The Great Wreck

by Stewart, Jack

  “I guess we are now,” I said, “We’d never heard of it until your Dad said something.”

  “We thought so,” she said, then added, “You know your friend is crazier that a rat on crack, right?”

  I laughed at that, “He’s not my friend, he’s just…”

  “Someone else, right? So you’re not completely alone out here? I get it but he’s in love with the dead, he’s in his element out in the crazy, out in the wreckage of society,” she continued and took one of my hands in hers. It was so warm, her hand, and to feel another human’s touch was so good, “I don’t think he wants to find other people or a safe place away from these things, he just wants to play in the fire and kill. I can see it in his eyes. It doesn’t matter if those things are dead or alive. And you,” she said, “Your just someone to talk to maybe, someone to watch his back while he has his fun. You’re there to help him out if he gets hurt or gets in a bind. If he ever figures out he doesn’t need you, he’ll kill you.”

  Kailee wasn’t completely right about James but she was close enough. And still I knew I was going with him. I can’t really tell you why. Force of habit? Loyalty to James? Fear of going back to the Wreck? Codependency? I guess it didn’t matter.

  We sat there in silence for a few minutes, then Kailee stood up. I watched her as she unzipped her shorts and drop then to the floor, then kick off her boots. She knelt down beside me and crawled into my sleeping bag. I was so shocked I could just watch as I felt my heart race.

  She said nothing but as soon as I had pulled the sleeping bag flap over us, she crawled on top of me and pressed her lips against mine slipping her tongue between my lips. I felt her hands slid across my chest then tug at the top of my shorts, pulling them down and wrapping herself around me. She reached down between my legs began to stroked me up and down rapidly. I moved my hands up under the thin cotton of her tank top running my fingers across her nipples. I could hear her whisper “yes, like that” as I gently cupped her breasts.

  I rolled on top of her as she pulled my shorts down to my knees. I had absolutely no idea what to do but Kailee seemed to. I maneuvered between her legs and pushed her tank top up over her breasts. They were small and pure white with pink nipples. I saw her reach down and grab me running the head of my cock over the cotton of her panties.

  I could feel the heat pouring off of her from between her legs, felt that incredible friction of my head on her panties. She pulled her panties to one side and placed my head at the opening of her lips. I slid in just a bit. She moaned as I entered her. It was so hot and wet. She laid back flat and arched against me, sliding me inside. I leaned forward and slid the rest of the way in.

  She cried out softly and I could feel her nails dig into my back. I started moving in and out of her slowly but I could already feel my orgasm building. I did my best to hold back, to give her as much pleasure as I could but them she started to move against me faster and faster until I could hear and feel my hips slapping against her. I started pumping her as hard as I could and felt the rush of my orgasm getting ready to sweep me away.

  She placed a hand on my lips and said, “Wait, wait. Take my legs and put them on your shoulders, like this…” and helped me maneuver her legs up over my shoulders. I slipped out of her for a second and almost blew all over her thighs but managed to hold on. She then pulled her panties up to her knees, grabbed me, and slipped me back in. She whispered up to me, “As hard and as deep as you can,” she said and pulled the pillow over her face.

  I lost all control as I forced my cock as deep into her as I could. I heard her muffled cries from under the pillow as I rammed in and out. I felt her clench around me and felt a flood of heat around my dick. I pounded her until I felt my own load blow as I bore down and came in her again and again. Finally, I spent myself and relaxed holding my forehead against her legs. Then I let them spread apart and slowly lowered myself on to her.

  Kailee pulled the pillow away from her sweat covered face, “My god. Was that your first time?”

  I nodded and lay between her hot and wet thighs feeling my erection fade, “Yours?”

  She shook her head and said, “I lost my virginity when I was younger at a co-ed slumber party and have had a few partners since but nothing like that,” she replied as she ran her hands through my hair, “You’re an animal,” she breather but added quickly, “In a good way.”

  I smiled and we kissed. Kale had locked her legs around my waist and I, unfamiliar with post coital etiquette stayed there, my now completely exhausted erection still deep inside of her, “You could come with us?” she asked shyly.

