Only the Strongest Survive

by Ian Fox

  She opened her eyes, looking at the light bulb illuminating the room. She thought she should not be doing this and grabbed his head with the intention of pushing him away. Tensing the muscles in her arms, instead of pushing him away and saving herself from all this sin, she pushed him even lower, to her most private place.

  This was when it hit her for the first time. The first spasm was strong, followed by a few short aftershocks. An orgasm, an explosion of her senses, she was not there, for a few moments she thought she no longer existed. “Please, don’t stop,” she begged as soon as she came back to reality.

  He gently turned her onto her stomach and massaged her back while kissing her behind her ears and on the neck, which sent waves of pleasurable tingling down her back. She had to admit to herself that he was a skilled lover who knew exactly where she was most sensitive and that was where he put his hand or nibbled her lightly. “Please, John, don’t stop.”

  He spent over ten minutes working on her back, rubbing her behind, kissing her all over. Her pleasure surpassed all limits and she was close to another orgasm.

  She wanted him from the front so that she could look into his eyes and return his kisses. She used the first moment his hands were not on her and quickly turned around. Her reaction surprised him.

  Emely continued by pushing him onto his back and climbing on top of him. She was in control, intending to take what otherwise belonged to him but was hers now. He was so strong and solid, not an ounce of fat on his stomach, every muscle clearly visible.

  She kissed his chest and happily spent some time on his hairy stomach. Rubbing herself on his firm body like a seal against the ice, she enjoyed his surrender to her. Now it was she who was playing an active role and he was all hers.

  His surprisingly tender moans proved that her hot lips were successful, which filled her with confidence to continue even more daringly. He attracted her so much, she desired him so much, and wanted to kiss every inch of his body.

  During all this he was still caressing her breasts and stroking her back or adjusting her hair that kept falling forward. When he could take no more, he turned her over and took her in his way, wanting to show her he was the boss.

  This went on for over and hour and she was beginning to wonder if he would ever penetrate her. She was painfully aroused and her body was trembling with desire to finally feel him inside.

  As if John could read her thoughts, he gently came inside her and she exclaimed with relief. His tongue explored her mouth and his left hand tenderly supported her head while their bodies moved in a unified rhythm.

  Emely soon writhed in an orgasm, expressing her pleasure loudly, stroking his hair while he was gently biting her breasts.

  He swayed slowly at first, like a boat on calm seas, but after a while the storm in him began to gain power and Emely could feel him more and more. She had to admit to herself that this suited her even better.

  Their lovemaking resembled a fierce struggle, two wild animals fighting for life, but in this game, they were both winners.

  A few times John became perfectly still and she knew he must be close to a climax, but didn’t want to finish the battle that was giving them both such pleasure. Emely kept climaxing, holding him close, wishing he would stay there forever.

  Finally he had to give in and began to convulse with pleasure. It lasted for more than half a minute and then, exhausted and powerless, he lay on top of her with all his weight, breathing deeply.

  They spent quite some time enjoying being so close until tiredness carried them off. Just before Emely fell asleep she thought John should go to his own room, but she was too tired and it seemed simpler to close her eyes and relinquish herself to sleep.

  *

  When in the morning Emely woke up in his arms, she shuddered, as if someone had poured ice-cold water over her. For a moment she thought that maybe it had all been just a dream, but she knew something had happened that she absolutely should not have allowed to happen. Forcefully, she freed herself from his embrace and jumped out of bed.

  John looked around in fright. He had obviously been sound asleep, dreaming sweet dreams when something kicked him in the stomach. His eyes were only half open, the light from the bedside lamp making him squint.

  “Good morning,” he said in a friendly voice.

  “Morning,” she replied seriously while putting on her underwear in a rush.

  “I’ll make us breakfast.”

  She said nothing, just stared at the wall as she arranged her hair.

  When he had gone upstairs, she sat on the chair by the table. How could I have been so stupid? Now this idiot will think he’s free to do anything.

  Her thoughts went a few hours back when she had been wrapped around him like a snake, and her face grimaced with disgust. She waved her hand in front of her as if chasing away a pesky fly. I should’ve never let him do that. Now he’ll never let me go.

  Deliberately she put on the most unattractive clothes she could find and torturously climbed the stairs.

  *

  While she was scrubbing her body under the shower, he made breakfast: bacon with eggs, freshly squeezed orange juice, and coffee. Even though it was just breakfast, the table was set perfectly, every plate in its place, juice glasses exactly two inches to the right of the plates. He kept thinking about her, trying to relive every moment he had experienced with her the night before. Never had he felt like this. Never before had he been as happy.

  He could still smell her body and perfume, a scent he found intoxicating. During all this daydreaming he was swaying to and fro as if to some gentle music. But this music was played by the love in his heart rather than instruments.

  When she appeared he wanted to kiss her cheeks, but changed his mind after a single footstep toward her, when he saw her rigid and cold face.

  Even before she sat down, she said, “John, we must talk.”

