Dark Genesis (Shadow and Shine Book 1)

by Danial Hooper

  There she was. Waiting, smiling like she missed him.

  “Hi, friend. What can I help you with?”

  Tink wasn’t prepared for a conversation, but looking at her, he wanted to shack up in Wyoming and start a family with this fine, little thing. They could work at the gas station together. He could be the first black resident. Maybe Mona could be the first black mayor.

  “Uh, well, I don’t know. Your name would be nice…,” he said. Real smooth too, about as smooth as a sandpaper slice.

  “I go by Reba,” she replied.

  “Nice to meet you, Reba.” A little bit of his game was coming back. His hands were unsteady, but he still reached out to shake. Tink hadn’t thought this through, but he was enjoying the moment. Reba was a breath of fresh air. Reba was…shoot, she was fine. No ways around it. Mona would have to be willing to wait a few extra minutes.

  “Nice to meet you, Tink,” she said and smiled.

  His smile didn’t waver, despite knowing he didn’t tell her his name. Or did he? Who knows? He was tired and sprung on this girl. T-Pain needs to have a song about the girl at the gas station. Her hands were icy cold but soft and welcoming. His whole body seemed to wake up a little bit with her touch. She shot electricity into him.

  Their shaking hands lingered too long. She didn’t mind, and Tink, by his own admission, would have stayed shaking this girl’s hand for the next thirty hours. “So, Tink, what brings you here?” she asked, her voice was sweet and curious.

  “I’m taking my sister on a road trip,” he said through a smile. Smiles this long, this hard only come from the insane. Tink was driven crazy by the woman in front of him.

  She nodded her head and agreed with him, “Where to?”

  The ‘Where to?’ had been lost on Tink. For the last fifteen hours he had focused on the next milestone, not on the final destination. He knew where they were headed, but it didn’t really matter if they couldn’t get to the next spot. Now, he felt like this was a good place to at least spend a night and maybe a couple of nights on their way back. “Salt Lake City, actually,” he said trying to convince himself that it was where they were still going. “But maybe, we will just stay in Laramie instead. Seems like a good place to me.” He winked, trying to reclaim his game a little.

  “Y'all know about the fires, right? You don’t want to go there. It would be better if you just stayed right here,” she said. Every word was drawn out. Fires, sounded like firesssss, and here was herrrreeee. Reba sang her words in a sultry melody. Tink could watch the words come out of her mouth all night.

  “Well,” he said still holding her hand, “I can’t really stay here, here, can I? Do you know where I could spend a night or two?”

  “Only a night or two?” she asked.

  “Ha, I mean, I could…maybe, depending on my little sister.” He considered Mona for a moment before Reba’s gripped adjusted in his hand again. She was strong for such a little thing.

  “That’s more like it. I have a bed in back, if you needed somewhere to lay your head for a little.”

  Tink didn’t say anything. He just raised his eyebrows at how forward this girl was.

  “For a night or two or maybe a couple of extra nights,” she said with a coy smile.

  This was straight out of a movie. Tink was the leading man caught smitten with the white girl from the other side of the tracks. He wanted to look around to see if anyone was watching but couldn’t look away from Reba.

  “What do you think, Tink? Would you like that? This is my store. I can keep you here for a long while, and you can get all the rest you want. I bet you need a good night’s sleep, and my bed is comfy.”

  Later, Tink would consider how ridiculous it would be for a woman to have a bed in the back of a gas station, especially a woman who looked like her, but through his tiredness and her attractiveness, it was hard to think about much of anything other than her and the bed. His body was a magnet searching for a bed. He could almost sense it in the back room nearby.

  “I think that sounds amazing. What about…”

  She interrupted him again. This time softly kissing his hand. “Maybe you could just come back for a little bit, just for a little rest. Don’t worry about anything else.”

  His legs, his hips, his chest, and his arms all were ready to walk around into whatever bedroom Reba might have. Tink was caught in a spell mixed with sleep and Reba. He was thinking about one thing now. Reba was the perfect excuse to relax. His sister would just have to deal with it.

