With all my strength, I grasped down on the sides of the washer and in one sudden, strong push backwards, I pushed him off of me, making him fall to the ground. His pants were more than half way down. I pulled up my own sweats that were halfway down my ass while at the same time shouting, “YOU FUCKING DICK!”
I faced Julian with my fists at the ready. Yes, I was going to kick his ass. “Get up and fight me like a man.”
He was dazed and startled for a minute by my strength, but regained his faculties after standing up on his own feet.
The door from upstairs opened with a thud hard against the wall and Josh, Brass, and Old John came running down. Josh was the first to land on his feet. When my eyes met with Josh, his expression was full of anger as he glared at Julian.
I looked at Julian. Brass hit him on his back not too hard with an iron pipe. I was trembling – not just from fear, but from anger as well. Josh noticed and placed his hoodie around my shoulders. I placed my arms through the arms of the hoodie. “That hurt, man,” Julian shouted at Brass with his hand behind his back.
“That’s not the way to treat a lady, you perv,” Old John spoke giving a smack behind his head.
Julian looked at me through low, angry eyes. He pointed at me saying, “She was the one coming at me!”
Did he just accuse me? I scoffed, walked up to him, and punched him in the face. He fell to the floor from the impact. Josh backed me up before I karate chopped him.
“Now, that’s how a lady should treat a perv. You ain’t no man, Julian!” That oughta show him.
“Get up,” Brass ordered as he got him to his feet. Julian’s nose bled. “The chamber. Now!” he commanded.
What was the chamber? That was the first time I had heard of it since I've been here. I searched Josh’s face for any clues. He didn’t look at me but said, “It’s like a little jail cell.”
I nodded in acknowledgment. He still had his arms around me, comforting me.
He stayed with me and watched me as I kept putting clothes in the washer and dryer. Once again, he asked me if I needed help, but I told him no. Other than that, we didn’t speak another word.
Since he gave me his hoodie, I was savoring the scent. I felt stupid, yes, but I guess this was what people did when they had deep feelings towards someone. It’s funny. I wanted to laugh at myself, because this was also a sweet thing. I kept taking deep breaths just to smell it. Hopefully, he didn’t notice.
After I was done with the second load, putting it in the washer, I sat down on the ground across from him, both of us not speaking a word as he kept me company.
Hesitating, I began to speak up, “Did you… Never mind.”
“No, go on,” he spoke gently, interested in my question.
“No. Never mind. It’s a stupid question anyways.”
“Really, I insist, even if it is stupid. But I don’t see why anything that comes from you should be stupid.”
I was dumbfounded. Did he just actually say that? Well, I changed the question. “You always wear a lot of black. Why?” Yup, this question was stupider than the original question I wanted to ask him. What the hell was I thinking?! But then thinking about it, this question did sound better than the first that I wanted to ask him, less embarrassing to my pride...
He chuckled, “You do too. I think you already know why.”
“Yeah, I guess I do.” I smiled weakly looking down at the ground. It was definitely a stupid question. He was sitting across from me, six feet away, keeping his distance.
“The world used to be a dark place,” he whispered loud enough so that I can hear. “So pitch black that at the end of the tunnel I thought I would never see the little white dot appear. But now...it has. And it’s shining brighter than ever.”
I got serious all of a sudden. Maybe it's just me, but I've been catching him say “used to” a lot lately, and on top of that he was speaking in past tense. “Why do you always say ‘used to’?”
He scratched his head. It showed that he was kind of nervous about this. “Uh, I don’t know. I guess things have changed since you got here. Maybe after you came I don’t see a room with four black walls but with a dark sky full of bright stars.”
What a way with words. Oh, Lord. Was he going to confess? Was he confessing? It was hard to know when we were so apart.
