After the Fall: The Complete Collection (Taboo Erotica)

by Anya Merchant

  “Mmmm,” he said. “That’s oatmeal, but what else? It’s sweeter than it was yesterday.”

  Rebecca nodded.

  “I mixed in some of the strawberries and blueberries. There are a ton of them growing around here. We’ll have to work to eat them all.”

  She started ladling Jack out a mug, and he leaned back on the log. He felt relaxed, more than he had in almost a week. Life wasn’t back to normal for them, but at least a sort of equilibrium had been obtained.

  “That smells really good!”

  Jack jumped out of his seat and turned towards the source of the new voice. It was deep, masculine, and unlike any that he had heard since the beginning of the crisis.

  “Oh… my god.” Rebecca dropped the spoon into the pot and held a hand up to her mouth.

  Standing about twenty feet to the north of them was a man that Jack had never seen before. He was tall, with disheveled black hair and a slightly overgrown beard. He held both of his hands up in the air passively, grinning from ear to ear.

  “Hi,” he said. “I’m Dimitri.”

  “Holy fuck…” All Jack could do was shake his head. There were more footsteps from over by the river, and he looked over in time to see Molly walk into camp with an expression on her face that perfectly mirrored what he was feeling.

  “How did you… survive?” Rebecca was slowly shaking her head, still in the midst of disbelief. “We haven’t seen anyone else around. How are you even here right now?”

  Dimitri began to laugh. It went on for a while, longer than what would have been considered normal back when social norms still existed. He finally slapped his hand on his thigh and let out a deep sigh.

  “It’s truly a miracle.” He chuckled again, and then gestured to the trees around them. “To answer your question, this is how I survived. I was hunting here in Eckhart Gorge, and then all hell broke loose on the surface.”

  It was only then that Jack noticed the Dimitri had a rifle hanging from his shoulder. The hairs on the back of his neck prickled, and he did his best to will them down.

  He’s a hunter. It makes perfect sense that he’d have a gun.

  “It’s nice to meet you. More than nice. I’m Molly.” Molly stepped forward with her hand extended. “This is Jack, and Rebecca.”

  “Molly…” The look that Dimitri gave her was soft and open. He took her hand into his and bent down over it, almost bowing to her as he shook it. “It is truly a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

  The grin had still not left his face. After he had finished shaking her hand, Dimitri walked over to the dimming coals of the fire pit and took a knee in front of them.

  “Do you mind? I haven’t eaten anything other than squirrels and groundhogs for days.”

  “Of course not,” said Rebecca. “It would be our pleasure to have you join us.”

  She glanced over at Jack, trying to get a sense of his thoughts on the situation. His face was blank, and he was visibly unsure of what to do.

  This changes everything.

  “Mmmm, this is so good!” Dimitri dug into the mug of sweetened oatmeal that Rebecca handed him with gusto. “Rebecca, did you cook this?”

  Jack’s mom nodded.

  “This is incredible!” He kissed his fingers and pushed them into the air, and Rebecca giggled. “Oh man, let me guess. You used to be chef back in the old world!”

  “Oh please, stop!” Rebecca rolled her eyes. “It’s just something I threw together.”

  Dimitri let out another laugh and finished off the porridge, making satisfied eating noises as he did.

  “So, Dimitri…” Jack finally found his voice, eying the newly armed arrival with cautious optimism. “You said you have a camp near here? We’re still in the process of getting ours set up, as you can see.”

  “Mmm, yes,” said the man. “My camp is just to the north of here. We’ll go check it out as soon as I’m done.”

  There was something about the way that the man spoke, forceful and dominant, that set Jack on edge. He looked over at Molly and his mom, but neither of them appeared to have noticed.

  “Yes, we’d love to see it,” said Molly. “We’ve been making due with our basic survival stuff since we met up, but there’s only been so much for us to get by on.”

  Dimitri nodded slowly.

