life. He really was doing this for reasons that had nothing to do with enslaving them or the like.

	Although, he obviously did want to fuck her.

	"You STILL into cannibals?" Alice bumped against her. Krissy bumped back.

	"You were only gone a week. It's better than sparkly vampires."

	Cannibals were cool. Italian cannibals, in badly dubbed movies from the 70's and 80's. It was so fake, yet... Krissy shuddered at just the memory of the last one she had seen. The girl cut open, alive, and her slimy innards pulled out and eaten raw.

	That had to hurt.

	Their savior was waiting next to an old blue hatchback, its back hatch open. He stepped away.

	"Toss your stuff in, and we'll get moving. It's a long drive."

	Great. First she and Zak spent the entire day in Central Park, with all they could take from home in two duffle bags, hoping they didn't LOOK like runaways. Then a five hour bus trip, and now even more driving. With an unknown destination awaiting them. Maybe the delay was good. Coming up to the car, she lifted the bag up and tossed it in. Alice placed hers a bit more gently, straining a bit. Krissy smiled. Her friend had the looks and brains, but she had the strength. At least she out did her somewhere.

	"Watch your fingers."

	Tom slammed the hatch shut. The back of the car bounced. He looked at them, hesitating.

	"It's a two door car. I'll let you three sort out who sits where. I get the driver's seat."

	"Darn," Alice said, pouting. "I wanted to drive."

	"Can you drive a stick?" the man asked. Krissy laughed as Alice turned red. Reaching out, she pushed into her friend's back, sending her a half step towards him.

	"Oh, she's gooood with a stick!"

	"Shut up!" Alice shoved back, laughing. Krissy didn't even budge, her legs shifting a bit to give her a more stable stance. She saw Zak looking at them. Her brother shook his head, turning to the man.

	"I'll sit up front. They can fight in the back."

	Tom nodded.

	"Sounds good."

****

	Zak tried not to sleep.

	It was hard. The girls in back were silent, talk having died out after fifteen minutes or so. Most of what they wanted to say probably couldn't be with the stranger listening. Or him. Zak knew his sister kept secrets from him, or tried to. Protecting him. Like he was some child. Forcing his eyes open, he looked out the window. Once the car had turned off the main highway, the trip had become dark, no streetlights, little oncoming traffic. Just them, traveling down a two lane road through the forest, weak headlights shining ahead. Just him, alone with his thoughts.

	The stranger was not Dad. Not in the obvious way, being a different person and all, but in the way he acted. He was not like Dad. In many ways, of course, this was good. Dad was... moody.

	Zak frowned. Why not admit it. Dad was a drunk. A bastard. A mean, horrible...

	Dad was his father, and he loved him.

	His sister was probably right. The two of them could no longer live under the same roof as the man who had raised them, the man who was their only family. That didn't mean the thought of never seeing Dad again didn't make him want to cry. How could he not be with him? Life was not fair...

	The car slowed, turning onto another road. This was was smaller, if that was possible. There were no signs. No shoulder. They traveled on in the darkness.

****

	The man coughed.

	Zak opened his eyes. He didn't know he had closed them. He glanced at the dashboard, saw he had been out for about six miles. The stranger, Tom, glanced over. Seeing Zak was awake, he smiled. It was a friendly, if awkward, smile. Reassuring, for some odd reason. Tom spoke loudly.

	"You two awake back there?"

	"No," came Krissy's tired voice. Zak grinned. Sis was damned funny. The man nodded.

	"Well, if you were, I'd tell you we're just about there. We'll have some walking to do, before we get to the clearing where you three can pitch your tent, so I'll leave it up to you if you want to take all your stuff in, or leave some of it for tomorrow."

	"Walking? God, Alice, what have you gotten us into?"

	"Forest, I think." Alice's voice wasn't quite as tired. Zak looked out the window again. Nothing but trees.

	What would it be like, living in the forest? In books, it could be great, living with nature. Adventurers traveling through forest paths, onward towards epic battles. Coming on farmers or woodcutters. Elves. Monsters. Rabbits.

	The car slowed. There was a fence, seeming to come out of the woods, cut across a small field, only to turn and vanish back into the trees. Before it was a small parking area. Tom pulled the hatchback into it, parallel to the road. He turned off the ignition.

	"We're here."

	Zak unbuckled, opened his door, and exited. He didn't want to. Part of him just wanted to sit in the car some more. Stay with this last contact with home. The rest of him just wanted to get to the place where he could lay down and sleep. Turning, he found the lever that moved the front seat up. His sister reaching a hand out, he helped her out of the back seat.

	"Ow," Krissy said, straightening her body. "Should have taken the bus."

	"I don't think a bus runs out here," Zak said. He looked around. Apart from the fence, and the thin road, there was no sign of civilization, and those had a sense of age about them. He felt a slight breeze on his face, heard leaves and branches moving in the dark. The idea of Ents passed through his mind.

	The man was passing out things from the trunk. Zak grabbed his backpack, slipping it on. It was heavy, every book he owned shoved into it, including a library book he now would not be able to return. He also accepted a sleeping bag, rolled up tight and tied with two pieces of string. Alice had a soft suitcase he recognized, pink, along with a light green duffle bag similar to the two Krissy was again carrying. The man had a large roll of canvas, and a second sleeping bag.

	"Watch your fingers." Zak chuckled as the man made the same warning as he shut the trunk. The sound of metal latching with metal seemed out of place, echoing otherworldly through the night. The four humans stood there, silently, letting the sound fade.

	The man straightened his shoulders, adjusting his burden.

	"OK, let's go."

	He led them to a gate in the fence. The wood and wire doorway sagged a bit, the weight of its car width length almost too much for the material to bear. Two shorter gates would have been better, Zak thought. Those would be stronger. Adjusting his load, Tom unlocked a padlock, using a key that almost shined in the starlight. Pushing the gate open, he stepped aside.

	"Ladies and gentlemen first."

	Smiling, despite himself, Zak followed his sister and her friend through the gate.

****

	Momentum carried Alice an extra few steps after her mind froze in awe.

	The world was different.

	SHE was different. That was it. Once still, Alice took stock of herself. She was awake. Awake in a way she honestly did not think she ever had been. Refreshed, like exiting a stuffy, windowless room in the summer, onto a cool lakeside beach. She turned. Krissy... she GLOWED! Not quite literally, but almost! Her friend, always pretty, looked incredible, so alive. Zak, too. The boy looked older, more confident. And, Tom...

	Both she and Krissy were watching as the man crossed through the gate. They both saw the change. On the outside, by the road, he was just some guy. A little handsome. Not that special. As he took that next step, it was as if he had stepped out of fog into crystal clear air. Alice could see the cut of his muscles, under his shirt. His eyes sparkled in the darkness. She could almost SMELL him. A scent of Male, with a capital M. She closed her eyes and inhaled, body reacting. God.

	She wanted him.

	"I honestly didn't know how to warn you." His voice was self depreciating, yet strong. Shaking her head, Alice looked at him again.

	"What is it?"

	He smiled.

	"Her."

****

	Alice stepped into the meadow with joy in her heart.

	Home. Home. That was all she could think. Stepping slowly, grass brushing against her smooth bare legs, she moved half in dream. The stream babbled, telling her secrets. Stars lit the sky, like a city hanging above them. Never... never had she dreamed... yet, she had dreamed. Had dreamed of this. She had just forgotten. Forgotten Eden, like all humanity had.

	"It's beautiful," Krissy whispered. Her friend moved ahead of her, longer legs taking her towards the domed tent before them. Alice nodded.

	"It's perfect."

	"I'm glad you think so." Tom move up next to her. She blushed.

	He was perfect.

****

	Zak had never put a tent together before. Had never, really seen a tent in person, unless you count a diorama of Native Americans or other nomads in the museum. They were all over his books, though. He had just accepted the mention of characters setting up camp at the end of the day, without really thinking about what they were doing. Now he was actually doing it himself!

	"Pull that out more, Zak."

	Zak did. The rope attached to the tent pole stretched as far forward as it could go, the pole now standing straight up. Tom nodded.

	"Good. Now put the stake in the ground and hammer it in."

	Zak could do that. The stake, plastic, with a hook that caught the loop at the end of the rope, went into the ground easily to start. About half way in he met resistance. He looked around for a hammer. His sister had it, banging in stakes around the bottom of the tent. Well, there were other ways to get things done. Standing, he placed the heel of his sneaker on the top of the stake. With all his weight working for him, it slowly went in.

	"Good work. Here, do the other one."

	Tom tossed him the end of the other rope, already attached to the top of the pole. Zak pulled it taught, at an angle, the two ropes working together to re-enforce the pole that supported this end of the tent. He caught the new stake that came his way, quickly setting it into the ground. Looking up, he saw Tom nodding in approval.

	Zak felt his cheeks warm. Dad never looked at him like that. Never... said he had done a good job. He looked around. He wanted to do more. There had to be some other chore he could do.

	"Done!"

	His sister rose, hammer in hand. He grinned at her.

	"Done banging, Sis?"

	"Me bang good," she replied. Zak laughed as she walked over to Tom, handing him the hammer. "What next?"

	"The rain fly, then we're done."

****

	Zak looked at the finished tent with pride.

	He had built something useful. Dad had said Zak would never be useful. Never do anything good. Well. So much for Dad.

	A wave of tiredness came over him. Sleep... he just wanted to sleep. A soft hand touched his shoulder.

	"Go lay down," his sister said. "It's late." He nodded.

	"Does it matter where?"

	"Naw. Not tonight. We'll divide the sleeping arrangements tomorrow."

	Good. Dropping to his knees, he crawled into the tent. He barely made it onto the sleeping bag.

****

	Tom sat in his chair, looking up at the sky. With no fire, the stars seemed to shine even more. The moon, just a sliver, was setting behind the trees. Beautiful.

	So, too, were the two stars sitting beside him. Alice and Krissy sat on two of their duffle bags, bare legs outstretched, backs bent as they looked up into the heavens. Their breasts were thrust out, four covered moons which dazzled him. They were perfect. Perfect in a way no woman who had ever looked at him had ever been. That they had come... he shook his head. He didn't care about children. Didn't care if they never shared his tent. Tom just wanted to be friends. Real friends. It had been so, so long...

	"Come."

	He had been expecting the voice. Waiting. The two girls reacted about the way he thought they would, with surprise that was not surprise. They looked at him. Alice spoke.

	"Did you hear that?"

	"Yes," he said, pushing himself up to stand. "Come. The Lady wants to meet you."

****

	He had them dip their feet, already bare, into the cool stream. Led them to the eastern path. Fireflies flittered in the branches of the arching trees, lighting the way. Tom thought he saw them form into constellations, Orion, the Bear. The girls walked on either side of him, their hands almost touching his. He thought to tell them what to expect. Tell them how to honor the Lady. But, something told him to stay silent. The Lady would tell them all that was needed.

	They gasped as the white oak came into view. Its leaves seemed to shimmer in the night sky, outshining the stars. As they approached, Wisdom spoke.

	"Welcome, my children."

	Tom stopped, falling to one knee. Alice and Krissy did the same, heads bowing.

	"We have come, Lady," he said, softly. "As you have commanded."

	"You serve me well." Her voice was one moment like a brook, flowing over rocks. The next, the wind through leaves, or snow falling on grass. "Welcome, Alice, welcome, Christina. I have brought you here because you are worthy. Worthy of serving."

	"How may we serve?" Alice asked. Tom was incredibly impressed with her bravery.

	"I have promised this man companions. Wives, to provide children. Wives to stand by his side, to serve me, to honor and worship me, even as you honor and serve him."

	"Serve him?" Krissy's tone was not subservient. The branches before them rustled.

	"As he will serve you. I do not place man over woman, but husband beside wife. I will bless both of you with many children. I will bless all of your household with abundance, with crops, livestock. I will bless you as man has not been blessed in living memory. All I ask is the first of each blessing be given to me in sacrifice, as a sign of the covenant between us."

	Tom felt first Alice, then Krissy, take his hand. His breath caught.

	"We accept, my Lady," Krissy said.

****

	They left the path, walking beside the brook.

	"A God," Alice said. Her voice seemed to marvel at the idea. Tom nodded.

	"A Goddess."

	"So the Bible... lied?" Krissy sounded upset. Understandable. He shrugged, their warm hands still in his.

	"The words were written by man. What we're hearing, I think, is a little more authoritative."

	"That's a big word," Alice marveled. Tom looked at her. There was a teasing quality to her voice. Teasing that was not hurtful. That... was a new concept. He heard Krissy chuckle.

	"I wonder what else he has that is big."

	Innuendo, he understood. He looked between them, but the teens were ignoring him, their eyes on each other.

	"It seems right," Alice said, softly. Krissy frowned, but her hand did not release his.

	"Too soon," she said. "We have time. Let's..."

	"Take our time."

	Krissy nodded, smiling. Tom felt his heart skip a beat at that smile. Her hand squeezed his.

	"We should at least wait until tomorrow night."

Chapter 4

	Zak awoke in a teen girl sandwich.

	He didn't remember them coming into the tent last night. Nor had he woken at any point. That... surprised him. The fourteen year old was a light sleeper. Anyone walking down the hallway outside his small bedroom would have him half open his eyes, waiting for the sound to pass. For these two to not just crawl in the tent, but then move around, limbs half on him, made no sense. Everything else so far he could accept, but not that.

	He lay there, contemplating the universe. He was comfortable. Krissy was on her stomach, right arm around him as if he was a stuffed animal. It was a familiar feeling. His sister had not played with dolls much, instead holding and playing with him as they grew up together in their small apartment. Alice slept on her back, bare right leg hooking over his even as the rest of her body had drifted off away from him. The front flap of the tent was open, showing him it was somewhere in the darker part of sunrise. A light breeze came through the zipped screen door, refreshing. More refreshing than staying inside. Carefully moving limbs, he sat up and scooted down the sleeping bag he was on and peeked out the door.

	The man, Tom, was fishing.

	Zak looked down at himself. He was in yesterday's t-shirt and boxer underwear, probably good enough. He didn't want to wake the girls by digging around in the duffle bags. Besides, Krissy was using one of them for a pillow. Quietly, although they seemed to be dead to the world, he unzipped the screen and went outside.

	The grass was wet on his bare feet. It felt weird. Nice, but weird. Standing up, he scrunched his toes. Definitely a nice weird. Having settled that, as well as deciding he was going to stay barefoot for as long as his sister allowed, he walked over towards the stream.

	Tom was sitting on a large, flat rock, fishing pole in hand. He wore a pair of jeans, possibly the same ones from yesterday, although who could say, and a white t-shirt. His hair was messy, that of a male who has better things to do. Coming up beside him, Zak regarded his face. It was... good. He felt none of the instant distrust far too many adults seemed to cause. He also saw contentment there. That, too, was rare. His eyes followed the black pole outwards, tracing the path of the almost invisible line down into the water. A red and white object floated on the surface.

	"Watch where you step."

	At Tom's voice, Zak almost jumped. Almost. His eyes went down to his feet. There, a few inches away in the grass, lay a fish, a bit bigger than his foot. It moved occasionally, as if trying to will itself back into the water. He took a half step back.

	"Wow. I've never seen someone catch a fish."

	"No?" The man turned to look at him. Zak shrugged.

	"Nah. Just on TV. That doesn't count."

	"That it doesn't." Tom gave him a longer look. "Want to give..."

	He stopped, looking into the water. Zak looked too, seeing the floating thing vanish under the surface as the end of the pole bent. Tom gave a laugh.

	"Got one!"

	Zak watched him set himself, pulling the pole back as he wound in the line. The end seemed to zig and zag in the water, the pole bending farther. Zak found himself standing right at the man's side. He held his breath.

	With a grunt, although not much exertion seemed to have been needed, Tom pulled back on the pole one more time. The red and white bobber came into view, right by the shore, rising into the air. Under it, stretched taut, another small piece of line... then a fish.

	"You got one!" Zak couldn't believe it. It was so cool!

	"We have breakfast, I think." Tom reeled up the fish, swinging the flopping creature over towards Zak. Zak took a step back, laughing. Smiling, Tom brought the fish back towards him. As Zak watched, he grabbed the struggling creature, slackened the line, and carefully removed the hook from his mouth. Zak came a bit closer.

	"Does the hook hurt him?"

	"My dad always said no, but it probably does. I always thought catching and releasing fish was just cruel. We're going to eat these, though, so a little pain with the hook isn't the worst thing they're going to feel." He tossed the fish down on the grass next to the other one. "We're probably going to have to get a bucket or something next time. Have to keep them in water so they don't die before they're cleaned."

	Zak knelt down next to the two fish. The first was not moving much, mouth gasping. The new one was flopping around, although seeming to tire quickly. Reaching out, he touched its skin. He could feel the scales, wet, smooth when he went down its body, rough when he moved back towards its head. Incredible.

	"What do we do now?"

	"Now, the not so fun part." Tom stood. He groaned a bit, Zak watching as he stretched. He handed the pole to the teen. "Lean this up against that tree over there, then I'll show you how to turn fish into food."

****

	Alice dreamed.

	She stood on the bank of the stream, the cool grass tickling her bare legs under the summer sun. She held her baby. Her son. Her beautiful son. His wide eyes were blue, hair a wispy light brown. Heart full of emotions never felt before, Alice cooed to him. Sang. Rocked him. Rocked her baby. Her and Tom's baby...

****

	She opened her eyes.

	Alice had not thought of having a baby of her own since she was a little girl. Walking through the park with her parents, when such time together had led to happy moments, pushing her doll in a stroller. Wanting to be just like Mommy.

	As she had gotten older, saw, and understood, more, such desires vanished. Babies were to be avoided, a sign of failure by their teen mother. Her own Mother was to be pitied, her example one to be learned from, not emulated.

	So, whence the dream?

	"Ugh...."

	Krissy's groan forced Alice up into a sitting position. She looked over at her friend, blinking into wakefulness. Krissy had her head on a duffle bag, arms clutching it like it was a stuffed animal or something, curly hair completely covering her face. Her shirt had ridden up in the night, bunching under her breasts, much of her back exposed. Alice glanced out the open screen door, saw the light. Smiling, she looked back at the groaning girl.

	"Good morning! Time to get up!"

	"No."

	Krissy snuggled into the duffle bag. Alice's eyes flicked again to that bare back. Leaning over, she tickled at the base of the spine. Krissy rolled away as soon as she was touched, body almost coming against the side of the tent. Her expression was pissed.

	"Hey!"

	"I said to get up!" Alice reached her hand over again, avoiding the two arms defending that bare tummy to touch Krissy just above the belly button. Krissy brought her left hand back to grab her shirt and pull it down. Her other hand, deciding offense was a better tactic, reached towards the blonde. Alice pushed herself back out of reach.

	"No time for that! I smell breakfast!" Moving quickly, she slid to the flap and wiggled out of the tent.

****

	Standing in her shirt and panties, Alice shivered slightly in the morning air. She had thought, when she first woke in a tent outside the city, she had never breathed air so clean, so exhilarating. What she felt entering her lungs now made the backyard of Mr. Falk seem like the middle of Manhattan. THIS was clean air. One breath woke her completely.

	"Move your ugly legs!"

	Her legs were not ugly. They were shapely and beautiful. Still, she stepped away from the tent, allowing Krissy to crawl out. Her friend got to her feet, taking her own deep breath. Alice saw the shock there, the surprise. Krissy took another one.

	"It's incredible, isn't it?" Alice said, softly. Krissy nodded.

	"Almost makes me glad I'm awake."

	Alice noticed movement. Tom sat before the fire, spatula in hand as something cooked in a black skillet. Zak knelt in the dirt next to him, watching. They almost looked like father and son. Glancing at her friend, she saw Krissy looking as well as the teen adjusted her shirt to cover all that should be covered.

	"I dreamed," Krissy said. Alice blinked. "I dreamed of children. Babies."

	"I did, too," Alice said. It was fading, though. She could no longer remember much beyond the feelings. Krissy shook her head.

	"It's her, isn't it? She's giving us dreams. To get us to do what she wants."

	Alice nodded. Yes. That was probably right. She had forgotten about the encounter last night. It, too, was a fading memory, more feelings than images in her mind.

	"Is that bad?"

	"I don't know. And that scares me."

	Alice didn't feel scared. She wondered if that should scare her. Smiling, she took Krissy's hand.

	"We just need some food. Come on."