  “I can’t go back. The Wreck is…” I trailed off. The Wreck was hell. The Wreck was the end of the world. We spent months just trying to survive long enough to get out. I couldn’t go back, “I just can’t go back.”

  Kailee nodded then smiled up at me, “Then I’ll give you one more thing to remember me by,” she said and started to rock my back and forth. At first I was so sensitive I tried to pull out but Kailee had me locked in tight. After a few minutes I began to feel myself stiffen up again. Kailee giggled as she felt me getting hard, then started to breath heavily as she moved her hips up and down. She started to buck against me harder and harder pulling my forehead down to hers. She came and let out a sharp little gasp and again I felt that liquid heat pour over my cock again, “Sorry,” she whispered, “That one was all about me,” and giggled again, “Now for you. Roll me over.”

  I pulled out of her and rolled her onto her belly. She grabbed my pillow and slipped it under her hips forcing her rear into the air, then she grabbed the head of my penis, slipped me into her from behind, and closed her legs tightly together. She looked at me over her shoulder, her dark hair hanging in her eyes, “Fuck me!” she whispered.

  I jammed myself into her and she gasped and grabbed her pillow crying out as I rammed in and out of her. I could feel her clench against me as I drove in deeper and deeper, watched as she bucker her hips back against me, saw her slick ass cheeks move up and down as I plowed her again and again. I blew so hard in her I nearly passed out. She cried out in ecstasy so loud I didn’t think the pillow was any help at all and wondered what her sisters thought below.

  I collapsed on her feeling the slick sweat and oil of her skin, felt her open her legs and wrap them around mine, felt her breathing heavily beneath me as we recovered. After a few minutes, I rolled off of her and pulled on my boxers. Kailee pulled up her panties and snuggled against me. I don’t know how long we stayed like that but eventually I fell asleep. When I woke up, the eastern horizon was beginning to lighten with the dawn and Kailee was gone.

  I got up, brushed my teeth and got dressed. Then I packed my gear and waited until I could hear the sounds of the Fallons below getting packed up before I opened the hatch and climbed down the ladder into the observation tower.

  The three girls had gotten dressed and Mr. Fallon was making breakfast over a camp stove. The three girls looked at me smiling and giggling while Mr. Fallon, with a slightly confused smile on his face asked, “How did you sleep, Thomas?”

  This caused the girls to dissolve into laughter as I blushed and mumbled back, “Good, Mr. Fallon. Real good.”

  Just them, James came in and started laughing hysterically, “Whee ha! Yes sir that is funny!”

  The laughter died down but James didn’t seem to notice. He giggled and tittered for a few more minutes as we all sat around the store watching the dehydrated eggs and canned corned beef hash cook. After we ate, we finished packing up our gear and found ourselves standing back in I-10 in the early dawn light.

  Mr. Fallon stuck out his hand to me, “Well, Thomas, good luck,” he said and pumped my hand up and down twice, “And to you, James. You folks should get a radio. Maybe we can talk for a day or two.”

  Neera and Alicia shook my hand next as Mr. Fallon shook James’s. They gave him a brief shake then retreated behind their father. Kailee didn’t bother shaking my hand, but instead wrapped her arms around
my waist and planted her lips against mine.

  After a few minutes, she pulled back and looked up at me with those huge green eyes, “You can still come with us,” she said so quietly that no one else could hear her, “Pick up a radio. If you change your mind call us every night until you can catch up,” then turned away and picked up her pack.

  “Well,” James said abruptly, “Good bye then!” turned east and began walking towards Phoenix.

  I waved at the Fallons then turned to follow. I’d turn around every few minutes and see Kailee wave at me. I’d wave back then turn around a few minutes later until finally I turned back and they were gone.

  * * *

  We might have picked up a radio on our way to Phoenix but there was nothing between that rest stop and the outer suburbs of the city. Nothing but road, endless stretched of desert, and the heat.

