Lovin’ in the Apocalypse
Chapter 1: Burning down the House
“Quick! In here!” They ran into the house and shut the front door. “Shhhh!” The man said, pressing a dirty finger against his bearded lips.
The woman with greasy hair and sharp eyes nodded and faced the dark interior of the house with held breath. The seconds passed like slow torture in the tense silence. The man kept an ear pressed to the door as the woman’s eyes adjusted to the dim light of the sun set. The house was messy and stank of mold. Like most houses left standing, this one was decaying and falling apart. Still, it was better than being out in the open.
After a few minutes, they heard the sound of shuffling footsteps and wispy voices. The man felt sweat sting his eyes but did not move to wipe his face. The woman steadied herself in a low squat, hoping to avoid windows or sunlight beams. The whimpered words from those outside became clearer as the group moved closer to the decrepit house.
“…so hungry…need food…need to eat…so hungry…please…so hungry…” all the voices in the shuffling mob joined together in a moaning dirge. The sheer number of them sent a chill down the man’s spine.
It took an hour for the mob to pass and the loaded silence settled back down on the house. The two people hiding did not make any noise but relaxed slightly. They were breathing hard in an effort to catch their breath after holding it in check for so long. They stayed still and tense as the sun finally dipped below the surface and night settled in the old house. The man sighed and finally put his whole weight against the door. The woman just plopped down from her squat and laid back on the dusty floor.
“That was too close.” The man whispered.
“Yeah, because you just had to go back for the damn picture.”
He smiled and pulled the wallet sized picture from his pocket. The edges were curled and the color faded from time and exposure but the image was still recognizable. An old black Ford Mustang sitting in a gravel driveway and gleaming from a loving polish. “How could I leave her behind? It’s my good luck charm.”
“And if you die trying to save it, is that good luck?”
“Meh. So far, so good.” A floorboard creaked from somewhere in the house and both of them froze. It was too dark to see anything but they did not dare to light the room up. After a few seconds in silence, they relaxed again. “It’s just settling but we need to look around anyway.”
They pulled flashlights out of their packs and began to carefully look around. These flashlights were wrapped with tape so that only a narrow pinpoint of light was visible. Without speaking, they spread out in opposite directions and searched the house while trying not to make too much noise. They met back in the living room after a few minutes and discussed the haul.
“I got a couple of cans.” The man pulled two cans with a little rust on them from his pocket. “Dunno what it is but it sounds wet.”
“More than I got. There are stairs though. Should we check upstairs?”
By now, any of the infected would have made it outside. It was not common for them to hide or stay in one place long. “How about we eat first?”
She looked hesitant but agreed and they shared one of the cans that he found. It was stale ravioli, well over any expiration date but they ate every bit and licked the can clean of any sauce. “I used to hate these things. Always gave me heartburn, even when I was a kid.” He sucked his fingertips in an effort to get every drop.
She nodded as if to agree. “I used to eat them right out of the can. Well, I guess I still do.” She laughed a little too harshly. “It was kinda strange back then.” She tossed the can lazily into a corner and flinched at the noise it made.
“Damn, Rachel! What the hell?” He hissed as he rose from the armchair.
“Sorry!” Rachel hissed as she stood up. “I wasn’t thinking.”
“No shit.” He moved to a window and carefully peered out. The front yard and street looked clear and he let the curtain close. He was about to relax when his heart sank. From some dark corner of the house, one of the infected came into the den and moved quickly towards Rachel. Her back was to the infected and she would have very little time to dodge it. “Rachel!” He yelled without considering how far his voice would travel.
The infected, a woman with a ripped and soiled sundress, smiled as it lunged for Rachel. A bloody bite mark on it’s arm oozed blood and puss and there was black rot in the fleshy wound. It’s teeth, black and putrid, flashed as it opened wide to take a bite. The flat and emotionless eyes did not even focus on Rachel.
With years of practice and surviving close calls, Rachel’s reflexes were sharp and necessary. She did not take a second to look or question why Tom shouted at her. She let her legs go limp as she threw her weight forward in a roll. She heard the sharp click as teeth clamped shut just inches away from where her shoulder was a moment before. Rachel finished the roll and spun around to face the infected.
The infected moaned as if annoyed by the miss. “So hungry…” it groaned as it stumbled towards Rachel. “Please…so hungry…”
Rachel shoved the infected as hard as she could and it staggered back a few feet. “Fuck you!” She growled as she fumbled for the claw hammer hanging from her belt. The infected came at her again, relentlessly persistent as they all seemed to be. It’s black teeth looked like the Abyss while it chomped at the air.