****

	Pancakes and fish where an unusual breakfast combination, but Krissy could not get enough. She was a hearty eater, when that was possible, and the fresh air was doing nothing to suppress that. Tom had cooked the pancakes in the same pan as the fish, the flavor carrying over into the fluffy semi-circles. There was syrup, some cheap store brand, but somehow it tasted divine.

	That aspect worried her. Everything here was... better. But, was it really? Krissy had seen a movie where people thought they were eating this incredible food, but in reality it was rotting, maggot filled slop. Was that the case here? Was this an illusion?

	Krissy didn't like illusions. Or delusions. They hid evil. She had deluded herself that her family was happy. Stable. If she had seen the truth before, accepted it early enough, maybe...

	Well, she'd keep her wits about her here. Not trust everything instantly. Goddess their host might be, but that did not make her "good". It just made her... someone you didn't want to anger. Much like Dad, then. She had protected Zak from him, she'd protect him from the Lady as well, if needed.

	"So," she asked, putting down the glass of some sort of orange drink, "what's the plan for the day?" Zak looked at her, grinning.

	"Tom says we're going to explore!"

	The way he said his name... disturbed her. She didn't know why. Her gaze turned to the man.

	"Explore?"

	He nodded to her, expression serious. She liked that. Even as that thought crossed her mind, its counterpoint did as well. Why did she like him? Why did she trust him? Was it Her? Was the Lady making her feel that way? God, was she going to second guess EVERYTHING? Tom spoke, bringing her back to whatever this reality was.

	"I haven't looked around much. Yesterday was spent bringing you here, and the day before I was mostly getting my bearings and building the altar at the Tree. We need to see what's here, what we have, and what we'll need."

	"You actually think we can all live here, survive without jobs?"

	The man chuckled.

	"Jobs haven't actually helped me survive so far. I'm more than willing to try it this way for awhile."

****

	Their first adventure was crossing the stream.

	There was a very small falls near the western end of the clearing, where its flow narrowed to about five feet. The water slipped between a series of mostly flat rocks, dropping two feet before continuing on. Alice looked at the bridge suspiciously.

	"That... doesn't look natural."

	"It looks convenient, at least," Krissy said dryly. "I suspect we're going to get a lot of that." She looked at Tom. "Men first."

	He laughed. Moving up to the bank, he stepped onto the first stone, keeping one foot on shore.

	"Seems solid." Tom stepped onto the next rock. "Not slippery at all." A moment later he was across.

	"I'm next!" Zak took the stones at a run, almost jumping across. Alice saw Krissy unable to even begin to tell him to be careful before it became a moot point. She motioned to her.

	"You next, so you can yell at your brother."

	"You know me so well." Krissy went across quickly, although not THAT quickly. Alice followed. Krissy was looking down at her brother's feet.

	"Where are your shoes?"

	"In the tent. Why?"

	"Oh, no reason. I'm not carrying you home if you cut your foot, that's all."

	"I don't expect you to."

	Alice did. Krissy would have the boy on her back in an instant. She kept quiet, though. He'd probably be OK, if he watched where he stepped. She looked around.

	"So, where too, next?"

	Tom was moving as she spoke, heading towards a patch of trees still inside the meadow. She followed, coming to a stop next to him as he reached out, touching the bark of one. Alice looked at his face.

	"What is it?"

	"It's... I swear it's a pear tree."

	"Pear?" Alice looked up. There was no fruit there now, obviously. It was spring. There were many white blossoms, though. She heard the others come up beside them.

	"My Grandmother had a pear tree in her yard," Tom said. His voice was soft. "In Auburn. We'd go there in the fall and harvest it, bringing home bushel baskets full for Mom to can."

	"You put them in cans?" Zak asked. Tom looked over at him, smiling.

	"Glass jars. You put the pears in with some sugar and water, close and seal it, boil it, and you have vacuum packed pears that can last a few years. We can do the same." He looked around. "Some of these might be apple trees. Maybe even peach trees."

	"I'd avoid touching apple trees," Krissy said. Tom laughed.

	"What kind of god puts things here we're not allowed to touch? No, I'm picking any apples I see."

****

	Krissy had decided everything around them was designed even before they found the garden. The bridge, yes, could have been natural, if a bit suspect. The orchard, with at least three different types of trees that they could make out, was planted somewhat randomly, so that could have just been a lucky coincidence. The wild chickens, though... that she couldn't accept.

	They were up in the trees, clucking down at the four humans. Mostly brown and black, with a little white. Krissy looked up at them in disbelief.

	"Chickens."

	"Chickens," Alice agreed.

	"What next, wild cows?"

	It wasn't cows they found, after another ten minutes of walking through the forest, but a planted field. There were no straight rows, as if someone was attempting to make it seem like this was just some random collection of native plants, but even to her city eyes Krissy knew sprouting  corn and tomato plants when she saw them. There were others, too, popping out of the brown dirt. Tom began to laugh. Krissy looked at him angrily.

	"What's so funny?"

	"Here I was worried we'd have to hurry to get a garden in, probably fucking it up, and now we have one done for us. We'll probably have to plant one next year, but now we can focus on other things."

	"This doesn't help feed us now," Krissy said. He nodded.

	"Yup. That's one thing. I have a suspicion the stream there is always going to be well stocked with fish, but we'll need more than that. Maybe I can hunt, buy a bow and arrow."

	"We have the chickens," Zak said. Tom nodded to him.

	"So we may have eggs, if we can figure out how exactly that works. I'm not a farm boy, and movies and cartoons may have lied."

	"We can always just ask her." Krissy shook her head. "I mean, she wants us to do this, she'll have to help a bit."

	"I think we should do what we can ourselves," Tom said. "Not... bother her too much."

	Then what was the point, Krissy wanted to say. It was one thing to worship Jesus, knowing he probably wasn't going to help you in the here and now, but would send you to heaven. But, now...

	Jesus.

	Krissy had almost forgotten. She was Christian. She believed. "Thou shall worship no other gods before me." So, how...

	"Krissy, look!"

	The thought vanished as a brown deer walked out of the trees. It stood there, unconcerned about the humans mere yards away. Krissy looked at it in awe. So beautiful...

	"All I create is beautiful."

	Yes. Wisdom created this for them. Would care for them. She need not doubt.

****

	"Wait."

	Tom stopped, turning to Alice. She, along with Krissy, were still in the panties and t-shirts they had slept in. He liked the look, and had no intention of mentioning the fact to either teen. Alice currently stood beside a large boulder coming out of the ground. He had been surprised to see it, but then they were technically in the Adirondack mountains. This was just a... very, very small mountain in the middle of the forest.

	"What is it?" he asked, moving closer. His eyes couldn't help but drop down to her bare legs. That she was here with him was proof enough Lady Wisdom was a good and generous God. He looked back up before she could notice. Alice placed a hand on the rock face before them.

	"This."

	Krissy came up next to them, placing her own hand there.

	"What about this?"

	What indeed. The one side of the rock was flat, he could see that. Beside her hand, there was an indentation, maybe a foot or two wide and just as deep, running up all ten or so feet up to the top. At the base of the boulder the opening was easily a yard wide.

	"You don't see it?" Alice looked at them, obviously disappointed in them. Tom didn't like disappointing her.

	"I see the crack."

	Alice stepped back, smiling.

	"Oh, it's more than that!" Her hands gestured from bottom to top. "It's a fireplace!"

	"No its not," Krissy said. Alice laughed.

	"Well, not yet, but it can be! Look at it. Step back and really look at it." She did so herself, hands gesturing to encompass the entire rock. "We have a long rock wall, reasonably flat. Picture that as one wall of a building. The hole at the bottom is more than big enough for a cooking fire, and the crack will take the smoke right up! And look at the ground!" She stamped her sneaker. "It's rock too, almost level. Perfect. We put up three walls and a roof, and we have our home!"

	Tom considered. It... could work. They weren't that far from the garden, so that would be handy. As for water, he moved around to the side of the bolder. There, thirty feet away, the stream ran. It even widened here, becoming a pool, before narrowing again to move away. Alice came up beside him, grinning.

	"And we even have outdoor plumbing!"

	She kicked her shoes off, hands going to the bottom of her shirt. Without any hesitation, she pulled it up and off, tossing it behind her. Her panties dropped to the ground.

	Alice was nude.

	Not naked. No. Nude. Her body was slim, hips swelling just enough to announce themselves. Her bare breasts were firm half globes, the brown circles at their center small, about the size of a nickel. The triangle of blonde hair between her legs was lush. Tom just stared.

	"What are you DOING?" Krissy's voice was sharp, worried. Tom looked back at her, hoping his expression showed this wasn't his fault. The black haired teen was standing behind her younger brother, hands on his shoulders. Zak, for his part, was looking at Alice with unashamed interest.

	"I'm going for a swim. Come join me!" Her voice included everyone in that invite, but her eyes swung up to meet Tom's. His breath caught at the meaning they imparted. With another laugh, she ran down the grassy hill. At the bottom, she paused, looked into the pond, and jumped. The splash and her scream competed in the still noon air.

	Without thinking, Tom pulled his shirt off, even as he, too, kicked off his sneakers. He paused to remove his socks, lifting up first one leg then the other, before dropping his pants and boxers onto the ground. He was hard. Not fully, but enough to announce itself as he slowly walked forward. Alice had dove under, coming up like a dolphin. She stood, leaning against a rock island in the middle of the pond, water up to her belly button, eyes fixed on him. Those eyes. Even from here, they pierced into his soul. She looked like a mermaid, or a water nymph. Her blonde hair, now wet, stuck to her white skin.

	Beautiful.

	Reaching the shore, he realized there was no way to enter gracefully. So he jumped. His splash was bigger than hers, but he kept his feet on the uneven bottom. It was up to his knees here, but as he moved forward it quickly deepened. Water now caressing his erection as if an extension of Alice, he approached her. There was a sound behind him, Krissy yelling something, but he ignored it. 

	Alice did not speak, but told him many things. As he came to a stop before her, her eyes said he was to be her first. Her only. Tom had fucked. Not often, and only with those more depressed and lonely than he. Never had he been with such an intelligent, beautiful, willing...

	Obviously feeling he was taking too long, Alice pushed herself off the rock into his arms. Her body was soft, silky. Her hands insistent, drawing his lips down to hers. All thought vanished. Tom did not control his arms as they went around her. Did not plan their move to her bottom, lifting her up and placing the teen on the unseen yet conveniently located rock shelf behind her. Only when he felt hot wetness against him did some sense of self assert itself.

	Looking down into her eyes, he was once again lost as he thrust.

****

	Krissy could not believe what she was seeing.

	Alice was a virgin. She knew that. She was, too. Both had resisted the advances of boys, and men. Both had talked long and hard about what they would, and would not, do, and why each choice would be made. Yet, here was her friend, legs spread for a stranger. As she watched, horrified, Alice wrapped her bare, glistening legs around Tom's waist, locking behind a bare ass that had begun to thrust into her.

	Krissy WAS horrified.

	Wasn't she?

	She had to be. Alice couldn't be doing this willingly. Couldn't be enjoying it. This was their host, their Goddess, imposing her will on them. Causing Alice to let this man thrust into her, causing her to moan, moan in pleasure...

	Krissy did not wish it was her down there. No. She did not want to be the one on that rock, legs spread. Did not want to be filled with pleasure. Did not want to feel... wanted...

	"Ow." Zak's soft cry broke the spell. Krissy realized she was squeezing her little brother's shoulders. She let go, arms dropping to hug him against her from behind. She'd keep him here, away from the others. He did not need a closer look as Tom thrust faster, as both of the lovers moans increased. She'd keep him up by their future home.

	When it was her turn with Tom, he could stay with Alice.

Chapter 5

	Alice's butt hurt.

	Twisting as she lay on her stomach in the tall grass, she looked again at the red scratches and marks on her fair skin. They weren't bleeding, anymore, and already some were starting to fade. Still, the no longer virginal teen had come to the conclusion that sex on a rough rock, no matter the situation, was not a good idea. It had felt GREAT, yes, but the downside was a bit too high. From that, Alice had also developed the theory that both animals and early cavemen had sex "doggie style" for the express reason of protecting their tender behinds. Once man invented the bed, it became safe for women to lie down and let the man do all the work.

	She smiled. It was a fun idea. There was no way to prove it, except maybe experience sex in a variety of positions on a variety of natural surfaces. That could be fun. It probably wouldn't even be hard to talk Tom into the idea. Her own body, however, might object strenuously.

	Alice settled back down, her upper body raised on her elbows. The question of how she had been talked into the idea of jumping him wasn't one she really wanted to deal with. She liked Tom, yes. Had thought, from the first time he had walked into the store, that he was cute, sexy.

	But she was NOT a slut.

	She wasn't sorry. No. Now that the ice, as well as other things, had been broken, as far as she was concerned they were a couple. They'd deal with the personal aspects as time passed, but she fully expected to spend that night, and every night, in his tent. But, she still had to work out for herself what had happened.

	Most likely, it was the Lady. Goddess of Wisdom. Alice had not been forced, but her... inhibitions had been lowered. Her late night fantasy encounters turned into real action. Alice's inner desire brought to the surface.

	Could she call such a thing "evil"?

	It would depend on where things went from here. The timing of "why" was not in question. Alice's last period had been around two weeks ago. Wisdom wanted the ball rolling on kids, so had nudged things instead of waiting for time together to bring man and woman into the same bed. Using that as a guide, Krissy would probably give herself to Tom in a day or two. Her cycle mirrored Alice pretty close.

	Krissy. Alice looked down at the pad of paper on the ground before her. Krissy was pissed. Rightly so. Not just because of what had happened, or at least not totally. It was the afterwards. Alice had not been ashamed, remorseful, at fucking in front of her friend. In front of her brother! She blushed at that. How could she have done that! Hell, how had she walked back here to the meadow nude! She was still nude, the noon sun warm on her back. Tom, too. Both had felt no need to put their clothing back on. As if, at least in Alice's mind, they had returned to Eden. Adam and Eve had needed no clothing.

	The grass to her left moved, parted. Zak's body lowered itself down, copying her stance. Zak's face settled about a foot away from her. His dark brown eyes dropped down to her breasts for a moment, his entire face smiling as they then raised up to meet hers. She smiled back.

	"Hi."

	"Hi."

	She liked Zak. Loath to leave him alone much, Krissy had brought him along for many of their get togethers. Often he'd just read, but sometimes he'd join in their conversations. His quietness was a definite counterpart to Krissy, and even herself. In the last few years, Alice had come to think of him as a brother.

	"Sis is pissed."

	That wasn't surprising. Alice sighed.

	"I'll talk to her. It'll pass."

	"I know. I'm just saying." Zak's eyes went to the pad of paper before her, head turning sideways to get a better look at its contents. "What's this?"

	"Oh, this." Alice lifted a hand to move some of her hair away from her face, even as her other picked up the marker again. "I'm trying to see what kind of house I can come up with for us."

	"Cool!" His eyes lit up. Silently asking permission, she nodded as he turned the pad towards him.

	It was a simple design, a rough draft. Very neat, her two years of mechanical drawing giving her that talent, but rough in concept. It was focused on the fireplace, the stone indentation in that flat rock wall. That would have to serve as both a cooking fire, and their source of heat in winter. Thus, she had put a long kitchen counter along the eastern wooden wall to be built out from the north-south stone wall, interrupted with a doorway into a large storage pantry. In front of the fire was a long bench/ couch, for sitting on during long evenings. The idea of sitting before a roaring fire with a blizzard raging outside enchanted her. It would be like something out of a movie! Behind that would be the table and chairs for eating, whatever. Two bedrooms ran along the western wall, one twice as large as the other. Zak glanced at her.

	"Two beds?"

	Alice felt herself blush.

	"Um, well... by the time we build it, I figured..."

	He nodded.

	"So I get my own room. Cool."

	His acceptance surprised her. Alice placed a hand on his.

	"Has... the Lady... talked to you?"

	Zak nodded, expression becoming more serious.

	"Yeah. Not much, but I heard a voice. Tom told me what was going on, while you two were still sleeping this morning. It's... I mean, wow."

	"But you believe?"

	He nodded again.

	"It's like something in a book. There's gods and goddesses all over those, so, you know. This one happens to be real." He paused, considering. "That was one thing I never quite liked about church. Nobody ever answered back."

	"What did she say to you?" Alice leaned towards him. Zak laughed, a somewhat sad laugh.

	"It was when you and Tom were going at it. I heard this voice saying I wasn't to touch you, or Sis. Both of you are for Tom alone."

****

	Tom tried to focus on the knife and stone before him.

	The knife had been his father's, probably bought in some department store, or, maybe, at a small fishing store if he had been on some fishing trip when he realized he needed it. Not anything special or high quality, in other words. It had a smooth wooden handle, stained lightly, the outline of a fish burned into it. The blade was thin and narrow. Tom had watched his father use it on dozens of bass, mostly large mouth, and pike. He himself had filleted sunfish with it as a ten year old. Now, he sharpened it on a stone.

	Or tried to. It had been years, not since Boy Scouts, since he had tried to do anything like this. Back then he had sharpened his jackknife, dulled after whittling. Now he was trying to bring an edge back to a tool important to their survival. It had become clear, by the third fish, that while he was indeed rusty, the blade was causing most of his problems. He needed it sharp. Not just for cleaner cuts. Dull blades catch, slip. Tom did NOT want to slice himself out here, with three non-drivers attempting to use the stick shift in the hatchback to bring him back to civilization.

	He glanced up at Krissy. There also was a chance that one would just let him bleed.

	He definitely felt self conscious, sitting there nude in a folding chair, an upside down metal cookie pan on his legs forming his work table. True, his manhood was safely under the protection of his table, but Tom was not in the least exhibitionist. Even going shirtless not something he was wont to do. Yet, there had been no desire to put his clothing back on before coming back here from the pond. The thought hadn't even crossed his mind. Now it did. Especially the way she was looking at him, eyes hard, focused on his face.

	Krissy sat, clothed, arms folded over her chest, on a plastic cooler. She still only wore her t-shirt and panties. She kept her knees firmly together, bare legs stretched out before her. There wasn't much ice in the cooler, but from her mood the teen was likely dropping the temperature of the butter and cheese inside quite low.

	He sighed. That was unfair of him. If the situation was reversed... well, given he had been a lonely, horny teen, there probably was nothing useful to considering that. A nude adult female sharpening a knife would have sent enough mixed signals to fry his pubescent brain.

	"I know She is the one doing this."

	Tom looked up at Krissy's words. Her voice was sad, even as her expression stayed firm. He shrugged.

	"I'd rather she sharpen this knife. Let everything else take care of itself."

	His eyes held hers. A blush staring on her cheeks, Krissy dropped her eyes into her lap. One of her hands made a fist.

	"I don't like being manipulated."

	Spoken with the inexperience of youth. You're always manipulated, he wanted to tell her. Always moving at the whim of society, of the rich, of your peers, of family. The less you see the strings, the more entangled you are in their web.

	Or, so he thought, with the bitterness of failure.

	"I'll make a promise with you," he said instead. She looked at him. "I will always be honest with y-."

	"Do you want to fuck me-?"

	"Yes."

	Krissy blinked. Blinked again. Tom put laid the knife and stone on the tray, lifting it up  and bending over to place it on the grass next to his chair. He sat back up, exposed to her. Krissy's eyes dropped down to his soft cock. He leaned forward, arms resting on his legs, her eyes again coming up to his. He spoke softly, honestly.

	"Yes, I want to fuck you. You're beautiful. More beautiful than Alice. Your face..." Tom shook his head. "God damn, you're more beautiful than any woman I've ever been near."

	She looked away.

	"How many..."

	"Loved? I've loved many. Loved me? Nobody that has come forward with the information. Slept with? Seven, eight. Women more desperate than I, just wanting someone. Lived with? One, because we both needed someone. She left when she thought someone better than me loved her."

	Her eyes closed.

	"Do you think this is right?"

	Tom turned towards the path. Towards the birch tree tunnel, towards Her.

	"My life was, not over, but not worth living. She... She has given me reason to go on. She asks things, yes, but so far nothing I can not give."

	"But is it right?"

	"Right? Are you asking if this Bliss is Ignorance, if our Wisdom is Folly?"

	Tom paused. Blinked. Looked at an astonished Krissy.

	"Before you ask, no, I have no idea where the hell that came from. I'm not smart enough to think of that one."

