Satiated, I turned and made my way back up the rocky trail to the encampment. At times, being forced to climb I thought there must be an easier way. The scene of devastation remained much the same.
I began to feel uneasy as I walked into the center of the encampment. The cries of pain and anguish had stopped. There was an eerie silence. Then I noticed that all the piecing eyes were focused on me. Their faces were etched with anger. Roars broke the silence.
“He’s one of them.”
“Get him.”
What the fuck?
Tabitha appears out of the corner of my eye. She jumps in front of the growing, braying mob.
“Listen, he’s not one of them. He saved my life. It’s not his fault how he looks.”
And I thought she liked my looks. What the hell is going on?
They shouted back at her.
“You should not have brought him here!”
“Kill him!”
I look around for somewhere to run but there is nowhere. All escape routes are now blocked off by rows of people.
“I love him. If you touch him, I am gone.”
Nobody had said anything like that about me before. The angry crowd seemed to be stunned too. The shouting stopped and they dissipated.
Tabitha looked back at me and then walked away.
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