  “Okay. Let me tell my…”

  “She’s fine, Tink. She won’t mind. You’re so tired and worn out, come on back with me and unwind a little. I’ll leave a note for Mona.”

  Hearing her name grabbed his attention. Mona was out there, waiting for Tink to go. Tink, needed sleep and wanted Reba, but he was still responsible for his baby sis. He couldn’t leave her outside. Could he?

  “Tink. Look at me.” He obeyed her orders. “No. I mean, looook at me. I want you to come back here, and you want it too. Just come back for a little while, and then you can decide how long you want to stay after. Just come herreee clossseee.”

  Tink felt her pull him in as her eyebrows shifted downward. The attraction in her eyes quickly turned into an urgency, and it broke a little bit of the trance he found himself in. She looked the same, but her mood went from welcoming to desperate. He saw this clearly, but his body still wanted her presence.

  “It’s so nice back here. I’ll make it worth it. Just come back. She can wait a little longer.” She tried to kiss his hand again, this time shoving her face into it awkwardly. What started out as a sultry mistress was turning into an uncomfortable case of a clingy girlfriend.

  “I’m really sorry, girl, but I gotta go,” he said, feeling the walls close in. He felt exposed by this cute thing, but she might very well actually be some kind of serial killer. If only the bed was worth whatever mess she would put him into afterwards. However, despite the words, he didn’t let go of her hand. It was too soft, too cool, and too comfortable. Reba, the desire of his whole life held on, and didn’t want to let go. Her other hand now rested on his arm. Slowly she soothed him from elbow to wrist, petting him like a dog, enticing him like she wouldn’t take no for an answer. He closed his eyes and took a moment to appreciate the feeling. It had been a long time since he felt the presence of a woman and even longer since one looked like Reba. It was hard to date much when you work graveyards and raise a little girl. Can’t just bring around anyone to meet Mona.

  Reba softly cooed in his ear, “You deserve this, Tinkkkkkk. Come around and let me take your mind off all that driving. You don’t want to go there. You want to come back here with me.”

  She was right. He wanted it. Oh man he wanted it. His legs were shaking as her icy words tickled his ear. This woman knew how to drive a man crazy, and his body now was begging to make it happen. His mind no longer felt the need to take a stance. Instead it focused on the relief that would come when he finally allowed himself to let go. So tired. So beat. So ready.

  “Okay. But, just, okay,” he said. His knees felt weak as he walked through the opening of the counter space.

  Reba guided him along while she sang every word, “Just shut up, and get back here. I want you back here with meeee.”

  Those words felt so good in his ears. She didn’t let him go as they held hands while he rushed to the opening to get behind the register. Finally, Tink was able to get a full view of her figure, and every inch was better than he expected. She was perfect.

  “Do you like what you see?” Reba asked.

  “Oh, yeah I do. My. You, uh, you sure about this?” he asked, as she closed the gap between them.

  “I’m very sure. So are you. Now come with me.”

  His body was on fire. Her body was cool. She led him a few steps to the back room while not relinquishing her grip on his hand. Every sway of her hips was like a fan blowing in his haggard mind. She was the relief he needed and wanted.

 
; The bed was a small cot, not big enough for Tink, let alone two people. This wasn’t going to be a problem, he thought, but it still crossed his mind. He looked at her intently, waiting for her to make the next move. Even his mouth watered so much that spit dripped on his shirt. She didn’t care. She moved in fast, like a shark on a guppy, and kissed him hard. Her lips fit perfectly on his. Her hands moved perfectly on him. They melted together the instant Tink embraced her.

  It was mesmerizing. It was perfect. It was…it was wrong.

  His mind, the tired, groggy instrument he was supposed to use to drive his sister across the country had a brief moment of clarity. He didn’t stop kissing her, but the energy behind the kiss faded. Something about this was off. Reba took his slowing down and sped up. She worked at his belt buckle with expertise. It all felt so nice, so good, but he thought about Mona sitting in the car by herself, waiting for her big brother and tried to pull himself away. Reba gripped the back of his head and brought him back in, and even though he moved his mouth away from hers, she nibbled at his ear to continue her seduction.

