What does Home mean?

To end is to begin.

"Jo! Get in here, already!

Supper's getting cold, ya little imp!" My mother yelled.

"Okay momma!" I shouted, running.

I went down on my belly and slid into the cave we lived in.

"I swear, Josephine...

Why do I have to tell you to do something a hundred times before you listen?" My mom admonished.

"I saw a rabbit!" I cheered.

"You're far too young to be hunting yet and, since your father passed, I need more help in here.

After supper, I need you to collect more bedding and please, just this once, finish it before you go play.

Alright?" She said the last word, looking directly at me as she sat my plate on the table.

"I'm sorry, momma." I said, feeling bad.

We were nearly finished with our meal when a strange smell wafted through the cave entrance.

My mother snatched me and curled around me in the back of the cave.

"Whatever you do. Don't make a sound, okay?

That's a human." She whispered.

"Something smells amazing.

Hey, Frederic. Ya home, buddy?" A deep voice cheerfully asked.

My mother relaxed and sighed.

"Wait here, Josie." She said.

My mother slipped out of the entrance and I heard her tell the man about my father.

"Oh, no... I'm so sorry, Charlotte.

I brought these for you.

Fred had told me a while back that he would settle his debt to me.

I won't hold you responsible.

I'll consider it anulled." He said.

I couldn't help it.

I had to see this man.

I poked my head out and he was huge!

Like looking at a tree.

He'd sat a big basket down that had jerky and vegetables. There were also blankets folded on top.

"Fred saved my life during the war and, the rest of the time, he perpetually lost to me in poker." The man said, laughing.

He spotted me and I ducked back inside.

"Your child is adorable, Charlotte." He said before bidding her farewell.

My mother came inside and grabbed me.

"Josie! You should never let a human see you.

Most can't be trusted not to kill our kind.

We may have won that war, due in part to our human allies and sympathizers.

Darrel is one but, you should always be careful.

If you see a human with a pawprint tattoo on his neck, he's an ally.

Still, to be so close to see it is extremely dangerous.

Promise me that you won't take any unnecessary risks." She begged.

"I promise, momma." I said, hugging her.

"I'll be right back, so, stay inside. Okay?" She asked.

"Okay, momma." I said, going back to the table to eat.

She went outside and I heard her scream.

I looked toward the entrance as the sound of a gunshot rang out.

"Momma?" I called.

She fearfully rushed back in, breathing heavily.

Later, she told me that Darrel shot a man who was about to kill her.

In truth, as big and tall as he seemed, he hadn't really gone all that far when he heard momma's scream.

He'd had a rifle but, as young as I was, I had no clue what that even was.

He apologized for allowing hisself to be followed, even though he wasn't aware that they had.

He then told my mother that he wanted to take care of us and asked her to come live with him.

She cried, grateful for his offer.

When it comes down to a morph's survival, there is no safer place than with the human allies of the great Gene War of 2290.

Most, if not all, were actual soldiers who'd defected.

Some twenty thousand and fifty in total.

I'll never forget the time I rode in a human's backpack.

My mother pretended to be dead as she hung over his shoulders.

I was placed in the main compartment, which had a steel frame.

There was a rolled up sheepskin inside and I fell asleep before we actually arrived.

When we did arrive, the backpack was opened but I was allowed to stay inside.

Darrel had sat it on his sofa.

My mother curled up onto the sofa to sleep.

She couldn't, however, due to the trauma from earlier that day.

That was until Darrel picked her up and curled her into his arms.

Putting the footrest up, he reclined the backrest and pulled a blanket over her.

It still took a while but, my mother did finally get to sleep.

When I woke up, I needed to pee and ran around looking for dirt.

I found a tree in a bucket and hopped into it.

After I was finished, I went back and saw Darrel asleep on the big couch.

Momma had her head on his shoulder and her nose was against his neck.

She looked so peaceful.

I climbed back into the backpack and went to sleep again.