  Her voice was cold and cruel and he knew exactly what she was going to tell him. If he could, he would have blocked his ears and prevented those words entering his mind. Wondering why she was so cold, he looked down and nodded.

  “What we did last night ….” She corrected herself: “What happened last night …. I don’t really know how it happened ….”

  “It was the nicest thing I’ve ever experienced,” he said, interrupting her angrily. “I know what you’re trying to say, that it was a mistake and you don’t want it to ever happen again.”

  “Yes, that’s it exactly,” she hissed.

  For a few moments he looked seriously into her eyes, but found it difficult to endure their coldness. “If that’s what you really want, Emely, it’ll never happen again.”

  His words shocked her and made her angry because he had said what she was going to tell him.

  He put her plate on the table so that it made a loud noise and then poured some juice into her glass. When she was about to say something, he overtook her by saying dryly, “Enjoy,” and sat in his chair.

  Angrily she shut her mouth and looked straight ahead. He really is an idiot, she thought.

  *

  They spent the next half-hour looking everywhere but at each other, like stubborn children. Emely ate half the bacon, but left the egg. Somehow the food refused to go down. She was hungry, but her thoughts were all over the place and swallowing was an effort. The thought that she would have to spend the whole morning today and tomorrow and the day after and … with him, suffocated her.

  After coffee, they went for a short, silent walk with Kitty. Kitty couldn’t understand why they were so cold and kept running from one to the other and then decided to focus on sniffing instead. After the walk he took her to her room, turned around, and walked upstairs without saying a word.

  From the top of the stairs he said calmly, “If there’s any selling or buying to be done, please call me.”

  She wanted to say, “OK,” but this time she found it pointless to have the last word. Let it be, let him sit up there. He always gets on my nerves an
yway. “We’re alright on our own, aren’t we, Kitty?”

  She was still staring at the stairs, angrily clenching her teeth. Then she glanced at the computer, looking at the dark screen for a while. The machine was off and all she could see was the reflection of the objects in the room.

  For a while she stayed like that, her thoughts elsewhere, but then she took a quick breath. The door was open. He’s never forgotten to lock the door behind him.

  She took a few steps toward the door, but then stopped. “We can’t escape anyway, can we, Kitty?” she said out loud, and kissed the dog.

  She turned on the computer and tried to focus on the stock market. Staring at various diagrams, she opened and closed windows without much thought, reflecting her bad mood. Her mind stayed on shares for a while longer and then it wandered to Philip. She took a deep breath, the pain in her heart making her feel as if she were running out of air. She was missing him so much. Then she remembered Sally and all the wonderful times they had had together. What is she doing? I bet it’s something silly.

  This made her smile, but then she covered her eyes and began thinking about her company, which brought her back to reality. When will he let me go? Tears started running down her cheeks. I hate him, I hate him so much.

  She sobbed for a minute or two until one of the charts attracted her attention. How come the Diagram Computers shares have fallen so much? Once more she checked all the graphs that she had already looked at, but this time she paid more attention. She wasn’t aware of the moment when the shares began to occupy her mind so much that she stopped thinking about her problems. She looked at the Dow Jones index with great interest as well as some other indexes that showed the changes in the value of securities. She found several opportunities for a sensible investment, but didn’t want to rush it. Instead she wanted to study everything and then decide. She began thinking out loud: “If we sell Diagram Computers shares and buy Nokia shares instead, then …”

  Suddenly the perimeter alarm went off, startling her so that she spilled the glass of water that was next to her. Has he gone out and left my room open?

  Her excitement grew. She looked at the monitor and the attractive opportunities, but her eyes traveled to the door and her heart began thumping. Maybe he’s just testing me. The numbers and diagrams lost their appeal. She got up and stood there for a while and then sat down again.

  This is my opportunity to escape. She got up again, picked up Kitty, but become hesitant again and sat down. At that moment she felt Kitty stiffen and start shaking. Something isn’t right.

  Strange voices could be heard upstairs. So it isn’t John leaving, but someone coming. Finally it dawned on her who it could be. She began shaking with fear. “Ronald,” she said quietly.

  The next moment she thought, What if Kitty begins barking? She pressed her even closer and gently held her mouth. But luckily Kitty neither growled nor barked, only trembled.

  *

  John was in a foul mood. He kept thinking about his relationship with Emely and was increasingly aware that things couldn’t continue as they were. When he heard the shrill sound of the alarm, he sobered up immediately and looked out the window. “Ronald, that’s all I need,” John grumbled. It was Friday morning, a normal working day. “What’s brought that idiot here?”

  When Ronald came into the house, John was already waiting for him with a rigid expression on his face. The first thought that came to him on seeing his brother was that he must have put on at least ten pounds. His face is like a watermelon and his body increasingly resembles a barrel.

  “Hi, John.”

  Expressionless, John said, “Hi, Ronald.”

  Ronald was looking at him kindly, showing his yellowed teeth.

  “Unless I’m mistaken, it’s Friday. Why aren’t you at work?” John asked him.

  “I’ve got a day off and I’m glad to see you too. You won’t believe how much I’ve missed you.”

