Freedom From Blood Longing and Lust

Chapter 16

Steppingaway from him and going to the other door I open it to find anothershock. I recognize it as a water closet as I remember hearing itcalled. It's so clean, I can't believe I'd been using a damnedbucket or hiding behind a bush in Sutle for all of these years. Imake use of my discovery and relieve myself, already escaping Sutleis worth it. I wash my hands in HOT water! Relaxation floods throughme and the simplest but usually not worth it of a pleasure.

I spot a full length mirror next to the mostly empty gray braided wood shelves. When I look into the mirror I can't even tell that this girl in front of me is well me, that is the only good thing about my appearance. How is Ryen able to even look at me or be near me? The horror that I have been seen by so many people looking like this!

My normally sand colored hair is so dirty that it is brown, the worst are the knots, thick and matted. How did I not notice that? My face is the color of the purple black cave, and my dress is ruined. I make a disgusted face. I leave the layers of skirts here in the room, I don't think I'll even be wearing this dress again, it's to warm for this place.

I enter the main room and see Ryen sorting through clothes on the desk.

"Can you take me to the bathing area please?" I can't look him in the eye, "and do you know where the washing soap and brush are?"

He laughs at me, "Hair and body soaps are at the falls." He holds out a few pieces of cloth, "new clothes. I'll brush your hair when we get back."

I look up at him a blush spreading across my face, "You will?"

He shrugs.

I take the clothes from him, I worry that I'll dirty them just by holding the soft blue material. Ryen grabs his own bundle and leads the way out the front door. The hut is just two steps off the ground. We go right and take a path in between the first hut and the cooking hut and head towards the mountain. The tall shrubs engulf us giving us complete privacy.

A few minutes down the trail and I hear water. I look up at the top of the hill in front of us and I can see the top of a waterfall. A few more paces and the shrubs open up revealing the rest of the waterfall and a smooth sandy pool with tiles and bricks surrounding the edges. Rugs and towels line the sandy beach, a few people even sun bathe nude! My eyes practically pop out of my head! I look to Ryen to see his reaction, he has an amused expression on his face.

"Come on," Ryen says quietly, and takes my hand. Which of course fills me with butterflies. He moves us to the far left corner by the waterfall itself and the deeper part of the pool.