  “Okay. Hold on. I. Hold on. Reb. Hold on.” He tried to make her stop, but she was strong. No, strong is the wrong word to use. She was powerful. She ignored his attempts and nibbled harder. “Wait. Reba. Chill out for a minute. Let me check on.”

  Then she bit him.

  It wasn’t a lover’s nibble but an aggressive bite. This time Tink moved her away, and despite her power, she moved off him. The cute blonde of maybe a 120 pounds had smudged lipstick and a little bit of blood on her chin. He felt his neck and noticed the ridges of teeth holes. Reba giggled softly.

  “Whoa, easy there. I’m not into all that. I gotta go.”

  She met him at the office door and locked it behind her.

  “No, Tink. I can’t let you go. You deserve this, remember? I’m what you need right now. Do you want me to go out and take care of Mona? I will let her know you just need some rest, and she will understand. I can be very, very convincing.”

  This was so appealing, and she was so appealing. His mind raced slowly with thoughts. All of them resulted with him in her bed.

  “Just this once,” she said. Reba held his hand again, softly kissing it and looking at him with those eyes. Those eyes would haunt him for a long time.

  There was no one there for Mona. She was in the car alone. She needed her big brother, and he was in the back room of a gas station with a stranger. Tink wanted to check on her, at least. Reba, however, would not move. She licked her lips and stepped closer.

  “You’re not leaving here, Tink. You need this. You neeeeeeeed thissssss.”

  He believed her. Almost every part of him believed her, at least, but the one voice in his head that didn’t fight to be the loudest. He saw Mona in his head, and the fear she had about Salt Lake. His body shook while Reba continued her progress, but his mind was fighting to make her nothing more than static in the wind.

  “I’m sorry, but I need to go.”

  Her hands stopped. Her lips stopped, and her eyes looked surprised. She was hurt by how Tink could say no.

  “You don’t know what you’re saying,” she said.

  Tink pulled his hands from hers and gently moved her away from the door. Reba accepted the movement, but not without pushing her weight against him.

  “Tink, stop it right now. Stay in here. Please. I need you.” She no longer sang but sounded like a high pitched hyena. He tried not to look at her or her body while he unlocked the door and walked back into the gas station.

  Again, Reba reached for his hand, but this time he pulled away. She took his denial less graciously and slapped the back of his head. All of a sudden his body stopped wanting her and became numb to her.

  She taunted him, “You’re going to die there, Tink. You and your little whore sister are going to die.”

  “Did my sister pay at the pump, or do I need to pay in here?” he said, zoning out her words but feeling a fear unlike anything else swell up inside of him. She was not just an ordinary seductress at a gas station, as if those actually existed, she was on a whole different level. “I need to grab two waters too, one second.” He didn’t want to turn away from her, for fear of what she might do, but he wasn’t about to act like she scared him. He slowly walked back to the cooler, waiting for another slap.

  The waters felt ice cold to his hot and heavy hands. He realized now just how sweaty he was and grabbed an extra bottle for himself. Reba stood behind the register with folded arms and a bent brow. She looked like a jilted teenager.

  “That’ll be all, thank you,” he said handing over a ten dollar bill.

  Mona entered and immediately noticed the tension in the air. It didn’t affect her the way Tink thought it would. She was not afraid nor uncomfortable. She just noticed it and walked down the magazine isle.

  “Are you ready to go, Tink?” she asked in her ‘pretend annoyed’ voice. This was a game they often played with one another. Faking anger or upset feelings towards one another in awkward situations. “Or has the white girl convinced you to move in?”

