The Last Woman (All That Remains #1)

by S. M. Shade

  “I’m not going anywhere whether you like it or not,” he asserts. “Try to sleep.”

  I can’t help but giggle. “Yes, sir.”

  “Hush.” He smiles and rubs my arm as he focuses his attention on the television. I give up. I have never been so tired in my life, so emotionally and physically drained. I turn onto my side and press my forehead against his firm stomach.

  “I’m sorry. You know this isn’t me, Airen. I’m stronger than this. I’ll get it together.” Things are tough enough without having a hysterical woman to deal with.

  “Stop apologizing. You don’t have to handle everything alone, Abigail. You don’t give yourself enough credit. No other woman would have lasted two minutes in that hospital, and you were going to go in alone.”

  “I’m glad you were there,” I murmur, relishing the sound of my name on his lips.

  “Me too.” The last thing I remember before falling asleep is feeling his fingers run gently through my hair.

  I wake to the sound of Jayla and Carson laughing. They’re eating cereal and challenging each other to a game of rummy. The memories of the night before invade, and I bury my face in the pillow. How am I going to face Airen today? What did he tell the kids? I’ve never slept in the living room.

  As if in answer to my unspoken question, Carson asks, “When can we stay up all night watching movies?”

  I miss Airen’s response as I realize this is his explanation for my sleeping on the sofa and probably his exhaustion.

  After they head to Carson’s room to play cards, I get up and dress. I still look like hell after brushing my hair and teeth, but it will have to do for now. Airen’s knocking on my door. So much for avoiding him. I suppose it’s better to get it over with.

  He smiles at me. “Hey.”

  Oh, that smile. “Hi.”

  “I just wanted to see how you’re doing.”

  “I’m good, and I’m sorry I—”

  “Stop,” he interrupts, holding up his hand. “There’s nothing to be sorry for, Abby. Don’t apologize.”

  I force myself to meet his eyes. Damn, they’re so dark. Impulsively, I throw my arms around him and hug him hard, closing my eyes when his arms tighten around me.

  “Fine, I won’t apologize, but at least let me say thank you.” I have to say it because I know how similar we are when it comes to hiding our emotions, and how hard it must have been for him to let me see him cry. Yet, he had, so I wouldn’t be as embarrassed.

  “You’re welcome, darlin’.” Oh.

  His face is pink when I let him go and...oh hell. He’s so breathtaking standing there in only sweat pants, bare chested, and bare footed. I have to stop staring at him.

  “You know, your accent sneaks in sometimes.”

  “It’s worse when I’m drunk,” he replies with a laugh.

  “I really do feel better. Can we just pretend I didn’t have a meltdown last night?”

  “Sounds like a plan.”

  Abraham

  Is he one of the faithful, Lord, or is he one that needs to be brought into your light? He appears to be a normal man, but it’s so difficult to separate the innocent from the heathens. I have watched the man named Cole for over a week, and I’ve observed no deviant behavior. When I searched his home I found a bible, although I can’t be certain it belongs to him and not the house’s former occupant.

  I observe him through his bedroom window as he prepares for bed. He kneels at the end of his bed to pray.

  “Thank you for getting me through another day, God, and for Katie. I was going crazy being alone all the time. I pray there are more of us out there. Humankind isn’t going extinct, are we? Please, don’t let that happen to us. Please, let us find more survivors. Please, watch over my wife and sons since I can longer do it. I hope they’re really with you. Amen.” He sighs and crawls into bed alone.

  I think I can trust him. The woman, however, I’m not as confident about. They sleep in separate rooms, and I’ve witnessed no fornication. Yet, I haven’t observed any signs that she speaks to God nor reads his word. Woman has always been the downfall of man. I intend to watch her closely.

  I think it’s time we all meet.

  Troy

  “Hey, buddy! What are you doing up there? You aren’t going to jump are you?”

  The man looks down at me as if I’m a figment of his imagination. He’s sitting on the edge of a metal beam high above the bridge. I don’t know what river I’m currently crossing, but the water is fast moving, and I doubt that he’s contemplating a swim.