Twister
“Hey Brass, do we have a training room in here?” I asked him while we all were sitting down and eating. The teenage boys, including Julian that’d been out of the chamber just now with a fucked up nose, were eating so noisily like a bunch of pigs like they’ve never seen food before. The drama queens barely touched theirs as if they don’t like fettuccine alfredo with grilled chicken and veggies mixed in. They just sipped their cranberry and grape juice. Maybe they don’t want to gain weight? The rest of us ate normally like regular humans.
In the two weeks I’d been here, Josh had been saving a spot beside him for me.
Brass cleared his throat. “There is. Why?” he asked, turning his attention on me as he stopped eating for a moment.
“Well, it’s been two weeks since I’ve been here, and I believe my muscles need a stretch,” I informed him.
All the boys gawked at me - except Julian who continued to gobble. Hmmm. Perhaps their hormones are very uncontrollable. I’ll have to be careful. I hear when a female flexes and stretches it doesn’t go well around full-raged tweeners who lack self-control. Does Josh have self-control even if he was twenty-four?
Brass took one last bite out of his pasta, got up, washed his plate, and said, “Follow me. I’ll show you where it is.”
Now I’m a bit frightened and nervous. What if Brass did the same thing that Julian had tried to do earlier in the laundry room? “Uhm, I’d like to take Josh and Naomi with me.”
“Totally fine.”
Josh and Naomi’s eyebrows perked up at my sudden request, and I urged them with my eyes to follow us, and not leave me alone. Happily, they obliged.
We went past the laundry room downstairs through another door that had another set of stairs leading more down. I can see why it’s called underground. And here it was.
The right side was filled with mirrors that needed to be wiped down from built up dust. A ballet rail reached from one end of the mirror to the other, and there were no windows or doors which gave you plenty of privacy. A punching bag occupied the other side of the room, and the floor was installed with wood that badly needed to be polished. The place was perfect though, very spacious.
“No one knows this place is here except me. I’m surprised a girl your size asked me. Can you fight?” Brass asked. Maybe that would explain of the punching bag existing in here. It was the only thing that did not look dusty.
“Can I?!” I smiled at him. “I was born to fight.”
He smiled in return and stretched his neck sideways, making his joints pop. “Well then, I’m sure you won’t back down for a brawl later.”
“You’re on!”
And with that he left leaving Naomi, Josh, and I alone. “Are you sure you want to fight Brass? I mean, he can fuck you up,” Josh exclaimed to me.
“Please, I’ve been through worse.”
“No really. Josh is serious. He’ll damage that pretty face of yours,” Naomi pitched in.
“Guys, I’ll be fine. Besides…” I checked the rail if it was strongly intact against the floor and wouldn’t rattle. “He won’t know what’s coming.” I placed the arch of my foot on top of the rail, put my body all the way forward as far as it can go, placed my arms on top of my leg, and stretched. Oh yeah, my arms, butt, and back flexed. It felt so good to stretch.
The mirrors were so dirty but I still managed to see as Josh left the room fast. “Well, that was quick,” Naomi said.
“Maybe it was too much of a view for him?!” I told her switching to the other leg. Maybe he doesn’t have much of self-control, or it’s been awhile for him. But hey at least he isn’t a pervert.
She laughed. “You do hav
e a nice butt though...May I join you?”
“Of course.” I smiled.
It’d been another two weeks since I could really stretch and I was glad to be able to get back into shape. Naomi was the first of many to join me after that day, even Julia, Darcy and Marcy; of course they would never change except take up an opportunity.
When Naomi and I did our stretching the next day we first cleaned up the place, and then used it. Now it was clean. What I was curious about though is if this wasn’t always an underground club? Are there other parts here that need yet to be discovered?
Naomi, Anna, Rave and I had a pretty intense work out and were walking back to our rooms. Rave shared one with Alex.
“Yo what’s up ladies? You all had a good stretch? Wanna use those flexes for something useful?” Salvatore said out loud checking all the girls out with his other pals. Julian wasn’t around. Hmm. He must’ve learnt his lesson. Good.
“Back off Salvy,” Julia told him with a giggle.