  “Shut your mouth, little pawn,” Reba sneered back. Her words were hissed. She was like a feral cat in heat. The muscles in her arms looked huge for such a little person. The petite beast had power, and now she was ready to boil over. “I’m going to love watching you die! Adam is ready for you. He’s going to dance with your dead body through the streets of The High Cities and play the harp with your brother’s throat.”

  “That’s so graphic, Reba, but it’s not having the effect you were hoping for. You don’t scare me any more than the big bad wolf does. So why don’t you take my brother’s cash, and let us go on our merry way?” Mona said. She dropped a New York Times on the counter as well, nodding to her Tink to add a little bit of money for the new item. The two women stared at one another, one with ferocious hatred and the other with stern disapproval. “As you can see, my brother was stronger than you. I have a curfew, and you're going to make us late.”

  -

  Greg sorted through the backpacks making sure they were appropriately packed and ready for the evening. Shelly had put in too many bottles of water and an unnecessary change of clothes for all three men. Greg preferred his slacks and dress shirt over the shorts and tank top she provided. He was too skinny for a tank top, so he left it out on the lobby floor. Shelly didn’t forget the most important part though; the walkie talkies.

  Despite Harry’s outburst, the afternoon went better than anticipated. Everyone, even Harry in his own way, supported the plan and did their part to help prepare for the long night ahead. Greg found the domestic side of these women to be something admirable. Despite years of social clamoring for equality, at the end of the world women naturally gravitated towards service and submission. Evolution drove their gender roles, not the misogynistic man who demanded women remain submissive. Women in nearly every species were engrained as obedient servants who handled the home.

  “Thank you, for all of your help. Any requests for me to bring back tomorrow night.”

  Edie and Shelly giggled as soon as he asked. Apparently there was an inside joke, and he was on the outside. It was annoying and uncomfortable.

  The laughter continued.

  And continued.

  Edie explained the hilarity, “So, Greggy, could you possibly bring back feminine products?” Greg didn’t find the joke all too funny but smiled in trying to join in the fun. He felt like an idiot, but he wanted them to be comfortable around him enough to joke. However, he wanted to be a part of the joke instead of the punch line. His willingness to be helpful should have been enough, but they acted like they were playing a joke on him.

  It would be better to ignore their insincerity rather than play along any longer, “I can do that. What kind of feminine products do you need?” He asked with a straight face.

  Their smiling stopped too as they looked at him like he was explaining quantum mechanics. “Tampons. Anything other than the cheap brand.” Edie’s smile wa
s different this time. It was fake and tolerating. She had the same facial expression as Greg had been making all day.

  There was no time to allow these women to distract him. The importance of Greg’s plan could not be undermined by the immaturity of others. This was the precise reason why he chose not to divulge the entirety of the evening’s processions. Others in the group were not capable of seeing the bigger picture; maybe Mickey was a blank enough slate to understand. The importance of examining an individual wolf would be beyond simply beneficial; to gain an insight on their chemical makeup and personal disposition when drawn outside of the pack would offer them a sustainable advantage even after Asher and Ben departed.

  Using terms like “experiment” and “torture” would have caused an uproar, but that’s exactly what needed to happen. It was ultimately similar to what the military had successfully been doing for years before the public had their cry of self-righteous outrage. In order to defeat your enemy you must understand their weaknesses, social dynamics, and central goal. The first subject may not be alive, of course, but the pharmacy would hold subjects until Greg felt comfortable explaining his findings and reasoning with the group. By then, Mickey would be fully committed to the cause while Asher and Ben would hopefully disappear. He would sound like a mad scientist to some, poking and prodding the enemy in order to learn their vulnerabilities, but maybe it would work. Maybe there was something about them, other than an aversion to daylight, in which they could use as a weapon or a deterrent. In the end, the American people were upset about torturing terrorists not because of the torture but because they found out about it. Most people want the dirty work to be done outside of their sphere of knowledge but still reap the benefits. Greg would accept this responsibility because it would make a difference. The only way you survive is by using your strengths and adapting to your environment. Greg didn’t want to die, and he would stop at nothing to keep himself alive, both in the present and in the future.