by Rick Kueber
“Then we'll start up the generator, get the water pump going and maybe even run the air conditioner for a bit.” She stood up and gave me a quick hug.
“Sounds like a plan,” I said as I hugged her back.
After a moment of awkward silence, I turned and left the room, and then the cabin. Elle had been right. From the sun's place in the sky, I could tell it was well past noon, and the day had heated up to what felt like 110 degrees. I searched the surrounding area for any movement or sounds from the porch of the cabin, but silence filled my ears, an eerie, empty silence. It felt uncomfortable being outside alone and I hastily crossed the empty space between the vacation cabins. With one last glance over my shoulder, I threw the front door open and rushed inside, closing the door quickly behind me. Much like Elle had been when we had come down the hill in the dark, I felt like something wasn't right, like perhaps I wasn't alone. I began searching the hall closet first, and then room by room, I gathered whatever I thought might be of any help. I packed all of the items into the living room and arranged them by category and most to least valuable for survival: weapons, carry bags, medicines, food, toiletries, clothes, etc...
It took nearly an hour and a half to go through the small two bedroom cabin, and when I was about to start packing it over to where Elle was, I had a flash of memory. Under the rug... there was a trap door to the cellar and mechanical room under the living room rug. There could certainly be some useful tools or weapons stored there. I grabbed the edge of the rug, pulled it back on top of itself and froze when I swore there was a faint sound, like something shuffling beneath the floor boards. I panicked and threw the rug back over the trap door and pulled a recliner over the top.
A sudden 'tap-tap-tap-, click-creeeeak' series of sounds came from behind me and I spun about and sprung towards the door with the speed and stealth of a cheetah. I landed squarely on top of the intruder, hands around their neck, and nearly made short work of the only other human being I knew.
“What the hell!” Elle exclaimed.
“I'm... I'm so sorry.” I loosened my grip and scrambled backward. “You startled me.” It was then I remembered the sound that I thought came from the cellar. I decided not to mention the sound from under the floor, mostly because I was beginning to believe the sound may have been Elle leaving the cabin next door.
“Um, okay.” She brushed herself off and regained her composure. “Guess I don't have to worry about anyone getting the jump on us.”
I apologized, at least, four more times while Elle and I began to dig through my finds and sorting out the 'must haves' from the 'wants'. We began packing a backpack full of canned goods, a couple of knives, forks and spoons, a can opener, a roll of aluminum foil, and two small plastic cups.
“Can't forget these.” Elle finally broke a smile as she neatly tucked a picnic set of salt and pepper shakers into the quickly filling pack.
“Those are necessities?” I was puzzled.
“You will be glad we have them after a week of eating dry cereal and canned goods.” She smiled again, knowing it was a choice of desire, not need, and I could not argue with that smile.
The pack was topped off with a flat sheet filled with all of the bandages, meds, and toiletries that would fit. Holes were poked in the corners of two pillows and they were clipped onto a carabiner on the outside of it. An assortment of knives, a hammer, and two boxes of .22 caliber shells were wrapped in two blankets and stuffed into the duffel bag. I added a few pairs of pants, shirts, socks and even a few boxers. I had also found a couple of gallon jugs of lemonade, one full and one over half empty, in the refrigerator and gathered up the remaining sodas and put them in a book bag.
“I found some clothes next door too,” Elle said as we packed the duffel. “There's even a pair of jeans that might fit you.”
“That would be great!” I had been feeling pretty out of sorts since I had dressed in the leisure suit style pants. I looked more like I belonged on a golf course with a bunch of retirees than on a survival quest in the wilderness. “Is your rifle a .22?”
“It is, but it's the only gun we have,” she said with a very disappointed tone.
“What about that pistol that you had?” Thew last time I remembered seeing it, she had tucked it under the mattress.
“Don't be mad, but that was Bobby's, and it only had two bullets. I put it in with him before we buried him.” She anticipated my anger at her actions, but in the time I had been with her, she had not even fired her rifle once though I knew that two guns would be better than one if we were ever overrun by a hoard of Takers.