“Yo, come on Jules. Let’s go somewhere private. Just you and me…I wanna test that ass...”
Okay, I just want to get out of here. Ugh, get a room.
Anna gasps and smiles so big, she leaves Rave’s arm and trots towards Martin who was standing against the wall by the stairs. She dries her sweaty face with her white towel and is suddenly shy and nervous around him. Him too. Being at a distance, I don’t think any one of us could make out what they were saying to each other except he hands her a folded note.
“Aww, it’s a love note,” Naomi gushes.
“How would you know?” Rave asked her with her black colored lips. She let her raven black hair loose from a tie.
“Ugh, it’s obvious they’ve got the hots for each other Ms. I’m-in-a-relationship-I-should-know-this-already.”
“Maybe it could be a math note.”
“Oh sure. Math is the last thing Anna needs right now.”
I wanted to sigh. Just when you thought the world is dead and yet there’s still hope for others...It should definitely be a love note…God, I really hope it’s not a math note.
I decided to give the girls a couple of days off since they just want to relax and chat. I never stopped though. Flexing one’s muscles, toning the body, and stretching almost every day does have its disadvantages, and I can understand that they deserve a break. Yet me, I push myself to the limit and beyond. Thanks to my father who told me to never be a quitter…
Oh my parents….so much time has passed and I missed them so much. The emotions were still raw. The boogeyman is here and alive. They are real. My parents are not here to protect me so I have to learn to protect myself…
A knock came at the door in the training room where I was listening to some soft music making me jump, and I turned my face and body towards the source. I blinked away my unshed tears. “Yes?” I answered, my voice sad.
“Just came to say thanks,” Brass answered as he leaned against the door’s frame.
“For?” I asked while sitting in my spot. I was confused as to what there was for him to thank me for.
“The girls now found a new hobby, and surely it can get them in better shape.”
“Please Brass. All I did, all I do is help them tone their bodies. No thanks there. It’s what they want.”
“Still. It’s beneficial for them. Now we’ll lose less people. Maybe none at all.”
“Are the boys getting proper training as well?”
“We do have another spare room set up where Old John and I train them, yes.”
“Was this place always an underground club?”
“No. It used to be a fitness center.”
Figures. “I see. So it seems. Is there a body building area somewhere around here?”
“Maybe. I haven’t found it...yet...Are we still on for the brawl?”
I smiled. “You betcha’!”
“Good. I’ve decided it to be three months from now. Gives you a lot of time to prepare. For me too. Hope you’ll be ready. Catch you later.”
I pretty much got used to Brass. He’s not as scary as he seems with his baggy cargo pants and cut off sleeves. And I don’t understand why Naomi and Josh are telling me to back down. I can handle myself and I surely can handle him…
Another knock comes upon the door as I’m doing one-hundred crunches with my knees bent across my chest. “May I come in?” Josh asks.
I stop what I’m doing and turn around to face him. “Sure,” I smile, blushing with sweat.
Tucked under his arm he had a white box with circles of different colors. “Twister?” I guess.
“Oh it’s a great game. You use your muscles. It’ll be good for a change.”
“I guess it would.”
Standing up, I help him set up the mat by splaying it out on the floor. He takes the board with the spinner and puts it on the floor in the center to the left between us. “I hope you know how to play.”
I move towards the end where it says ‘Twister’ to the right and take my stand. “Of course I do. I used to play it when I was small.”
“That saves me time from explaining.” He smiles taking his place on the other end of the same word. “You ever played with anyone?”
In a sad tone, I said, “No.”
He looked at me with a sadder look than what his eyes held. “I’ll make it worth your while.” He smiled a sad smile.
Each of us place each of our feet on a blue and yellow circle right before us. The colors, from right to left where I was standing, were red, blue, yellow, and green. Each vertical line of each color consisted six circles. “I’ll go first,” he says.
Since it’s just us two, looks like we’re going to have to spin the spinner without a referee. Each to his own. I’m so going to kick his ass. I’ll make sure I do. He just doesn’t know it yet.