	"I know."

	"You know me well." Tom stood. Stretched. Ignored her gaze. "Enough serious stuff. Do you three know how to play Bridge, by any chance?"

****

	Not surprisingly, they didn't. Krissy knew Hearts, Poker, and a few others. Things she and her friends had played. She also knew a few variants of solitaire, altered so she and her brother could play together against lady luck. That was always the best, the two of them laying on her bed, cards spread out before them, deciding together their plan of attack. How to fight with the cards dealt to them.

	Instead of Bridge, though, Tom taught them Euchre. He said it was sort of Bridge Lite, using only half the deck. While his parents and younger sister had often played Bridge with him in his youth, Euchre had been the game of family reunions, of uncles and grandparents.

	Krissy kept having to re-assess how she saw the man. Every time he spoke of his parents, there was happiness on his face. Happiness tinged with loss, longing. He had been happy, as a youth. Memories of his father brought him joy. Her eyes kept sliding between Zak and Tom. Tom... would be a good father. She saw that. Saw that her brother was already moving him into that role. Even after just a day, Krissy could sense their real dad fading from Zak's mind. That was good. Great. It was un-natural and too easy, yes, but still it was great. Not so great were the images of Tom fathering her children.

	Not that they were bad, mind you.

	"Pick it up, I'm trying a loner!"

	She looked across at her brother, eyebrow raised. The four sat on a square blue and white blanket that, while clean, had seen better days. Alice and Tom were still nude, but surprisingly she was getting used to it. Certainly, her brother's card playing ability was more of an issue at the moment.

	"You sure?"

	Zak responded with a grin. Ah, well. Their lead had been nice while it lasted. Krissy picked up the jack of spades from the pile in front of her, adding it to her hand while discarding the six of diamonds. She then dropped her hand down on the stack, moving them all out of the way. Her brother wanted to try and take all five tricks without her help, so be it.

	Tom looked at his hand, considering.

	"So, spades are trump?"

	"Yup!" Zak grinned, practically vibrating. Alice scowled at her partner.

	"Lead good!"

	Tom nodded.

	"Lead good... well, how about this."

	He tossed the jack of clubs down. Zak's face fell. Krissy, could only shake her head.

	"You didn't even have the other bower? Damn it, Zak!"

	"Hey! Fifty percent chance either you had it or it was buried!"

	Tom took the trick, then the next as he led the ace of clubs. Zak did manage to get the rest. His mood brightened as he added a point to their total.

	"We still got a point. It wasn't all bad!"

	"Who dealt that mess," she grumbled. Alice smirked.

	"You did. It's Tom's deal."

	"Good!" Krissy shoved the remaining cards at the man. "Here!"

	The game was fun, she had to admit. Simple enough to not require much thinking, but there was skill needed in the bidding, plus working with your partner. It also went fast. They were on their third game, Tom and Alice having won the first two easily. She and her brother were still ahead in this one, nine-six, the first to ten winning.

	Tom began dealing.

	"Bad tickets... good tickets. Bad tickets... good tickets..."

	"Is that allowed?" Zak asked. Krissy scoffed.

	"Only if you know you're going to get beat." She picked up her cards. Four hearts, including the jack, and the jack of diamonds. If hearts were trump, she'd have a good shot of winning a loner!

	He turned over the ten of clubs. Zak glanced at it in disgust.

	"Pass."

	"Oh," Alice said, nipples peaking out over her cards, "pick it up, and I'll try a loner."

	"Gah!" Krissy almost threw her hand in the grass. It was worthless now! She glowered at her brother. "You had BETTER find the killing lead!"

	He didn't.

****

	"Good night."

	Leaning down, Krissy kissed her brother on the forehead. She sensed, rather than saw, his sleepy smile. His body moved, head snuggling more into the cloth bag full of clothing he was using for a pillow. Her job done, she slowly backed up, and out, of the tent. Head again in the warm night air, she stood.

	Tucking her brother in was not a childish ritual. It was... a promise. A promise to watch over him. To always be there. She had not done it last night, which, yes, was excusable given the tired confusion she had felt. Now things were back to normal.

	Somewhat.

	The others were sitting on the bank of the stream. It was dark, but still early. Krissy was a bit surprised Zak was in bed already, but he had been up before her and Alice. He may, also, have just wanted the three of them to have some alone time. Zak could be devious like that, the lovable bastard. She walked up behind Tom and Alice. They weren't holding hands, or even sitting all that close. She had expected... well, Krissy was ready to give up expecting things. Not knowing why, she found herself kicking off her shoes before settling on the other side of Tom.

	"So," she asked, toes grazing the dark water, "what are we talking about?"

	"You mostly," Tom said. She heard humor, laced with truth. She sighed.

	"So, I'm the talk of the nudist camp, am I? Typical."

	"I only lied," Alice said, "so you're safe."

	"Oh, good."

	They were silent, even as the night was not. Krissy looked up. So many stars. She pictured them as an ocean, flowing past, babbling like the brook below her feet. Stars, flowing over rocks, around bends. What fish lay beneath the surface of the stars...

	"I'm happy," Tom said. Krissy kept her eyes on the heavens. "For the first time in ages. I just want to be friends. That's all."

	"But you're going to fuck me." Even as she said it, the teen realized not only was it a bitchy thing to say, but... she wanted it. With friendship, maybe love, yes, but with them, sex too. Or, at least, to be held. She held Zak. Often. Alice hugged her, sometimes. To be HELD. Held close. Her eyes closed. To be held in strong, protecting arms. Just that. She didn't care about sex. About pleasure. Let him do what he wanted. She wanted to be held...

	Arms wrapped around her. She felt herself pulled up into a lap. She was big. The fit could not have been comfortable for him, yet he held her close. Other hands removed her shirt, undid her bra. She neither resisted, nor helped. Krissy found herself clad only in panties, bare skin pressed against that of a man over twice her age.

	He held her.

	Tom did not caress. Did not run his hands up her bare back, did not stroke her thighs. He simply held her.

	Krissy felt the tears coming. Dad never held her. Never... never...

	"Shh..." Alice's voice was soft. She felt another body press against her, two more arms around her. The tears came. She wasn't strong. Krissy had to be, for Zak, had to protect him from the world. From Dad. But she was not strong. Arms wrapped tight around a man she had never known before last night, she pressed her fact to his chest and bawled. Years of tears came. Tears she repressed, so her brother would not cry. So he would think her strong, and thus feel safe.

	"Sleep with us," Tom whispered. Alice cooed agreement in her ear. Krissy squeezed tighter, shaking her head.

	"No."

	"Please." She wasn't sure which one said it. Which was silly. She turned her head, eyes finding Alice's in the night.

	"I can't." Krissy sniffled. "I can't leave Zak alone. Please. When we have the cabin, and I know he's safe, maybe then. Not now. Please..."

	She felt their agreement. Felt arms tighten. She would go to Zak's tent later. Lay down next to her brother, arm around him. Protect him.

	Until then, her two friends held and protected her.

Chapter 6

	Alice thought cocks would be sexier.

	It was, naturally, the first time she had woken up next to one. Uncovered, at least. Her experience with those was definitely lacking. Her first view of a real, in person, dick had been the day before, as Tom walked towards her own nude body and proceeded to fuck her senseless. It had been fun. She had not seemed to have been herself in the moments leading up to the fucking, but that could be put down religious fervor. She now, somewhat, understood those crazy sex cults. It was so freeing to let yourself go once you could put the responsibility on some person or god. Now, as she propped herself up, she was able to get her first good look at the male appendage.

	Again, not that impressive.

	It was soft, for one thing. Small, flimsy, laying in a mess of brown hair. Tom obviously had not groomed down there. She hadn't either, really, her own eyes dropping down to the furry blonde triangle between her legs. Alice didn't have a bathing suit and nobody was going to be seeing the place, so nothing apart from washing had been needed. Would that change now? Hmm... Alice kind of liked herself down there. Tom, she might have trim himself a bit, but she was fine the way she was.

	Reaching a hand out in the dim morning light, everything in the tent cast in a green hue, she ran a finger down the cock's short length. For a moment, Alice had a worry that this was wrong. If she had woken to Tom touching her, she'd be screaming rape. But... they HAD gone to bed together. Nude. What was the point of such a thing, if not to say that your body was open to your partner? So, he was fair game.

	Her hand grasped the flimsy tube. If she stretched it out, the head popped out beyond the circle of her fingers, but just barely. Relaxing her grasp, it sprung back a bit. Heh. She did it again. And again. This was fun!

	The fourth time, it didn't spring back. Alice bent down closer, moving the cock a bit to put it more in the light. It was... bigger. She squeezed. Also a bit harder. She could feel it inflating, like some balloon. Her own inflatable sex toy!

	Alice glanced up at his face. She liked him. Had, as soon as she saw him. That was not influenced by any baby-wanting God. No. What she felt, desired, at its core came from herself. So, because of that...

	Her eyes returned to the growing erection in her hand. Inexperienced she may be, but gossip and the internet had filled in many gaps. Lowering her head, Alice lightly licked.

****

	Tom woke to a feeling he had not had in ages.

	He knew at once what it was. You never forgot that. Hell, he had not forgotten any sexual activity he had ever been sober for. That he knew of. Someone was lightly sucking on his cock. There were only three possible people that could be, of which only one was likely.

	If, for some strange reason, he opened his eyes to see Zak doing it, many questions would have to be asked and beliefs challenged, because it felt incredible.

	Luckily, it was Alice. She was laying next to him on the tent floor, body half off the sleeping bag, as she slowly moved her mouth up and down. Bad blow jobs did exist. Tom had experienced a few of them, particularly from one woman he had been with for a month or two (beggars, choosers). Alice may have been a virgin a day ago, but she had picked up skills somewhere. Maybe they were god-given.

	If so, another point in this new religion's favor.

	His movement stopped her, Alice slowly pulling up and off of him. She smiled, eyes twinkling.

	"Not upset, I hope."

	"Nope." Hands going to her shoulders, Tom pulled Alice on top of him. Her skin was soft. Smooth. He didn't kiss her, not knowing what shape his breath was just then. Instead, he attacked her breasts. She moaned, both hands going to the back of his head as her butt settled on his stomach, pressing back against his cock. He sucked. Licked. Lightly bit. She gasped at the last, hands grabbing his hair but not pulling away from his mouth.

	"God." It came out as a whisper. Tom released her breast. His eyes rising, he found her staring down at him with wonder. Her mouth dropped, finding his. Her body slid back, rising up over his hard cock. Tom felt her moving around, like someone reaching blindly behind the TV to plug a cable in. Both gasped as his member slipped into a warm wetness. Pushing herself up, away from his kiss, Alice settled down around him.

	The front flap of the tent opened.

	Tom saw a nude Zak looking at them with astonishment. He didn't blame the boy. Tom was astonished himself looking at her from this angle, and she had to look just as good from behind. Alice showed no sign of stopping. Grabbing her hips, he spoke.

	"What is it, Zak?"

	"Um..." The boy blinked. "Can I fish? For breakfast?"

	"Yes."

	The flap closed. Alice dropped forward, hands on the ground on either side of his head, hips working furiously.

	Tom hoped he caught a lot. They were going to need all the protein they could get.

****

	Tom let Zak clean the smallest of the three fish, the boy watching as Tom did the others first. So far, fish was all the land was providing, food wise. That would have to change. As Tom watched the others clean off their plates around the fire, he wondered how you made pancake mix from scratch. That was what he would miss most once they transitioned from store bought food to local supplies. Maybe the last of the money could be used to buy a few years worth.

	"So, what are we doing today?" Zak's voice was happy, excited. This life seemed to suit him. Tom couldn't help but smile. The kid also seemed perfectly happy without clothing. His brown body was thin and scrawny, just a bit of black fuzz here and there in the usual places, but there was definite strength in him just waiting to be worked. Work the boy seemed more than willing to do.

	"You are WAY too chipper, Zak."

	Krissy was not scrawny, nor happy or excited, although she WAS just as nude. Her body was nicely fleshy and rounded. Some of that would come off, most likely, as the days and weeks went by, but he hoped she mostly stayed the same. He hadn't lied when he said she was beautiful. She was. It might just take a bit for her to believe it.

	"Nothing wrong with chipper," Tom said. He looked around, contemplating. "I think, today, we should take Alice's plans to our future house site and see what it will take to actually build something. See what we can do ourselves, and what we maybe can ask for help with."

	"Do you think she WILL help?" Krissy asked. He shrugged.

	"Don't know. I wouldn't be surprised if there's a bunch of perfectly straight tree trunks all the same size somewhere around here, though."

****

	"So... out to here."

	Alice dropped to one knee, marking the point on the rock under her with a cold coal from the fire. She drew a right angle, showing it was the corner, before standing again. She looked at the others.

	"What do you think?"

	She watched as they contemplated her plan. Alice had marked out the outline of their proposed home, starting with the rock face and its natural fireplace, extending out over the natural rock floor. Various stones and branches denoted furniture and features. Seeing it herself, Alice had to admit she wasn't happy with it. What had seemed great on paper, just looked... small and badly designed full scale. Which, she supposed, was where experience comes in. Knowing what in fact works, how designs translate into reality. Alice felt another pang at not staying in school. There was so much she still had to learn.

	"I don't like the kitchen," Krissy said. Alice walked over, bare feet having no problem handling the stone and dirt.

	"What don't you like?"

	"All of it, really." Krissy pointed to the vague outline of counter tops. "You're not giving us nearly enough space here. We're going to be preparing meals from scratch. It's going to take HOURS, sometimes with two or three of us working. We need more room." She turned. "I want a work table behind me. So, you know, I can be cutting up meat or something on the counter, then turn and sit and peel carrots or something."

	"You know how to cook?" Tom asked. Alice saw Krissy blush a bit, nodding. Her entire front became pink, down almost to her belly button. Alice never knew that was how people blushed. You learned so much, going around naked.

	"Dad wasn't going to cook. And, Mom..." Krissy didn't finish. Zak was nodding.

	"She's good! I love it when she cooks!"

	"That's good," Tom said. He placed a hand on her shoulder. Krissy's blush intensified. "You are here by nominated as our official cook. Feel free to order us around so we can help you any way we can."

	"Yeah!" Zak moved to hug his sister. Alice blinked at the sight. There was nothing sexual about it, which surprised her. Nudity was always sexual, right? Giving her brother a squeeze, Krissy regarded Tom.

	"So if I'm the cooking slave, what's your job?"

	"We'll have to work that out," he shrugged. "See what we're best at. We'll need someone to focus on the farm, someone to tend the chickens and any other animals we turn into livestock. Someone to fish, hunt. Someone to cut wood, and everything else that has to be done to survive."

	Alice found herself nodding as she looked around the future kitchen. That just made sense.

	"Any other problems with the design?"

	"We're going to need a cellar." Krissy frowned at Alice's wide eyed disbelief. "Don't give me that look. We're going to need a storage cellar, root cellar, whatever you want to call it. Something cool underground to store food."

	Tom nodded.

	"My grandparents had one, complete with dirt walls and floor." He walked off the rock, examining the dirt ground. "We can try digging down here, see what we find." He kicked the dirt. "Hell," he said, looking up at them, grinning, "if we wait a few days we may find it's incredibly easy to dig here."

	"Having a Goddess on your side is SO awesome." Krissy's voice only had a hint of sarcasm.

	"What I don't like," Tom said, walking back onto the flat rocks, "is the layout. We can add on to the house later as we need room, naturally, but I think we should start with three bedrooms, if not four."

	"Why?" Alice frowned. "We're only going to need two."

	Tom smiled. That made her feel a bit better.

	"The kids. Like I said, we can always add rooms, or even a second floor, but if we can put that off for a few years all the better. A nursery, and another bedroom for when they've outgrown the nursery, would be good."

	He had a point. Alice hadn't even considered babies, silly when that was the entire point of all this. She looked again at the large expanse of stone under them.

	"Well... I was trying to keep the size of the logs we needed down, but if we get big enough ones we can take it all the way to the ends. That'll give up room for more bedrooms running along the south side."

	"We probably should go exploring for tall trees," Zak suggested. Alice grinned

	"Volunteering?"

	"Yeah! There's lots of places we haven't gone yet!"

	Her eyes slid over to Tom and Krissy. Hmm...

	"You two stay here. Zak and I will look around for a bit."

	Motioning to the boy, she quickly grabbed a small bag, moving into the forest before they could react.

****

	Tom looked at the vanishing blonde, amused. There was no subtlety involved here. Not that much was really needed, and he did appreciate the thought. As the cute behind vanished, followed by the boyish behind he refused to categorize at all, Krissy let out a razz-berry. Her arms were folded over her large pillowy breasts.

	"That was NOT subtle."

	Tom couldn't help but laugh.

	"My thought exactly. She's not a practiced schemer, is she?"

	"No," Krissy scoffed. "That she isn't. One reason I like her. What you see is what you get."

	"That is a good trait," Tom agreed. He looked around the clearing. "Any other changes you want to make to her design, as long as she's not here to defend it?"

	Krissy tossed him a glance he couldn't interpret. She shrugged.

	"Not really. I'm not a designer. Never played with legos or anything."

	"Those were good points about the kitchen."

	"Thanks." She blushed. Not wanting to embarrass her, Tom turned and wandered over to the other side of the 'house'. He entered the "Master Bedroom", with its large bed marked out on the flat rocks. He wondered, exactly, how they'd work as a floor. Yes, the stone poking up out of the ground here was mostly flat, but it was a series of flat-ish rocks with cracks and gaps between them, with grass and moss popping up. Better than dirt, yes, but, still...

	"So, are we supposed to make mattresses and blankets?"

	Tom smiled. She was lucky her comments and sarcasm came off, to his ears, as cute and endearing. Otherwise, she'd be toss out of eden faster than you could yell "Snake!" Squatting down, wondering that his muscles no longer had the age related aches a week ago, he lay on his back, the rocks cool against his skin. Krissy scowled.

	"What are you doing?"

	"Testing the bed. It seems comfortable enough as it is."

	The end of her mouth twitched. Tom closed his eyes as she walked closer. His view soon would have been up between her legs, which probably would have made her uncomfortable. He snuggled back against the stone, the sun warm against his skin.

	"If someone insane like you was picked to father this race, what does that say about our new Lady?"

	"That she had incredible taste," Tom replied, resisting the urge to look at her. He tried to picture her reaction. What she'd do next. He'd barely started on the project when he felt and heard movement beside him. Krissy let out a grumble.

	"This is NOT comfortable. You're a liar!"

	Laughing, Tom rolled onto his side, facing her. Krissy lay on her back mere inches from him, head turned. He found himself looking right into those eyes, curly black hair framing that oval face that had begun to fill his dreams.

	"Am not," he said softly.

	"Are too." Her voice was a whisper.

	There were temptations Tom could resist. Krissy was not one of them. Slowly, giving her time to react, he reached a hand over, cupping the back of her head. His body leaned closer. Krissy's eyes widened, her body shook, as Tom's lips gently touched hers.

	She whimpered, even as he felt her own hand come up to touch his face. Her body turned to face his, unexpectedly coming to press fully against him. The kiss broke, both of them inhaling in shock. His cock, well behaved before this, shot to full hardness. It pressed against her stomach.

	"Oh!"

	He thought she'd move away, if only for the moment. Krissy surprised him, her hand dropping from his face down his chest, grabbing the offending penis. She squeezed.

	"So this is what all the fuss is about..."

	Tom smiled, his own hand moving to grab one of her large breasts. She gasped.

	"And these," he said. Using his larger size, he moved her onto her back, his body over hers. His mouth dropped down to the closest nipple. Both her hands shot to his head, fingers entangling in his hair. She tasted of sweat and spring, the firmness of the hard nub contrasting delightfully with the incredible softness of her breast. The rest of the world vanishing, Tom nibbled and sucked, seemingly forever. Krissy gasped and cooed, moaned and whispered his name. He felt her shudder. Once. Twice. He kept going.

	At some point, their bodies shifted. He was between her legs, looming over her. Releasing his new favorite toys, he moved up, face once again inches from hers. He felt his cock touch wetness.

	Her hands grabbed his ass, pulling the same moment he thrust. She engulfed him.

	"Ah!"