  “Yes, yes, I’m sure it’s been hard for all of you.” He finished the last of the oatmeal and set the mug down on the ground. Jack still felt uneasy, and even the short silences in the conversation acted to amplify his tense mental state.

  “This really does change everything,” said Dimitri. “I was so concerned about the future, my future, and the human future, but not anymore.”

  Jack, Rebecca, and Molly all shared a very brief, but very telling glance.

  They’re starting to see what I see.

  “Yes,” said Rebecca, in her gentlest voice. “We know exactly how that is. It was hard for all of us to get a sense of how to move forward. For a while, my son and I thought we were the only people left. When we made contact with Molly, it was almost too much for us to process.”

  Dimitri brought his hand to his head and scratched at something in his hair.

  “He’s your son?”

  Rebecca looked over at Jack and then nodded.

  “But you’re so young!” Dimitri stood up from the log bench and walked around to the other side of the fire. “And so beautiful…”

  He reached his hand out and lifted Rebecca to her feet. She took a step back, still smiling, but clearly unnerved.

  “Whoa, easy there, mister.” Molly walked over to set herself in between them. Dimitri surprised her by turning his attention her way, still grinning as though it was the best day of his life.

  “Don’t worry, I’ve noticed you too!” He laughed. “How could I not notice you? The only other woman I’ve seen is that evil witch! This is perfect, just perfect!

  What the fuck?

  “Hey, back off.” Jack stood up slowly. Instead of walking right over to where Dimitri was, he fumbled through the nearby supplies for his survival knife. As he gripped the hilt of it and turned back towards the group, he found himself hoping desperately that he wouldn’t have to use it.

  Dimitri started laughing. Jack could hear a tremor in it that had gone unnoticed before. It was raucous, uncontrolled, and crazy.

  “You think I don’t get it,” he said. “But I can see what’s going on as clear as day. Is she just waiting for me to let my guard down?”

  Jack stepped in between Dimitri and the women. The new arrival took a couple of quick steps back, almost tripping over the fire in the process. Jack watched him, and then immediately began to regret not taking advantage of the mistake as the man unshouldered his rifle.

  “Where is she?” Dimitri shouted, sweeping the barrel of the rifle in a wide arc. “Tell me where she is, and we don’t have to go down this road!”

  “What the fuck are you talking about?” Jack stepped forward, holding his open hand out defensively. “Just chill, man. Put the gun down, and let’s talk through this…”

  “I’m not stupid,” said Dimitri. “And I am not… crazy.”

  He leveled the barrel of the rifle on Jack’s head as he said the last word. Rebecca let out a scream.

  “Your supplies. Each of you grab a backpack, and slowly walk over here.”

  “Dimitri…” said Jack. “Look, you’ve been out in the forest on your own, right? After what happened with the impact, we’ve all been a little scrambled. We understand.”

  “Kid, I’m twice your age,” said Dimitri. “Don’t try to play hero.”

  “I’m just trying to-“

  Dimitri shook the gun and glared at him.

  “Just listen to him, honey,” whispered his mom. “We’ll be okay.”

  Dimitri overheard what was being said and closed the distance between himself and Rebecca.

  “You should listen to your mother.” Dimitri let the rifle sink to his waist. With his free hand, he reached
out and groped at Rebecca’s breast. She made a face but resisted flinching back.

  I can’t let this happen!

  Jack was moving forward, tightening his grip on the survival knife. Dimitri was only a couple of steps away from him, and he was sure that he could close the distance in time, and at least get a swing off.

  “Jack, no!”

  A gunshot rang out in the air. Dimitri was quicker than Jack had expected, and his aim was true. The bullet hit him in the right shoulder, tearing through skin and muscle and dropping him to one knee. The pain was excruciating.

  “Fuck!” Jack gritted his teeth. It was impossible for him to raise his arm, and the knife hung uselessly in his hand.

  “I told you, kid.” Dimitri walked over, pulling the slide of the weapon down. “I really wish you had listened.”

  “Don’t kill him!” Rebecca’s voice was little more than a panicked echo of itself. “Please… I’ll do whatever you want.”

