After the Fall: Human Underground (Taboo Erotica) (Eden Harem Book 3)

by Anya Merchant

  “We’ll have to eventually get around to filling the gaps in the roof with mud and leaves, but it will do for now.” He smiled at Eve. “Even when it rains here, it’s still a paradise.”

  She smiled back at him.

  We’ve been seeing a lot more of her, ever since she saved us from the fire.

  The native girl had brought a couple of skinned squirrels with her, this time. She walked away from Jack and over to the fire, which she had set them high above on a spit. Jack had been a bit skeptical of eating an animal that, in the old world, had not been regarded as delectable, but he had to admit that the meat smelled good.

  “You know, I could build you a lean-to here, if you wanted.” Jack walked over to her and sat down on the log bench by the fire. “It would make a certain amount of sense, wouldn’t it? Us survivors, sticking together?”

  This time, the look Eve shot back at him was blank.

  It’s as though she only decides to understand what I’m saying when it goes along with what she wants.

  He smiled, suppressing a chuckle as she pulled one of the stick spitted squirrels off the fire and held it in front of him.

  “Oh, wow, you put that together fast!”

  Jessica had wandered into the camp from the south side. She looked at the newly built lean-to with one hand against her chin, admiring Jack’s handiwork.

  “Yeah, it’s not too hard once you get the lumber cut,” he replied. “How’s the gathering coming?”

  Jessica shrugged and set a small cloth bag down on the log. Jack peeked inside it and saw nothing but blueberries.

  “It’s hard for me to tell what’s edible and what’s not,” said Jessica. “These and the apples are almost all I can recognize.”

  “That’s fine. Between the four of us, five counting Eve, we have a decent amount of food coming in from our daily foraging.”

  Jack thought back to how Jessica had reacted to seeing Eden for the first time. It had been a lot like his own reaction, in retrospect. After being cooped up inside JENSEV for so long, she’d found it hard to believe that an area as lush as their hidden, green gorge could still exist.

  “Jack…” Jessica chewed her bottom lip and sat down next to him. “I wanted to talk to you about something. Alone, if that’s okay.”

  Jack looked over at Eve. She was checking the knots on the lean-to. Even though he knew that there was still no way that she could overhear, he took a second to wave his hand towards the forest. It was the sign that he and Eve had developed to indicate that they needed a bit more foraged food on hand. He waited until she’d stood up from the bench and headed off before turning his attention to Jessica.

  “What’s up?”

  I know what’s up, but it’s probably better if she’s the one that starts this conversation.

  “I just… Well, I wanted to talk to you about the Colonel.” Jessica let out a deep sigh, and Jack set one of his hands on her shoulder.

  “I know how much he meant to you, Jess,” said Jack. “The two of you only had each other for most of the time after the impact. I’m really sorry for your loss.”

  Jessica shook her head.

  “Thanks, but that’s not why I brought him up.” She stared into Jack’s eyes, commanding his full attention. “He was a good man, Jack. He really was, despite what it might have seemed like to you.”

  It was Jack’s turn to struggle with his words. He’d spent a lot of time thinking about what Colonel Taylor had done, both to him and for him.

  “He sacrificed himself in the end so that we could escape,” said Jack. “He knew exactly what going into the engine room would mean for him, and he did it anyway.”

  “Yeah, he did.” Jessica nodded slowly. “But that’s not all he did, for us. That’s not what I want to talk about, Jack.”

  Here it comes. This has been the elephant in the room for far too long.

  “I know what you want to talk about, Jess.” His voice came out sounding a little sharper than he’d intended. “And hopefully, you can see things from my perspective, from our perspective, on this. He drugged me and locked me in a room, and took away any sense of agency or free will that I had.”

  “It was for the greater good, Jack,” said Jessica. “And it wasn’t just him. I was a part of it, too. That was why I…”

  “Jessica, we don’t have to talk about this,” said Jack. “What’s done is done, we’re here now, and-“

  “Jack, it’s not done. That’s exactly my point.” Jessica took his hand into hers and squeezed it tightly. “I’m not pregnant yet.”

