Sin: A Survival Romance Fiction (Her Story Trilogy Book 1)

by Kensley Hatch

  “After you and Julian left,” Mary continued. “They stole some food from my backpack, and I saw them leave our tent in the middle of the night.”

  “Why didn’t you go with them?”

  Mary gave her a defiant look that reminded Summer of her younger sister.

  “I’m not afraid of Phil.” She said stubbornly. “As much as they pretended to go along with the ways of The Union, they would rather run away than risk being here with only men who were inside of the cult.”

  “Bridger wasn’t part of the cult.”

  Mary waved her hand, unaffected.

  “Okay, with men who were like those in the cult.”

  Summer didn’t respond to this, and Mary grew quiet with thoughts of her own.

  “I mean Mccarthy is still here, but I also thought Julian would return.”

  “I don’t think that’s going to happen.” Summer murmured pensively.

  That concluded the conversation, and Mary handed the plate with the rest of her food to Summer before heading to the tent where Meline was resting. Ever since the two older cult women had left when Summer was gone, Mary had moved into the tent with her mother and siblings so she wouldn’t have to be alone. Meline was doing better physically, and she often sat with Summer either in or outside the tent as Summer slipped between consciousness. She was haunted by images of Julian’s frozen body half covered by the snow that they had climbed together. Strange memories that hadn’t surfaced in years rushed into her delirium, but then proceeded to morph into nightmarish terrors. Summer would often wake up in a sweat, and one time she accidentally thrashed out at her mother who soothingly hushed her back into reality and wiped her burning forehead. Luckily, that behavior had faded now, and Summer was finally in control of her senses again. She finished the meat that Bridger had caught and hesitantly stood up from her nest in the sled to walk around. It was easier than she expected, and although her muscles were stiff from inactivity, they warmed up quickly with her movement, and she even helped Michael carry firewood into the camp.

  Helping him brought back the stinging recollection that Michael and Tania had grown aloof when it came to Summer. After she had refused to answer Tania’s repeated questions about the reason for her and Julian’s departure, Tania had refused to talk to her at all. She avoided the place where Summer’s sled was positioned near the fire and would eat her meals with Mary instead. When their eyes did accidentally meet, Summer could see the traces of betrayal and resentment in them that she had hoped to prevent with her silence. Until yesterday, Michael continued to help feed her and was always near if she needed anything. He talked to her energetically to fill the quiet and when Meline wasn’t there yesterday, he started to complain about Tania.

  “She’s always been immature.” He said, holding an empty bowl that Summer had eaten out of. “I tried telling her to grow up, but she’s angry because Julian is gone.”

  “I don’t really want to hear this,” Summer mumbled, inwardly wincing at the truth that was unbeknownst to Michael. The truth that maybe Tania was right in blaming Summer for Julian’s absence.

  Michael ignored her and continued with his rant.

  “It’s not fair! She always blames other people for everything. Just the other day, she accused me of losing the sling when I later found out that she had left it hanging on a tree. She acts like people are consciously trying to betray her when, in reality, that’s just how life is. Bad things happen.”

  “Michael, please.”

  “I mean if you had known that you and Julian were going to get lost, I’m sure you would never have left camp that day. It’s not like you purposefully—”

  “Shut up!” Summer snapped, leaving Michael speechless at the sudden outburst.

  “I’m sorry.” Summer quickly whispered, but the shock remained on Michael’s face. She reached out to take his hand, but he threw it back at her and stood up with the bowl in his hands.

  “No, I get it. I’ll stop bugging you.”

  Summer tried to come up with words that would mend the hurt caused by her anger, but it was too late, and he left her in silence. The reservation that Michael approached her with from then on was far worse than the open animosity that Tania showed, but either way, Summer was suddenly devoid of the company of either of them.

  Bridger and Phil had sulked around camp for most of the day, which seemed to suit Phil, but Bridger was clearly restless and was more than willing to drag Phil out of the camp to go hunt for food. Summer would pretend to be asleep any time that Bridger was near, but even with her eyes closed, she knew that he was watching her while he loitered around the camp. His attitude was cross with everybody, especially Michael, yet when he saw Summer walking this morning, he seemed appeased.

  “You’re doing better.” Summer couldn’t decide if that was a question or an observation.

  “Yes,” She responded hesitantly. “I am.”

  “Good. Do you think you’ll be able to travel today?”

  “I think so.” She was averse to letting Bridger see any sign of weakness.

  Consequently, everyone helped to break down camp, and for the first time in eight days, they started once more on their journey. As they traveled, Summer could not help but remember the hope of The Caravan that had been squashed with her attempt to leave. It was unlikely that they could catch up to The Caravan now after so many days of stagnation that were brought on by her disappearance and then slow recovery. The sickening familiarity of losing all signs of The Caravan filled Summer as they traveled without coming across any indicators of human life besides themselves. The going was slow with Meline and Summer moving cautiously through the snow and frozen mud.