“That's fine. I was just hoping you could use the shells I found.” I placed my hand on her shoulder to reassure her.
I slipped the pack over my shoulder and snatched up the duffel bag and juggled with the two gallons of lemonade. Elle grabbed up the bag of sodas, opened the door and held it for me. I fumbled my way across the short distance and up onto the covered porch of the neighboring cabin. Elle opened the other door for me and I rushed in and quickly began to set everything down.
“Well, this stuff isn't too heavy, but it's too damn awkward.” I stood in awe of the numerous packed bags on the living room floor of this cabin. “We're going to need a truck if we're going to take all of this stuff.”
“I know.” Elle shrugged her shoulders. “I wasn't sure how much you'd find next door, so I packed up as much as I thought we could both carry... and it looks like you packed more than you could carry too.”
We spent the rest of the afternoon picking through our treasures and prioritizing until we were down to two backpacks, one duffel bag of clothes and other necessities, and one large travel bag that would be packed with the containers of water and drinks. We started up the generator and turned the power on to the air conditioner and the water pump. The relatively small cabin began to cool down quickly and was a comfortable temperature in the low 70's while we filled as many containers with water as we could fit into the designated bag.
“So, do you want to run a bath before we shut off the generator?” Elle asked with a smile. “It might be the last chance you have for a 'real' bath for who knows how long.”
“Now that sounds like a brilliant idea!” I jumped into action and started running the water. “Where are those jeans you found?”
Elle guided me into the main bedroom. Displayed on the bed was a complete outfit, including boxers, socks, a long sleeved t-shirt and a glorious pair of jeans that were the right length and just one size to big around the waist. I couldn't help but smile at her thoughtfulness and I was truly in amazement of her ability to pack everything up and get clothes laid out. She had seemingly thought of everything, and I honestly knew I was more dependent on her than she was on me. She followed me down the hall and opened a closet door while I went to turn the water off. The tub was more than full enough and the water hadn't heated up much, but I knew it would be warm enough and very refreshing. Elle popped into the bathroom carrying a couple of towels and wash cloths. She hung one towel and one washcloth on the towel rack and handed the others to me.
“The sun's going to be setting soon. Don't fall asleep in here.” She winked as she left the room and pulled the door nearly closed.
I soaked in the tub for a few minutes before I started scrubbing the grime away. It had only been a day since I had my last bath, but I felt like I really needed this one. While I was lathering up I heard the hum of the generator die and go quietly along with the air conditioner. I sighed thinking that I hoped I could sleep in the heat. When I finished washing up, I laid back and relaxed soaking in the cooling waters. I could hear Elle bustling around the cabin and figured she must be lowering the blinds and drawing the curtains to hide us from the Takers, should any wander through again tonight. I listened as she shuffled about and could hear her steps as she drew closer to the bathroom door.
“You almost done?” Her voice drifted softly through the slightly ajar door.
“Uh huh…” I said and began making splashing
noises as I rushed myself out of the bathtub. “I’ll be out in just a second.”
Drops of bathwater pummeled the floor as I stood there drenched from head to toe. I snatched up the towel and dried off quickly. I soon realized that I had left all of the clothes lying on the bed. With my only other option being redressing in the dirty clothes, I chose to wrap the small towel around my waist and open the door the rest of the way. Elle stood in the hallway, leaning her shoulder and head against the wall.
“It’s all yours” I smiled and felt my face grow flushed as I scurried past her to the bedroom where my clothes had been laid out so neatly. The sunlight was disappearing swiftly and the dim and dusky evening turned to night in mere minutes. I picked up the boxers and put them on, tossing the towel over the doorknob. I took the shirt, jeans, socks and shoes and carefully sat them in a nearby chair. Peeking out of the door and into the hall, I could see quite well in the pitch black and noticed the flickering light of a candle through the crack in the bathroom door. I flopped onto the thin mattress of the full sized bed, but it may as well have been a pillow-topped, king sized bed in a 5-star hotel. It was the most comfortable I could ever remember being. I’m not sure if I dozed off or if my mind had only wandered so far away that I lost track of time and of where I was, but I was drawn back to reality when I heard the deep gurgling sound of the draining tub.
