by Tyler Wild
"Please tell me those greasy bastards aren’t still breathing?" the girl asked. She had that hot, sassy, country-girl vibe. Her attire and hair color was a big fuck you to the repressed nature of the small town.
“I don't think they're going to be a problem anymore," I said.
"Good!"
"What's your name?" I asked.
"Phoebe. Thank you," she said with a smile.
"How did you get here?"
“That scumbag, Darrell, shot my little brother. I went to high school with those bastards. They've been sucking up oxygen on this planet for too long."
“Do you have a place to stay?" I asked.
Tears filled her eyes. "I can go back home. But I’ve got nothing. I got nobody.”
"You're welcome to stay with us," I said. "You'd be safe. We've got plenty of supplies."
She wiped the tears from her eyes. "I think I'd like that."
I helped the girls to their feet. "Come on. Let's get out of here."
I led the girls from the bedroom. We strolled through the crappy trailer and met Floyd out front. I introduced Phoebe to him. "She needs a place to stay. I said it was okay if she came with us."
"Fine by me."
Phoebe marched to Darrell and kicked his corpse in the ribs several times. She let out all of her rage and frustration on his carcass.
After a moment, I grabbed her and pulled her away. She broke down sobbing and wrapped her arms around me, crying on my shoulder. Her tears soaked through my shirt.
"We best get back to the bunker,” Floyd said. “The explosions may have drawn unwanted attention. An alien patrol could be en route to investigate the source of the explosions.”
We scurried to the forest, heading south toward Floyd’s SUV. After a few steps into the woods, an alien craft soared above.
26
The engines of the alien craft rumbled overhead. We squatted underneath the trees and remained still. I held my breath until the craft moved on and circled around Darrell’s trailer. The ship descended and landed on the lawn, not far from the smoldering truck. A slew of alien warriors spilled out, sweeping the area.
We scurried away through the forest, trying to put as much distance between us and them as possible. They weren’t going to find much in Darrell's place except for a few dead bodies.
By the time we reached Floyd’s SUV, the adrenaline had worn off, and the pain in my side burned.
Floyd lifted the back hatch and dug out the first-aid kit. “Let’s get you fixed up.”
I lifted my bloody shirt, and Floyd doused the area with hydrogen peroxide. It felt like someone had stuck a hot poker in my rib cage. The peroxide foamed the wound. Floyd irrigated the area and made sure there was no debris. He also checked for vascular and bone damage, then he slathered on some antibiotic ointment. He pinched the skin together and attached a few butterfly sutures. “Try not to tear that open.”
It hurt every time I breathed.
Floyd started to pull off the camouflage netting, uncovering the SUV.
“Maybe we should leave the vehicle here? Stay on foot,” I suggested.
"It's three or four miles back to the house," Floyd said, clearly not anxious to trek that far.
"That truck on the highway is going to draw attention."
Floyd paused. ”I reckon we can come back and pick it up tomorrow.”
Floyd led the way as we continued home. The truck was well camouflaged and hidden underneath the canopy of trees. It wasn't visible from the sky, and there wouldn't be much foot traffic through the area. Still, I could tell he was reluctant about leaving his SUV unprotected.
We stuck to wooded areas, but had to cross open fields from time to time. We crept in-between rows of corn, and I got eaten alive by mosquitoes. I was constantly slapping my skin, trying to squash the little bastards. They didn’t usually bother me. I wondered if I had added something to my diet that was attracting them. Maybe my blood just seemed sweeter? Maybe there were fewer humans around to feed on?
Phoebe and Skyler trailed behind us. I heard Phoebe whisper, “So, what’s the deal? Are you two like a thing?”
Skyler’s face crinkled. “Who? Me and Noah?”
Phoebe’s eyes narrowed at her, “No, you and the old guy?” Her voice was thick with sarcasm.
Floyd cleared his throat. “I’m not old. Just chronologically challenged.”
“Noah and I are just… friends,” Skyler said. “I’ve known him forever. Since we were kids.”