  By noon it had reached up over a hundred easily. I had stripped down to a tee shirt and shorts but James had kept most of his gear on.

  “Holy fuck! It’s so hot!” James would cry out in a crazy ‘I love you, you love me’ singsong voice, “It’s so hot! It’s so hot! It’s so hot!”

  He kept this up for almost two hours before finally giving it a rest. Even when the sun went down, the heat continued to bake us. We found an abandoned camper to hole up in for the night but the heat inside was stifling. I finally had to crawl up on the roof to get any sleep.

  The next day we were up before the dawn trying to get as much distance behind us before the sun came up and started baking the entire world again. But all too soon, it was up and turned our world into a furnace. We sweated, and cooked, and burned all day as we walked east across a country devoid of everything except scrub desert and the endless stretch of asphalt we walked on.

  The next day, we reached Phoenix

  We could smell the city long before we could see it. The smell of smoke, fire, and decay blew over the hot air and out into the desert let us know that there was unlikely to be anything left of human civilization there.

  When I could finally see the city, I knew we weren’t going to make it straight through. Like Los Angeles, Phoenix was a vast burning Wreck that stretched to the horizon. It would take us at least two days to get through it.

  We hit the edge of the suburbs in a place called Buckeye and spotted a local Walmart. I hadn’t seen any dead for the last few days so it was a shock to see a few dozen wandering around the nearly empty streets.

  “Time to get your head back in the game, Tonto,” James said as he pulled his armor out of his pack and strapped it on.

  I did the same and followed James down the onramp and onto the side streets. We made it to Walmart without incident and went about clearing a few dead that were inside. I grabbed as much water as I could carry, filled my water pack, and then headed back to the sporting goods section.

  There, I loaded up on ammunition and picked up a shotgun while I was at it. While I read the instruction manual of the shotgun I spotted a large selection of hand held radios. Big ones. Expensive one. There was even a satellite radio. I wondered if the satellite radio worked.

  I looked over my shoulder in the half light and could hear James smashing his way through something at the other end of the store. I pulled a set of very powerful hand held radios out of their box, put in the batteries, and switched one of them on.

  I listed to the pop and crackle of static, then pressed the send button, “Kailee? Are you there?” I whispered.

  I released the send button and listed to the hiss of the static. Then, from far away, I heard a faint, “Gallup….” followed by more static, then a male voice that said, “…headed east…dead on the move…” and nothing more. I listened for a few more minutes then switched off the radio and stuffed it into my pack along with as many extra replacement batteries I thought I could carry for the unit. I noticed it had gotten awfully quiet and headed towards the front door.

  Outside James was sitting on top of a Sesame Street children’s fire truck ride. He sat there quietly next to Burt and Ernie looking at me with those dead eyes. I saw the tip of a .38 pistol poking up over the edge of the fire truck’s dashboard pointing directly at my head, “Ass Cracker?” he asked. I thought the next sound I’d hear would be the report of that pistol. Instead he said, “Do you think Burt and Ernie are gay?”

  I stood there with my mouth open but before I could even think of an answer James whopped as loud as he could scaring me half to death, “Of course they are you pin prick! What else could they be, two dicks living together? Sesame Street’s controlled by faggots and queers! Trying to indoctrinate the children! It sickens me,” he said and put a bullet from his pistol in Burt’s head, then followed with a coup de grace for Ernie. The sound was so loud and so close I jumped back crashing into the doors of the Walmart and yelled out, “Fuck, James!” Then I noticed that a few of the nearby dead had taken an interest in us.

  James was laughing his head off pointing at me wheezing out, “You jumped like a fucking Mexican…uh…what do you call it? Fucking bean? Running bean? Wetback Beans! No, um…jumping bean! That’s it! A goddamn Mexican jumping bean! Good gawd that was funny!”

  I got my heart beat and breath under control then replied, “I think we have more important things to think about than Burt and Ernie’s sexual orientation now James.”

  James grimaced and repeated what I had said in what he thought was a little girls voice, “…Burt and Ernie’s sexual orientation…blah, blah, blah. Then let’s get moving, you fucking ball polisher. Suck all the fun out of everything, will you?”