“So hungry!” The infected lunged.
Rachel could not pull the hammer free in time and had to abandon trying so she could hold the infected back. They collapsed to the floor and Rachel tried to stay focused but the fall dazed her. The wind rushed from her lungs in a gasp and the scent of rotting flesh filled the vacancy. She coughed as she held the infected’s shoulders and was just able to hold the thing back.
The growling of the infected was suddenly cut off and the weight of its body went limp in Rachel’s arms. She felt the body jerk and heard a sharp metallic thump as Tom struck the infected again. Rachel pushed the body off of her and took a few deep breaths.
Tom kept his eyes scanning the dark room. “Are you okay? Did it get you?”
Rachel took a moment to mentally check over her body. Her back ached from the fall and her right elbow felt bruised but otherwise, she was completely okay. “No, I’m fine. That was close though.”
“Yeah, too close.” He helped her off the floor. “We got to move, that was too much noise.”
They spent a couple minutes gathering up their belongings and got ready to leave. The sound of pained moans and shuffling steps grew louder as a few nearby infected approached the house. They sounded aggressive and their voices were loud as they closed in. The mob was still nearby and they knew it would be back soon.
Rachel and Tom slipped out of a side door and ran into the dark street. The moon offered just enough light for them to move carefully. They kept low and tried to use as much cover as they could but eventually, they were spotted. The infected seemed to have better vision at night, a strange side effect to the virus.
“Hungry!” An infected man yelled and lunged toward the running people. “So hungry!”
“Shit! We have to find cover!” Rachel hissed as they ducked behind a stone wall.
“I’m looking!” Tom replied while peeking over the wall. “I think I got something. Come on!” Tom jumped the wall and ran with Rachel right behind him.
The infected man that spotted them before was moving quickly for them and had been joined by many other infected. They were all starving and were letting the delicious looking people know. The more that grouped together, the more violent they seemed to become. It was likened to a blood frenzy that possessed sharks and piranha fish. Mobs of infected rarely left behind more than bones. The only good thing about being caught by a mob is, you did not have to worry about becoming one of them afterwards.
Tom ran towards an abandoned building and quickly peered through a window. He aimed his flashlight inside, not bothering with stealth, it was far too late for that. He looked for a second and saw what he had hoped to see. “Yes! It’s still here! Come on!” He ran to the side door.
Rachel followed although she did not think it was a good idea. “Are you sure? This is the only building around, they’ll come in!”
“I know. It’s fine, trust me.” He opened the unlocked door and stepped inside the building.
Rachel followed him, glancing back at the mob of infected closing in on them. She did trust Tom but a nervous squirming in her stomach made her hesitate. When she saw the beam of light land on his intentions, Rachel felt relief and knew Tom had come up with a good plan. She shut the door and followed Tom to the abandoned vehicle.
Tom shut the front doors of the firetruck and quickly gathered up a couple blankets from the sleeping area. He used the blankets as curtains, closing the rear doors so they would hold them in place. Rachel jumped into the back seat and Tom followed her. They threw their packs into the front compartment to make more room on the small bench seat and snuggled together. Rachel’s small, 4’10” body fit snugly against Tom’s larger, 6’2” form. She felt warm and comforted by the contact but feeling safe was a premium in this life. Before long, the sounds of the infected made it to the building.
Meaty slaps and thuds began as the mob of infected tried to beat their way inside the fire station. The pleading and begging was hard to understand as the voices blended into one wail of torment. The impacts began to increase as the infected became increasingly frantic to get inside the building. After a few minutes, the sound of shattering glass preceded a groan of triumph and the infected poured into the fire station like a stream of water.
Tom and Rachel stayed quiet as possible as the firetruck rocked and jerked from the random bodies hitting into it. The infected were capable of chasing someone in a straight line but once out of sight, they seemed to lose the trail immediately. Infected beings could not think around an obstacle, they only knew how to go forward. After a long while, the random bumps from wandering infected tapered and the singular voice of a mob broke apart into individuals. Tom and Rachel were sweating from the stress and the heat inside the truck but they were more relaxed now than they had been inside the house. The firetruck was solid and held up surprisingly well against a mob.