“What’s your mental defect?”
“Excuse me?”
“You’re just friends with a guy whom you’ve known forever and who risked his life to save you?” Phoebe said, incredulous. “My last boyfriend wouldn’t have gotten off the couch for me if I was dying.”
I pretended not to hear their conversation.
“If you don’t want him, I’ll take him,” Phoebe said. “He’s kind of cute.”
“I think he might already be, sort of, taken,” Skyler said.
“Well, she’s going to have to share,” Phoebe said with a naughty grin. “He might be the last eligible man on the planet.”
Floyd rolled his eyes and muttered to himself, “Ah, to be young again.”
Daisy was excited to see us when we reached the bunker. She jumped up, pawing at my leg, then smothered Floyd with unbridled affection.
Madison looked horrified at the sight of my bloodstained shirt. “Oh, my God! Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” I assured.
“I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for an adult beverage,” Floyd said.
“Count me in,” I said.
“Me too, kid,” Phoebe said.
Floyd moved to the kitchen and found a bottle of whiskey. He returned momentarily with several empty glasses and passed them around, then filled the cups. We toasted to a successful rescue.
“To kicking ass!” Floyd said, lifting his glass.
“To kicking ass!” we replied.
“Now, if we can all be a little more careful from here on out,” Floyd urged. He sipped his whiskey and let out a satisfied gasp.
I introduced Phoebe to Hannah and Madison.
“Are you from around here?” Madison asked.
“Unfortunately,” Phoebe responded. “I’ve been trying to get out of here my whole life. Now it looks like I’m stuck for good. Don’t get me wrong, Brookville is a nice place… was a nice place. But there was never anything to do around here. Not a lot of job opportunities. And you got rejects like Darrell, Cooper, and Ricky.” She sighed. “I was going to go out to Hollywood and be a movie star, but I think that’s fucked now.”
“Well, you got the looks for it,” Madison said, politely.
Phoebe smiled. “Thank you. I was going to be the most famous porn star ever!” Stars filled her eyes as she dreamed of what could have been.
Jaws dropped.
“Really?” Skyler asked.
“Honey, I love to fuck, and I’m good at it. Why not get paid for it?”
That raised a few eyebrows.
Floyd almost spit out his whiskey. I don’t think he had ever met a woman quite like Phoebe. I know I hadn’t.
“If you give me your shirt, I’ll wash it,” Skyler said to me. “It’s the least I could do.”
I was quickly reminded of my wound when I pulled off my shirt. I stretched a little too much and winced with pain as the laceration tugged at the sutures.
Skyler took my shirt. “Well, if I’m washing your shirt, I might as well wash your pants.”
I hesitated.
“Well, go ahead,” Skyler urged. “Take them off!”
“I think this is my cue to leave,” Floyd said as he ambled out of the living room. “Come on, Daisy.”
The yellow lab followed after him.
When we had the room to ourselves I unbuttoned my jeans and slipped them off.
“The underwear too.” There was a mischievous glint in Skyler’s eyes.
I glanced around at the g
irls who all seemed amused.
“Don’t be shy,” Skyler said. “It’s nothing I haven’t seen before?”
“Really?” I said, incredulous. “When have you seen it before?”
“Please, do you honestly think we slept through you two fucking on the couch last night?”
My cheeks flushed with embarrassment. I shared an awkward glance with Madison.
What the hell, I figured? I pulled off my boxers and my soldier swung free. Skyler’s eyes lingered on my package for a moment. She was definitely interested, but pretending not to be.
“Damn, son!” Phoebe said, impressed. “You’ve got potential.”
Madison raised a knowing eyebrow. “Yes, he does.”
“Well, as long as you’re doing laundry, would you wash mine?” Phoebe said, pulling off her tube top. Her round breasts bounced free.
My eyes widened, and my soldier stretched.
The other girls looked astonished.
Phoebe shimmied out of her skirt, letting it, and her panties, fall down her luscious thighs, over her calves, pooling at her ankles. She stepped out of the jumble of fabric, scooped the garments up, and handed them to Skyler.