Elle dried off as well as she could and wrapped herself in a baby blue, terrycloth bathrobe. Cupping her hand behind the flame, she blew out the candle and carried it into the front room. She ran her fingers through the tangles of her hair as she started down the hallway to the second bedroom, but stopped short and began to pace back and forth, biting her lip. Her brain told her she needed uninterrupted sleep with no distractions, but then that wasn’t the only thing trying to persuade her. Elle had always been a bit of a tomboy and had become an unmovable rock of independence in the past few weeks, but under that callous façade was a soft heart that longed to just cuddle up with a strong man, and feel comforted and protected in his strong arms. There were other places that spoke to her also, tempting her in ways she hadn’t even fantasized about until that very moment. The blood rushed to her face and all over sending uncomfortable tingling sensation to places that she could not ignore.
She stood in the doorway to my room and leaned against the door jamb reasoning with herself. ‘I’ll just lay down next to him…that’s all.’ Elle chewed on her bottom lip and slid her hands up and around the back of her neck in contemplation. ‘He’s probably sleeping anyway… and if he wakes up, what’s the worst that could happen?’ A devilish grin came over her chapped and pouty lips as she stepped into the room.
It must have been pitch black in the room because I watched her standing in deep thought and then walk into the room. My eyes were wide open and focused on her as she slipped off her bathrobe revealing every inch of her tan and toned body for me to see. Surely she didn’t know that I was watching her so intently. I had to concentrate hard not to let out an audible moan at the sight of her beauty, sauntering slowly across the hardwood floor towards me. Every step revealed even more delectable details. Every line, every curve became more defined with every inch that decreased between us, until I could literally see the goosebumps of her naked flesh.
I lay as still as I could, not pretending to sleep, but trying to not be so obvious, in case, she could see me better when she grew very close. I half closed my eyes and peered through the slits of my eyelids and remained quiet until Elle crawled into bed next to me and curled her body vulnerably against mine, laying her head and hand on my chest. I could hold back no longer and I let out a groan of undeniable desire.
“You aren't fooling anyone, ya know?” Elle giggled quietly. “You've been watching me this whole time. Don't try to deny it.”
“Huh?” I pretended to have no idea what she meant.
“Your eyes...” She paused for a moment and a wave of embarrassment came over me. “I could see them glowing from across the room... unless you're gonna tell me you sleep with your eyes open now.”
“Ummmm...” I thought for a moment, but honestly, I had nothing. “Busted. Sorry, I just couldn't...” I was cut off mid-sentence.
“Shhhhh....” She quietly shushed me and placed her finger on my lips, soon followed by her lips.
Our arms soon snaked around each other moving about with wildly searching hands. I could feel her dulled fingernails and fingertips pressing hard into my neck and shoulders. Uncontrollably passionate kisses swept us away to a simpler time and place, a place that no longer existed anywhere but in our minds. My hands massaged and groped every inch of her neck and shoulders, working themselves toward the sensual small of her back as if they had a mind of their own. I rubbed and pulled my hands across the curves just below her waistline and then slipping carelessly down each side of her hips to her upper thighs. My hands cupped her buttocks tightly in their grip, kneading and massaging them while I began to kiss her ear and neck. Each moment filled the air with moans of delight as my kisses explored every inch of her flesh. Sudden moments of erotic magic caused her to tense and arch her back when my lips and hot breath invaded new erogenous places she had yet to discover, until a moment of unharnessed electricity shot through her. Her fingers drug through the tangles of my hair, grabbing and pulling when her body shuddered uncontrollably and then went limp.
