Love at the End of the World

by Christiana Miller

  “Look, a bee. Finally, some normalcy,” Infinity exclaimed. He knew she loved bees. The one that landed on her hand didn’t change color. She pet it, then howled and shook her hand. “It bit me. This one is defective. Ow, that was mean. Mean, mean. I don’t like the bees here.”

  Greyson took her hand and noted the red welt. “I think we better not try to eat those.”

  “My tummy is making that horrible noise again,” Infinity complained. “And I won’t eat anything that bites me first.”

  Greyson’s tummy was talking again, but he agreed; right now he didn’t want to eat anything that wiggled or bit. There were strange things growing on some trees. Greyson ripped one off. Infinity rushed over.

  “Don’t make it angry. You shouldn’t hurt it.”

  He frowned and touched the tree. “Are you injured? I wasn’t thinking.”

  Nothing happened. He scowled at Infinity, who jumped back at his expression. He should have known trees didn’t talk. Warily, he eyed the tree, and when nothing happened he put the whitish thing in his mouth and chewed. It was…gross. Eyes wide, he wondered where that word came from.

  “Well?” Infinity asked.

  “The Superiors don’t like it when we say ‘ew’ but ew.” Greyson noted his belly suddenly stopped complaining. Surprised, he took another bite. “It tastes awful, but my belly isn’t talking anymore. That makes me happy. I couldn’t understand a word it said. It never talked around the Superiors.”

  Infinity broke off her own chunk and dove in. She made faces that had him laughing, but they shoveled the first real food—that didn’t move—they’d had in days down their throats.

  The sun rose higher in the sky, but a darkness was settling in overhead. Greyson gazed up and noted the white fluffies were banding together and looked malicious.

  The air began to move, and Infinity pushed closer to him. “It’s touching me. This air is invading my personal space. Make it stop.”

  “How?” Greyson was perplexed. “You make it stop.”

  “No, you.”

  “No, you.”

  A light rain began to fall and grumbling thunder was heard from above. Infinity wiped at her skin with obvious annoyance.

  “Well, this is unpleasant. When you watch it in pictures it seems so pretty. It’s actually pretty awful. I’m getting wet, and my slippers are soaked. There is no one to wash my hair. How are we supposed to do things for ourselves when there is nothing to work with? There aren’t restaurant pads out here. There are no pods. The water tastes awful.” Scowling, she took a deep breath, then she leaned in and sniffed him. “Oh good, it’s you making that smell, not me.”

  Greyson grit his teeth. “You smell too.”

  Infinity coughed then glanced at Greyson with a fearful expression. “My body is talking again but from a different place.”

  “Make it stop,” he said.

  She coughed again.

  “I think it’s protesting about the rain. Maybe we can find a place with some shelter.”

  The rain began to come down harder, and as they walked Infinity’s throat continued to talk. It was becoming very vocal. At last a small, dark place came into view. Greyson approached with caution. He peered inside. Nothing else was in there. When he crept in the offensive wind stopped and they were sheltered from the rain.

  “This is a pod,” Greyson exclaimed in delight.

  “But...but there is no warm bedding. Where are the hands and fingers that massage me to sleep?”

  “There are those small, brown things in a pile. We could lay down on those.”

  “Beside each other?”

  Greyson didn’t appreciate the distaste in her tone. “Yes, together. We slept together in a group, why not lay down alone together? We can maybe rub at each other until we sleep. It’s getting cold. I need your warmth. And...and I think you need mine.”

  “I suppose so.” She approached the pile hesitantly, and when she sat, the bed crunched.

  Greyson settled beside her. “I’m not happy. Hug me please.”

  “Only if you hug me too.”

  The couple wrapped their arms around one another. Each cringed as the sky above rumbled and roared like a lion. From his position Greyson could see white lightning zip across the sky. The Superiors were right. The scenes they viewed weren’t as exciting when you were living in one. It took some time before either of them fell asleep.