Skyler stammered, “Um, yeah, okay. I guess.”
Phoebe proudly displayed her assets. She was a sight to behold. I couldn’t help but stare, and I felt a rush of blood to my groin.
“You don’t mind if I borrow him for a few moments, do you?” Phoebe asked Madison, casually.
Madison’s cheeks turn red. A wave of jealousy washed over her. Then it seemed to subside. “Uh, sure,” she stammered. “Go ahead. I’m still sore from yesterday. As long as you're safe.”
“Honey, this ain’t no sarlacc pit. My yum yum is pristine.” Phoebe grabbed my hand and pulled into the bedroom.
Skyler’s jaw dropped. She looked to Madison “You’re totally cool with sharing him? With her?”
“I figure it’s unavoidable. There’s one of him and four of us.”
“Oh, no!” Skyler protested, clearly jealous. “I will never become one of his harem. He can wash his own clothes.”
She dropped the garments, leaving them in a pile on the floor. She stomped into the kitchen.
Madison scooped up the clothes. “If she doesn’t want him, it’s just more time for us.” She flashed a smile at Hannah.
“Don’t pull me into your love quadrangle. I don’t need that kind of drama.”
27
Phoebe closed the door behind us as we entered the bedroom. She dropped to her knees and demonstrated her oral prowess. I think if she would have been able to pursue her dreams she would have been a huge porn star. She had the talent for it, no doubt.
Her sweet lips and talented tongue caressed me in unimaginable ways. This was the kind of girl who could tie a knot in a cherry stem with her tongue. She brought me to the brink of pleasure, then pushed me onto the bed before I reached the point of no return.
I winced with pain as my wound tested the limits of the butterfly sutures. “Hey, go easy.”
“Don’t be a pussy!”
She straddled me and slid her body against me. She grabbed my hands and placed them on her glorious breasts as she sunk her hips into me. “Just sit back and relax. I’ll do all the work. A little token of my appreciation.”
Her tight little token felt amazing.
Her petite frame rocked back and forth, leaving no sensation undiscovered. Her pink hair hung in her face, and a light mist of sweat glistened her body. Moans of pleasure filled the air.
Her skin was soft and smooth, and her curves firm, but supple. She had an eager attitude that aimed to please. Phoebe denied me nothing, and we put the Kama Sutra to shame.
A Chinese character was tattooed on the small of her back. It looked good on her, and I wondered what it meant? I was more focused on her sweet curves. I tugged gently on her pink hair as I drove my hips into her plush cheeks.
Sex was a blissful escape. All the horror, destruction, and death faded into the background. Passion filled my body, consuming my flesh. It was a brief respite from the doom and gloom. A moment of hope. A bright spot in a dark and dangerous new world. In this difficult time, human connection seemed like the most important thing.
We held out as long as we could, then let the dam break. A rush of pleasure washed through my body and tingled my toes. I collapsed atop Phoebe’s quivering, sweaty body.
She looked at me with bright eyes and a satisfied smile. “What do you think? Star material?”
“Absolutely.” I was high with endorphins.
“I have a confession to make,” Phoebe said.
I arched a curious eyebrow at her. “You’re not an alien that has taken over the body of a hot country girl, are you?”
She smacked my chest lightly. “No, silly.”
“Owe. Go easy!” My wound throbbed.
“I’ve only been with one other guy.”
Both of my eyebrows lifted. “Really?”
“I’m not a slut!”
“I never said you were.”
“I just thought it would be fun to explore my sexuality. I never wanted to be the girl who grew up in a small town and married the first guy she had sex with.”
“Well, you’re very good at what you do.”
“I’ve been told I’ve got the best cock-socket in all of Fulton County.” Phoebe didn’t mince words.
“I’m not going to argue with that.”
“You can learn a lot of things from the Internet,” she said with an accomplished smile.
