by Misty Vixen
“Holy shit.”
“Yeah. Scared the fucking shit out of me. Luckily it was really just for show more than anything. He was part of a gang and you don’t let anyone disrespect you in a gang. Not even stupid teenage girls. There was security around and they got him to put it away. I was in shock. Thankfully, this woman, she was a goliath traveler who happened to be in the village, pretty much took me aside and asked me what I’d been thinking. When I began to explain to her why I didn’t fully understand what had happened, she...was kind enough to take the time and tell me what a racist piece of shit I was. Her name was Shelly. And she...changed my life.”
“How long was she around?” David asked.
“Years. At first, she just stuck around town for awhile. She was a nomad, a wanderer, and she’d just gotten into town. She was looking for work. The only good side effect of my being forced to travel hundreds of miles was that I suddenly realized there was a whole world out there...and I wanted to explore it. Of course, that took a little while to acclimate to my assumed level of comfort. You can’t live the high life in the lap of luxury and explore the wilderness all the time, you know? If you’re lucky, you can do both, but typically not at the same time.”
“That’s very true,” David murmured.
“So she started talking to me. Teaching me. Not just social etiquette and helping me rewire my brain, but survival shit. How to shoot. How to set a broken bone. How to fix some basic stuff. How to spot a trap, or someone trying to fuck you over. How to defend myself. Basically, how to be independent. She was so smart, and patient, and kind. She was like...a big sister I never had. I began going out on adventures with her, running jobs. My dad hated it, hated her, and ultimately tried to make me choose. I chose Shelly.
“Long story short, by the time I turned eighteen, I’d found out that I was pretty efficient at survival and taking care of myself. More than that, I liked it. Shelly had actually stuck around for those two years. I found out why, later. She told me she’d had a younger sister who had died several years ago, and I kind of reminded her of her. And also she wanted to help me, and saw helping me as a good cause. But yeah, I was eighteen, and sharing a place with Shelly, and she wanted to leave, and so did I. So we did. We left and we traveled the land for several years, and I just got better at survival and combat.”
“And then?” he asked cautiously.
She smiled. “Don’t worry. It’s not a sad ending. About two years ago we stopped at a little town and did our usual thing: found some jobs, killed some zombies, had some fun with some of the locals. And then...I don’t know. We both kind of just realized we wanted to be alone. It was one of those things, you know? One of those just...tectonic shifts inside of you. Where you just realize something as a fundamental truth. Our time together was over. We both wanted to part ways. So we said our goodbyes, wished each other luck, and just...parted ways.”
“Wow. I don’t know if I could do that,” he murmured.
“It was hard. I didn’t want to, honestly. But it was the right thing to do. I think it was kind of a thing that grew over the course of months. We were realizing that we wanted to do different things, we had different goals. I think part of it with Shelly was that she realized she wanted to settle down somewhere, at least for awhile, maybe forever. I don’t know. And she knew that wouldn’t work for me. But it was more than that. Although I feel stupid about that now...”
“Why?”
“I have kind of settled down. I’ve been here for nine months now, sticking to this region. And I don’t want to leave. I want to leave even less now that I’ve met you and Evelyn and April and Ellie. I like all of you so much. I enjoy your company so much. I really want to spend a lot of time with you, David.”
“...how far do you think our relationship will grow?” he asked after a moment.
“I don’t know,” she replied. “To be totally honest, I don’t know. But, I mean, and I’m not necessarily committing to anything, but I could honestly see being your girlfriend. Well, being a serious part of your polyamorous relationship. If Evelyn and April would have me. You’ve got an amazing dynamic going. That’s rare. And I...want to be a part of that, I think.”
“They both like you a lot, I can tell,” he murmured.
“And I like them a lot. But I don’t know. I need more time to sort through my feelings, you know? For now, we’re having fun. And that’s simple enough.”
“Simple can be good,” he agreed.
She smiled. “Thank you. I’m glad you understand. But don’t worry, I’m not going to jerk you around or anything.”
“I’m not worried.”
“I appreciate that...and that’s our second stop,” she said, looking forward.
He’d just spotted the structure as well. It was an old barn, way out in the middle of nowhere. “What’s this doing here?” he murmured. He couldn’t see any other signs of civilization around.
“I actually have no idea, but enough time has passed that, theoretically, all these trees could have grown up in what was once an open field.” She shrugged. “I found it last month kind of at random, just wandering around. There’s some stuff inside, and an old tractor that’s mostly stripped for parts but might have what we’re looking for.”
They pulled out their weapons, sticking to pistols for now, as they approached the old barn. It looked pretty ancient, ready to collapse. The double doors were open, folded out and pushed up against the front wall, then kept there by what looked like years, if not decades, of weather. He imagined they were fused that way at this point. He could see the tractor she was talking about, sitting in an open space in the middle of the barn, and it looked pretty fucking stripped down. It seemed like a really long shot that they’d find the gear in question.
But long shots could pay off, he’d seen it happen before.
And it was worth checking out for that reason alone.
