I relaxed every portion of my body individually the way I had done a thousand times. First, my mind thinking of something else, relaxing my facial mus...les and forcing them into the rigor of death... My neck rotated left, right, back, forward, and then released the tension. Shoulders rotated forward then back. Biceps and triceps, forearms, and down to wrists. The hands are important so I flexed and released each finger. Back to the torso, taking deep breaths to stretch my lungs and the muscles. Sleep well?" Yes ... the best sleep in a long time..."I couldn't help staring at her. She blushed and turned back to the stove."Tea's on the table ... so help yourself. Scrambled eggs coming up."I sat where I sat the evening before at the butcher block island in the kitchen. I filled the big white mug with tea and watched her as she filled two mismatched china plates with scrambled eggs. She sat across from me and put plates of crisp bacon and toast between us.I put my fork down as I watched. 'I'll take care of it, but when I do, you're not changing your mind.' Nickie said with firmness. 'I'll be right back, ' she whispered leaning to softly kiss Misty's excited lips and felt pure fire rushing between her legs at the thought of making love to Misty.Caleb sat on the sofa watching some show on the TV when Nickie came from the bedroom with sad eyes. 'She upset?' He asked with concern in his voice thinking of the torment Cole had put her through.It was hard for Nickie to lie to her. Some had fallen, lay in moss and grass, lichen-clad. The bonfire on the hill opposite cast a glow and made darkness in the shadow of stones and revellers alike, the stones and bodies facing the fire becoming incarnadine. I spotted Penny, her flame held high, chanting with the others. Her face shone with an expectant radiance, as if on the threshold of a revelation.The eastern horizon backlit now, a tentative glow before the sun's beams drowned out the light of torches, some were already.