	Her eyes were closed, expression half discomfort, half wonder. She was not as tight as Alice, but Krissy pulsed around him. Afraid he would cum right there, the feeling exquisite, he quickly pulled back and thrust. Her body resisted, gripping him firmly as he forced his way in and out. He looked down at her, amazed.

	"God... oh, God. Krissy..."

	Her own eyes were half open, lost in her own pleasure. He forced himself to move faster, her body now matching his rhythm, releasing him as his tip neared the entrance, gripping hard as it pushed back in. Her legs and arms wrapped around him, like a soft blanket against his back and ass. It felt... 

	It felt like home.

	His release came suddenly. One moment he was thrusting in again, the next it exploded out of him. He buried his face against her neck. Never. Never had it been this good.

	Was this... love?

****

	"Do you think they're doing it yet?"

	Alice almost tripped at Zak's words. She caught herself, hand going out to a convenient tree. After a half second considering the matter, she wondered why his remark had startled her. He was fourteen, knew about this stuff. Maybe she just still considered him the little brother. Back in control, she smiled at him.

	"No idea."

	"I like Tom," he said. "He'll be good for her."

	Spoken like someone who has no idea the emotions involved in all this. Which, in a way, she was glad of. Things were probably going to be complicated enough with the three of them. Zak staying out of it would simplify things immensely.

	The trees around them changed. Alice looked upward. She had no idea what type they were, a tree being a tree, but the trunks were tall and straight. Not that large around, either. She stopped before one, reaching her arms around it. Her hands overlapped. Once it was down, the branches removed, the four of them SHOULD be able to move, even lift, it.

	If not, they'd have to cut the trees into boards, and who knew if they could even try that.

	"Zak, count the trees." She pulled a tape measure out of the shopping bag, measuring the diameter and width.

	"All of them?"

	"Not in the forest, no. Just the ones like this one. I want to know what I have to work with." She dropped the tape and grabbed her notebook and pencil.

	"Neah."

	That didn't sound like Zak.

	"Neah. Neah."

	She looked down.

	A black goat looked up at her.

	Alice looked over at Zak. He was kneeling next to a brown and white goat, petting it. The boy looked over at her, face all smiles.

	"Want me to count these, too?"

Chapter 7

	Zak climbed out of their tent, ready for the new day.

	It could barely be called light, but about the same as it usually was. He wasn't sure if the days were getting longer or shorter, but he was waking with the sun on the same point on the horizon. Come winter, he'd probably be very well rested if that continued.

	"Oh...!"

	The female groan drew a sigh from the boy. He was the first out of bed, but never the first awake. Alice and Tom were usually doing their thing, shadows sometimes seen inside the green tent. Sometimes Zak would pause to watch, fascinated. Usually, he just got on with his chores. It didn't involve him. He wondered why his sister stayed with him at night, given she was often now doing the same things with Tom as Alice was, but he knew better than to ask.

	If he asked, she might answer, and he really didn't want to know.

	Zak walked down to the stream. The part with the lowest bank had become their bathing area, at least while they were in the tents. There was that lovely pool over by the new house just waiting to be used. Grabbing a wash cloth, he quickly wiped himself down. There was no need for a full dunk, in his opinion. Definitely no need for soap. That done, he went back up to the fire pit. The coals were still glowing slightly. He poked them with a stick, tossing a small log on, before grabbing his basket and pail. Whistling, he walked to the ford and crossed the stream.

	The wild chickens had been moved closer to the camp, but still roosted in the trees on the edge of the field. Tom had said he'd probably build some sort of hutch for them come fall, but they seemed fine now. Their nests rested on Tom's first construction project, a series of raised platforms made from lashed and woven branches. Zak liked them. They looked cool, and put the nests up high enough that they were easier to get to. Not that there had been any eggs yet. Over a week, and no eggs. He wondered if they'd ever get any. If not, Tom had said, the chickens would be worthless, even as food. With no baby chicks, the six hens and two roosters became just a couple meals with no long term purpose.

	"Come on, let there be eggs..."

	Zak checked the first nest. Empty. Naturally. He looked up into the trees. The sleeping poultry looked unconcerned. That would change. He stepped over to the next nest...

	Eggs.

	Three of them!

	"Yes!" He pumped his fist, realizing as he did that he'd better not do that while the basket in his hand had eggs in it. Dropping the pail to the ground, he transferred the basket to his left hand and reached into the nest. There were two brown eggs, and a white one. They were clean, dry, a bit warm. The white one he put against the side of the basket, moving the old shirt lining the bottom so that egg stayed separate. The other two he put in the middle of the basket, resting comfortably on the fabric. Moving down the line, he found four more eggs. It would be a good breakfast!

	"Neah."

	"I'm coming."

	Carefully picking the metal pail back up, Zak carried it and the eggs out toward the middle of the field. The goats were up, waiting. The girls were, at least. Seven were standing around, grazing, while the eighth came up to great him. Zak carefully transferred the egg basket to his left hand before reaching out to pet Betty. The goat licked at his wrist.

	"No, the eggs aren't for you. One of them is for The Lady, so you'd better not touch them!"

	Zak realized he didn't know if goats ate eggs. Bringing the basket here may have been a mistake. Well, something he would change tomorrow. For now, he'd take his chances.

	"Time for milk." Running his hand down Betty's neck, he moved to her side. She stayed still. Wisdom had to be helping here. The books they had bought, the "Raising Goats for Dummies" type, said you had to restrain their heads, or at least keep them busy eating. Zak didn't seem to have that problem. Kneeling down, he placed the bucket under Betty. Wetting his hand a bit with the morning dew on the grass, he wiped her two teats, then began squeezing. There was a rhythm to it, a skill, one he was getting the hang of. Pinch the teat to trap milk near the nipple, squeeze it out, then release to let it refill while you did the other one. It went fast. Which was good, with six goats to do twice a day. Two of the girls weren't giving milk, for reasons they didn't know, and the two males naturally weren't being milked.

	Male goat milk... yuck.

	He was just finishing the second goat when movement across the stream caught his eye. Tom was out of the tent. Zak smiled. The day was off to a good start.

****

	Tom took a long whiz against the tree.

	They hadn't set up a bathroom, really. They probably should. It was the civilized thing to do, after all. But, for whatever reason, that was getting lower and lower on the list. Partly it was probably due to them working in so many places now. They weren't going to dig latrine pits all over the place. They'd have one by the house, once they were moved into that.

	If they got around to it.

	The girls were still asleep. Alice always went back to bed for an hour or so after their morning fun. He couldn't blame her, given how energetic she usually got. Alice... well, she was taking to sex like fish to the frying pan. Sizzling and tasty.

	The yellow stream petered out. Tom gave his cock a final shake. He sometimes felt like giving it a medal, given how much, and how well, it had been performing. It was making him proud to be a man. A rare feeling, to be sure. His heroic dick now needed a quick wash, as did the rest of him, so down to the stream.

	He eyed the bar of soap in its water tight plastic bag. They couldn't make soap yet, much as they couldn't make most things. There was a way to turn goat's milk into soap, but it required so many additional oils there really was no point. Should he be using the store bought bar, or just rely on the fresh water the Lady was providing to do the needed cleaning?

	Well, he'd use some soap today. They really had to find their own source, though.

	Zak stood from milking the black goat with the white muzzle, waving. Tom waved back. The kid really liked the animals, which was good. Tom didn't know if he'd have the right temperament for it. He was a dog person, and goats and chickens weren't dogs. Food for dogs, yes, probably one reason the Lady had not provided him with a pet. Also, his two wives served many of the same functions, although he sure as hell wasn't going to tell them that.

	Rinsing off, he looked up stream and contemplated. He wasn't sure he was in the mood to fish for breakfast. They had the cheese Krissy had made yesterday, and blueberries from those bushes Alice had found. That might be enough to get them started.

	That was another thing they had to work on. Too much gathering, not enough storing. What they found was all eaten by the end of the day. It worked, their bellies were nice and full, but he didn't like that. They had to start getting ahead. The cheese was a good start. Especially if those last two goats started producing. They could store that for a long time, and those four gallons of milk a day would eventually give them a nice stockpile.

	Maybe he should get some fishing in. Save the cheese.

	Standing, he saw Zak raise his basket. Eggs. They had eggs! Tom raised his arms, clasping his hands above his head. The boy's laugh came rolling over the dewy grass. Well, that was another food source. And they could get more chickens out of it.

	Movement caught his eye. Something moving through the grass over behind Krissy's tent...

	A rabbit.

	They had seen them about, moving here and there, ignoring the humans unless they came too close. Snares had been on Tom's agenda, but like so many things he didn't know how to make them yet. Another book to go into civilization to buy. However, he though, eyes sliding towards the fire, he DID have the slingshot. Zak had picked the skill up quicker than Tom, but he could get near a target at least. Was it worth a try?

	Sure, why not.

	Moving normally, one eye staying on the bunny, he walked to where they'd tossed them near the chairs. They were store bought, found at the large hunting and camping store over in Glens Falls. Along with tools, pots and pans, and metal grills to place over fire pits, they were the main investment so far. Along with pancake mix, naturally (and, now that he thought about it, they could now get the better, cheaper kind that you added eggs and milk to). They had a rubber grip, metal spokes and a brownish-yellow rubber tube for the actual sling part. They even had a wrist brace. High tech, and much cheaper than a bow and arrow. Tom picked up his, as well as one of the metal pellets they'd bought. Eventually, making their own ammo would probably be on the agenda, but these were cheap and reasonably reusable for now. Slowly, he moved into a better position as he loaded.

	The bunny never saw it coming. One moment it was just sitting there, ears up, looking around in the dawn twilight, the next it was squealing in pain as a metal sphere went through it. The creature let out a couple more screeches before going silent. The flap of the nearby tent flew open, a nude Krissy looking out in shock.

	"What the fuck was that?!"

	"Food. Get up, we have to go see The Lady."

****

	"Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
	That saved a wretch like me.
	I once was lost but now am found,
	Was blind, but now I see."

	Zak always got goosebumps when the girls sang up here. It just sounded... well, awesome, and when combined with the awe he felt for the lady, the result was a shiver down his body. His sister had a great voice, too. So unexpected, if you didn't know her well. She had sung to him often, sending him to sleep with her amazing gift. Now she offered the same to Wisdom.

	"Wisdom has promised good to me.
	Her word my hope secures.
	Her will my shield and portion be,
	As long as life endures."

	The altar fire was going well now, the coals brought from the camp starting the dry wood quickly. Zak put another log on, head turning to Tom. His new Father nodded, smiling. Returning the smile, Zak looked back at the tree and gave a small bow. Sensing acceptance, he walked backwards four steps before kneeling down in the grass beside his two sisters. And, that's what they were. His sisters, even as the Lady was now their Mother. His hand found Krissy's. Love filled his heart. He joined in the final verse.

	"When we've been here ten thousand years
	Bright shining as the sun.
	We've no less days to sing Her praise
	Than when we've first begun."

	Tom spoke.

	"Oh Shaddai, Wisdom, our Lady, hear us. We come to you this morning to offer sacrifice, to honor you with the first of all we have. As you have blessed us, so we bow before you and offer thanks. Accept this, in your name."

	Zak watched as Tom broke the egg over the altar, letting the orange yoke and clear goo fall onto the flat stone. The sphere of yoke split open, its contents spreading. The leaves of the white oak seemed to pulse. Tom tossed the shell into the altar fire. The flames rose, smoke turning white. Tom then placed the rabbit on the stone. Zak could not see most of what he was doing, but red blood ran down the side of the holy rock. Soon, Tom raised both hands up, holding a mass of bones and fur. He placed them on the coals. This time the entire tree pulsed. Zak could feel her. Feel her pleasure. Her... acceptance. Love. Her voice floated through his mind.

	"You have done well, my children. I am pleased. Go, with my blessing, and know I will always be with you."

	Tom bowed, as did Zak and the girls. Tears came to Zak's eyes.

	God loved him.

****

	Alice closed her eyes.

	"Oh, goddess, that smells good..."

	Krissy moved to whack Alice's hand with her tongs. The blonde snatched it back, grinning.

	"I'm sorry! I'm just hungry!"

	"I'm the cook, you don't eat anything until I say it's done!" Scowling, Krissy flipped a rabbit leg over, then back. "OK, it's done. Give me those plates."

	Tom sat back in his chair, accepting the plate of rabbit and scrambled eggs with cheese. He closed his own eyes for a moment.

	"That does smell good. Krissy, you're amazing."

	"Thanks." His eyes opened to see her blush. Zak came over with the bucket of blueberries, Tom holding his plate out as the boy gave him a large handful. The others got smaller handfuls. Talk became impossible as they dug in.

	It was a meal. Their first, real, human meal. Sure, maybe a bit large for breakfast, but that was OK. They were celebrating a sacrifice. Biting into the perfectly cooked rabbit, Tom considered. There was more meat to be gotten off of a rabbit, once all of it was theirs to do with as they wished. Still, one rabbit was not going to give them much more than one meal. Hunting, then, should just be the occasional thing. No need to cause a bunny extinction. Maybe one a week, if chance and skill permitted.

	"So," Zak asked, pausing his wolfing down of the feast, "can I go hunting later? There's always rabbits out around twilight. I can do it after the second milking."

	"We can't store the meat until we get a smokehouse up," Krissy said. She took a drink of milk. "There's no point hunting if it's just going to go bad."

	"Aww..."

	"You can hunt later," Alice told him. "Let's focus on other things first." She looked over at Tom. "You need help with the house today?"

	He shook his head.

	"I'm just going to cut the branches off the three trees we cut down yesterday. Even if I finish, I doubt I'll be in the mood to haul them over today."

	"Do you need me?" Zak asked, mouth full. Tom looked at Alice.

	"He's yours unless you don't need him. A second pair of hands with the small saw would speed things up."

	"I really want to get the garden totally weeded today."

	"He's yours, then."

	"Lucky you," Krissy said. Alice smiled at Zak.

	"Yes I am."

****

	City kids trying to farm was a recipe for disaster. Or, at least, doing twice the work necessary for any given task. Alice thought they were doing OK, considering. Wisdom had done the hard stuff, giving them plants already in the ground and growing. All they had to do was make sure they grew.

	Actually, they might not even have to do that. Alice had a suspicious feeling all would be well if the humans in fact did nothing, if they just waited until everything ripened. But, she wanted to feel like she was helping. Wanted to be part of what turned plants into food, which Krissy would then turn into meals.

	And, well, farming was cool.

	Not literally cool. The sun was shining down on Alice as she used the long handled hoe to dig up any weeds springing up between the corn stalks. She probably should have a hat. Something to give her shade. Alice wasn't sure if that would be against the whole "back in Eden" thing, though. You never saw Adam and Eve wearing hats. Or anyone in the Bible, really. Weird. You'd think hats would have been handy back then.

	Alice came to the edge of the garden. Two more hacks into the moist dirt brought up more clumps of invading weeds. Deciding she needed a rest, she stepped back onto the grass. The flat part of the hoe against the ground, she leaned against the handle, taking in her handiwork. It would have been easier, naturally, if the plants were in nice, straight rows. Humans did that for a reason. Gods did things for their own reasons, however, and she was not going to question those now. She had managed to get through the corn, that was the important thing.

	"Done already?"

	Zak was looking at her, surprised and impressed. Alice smiled tiredly.

	"More than done. I'm going for a swim."

	"Sounds good." His black haired head looked around him critically. "One more load, and I'll have this area cleared. Then I'll get the weeds in the corn."

	"Take your time, drink lots of water."

	"I will." Dropping down to his knees, the boy went back to tossing uprooted weeds in his basket.

	He was going to kill her, working so hard. Alice considered taking a short rest, going back to help him pick up what she'd just upturned. She knew her limits, however. Her muscles were aching, her skin not burning but protesting all the exposure. Her and Krissy were going to look like siblings of Zak by the time summer was over.

	Leaning the hoe against a tree, she made her way onto the forest trail. They were creating a number of paths through the trees, connecting all of their world. The amusing thing, to her at least, was that the house was, in fact, centrally located. Once they moved from the tents into their log cabin, the farm and berry patch would be as easy to get to as the orchard and goat field. There had been no doubt in her mind that the rock was where they were supposed to live, but it was becoming more obvious every day.

	Alice loved getting things right.

****

	It wasn't until she was near the cabin site that Alice realized she wasn't hearing the sound of chopping. Had not, in fact heard it for awhile, although she had been preoccupied with her own grunts of effort. The idea that Tom might have slipped with the ax flashed before her eyes. He could be hurt! As she came out into the construction site, she swept her gaze over the logs already cut and dragged. Tom wasn't here. Stride quickening, she moved to the path leading to the tree grove.

****

	The groan she heard as she approached her mate was not one of pain.

	Alice watched, entranced, as Tom slowly thrust in and out of Krissy. Her friend was on all fours, her large breasts swaying in rhythm with his movements. Her voice moaning, Krissy's head dropped down, curly hair falling over her face.

	"Yes... yes..."

	Smiling, Alice turned, making her way back to the bathing pool. It would be wrong to interrupt their breeding.

****

	"Clubs are trump."

	"Going it alone?"

	"Hell no."

	"Wimp."

	Tom shook his head at the two siblings. They had picked up the game of Euchre much too fast, no longer making the mistakes of a novice. Now they made the mistakes of youth, and few of those truth be told. It was getting harder to beat them.

	Not impossible, though. Krissy led out the ace of hearts. Looking down at his hand, Tom saw he was bereft of hearts. He sent the ten of clubs down onto the mighty ace.

	"I'll take that."

	"That's my partner!" Alice scooped up the trick once the other cards had been played, her role as designated trick gatherer having been decided on early. Tom considered his hand. He led the ace of diamonds. Alice gleefully trumped it with the nine of clubs, tossing the jack of clubs down next to it.

	"We set you!"

	"What the fuck did you have?" Zak bitched, throwing his hand onto the blanket in disgust. Krissy did the same.

	"Ace, king, jack of spades! I was counting on you for one trick!"

	"And that," Tom said, changing the score, "gives us ten."

	"Gah! I hate this game!"

	Gathering up the cards, Tom threw them in front of the pissed teen.

	"Your deal."

	"Good. We're going to win this time!"

****

	The four lay under the stars.

	Zak's eyes were heavy. Soon, he'd be in their tent, asleep on the old sleeping bag. Not yet, though. He lay next to Krissy, their fingers entwined. Tom and Alice lay on the other side of his sister, the man between his two women.

	They did not talk. No words were needed. The family looked up into the heavens, heaven looking back down.

	They were alone with their Goddess.

Chapter 8

	The brown haired girl looked back at Zak with wide eyed amazement.

	She wore a plain light blue sundress, its thin fabric clinging to her sweaty body. Her legs were bare, feet in battered blue sneakers but no socks. Her hair style was about the same as his, a short black curly afro, but her skin was the light tan of one outdoors rather than the brown of Africa. She wore glasses, lenses large and round on her oval face, resting on a small cute nose. In her hands, a walking stick almost as tall as her, and just as thin.

	Zak could not decide if he should run towards her, or away, if this meeting was a sin or a blessing. It was his fault either way, of course. Zak was the one who decided to explore. The one who did not turn back when he felt himself leave the land given to them by the Lady. He was in the real world, now, and...

	Fuck. He was naked.

	He had his own walking stick, like hers just a dead branch with all the smaller stuff stripped off. It was only about shoulder height on his almost five foot tall frame. She looked to be about as tall as his staff, and maybe about his age. Putting his hands on top of the stick as he leaned forward, Zak smiled what he hoped was a non-threatening smile.

	"Obviously, I did not expect to see anyone."

	His voice seemed to startle her. She looked around quickly, eyes returning to him as if her life depended on knowing where he was. He tried again.

	"My name's Zak. I won't hurt you. What's your name?"

	He could see her bite her lower lip.

	"Where are you from?" Her voice was a bit high pitched. Not what he was expecting, but then he really didn't know what people without a New York accent sounded like. He jerked his head towards the path behind him.

	"I came from that way."

	The girl had taken two steps back before Zak even noticed. Her staff was held up like a sword, the tip drooping as she tried to keep the heavy end up.

	"There?" Her voice got even higher. "You came from there?!"

	Her expression was... fear.

	Why was there fear? There was nothing to fear on their plot of land. Nobody could fear the Lady. Unconsciously, he took a step forward.

	"What..."

	She turned and ran.