  We moved back out into the pounding heat and towards the freeway until we hit the city limits of Phoenix and the belt route that would take us around the downtown area. We were at the easternmost edge of the city when James climbed up on top of a tanker truck and pulled out a map.

  “North or south, dickless?” he asked.

  I thought about it for a minute looking at my own map then said, “Keep south on I-10. It takes us deeper into the dessert and away from the northern suburbs. Either way, we’re not going to make it through Phoenix in a day so we’re going to be spending the night here.”

  “Well holy fuck, Magellan! Then let’s get going!”

  We got going but between the ungodly heat, the burning wind coming out of the east, and the stench and smell of the Wreck, it was slow going. So slow in fact that halfway around Phoenix, just a few miles from the city center we ran out of water.

  James stood on the overpass pissing down on one of the dead who was nothing more than a crawling torso singing his own version of “Raindrops keep falling on my Head,” “...but that don’t mean my eyes will soon be turning red! No! ‘Cause I’m…dead!...and…I’m crawling through the piss, yes! But I’m not gonna start crying about the urine! Because I’m freeeee, nothing worrying meeee!” He concluded shaking off the last few drops and zipping up, “That, asshole, was a command performance in ‘P’ minor. Get it? Pee minor.” He said as he jumped off the sidewall.

  “I get it James. Very subtle.”

  “Yeah well fuck you too. It’s hard being this goddam funny all the time you fucking sourpuss,” he said as he sat down and took a long drag from his water pack, “And guess what Moses? I’m out of water,” he said looking at the end of his drinking tube as thought it had just betrayed him.

  I still had half a pack left. That would get us to their next water stop. I was thinking the next gas station but James had other ideas. He sat down on the edge of the overpass with his legs dangling above the dead, swinging his feet like a little kid. He had a faraway look that I was beginning to associate with trouble.

  “I think it’s time to visit downtown and get some water.”

  Deep in my head, I knew he wanted to wade into the dead not to get more water but to feed his inner beast by hacking, chopping, and blasting apart the things that filled the streets.

  “Lot of dead down there, James,” I said. In fact, I hadn’t seen so many dead since Los Angeles. The streets were
crammed full of them. We’d either have to head back to where there were fewer dead or keep going and hope they thinned out. James sat there on the edge of the freeway looking at all those dead people. I think I might have convinced him to find another place to fill up our water supply but then he spotted it. And by “it” I mean the Diamondback’s Stadium.

  “Oh my sweet lord,” James whispered.

  “What? What is it?” I said looking around frantically trying to spot whatever threat James had seen.

  “Can it be? Can it possibly be?” James said standing up and pointing to the north and west of us, “My gawd, it is.”

  “Is what?!” I asked. I had dropped my pack and gotten out my rifle and was looking frantically all around for a wave of sprinters heading our direction when James finally identified the object of his attention.

  “The Diamondback’s Stadium,” he whispered.

  “What?” I said looking over at James.

  “Chase Field, home of the ungodly, homosexual, pole queen, bare-backing, ballsack cleaning Diamondbacks. The very bane of my existence on this fucking planet.”

  It took me a few seconds to wrap my head around that comment. In a world full of walking dead, where the chance of experiencing an agonizing death was a near sure thing, the worst thing in James’s life was the home field of a Major League Baseball team. One that did not currently exit in this world in any way, shape, or form.

  I was about to say as much when I saw that wild look creep into James eyes and knew we would be making a detour there. James had a purpose. James had a mission. James had a vison and nothing, least of all his teenage sidekick, was going to keep him from pursuing it.

  “Knob jobber?” he said by way of addressing me, “We will go to Chase Fucking Field. I will walk onto the pitcher’s mound, and I will place the world’s largest crap right on that white thingy those faggots put their fucking foot on. Yes, sir!” he said turning towards me, “And I’ve got a goddam colossal log-jammer that I have been cooking up for days just waiting to go!” he said.