  Chapter 4

  Infinity raced out of the pod they had found, not knowing any other word for it, except the word cave kept popping into her thoughts. Her urinary area demanded release. There were no vacate stations anywhere to be found. Urgency made her drop her pants, and she squatted while her inner water gushed. She’d also never had the need to move her bowels so fast in her life, and she wondered if it was the bugs she partook of the night before that disagreed with her tummy. She was so embarrassed as she quickly searched for anything to clean herself, spying a thick, green moss on a nearby rock. Vacating one’s waste was a personal experience. She shouldn’t be out in the open revealing her body. If someone stumbled on her, they would both be aghast.

  She struggled up and yanked her pants on, grumbling. They were filthy, and she stunk. She admitted to herself it was the brown waste that wrinkled her nose. She wasn’t used to the odor. The vacate stations were always scented with the release of a perfume—rose, lilacs, always a pleasant experience. She jerked around when she heard a noise and was grateful she was clothed properly. The brush near her parted, and Infinity froze. A beautiful tiger stared at her. Infinity smiled as it approached. There was no barrier, but she wasn’t afraid. She reached to touch its fur. It was so soft. The tiger purred and licked her with its massive tongue. The poor beast was so thin its ribs showed. Infinity had zero desire to see the bones of this beast.

  “The Superiors stopped taking care of you too, didn’t they? You’re as helpless as I am. I wish you could take care of me.”

  Infinity went to a tree and broke off another whitish, protruding object, offering it to the tiger. The tiger only sniffed it. Munching as she walked with the tiger following, she thought for a moment about what the animal could eat and saw something incredible. A toad began eating a bug near the base of a rock. It occurred to her there were many life forms who ate insects. The bug was different from the ones she had seen. Curious, she went to a log and pulled many insects from beneath, wondering if the tiger might appreciate these.

  “We are no better than these creatures,” she told the tiger. “But they eat other creatures. Now they are being eaten. I suddenly don’t feel as bad.”

  The tiger sniffed the critters and tasted one. The massive beast soon devoured the rest of what she plucked from the dirt. Infinity turned over more logs and rocks. If the tiger wished to eat, it would.

  Her actions had overturned the ground in places, and under a mass of bush she found two very odd containers. They were silver where they weren’t covered in dirt. She decided they could be used as cups if nothing else when cleaned. Her nose wrinkled, and she knew she would need to clean them. The idea was disturbing. She used her hands to rub at the dirt until her hands became filthy. She went to rinse them in the little stream and realized she could wash the containers. She was pleased she had cleaned something for the first time.

  She gazed up as a noise rumbled overhead. The night that had ended began again and was coming for them, only now it was angry. The things in the sky seemed to rule the weather. She liked the sunlight all the time. She had never known a dark day before the Superiors went away, and it was hard to get used to it.

  She didn’t like the dark as it stole her sight. She needed to move quickly to outrace it. Loud rumbles were heard overhead. A bright light flashed through the sky. When the light struck a tree Infinity saw vibrant colors dance. She was intrigued and stopped in her tracks.

  The dancing colors sizzled as the rain fell. Wanting to bring the bouquet of colors to Greyson, Infinity tucked her containers under an arm and reached for them then quick
ly pulled her hand back.

  “Ouch. You bit me. That was rude.”

  She was burned, her skin was red. Color had no sensation, why was she so red? And it hurt. She lifted her uninjured hand near the strange happening and felt heat. This bouquet was of heat and she was cold. Also, where the darkness fell was kept at bay in a circle surrounding the strange phenomena. It might bring light to their pod-cave.

  Infinity dropped the containers, grabbed a rock, and chopped at the bottom of the flames. She studied the flickering sensation. Soon she retrieved her treasures and raced back to Greyson. She rushed into the cave, breathless, as the rain came down in sheets.

  “Where have you been? You weren’t here to take care of me.” Greyson narrowed his gaze onto her. She rolled her eyes.

  “I captured heat,” she squealed in delight.

  Greyson rose from the ground and reached out to touch her treasure.

  Infinity stepped back. “I want to warn you that it hurts to touch it, but if you keep your distance we will be warmed.”