  John rolled his eyes, knowing that these were just empty words. He’s probably worried that I’ve gone crazy and am going to tell everything to the police.

  They sat on a large sofa in the spacious room next to the kitchen. John got up immediately when he noticed that the door to the basement was ajar. I hope that dog doesn’t start barking, he thought, while saying out loud, “Would you like a coffee, or something stronger?” At the same time he was inching closer to the door to the basement.

  “Both. Coffee and something stronger.”

  While Ronald looked around the room a bit, examining the old furniture and the walls that needed a fresh coat of paint, John calmly closed the door and walked to the liquor cabinet. He knew that Ronald’s favorite drink was brandy, so he took out the bottle and decided he could also do with a glass during these tense moments. He went to the kitchen and made some instant coffee in the microwave and then came back to the living room.

  Ronald said, “I won’t beat around the bush. I’m getting worried about you, John. You’ve never been a loner and I’m amazed that you’re happy in this spooky house. There’s no one anywhere near.” He looked around and pulled a face as if he were in an abattoir.

  “I told you I’m not alone. I go into town at least four times a week and get one of the girls there.” He deliberately laughed in a meaningfully vulgar way.

  “Hmm,” Ronald said. “I don’t doubt it, but I still find it strange. And there’s another thing …”

  He was shuffling on the sofa as if unable to find a comfortable position, while John watched him disapprovingly and thought, He gets on my nerves more and more.

  “Joan and I are selling our house. We’re moving to the suburbs. And lo and behold, the realtor offered me your apartment, among others.” He took a quick sip. “Why are you selling your apartment?”

  The damn snoop. He’s always sticking his nose where it doesn’t belong. “I’m thinking of moving, too.”

  “Oh yes? Where?”

  “I don’t know yet,” John said, looking at his watch.

  “You seem a bit nervous, John. In fact, you seem very different, more serious. I haven’t seen a smile on your face for ages. And you never call. Joan and I are very worried.”

  This niceness of his is nauseating. How come I haven’t noticed this before? He irritates me so much. “Oh, don’t worry, I feel fine. Maybe I’ve caught a bug, but that’s all. I feel a little drained of energy, so I probably don’t look too good.”

  The unpleasant sound of the alarm, similar to that emitted by submarines when they are submerging, went off again, causing Ronald to spill his coffee on his pants. The hot liquid made him jump up and he swore. He wanted to wipe the stain away with his hand, while John looked out nervously. Not far from the door he noticed a rabbit.

  “What the hell was that?” shouted Ronald.

  “Alarm,” John replied dryly. “The damn rabbit had to come to the door at this moment.”

  “Alarm? What use is an alarm in this lonely house with no neighbors anywhere near?”

  “Precisely because there’s no one around. You can never be sure.”

  Ronald looked at him seriously, still rubbing his pants. “I don’t know, John, you just don’t seem to be yourself. Why haven’t you got a dog instead? At least you’d have some company.”

  John nearly gave himself away by saying that he had one. But instead he said, “I don’t know. Maybe I’ll get an Alsatian.”

  “So you really are not bored here? Joan and I were thinking we’d come and visit you for a few days.”

  John found it difficult to control his reaction. His legs became restless, indicating that the tension in him was unbearable. “No, don’t come here. I feel just great alone in this house. I’ve told you a hundred times.”

  “OK, if you say so, but I don’t like this place very much.”

  They stared at each other for a while, speechless, until Ronald waved and got up. “If that’s the case, I’ll go.” He kept looking around as if searching for something and only slowly moved toward the door. Whe
n he was finally there, he shook John’s hand and gave him a loose hug. “You know I’m always worried about you.”

  “I know, Ronald. Say hello to Joan and drive carefully. Bye.”

  “Bye.”

  *

  After the third alarm, the voices upstairs were gone. Emely clearly heard Ronald say goodbye and she felt great relief. She put Kitty on the floor and started pacing up and down the room. She knew that if Ronald saw her after he had nearly killed her once, he wouldn’t make the same mistake twice. This can’t go on. John can’t keep me in here.

  Cautiously she walked upstairs and opened the door at the top of the stairs. She walked into the living room and saw John sitting in his chair on the right, with a drink in his hand.

  “Why have you left your room?” he asked sternly.

  The tone of his voice came as a complete surprise, as if he had slapped her. She said, “I-I w-was worried … and … I wanted to ask you why Ronald came.”

  “And what made you think he was gone?” he asked in the same voice.

  “I heard him leave.”

  “And then you wanted to escape.”

  Emely was indignant. “How can you even think that? I was so worried that I just couldn’t stay in that hole any longer.” She could only hope that he would believe this lie.

  “And what if Ronald had come with his wife and left her here, while he went into town?”

  “I didn’t think of that. I thought—”

  “Damn it, Emely! You must never ever leave your room. I deliberately didn’t lock you in, but it was a bad idea. You’ve got to stay in there, as quiet as a mouse, do you understand?”

  “But John ….”

  “That’s how it is, there’s no other way.”