  Jack felt his heart skip a beat.

  She’s so blunt. I guess it makes things a little easier, in a way.

  “Look,” she continued. “You can think of it as honoring the Colonel’s memory if you want, or you can just think of it as what needs to be done. We’re still alive, he died for our sake, and what he wanted us to do was to keep the human race going.”

  “When you put it that way it sounds sooooo hot.”

  Jessica punched him lightly on the shoulder.

  “Would you be serious? I’m not just talking about me and you, or Molly, or Eve. You know what else he was right about, and you’re going to have to face it sooner or later.”

  Jack didn’t say anything. It was suddenly hard for him to meet Jessica’s gaze, so instead, he turned away and stared into the dying fire.

  “Jack, I’m not trying to be a bitch about this,” said Jessica. “I just think you should talk to your mom, er, talk to Rebecca.”

  “You’re right,” said Jack. “I will.”

  Jessica leaned in next to him and kissed his cheek softly.

  “I’ll be foraging to the south if you need me. Thanks for listening.”

  Jack watched as she stood up from the log and bounded off into the forest. He took a deep breath, and then pushed air out of his lungs.

  I haven’t spoken to mom much since we left JENSEV, and none of it has been about anything important. Jessica is right.

  Jack stood up and started walking into the forest. He’d spent most of the day before clearing a path along the river, giving them easy access to fresh water without having to push through the bushes. He kept going north instead of following it, breaking off from the trail into the untamed woods.

  The four of them had talked about what their plan forward would be once they’d arrived back at Eden. It had been a conversation similar to the one that he and his mom had shared right after the impact, and the one that had led them to seek out Eden in the first place.

  The only difference was that this time, nobody had put forth any wild, exciting ideas. The more Jack had seen of the world, the more convinced he became that there was no true safe haven waiting for them, at least not beyond what they could make for themselves.

  So he’d suggested that they focus on developing Eden, along with the land directly around it. All of the women had agreed with him, and they’d settled in. The breadth of the task in front of them was immense. They lived in a world where everything would have to be handcrafted, where modern conveniences would have to be foregone, and they were basically starting over from square one.

  And yet, there is something oddly satisfying about this way of living. It’s simple and straightforward.

  “Hey, my bag is full. Do you mind catching this apple? It’s too perfect for me to drop on the ground…”

  It took Jack a second to find the source of the voice. Molly was balanced precariously in an apple tree above him, holding a cloth sack in one hand and anchoring herself against the tree trunk with the other.

  “Nice,” said Jack. “Have we already picked the lower branches clean, or are you just in a climbing mood?”

  As if to answer his question, Molly grinned and leaned forward, peering down at him through the leaves. She was back to wearing her old astronaut jumpsuit, and she’d unzipped it down to reveal a bit more of her cleavage.

  “Ready?” An apple dropped down immediately after she asked the question, and Jack scra
mbled to catch it, almost dropping it on his initial grab.

  “It’s… perfect,” he said, admiring the unblemished, ripened skin of the fruit. Molly nodded and began climbing down.

  “It is, isn’t it?” Molly jumped and landed beside him. “I thought of Eden when I saw it.”

  “What do you mean?”

  She reached out and took the apple out of his hand. Setting her bag down, Molly gestured to the trees around them, along with the walls of the gorge.

  “It’s beautiful, and natural, and unassuming.” She smiled at him. “It was up there in the tree, practically hanging right in front of us, but I only found it when I started looking.”

  It was growing just out of reach, ready for us to find.

  “Anyway, I’d love to use these to make some sort of pie, but I think it might be a bit tricky to get the crust right.” Molly tucked the perfect apple into her pocket and then swung the bag over her shoulder. “We may have to settle for apple sauce, or maybe some cider if I decide to get fancy.”