  She was right, the cave was lit as it grew darker outside. Her bouquet was a strong entity.

  “Where did it come from?” he asked.

  “A bright light hit a tree and I cut it away.”

  “What if another tries to rescue it?”

  “It’s mine. If it got away, too bad for the rest of them. This heat is mine. It’s my prisoner, and I’m keeping it.”

  “Prisoner?”

  Infinity stopped to think. “It was a word my grandfather said to me once. He said his father had been a prisoner of war.”

  “War? I think that’s a very bad word. Are we very bad for keeping a prisoner?”

  “Not if we treat it fairly.”

  “Well, what do we feed it? We have barely fed ourselves.”

  Infinity thought for a moment. “It seems to like this wood well enough. We will get it more.”

  “Are you going to hold it forever?” Greyson asked.

  “No. I hadn’t thought about that. We can cage it.”

  “With what?”

  “Those rocks. Put them in a circle and get more wood, and I’ll release it.”

  Greyson set to work making a circle cage for the bouquet. Infinity looked at it sternly and said, “Now, be good and do not try to escape.”

  “Do you think it’s alive?”

  “Yes, it dances and eats, doesn’t it? It seems to be breathing. And it bit me.” She held up her hand.

  Greyson studied the redness with awe. She lowered the flames to its cage, and it took to its surroundings and burned bright. Infinity settled beside Greyson as they sat before their new treasure. She rubbed at his back. He rubbed at hers. Greyson removed his shirt. His back was turned to her, and she reached out and touched his bare skin. They were supposed to be bare while they were massaged into sleep, and before they left the pods they were clothed.

  “I don’t like the sounds outside. I need to be pleasured to feel restful,” Greyson said.

  She frowned at his meaning. “But I’ve never seen a naked man.”

  “I’ve never seen a naked woman. But I like to touch soft flesh, not clothing. I like the feel of your hand in mine.”

  He had a point. She struggled out of her clothes, as did he, and they faced one another. She gaped as he gawked. His body wasn’t like hers at all. It was no wonder the Superiors kept them clothed. She was hard-pressed not to laugh outright. Women would spend days in tears from amusement. He hung out where she thought he would look like her. He didn’t have breasts but nipples. Why on earth did he only have nipples? And the hair on him was outrageous. It was on his chest and belly, under his arms, while she herself was virtually hairless. He looked like a white ape.

  Infinity always knew he was larger than her, but naked he seemed bigger. The broadness of his chest was so large she wondered how he kept himself upright. Surely his hangy thing walked into a room seconds before he did. His thighs were the size of tree trunks. All he needed were horns and he’d be a bull. Greyson had the biggest ass she had ever seen. Her hand flew to her mouth, wondering where the hell that word had come from. She blushed as more of the profanity words came to mind.

  Greyson grinned. “I know, right? I’m pretty spectacular looking. The Superiors always told me I was an excellent representative of what a male should look like.”

  Oh, if only you knew what I was thinking. She coughed and cleared her throat. “Um, I suppose.”

  He reached out and slid his hand down her shoulder. His hands were soft and warm, different from the smaller hands that relaxed her into sleep inside her pod.

  “When I’m pleasured there is a pleasing, warm liquid that slides over me as I rise up and down, making my motion easier. Or I can roll over and ride the soft hands that become warm with wetness to make me slick. It’s best that way, if I’m on you,” Greyson said.

  “I’m afraid to have you on top of me. You’re heavy.”

  “What if we tried sideways?”

  “But I’m always on my back when I’ve been pleasured.”

  “You’re being difficult.”

  “I’m not being difficult. You say hands rub at you. Well, I’m pleasured differently.”

  “How?”

  His pointer was larger than she expected. Much larger than her pleasure pointers that slid in with ease. She knew his thing was supposed to go into her, but he had yet to see the concept. Men were stupid.

  When she got up the courage to touch him as he asked, she shuddered. This large, expanding thing was going into her small, tight thing. She wasn’t certain if she would be pleasured at all. That didn’t seem fair when he was supposed to be taking care of her. She was the one who had captured heat after all.