They both got their flashlights out and on, and as they headed into the darkened interior, he had a flashback to the train station. David shuddered slightly and put that out of his mind. He didn’t smell anything bad and hadn’t heard anything, and he didn’t get a sense that this place was housing something alive. That wasn’t exactly a definitive test, but it was a good sign at least. He and Cait spent five minutes moving through the old barn, checking out everything, looking in all the places something or someone might be hiding.
It was empty.
With the search out of the way, they went to work. David began checking out the tractor while Cait searched in any other likely place the gear might be. Another five minutes went by, then ten, then twenty.
As they were closing in on half an hour, they both surmised that this was a dead end.
“You got any more ideas?” David asked as they left the barn.
“One,” she replied. “Come on.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
“What are you thinking about?” David asked.
They’d retraced their steps, crossed the river, and had begun heading west again, following the path David had taken not that long ago that took him to the garage with the family. He, in fact, was almost positive that Cait was leading him there. And if she wasn’t, he was going to bring it up when they got close enough.
He’d looked over and noticed she seemed a little distracted, had a small smile on her face.
“What it feels like when you come inside of me,” she replied.
He paused. That wasn’t what he’d been expecting. Okay, well, it wasn’t that far off, he supposed. That look on her face, combined with what he knew about her...he had suspected that Cait had been thinking about something related to sex.
“What does it feel like?” he asked.
“Practically speaking? It feels like your dick is having a seizure, I guess. It jerks and it’s so powerful, it’s so hard...it’s a really intense experience, even from the outside. You usually grab me and hold me, and the sounds you make...I love it.”
“And beyond practically speaking?” he
asked.
“It’s like...power. It makes me feel powerful. In this world we all inhabit, especially over this last year, we all have things we seek. I mean, there’s the basic stuff: food, water, heat. And obviously most people seek sex and power. But people can be complicated creatures. We all have things that we want beyond the primal urges, you know? I mean, often, they’re extensions of or sophisticated versions of the primal urges. Not just power but a specific kind of power. Often it’s creativity. After...my past, I spent a long time trying to determine the answer to the simple question of: What do I value? What do I actually give a shit about?
“And, you know, helping people is number one. I love helping people. I’ll forgo certain things to help people, if it comes down to it. But there are other things. Exploration. I love to explore. I love to find new places and poke through them. Ellie’s worse about it. I feel like it’s what drives her. She’s always off exploring. But I think what I value the most is...connections. Sexual connections. And, I mean, all that goes with that. To be clear, even an amazing night of sex with a stranger wouldn’t stack up to a night of mediocre sex with you at this point. Not that you’re mediocre.”
“Oh? What about our first night?” he asked.
She pursed her lips. “Well, I guess you have a point. But that’s just the thing. I guess, what I’m really thinking about is how fast I’ve connected with you. How quickly and intensely. You push my buttons really hard, David. There’s something...intangible about you. Being around you...is like a drug. I feel high around you. Giddy.” She giggled. “I love the feeling. And bringing you pleasure, which you orgasming inside of me with no protection, it’s...it’s the apex of that, of bringing you pleasure, I just love it. It’s a real high for me. That may sound weird, and don’t get me wrong, I love being brought pleasure, to be sure, but knowing that I’m doing that for you, and that we’re as intimately connected as physically possible, and emotionally connected too...it’s a high unlike anything else I’ve experienced, you know?”
She fell silent, then she stopped abruptly.
They were within sight of the three structures, including the garage, now.
“What?” he asked, worried, stopping and looking back at her.
“I guess...I just realized.” She looked at him directly in the eye. “I want to be in a relationship with you. I want you to be my boyfriend. I want to be your girlfriend.”
“Seriously?” he asked, though he could tell she was serious, he just didn’t know what else to say.
“Yes. Talking about it like this, really focusing on it, spending time with you...and now that I’ll be kind of-sort of living with you...yeah. I want to be with you. Like with you, you know?” She paused again, a look of worry briefly passing across her face. “Is this too fast? I feel kind of like a bitch, because I was just telling you that I needed more time, and now I’m throwing this at you. I’m sorry if this seems like I’m just some...overly emotional person who switches between emotions at the drop of a hat, but I promise I’m not. This isn’t normal for me. Honestly, the reason I’m being this way is because you...”
She sighed. “You make me feel a way that I haven’t felt for a long time. You make me feel just...so good. And it’s not just ‘beginning of relationship’ good. I know what that feels like. I’m not just giddy. I feel connected with you. Honestly, genuinely connected. More importantly, I feel like we both feel that way. Tell me I’m not nuts.”
“No,” he replied quickly, reaching out and taking her hand. It felt so good to touch her right then. “No, not at all. I do feel a connection with you, Cait. You’re right. It’s there, and it’s wonderful, and it feels amazing. I just...I mean, to be clear, I’m okay with this. I just feel like...a lot is happening at once. Even if it was just you and me, it would be a lot. But I mean, I feel real connections with Evie and April, too...”