  The hours dredged past like reluctant autumn leaves that refuse to fall from the branches of their shedding tree. With the absence of Julian and the two women, everyone had to carry heavier loads in their backpacks, and the sleds were piled on top of each other to make them easier to transport. Mccarthy pulled them and tried to make conversation, but the steep inclines and treacherous descents of the foothills that stood at the base of the mountains spared little energy for small talk.

  The late afternoon was turning into evening when Bridger made the call to stop. They were still in the elevation of the base of the mountain, but the continual use of their campsite wore away at the ground until it matched the mud covered clothes and equipment that everyone was forced to use without cleaning. The three men erected the tents while Mary and Tania worked on the fire.

  Mccarthy and Michael had the tent that previously had been used for the runaway women and were arranging it as an open shelter with the canvas hanging over three sides of poles to make a cave-like structure.

  Summer moved underneath it and began to fill their dented pot with snow hoping to at least provide a place for them to wash their hands and faces when it had melted. When she looked up, Bridger was crouched in front of her and put his finger to his lips to signal her to be quiet.

  “I want you in my tent after dinner.” He breathed so that only she could hear.

  She looked at him in confusion, but the hungry expression on his face quickly changed it to mortification.

  “No.” She replied firmly, keeping her voice low and casting a look at the two girls trying to start the fire near them. “I’ve told you. I’m not doing that anymore.”

  Bridger nodded as if he had forgotten what she was reminding him of, and he absently traced his finger along the side of her pant leg. She moved her leg further behind her, causing Bridger’s hand to stop in midair as if it had been frozen by her movement. Slowly, his finger curled into a fist, and he looked up so that Summer could see his face. She gasped as he grabbed her by the arm and ripped her from the ground causing the pot to tip over beside her. He threw her outside of the tent covering, and she skidded several feet beyond the place of the fire landing in the snow violently.

  “I’m not as
king anymore!” Bridger screamed and stalked over to where she laid in the snow. “You think because you can have a little romance with the only other available man to you that now suddenly you don’t owe anything to me.” He gripped her hair and yanked her to sit up. “You’ve always been a sniveling cheat, but I swear I’ll take what I deserve.”

  Summer twisted her body and bit down hard on his wrist, causing him to yelp in pain and release her. She scrambled to her feet and stood to face him with his back against the shelter.

  “I’ll kill you.” The statement was as emotionless as if she had told him that the weather was cloudy.

  Bridger held his wrist close to him as drops of blood streamed down his arm, but his eyes were captivated by the unsheathed ax that was posed in Summer’s right hand.

  Mary and Tania had bolted when Summer had been tossed into the snow near them, and now they stood in fearful anticipation as Summer and Bridger faced each other.

  “He really has filled your head with ideas, hasn’t he?” Bridger’s question was a mix between bewilderment and fury.

  “This has nothing to do with him.” Summer said through gritted teeth. “He’s dead for all we know. This only has to do with you and me. I’ve taken your abuse and your threats this whole time because I was scared. I was scared of what you would do to me, but worst I was afraid of you leaving us. I let you manipulate me to believe that everything was my fault, and I was the only one who deserved condemnation. I’ve grown heavier, and I’ve ostracized the people I care about the most in order to please you. Well, not anymore. I’m finally willing to face the truth. The fact is the only sin that was committed was when I let you steal my worth and become the empty version of myself that you needed me to be. Except now for the first time, I can see what you are without a shadow of a doubt. You’re a leech, but I promise you I’m willing to burn off my own skin to stop you from feeding off of me.”

  Bridger made a step towards her but Summer raised the ax above her head, and he quickly lifted up his hand.

  “Wait!” He yelled. “What are you talking about, Summer? You’re acting crazy.”

  Summer’s voice was unyielding, and she didn’t remove the ax from its prepared position.

  “I’m talking about you and Phil getting out of here now. I refuse to let you bully us anymore, and I want you gone.”

  “How do you expect to survive without us?” Phil asked, suddenly appearing to the left of Summer.

  Summer quickly took a couple of steps backwards so that she could have them both in her range, but it was unnecessary since a sharp click brought everyone’s attention over to the location of the tents. Mary was holding Bridger’s crossbow and had just pulled back the string to load it with the tip of the arrow pointing at Phil’s chest.

  “We’ll find a way,” Mary answered him coldly.

  Michael stepped up from behind her, and his sling hung down with the weight of a fist-sized rock.

  “Do as Summer says.” He commanded, causing the two men to exchange looks of indecision.

  “Leave now!” Summer yelled and raised her ax one more time. Bridger and Phil immediately lifted their hands in the air and slowly inched their way towards each other and then away from the camp with three weapons staring at them as targets.

  They kept their weapons armed for a long time after they had disappeared behind a hill and Summer suddenly became aware of how fast her heart was racing. A silent pride started seeping into her being as she realized what she had just done. She lowered her ax and breathed out a sigh that was somewhere in between a cry of joy and a cry of relieved pain. She looked at the ax blade in mystification. Finally, she had broken the shell of submission and shame, and she took a deep inhale as if it was the first breath of air she had ever experienced. Then, like a boomerang, she realized what she had done.