  “Molly, have you seen my mom around anywhere?” asked Jack.

  Molly looked at him for a second before answering.

  “Yeah, I’ve seen her,” she said. “I think you two should spend some time… talking, with each other.”

  Jack shook his head and resisted the urge roll his eyes.

  Why is everyone so concerned about what’s going on between me and my mother?

  “Jack, she loves you.” Molly smiled and shook her head slightly. “I love you. We all love each other here. Don’t second guess yourself, and just spend some time with her.”

  “I wish it were that simple,” said Jack. “A lot has happened between us, Molly.”

  “A lot happens between everyone, Jack. I realize that Jessica and the Colonel and even me, at times, have made suggestions about what should happen. But really, you should just listen to your own emotions, and talk it out with her.”

  Jack felt a little embarrassed by the conversation, but there was something in Molly’s tone of voice that made him feel strangely comfortable. There was no judgment in the way she spoke, almost like she had already made the leap that he was standing on the edge of.

  “Alright, whatever,” said Jack. “Just tell me where she is.”

  Molly turned and pointed up the river.

  “I’ll see you later,” she said. “And Jack?”

  He stopped and looked back at her.

  “Thank you. For everything.” Molly brushed a couple of strands of hair out of her face and looked at him seriously. “You’ve done more for this little group of survivors than I think you know.”

  Jack smiled.

  “It’s just my nature, Molly.”

  The trees on either side of the river grew higher than the others around, and it gave the body of water a walled ambiance. It had risen a couple of inches since Jack and the rest had arrived, which seemed as much attributable to a few days of heavy rain as they did a mysterious increase in the output of the underground channel that it split off from.

  Still, there was enough room on the sandy banks for a person to relax, and that was exactly what Rebecca was doing when Jack found her. She’d taken to wearing one of the more modest bra and pantie sets that she had as a makeshift swimsuit.

  Jack didn’t notice until he got a bit closer that she was lying flat on her stomach on top of the cloth towel for a reason. Her bra was unhooked, and her arms were folded underneath her head.

  “Uh… hey, mom.” Jack felt rude intruding on her alone time, but he’d let their relationship stagnate for too long.

  “Hey, honey.” She pulled herself up to a sitting position, doing her best to keep her breasts covered in front of her as she looked back at him. “I’m doing a little bit of beach lounging.”

  “You’re… trying to get a tan?” Jack stared at, every inch of exposed skin calling out to him in illicit glory. His mom had always been a bombshell at the beach and now was no exception. As she shifted to pull her bra back on, he caught sight of the side of one of her boobs for a fleeting, glorious second.

  “No, I just like lying on the sand,” said Rebecca. “I’m in the shade of the trees right now, even. It’s just a relaxing way to lounge.”

  Jack nodded. He felt his lower half stirring as he watched her, a goddess in her own right, the matriarch of their little group.

  “Do you mind?” Rebecca stood up and wiggled slightly at him. It took Jack a second to realize that she was asking him to clasp her bra.

  “Uh, no,” he said. “Sure.”

  Just relax, and remember why you’re here. It’s time for us to clear the air.

  Jack felt the air growing a little bit hotter with every step that he took over to her. His cock was bulging out against his pants by the time he was within arm’s length. He slowly took hold of either end of her bra strap and fiddled with it until he’d put the hooks through the holes.

  “We’ve come so far, since that first day.” His mom slowly turned around so that she’s was facing him. A couple of grains of sand had found their way onto the upper flesh of one of her breasts, and it took all of Jack’s willpower to keep from using it as an excuse to ogle her.

  “Yeah,” said Jack. “Back in the emergency shelter, we didn’t really know what was happening.”

  “It was the same traveling across the wasteland,” said Rebecca. “Just an endless sea of scorched earth.”

  “Mom…” Jack felt his eyes lock onto his body. His entire body was tense, ready to make a move.

  Why does she make me feel like this?