  “Have a heart, man! I’m tired of my own company! All of this solitude is boring as hell! Come down the slow way and I’ll buy you a beer and a new car!” I call up to him. I’ve been totally alone for almost six months, and it’s enough to turn the most stable person into a raving lunatic. I’m not at all surprised this guy was ready to take the high dive. He looks confused and unsure of what to do next.

  “You don’t want to swim in that water, man! Unless you want to glow in the dark or grow a third nipple!” I add. He begins to work his way down. Whew! I’m dizzy just watching him. Heights are not my friend. He approaches me carefully. What do you say to someone who was probably seconds away from offing himself?

  “Hi, I’m Troy.”

  “Micah,” he replies, shaking my hand as if nothing out of the ordinary just happened.

  “Do you mind if we move off of this bridge? I’m not a fan of heights.”

  He laughs. “Sure.”

  We spend the next few hours talking. Well, questioning each other. After about four thousand questions get tossed back and forth we have a general idea of what the other person has experienced. It comes to the same end, of course. Everyone we cared about has died. Everyone we’ve ever known is dead. At least neither of us had children. Micah had a live-in girlfriend of two years. I lost a group of friends who had become my family. We’ve both been completely alone since the plague. Oh, and we both have nice hair.

  Micah doesn’t even blink when I tell him I’m gay. I have a few seconds of hope that he may be also before he responds.

  “That’s cool. I’m straight, though.”

  “I saved you for nothing,” I say with a grin.

  “Sorry to disappoint you,” he replies sarcastically. We’re sitting on a porch of a small house facing the river.

  “Why did you pick this house?” I ask.

  “It’s close to the river.”

  “That it is. I’ll bet when the wind blows just right you can smell all of the sewage in Illinois.”

  “Seemed like a smart idea to live near the water.”

  “Yeah, it probably is. So, you intend to live now, do you? Do I need to watch for you to wander off in the middle of the night? Maybe I should remove your belt and shoelaces?”

  He snorts and shakes his head. “I’m not going anywhere.”

  “Good. That water was probably cold. I’m sure there are worse ways to go, though. Like diving head first into a wood chipper.”

  Micah laughs and runs his hand across his forehead. “I think feet first would be worse, actually.”

  “I suppose you’re right. How about doing a cannon ball into the mouth of a volcano?”

  “Or hanging yourself with a bungee cord. That would be time consuming.”

  “Seriously though, would you really have jumped?”

  “Since I’ve climbed up there three times now, I doubt it. I wanted to. There just didn’t seem like there was any point in being the last guy alive.”

  “Loneliness is a bitch,” I agree. “I say we get drunk.”

  “Hell of an idea.”

  CHAPTER TWO

  The rainy weather finally breaks, and we have a brief respite. It’s a beautiful sunny day. The thermometer on the kitchen window reads eighty degrees at ten in the morning. What more could we ask for at the end of October? We can’t wait to get outdoors. For once, we all agree on an activity, a hike in the woods.

  Jayla has recently become obsessed with
photography. Airen found her a photo printer and a digital camera at Radio Shack for her birthday. She photographs everything. Prints are scattered throughout the house, and she has countless memory cards full. Of course, she brings her camera along on the hike.

  “Do you know where we’re going?” Jayla asks Airen as he leads the way through the woods.

  “We’re wandering aimlessly through the forest. Did you bring your bread crumbs?”

  “Ha ha.”

  “There’s a place Carson and I go when we’re hunting. It’s a good place for a picnic, as long as you don’t mind the poison ivy or a few snakes.”

  He’s in such a playful mood today. It’s nice to see him so cheerful.

  “Don’t forget the mountain lions and bears,” Carson adds.

  “Yeah, and tigers and gorillas and hippos,” Jayla mocks, smiling at me.

  “Boys,” I scoff.

  “Uh um.” Airen clears his throat. “I believe you mean men,” he corrects, grinning at Carson.

  “I stand by my initial statement.”