Rachel was dozing off when she felt Tom stir. He moved slightly and she felt something stiff press firmly against her ass. Even now, after the night they had, he wanted to have sex? The man was insatiable and luckily for him, Rachel was the same way. She returned the gesture by slowly rolling her hips to add to his friction. With her signal, Tom rested a strong hand on Rachel’s hip and pulled her body against him as if he could force his way in through their jeans. He was incredibly hard and she quietly gasped as the force of his lust sent a thrill through her.
Rachel reached down and unbuttoned her belt and jeans. She slowly and carefully rolled her pants down, just enough to clear the curve of her round ass and expose her bare flesh to the humid air. Tom fumbled at his own belt and buttons until a fully loaded cock slapped against the back of Rachel’s thighs. Both of them were careful not to let their belts make any unnecessary noises. Rachel reached back and found Tom’s cock. It was slick with precum and she took a moment to rub it over his shaft. He moaned in pleasure, not far from her ear and she smirked over her shoulder at him.
Rachel moved her hips and lined Tom’s cock up. The black hair on her pussy was already beaded with her own lubricant and the precum mixed in to make a mess of her pubes. She slowly rolled back, taking him into her wet pussy without any resistance. She engulfed his long cock entirely and sat pressed against him as her body adjusted to the invasion. Tom’s hand snaked under her shirt and groped her small, firm breasts. Both of them were careful to keep their moans in check. Occasionally, the thump of a body would hit the truck but none of the infected remaining in the building seemed interested in them. Their cries of hunger were nothing more than whispers now.
Tom used the limited room available to begin moving. He pulled and pushed Rachel’s hip in time with his gentle thrusting and she let him steer her body wherever he needed it to be. His cock always felt huge in her small body and it tugged the walls of her pussy as if it was trying to turn her inside out. Before her experiences with Tom, Rachel would have a hard time reaching orgasm. With him, she had a hard time keeping count of how many he gave her. Instead of crying out in pleasure, Rachel’s body began to spasm and twitch. It was as if the effort of keeping the orgasm quiet was causing her body to freak out. She became stiff as the lightning bolt of pleasure shot through her lower half and then oozed into waves of euphoria. Tom’s hand pressed firmly against her lips as sounds began to slip out. His strong grip on her face sent another jolt of pleasure through her.
Tom was breathing into her ear as his thrusts picked up an urgent force. “I’m close.” Rachel answered by squeezing the muscles of her pussy to make it grip his cock tighter. He groaned and his hip movements became less rhythmic and more sporadic. On the final thrust, Tom pushed his cock deep into her and Rachel felt it twitching against the hard knot of her cervix. She felt the warmth of his cum as it shot up into her body and filled her pussy with long sprays. He was backed up from too long without release and her body was receiving the interest. Another orgasm circled her stomach as his cum began to spill out of her and made her thighs slick.
Tom felt his balls lunge with the effort of sending their load into Rachel. It felt primal, a deep need to coat her insides with his seed. On top of that, a couple of days without this release made it all the more intense. His cock was still twitching, spilling the last of what his body could send in lazy streams even as the orgasm released his mind. Although he did not purposely abstain from orgasming recently, he saw the benefits of letting the tension build. Not that he would choose to do so again.
Tom did not pull his softening cock out of Rachel. He pulled her closer and snuggled his bearded face into her neck. She smelled like sweat, blood and dirt, the musk of the hard life they lived. He was used to it and breathed her in as if she was wearing perfume. His lips traced soft kisses on Rachel’s skin and she hummed appreciatively as sleep began to pull her down. A thud from outside the truck did not even bother the lovers. They stayed locked together and slept peacefully for a few hours.
Rachel woke first, seeing dark and colorless shapes in the firetruck. The sun was rising but it was still early enough that her eyes could not make out more than silhouettes. It only took a few seconds for her mind to catch up with the present time and what they had done the day before. She listened carefully, showing down her breathing to make it quieter but she could not detect anything outside the truck. It seemed that the infected moved on while they were sleeping.
Rachel felt an uncomfortable stinging from her pussy and realized that they had fallen asleep without cleaning up. Their mixed cum had dried and effectively glued them to each other. Tom’s cock should have shriveled up and fallen out of her but it stayed hard enough to keep lodged in. Rachel carefully reached down and ran a finger over the soft bulb of her clit, sending small tendrils of pleasure into her pussy in an attempt to loosen herself up. It felt good, offering a little pleasure in the discomfort of these steamy sleeping quarters. She was trying to be quiet so as to not wake Tom but as her pussy warmed up, she felt his cock begin to stir.