  “I know what you’re here to talk to me about, Jack,” said his mom. She leaned back on her heels a little bit and pushed her chest forward, smiling at him gently.

  “How can you know?”

  “It’s why we haven’t talked for the past few days, isn’t it?” Rebecca leaned her face in a little closer to her son. “After what happened in JENSEV, it wasn’t all that easy for us to just go back to normal, was it?”

  Why is she making this so hard for me?

  “Mom…” Jack bit his lip and tried to organize his thoughts. “A lot did happen, especially, well, between us. We pushed it pretty far, and it wasn’t our choice, but…”

  This is supposed to be the part where I admit that the Colonel had a point.

  Rebecca shook her head. She took a step back from him and crossed her arms.

  “I’m not okay with what happened, Jack,” she said. “Precisely because it wasn’t our choice.”

  “The Colonel-“

  “Yes, he was a good man, I know,” said Rebecca. “Jessica has gone on about that enough for the past few days. Jack, you can be a good man and still do bad things. You understand that, don’t you?”

  Jack nodded, feeling his cheeks begin to heat up.

  How was I expecting this conversation would go?

  “Was it a bad thing?” The words were pulled from Jack’s mouth before he could stop himself. “Is it a bad thing for us to love each other?”

  Rebecca’s eyes shifted, emotions flickering across them that Jack hadn’t seen in a very long time. It was the same look she’d given him as a child, when he’d ask for a treat in the grocery store, or to go to the movies on the weekend.

  “Jack…” She stepped forward towards him, and slowly pulled him into a hug.

  “Mom, we’re here now,” said Jack. “The situation is what it is. We can’t change the past, and we can’t undo what’s already happened, not when it comes to the world and not when it comes to us.”

  His erection was poking into her stomach. Jack’s body felt hot, almost like it had after being dosed with the aphrodisiac drug back in JENSEV. Rebecca reached her hand up and softly cupped his cheek.

  “I love you, sweetie.” She smiled at him, and then leaned closer into the hug, her thighs mashing against Jack’s cock.

  Does she realize what she’s doing?

  His mom’s breath was hot on his neck. The embrace had gone on for too long, and the sensation of
holding her soft, half naked body in his arms made nasty thoughts race through Jack’s head.

  “You’re right,” she whispered.

  “What?” Jack almost couldn’t believe his ears.

  “You’re right.” Rebecca let her hand trace its way down his chest, slowly coming to a rest on his hard on. “Jack… I’m not sure we have any alternative anymore, except to keep moving forward.”

  Her hand slowly began to massage her son’s cock. It felt amazing, but what turned Jack on even more was the look in her eyes, so sure, and so full of love.

  “Ever since the impact, when we were down in that emergency shelter, I’ve been lying to myself,” whispered Rebecca. “Trying to fight off whatever this is. I knew that it was wrong, and sick, and immoral, but it also came from my heart.”

  “Mom…” Jack shook his head, his mouth agape as he felt one of her hands stroke his cheek, and the other stroke his cock.

  “Honey…” Rebecca slowly brought her face to his and kissed him. Jack’s entire body became even more sensitive and attuned to the situation, and he tasted strawberries on her lips.

  “How did that feel?” she asked. “The kiss.”

  I’m ashamed of how it felt.

  Jack nodded and smiled at her, feeling his cheeks heating up.

  “It felt just right, mom.”

  “Good…”

  Rebecca kissed him again, and this time Jack kissed back. He started grinding his crotch into his mom’s body, running his hands across her naked back and the silken fabric of her panties. He was turned on to a level that felt almost unreal, and began to wonder if some of the effects of the JENSEV drug were still kicking around in his system.

  A sound came from the bushes behind them, and Jack froze. He glanced over at the bushes and waited, expecting Molly or Jessica to come bounding out with important, mood killing news.

  “Don’t worry,” said his mom. “I don’t care if they know, or if they see, even. This is what we want, Jack.”

  She’s saying what I’ve been afraid to think for so long.