  “What’s it called?” she asked.

  “What?”

  “That long thing? The term for the ones the Superiors used was pointer. They said humans are sexual creatures, and as long as everything is slow and careful we will relax. I was taught the right way to be pleasured when I started having urges.”

  “I was told it’s my happy monitor.” He lay back while her hesitant hand stroked him.

  She blinked, filled with curiosity, and lay beside him. “Happy monitor?”

  “Well, when it’s hard and about to give my juice I’m happy.”

  “Juice?”

  “That’s what it’s called. It was collected in vials. We’re not supposed to tell anyone else, but I suppose I can confide in you considering you take care of me.” He rose on an elbow and gazed at her naked body. “Where’s your happy monitor?”

  “Inside my body.”

  “Well, that’s not fair. My happy monitor has been hurt on occasion when I banged into things—like your knee last night. How come yours is safe inside?”

  “Mine is a desire cave. Should your happy monitor meet my desire cave? Obviously, mine is more important if it’s hidden like a treasure. Yours just hangs out for all to see. Boring if you ask me.”

  “Boring?” he shrieked.

  “Yes, boring,” she said with a haughty shake of her head. “And why do you have extensions on it? Are they supposed to make it more appealing? Honestly, they don’t. Anything that hangs like that in sacks are kinda yucky.”

  Greyson lay back and crossed his arms over his chest. “You should talk. What about your round sacks on your chest? I always wondered why you stuck out up there. Now I know. It’s a barrier, isn’t it? Don’t get too close to me. Well, I get close because they squish.”

  Infinity had to think about that.

  “But when I’m pleasured my delight globes are touched.”

  “Delight globes?”

  “Yes. Touch one. Go ahead, or are you afraid?”

  Greyson reached over and squeezed hard. Infinity howled, sat up, and slapped him across the face. Greyson jerked back. Both were surprised.

  “You did a hurt thing,” Greyson accused as he also sat up.

  “I know. My hand is upset.”

  “Well, so is my face.”
/>
  Infinity watched as the area she hurt became red. Her hand didn’t change color. She cried out when Greyson reached over and slapped her. Infinity pressed her hand to her face. Tears began to fall. Greyson was wide-eyed. He pulled her close.

  “Why are you crying?” he asked.

  “You hurt me.”

  “You hurt me, and I’m not crying.”

  “The sad emotion is strong. So is the pain. You squeezed too tight, so my hand did a hurtful thing. You hit me for no reason except to hurt me.” Her sobbing grew louder, and she didn’t know why.

  “I’m sorry, Infinity. I won’t ever hurt you again. Please don’t cry. You can hit me until I cry.”

  That made her sob louder. “But I don’t want to hurt you until you cry. It’s too sad. I don’t want you to feel this sad. That would hurt me more because I love you.” Greyson began to cry, and Infinity became distressed. “I didn’t hit you again,” she said.

  “Your words did. How can words be so hurtful and filled with sadness? Please stop crying, please. We will promise to never injure one another with our hands or words. Okay?”

  “Yes. I promise. No more hurting. Only helpful.”

  The two drew each other closer. Their warm bodies meshed together. For a while they stroked at one another until Infinity felt her heart begin to pound. She smiled, knowing her pleasure was coming.

  “You know your happy monitor needs to go inside me so I can be pleasured too?”

  He pulled back and appeared stunned. “Really? That sounds strange, and yet I think you’re right.”

  “Your pointer is larger than I’m used to, so you have to be careful.”

  “I will be very careful. So am I like really big?”

  “Are you bragging?”

  “No. No, not at all. I just want to be certain I’m careful.”

  Greyson lay her back against the bed of crinkling blankets. Leaves, Infinity thought. He tried to keep all of his weight off of her. His huge pointer slipped in and out but not even midway. The frustration for both became teeth gritting.

  “I have to get closer so I can reach deeper. My happy monitor isn’t happy at all,” Greyson said.