Tom woke up slowly, feeling a warm sliding on his cock. He nearly began to piss, his asleep mind only registering the warmth and full bladder but his consciousness stepped in at the last second. He became immediately aware of Rachel and her body as she rolled her hips against him. She was fucking him with long and slow strokes, torturing and satisfying him at the same time. Tom sleepily wrapped his arms around her little body and snuggled into her as if she was a teddy bear. He let her do the moving until her slow pace became frustrating.
Tom reached down and tugged her pants the rest of the way off her legs. He pulled his cock free of the vice grip she had on him and turned her to lay on her back. He pulled her legs up and placed them on either side of his face. He nibbled, kissed and licked her calves as he aimed and pushed his cock back into her body. He did not mind that she was not smooth as she had been before the world ended. There were much worse sacrifices to pine for.
She groaned as he pushed in, the size and weight of him replaced the air in her lungs. In this position, Tom reached Rachel’s limit even though he was not entirely inside of her. He still tried to push in, gaining a little more of her depth before she hissed out in pain. He retreated slightly and began to take long strokes that kept her between pleasure and pain.
Rachel was in a ball, pressed against the firm door of the firetruck. Her pussy was a mess with the fucking Tom was putting on it, feeling stretched to the max and vibrating with the force. Their cum was becoming a frothy mess and he was dripping sweat onto her body. The feelings were incredible and it did not take long for an enormous orgasm to build inside her. Their sex musk filled her nose and she longed to have the taste on her tongue. Even though they were alive and well, she felt like an animal in heat. For a moment, she could almost relate to the mindless need of the infected.
The orgasm broke suddenly and Rachel could not stop the grunt from escaping her mouth. Tom’s hand quickly covered her lips and Rachel bit down on his fingers. She squealed into his hand as the pleasure became a rush and her pussy gushed with the force of her inner contractions. She nearly blacked out as Tom turned her mind into a scramble of emotions and pleasure. She wanted to feel his strength and heat. She whispered up at him, “Don’t hold back. Cum. I want it, baby. Give it to me.”
Tom’s thrusts became forceful as if he was trying to drive her body into the seat. She took each blow and kept her eyes locked on his. His face twisted with the incoming orgasm and she opened her legs and pushed her hips down. Tom’s cock broke free from Rachel’s pussy but before he could complain, she wrapped her slender hands around it. It was slick and sticky with cum that she now used as lube. She stroked him quickly and waited for the moment his orgasm broke.
The hard cock in Rachel’s grasp, jerked violently and a long rope of cum burst from the slit. Rachel felt the hot cum hit her lower stomach and her covered chest. Belatedly, she realized her shirt was still on but it was too late to stop this. She kept pumping the swollen cock as she opened her mouth. The next cum shot hit her upper lip, dribbled down into her mouth and coated her tongue. She felt a few more shots land on her lower stomach and then the last of it oozed out onto her hands. She continued to stroke and squeeze the cock until it gave her that last stubborn drop.
Tom watched with hooded eyes as Rachel licked her lips and her fingers clean. He fell back and relaxed against the other door, trying to catch his breath in the humid truck. Rachel finished her sultry clean up and gave Tom a satisfied smile. There was finally enough light coming through for them to make out details in the truck.
“It’s been quiet for a while,” Tom whispered. “I think we’re okay to get out.”
Rachel sat up and removed the soiled shirt. She used it to wipe herself clean and tossed it on the floor. She dug through her pack and found a clean one. “God, I wish I could take a shower. Any idea how long it’s been?”
“I try not to think about it. But this is a fire station. If the area is calm, maybe we can rig something up. There’s bound to be water here.”
Rachel beamed at Tom. “That would be amazing.”
The sound of Tom’s stomach growling was loud enough for Rachel to hear. “You want to eat? We got that other can you found yesterday.”
“No, we should save it. We just ate.” His stomach protested his refusal. “We should have saved our energy.”
“Saved it for what? For more running? No thank you. If I have to give up showers, food and sex, I’d rather be dead. What else do we have, Tom?”
“I guess I can’t argue that.” Tom said as he pulled his pants up. “I think I’ll poke my head out and see what’s up. If it’s clear, I’ll hop out and look around.”
“Okay. I’ll be out in a minute.” Rachel picked her pants up off the floor.
Tom’s hand was on the release for the door when he suddenly froze. Rachel too became instantly alert with her pants only at her knees.
“Hello? Did you survive the night? We saw you last night. That was a hell of a mob on your ass.”