  They were stranded somewhere in the Rockies with little to no food, and she had demanded that the person who she had depended on the most to leave under threat of death. She turned to see that the episode had brought her mother outside of the tent and she had seen the whole event go down. The look of pure horror on her face confirmed the mistake that Summer had made. She turned to face who was left, but Tania was already at her side.

  “I wish you had done that a long time ago.” Tania’s voice sounded with admiration, and she wrapped her arm around Summer’s side.

  “Bridger is a sick man.” Meline looked at the horizon where he and Phil had left, and Summer realized what her horror had really been directed at.

  For the first time since she had met Bridger, Summer looked at the faces around her with complete honesty. She put her ax back in its holster and took a deep breath before starting.

  “There’s more to it than just today.” She said, clearly her throat nervously before continuing.

  “We needed Bridger. I was so scared about what would happen to us if he left or turned on us.”

  She paused to check the reactions of the people staring back at her, but they looked puzzled so she continued.

  “ I don’t know what else to say to you guys, except I’m so sorry and if you’re angry with me I more than understand. It was my fault for letting all of this happen in the first place.”

  Now, there was definite confusion among the faces.

  “Let what happen?” Meline gently prodded.

  Summer swallowed anxiously and wanted to escape the words that would come next, but there was nothing else she could say that would adequately explain the events of today. Ignoring the possible reactions that the truth would cause among her family, Summer closed her eyes tightly as she confessed her next words.

  “After we escaped the concentration camp, Bridger threatened me if I didn’t sleep with him, but I was too ashamed to tell any of you and I didn’t know what else to do. All I could think about was how awful I had become and how repulsed anyone would be if they found out what was going on.”

  There were a million other things that came racing into her head once she finally told her hidden secret. Explanations, apologies, defenses, but she stopped there and waited for her confession to sink in. She expected the news to hit like a brick, since it certainly felt like the heaviest load she had ever carried. Yet, the shocked disgust that she had expected from the revelation of her secret did not appear in the faces of her mother, her siblings, or even Mary. Instead, Summer saw Meline’s eyes moisten and she took her daughter’s hands in hers and squeezed them tightly.

  “I’m proud of you, Summer. No one should have to bear that kind of burden alone, but you are stronger than I even knew and I’ve always known the fighter inside of you. What Bridger did is monstrous, but you are and always will be my beautiful, kind, intelligent daughter. How could I ever think less of you for doing the best you could by trying to protect everyone else?”

  Summer bit her lip, trying to hold in the water that was welling up in her eyes, and she immediately wrapped her arms around her mother’s neck, embracing her as heavy sobs began to rack her body. Soon, Tania and Michael wrapped their arms around their sister too and even Mary joined in comforting Summer who cried the tears of a once broken soul.

  “I want you to know,” Meline began again, lifting Summer’s face with both of her hands to look into her eyes. “That I never want you to compromise yourself. You can’t save everyone. You can’t save me, you can’t save Tania or Michael, and you certainly couldn’t have saved Bridger from what he had become. Nothing worth saving will ever require you to put yourself in harm’s way for it. You don’t owe anyone anything and the greatest thing you can do for me or anyone else is to love and protect yourself first. If you need help, I want you to know that I will always be on your side no matter what.”

  “Me too.” Tania chimed in and Michael nodded in concurrence as well.

  Summer smiled through her tears, but her words of gratitude were inexpressible. She only nodded in acknowledgement as her tear
streaked face shone with the relief of finally feeling understood. At that moment, Mccarthy came running back from his search to find firewood.

  “I heard shouting.” He announced breathlessly.

  The huddle broke apart and Summer wiped her face with her sleeve, but merely nodded towards Bridger’s tent.

  “Everything’s fine, but we won’t be needing that anymore.”

  Mccarthy looked at the crossbow that was still in Mary’s hands.

  “Are you alright, Mary?”

  “Now, I am.” She replied with a new sense of confidence. “And Mary isn’t my real name. They made us choose between three different names back in the cult but I wouldn’t, so Mary was the one that was assigned to me. My real name is Adeline.”

  “Good to finally meet you, Adeline.” Michael shook her hand, and everyone smiled for a brief respite.

  Chapter 23

  The night was fast approaching, and they broke into their last reserves of the canned goods, sharing a couple of cans of soup and mandarin oranges. Summer couldn’t sleep for fear of Bridger and Phil returning, and she kept the fire going throughout the night as she sat and waited with her axes on either side of her. Luckily, the nights had grown warmer, and there was no sign of the two men from where they had left before, so Summer started to dose. The next morning Summer raised her head from where it had fallen on her lap to find everyone formed at the campfire staring at what had been left on the ground the night before.

  “They’re wolf tracks.” Summer stated, remembering the paw prints that she and Julian had found higher up in the mountains.

  “What do we do?” Tania asked with a slight quiver in her voice.

  “We move forward.” Summer declared. “I only see two sets of tracks, so hopefully they’re a random pair of lone wolves as opposed to a pack.”