For the longest time they just sat there, two people brought together by the harshest of fates, she was sobbing violently; only then really letting go of the grief of losing her parents and the pain of her rape. And as Eran held her he felt hot and wet tears streaming down his cheeks; he too hadn't really grieved his sister's death, from he'd found her till this point it had been anger, not sorrow, which had been his main emotion. Looking down at the slender girl in his arms Eran smiled; the dress was a little too big for her, hanging loosely around her much-to-thin figure. She had a few rifts and bruises from her attack, but there was no doubt that she was beautiful; thick dark brown hair hung to the upper part of her back and through the tears a pair of large golden brown eyes looked at him, her facial features were delicate; her cheekbones marked, her nose slightly snub nose and beneath it her lips were thick and red. Only a great strength of will stopped him from bending down and taste the inviting mouth with his own; he knew he had to be extra careful with the girl, one wrong move from his part would send her fleeing away from him. Finally, after only God knew how long, it seemed like she had no more tears. Eran more or less expected that she would free herself from his embrace and return to her rigid posture beside him, instead she snuggled even closer to him; resting her cheek on his shoulder.

"Thank you." She whispered her voice like music, "For everything, for the dress, for the food, for this; holding me. But…" a faint blush crept across her cheeks and she looked to the ground "I don't even know your name."

"My name is Eran." He told her. "And you?"

"Adina."

As they sat there the stars slowly began to show on the sky, blinking down to them like they wanted to assure them that no danger would befall them tonight. Smiling Eran noticed that Adina had already fallen asleep; carefully, not to disturb her, he placed her on the ground and placed his cape over her. Then he put some extra wood on the fire, to assure it was big enough to scare wild animals away, and lay down beside her, slipped and arm around her shoulders and looked at the stars.

When he awoke the next morning a weight on his chest was making it slightly difficult to breathe properly. Opening his eyes he smiled at the sight which met him; thick dark brown hair obscured his vision; spreading out from her head like a fan, covering her face. Slowly, with trembling fingers, he reached down and removed the hair from her face, only to find her already awake looking at him with a smile playing on her lips.

xxx

She had though all men where the same; evil and wicked, only seeing her as an easy way to satisfy their sexual needs. Yet here was someone who'd shown her kindness, who'd food, new clothes and had held her without second thoughts when she finally had let go of her tears. As he looked at her at their eyes locked onto each other Adina felt a jolt go through her body, a feeling unlike anything she had ever experienced.

"What are you doing?" ten-year-old Adina asked her parents. That day they had buried her brother, her last remaining sibling, who had been attacked by wild animals while hunting and torn almost beyond recognition. Through the night she had listened to her mother's silent sobs, now there was silence. Looking at her parents in their bed an odd sight met her; her mother was laying on top of her father, his hands running through her hair and down her back, their mouths pressed firmly together. She had been told not to look at her parents while they were in bed, now she couldn't tear her eyes away. As if they only now had heard her question they broke apart and looked at her.

"It's what grown-up people do when they're in love." Her mother said smiling. "Your father and I, we love each other and because of that we do these, grown-up things. If we didn't we would never have had you, or any of your siblings. Even though the pain of losing them was terrible each time they joy of having you, having them, made it all worth it."

"But," Adina said uncertainly. "I've heard you. When you did that thing, it hurt you."

"Yes." Her mother whispered. "It does hurt. But it is a sweet pain, you don't really feel it. Your body too filled with joy. One day, sweet Adina, you will know the feeling yourself."

Her mother couldn't know. How could she know that four years after that night her last remaining daughter's first experience with sex would be a violent rape? Then a thought hid Adina; her mother hadn't been talking about sex, she'd been talking about love. Maybe one of the reasons, other than the sheer brutality of the men, it had hurt so much had been because there was no love. Was this love? This feeling which made her heart beat twice as fast simply by looking into Eran's eyes. It seemed like there was only one way to find out; carefully she slipped on top of him, her legs around his, her hands resting on the ground on either site of his head, her face so close to his that her hair fell down around both their faces.

"What…" he began before she bridged the, no matter how small, distance between them and pressed her lips to his. At first he didn't do anything, letting her decide the pace, but after a few seconds she felt his hands on her back; pressing her down. Both of them they wished that the world would stop right there and then, covering them in a blanket of love. Only slowly, not really wanting to, they broke apart and rose to their feet, their hands locked together.

"Come, my sweet Adina," Eran whispered, "let's leave this place. Maybe somewhere we will find a place which isn't rotten as Sodom and Gomorrah."

They walked the whole day, only stopping briefly at one point for Eran to reach up and pick a fruit, lovingly slipping it into Adina's mouth.

With no warning the ground shook and a light erupted on the horizon. Slowly Adina turned towards the city of Sodom.