He spun the spinner and it lands on a left foot red. He places his left foot on the third red circle on his side. Oh boy. This is going to get complicated already.
Being my turn, I spun the spinner, and it lands on a green circle left hand. So I make my way, and do the easy way by bending down on my knees and placing my hand on the third green circle from my side. I looked at him with a dare in my eye and a smile.
He returned the same.
With the music playing in the background, it was all I needed for conversation.
He spun the spinner, and it lands on green right foot. He places his foot on the fifth green circle from his side right on top of mine, brushing my skin. I blushed. “Hmmm. Getting stretched for a change Josh?”
He was struggling to keep his feet in place from slipping since the mat was made out of vinyl; designed to make us slip when we wear socks. The rule of the game is not to move your hand or foot from the circle its already been placed. No switching either. His legs were wide open apart from each end in an awkward position. In fact, my face was so close to his crotch. Could I feel my face get any hotter?! “Just trying to get relaxed,” he exclaimed.
I laughed at him, trying to hide my nervousness. I spun the spinner, and it lands on right foot blue. So I position on a blue circle right under him, letting my leg stretch out as far as it could to the fourth blue circle. “Careful not to hit my crotch there,” he chuckled nervously when I had to bend my knee and stretch my leg out.
“I’ll try,” I winked at him.
He spun the spinner, and it lands on the right hand yellow. He brings his right arm and lands his hand on the sixth yellow. He positions himself correctly and I blush as he is just right on top of me. “Oh hello there,” he whispers.
“Hi,” I replied. My heart began to beat faster.
I put my attention to the spinner and spun. It landed on a yellow left foot. I brought my left foot and stretched it out past underneath him placing it beside the blue circle where my other foot was.
I now had my left hand on a green, my left foot on a yellow, my right foot on a blue, and now I’m left with my right hand. Josh had his left foot on a red, his right foot on a green, and h
is right hand on a yellow. He couldn’t move, afraid to lose his balance and lose since he was supporting his weight on one hand with his butt in the air. I began to giggle. “Shall I do the honors?” I ask.
“Go on ahead,” his gaze never leaving mine.
I spin the spinner for him, and it lands on a left hand red. I look back at him and he’s still looking at me, not moving. He has me trapped between him now. “Left hand red,” I tell him in a low voice as I gulp nervously.
After a moment, “Fuck it,” he says.
And that’s when his lips kiss against mine so hot as he circles his free left hand around my back to my waist, and holds me against him tightly. I return it all and give it all I’ve got by keeping up with him. I lower myself to the ground and wrap my arms around his neck bringing him closer to me and to taste him more...lusciously. His other hand skims down my neck, past the side of my breast, down past my waist and hips to around my behind to my thigh and he squeezes and lifts my leg up to feel him. I moan against his mouth, never feeling this way before, so hot and bothered...it was so erotic and sexy as hell. Emotions deep down between my legs began to form that I didn’t understand…
He moves his lips away from mine and I relax my arms around his neck as he pulls his head a little back to look at me. “You’re beautiful,” he whispers as he caresses the side of my cheek.
Oh boy. “Thank you. I could say the same to you, but we’ll go with handsome,” I smiled and giggled nervously.
He relaxed himself on top of me and kissed my forehead as he continued to look at me with those penetrating, sad brown eyes. He caressed my hair, and asked in that whispery lovely tone of his, “Is it worth it?”
“Better than any game of Twister I’ve ever played alone,” I confessed the truth. “But Julia. How you feel about her…”
“Shh. None of her. Please. I want to live in the moment with you now. She’s history, and I’m past the pain. My heart wants you.”
Jeez. Could he get any more romantic...?
Holy shit! I thought while feeling my eyes bulge out of their sockets as if they’ve seen a ghost. I just got my first kiss.
The World At End (Book 1) (Left Alive for the Dead Series) Page 7