	Zak was not stupid enough to follow. Almost, but not quite. What first stopped him was not knowing what was ahead. The thought that she could be leading him into danger, or that he could easily get lost. Only after a moment's reflection did Zak realize what a naked black teen chasing a young white girl though the woods might look like. Hell, any racial combination would not be looked on well. Moving to a nearby rock, he sat.

	What, exactly, had happened?

	She had been...

	Well, beautiful. Yes. Not the point, but perhaps the only real reason this encounter should mean something. A beautiful girl had been standing not ten feet away.

	For the first time since entering the realm of The Lady, Zak felt a stirring between his legs.

****

	Zak felt the return of Wisdom's presence as he crossed the invisible boundary between her land and reality. Peace filled him, pushing out all worry and doubt. The Lady was here. Nothing else mattered.

	He paused, examining what, exactly, marked the border. On the surface there was nothing. The forest all looked the same. As he stared, though, Zak could detect a slight shimmer in the air. Not much. Only when the sun hit it just so, and only when you had reality to compare it to. Interesting.

	Everything about this place was interesting, at least to him. One reason he had started exploring. The city, for all its vastness, had been confining. Oppressive. His own natural inclination to stay at his sister's side, and her loving protectiveness, kept him to areas well known and safe. Here... here, he felt free. Free to wander. Free to, not take risks, but to not worry. He now had confidence in himself.

	Thus, his rest day wanderings.

	You could not truly have a day of rest, not with chores that must be done. Zak had no idea what the heck that whole Sabbath thing was about. No, every day, rain or shine, he had to get the eggs and milk the goats. Tom fished, sometimes with Zak joining him. Krissy cooked, turned the milk into cheese with Alice. Still, there was work that COULD be delayed. Tom had decided every Saturday would be a day of rest. No work on the cabin, no work in the field, apart from picking any food needed for the meals. Just the four of them resting, doing what they wanted. Having fun.

	That fun, more and more, involved his sister and Alice playing with Tom. Zak watched, sometimes, mostly because of the unusual positions Krissy would get into. Her slightly swollen belly and floppy boobs would stick out this way and that, amusing him. She had just started to shed some of her excess weight when she began showing, also adding to his amusement. It was as if her baby was sucking her fat in to create itself. But, he knew his family needed time with just the three of them together. Zak was not unwelcome, certainly, but neither was that his place.

	The forest, that was where he belonged.

****

	The others were not fucking as Zak entered the cabin clearing.

	The teen stopped, surprised, as he saw Tom pull back on the long rope. It traveled up to the top of a tripod of wooden poles, through some wooden pulleys, and down around a small log hanging in the air. The two girls were up on a wooden platform running next to the cabin wall, maneuvering the log into place. Zak frowned.

	"I thought we weren't working today."

	"We're not," Tom grunted. Zak ran over, putting his own hands on the rope just behind Tom's. Their bodies pressed together, muscles straining under sweaty skin.

	"What the hell is this, then?"

	"This," Tom said, the two males letting some slack go as Alice motioned with her hand, "is doing what the women are in the mood to do, so they don't get pissed."

	"Damned straight," Krissy said. "I figured... lower it a bit more... that the three of us could do these smaller pieces. If you had been here, the four of us would be doing this."

	That made him feel a bit better. They weren't excluding him.

	"OK," Alice said, "slowly drop it."

	Zak let the rope slip. The log, part of the pantry, lowered the last inch, dropping onto its appointed place. The design of the cabin had changed, once they began actually placing logs. It was now "T" shaped, limiting the length of any one side to something they could deal with. The rear, next to the rock face fourth wall, now had the pantry and root cellar jutting to the right side, while the left had the end bedroom extended outward from the body of the cabin. Once you factored in windows and doors, most of the logs were a very manageable size.

	"Another one down!" Krissy raised her arms in victory. Debris from the wood lay on her bare front, giving the top of her breasts and the curve of her swelling belly an extra emphasis. "Another day or two, and we'll just have the roof to do!"

	"Yup." Tom leaned back, the older man's spine cracking. His hand went to Zak's shoulder. "Thanks for the help. Your sister is trying to kill me."

	"Revenge for knocking me up." The dark haired girl dropped to the ground, walking over to them. She pressed herself against Tom, her body molding to his. "Want to take a swim, get cleaned up?"

	Zak sighed. He was glad the two were happy together. Glad his sister now had someone. But...

	A soft yet callused hand rested itself on his shoulder. Alice, belly protruding a bit more on her thinner frame, turned him to face her, hugging the younger teen. Zak smiled. He had gained a sister. He had lost nothing.

	"Find anything fun?" she asked. He shook his head, feeling content as their bodies pressed together.

	"Naw... I just walked."

****

	It was raining the next time Zak ventured outside Eden.

	Not much. A light drizzle, falling through the green canopy above. It felt good on his skin, cooling the warm summer day. Another difference between here and the city. There, rain was something to flee. Here, it was a joy to be experienced.

	Sometimes. That thunderstorm of a couple days ago had been frightening.

	Zak had left the three of them inside the almost finished cabin. The roof was up, maybe even water proof. Alice had said they were going to spend the afternoon "checking" for leaks. Right. He had left them with a laugh, one returned with no embarrassment. His sister's hand had been fondling Tom's dick as Zak went through the door-less doorway.

	Consciously, there had been no destination in his mind. Zak had just grabbed his walking staff, picking a path at random. That it had been the same one he had taken the week before was chance. That the time of day was the same, roughly, was also pure coincidence. The boy walked through the rain with no thoughts beyond the moment.

	The rain changed as he stepped past the boundary. The drops seemed sharper. Their impact on his skin more irritating. Not enough for him to consider turning back, or finding clothing. He just had to adjust, that's all. After a few minutes he was fine.

	The ground became muddier. The squishy feeling on his bare feet was interesting, pleasurable even. Now and then it would take a bit of extra effort to lift one out, but that itself was a bit of a game. The staff was useful at those moments, providing leverage. After a while, Zak began to search for rocks and drier ground to use as his path. A new game.

****

	He saw her at a distance, red umbrella shining like a beacon through the rain. The girl sat on the same rock he had used, bare feet just off the ground. She wore a pink t-shirt with some kind of grinning cat, blue jean shorts that were VERY short. Green flip flops lay on the rock next to her.

	Zak had forgotten about the girl. How had he forgotten about her? He looked down at himself. He was still nude, obviously. If he had known he'd be seeing her again, he would have grabbed shorts to put on. He did have clothing, after all, for when they went into town to buy things. That was getting rarer and rarer, as the money became less and less. Alice had suggested maybe selling some of the cheese, or even vegetables once they had everything harvested and knew how much they'd have to last the winter. Not that they would really need money much as time went on...

	He shook his head. Focus. He had to focus on what to do. Should he approach the girl? Or stay away? And why was she here? She had fled, yet here she was. Almost as if she was waiting. Waiting... for him?

	His body began moving forward as soon as that thought crossed his mind. The girl's head swung towards him. His brown body was probably harder to see in the forest than her colorful outfit. Zak saw her stare at him for a moment. Awkwardly, she shifted the umbrella to her other hand, moving quickly to slip her shoes back on her feet. Zak paused, her long bare legs causing his breath to catch. His dick, too, noticed them, stiffening. The stranger now stood before her rock seat, umbrella over her head. Her other hand held the same walking staff as before, un-noticed by him leaning up against the rock.

	"Hello," he said. His voice, again, seemed to startle her. Her body did not seem poised to flee, though. Not quite yet.

	"Hi."

	"I'm Zak."

	He took a few steps closer, getting a better look at her. He stopped as soon as her body seemed to draw back. As before, he planted his staff in the ground before him, leaning on it. Zak smiled.

	"What's your name?"

	"Lilith."

	There was a hesitation before she spoke, but give her name she did. Lilith. Zak spoke the name to himself. It sounded...

	"Why are you here?" Her voice cut through his thoughts. Zak considered a moment, shrugging.

	"I'm just exploring. Today's a rest day, so after the morning chores I'm free to do what I want."

	"Why are you naked?"

	He saw her eyes drop down between his legs. He was mostly erect, teen manhood sticking out proudly. There was a small patch of black hair above it, sort of. The rest of him was still as smooth as a pre-teen. His body had a lot of work to do before it caught up with Tom in that regard. He shrugged again.

	"We just tend to be, unless we go into town. There's nobody to see us out here, after all." He cocked his head at her. "Usually."

	Lilith was blushing.

	He didn't want to frighten her. From the set of her body, Lilith was staying only through force of will. She WANTED to flee, yet wanted to stay. Zak could understand that perfectly. He glanced around him. Another rock poked out of the earth to his left. Nodding to the girl, he moved over to it. He sat, facing her, staff placed on the grass beside him. Her eyes dropped down between his legs again, his dick now exposed even more. The rain falling on it felt incredibly good.

	Hesitantly, Lilith sat back on her rock. The two teens stared at each other silently.

	Zak could not see the color of her eyes. That was important, for some reason. He wanted to know. Wanted to be closer, to look into them. Wanted...

	"You... live around here?"

	Her question again was hesitant. Remembering her reaction the last time, he slowly nodded, expression serious.

	"Yes. There's a gate in a fence by the side of the road, and we live beyond it. We're building a cabin." Part of him knew he shouldn't say too much. That the Lady was not ready for their home to be public knowledge. Later, maybe, in generations to come, when a Temple was built. So Tom's dreams had said. This couldn't hurt, though. This girl could not hurt them. "How about you? Do you live near here?"

	Her head lowered.

	"I'm now living with my Grandpa. He has a small place over there." She waved behind her. "He's strict. Grandpa wouldn't like me talking to you."

	"Perfectly understandable," Zak said. She looked up again, a slight smile on her face. Zak felt himself blushing at that smile.

	"No. I mean, well, yeah, he'd kill me for being with a naked boy. And a Black one? Forget it!" She giggled, hands clasping each other between her knees. This pressed breasts Zak had not noticed before together, their shape outlined against her shirt. His cock hardened more. "No. I mean, he wouldn't like it that you're from there. He told me to never go there. That it was bad. Evil."

	"Evil?" The idea was ludicrous. The Lady? Evil? Only an evil person would think that! Zak immediately put her Grandfather into that category.

	"Yeah," she nodded. "Silly, I know, but that's what he said. It was the first rule he gave me when I moved in. Never go there!"

	"No evil," Zak said. "None that we've noticed, at least."

	They were silent again.

	"I can't stay that long," she said, finally. There was regret in her voice. "I have to get back and start dinner. Grandpa gets angry if I'm late with dinner."

	Zak nodded in understanding.

	"Sis does most of the cooking for us, although we help when she asks. I get the eggs, and milk the goats in the morning and evening."

	"We have those too," she said, voice turning bitter. "I have to do most of the chores with them, too, milking and feeding. Grandpa... doesn't do much."

	He wanted to ask why she was there. Why it sounded like she was a slave. That was too personal, though. To ask such questions would be to invite similar ones asked of himself, and Zak wasn't ready for that. He thought.

	"If I came here earlier... would you be here?"

	Her head dropped, feet swinging just off the ground. Her two flip flops hung down, barely on her bare feet.

	"Maybe..."

	"I like talking to you."

	Her head shot up at that, eyes widening. Blue. Her eyes looked blue. A dark blue. Her head dropped again. It was if she wanted to hide behind her hair, thwarted by its short curls.

	"I like you, too," Lilith whispered.

	Zak decided to take a chance. He stood, leaving his staff on the ground. The rain lessening, he slowly walked towards the girl. Her head came back up, eyes startled. They were definitely blue, a dark blue behind those glasses. Hesitantly, she slid off the rock, standing, feet wiggling as she slipped fully into her flip flops. Her body was tense, as if ready to flee, or fight him off. Both hands gripped the handle of her umbrella.

	"It's OK," he said, trying to put all the sincerity he could into his voice. "I just want to..." He stopped a few feet from her, holding out his hand. "...shake."

	Lilith laughed. It was a sudden, honest laugh. Moving her umbrella to her left hand, she moved her right to meet his.

	The first touch of her skin sent shivers through out his body. He saw her react as well. She was warm. Soft. Yet, her palm and fingers had the same calluses his hand did, newly formed by labor. He closed his hand around hers. It was smaller, yet he felt the strength. He wanted to both run away, and pull her against him. The same emotional tug of war played against Lilith's face.

	Reluctantly, he let go, stepping back. The nerves of his hand still registered the feeling of her flesh.

	"I'll be here again next week. The cabin is almost done, so I might have more free time once we're done with that."

	"OK," she said. The girl was opening and closing her hand as it hung by her side. "I'll see you then."

	Zak stayed where he was as she turned to walk away. He watched, her hips swinging back and forth slightly as her thin form made its way through the trees. Twice she looked back, each time with what he thought was a smile.

	Then she was gone.

Chapter 9

	"I now pronounce the cabin finished."

	Tom put his hands on his hips as the others clapped, cheered, and whistled. It was done Weeks of work, how many he had lost count, was now over. It was late summer, and they had their home.

	It was satisfying. That was the main feeling. Satisfaction. Tom had heard of the idea of having pride in your work. It was the type of thing bosses told you, even as they cut your wages or reduced your hours. It was one of those concepts that just got more silly as the years went on. Yet, here he was. Proud. Proud at having worked hard. At having figured out how to work wood. At, with the help of the others, and Alice's crane, having lifted the logs up into place. At now having provided shelter for the winter for his family, well before it really was needed.

	They were starting to get ahead.

	The front door had been the last thing. There had been no reason to hang it while they were still working on the inside. While much of the furnishings they just built in place, things were still carried in and out constantly, and not having the door just made it easier. It was a good door, solid. He had finally gotten the hang of splitting wood, allowing him to make the tables and counters with flat tops. The door was made from two of his planks, a diagonal brace nailed to the inside. He hadn't used many nails, building the place, but here it had seemed easiest. The hinges were also store bought.

	On either side of the front door stood two open windows. They had not bought glass, trusting the Lady to help them with bugs (had Jesus ever kept flies away? No). Shutters would keep the rain out, and the snow. The roof was sod. That had been Alice's idea. With the three wooden walls extending out from the large rock that made its fourth side, it looked like they had built the thing into a hill. A hill with a straight ridge on top and slanted sides, but a hill none the less.

	The four entered their home. They had spent a lifetime in it already, it seemed, yet Tom was looking at it with fresh eyes. All signs of construction had been swept out. All their possessions, such as they were, moved in. The main room ran down the right half of the building, roughly forty feet from door to rock wall. Krissy's kitchen dominated the far end next to the fireplace, her countertops and work tables set just so, iron pots hanging over the fire, unused pots and pans hanging from a wooden rack attached to ceiling beams. A doorway led to the pantry, with stairs down to the root cellar. Another doorway, a late addition cut into the finished exterior wall, led from the pantry to a woodshed built from left over logs.

	A dinner table, square, sat near the door, with four chairs. Perfect for evening card games. Closer to the fire a large log frame couch, and a couple chairs, cushions stuffed with fabric scraps scrounged from various second hand stores. Alice had made them, as well as the two mattresses that currently resided in two of the three bedrooms which ran down the other side of the house.

	Tom felt a now well known hand take his. He looked down at Alice. The blonde's belly was still not that prominent, her breasts still not much larger than when he had met her. Her tear, tears of joy, ran down cheeks tan from months of summer sun.

	"I've dreamed of a home like this," she said, softly. Tom chuckled.

	"So you have said. I never liked that show. Nelly was annoying."

	"She was suppose to be."

	Zak was walking around, hands touching first the table, then the couch. The boy had really helped, to the point where Tom didn't know if he would have been able to do all this without him. Certainly, not before the snows came. Removing his hand from Alice's, he walked over to Zak, placing a hand on his brown shoulder.

	"You did good. I'm proud."

	The hug he found himself the recipient of was unexpected, but welcome. He put his arms around the teen, holding him close.

	"Zak, I never thought of having children. Never thought of having a family. I now have both. Thank you for being my son."

	The boy gave him a squeeze.

	"Thanks, Dad."

	Dad.

	So much came with that name.

****

	Krissy could not help the blush of pride as the others dove into dinner.

	There was something about feeding her family. About turning what nature, what Wisdom, had given them, into a meal. Not just food, but a meal. There was a difference. She had not known it before. Krissy had cooked because someone had to, because Mom was gone, because a well fed father was a non-angry father. And, mostly, because her brother needed to grow up strong.

	She could do that, now. Help him grow up strong. Healthy. That hadn't been possible, with what she had to work with in their old life. Packaged and frozen crap from the cheapest brands. Now she had fresh corn and tomatoes coming from the garden, chives and onions, fish and rabbit, milk and eggs, even salt from near that lick they had found. She could make stew. Roasts. Bread. She could make cornbread. Pudding. There was so much she could do now!

	"How is it?" she asked. Alice looked up, mouth full.

	"Gree-!" She swallowed.  "Great! I love what you did to this rabbit."

	"I used those herbs you brought me today. I wasn't sure how you'd like it."

	"It's incredible," Tom told her. She felt her heart flutter. "Mark this recipe with a star or something."

	"I want to start really harvesting," she said, leaning forward, food still untouched. "Start canning, drying. Fill the pantry and cellar, so I know what we have and what I can make."

	"Day after tomorrow," he said. "Tomorrow we rest, then it's back to work."

	"Can you make pickles, Sis?" Zak looked at her with wide, hopeful eyes. Her heart almost burst.

	"I think I can do that. Just for you."

****

	Tom lay on the couch, watching the women clean up after dinner.

	There was something relaxingly sexist about the act. It reminded him of home. Of childhood, before he entered real life. Before life began rejecting him. Women in the kitchen, talking. Men in the den, doing the same. A game on the TV. Tom sitting on the floor, eyes going between the glowing screen and the faces that dominated his life.

	They could recreate that.

	Not TV, no. While putting some sort of hydro or wind power here was possible, that wasn't on the agenda. He could be a Grandpa, though. Tom would live long. He knew that, somehow. The Lady would see to it. He would see his children grow, mate, give them their own children. He could sit with his sons and grandsons by the fire, talking of the farm, of fishing, while three or four generations of women busied themselves with the next meal. A small boy in his lap, playing with his large fingers callused with years of work.

	He closed his eyes. The Lady offered so much, asked so little in return. A temple. She needed a temple. A real one. He had seen one, in his dreams. Dreams from her, most likely, yet the drive to act on them came from him alone. Not this year, no. Let them get through this first winter, bring the first children into this world. Then. Then he would build it. The square room. The veil. The Holy of Holies...

	"You're not sleeping, are you?"

	Krissy's voice was pissed, the anger of amusement. His hand shot out, guessing her position. Fingers closed around an arm, pulling the teen down onto the couch. Tom's eyes opened as she squealed in surprise, too shocked to given even token resistance.

	"Nope," he said, grinning at her. He sat up, pulling her into his lap. Tom felt her relax, body molding into his. Arms going around her, one hand cupped a breast, the other her belly. Alice plopped down next to them. After a moment's pause, she half stood and plopped down again. She nodded.

	"It's holding. That's good."

	"Watch it break when Zak gets back," Krissy said. Tom laughed, squeezing her boob.

	"I built it stronger than that. I can't see it breaking for at least a few days."

	"It's the bed, we may break," Alice said, eyes twinkling. Tom saw Krissy blush. That she could still blush, even now, was one of her more lovable traits.

	"The mattress is more likely to give way than the frame, I think." Tom saw Alice's eyes narrow. She couldn't deny he was right. Well, she could, but she'd be wrong.

	Krissy removed his hands from her body, sliding off to sit beside him. The three sat on the couch, silently taking in the view.

	"I just had a nasty thought," Krissy said. Tom looked at her. "We just built a house. What if we now have to sacrifice it to Her?"

	"Ha!" Alice barked out a laugh. "God, wouldn't that be hysterical? I mean, horrible, too, but that would just be too funny!"

	"Unless the house is alive," Tom said, smiling, "I don't think she's interested in it. Now, she may want a sacrifice to help bless the place, so we'll have to listen for that, but..."

	The front door banged open.

	The three turned, looking over the back of the couch. Zak stood there, two buckets of milk in his hands. The boy's eyes wide, he moved quickly to the kitchen counter. The buckets safely deposited, with not a drop of milk spilled Tom was glad to see, he turned to them, grinning.

	"The baby's here!"

	"Baby?" Tom frowned. The two babies were safely encased in the two women next to him.

	"Goat baby! Flo popped out her little kid while we were eating! It's so cool! You gotta come see!"