“Stop...” She panted in a whisper. “I want you.” She squeaked out quietly between gasps, coaxing me back, face to face. “I want all of you... now.”
A billion thoughts and feelings flooded through my head, but only one word escaped my lips. “Yes.”
I had no idea of what I was doing, but it felt so natural, I did not hesitate for a single moment. I suppose it truly is like riding a bike, even if you can't remember ever riding one. Both physical and emotional pleasures that exist only in thoughts and feelings, not words, immersed us in a sensual heaven that seemed to last for an eternity. The mundane reality of ticking time had probably only passed in minutes, but the seemingly endless waves of pleasure culminated in an erotic sensory overload. Our bare, sweat covered bodies, heaved with heavy breaths and indistinguishable, animal-like sounds. When our muscles stopped trembling and began to relax, we melted into each other... a romantic puddle of pleasure and contentment.
In time, we separated from each other as much as two adults can on a full sized bed. My eyes closed and my hand reached out for Elle's. I knew sleep was only moments away, and I was right.
Chapter 8
CAUGHT in the STORM
I found myself hiking a trail through an unfamiliar forest with a pack on my back and a jug of water in my hand. The sunlight filtered down through the tree leaves and cast a mystical glow on the flora below. While I walked I could sense that I was alone and searching for someone or something, but I was confused that it did not seem that I was seeking Elle. 'Who or what else could it be?' I wondered. The daylight began to fade and fail, but it was not sunset. Clouds of charcoal gray began to roll in and thundering in the distance grew ever closer, so close and ominous that it began to shake the ground beneath my feet. A sudden crack of earth rumbling thunder and a blinding flash of lightning struck at my feet.
I sat straight up in bed trying to catch my breath and a cold sweat covered my forehead. I glanced over to see that Elle was stirring beside me.
“Ms. Elle, I'm scared.” A tiny voice from the hallway broke the silence and I began to wonder if I was still deep in a dream within a dream. Elle awakened with a start.
“Did you hear that?” She whispered in a panic grabbing a handful of the flat sheet and covering herself.
“It's me, Maddie, Ms. Elle.” The small voice drew closer and I saw the tiny child in the doorway. “Who is that?” She asked in a puzzled voice.
I quickly hid my eyes and said, “It's just me, Tanner.”
“Oh, okay.” Her voice was comforting. I actually missed the sound of people, even strangers, talking. “You have funny eyes tonight Mr. Ta
nner.” She giggled.
“Where did you come from?” Elle asked the million dollar question.
“The cellar next door,” She answered. “I hid inside of a big cooler when those Taker people came and took mommy and everyone else, but I just stayed quiet like a mouse... just like mommy told me.”
“It was you?” I mumbled. “How did you get out of the cellar? I put a heavy chair over the door.”
“All the thunder was shaking all the stuff and I got scared, and I was thirsty, so I just pushed and pushed and pushed.” She sounded so oblivious to all that was going on like she was just home from a day in first grade and telling us about the picture she colored. “And so, I just got out and when I went outside the ground thundered and I could hear you in here making noises and I came to the back door.”
“The back door was unlocked?” Elle asked and I think it was a question mostly directed at me, but Maddie answered.
“Yep! It was open, so I just came in.” Her little feet took off in a four step run and she jumped into bed on top of Elle.
“Uhhh!” Elle groaned out when the little girl landed squarely on her stomach.
I reached down and pulled the blanket up from the floor next to the bed. Covering myself, I stood up and grabbed the pile of clothes from the chair.
“I'll be right back,” I said quietly as I exited the room and disappeared into the other bedroom. I got completely dressed before returning with pillow and blanket in hand. Elle had done the same but had remained in the room with little Maddie. When I walked in, Elle was sitting on the edge of the bed, lacing up her boots and Maddie was still fully dressed and snuggled up in the bed. I laid the blanket out on the floor and put the pillow up near the head of the bed. Elle stood up, walked right up to me and wrapped her arms around me. She pressed her mouth against mine and offered up one last kiss before bed.