  “We both will,” said Molly. “We’ll go with you now. Just let this be the end!”

  Dimitri grabbed Jack by the scruff of his shirt and pulled him up. Every little movement caused the pain in his shoulder to flare up, but he gritted his teeth and refused to let it show on his face.

  “Alright,” said Dimitri. “I won’t kill him.”

  He shouldered his rifle and took Jack’s knife out of his hand. As he dragged him across the camp, he stopped in front of the lean-to and knocked down the logs, and then in front of the tent, slashing the fabric open.

  “What are you doing?” Rebecca was shaking her head, hands clasped together in silent prayer. “Please… stop.”

  Dimitri just laughed and continued dragging him. It was a couple of seconds before Jack realized what the man intended.

  The sinkhole. He’s going to…

  Just as it clicked in his mind, Dimitri was pushing him into a roll with his foot. Jack tumbled forward, and then down the hole in the ground that they’d noticed on setting up the campsites.

  “Noooo!” His mom’s voice became distant and far off. The hole was much deeper than Jack had assumed, leading not down to an earthen pit, but to something much more.

  Jack slammed into the ground flat on his back, arms to his sides. He could hear running water nearby, and above him, the hole he’d came through was just a small circle of light.

  “You said you wouldn’t kill him!” screamed Molly.

  “If you second guess me, I’ll go down there and make sure that he’s dead. Grab the backpacks, and let’s go. There’s nothing here for you now.”

  “No.” His mom’s voice was fragile but set. “We’ll never go with-“

  Another gunshot went off.

  “Do I have to repeat myself?” yelled Dimitri. “Do you want me to go and fire a few potshots into your son from up here?”

  Nobody said anything.

  “That’s better. Now let’s go. I’m going to show the two of you where your new home is. But we have to get there before nightfall, before she decides that it’s time to come out.”

  I can’t let this happen…

  Jack struggled to sit up, but the pain was too much. He let out a silent gasp as his arm brushed against a nearby rock and felt his vision fade to black.

  CHAPTER 25

  The cave was black and the sky visible through the hole above was dark, save for a patch of scattered stars. It had been hours since Dimitri had thrown Jack into the abyss. He felt weak and dizzy, and the rock underneath was cold, sapping away at his energy.

  I’m going to die down here. It’s over.

  He struggled to sit up, only managing to lift his head a couple of inches before painfully dropping it back against the rock.

  “Hello? Is anybody… out there?” His voice was a specter of its usual volume. He knew that it was useless, even if he’d had the strength to shout at the top of his lungs.

  I’ve let them down. Molly and mom, both of them.

  “No!”

  Jack gritted his teeth and tried again. He felt woozy even just leaning forward, as though he’d lost enough blood for it to matter. That, combined with the sharp, aching pain in his shoulder, brought him back down before he’d even reached a sitting position.

  Is this really how it all ends? After everything we’ve been through?

  Images began to flash through Jack’s head. He remembered his childhood, celebrating the holidays with Rebecca and occasionally his father, when the man had been in a social mood. He remembered making his mom proud and letting her down.

  A memory carried him off, out of the cave. Jack was an awkward preteen, and he was sick. It had originally been a school day for him and a work day for Rebecca, but he was in bed, and she was there at his side.

  “It’s okay, honey,” she had whispered. “Here.”

  A wet washcloth was set against his forehead, and a soft hand caressed his cheek. Jack stared up at Rebecca’s beautiful face, and her loving, tender eyes.

  “Mom…” he whispered.

  Something slapped his cheek. Jack coughed and was back in the cave. Something, or rather, someone, was crouched down next to him.

  “Who… what?” It was hard for him to get even a simple question out. The person said nothing, but he felt ginger fingers lifting him up by his good shoulder.

  At first, Jack’s legs were weak and threatened to give out underneath him. He couldn’t stand on his own, much less walk, but it was clear to him that the person he was leaning against was smaller than him. There was no way that he could or would be carried.