  “Good to know the battle of the sexes lives on in an apocalypse.” Airen grins. He is all smiles today.

  I put my arm around Jayla. “Women have to stick together.”

  “That wouldn’t happen if you showered more often,” Carson retorts.

  “I wonder where you get that smart mouth from.” I laugh.

  Airen winks at me. “It’s one of life’s great mysteries.”

  Oh, why does he do that? Is he so completely oblivious to how sexy it makes him? When he points those radiant, dark as night eyes at me I’m drawn in, helpless. I have to drag my gaze away from his. My mind wanders back to the night he found me crying. I remember how his arms felt around me, his hard flat stomach against my forehead as I lay with my head in his lap. None of that had felt sensual at the time because I was so upset. Since then, I can’t stop dwelling on the sensation of his fingers running through my hair, his hand stroking my back while he murmured soothingly. He treated me with such tenderness.

  What the hell is the matter with me today? I know better than to let my thoughts stray in this direction. It’s pointless and only leaves me aroused and frustrated. I need to remind myself of who he is and who I am. He is a beautiful, talented man, and any woman would chop off a limb to be with him. Hell, just to be noticed by him.

  I, however, am an unattractive ex-librarian who just happened to survive a horrible sickness that destroyed most of the population. Chance alone brought us together as friends, and at some point he will move on. As I told Carson, we aren’t the last people on Earth. I have to get a grip. We hike for about an hour before we come to Carson and Airen’s favorite spot.

  “It’s lovely here,” I exclaim.

  We are in a small clearing beside a stream that gurgles pleasantly. On one of their past trips they have placed logs in a semicircle around a small fire pit. Scattered patches of yellow wild flowers grow where the sun penetrates the canopy.

  “Can we wade in the stream?” Jayla asks.

  “It’s shallow, they’ll be fine,” Airen says, nodding at me.

  “Just stay close,” I warn, and they sprint toward the water. I’m left alone with Airen, and I suddenly feel shy and self-conscious. We are both quiet for a few minutes while he starts a fire. We can hear the kids laughing and splashing, their giggles echoing through the forest. I can’t stand the awkward silence between us any longer.

  “They’re having fun.”

  “This was a good idea.” He smiles.

  “You were bound to have one eventually,” I tease.

  “Thanks.” He shakes his head, still grinning. “I should set some traps before we head home. This would be a good place to catch rabbits and possibly squirrels.”

  “I like rabbit, but squirrel? I don’t think so. It’s like eating a rodent.”

  “Have you ever had squirrel, Miss Picky?”

  “Once. It was dark, greasy, and nasty. Of course, you’re from Louisiana so I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. Don’t people down there eat anything with eyes?”

  “There are a few exceptions.” He laughs and adds a log to the fire. “I’ve had alligator before.”

  “And?”

  “It was a little chewy for my taste.”

  We laugh together. “What other southern delicacies have you tried?”

  “Let’s see. I’ve had possum, raccoon, crawfish, snake, beaver, guinea pig...”

  “You did not eat guinea pig!”

  A charming little grin tilts his lips. “You caught me, but the rest are true.”

  “Do you miss it?”

  “Eating critters I ran over with my truck?”

  I roll my eyes at him. “Louisiana.”

  “Sometimes, but I spent a lot of time working in New York the past few years. My mom used to call and tell me to get my oversized head back home.” A nostalgic look softens his features.

  “Did you lose your parents to the plague? Or before?”

  “Mom and Dad died during the plague on the same day. They were together for almost forty years so I reckon that was a blessing.” His accent shows its face again. “My girlfriend Samantha died two days later.”

  “I’m sorry. Were you together long?”

  “Only a few months. What about your family?”

  It’s amazing what we still don’t know about one another. These are questions we’ve been afraid to ask for worry they will reopen barely healed over wounds.

  “My mother died of a heart attack a few years ago. My father died last year of lung cancer. I have, or had a brother who still lived in Indy. I assume the plague took him. I was too afraid to travel that far and into a major city to check on him.”