“I know, I can tell. You’re so sweet and genuine with them. You care about them. Don’t worry, as emotional as you’re making me, I would never get in the way of your relationship with them. I think we can make this work. And I understand that right now, a lot of shit is up in the air. Not just between the four of us, but between us and the rest of the world. I get it. Don’t worry, David, I’m highly adaptive and I’m pretty reasonable.”
“I believe you,” he said, lacing their fingers. She smiled and stepped closer. “And I trust you. It’s more myself I’m worried about. I’ve never...I’ve never even come close to trying to satisfy three women regularly. Sexually or emotionally or socially, you know?”
“Just be open and honest with us,” Cait replied. “We’ll all be open and honest with each other. And that will give us the best shot of making this work. And...” she smiled a wicked smile and stepped closer, leaning around to put her mouth against his ear. She moved his hand to her belly and held it there. “Just think of all the impregnation fantasy sex we can have,” she whispered.
“Ugh...fuck,” he groaned, feeling a pure hit of lust shoot through him.
“Oh my God, that sound, David. You really get off on that, don’t you? I mean, I know you do, but you aren’t, like, playing it up at all, right?”
“I’m not. I’m really not,” he replied, then swallowed, trying to get himself back under control.
“Tell me something, I know you don’t actually want to knock me up, but does this fantasy only cover getting a woman pregnant, or do you have the same reaction to fucking a chick that’s already, and visibly, pregnant?”
“Yes. Very much yes. I would love to have sex with a pregnant woman,” David replied immediately. It was something he’d always wanted to do.
“Oh my...all right. I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Why, do you know any pregnant women?” he asked.
“I might,” she replied.
He sighed. “You’re such a tease.”
“Yes, I am,” she agreed. “Now, come on, we’ve got a job to do.”
“Are we going to that garage?” he asked as they started walking. He tried to will the hard-on currently straining against his pants away.
“Yes, how-oh yeah, you have been there, huh? Ellie told me about that. Yes, I’ve had a dealing with the family there, briefly. I dropped off some food a few days ago. One of them was sick, though. The man’s wife. She was coughing. I gave them some medicine, I hope she’s okay...”
They came up the road and kept an eye out for zombies or anything more lethal, but there was nothing. As they drew closer to the garage, he heard arguing. They walked up to the door that he had approached not all that long ago and Cait knocked firmly and loudly three times. The conversation died immediately.
They heard uneven footsteps getting closer, and then the blanket covering the window in the door was yanked back. A pale face appeared, one David recognized: Jim. The man he had negotiated with originally for the ammo. A look of tremendous relief came across his face and the blanket went back down, then the door opened up.
“Cait, David, thank fucking God you’re here,” he said. “Please come in.”
“What’s wrong?” Cait asked as they walked inside.
He closed and locked the door behind them. David saw that his leg was wrapped up tight and he was using a walking stick. From somewhere else in the garage, he heard a bad, hacking cough.
“Amanda, she’s sick. It’s really bad,” he said. “I tried to go out, but I got chased by a fucking stalker. I killed it, but I busted my leg. It’s splinted, but I’m out of commission. The damned kid wants to go out and look...” he muttered.
They all looked over as footsteps sounded and drew closer. There was an open doorway that led to the garage proper, and a scrawny teen with wide eyes and long, dirty hair appeared. “I can do it,” he declared. “Just give me some more ammo and-”
“God fucking dammit, Benjamin, I said no! You’re going to get yourself killed out there,” Jim snapped.
Benjamin started to argue but Cait shrugged out of her backpack and set it down on the counter. “I have ant
ibiotics,” she said.
Jim shook his head. “No, we already gave her antibiotics. We need something stronger...do you have anything?”
Cait cursed and shook her head. “Not on me. Fuck.”
“Do you know where you can get some?” Jim asked, pleading, desperate.
“Yes, I think so,” Cait said. “I know a place to check, at least.” She reached into her pack and pulled out a bottle of water and a tiny glass jar of pills. “Give her two of these and make sure she drinks a lot of water. She needs to stay hydrated.”
“What will these do?” Jim asked.
“They’ll help with the coughing. And the fever. They should help her sleep.”
“Thank you,” he whispered.
“Wait,” David said, reluctant, as Jim snatched the pair of items up and began to leave. He hesitated, turning to look at him. “I hate to ask, but-”
“We’ll give you whatever you want,” Jim interrupted, looking afraid again.
“No, no. It’s not that. We won’t make you trade for this,” David replied. “We’ll do whatever we can to get the medicine for you. But I need something.” He reached into his pocket and showed Jim the drawing. “This gear. We’ll give you the antibiotics if we can find them regardless of whether or not you can find it, but if you can find one exactly like this, it would help so much.”
Jim nodded after studying it closely for a few moments. “Yes, we have a lot of gears around. I’ll sort through them. I think we have this.”
“Thank you.” David replaced the paper. “We’ll be back as soon as we can.”
“Don’t worry,” Cait said.
Jim nodded and he and the teenager disappeared deeper into the garage.
David and Cait left, heading back out into the cold.