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you want me to?”
    “Umm…I was thinking I would throw
them away.” 
    “Oh! Here, I’ll take care of them. 
I have a burn barrel out back.”  I walked over and grabbed the dirty clothes
from her.  I took them outside and tossed them in the burn barrel just off the
back porch.  When I returned from outside, the young woman was toying with a
record player in the corner of the living room.  “Do you want me to turn it
on?”  I asked. 
    She shook her head.
    “I guess I’m glad you said no,
because I’m not sure I know how to turn it on.” I admitted almost shamefully. “I
was just trying to impress you.”
    She smiled and I actually felt
warmer.
    “My father used it sometimes.  I
think it came with the house.”
    “Your father is John Winters.”  She
said. “His senior picture still hangs next to the gym doors back at school next
to his football jersey.  You look like him.”
     Hearing his name angered me and I
blurted out, “That’s where the similarities end.” 
    There was an awkward pause before
she realized she struck a nerve and changed the subject.  “I saw that you have
some pop, do you mind?
    “Yes, I mean, no I don’t mind.”  I
answered. “It’s kind of flat though.”
    “Thanks.”  She turned and walked
away.
    At that moment, I realized I still
didn’t know her name and as if she was reading my mind she stopped in the
doorway to the kitchen and said, “My name is Samantha, but you can call me
Sam.” 
    “Ok.”  I responded.
    Sam went into the kitchen and I
went upstairs to take a shower. I didn’t get to take hot showers very often, so
I didn’t take that one for granted.    I stood under the steady stream of warm
water for a long time.  I wondered if I had come off as a jerk when Sam brought
up my father and I decided that I had and that I would apologize when I got a
chance.  Mostly, I pondered the future.  I’d found another survivor and brought
her to my home, but what happens now?   What if she doesn’t like me or like
living here and wants to leave?   I determined then that if that was the case I
would let her leave.  However, I hoped very much that it wouldn’t be.  
    When I had finished my shower and
changed, I went downstairs.  Sam was next to the fireplace with her back to
me.  As I reached the bottom of the steps, she heard me and glanced over her
shoulder.  She quickly wrapped up whatever she was doing and hastily slipped
something into the pocket of her sweats. 
    “Are you ok?”  I asked.
    She swiftly turned around, “I’m
fine.”  She lifted her hand to her face and tucked a rogue strand of hair
behind her right ear.  “Really, I’m fine.” 
    My eyes narrowed on her pocket, but
she nonchalantly blocked my view with her left hand,. “Actually Blake, there is
something I want to tell you.” 
    I took an apprehensive step forward.
“Yes.”
    “Umm…” She paused then said
quickly, “I’m sorry I brought up your father.”
    “Don’t worry about it.” I answered.
“I’m sorry I was jerk.” 
    “I really wouldn’t call that being
a jerk.” 
    “What would you call it then?” 
    “I don’t know exactly, but it
really doesn’t matter.”
    “Well,” I said agreeably, “whatever
it was, I apologize.”
    She smiled.  “Apology accepted.” 
    I changed the subject.  “Is there
anything you need to do before I turn off the electricity?”
    She flashed disappointment.
    “I’ll turn it on again.  I
promise.  I just don’t have enough fuel to keep it going all the time.” 
    Sam replied resignedly, “I
understand.”  She paused.  “It felt almost normal you know.” 
    “It always does.” 
    With those words, I lit some
candles and then went outside and turned off the generator.  The house darkened
dramatically and all was quiet again.  As I stared out across the island and
over the frozen lake, for some reason, the dark didn’t seem as dark anymore.

11
     
    When I got inside, Sam was