Page 5 of Her Shadow

Sam rose to her feet, her eyes already scanning the woods beyond the clearing for where the best firewood would be. But before she left, an idea struck her, and she looked back at Kara. “You know what? I’ve got a book in my backpack. It's a sapphic mafia novel. I treasure it. It’s part two of a trilogy, but it’s easy to get into. Does that sound like your kind of thing?”

Kara’s cheeks flushed slightly, and Sam noticed the subtle shift in her expression. Was she nervous? “Erm…I guess so,” Kara said, turning to face her, the faintest blush on her cheeks.

For a moment, they locked eyes, and Sam wondered if they were having the same thoughts. But instead of lingering, Sam smiled and turned her back on the younger woman. There wasstill so much to do today, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that something might just be starting to soften her heart.

No, Sam. You’re imagining things. Leave the girl alone, for Christ’s sake.

Sam walked away. There was some firewood out there with her name on it. Her breath formed small clouds in the crisp morning air. She felt alert as she expertly weaved her way through the trees, spotting dry logs and smaller splinters of branches they could use for kindling. But her thoughts kept drifting back to Kara.

She must have been cold last night. She looks so tired this morning. But so…well... Wow, she’s such a pretty little thing. Oh, get over yourself, Sam.

As she gathered another bundle of sticks, a figure approached her. It was Benji, one of the older members of the group. Sam noticed that his beard had a patch of white hair under the chin that she was fairly sure hadn’t been there at the start of the outbreak. He looked as stiff and weathered as the branches he was trying to carry in his arms, his back hunched into an unnatural shape.

“Hey,” he said gruffly, coming to a stop awkwardly before shuffling toward Sam. “What’s with the new broad? Lara? Is that her name?”

Sam’s eyes flickered in the direction of the camp, where Kara sat near the fire, her silhouette barely visible through the trees. “Broad, Benji? Ha! I haven’t heard that in a while. Her name’s Kara. She’s healing,” Sam replied, her voice measured. She didn’t want to give anything away. Nobody in the group knew she was gay. The subject had never come up. “She’ll need some time.”

Benji gave her a knowing look as he raised a single eyebrow in what looked to Sam to be mock surprise. “Is that right? Time,huh? I reckon we should move her on. I know nothing about the girl. She could be a risk."

Sam shifted her weight. It occurred to her that Benji might know her better than she thought. She looked at him quizzically, the bundle of firewood she’d collected resting against one hip. “That’s not who we are, Benji. We found her out there alone and injured.” She remembered that first sight of Kara—lying in the dirt, her body battered. Sam felt tears pricking in her eyes as she stared at the older man incredulously. “Why the hell would she be a risk? She’s not infected. She hardly seems the violent type. What do you want me to do? Force her to leave? She’s no threat to us. She’s just trying to survive. She’s the same as you and I. We need more survivors.”

Benji grunted, but Sam could tell he wasn’t entirely convinced. “She could well be hiding something.”

“Ha! Aren’t we all?” Sam spluttered.

“No doubt. But we’ve seen this before, Sam. People will say anything to get protection. You sure she’s not trouble?”

Sam met his gaze, her expression hardening as she thought of her response. “I’m as sure as I can be. That’s the best I can do. I’m sorry, but I’ve made my decision. She stays.”

There had been something in Kara’s eyes when Sam and the others had first found her, something raw and unguarded. Sam had sent her crew back to camp because she’d felt sure she could handle the injured woman on her own. And she’d been right. Kara had somehow struck a chord with Sam, something profound and unnamable, driving her to act on instinct. She knew the others might question her decision, but at that moment, she also knew that she couldn’t care less.

“You know I’ll keep you all out of harm’s way,” Sam felt forced to add, avoiding eye contact with Benji as she spoke. “Any sign of trouble, and I’ll send her on her way.”

Benji sighed, dropping his bundle onto the ground with a clattering thud. “Here we go. You’ve got a real blind spot when it comes to strays, Sam. I think you need to know that some of us don’t much like it.”

Her jaw clenching in anger, Sam watched as Benji turned and walked back toward camp. She shouted out to him, unable to stop herself. “I’ll pick up your sticks, shall I?” she said with more than a hint of sarcasm. “And isn’t that what we all are? All of us here? A bunch of waifs and strays?” But she knew deep down he wasn’t wrong. She had always felt a pull toward those who seemed lost or broken—but this was different. Kara was different.

She continued gathering firewood, the memory of that first encounter replaying in her mind. The mission that had gone so terribly wrong, the screams of what she now assumed had been Kara’s friends being attacked, ripped apart. And then, stumbling across Kara—bleeding and zapped of every last ounce of energy but still alive. There had been a moment as she knelt beside Kara when their eyes met, and something passed between them. An unspoken understanding? Was that what it had been? Or maybe just mutual recognition. Sam hadn’t been sure then, but she knew now that it was more than just curiosity that had driven her to save Kara.

She returned to the tents and spotted Kara still by the fire, poking at the embers. Sam couldn’t help but notice the way Kara’s features softened in the dim orange light, the tense expression she was wearing earlier now relaxed. Sam felt a surge of protectiveness rise within her. She knew she had to take care of Kara, not just because of the dangers they all faced from the infected but also because she had come to understand that several members of the group clearly harbored suspicions when it came to the young woman.

As she unceremoniously dropped the piles of firewood beside the fire, Kara glanced up and flashed her a timid smile. “You’re back. Great haul.”

Sam knelt to arrange the wood in a tidy pile. “I’ve gotta agree with you there. We’ve got enough to keep us warm for a good few hours.”

Sam watched Kara for a moment, her eyes tracing her movements before she spoke again. She was focused solely on the newcomer, not daring to look around to see if other eyes were on her. “I didn’t have to save you, you know? We’ve got enough issues as it is.” Sam paused, her hands hovering over the fire for a moment before she continued stacking the wood. “But I really wanted to.” She gazed into Kara’s eyes. The expression within them was unreadable but somehow familiar.

Kara sighed, running a hand through her hair. “Listen. I really appreciate it. I don’t know how to thank you. But…I need you to know I can’t stick around. I can’t be part of your group. I need to get back to Fort Haven. I have my own people—what’s left of them—and they don’t have a clue what’s gone down, although I imagine they’ll have their doubts by now. It’s the only place I can go. I hope you see that.”

Sam immediately understood the urgency in Kara’s voice. Fort Haven. She’d been told that it had existed long before the virus. It had been some sort of adventure center built on the ruins of a once-thriving settlement. It was rumored to be well-protected. They had thought about venturing out there a few months ago when supplies had been meager, but she’d concluded that such a place would be an easy target.

“Of course,” she said, realizing that Kara’s desperation to return was evident. “But the journey won’t be easy. I know you know that. I want to keep you safe. I’ll come with you," Sam said, the words slipping out of her lips before she had fully processed them.

Kara cocked her head to one side in surprise. "What? You’d really do that? Come with me? I know you said you’d help, but I didn’t expect…”

Sam felt her breath growing harder as her chest rose and fell with effort. She was feeling panicky but had no idea why. “It’s dangerous out there. And if you’re really set on going, you’ll need someone to watch your back. I’ll talk to the others.”

Kara’s lips parted as if to protest, but then she stopped, her eyes searching Sam’s face for something. Sam felt the weight of that gaze, felt the unspoken questions hovering between them.

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