	A wave of coldness swept over Tom. The first goat born to their flock.

	Fuck.

	He stood, the eyes of his two women on him. Confusion appeared on Zak's face as Tom slowly walked over to him. He placed his hand firmly on his son's shoulder.

	"Zak. Don't get too excited about this."

	"But you should see it! He's amazing! He's standing already and everything! He came up to me as I was milking Wendy! He's brown, with these big eyes! I gotta think of a good name!"

	"Zak!" Zak blinked, startled. Tom took a deep breath. "Zak, this is the first goat born to that mother. You know what that means."

	Comprehension slowly appeared on his face. His son was smart. He had just forgotten. The boy's head dropped, a sad sigh escaping.

	"Do we have to?"

	"Yes," Tom said, squeezing his shoulder. "With this one. It's the first, and the first must be given to The Lady."

	"We didn't give the first baby chick." There was anger in his voice. Understandable.

	"We gave the first egg, and that counted. When we finally make a meal from one of those clucking egg layers, part will go to her. Now, she told me, when we first realized three of the goats were expecting, that this year, and only this year, only the first born of the herd is to be hers. The other two will be ours. After that, it's the first born from each mother." He smiled, sadly. "The Lady demands her own, but she's understanding. This one kid will allow two others to live, and no others from those three mothers will ever be at risk. His sacrifice will bless the entire herd."

	Zak nodded, slowly. Another sigh came from him. The two girls were suddenly there, hugging him, pregnant forms almost smothering the boy. He tried to free himself, annoyance quickly becoming laughter as they easily held him captive. Moving his hand up to the boy's head, Tom ruffled his curly hair.

	"We're going to be eating goats, you know. Not this one, it all goes to the Lady, but in the future. These aren't pets."

	"I know."

	Tom gave the hair another ruffle.

	"Maybe we can designate one for a pet. Or ask the Lady to allow us some dogs. You do need a companion."

****

	Zak sat silently on the rock, waiting.

	He was early. He knew that. Lilith was always there when he arrived, so was probably timing her travel based on when he usually showed. Zak was a good hour ahead of schedule.

	The sacrifice had been... what? Well, it happened. That was for sure. Once there, before the altar, he had understood. Before, no. Not emotionally. That this cute newborn babe had to have its throat cut, blood flowing to the ground, made no sense.

	Yet it did.

	The morning's milking had been the worst. The kid had come up to him, nudging Zak's arm as he milked Lessa. He had not wanted to look at him. Not wanted to see it as a cute, living creature. That would make what they had to do all the more horrible.

	Then Zak's compassion reasserted itself. The infant only had another hour in this world, before he went to the Lady. Wasn't it up to the teen to make its life until then happy? So he had petted it, let it lick his face. Watched as it ran back to its mother for a snack.

	Watched as Tom held its non-struggling form on the rock altar, draining its life.

	The Lady's reaction was different. More intense, maybe. She was closer, for one. Zak felt it. A cloud descended, appearing over the tree. It was then that he realized the tree was NOT the Lady. Rather, it was the bridge. A bridge between land and sky. That was why the two parts of the sacrifice. Blood into the ground, into the roots, Smoke up into the sky, past the leaves. And the Lady had come down. Graced them with her presence.

	They had pleased her.

	Zak looked around. The Lady wasn't here. Not in the way they knew her at home. He was sure she, in fact, WAS here, in some sense. That if she looked she could see him, hear him, even talk to him. She had to be able to work everywhere. How else had she arranged for Tom to come to the forest? Sent an army of animals to mail the key and letter?

	That image cheered him up. Already, the sacrifice was fading from his mind. Dad had seen he was upset, told him he was free to do his rest day wandering early. Tom knew him so well, knew what was best for him. Could a boy ask for a better father? Zak thought not.

	The sound of footsteps came to his ears.

	Zak turned his head, smiling. Lilith was here.

****

	"I don't want to go to church tomorrow."

	Zak nodded, trying to focus on her words. It wasn't easy. Lilith dominated ALL his senses. She wore another of her sundresses, its light fabric clinging to her body. It covered more of her legs than the shorts she sometimes wore, but as she kicked her legs, bare thigh came into view, before vanishing again. She wore no bra, not really needing one, but the breasts she did have formed slight cleavage which drew his eye as much as her legs. Then there was her face. Zak could stare at that face every day. Those blue eyes behind large circular lenses...

	"I mean..." she hesitated. "Do you go to church? I know you don't go to that one."

	Her eyes met his. Zak hesitated. He was always unsure how much to say. He wanted to tell the girl everything. Have no secrets from her. He definitely didn't want to lie. But...

	"We... well, we have our own little ceremonies. Nothing much."

	She nodded.

	"Sounds nice. Much better than the place Grandpa is making me go. I mean, I liked church when Mom and Dad took me. Sunday School was fun. We sang, colored, learned fun stories. There's no Sunday School here, though." Her legs stopped kicking, eyes moving to look off into the forest. "Even the singing isn't fun."

	Her voice hadn't caught when mentioning her parents, as it had in the past. That was good. He remembered his mom dying, how long it took for him to be able to think of her without crying. Krissy had been there for him, helped him. If he had been able to help Lilith, in any way...

	"Bad songs?" he asked. She sighed.

	"They're all about sin. Everything there is about sin. About evil. The evil here around us. That's all the minister keeps going on about. How there's evil everywhere, how we have to be on our guard." Lilith's eyes dropped into her lap. "I think he's looking at me, when he says that. That he thinks I'm evil."

	Zak wanted to say she looked too beautiful to be evil. That nobody as incredible as her could be bad. His confidence allowed him to say something a bit less forward.

	"You don't look evil."

	"You do." Her eyes came up, a smile on her lips. "He keeps saying evil is disguised as something beautiful, that you have to look on beauty with suspicion. That place where you live, it's the most beautiful part of the forest, so evil may exist there. You're beautiful, so..." Her voice faltered, cheeks blushing.

	"In that case, you're the most evil woman I've ever seen."

	Zak could feel himself blushing as he said it. Being nude in front of her, no problem. Complimenting her? Hugely embarrassing.

	Lilith stood, her tanned bare feet not bothering to slip into her sneakers. Slowly, she walked towards Zak, towards the rock he was using for a seat. His breath stopped, even as he, too, stood. Dare he hope...

	She stood before him, her curly hair rising up above his shoulders. Her eyes were raised, capturing his. They were so blue...

	He felt her bare hands on his chest. Saw her body rise, toes bearing her weight. Her face closed on his.

	Their lips touched.

	Her body pulled back before his senses even knew what had hit them. She stood there, a few steps away now, chest rising and falling quickly, eyes wide. Her lips, lips he now knew the feel of, smiled.

	"I can't believe I just did that!"

	"Wow..."

	"Wow?" Lilith giggled. Zak shook his head, only half theatrically clearing it.

	"Yes, wow. Wow, wow, wow..."

	"Did I fry your brain?"

	"And many other parts, yes." He dropped back down onto his seat. Zak wanted to go over and grab her. Kiss her. Remove that dress, and... He saw her eyes drop down between his legs. Felt himself harder than he had ever been, felt it quivering in the warm air. Lilith wet her lips.

	"You are evil."

	"No I'm..."

	"Yes you are. God, yes you are. You make me want to do things, Zak. Things I know I shouldn't."

	He wanted to do them too. Wanted to lay her down in the dirt. Press his body against hers. Run his hands over it. Kiss her all over...

	"I have to go." Lilith's voice startled him. She backed up another step. "I have to go, before..."

	"But we're going to feel the same the next time we meet." Zak stood again, walking towards her. She took one step back as his fifth brought him before her. Her hand came up, pressing against his chest, half holding him back, half in mirror of the prelude to their kiss.

	"I know," she whispered. "If Grandfather finds out..."

	"Are you going to stop coming?"

	"No."

	Their heads moved towards each other. Her lips were even sweeter. Zak's hands found themselves on her waist, her body hot under the smooth fabric. He stepped into her, his manhood coming to rest against her stomach. Her body tensed. The hand on his chest pushed. Zak stepped back. He saw a small wet dot on her dress.

	"I'll see you in a week," she said, breath labored. Zak nodded. She stepped forward, another quick kiss exchanged. Then she was gone.

****

	Zak stood there, long after she had left. Ran the conversation through his mind, over and over. Every word she had said. Every word he SHOULD have said.

	Next time.

	He'd tell her he loved her next time...

Chapter 10

	Alice was surprised at how much food a garden actually gave you.

	In a sense, it shouldn't be surprising. As a city girl, she had no information on which to base guesses. Thus, any answer whatsoever would not be what she expected, and she should have expected that.

	She sat up on her knees, wiping her sweaty brow. That had made no sense. The sun was getting to her.

	Alice was wearing a hat, at least. A nice big floppy hat, light and comfortable. Tom had woven it for her, from various plants. His failures at this project, done in the evenings around the fire while they rested from the day's work, had been many. The man had kept trying, laughing off the horrible tangles of long grasses. It still wasn't the height of fashion, but she loved it anyway.

	In that way, it mirrored her feelings for Tom.

	It was love. She knew that. Had to be. That he was the only man around wasn't really a factor, nor was his incredible ability in bed, or that his mature body was just getting more muscular, toned, with every working day.

	No. It was love, and she was happy.

	Maybe it was the pregnancy speaking. That was supposed to play with a woman's emotions, wasn't it? The unborn baby having its way with the mother's hormones. Alice put a hand on her bare belly. She was happy about that, too. Her child. THEIR child. Sometime after the new year, before the green of spring came. Both she and Krissy would bring life into this world. She wondered who'd be first.

	"You done already?"

	Zak's question brought her back. The boy was all energy. She looked over at the brown skinned lad, kneeling among the green tomato plants. He, too, was changing. Zak was still thin, but scrawniness had become wiry muscle. A boy, but working on becoming a man. If genetically he favored his father, Alice was beginning to see why Krissy's mom had strayed.

	"Almost," she told him, looking down at the cucumber plants before her. "At least for today."

	"Same here. Looks like tomorrow there will be more."

	That was one of the things Alice had been pleasantly surprised to discover. Vegetables did not all ripen at once. They came in waves, not just some varieties being ready before others, but even among the same plants. Tomatoes just kept coming, more green ones hidden in there after you pulled off the red ripe ones. Corn, too. They had been able to pull ears off to eat long before most were ready. Almost as if all this had been designed with humans in mind.

	Who was to say it hadn't?

	Pushing up a prickly leaf, Alice reached in for the long cucumber revealed on the ground. Cucumbers had been one of the unpleasant surprises. They had thorns. The first time she had reached for one, she had let out a curse. Really? Thorns? The supermarket ones never had those. They came off easily enough, one firm brush of the hand, but picking them was annoying. The plants, too, were harder to deal with. For awhile she had donned gloves, but now she was used to it. Her hands were tough, and she knew how to grab the troublesome vegetable. Alice thought she remembered something about them, in fact, lacking any real nutritional value, so wondered why they were bothering. They did TASTE good, though, especially with a bit of salt on them, and pickles were good.

	Enough reason, then, for them to exist.

****

	Six large woven baskets lay on the grass, filled with the day's groceries. Alice wasn't sure if Krissy would be happy to see so much, or pissed at the work now ahead of her, canning and storing it for the winter. She was already bitching about running low on the glass Bell jars, the first batch of pears from the orchard filling surprisingly many. Tom was in town buying more, and sugar. Sugar was one of the things they as yet could not make.

	That was a problem for another day. Alice lay down in the tall grass, tired muscles loosening. Zak lay down beside her, their shoulders touching. He let out a groan.

	"Can't we go get the goats, let them carry this stuff back?"

	"Wimp."

	"I'm tired."

	"Like I said."

	"You have the baby to help you carry things."

	"I honestly don't think he's helping too much at this point."

	Zak reached his hand over, placing it on her belly. Alice laughed.

	"Can't feel him yet. Still too small."

	His hand patted what he sometimes called the baby house, before retreating back to his side. Alice put her own hand where his had been. She wanted to feel it. Feel the little guy kick. Zak shifted, turning onto his side, facing her. Surprised, she did the same. His face looked... worried.

	"What is it?" Alice touched his hand. The boy took a deep breath.

	"Alice... I... I need to ask you something."

	"Sure."

	Alice hoped he wasn't going to ask to kiss her, or some such. That... wasn't allowed. She had asked. Personally, she would have liked spending time with the boy that way. She liked him. Tom got to be with two girls, so why shouldn't she be with two boys?

	Wisdom thought otherwise.

	Zak let out a sigh.

	"I've been talking to someone. A girl."

****

	"Zak. Zak, Zak, Zak, Zak, Zak."

	Krissy sat at the table, head in her hands. The baskets of produce were on the cabin floor behind her, ignored for now. Alice, sitting next to her, put her hand on her arm. Her other hand went to Zak, sitting across from his sister. She squeezed both her friend's arms.

	"Just hear him out."

	"Oh, I'll hear. Then he'll hear from me."

	Zak let out another sigh, leaning forward, elbows on the table. His face was serious.

	"I met her a few weeks ago. Bumped into her accidentally."

	"You left Eden."

	"Of course I left Eden. What the fuck did you think I was doing on those walks? This place isn't THAT big!" His voice was angry. Alice met Krissy's eyes. Never before had her brother spoken like this. Alice squeezed her arm again.

	"We never SAID he couldn't walk past the border."

	Krissy took a deep breath, reluctantly nodding.

	"I know. I know." Her eyes went back to Zak. "Go on. You bumped into her..."

	"And she ran away, of course. At first. But she was back the next week, and we talked. She..." Alice saw his entire body change. Saw his feelings for this girl reflected in his eyes, his stance. Whatever they decided, that had to be a factor. "Her name is Lilith. She's about my age, beautiful. Smart. Her parents died in a car crash over the winter, and she's living with a religious nut grandfather she really doesn't like that much. He doesn't do anything to her, but she has to do all the cooking and cleaning."

	Krissy nodded, knowingly.

	"Been there."

	"I know. Last week, we... kissed. She kissed me. And, this week, we kissed forever it seemed like."

	Alice sighed. He had found someone. That could solve that problem. Unfortunately, as sometimes happened, it created a whole set of new ones.

	"Does she know about us?" she asked. Zak looked a little uncomfortable.

	"She knows I'm from this area, and I said I lived with my family. That's about it."

	There was probably more, she suspected, although there was not much more to know. Zak was not one to lie, conceal. If he'd been talking to her for weeks, details would have come out. He looked between them.

	"I didn't tell her about The Lady. I didn't say that. But the adults she knows think this place is evil. Think there's something wrong about it, preach about it in church. So, they know SOMETHING is here, just not Her."

	"Figures," Krissy scoffed. "Evil thinks that good is actually evil."

	"I know," he said. "Lilith said they preach that evil is hidden in beauty, so everything beautiful is suspect."

	"Bullshit."

	"I know."

	"So," Amy asked, "what is it you want us to do? You told us now for a reason."

	"I want... Lilith to be my wife."

****

	The three crossed the field, now empty of tents, towards the tunnel of trees.

	Alice held the two freshly killed rabbits, limp forms gripped by the scruff of their necks. Dealing with dead creatures had become, not easy, but just the way of the world. Death was life, life was death. The one needed the other. Zak walked beside her, the coal from the cabin hearth held with metal tongs, slingshot in his free hand. That they had come across these two long eared creatures, Zak's sling finding its mark with both, told Alice they were on the right track. A sacrifice was needed, and had been provided. That the remaining goats on the other side of the stream were safe, including the two new kids, was a relief. She wasn't sure, yet, that this strange girl would be an even trade.

	"Are you sure we should be doing this?" Krissy asked. She walked on the other side of her brother, looking nervous. "I mean, we've never gone up there without Tom."

	"It'll be OK," Alice said, hoping she sounded confident. "We don't know when he'll be back, and we have to know this. Why have a God, if not to ask guidance of?"

	"She's given us so much already, though..."

	"We're not asking for a favor."

	"We're not?" Zak looked at Alice, surprised. She shook her head.

	"No. We're asking her what we should do, to stay in her grace. If she says you're never to see this girl again... that's what you do. Understand?"

	The boy's nod was... reluctant. For all their sakes, she hoped Wisdom looked kindly on him.

****

	Alice watched Zak stoke the fire.

	The flames burned bright, wood burning down to hot cools. All was ready. As ready as could be. Nodding to her, the boy stepped back, dropping down onto his knees beside his sister. Alice braced herself. Tried to remember what to do.

	"Oh, great Lady, Wisdom in all its forms. We come to you today, in search of your guidance. Your Wisdom. Zak has found a companion, outside this land you have provided us. He wishes to bring her here, to make her his wife, to bring forth children to live and grow under your loving gaze. We wish to know, Lady, your will. I offer this sacrifice in your name, to show our love and obedience to you, our Goddess."

	Good enough, she hoped. Taking Tom's knife, she slit open the belly of the first rabbit. Blood came out, pooling on the flat altar. She made more cuts, the handle becoming a bit slippery. Alice knew she should have paid more attention to how Tom did this. They would not be taking any of the rabbit back with them, thus instead of cutting out the lean meat she lifted the carcass up over her head, the last bit of blood running down her arms in long streaks.

	"Accept this gift, our Lady." Alice brought her hands down, body turning to place the rabbit on the sacrificial coals. She repeated the offering with the second creature.

	Smoke rose into the sky. Blood ran down the stones into the ground. Alice stood there before the altar, eyes raised. A sign. They needed a sign...

	A gust of wind blew past her head. The smoke swirled, seemed to gather. It smelled of cooked meat and burnt fur, of pine and oak.

	Alice felt Her.

	There was a sense of... well, Her. That was the only way she could describe it. An otherness among them, comforting. Loving. Protecting. She shivered.

	"Oh!" Zak's voice startled her. Alice turned. The boy's eyes were wide, seemingly focused on everything and nothing. She resisted the urge to go to him. Krissy touched her brother's shoulder.

	"Zak?"

	"She told me!" He turned to Krissy, a grin breaking out on his face. "The Lady told me! She was pleased with the sacrifice! The next time I see Lilith, I'm to ask her to come home with me. If she says 'yes', just one word, no questions, then the Lady will accept her! Anything else, and I can't see her ever again!"

****

	That Zak could put one foot before the other as he made his way through the forest was a miracle.

	Today. Today, he confronted the girl he loved. Today, he either had a wife, a lover, to be with him forever, or he was once again alone. Heartbroken.

	Oh, Shaddai, Goddess of Wisdom, give all your blessings to this unworthy servant...

	He was early again. Tom and the others had seen he wasn't going to be much use, telling him to shoo and go meet her before he broke something. Spilling some of the milk had been enough damage for the day. He had NEVER spilled any before. God, he had felt so ashamed. The look Dad had given him had been worse than ANY spanking. To disappoint Tom like that...

	Zak stopped, making sure his sling was secure in its holder on his walking staff. Losing the store bought weapon, with money becoming tighter, would NOT be the way to get back in Dad's good graces. If he was able to bring back a few rabbits for dinner, caught outside the Lady's lands and thus preserving the warren there, that would help. Especially if he was adding a fifth mouth to feed.

	The thought came to him as he was about to move forward. His bed. Lilith would have to sleep in his bed. They only had the two, and Dad and his two sisters shared the one. Lilith...

	His dick hardened to the point of pain. God, please, let her say yes...

****

	Zak was there.

	His eyes went to the large rock seat. Seven days ago, he had sat there next to Lilith, arm around her, hand caressing a cloth covered breast as her tongue touched his. His other hand had touched her bare leg. His brown hand, on that silky white skin...

	Zak shook his head. There was no point getting worked up over it. Either tonight would surpass that, or... well, he didn't want to think about the or. He had to take his mind off this. He looked around, staff shifted to his left hand as his right took the sling from its holder. He had not remembered seeing any rabbits in this area, but truth be told his attention had always been elsewhere. It wouldn't hurt to look. Maybe there was a small deer. The metal slugs were made for hunting, after all, and the package had said they could take down something like a year old deer with a lucky shot. That would make Dad forget about the milk. He leaned the staff against a tree, testing the draw on his weapon. He still couldn't pull it back as far as Dad, but he could just edge him, accuracy wise.

	There was movement over by an oak tree. Zak swung towards it, weapon raised, shot pulled back beside his ear. A squirrel. He released the tension. It would take too many squirrels to feed five of them. Their fur was nice, though. Maybe once the harvest was over, and they had time to tan fur...