  I can do this! I have to!

  “Grahhhh!” Jack set all of his strength to his legs and managed to step forward as his mysterious savior began to walk deeper into the darkness of the cave. He took another step, and then another, until his legs found their rhythm and he was confident that he could keep going.

  “Thank you…” Jack whispered.

  The figure said nothing.

  The two of them traveled together in silence through the dark. Jack couldn’t see anything, but he could hear falling water nearby, as though waterfalls had broken through the cave’s ceiling from the river above.

  They walked for what felt to Jack like an eternity. He wasn’t sure if the cave was large, or if the speed they were going at was prohibitively slow. His savior said nothing as they went, but occasionally Jack’s head would swing in a little closer, and he’d catch a vaguely feminine scent.

  Finally, they stopped walking. Jack’s eyes refocused in the darkness, and he realized that they were outside of the cave, having walked up a long, sloping tunnel. The sky above was cloudy, but a couple of stars shone through, allowing just enough light for Jack to make out detail in the person he was leaning on.

  It was a young woman, maybe a year or two older than him. She was beautiful, with dark hair that was cut short, reaching down no further than her shoulders. Her body was short and petite, but tanned and in perfect shape. In the pace of regular clothing, she wore what looked like an animal fur crop top, along with a tight, short skirt of the same material.

  “Who are you?” whispered Jack. “Why… why did you save me?”

  Instead of answering, the woman lowered him to the ground. Jack winced as a couple of blades of grass rubbed painfully against his wound. The woman walked by him, and he heard the sound of rocks clicking together. Light began to shine as a fire broke out, and Jack realized that he was at a camp, her camp.

  “My mom, and my friend…” Jack’s voice was strained, and it took all of his energy to get any words out. “A man came to our camp and took them. He… shot me.”

  The woman still didn’t say anything. Jack wasn’t sure if she’d heard him or not, but she made her way back over to where he was lying and began taking a closer look at his wound. Jack tried not flinch back as one of her fingers neared close to the bullet hole.

  “Fuck that hurts! Careful, please!” Jack watched as the woman stared at him curiously. After a moment, she stood off and walked away, both from him and fr
om the camp. She noiselessly disappeared into the trees.

  I’m not out of danger yet. My shoulder is probably on the way to being infected. I’m not going to make it without antibiotics, and stitches, and a lot of luck.

  The woman appeared again, holding something in her hand. Jack watched as she gracefully walked over to him, light from the fire playing shadows across her fit body.

  “You don’t speak English, do you?”

  The woman didn’t say anything. Instead, she dropped down to one knee and brought her hands back to Jack’s shoulder.

  “Ouch! God damn it that hurts!”

  She was stuffing something into it, crushed bark along with a strange smelling grass. Jack winced as his shoulder burned, but the woman didn’t let up. She finished by taking a long strap of leathery material and tying it into a bandage around the wound.

  “…Thank you,” said Jack. He smiled at her, his head still throbbing from the pain. The woman said nothing and walked back over to the fire before taking a seat.

  “Who knows how many people could be left?” He mused mostly for his own benefit. “We’ve found two in the past day. There could be hundreds out there. Thousands, maybe even millions. It’s just about finding them.”

  There was no response from the woman, but Jack hadn’t expected one. He slowly forced himself into a sitting position and pulled in closer to the fire.

  The woman had a small spit going over the flames with a charred rabbit skewered through it. Jack started paying attention to the smell and realized that he was incredibly hungry. She noticed the way he was staring at the meat, eyes full of covetous hunger, and pulled it down. She took a small stone knife, cut the rabbit in two, and then tossed half over to him.

  “Thanks… ouch!” The meat was scorching hot. Jack let it sit on a smooth, clean looking rock next to where he was sitting, feeling a little wasteful at the grease that ran from its edges. The woman was watching him closely as she dug into her own portion, eating with cute, practiced little bites.

  “I get the feeling you’ve been here for a while,” said Jack. “Was this your home before the asteroid came down?”