Tom’s eyes were wide with fear. He looked at Rachel and mouthed, “alive!” She nodded sharply and slowly reached inside her pack for the one thing they did not ever want to use. She pulled the 9mm pistol out, careful not to make any sound. Rachel passed the gun to Tom and began to get dressed as quickly as she could. Tom held the gun and waited, hoping the stranger would think they died and leave. That’s when the second voice spoke up and a shard of ice pierced Tom’s heart.
“Look, at the truck. The windows are covered.” A woman tried to whisper but her voice carried in the silent area.
Tom gripped the pistol tighter, his palms were slick with sweat but he knew how to handle the weapon. He was confident, no matter how much sweat he gave. Rachel was fully clothed and was crouched behind Tom. She was ready to spring out of the truck with him. She held a 8″ serrated combat knife in her left hand. Her eyes were focused and full of controlled fury.
“Alright, I know how it is, approaching strangers and all. Not much trust left in the world, I get it. But we mean you no harm. From the looks of it, you don’t have much that we would really want. Not being hateful, just making a point. Look, that mob moved on but I don’t like being out here long. We’ll give you ten minutes to come outside and say hello or we’ll move on without you.”
“We should just go now! It was stupid to even come over here!” The woman sounded young and petulant.
“I’ve told you before, we can’t just keep going without people. If they survived that mob, they’re strong and we need them. Not every living person is dangerous.”
“You’re wrong, dad. Everyone left alive is dangerous.”
The silence stretched on for a long moment before the man spoke again. “We’ll wait 10 minutes. If you don’t come out, we’ll get the point and move on. If it matters at all, we’re not alone. We live in a place with standing walls and safety. We got caught by that same mob that trapped you, otherwise we would have been there last night. If you come out, we might be willing to take you back with us. Just think about it, okay?”
Tom and Rachel heard the sound of crunching footsteps moving out of the fire station. They stared into each other’s eyes for a couple of minutes, having a silent conversation about the offer. Without a watch, they would not know how fast the ten minutes would take to pass. 10 minutes did not seem like a long enough time to consider risking everything for this random chance. So far, these kind of gambles did not pay out for these two.
“See, I told you we should have just left. They didn’t even want our help.” Kelsey shook her heavy hair out of her face as she stood up from the ground. She used a leather strip to tie her dreads into a bundle that ran down to the small of her back. “They probably got eaten up, that mob was all over them.”
The older man with grey peppering his short black hair and beard sighed and looked at his daughter with a skeptical face. “It’s hard to trust strangers, Kel. But that doesn’t mean we should just stop helping people.” Cameron looked at his watch again. 12 minutes had passed and he knew that meant it was time to leave. If they stuck around much longer, it might be perceived as a threat. “Let’s go. Grab the radio and -.”
“Dad.” Kelsey’s voice was sharp.
Cameron turned and saw a man and woman step slowly out of the fire station. The man was holding a gun, not trying to hide it at all but also not aiming it at them. These days, that was a great way to start. Cameron showed his empty hands, “This does not mean I am unarmed.” He noticed the knife in the woman’s hand as well. The pair of them looked rough, thin and haggard as if they had been on the road for a long time. “What are your names? I’m Cameron and this is my daughter, Kelsey.”
Cameron was a big guy with broad shoulders and arms that matched. He stood confidentially and had laugh lines near his eyes. Kelsey was younger, mid 20s at the latest. She was slim and radiated energy, like a track star. Her eyes were not as kind as her fathers.
After a couple of seconds the tall and lanky man answered. “I’m Tom. My wife’s name is Rachel. You said there were more of you? Where are they?”
“Most of them will be in the safe zone. A few teams of scavengers and scouts leave from time to time but most of us don’t leave the walls.”
“Where is it?” The small, thin woman asked. “The safe zone.”
“You gotta understand, I can’t just tell you that. We can take you there and you’ll have to meet some folks but I can’t and won’t tell you where my family sleeps.”
“You want us to just go with you?” Rachel was trying her best to sound skeptical but she noticed how healthy these strangers looked. Almost as if they got to eat more than one meal a day. And they looked clean.
“As crazy as that sounds, yes.” Cameron spread his hands. “Or we’ll just load up and leave, no harm done. You can go your way, we’ll go ours.”
Tom and Rachel shared a quick look. Rachel gave a barely perceptible nod and Tom turned back to face the strangers. “Okay. We’ll go with you.”
*
Source: reddit.com/r/Erotica/comments/tkn26v/lovin_in_the_apocalypse_ch_01_apocalypse_series