	The footfall of a much larger creature came from behind him.

	Zak turned, his heart stopping.

	Lilith was nude.

	The girl stopped as his eyes fell on her, letting him take her in. Her left hand held a small bundle of cloth, held rigidly at her side, her right hand her staff. On her sock-less feet, blue sneakers. All else was bare.

	Her breasts. They were lighter than the rest of her, looking almost white compared to tanned neck, arms, and legs. Brown circles, almost like targets, topped them, large compared to the small mounds themselves. Lower, below her white skinned stomach, a triangle of brown hair almost as curly as that on her head.

	She spoke. Zak's entire brain and being was frozen, yet she could speak. He tried to focus on her words.

	"I, um, I didn't think I'd be able to do it, in front of you, so I took it all off after leaving home..."

	Zak took a deep breath. He had to do it. Had to say the words the Lady had given him. That had to be the FIRST thing he said to her. Anything else, and it was over. Forcing himself, Zak moved his eyes up to hers. Those beautiful glass clad blue eyes looked back, uncertain. He squeezed the grip of his sling painfully.

	"Lilith. I must ask you a question, and you must answer without thought. Without asking anything of me. Just yes or no, or I can never see you again:

	"Will you come with me NOW, this moment, to be my wife, never to see your Grandfather agai-?"

	"Yes!"

	He blinked. Yes. She had said yes. Did she know what he had said? Had she understood? How could she? Lilith knew nothing about the Lady. Nothing about them. She couldn't...

	All thought and reason vanished, her body thrown against his, kisses raining down on his face.

	Instinct took over. Sling falling to the ground, forgotten, Zak pulled her against him, hands grabbing bare flesh, sliding over smooth skin as his hard cock throbbed against her belly. One hand dropped to her ass, squeezing a butt cheek for the first time. She groaned. Zak felt something worm between them, fingers a moment later grasping his dick.

	"Lie with her."

	The Lady's voice echoed through his mind, but the prompt was not needed. Zak guided the girl onto the ground, her back resting on a patch of dry earth. His hands went to her knees, spreading the virgin's legs. Zak knew about foreplay. Knew about seduction.

	Now was not the time for that. He thrust.

	"Ah!"

	She went ridged beneath him, fingernails digging into his shoulders. Her thighs squeezed, whether to hold him in or force him out he knew not. All Zak knew was the incredible hot wetness engulfing him. The pressure was almost painful. He pulled out, part way, thrusting back with all his might. She took him in completely.

	Reality vanished. All that existed was her velvet grip on him. All that existed was the rhythm, the heartbeat of life. He almost didn't notice when he came. His senses were so overloaded, more pleasure could barely register.

	Lilith reacted. Her body tensed. Legs and arms wrapped around him, trapping the squirting teen. A low, prolonged groan came from her, even as her body squeezed his cock to the point of pain.

	Wisdom's voice whispered.

	"She is yours."

****

	Zak did not know how long they lay there. Time did not matter to such as they, lovers under Wisdom's sky. Leaves rustled above, the trees conversing, unconcerned with life below them. Birds chirped, amused at trees who could not reach half as far into the sky as they. Teen lovers gazed into each other's eyes, scoffing at all who needed sound to convey all that needed to be said.

	He was still inside her, hard enough to feel her pulse and caress. Zak moved slowly, now making love, primitive need satisfied. Her body moved with him, blue eyes behind her glasses almost caressing his face. Nothing else mattered.

****

	A man's voice echoed through the forest, destroying their solitude.

	"LILITH!"

	Blue eyes morphed from love to terror. Her hands shoved up at his body.

	"Grandpa!"

	Zak knew fear...

Chapter 11

	"LILITH!"

	The male voice was closer. Zak's heart beat faster.

	A memory flashed before his mind. Krissy had told him a story. A tale of a small little boy, hiding from a large ogre. How the ogre stomped all over the forest, yelling, cursing. But he never found the little boy, who lived happily ever after.

	There would be no hiding this time. No running.

	He staggered to his feet, manhood half limp, sticky with evidence of their union. Lilith shot up next to him, too fast for the boy to even offer help. They stood, nude, as a shape appeared in the trees. Lilith grasped his hand.

	"Grandpa..."

	The man was tall. Old. Blue denim overalls hung on a frame that once had been muscular, but still showed strength. Zak had never seen overalls, outside of a movie or TV. Had not thought they existed, were just some relic of the past, like white hooded robes or white powder wigs. The man wore a white short sleeved shirt under it, clean, but worn, like the denim itself, or the man. His face was clean shaven, head bald. Brown eyes were deeply set, as if age had caused them to fall back into his skull. Those eyes widened in shock, horror, as they fell on the two lovers.

	"Lilith!"

	The girl slid behind Zak, pain shooting through his hand as she squeezed. Her grandfather looked around him. Eyes falling on a two foot long hunk of wood, he bent down to grab it.

	"Grandpa! No!"

	Lilith's voice only seemed to enrage him. The man lunged forward, weapon raised.

	"Get away from her!"

	Zak didn't think. He found himself disengaged from the girl, dropping to his knees as she staggered back. Calm hands found smooth rubber. The sling rose, a metal slug already loaded, pulled back as far as he was able.

	He released.

	"GRANDPA!"

	There was a crack. A thud, as the hunk of wood dropped to the forrest floor. The man, no longer an ogre, dropped to his knees, one hand clutching his forehead. The other, barely, broke his fall as his body fell forward. A whimper of pain oozed from the old man. Lilith rushed to his side, grasping him.

	"Grandpa! I'm sorry! Speak to me! Please!" She whirled to Zak, blue eyes blazing. "What did you DO!?"

	Zak felt cold.

	He had hurt someone. Hurt an old man. The grandfather of the girl he loved. He wanted to take it back. Go back five seconds, ten seconds. Do something different. Anything. He had never hurt someone. Never wanted to hurt someone...

	Lilith eased the man back, sitting him down on the ground, legs unfolded in front of him. Blood dripped from between fingers still clutching his forehead. Zak had barely begun to look around for something to help when Lilith pulled a surprisingly clean blue handkerchief from an overall pocket. She folded it, pulled her grandpa's hand away, slipping it onto the wound before placing his hand back on top of it. Her head dropped down, eyes focusing on his face.

	"It's not that bad. Are you OK? Say something!"

	A large, wrinkled hand reached out, touching her bare knee.

	"D-did he hurt you? Are you OK, Lilith?"

	She smiled, hand covering his.

	"He didn't hurt me, Grandpa. I'm so sorry. I know he didn't mean it. You just scared him." Her eyes, suddenly hard, bore into Zak. Millennium of evolution told him exactly what to do. He dropped to one knee before the man, although staying well out of reach.

	"I'm sorry."

	Adult eyes fell on him, slowly focusing. Zak swallowed hard. He didn't like dealing with adults. Didn't know how. Just Tom. He wasn't an adult, he was his new Dad. Real adults frightened Zak...

	Those deep set eyes changed. Widened. Zak thought he saw... fear? The man was frightened? Of him? Why?

	"Grandpa!"

	Zak looked at Lilith. She was looking down at her Grandfather's hand, its large fingers gripping her knee tightly. Zak could see white and red on her skin, the man cutting off blood. His eyes went back to the man's. The adult's expression was cold.

	"I know," the man said, "what you are."

	"Grandpa?" Lilith's voice was worried. "Grandpa, you're hurting me."

	"Stay away from him, Girl. This one is touched. Evil."

	"Grandpa! No he's not! Let go!"

	"Yes he IS! Look at him! He has the mark! Evil has marked him!"

	Zak rose.

	Enough. Enough of this foolishness.

	"Let her go."

	"I will NOT let you have her!"

	"GRANDPA!"

	The man jerked back, hand grasping nothing. Lilith scrambled away, struggling to her feet, finger marks still on her bare leg. Zak found his sling back in his hand, another slug half pulled back.

	"Stay there! Don't follow us!"

	"Lilith! Don't follow him! This boy is evil! Can't you see it? Can't you feel it? Come here! Please!"

	"Lilith, grab your stuff and get behind me!"

	She hesitated. Zak saw her looking at her Grandfather. Could feel the tug of war inside her. If she went to him, all would be lost. Zak would never see her again. His eyes caught hers.

	"Please. Lilith. I love you. Come with me. I'll protect you."

	"He's lying! If you love Jesus, please, get away from him!"

	One of those words must have been the wrong one, or one of Zak's the right one. Grabbing the pile of discarded clothing, the slim teen slowly walked to Zak's side. Her hand touched his arm, eyes wide with emotion.

	"Don't hurt him. Please. Let's go."

	"Lilith! Don't do it!"

	Zak let the sling relax, metal slug releasing into his hand.

	"Do not follow us."

	Turning from the bleeding man, he grabbed his staff from against the tree, his other hand taking that of his wife. Swiftly, he led her deeper into the forest. Towards Eden.

****

	James watched the two youngsters vanish into the trees.

	He would not have believed it. Had not believed it. He was not a gullible man, after all. Religious, yes. Very. But not a fool. Not all the Holy Book said was Holy, and not all the minister said on Sunday's was gospel truth. No. Much as allusion, metaphor.

	But the boy had the mark.

	He had seen it. There, as plain as day. Strangely, James could not describe what he had seen, with the boy no longer there before him. Was not even sure he could have called it out to Lilith, for all she was standing right there and surely must have seen it herself. The mark. The mark, not of the Beast, perhaps, but of some otherworldly, unholy creature. Unchristian. More importantly, evil.

	And she had gone. His granddaughter. Lilith. She had chosen this evil boy, over him. Much as her mother, his little Rachael, had chosen some Catholic, Atheist, whatever, from the city over him. She had left for love. Lilith...

	James sighed, struggling to his feet, one hand still holding the cloth to his forehead. He couldn't blame her. The boy was beautiful. If he, as a teen, had found a similar brown skinned beauty in the woods, James would have gone to her, no questions asked. He was only human, and youth was foolish. And, he could be wrong. The mark might not be what he thought it was. His granddaughter might not be in danger.

	Something moved by his foot.

	James kicked out, even as a snake shot its head towards him. Fangs grabbed thick boot leather. He whirled, sending the side of his boot against the trunk of a tree. The sound of crunching came from the snake's body. He did it again. Again.

	The snake fell to the ground, body limp.

	James looked around the forest, eyes wary.

	"Stay before me, Satan. Where I can keep an eye on you."

	He knew where his granddaughter would be. Someone was living on that land, an old blue hatchback often now parked by the old gate. That would be the place. Should he try and rescue her? If it was safe for him to just go get her, then she was in no danger and there was no reason for him to go just yet. If she was in danger, true danger... most likely, he wouldn't make it ten feet inside.

	He's wait. Pray. Let time pass. Be there if she fled, or sent word. He loved her, after all. Wanted her to be happy.

	And... he could be wrong.

****

	Lilith felt the very air around her change.

	The day, up until that point, had been a dream. Unreal. Much of her life the past year she wished had not been real. That she could wake, find her parents standing there beside the bed. Mom telling her it had all been a bad dream. Dad hugging her, telling her everything would be all right. That life could continue on as it always been.

	No. That had been real. So, too, must this be.

	She looked at Zak. Her magical boy. That's how she thought of him. How could she not? She had found him in the woods, naked, like any creature of nature. Beautiful, like no other boy ever had been. Every word he said calmed her. Every touch excited, yet soothed her. He filled her thoughts, her dreams. Lilith had woken today knowing she would give herself to him. Dared dream he would, perhaps, take her to be with him, his family.

	And here she was.

	"It's different," she said, softly. Zak nodded, strong hand squeezing hers. Lilith looked behind. The forest there looked no different. They had not stepped from one world into another. Yet, they had. That fact was undeniable. Her very body tingled, from her bare toes up to her equally bare breasts, out to nipples unseen by anyone until today. Her eyes went back to Zak. "You feel it, too?"

	"Every time," he said, smiling. She loved that smile. "You get used to each place, while you're there, but going from one to the other is always fun."

	"What is it?"

	"Her."

	Lilith blinked.

	"...Her?"

	"It's..." Zak's face became troubled. She didn't like that. "It's complicated. I didn't tell you everything, Lilith. It's nothing bad, don't worry. In fact, it's wonderful! But, there's more to this place than anyone knows." He began walking again, Lilith automatically following suit. "I'll try and explain..."

****

	A Goddess.

	Lilith had left one bunch of religious nuts. Left their stupid rules and twisted morals behind. Now, it seemed, she had fallen in love with a boy from yet another cult. Maybe Grandpa was right.

	"She actually talks to us," Zak was telling her. The two had come to a stream, turning to walk against the current. Lilith looked at the clear, cool water. It looked so refreshing. "That's the thing. It's not like church, where you prayed to Jesus and nothing happened. You ask something, and she tells you! It's amazing!"

	"What does she tell you?"

	"Well, for example, I told her I loved you, and asked if I could bring you here. She said yes!"

	Lilith stopped in her tracks.

	"You love me?"

	Zak's face looked embarrassed, eyes glancing at his feet.

	"Um, yeah. I do. Didn't I tell you?"

	She couldn't remember. But he had said it now. He loved her. Loved her! Lilith dropped her bundle of clothes, grabbing Zak in a full body hug. He felt so good, so warm! She rained kisses on his face, swiftly finding his lips. She felt strong hands on her back, pulling her against him. For the second time that day she felt herself lowered to the ground, felt herself spread opened. Penetrated. Filled.

	Love... this was love...

	A soft voice floated through her head.

	"Love us, as we love you."

	She understood. In that moment, no further explanations were needed. The Lady. It all made sense.

	"Welcome, Lilith."

****

	The three strangers were just climbing out of an incredibly beautiful and inviting pond as Lilith and Zak followed the stream into the clearing. The waterway widened here, deepening, slowly flowing around a large rock in the middle. On the other side, it became a stream again, continuing back on a winding course towards its source. Lilith felt the itch of dried mud on her back. She needed a swim.

	"Hello!"

	The blonde girl was waving, face joyous. Lilith blinked. She was nude, too. And pregnant. Both of the girls were. Neither fact did she find embarrassing. Lilith should have, never having been around nude or pregnant girls before. Nor did she feel self conscious of her own appearance. She smiled, maybe a bit shyly. These were her boyfriend's family, after all. She wanted to make a good impression.

	"Hi."

	The blonde came up, all smiles. She was beautiful. Skin tanned, limbs slim yet strong. Gathering Lilith up un a hug, she spoke softly in her ear.

	"Welcome, sister." The girl pulled back, still holding Lilith, her smile real, honest. "I'm Alice. We're so glad you're here!"

	"Thank you!"

	"And this," Zak was saying, motioning to the black haired teen, "is my sister, Krissy. Krissy, this is Lilith."

	His sister. Lilith looked at the girl. Her skin was NOT the wonderful brown of her love, but the golden tan of the light skinned in summer. Her body was also not slim, to be charitable, but it fit her, and she stood with self confidence And, frankly, if Lilith had breasts like that, she'd be full of self confidence was well.

	"Hello."

	This time, Lilith went up to the teen and hugged her. It was the natural thing to do, years of upbringing and taboos seemingly swept aside in moments. Krissy hugged her back, if a bit hesitantly. She sensed Alice was the outgoing one, or at least the more assertive. She smiled at her sister-in-law.

	"Zak has told me about you."

	"And we plan on telling you ALL about him." A smile formed on Krissy's face as she spoke. Yes, this was Zak's sister. Lilith could see it now.

	"And," Zak's voice came to her, "this is Tom."

	She turned, releasing Krissy. A man stood before her. Tall. Impressive. Nude. He towered over her, as tall as her Grandpa, at least. His chest was broad, a bit hairy, muscles well defined under smooth skin. Her eyes dropped down to the soft, yet large, penis hanging below a thatch of brown hair. She immediately shot her eyes up to his face, below a larger thatch of brown hair wet from swimming. He reached a large hand out to her.

	"Welcome."

	She took it, shaking. Zak came up beside her, grinning.

	"Tom is, well, sort of my chosen Dad, just like Alice is my sister."

	"Which means," Alice said beside them, "he's going to be both brother and uncle to our babies, without the usual incest that causes such things."

	"So," Lilith said, looking between them, "You two are..."

	"His wives," Alice said, taking Tom's arm. "Just as you are Zak's. And, no, there's no sharing."

	"Good," she said, taking Zak's arm. "He's mine."

****

	Lilith lay herself down on the soft mattress. It was different. No springs, coils, or other supports. Just a cloth bag stuffed to make it soft. She wiggled her body a bit. It would take some getting used to, but she thought she could sleep here.

	Her eyes looked around the room. It was bare. Log walls, with no decoration. No furnishings, apart from the bed, and a bookcase. In the starlight shining in through the open window, she could see a duffle bag laying against a wall. She'd have to add her touch here. Some color. Paint. She'd have to find some paint, maybe do some art to hang. She loved painting. This part of the forest was so beautiful, she could spend years just painting views of the small part she had seen today. And the outhouse. She just HAD to paint the outhouse!

	The bedroom door opened. Zak. He stood there, light from the living room fire casting a glow behind him. She saw his eyes widen in amazement, hoped he didn't see her own do the same. The others were somewhere beyond, talking softly. Slowly, Zak moved farther into the room, closing the door behind him.

	They were alone.

	"You're beautiful," he said. Despite all that had happened, Lilith felt herself blush. She pushed herself up on her elbows.

	"So are you."

	He walked forward. When the boy came to the end of the bed, he crawled up onto it. Lilith watched, trembling, as he slowly moved towards, then over, her. She dropped back down flat onto the bed as his head came over hers, his body on all fours above her. He reached a hand down, touching the corner of her eye.

	"Your glasses."

	"On the shelf. I never sleep with them."

	"And I've never slept with anyone."

	"Me either..."

	His lips touched hers. His body lowered. Lilith could not help but moan. Hers. He was all hers. The incredible magic forest boy was hers, forever. The world outside didn't matter. Nothing mattered but him... him...

****

	The old man sat out on his porch, looking up at the sky.

	Always, before, he had found comfort looking up into the heavens. Found signs of Jesus, confirmation of much of the Good Book. Tonight, he searched in vain.

	"Tell me what to do, Jesus," James asked the sky. "Tell me how to keep my Granddaughter safe."

	The sky was silent. God was silent. He was always silent. The old man nodded.

	"That's OK, I can wait."

	He began to rock. The smaller, empty, chair beside him stayed still.

Chapter 12

	Alice was an amazing dancer.

	It helped, naturally, that she was nude, breasts bouncing in time to the beat. Tom had always felt that was an important part of any artistic performance, much to his financial detriment. Strip clubs were not cheap. His mind was not on tattooed, bored, shaven girls on a stage, however. The beauties before him far outstripped those girls. Memory of life outside was fading as it was, with that part of his life the first to go. Replaced with recent yesterdays of joy.

	The crops were harvested. The orchards picked. Everything canned, pickled, dried. The root cellar overflowed, as did the pantry, glass jars of pasteurized corn, beans, applesauce, and everything else stuffed onto every shelf, filling most kitchen cabinets. They'd have to extend the cellar next spring. Pantry, too, to cover it. Next year. After the winter.

	Today, they celebrated.

	The three women danced, bare feet nimble on the smooth if uneven stone floor, Tom and Zak keeping a beat on homemade drums. Tom set the main rhythm, hands slapping stretched rabbit hide over a large carved wooden bowl. Zak added a fast counterpoint, two thick shaped sticks striking the smooth hollow log before him. The boy was good, able to handle complex patterns the girls laughingly tried to match. Lilith, especially, body not yet showing her pregnancy, did her best to time each motion to a strike of the drumstick. Rarely did she fail. Krissy swayed and jiggled, all restraint long ago forgotten. Two of the puppies ran around her nimble feet, whining playfully for attention. Their sisters sat on their blanket by the water bowl, resting after the pair's own bout of dancing.

	Why the puppies had been wandering the edge of the State Park road, Tom couldn't say. Some idiot feeling it was more humane to dump them than to drown the unwanted dogs, most likely. He had stopped to pick them up, of course. The poor things had been drenched from the morning rain, thin, starving. They were part retriever, fur mostly golden. What other parts were mixed in they'd discover as they aged. Mutts they definitely were, though, which was good. They were all mutts here.