She had grown up around crass country boys and muscle cars. She could turn a wrench just as easily as she could turn a man on. There was no bullshit with her. And I quickly learned that you always knew exactly where you stood. She didn’t play mind games, or pretend to be something she wasn’t. She did make you jump through hoops, and she wasn’t shy about going after what she wanted—that was for certain. I couldn’t help but like her right away.
“So, what happened to the first guy you had sex with?”
She frowned. “He dumped me.”
“Why would he do that?”
“Because he’s a moron, duh!”
“Obviously.” I smiled.
She paused, reflecting for a moment. “I think I was a little too much for him to handle.”
“You seem like a lot to handle, but I’m up for the task.”
She smiled. “I think he ultimately wanted someone a little more… normal. After we’d been dating a few months, he wanted me to go back to my natural hair color and dress a little more conservatively. Grooming me to be a good little wife.”
“I like the pink hair. It works for you.”
“Yeah, well I’m going to have to find some hair dye before too long. Something tells me this look is going to be hard to maintain throughout the apocalypse.”
I chuckled.
“I don’t mean to talk about exes,” Phoebe said. “I know it’s not good form. I’m just trying to say—”
I knew where she was going. “I’m not going to ask you to be anything other than what you are. Don’t worry about that. The only thing we can do is take it day by day and appreciate every moment that we have. The aliens could kill us all tomorrow.”
Phoebe smiled. “That’s exactly why I jumped your bones today. I didn’t want to go out without one more good lay.”
A cocky grin curled on my lips. “So it was good?”
“One time could be a fluke. We’d have to do it again for me to be able to fairly evaluate your prowess,” she said with a lascivious tone.
“I think that can be arranged.” I rolled on top of her and did my best to exceed her expectations.
28
Hot water rushed over my body as I took a shower. I thought about how lucky we were to have electricity, running water, food, and a place to stay. It was a miracle we found Floyd.
I stepped out of the shower and toweled off.
Madison greeted me in the hallway. “The clothes are drying right now. Should
be ready by the morning.”
“You’re not upset, are you?” I asked, hopeful.
“Would I like you all to myself? Sure. But that’s a little selfish given the situation.” She smiled. “I’m happy with this arrangement.”
“Good.” I kissed her forehead. “You are important to me.”
“You’re going to have to work on Skyler though.”
I try to act disinterested.
“Please. You are so into her.”
“Maybe just a little,” I said, understating my lifelong infatuation with her.
“I have no doubt your magnificent charm will win her over at some point.”
“It hasn’t in the last 18 years.”
“Tomorrow is a new day,” Madison said in a cheery tone.
I was beyond tired, and Phoebe was waiting for me in my bunk. I crashed out with her supple body snuggled against me.
There were no windows in the bunker, and it was easy to get turned around. When I awoke I didn’t know if it was five in the morning or three in the afternoon. I grabbed my towel, wrapped it around my waist, and stumbled toward the kitchen.
Floyd had a concerned look on his face. He placed his fingers to his lips and shushed me.
“What is it?” I whispered.
Floyd pointed to the ceiling, and I knew it was trouble.
He motioned me over to the security monitor. An alien patrol swept through the property. Two of the creatures climbed the porch and kicked open the front door. It swung from the hinges, splintering the doorjamb. The creatures marched inside the house.
My heart thumped in my chest. I could hear the floorboards creak overhead. They would have a tough time getting into the bunker, I thought. I hoped. But this was disconcerting.
I grabbed my plasma rifle. I wasn’t exactly dressed for the occasion, but I’d fight in the nude if I had to. Floyd and I positioned ourselves near the main entrance to the bunker. If they somehow breached the steel blast door, they’d get a face full of molten plasma. We might not have been able to take out the entire squad, but a few of them were going to go down. That much was for sure.
We watched on the monitor as the aliens moved through the house, examining the kitchen, dining area, and the bedrooms. Their armor had adapted to a woodland camo pattern, then changed to mirror the inside of the house. One moved upstairs, then returned a few moments later. Eventually, they exited through the back door and regrouped with the rest of their squad and continued marching toward the forest.
