Chapter 2

I didn't remember anything, other than waking up to someone standing over me. My head was pounding, and if at all possible, my knees and legs felt worse.

My vision was blurry as I slipped in and out of consciousness. My right eye was almost swollen shut. I could feel the heat; smell the dried blood on my face. I made out the outline of the sun….how long had I been out? I couldn't remember….The person standing over me was saying something but I couldn't understand, my mind couldn't make sense of it. Last I remembered it was night, and I was running….but running away from what? I couldn't remember….

"Hey, what's yer name?" was all I could understand.

I managed to murmur out "Kait," before passing out for good.

I'm not sure how much time had passed; a few days, a week maybe. But I awoke one morning, sun on my face, streaming in through a window; the warmth awaking my brain. I was in a bed, in a small room in what appeared to be a log cabin type building. There were a few newspaper clippings on the wall. I heard a few voices coming from what seemed like downstairs.

I tried lifting myself up to sit up. Instantly I felt a shooting pain down the right side of my body. I lifted off the covers to examine my leg; someone had already wrapped a white bandage around my knee. A few blood stains were bleeding through and my head was still pounding. My right eye was definitely still swollen, though not nearly as bad as it was when I had first come to…

Before I had much time to do some examining of my new surroundings, I heard a few unsteady footsteps coming down the hallway; the person seemed to have a slight limp. I threw the blanket back over my leg and sunk back into bed, keeping an eye on the door. A boy, maybe sixteen or seventeen, swung his head into my room. He had messy brown hair and the sweetest smile. I knew he could be trusted.

"You're awake! I found you and I was so 'fraid you was dead…"

"So you saved me then?" I asked. "I believe I owe you a thanks." I tried sitting up halfway, as much as I could muster, and stuck out my right hand. "What's your name?"

"Names Cricket, ma'am." He extended his hand. I took it, "I'm Kait, very pleased to meet you Cricket, and thank you for saving my life." I smiled warmly at him. There were a few seconds of silence until the thought popped in my head… "so where exactly are we?"

He got a smile on his face, "We're at The Station in Franklin….you were hurt purdy bad when I found ya, didn't know where else to take ya….My friend Jack and his brothers own the place. They, well I should say Maggie, wrapped ya up pretty good!" He seemed proud of himself.

So I was 'in town', as the outsiders called it, probably ten miles or so from my cabin. But what had happened that night and how did I fall? I hadn't been in Franklin for more than a few weeks. What was I running from? "Say Cricket, where did you find me, did you see me have my accident?"

"No ma'am, I didn't see nothin. Just happened upon you on the way out of town. Looked like ya clean fell off the cliff or somethin…say, what were you doin up there anyways?"

"You know, I was kinda hoping you could help me with that, I can't seem to remember." I shrugged my shoulders and Cricket told me I should rest. He was going to run downstairs to get me my clothes. Apparently this 'Maggie' had washed them for me too. He returned a few minutes later with the brown trousers and white wife beater I had been wearing the night of the accident; along with my underwear and bra. I could see his cheeks turn a bright shade of pink when he handed the latter to me.

"You know, Forrest is gonna be happy to see you up. He kept checkin on you…he helped me pick you up and bring ya back here, seemed pretty worried and all. I'll let em know you're awake!" With that he spinned around and headed downstairs, seemingly pretty excited. Well I didn't know who this Forrest was, but it seemed like I owed him a big thanks, too.

I got dressed, tucked my trousers into my boots I had been wearing that were set at the end of the bed for me. Good thing that the pants were so loose so that the bandage could fit underneath. I tucked the wife beater into the trousers, the only acceptable shirt to wear to me seeing as it was so hot, and felt my fingers run over Momma's necklace, making sure it was still there. I threw my hair up into a messy bun, and knew I was a sight to behold, a sore one at that. Here in the country, you didn't see many a women wearing trousers; in fact it was looked upon harshly by many of the men. My skin was still deeply tanned from the summer sun, and my hair had grown long, practically down to my hips from the lack of salons here in the country. A few loose strands feel from my bun, snaking their way down my back. I knew I looked wild, and I liked it.

I did the best I could to steady myself, holding onto the bed for support, crinkling my nose in pain, I did the best I could to straighten up and make my way downstairs. I followed the hallway down to a staircase, gripping the banister with all the strength I could muster, and notice it opened up to what seemed to be a bar like restaurant. There were a few people scattered among the tables, mostly rough looking men sipping what seemed to be moonshine from mason jars. There was a red headed lady behind the bar in a fancy dress outfit: that must be Maggie.

There was another young man, around Cricket's age sitting at the bar talking to her, filling salt jars. A second was standing in the corner, arms crossed sipping on a mason jar making small chat with the young man sitting at the bar. Cricket came around the corner with a huge smile on his face, "Jack, Howard, this is Kait, look, she's awake!" The young man sitting at the bar turned around to face me, getting a big grin on his face too. The red headed woman at the bar nodded and gave me a polite smile, nothing more; then walked to the back kitchen. "Well hi there, you're alive!" Jack proclaimed.

"Sure am, thanks to Mr. Cricket here," I stuck out my hand, "Kait, MacMahon." Shaking it, he replied, "Jack Bondurant, pleased to meet ya ma'am, nice shiner ya got there" he said pointing to my eye. "This here is Howard, my oldest brother, don't know where Forrest went…" Howard took another sip and nodded in my direction, looking a little nervous, and took off walking outside. I liked Jack and Cricket, even though they looked grown up, they still had their boyish personalities, and I knew there were good people.

For what seemed like hours, with my leg and head were still pounding, Jack and Cricket asked me question after question. Where I was from, what I did in the big city, how I wound up back here….I noticed the sun starting to set, so I decided to get some fresh air. The boys had fed me, seemingly to some protest of Maggie, and given me a few shots of moonshine to ease the pain in my leg and head. I told the boys I'd be back when I noticed the large front porch off the front of the building. Perfect place to sit and rest for a while.

I made my way out to the porch, pushing the screen door open, stepping out into the fresh air. I stood there for a couple of seconds, taking in the smells, that heavy scent of pine and grass from a southern summer evening. I stretched my arms up into the sky, breathing in deep, yawning and rolling my head around in the process, trying to get the kinks out of my neck. It was then I noticed someone sitting to my left. I immediately swung my arms down to my side, feeling a little embarrassed and caught off guard.

There was slow gurgle it seemed like coming from his throat, a few mumbling sounds. Then he managed the words, "Afternoon, good to see you 'wake." He talked slowly and with a deep voice and southern accent. He chose he words carefully. I nodded my head, short on words, because not only did the man catch me off guard, but he had a stature about him, like he could strike at any moment. It seemed like his steel eyes could read my thoughts, and nervousness; though I recognized the fluttering in my stomach and knew this was all in my head. I recognized instantly the attractiveness of this man. His wide shoulders, defined jaw, light blonde hair, and his perfect lips…something that drew my attention when he took so long to get out his thoughts.

"Afternoon," was all I could manage, "you must be Forrest."