	Alice began to whirl. Tom caught Zak's eye, the two changing the beat to match. Golden hair whipping around, her very pregnant form spun, arms outstretched, as Krissy and Lilith backed away, clapping to the beat. Krissy laughed.

	"Go, Girl!"

	Tom looked on in wonder, hands slapping the drum faster.

	Damn, that girl could dance.

****

	So, too, could she suck cock.

	Alice knelt between Tom's spread legs, slowly kissing his hard manhood. Tom let out a sigh of pleasure. This was marriage. Not woman serving man, no. That was the position of the moment. It was the unhurried-ness he liked. No waiting for dates, planning encounters. No, married life was the freedom to indulge in mutual pleasure whenever. More people should marry.

	There was a soft moan beside him. Krissy shifted on the couch, her own legs spreading as his fingers played between them. The girl liked it slow, much as Tom did. Alice, he was more forceful with, her body demanding speed, intensity. Krissy, he could bring to the highest heights slowly, like water building behind a dam. They complimented him, his love for them both more than it would it would have been for either one alone.

	A third wife, though, would probably always be out of the question, for which he was grateful. These two drained him enough as it was. His gaze went over Alice's bobbing head, to the large chair. Zak sat in it, eyes wide, as Lilith raised and lowered in his lap. The boy's wife released a moan. Tom suddenly released his own sound of pleasure, Alice's tongue flicking against that spot she had discovered. His eyes went down to her.

	Marriage was wonderful.

****

	"I think I'm going to go into town tomorrow," Tom told them, drawing the two women against him. They snuggled against his sides, the fire in the rock wall before them burning low. Zak, slim body fitting next to Lilith's in their chair as if it was a small couch, looked over.

	"What do we need?"

	"I want to get some snow shovels, before we need them. I'm not sure how early the snow comes up here, and it's best to be ready." He considered. "I'll probably think of other stuff."

	"Get some fabric," Alice told him, hand playing with the hair on his chest. "We'll have to make some winter gear for Lilith. The rest of us have good coats at least, and I can knit hats and gloves."

	"We need sheep," Krissy said. "Or Alpacas. We'll have to talk to the Lady about that."

	"Any of you want to go with me?" Tom looked around. All four shook their heads.

	"Maybe go find a Goodwill or something," Lilith told him. "I don't need anything much. A used winter coat would be fine."

	"I'll see what I can do."

****

	Tom always felt awkward when he had to dress now. Part of it was just the unusual feel. Humans weren't designed to wear clothing. You had to be taught to tolerate the confining fabric, one reason small kids were forever removing theirs, running around nude, annoying parents. It did not help that he was in better shape than he had ever been, than he had even thought possible. The clothing he had come to this place with just didn't fit well, tight around the chest and arms, while loose around the waist. Maybe he could ask Alice to fix them.

	Or stop going into town.

	The trees parted before him, the late fall sun shining bright as he walked across the short field to the gate. His blue hatchback still sat on the other side of the fence, which he was always relieved to see. It sometimes sat there for weeks, unwatched. Some day he expected to come and find it gone, or stripped for parts. They'd be cut off from the world.

	He almost looked forward to that moment.

	Tom's eyes, as they often did, glanced around as he unlocked the gate. There was traffic here, sometimes. Locals, as few as they may be. Tourists, driving through to other parts of the park. Come winter, he almost expected there to be more of those, although he didn't know if this stretch of road was on the way to any ski hills. Actually, neither did he know if this road was even plowed in the winter. Goddess knew his car was not four wheel drive, making a snow filled road impassable. They would be cut off.

	Hmm. Now that he knew for sure it would happen, the idea suddenly didn't appeal to him as much.

	He had already relocked the gate, turning back to his car, when he saw the cardboard box. He stopped. It was the packaging from, apparently, eggs, the blue writing boasting that the box contained the freshest local product to be found in the area, from happy well adjusted chickens. It was obviously from some local supermarket. Just as obvious, it wasn't something that had just blown randomly here. It was closed, probably full of... something. Not eggs. He was sure of that.

	Tom's eyes again swept the area. Someone had left this for him. Them. But no one knew they were here. The store owner who Alice had worked for knew she was still in the area, and she had stopped in the other month to do some shopping and say hello, but that was it. They kept their home a secret. But, his car WAS here all the time, for everyone to see. Anyone who knew it was his could assume he was on the other side of the fence, somewhere. They probably should have done something about that. He saw no one. The road was empty. Eyes returning to the box, he considered.

	Obviously, he had two choices. Open it, or ignore it. Ignoring it would probably involve moving it away from the car, letting the next rainstorm soak the box and revealing the contents over time. That was an option.

	But, then, it could be important. He had no idea how long it had been here. Not for more than a week, he thought, the box not showing any sign it had sat through the last thunderstorm. He doubted it was a bomb. Easier for someone to put one of those in his car, letting him explode like some mobster.

	So, open it.

	Tom slowly approached the box. It was taped shut, tan masking tape it looked like. As he got closer, he saw writing on the top. Black marker.

	"For Lilith."

	Tom stopped again. That, probably, answered who left this. Her Grandfather. That he knew, or guessed, she was here, yet had done nothing, said... what?

	One, that he hadn't gone to the police. Maybe he had reason not to draw attention to himself. Maybe Zak had frightened him enough to keep him away. Could be.

	Maybe this was a bomb.

	The end of the tape was loose. Tom pulled, the long strip coming away easily. The box almost opened by itself, the contents pushing outward.

	Clothing.

	Tom reached in, pulling out a thick light blue winter jacket. There were jeans. Sweaters. Winter boots.

	His eyes once again looked around.

	Interesting.

****

	"I guess he does love me."

	Lilith looked up at the others, her old stuffed horse in her hand. She was trying not to cry. It was easy to forget, while here, the outside. Forget family, no matter how distant. How much a stranger they had seemed. Grandpa...

	"You said he didn't talk to you much?"

	"No." She shrugged. Zak hugged her from behind, the length of this body pressing agains her. Lilith closed her eyes, comfort flowing into her. "I had never met him. Mom never talked about him. Maybe... maybe I just never gave him a chance..."

	A laugh came from Krissy. Opening her eyes, Lilith saw the teen lift a black book out of the box. A moment later it was sailing through the air towards her. Lilith caught it, golden letters on its cover sparkling for a moment.

	"I know THIS wasn't mine." Handing the stuffed Spiritfax to Zak, she opened the Bible, eyes running over the small type. She had never been one to...

	"REMOVE THE BOOK FROM MY SIGHT."

	Her head jerked up. Lilith saw shock on the face of the others. So, they had heard it as well. Tom was looking up.

	"Lady, what have we..."

	"THAT BOOK IS FILLED WITH LIES. THEY REMOVED ME, EXCISED ME. SEPARATED ME FROM MY PEOPLE. IT IS AN ABOMINATION."

	Lilith looked down at the Bible. It made sense. Certainly, what little she knew did not include the Lady. Well, she hadn't wanted it anyway. Lilith handed it over her shoulder.

	"Here."

	Zak took it. Turning, she saw her lover carry the thick book over to the fire. With no hesitation, he tossed it under the pot of stew.

	That was that.

****

	It was dark when Zak awoke.

	Lilith did not awaken with him. She had, at first, his stirring in the early dawn bringing her into the new day, the two of them doing the morning chores together. Soon, though, his wife had realized she did not HAVE to do so. That, in fact, her help in the kitchen and with other chores Zak did not take part in demanded she begin the day's activities well rested. So, it was Zak alone who pushed back the covers, braving the cold air.

	VERY cold air.

	Yawning, bare feet moving quickly over the cold stone, Zak made his way into the main room. The fire was low, but gave off enough heat for the boy to give a sigh of relief as he came closer. One of the puppies, Rover, looked up from their bed, eyes blinking sleepily. Zak yawned to him.

	"Morning." He knelt down, giving the golden furred animal a quick pet, before turning back to the fireplace.

	"Needs wood," he mumbled. Poking the coals with the metal poker, careful not to cause sparks to fly back at him, he created a few flames. A small split log was grabbed from the pile next to him, tossed in carefully. "Much better."

	He wandered over to the kitchen. A quick drink, then he could start his chores. Dad had told him that, once the children were old enough to not spill the milk, they'd be taking over these duties. Good. Sleeping in with Lilith was becoming more of a tempting option. That would be years from now, though. Until then, he would have to trudge out into the dark morning, through rain or...

	His eyes widened, going to the shuttered window. Undoing the fastener, he opened it up a crack.

	Snow.

	So much for going everywhere nude.

****

	"I'm doing a pregnant angel!"

	Krissy could not contain her grin as she lay in the snow. This was winter. Not the dirty snow of the city, noise everywhere. You could HEAR the snow fall here! Imagine, snow made a sound!

	Alice looked down at her, large body looking like a coat covered egg from this angle. Probably not something Krissy should tell her friend. The blonde had a smirk on her face.

	"Are you going to be able to get up?"

	That was a good question. Krissy gave it a try.

	Then another try. Her eyes met Alice's.

	"No."

	"So, you're a fallen angel, then."

	"The best kind," Tom's voice said, his shadow falling over Krissy. Grinning, she raised her arms. He grabbed them, pulling her up. Coming upright, she fell against him. Her arms went around her man.

	"Thank you."

	"Any time."

	"I think," Alice said, voice a bit regretful, "there's things we can no longer do. Until the kids pop out, at least."

	"Agreed." Krissy let her hand fall to her belly. "Soon..."

****

	"And God said, 'I swear by me that because you did this thing and did not withhold your son, your only one, that I will bless you and multiply your seed like the stars of the skies and the sand that is on the seashore, and your seed will possess its enemies' gate, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed through your seed because you listened to my voice'."

	Genesis 22:16-18

	"I see hair!"

	"That's her pubic hair!"

	"No! Don't you... a head! His head!"

	Krissy kept her eyes shut. Everything, all her being, focused on her child. On easing her offspring down through the same passage sperm had traveled up nine months ago.

	This time, the pleasure was a bit less.

	She let out a grunt, hands squeezing Tom and Alice as their firm grips gave her strength. Her husband and wife knelt on either side as Krissy squatted on the cabin floor. Outside, wind howled, window shutters rattling. Inside, Zak and Lilith knelt before her, freshly cleaned hands ready to welcome a new life into this world.

	She pushed.

	"The head's out!"

	It was going easier than expected. She gave a prayer to the Goddess, who as a woman must surely be helping her through this. She could feel her child drop more, faster now. Her body again pushed.

	"It's a boy! It's a boy!"

	Soft lips kissed her cheeks. Words of love were whispered in her ears. Krissy's eyes opened.

	In her brother's brown hands, the wet, gooey, black haired form of her son.

	"Adam," she whispered. "I love you, Adam..."

****

	Tom reached out, again touching the smooth reddish white skin of his son.

	A son.

	He hadn't believed. Not when the Lady, Ashratah, Shaddai, Wisdom, had told him his destiny. Not when first Alice, then Krissy, had said they were with child. Nor as the months passed, their belly's swelling with the evidence of what was to come.

	No. He had dared not believe.

	Now... now, he believed. His son. The first of many. Sons, and daughters. Little ones, running around the house, the fields, the forest. The sounds of childish laughter filling Eden.

	What else could Eden be, but a child's playground?

	"He's very hungry," he said, watching Adam drink heartily. Krissy smiled, eyes half closed.

	"I have two breasts worth, so he'd better be."

	"You can always make cheese with the extra."

	"Ew."

	"You say that now."

	"And always."

	Lilith came towards them, a cup in her hand. Tom moved aside, giving her room to kneel down next to the couch as Krissy sat up a bit. The younger girl almost seemed to glow, as if the birth had made her even more awed by the child within her. Not much more than half way into her pregnancy, Tom was glad the girl had joined them late. Three women birthing together would have left everything up to the two males. Nobody wanted that.

	"I opened a jar of pears," Lilith said, holding out the glass, "and poured the juice. You can have the pears later if you want."

	"Thank you." Her hands took the glass, slowly raising it to her lips. Tom touched Lilith's shoulder.

	"You going to be OK with dinner? I doubt Alice is going to be up for helping much."

	"No problem," she said, smiling. "We have those two rabbits already cleaned. I'll just..."

	"Children."

	Tom looked up. The voice always came from everywhere, but still he looked to the heavens. Or, in this case, the ceiling. It just seemed... well, the right thing to do.

	"How may we serve, Lady?"

	"Bring him to me."

	Now? Tom looked at Krissy. Her eyes were closed, annoyance on her face. He took her hand.

	"I only just gave birth," she said, sighing. "It's not like I've been working or anything. Just give me a moment."

	"We'll go slow. I can't see where there's a hurry." He smiled down at Adam. "She's just excited about her newest worshiper."

****

	The six servants of Wisdom trudged through the midwinter snow.

	Five did most of the trudging, truth be told. Bundled up in winter clothing, they followed the well worn trail through the meadow, towards the birch archway, gateway to the Lady. The sixth, newest member of their band, lay carefully, yet securely, in Tom's arms, blankets bundled around him. Krissy held her husband's arm, both for support, and to keep an eye on her son. Lilith helped Alice, well into her 9th month herself. The soon to be mother was grateful the wind seemed to have died. Fighting that, plus the snow, would have been too much.

	Behind them, Zak walked alone, carrying hot coals from the fire in his clay pot. Alice looked back, frowning.

	"Why are you bringing that?"

	"We always light the altar." Which was true, but they always went for a sacrifice. This was different. "Plus," he added, "I figured you'd like to be warmed up a bit before we come back."

	That made sense. Alice smiled her thanks. It would be good to get warm before bringing the baby back home...

****

	Tom stood before the altar, three hour old Adam in his arms.

	Zak had the fire going, the wood left from last time lighting up quickly, still dry despite the snow,. He didn't think they'd need it, in the end. The sun was out now, the sky blue and clear. He could feel the warm rays on his face. So, too, could he feel the Lady. The oak tree before him seemed to pulse, it's leaves still silver and green even in the heart of winter. Its branches, curving up gracefully, almost seemed like candle holders, a thousand candles pointing at the sky.

	"Lady, Shaddai, Ashratah, Wisdom, we bring you our son, Adam, first of our children, that you may bless him."

	Gently, he placed the wrapped infant on the stone altar.

	"Unwrap him, that I may see."

	Tom did. He was nervous, not wanting the baby to catch cold, but it would only be a moment. The Lady would probably keep him warm.

	The tree pulsed.

	"I am pleased. You serve me well."

	Tom blushed. He reached out, hand caressing his boy's face.

	"Take up your dagger, my loyal servant. Lift your dagger, and seal the covenant between us."

	Tom... made no motion towards the sacrificial dagger.

	"What?" He looked at the tree. He could not have heard that.

	"As Abraham gave me his son, watering the covenant between God and Man, so too must you give what you love most, what you have promised."

	What he had...

	The first fruit of all their labors. Every firstborn.

	God... their god, all powerful... she wanted...

	"No."

	The word came out before he had even thought. Before his mind had considered the matter, debated right and wrong, the life of one child compared to the blessings on the dozens to come. The word came from his heart, from who he was.

	It was the only answer a sane man could give.

	"Tom!"

	Krissy's cry had a hundred meanings. He ignored all of them. Reaching down, he scooped the quiet infant up into his arms. Adam looked up at him, new eyes wide, trusting.

	The air was still. Not a sound could be heard. Tom lifted his left foot, ready to step back.

	"YOU DARE!"

	The ground shook. The very air seemed to vanish, Tom unable to breath. The others gasped behind him. Tom kept his eyes on the sacred tree, arms tightening around Adam.

	"Who are you, to abandon Wisdom, to forgo your promise? Are you greater than Abraham, who gave the world through me a great tribe? Are you wiser than Solomon, who built my temple on the holy mountain, whose people obeyed me as they should? Who are YOU, to question Wisdom?"

	"He's my DAD!"

	Tom turned, heart in his throat. His son. His FIRST son. Zak. The boy, no, young man, was on his feet, rushing forward, shoulders down. His eyes blazed with fury. With a yell, Zak's strong, slim body slammed into the altar of fire.

	Tom had built it, his second day here. Piled loose stones up the level of the natural stone altar. Stones placed to withstand wind, weather... not the fury of a male teen. Of a son's love. Zak's shoulder hit a half foot from the top. The altar shuddered, jolted towards the white tree. Rocks fell from the top into the snow. Feet finding purchase, the teen pushed again.

	The entire top, burning wood and hot coals, slid off, landing at the base of the sacred tree.

****

	Silence.

****

	Followed by flame.

****

	Tom felt the girls grabbing him, pulling him and their son back as fire leapt up the trunk of the mighty oak. Lilith had Zak by the arm, shouting, cheering, as she yanked him away. Tom had to turn away from the flames, arms covering a now crying Adam. He quickly handed the boy to Krissy, who wrapped him securely.

	"Back!" Motioning, Tom led them away, towards the path. Half turned back, he saw the entire trunk in flames, fire moving up the branches. He worried, for a moment, about the fire spreading. About the entire forest going up in flames. But, this fire seemed different. Supernatural, flames of red, blue, green pulsing in the winter air. Almost as if the tree had been soaked in gasoline. And, it was isolated, in the middle of a circular field. With the grass safely under snow, there was no fuel to help it spread. Stopping thirty feet away, they stood and watched.

	Alice just shook her head in disbelief, hands on her belly.

	"She... she wanted us to..."

	"We should have seen it." Krissy hugged little Adam to her breast. "It was obvious. The sacrifices kept getting larger, and larger. Building..."

	"She's gone."

	They looked at Zak. The boy's eyes were wide, face incredulous. He motioned around them.

	"Can't you feel it? She's gone. Gone. It... it feels like outside. Normal."

	Tom cast his senses away from the tree. Yes. It felt like out beyond the fence. Gone was the feeling of being welcomed. Of protection.

	Of unreality.

	"What do we do?" Alice asked. She looked at Tom, fearful. "Where do we go?"

	"Go?" He looked back, confused. Her expression became confused as well.

	"Yeah. I mean, we can't stay here!"

	"Why not?" He looked at them. His family. His life. "I own it. WE own it. We have a house. A farm. A life. All we need, all we want, is here. Our children will grow up here, strong, healthy, LOVED."

	"But..."

	Tom laughed. He opened his arms wide, encompassing all around them.

	"Think about it! This time, Adam has cast God out of Eden! It's ours!" He gathered them into a hug, heads touching. He saw tears in their eyes. "And, I promise. No god will ever be allowed into our lives again."

	Alice's eyes shone.

	"God isn't love. Humans are."

****

	And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, and the priests of the second order, and the keepers of the door, to bring forth out of the temple of the LORD all the vessels that were made for Baal, and for Ashratah, and for all the host of heaven: and he burned them without Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron, and carried the ashes of them unto Bethel... And he brought out Ashratah from the house of the LORD, without Jerusalem, unto the brook Kidron, and burned it at the brook Kidron, and stamped it small to powder, and cast the powder thereof upon the graves of the children of the people. And he broke down the houses of the Angels, that were by the house of the LORD, where the women wove hangings for Ashratah....

	And he defiled Topheth, which is in the valley of the children of Hinnom, that no man might make his son or his daughter to pass through the fire to Molech.

	2 Kings 23: 4, 6-7, 10

****

THE END

****

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

	This story, to a great degree, was inspired by the writings of Biblical scholar Margaret Barker, particularly her work The Mother of the Lord volume 1: The Lady of the Temple. Barker raises the idea that in the era of the 1st Hebrew Temple, three gods, at least, were worshiped: El, the Father. YHVH, Yahweh, the son... and a female Wisdom goddess, with various names. The Mother. In 628 BCE, according to the book of Kings, the Hebrew king Josiah reformed the Temple. The Law, as Moses had given them, became all. Foreign gods and their altars were removed, burned. However, much of this was the exact Temple furnishings God had told Solomon to put INTO the Temple. Thus, Barker's theory. The Goddess was removed. Her wooden menorah, representing her tree, burned. Child sacrifice stopped. Her names removed from the holy scriptures, by changing the vowels (Hebrew was written with constants only, making this easy to do) and occasionally altering a letter (akin to changing a C to an O). She was removed from history.

	I do not accept all her ideas. Some of it is a bit shaky. But, it is fascinating, if you like that kind of thing. I do, obviously. I encourage everyone to read more.

****

Edited by SciFi Nut

Comments more than welcome.
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