  “I don’t blame you. We avoided the large cities when we were traveling. Did you have a husband? Boyfriend?”

  “No.”

  “And Carson’s father?” I shake my head. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to interrogate you.”

  “It’s not that. There just isn’t much to tell. We lived together for three years. He kicked me out when I got pregnant and refused to have an abortion. He never had anything to do with Carson.”

  The kids burst into the clearing before he can respond. Jayla is taking pictures. “Carson! Sit by your mom so I can take a photo,” she orders. Carson rolls his eyes, but acquiesces. After shooting about ten photos from different angles, she stops. “Now Airen and Abby.”

  We’ve learned it’s easier to humor her when it comes to her new hobby. Airen sits down beside me, and we smile for the camera.

  Jayla shakes her head. “Well, move closer together! You look like you’re mad at each other. Honestly,” she huffs, exasperated. Airen slips his arm around my shoulders, and I put mine around his waist. She snaps away, as happy as any child with a new toy.

  “One more.” Airen turns and presses his lips to my cheek.

  “That’s more like it!” Jayla exclaims as the camera clicks and clicks.

  I know I’m blushing, and I hope it won’t show in the photo. How does he do this to me? Just a kiss on the cheek and I’m overcome by him. I’m immersed in his smell, and his masculine musky scent throws my hormones into overdrive. He removes his arm from my shoulders, and his fingers travel lightly down my spine leaving a trail of tingling skin in their wake. His gaze meets mine, and I can’t look away.

  “You’re blushing,” he murmurs.

  “It’s warm out here.” I quickly remove my arm from his waist. One glance at his arrogant grin and I’m tempted to push him off the log.

  “I’ll need a copy of that one,” he calls to Jayla, smirking.

  “Now, let me get a photo of you, Carson, and Airen,” I suggest, as though my heart isn’t trying to escape my chest.

  We have a lot of fun, and it’s a relaxing day. We have a picnic, and the afternoon seems to fly by. After we pack up our things I walk to the stream to wash my hands. The water is shockingly cold, and I’m surprised at how clear it is. Hmm, I wonder how long it will take for th
e Earth to rid itself of our pollution. Will it ever completely recover from the damage humans inflicted upon it? Will there ever be a time when we won’t have to filter and boil the water from the stream? We have found truck loads of bottled drinking water so that hasn’t been an issue yet.

  I’m lost in my thoughts when I hear a whimper so faint I think I may have imagined it. Standing as still as I’m able, I listen hard. There it is again. It almost sounds like a baby. It’s originating at the far side of the stream. Although I’m terrified of what I might find, I follow the sound.

  It’s not a baby, thank goodness! A tiny puppy looks up at me with pleading fearful eyes. It appears to be a few months old, but it’s hard to tell. The poor thing is so emaciated I can see every bone in its little body. He’s caught in a wire twisted around his leg. Oh! My stomach turns as I realize he has tried to chew through his leg to escape. My voice wavers when I yell for Airen, and he comes running, splashing through the stream.

  “What? Abby! Are you all right?” I show him the pitiful little pup. “Christ, Abby! You scared the shit out of me!”

  “Sorry.” I glance at him, surprised by his reaction. “We need to help him or put him out of his misery. He’s the first dog I’ve seen alive since the plague.”

  “Me too. He’s caught in my rabbit snare.” A guilty expression flits across his face. Ever so gently, he unwinds the wire from the pup’s leg, and it’s little pink tongue darts out to lick his palm. “I’m sorry little guy. I didn’t mean this for you,” he murmurs.

  Carson arrives just in time to see it. “We have a dog!” he shouts to Jayla. They are both overjoyed.

  “I guess that decides it,” Airen mumbles, wrapping the shivering puppy in his shirt. “Let’s go home.”

  The puppy is in bad shape, and I try to prepare the kids for the likelihood he won’t survive. It appears to be a black lab mix, and he’s friendly despite his miserable condition. His leg is infected, but fortunately it’s not broken. Airen watches me clean and bandage the limb.