Afterworld: Into the Arms of Darkness Ch.47

[altfic]

Title: Afterworld: Into the Arms of Darkness
By: Pink Rabbit Productions
Chapter:47
Date: 21 December, 2010
Rating: R (for sex and violence)

Disclaimer: Hmmm, characters, not mine, situation, mine, though with the proviso that certain scenarios owe a major debt of gratitude to George Romero. Sex? Likely. Genders involved? Likely all female (at least anything on camera). Also there are likely to be very bad things in this story. I'm not one for prodigious amounts of gore, but this is horror and there is likely to be ickiness and things that might disturb some folks. Seriously. If it's gonna bother you, move along.
Summary: When the dead rise, civilization falls.
Author's Notes: Awhile back, just for fun, I did a faux movie poster that set Otalia in a horror setting and used some elements from an idea I've had running around for ages (what can I say---it was the Halloween season). See the poster here: http://altfic.com/artgallery/otalia/glafterworld01b.htm . Sooo, at some point, it seemed like fun to take a gander at writing them in that universe. I've quite deliberately tried to break away from my usual style and make it a bit faster moving, with frequent chapter breaks, deliberate cliffhangers, shorter scenes and more directed pov. We'll see if I can keep to one pov per chapter (well, they are short chapters...lol).
Dedicated to: My mom. Seriously. All of my growing up years, she would constantly throw me these what-if scenarios and press me to figure out logical ways to survive/get out of various emergency situations. Now, she never mentioned the zombie apocalypse, but I'm sure that was just an oversight or a desire not to scare a little kid (because, really, I grew up as the daughter of a top secret type during the cold war...I already had enough fear issues), but really, that odd little game was the genesis of...well...not just this story, but a lot of my love of writing. So, thanks mom.
Previous Chapters: | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 | Chapter 12 | Chapter 13 | Chapter 14 | Chapter 15 | Chapter 16 | Chapter 17 | Chapter 18 | Chapter 19 | Chapter 20 | Chapter 21 | Chapter 22 | Chapter 23 | Chapter 24 | Chapter 25 | Chapter 26 | Chapter 27 | Chapter 28 | Chapter 29 | Chapter 30 | Chapter 31 | Chapter 32 | Chapter 33 | Chapter 34 | Chapter 35 | Chapter 36 | Chapter 37 | Chapter 38 | Chapter 39 | Chapter 40 | Chapter 41 | Chapter 42 | Chapter 43 | Chapter 44 | Chapter 45 | Chapter 46 |

Author's Note: Many thanks for the support and feedback. Always appreciated and very helpful. It's probably going to be quite awhile before I can reply individually, but please know that I read everything and it means a lot when folks reply.

Afterworld:
Into the Arms of Darkness
Chapter 47

Tears and comfort. Olivia had forgotten the value of both in the months since the advent of Afterworld. Hell, if she was honest, she'd forgotten long before then. Tears had been a weakness she couldn't afford, and comfort always seemed to come at a price she wasn't willing to pay.

And giving comfort? She'd seen no payoff in it, so unless it the comfortee in question was Emma, it simply hadn't been on her docket.

So how was it that in a matter of days, the giving and receiving of both had become so integral to her survival that she couldn't imagine life without? As that thought went through her head, Natalia burrowed a little deeper into her shoulder and clung to her even more tightly. Once upon a time, the raw emotion and desperate need would have left Olivia uncomfortable and looking for the nearest exit. Now it felt right and decent and like she was more human than she'd been in years.

It made no damned sense and she suspected there wasn't a math class high enough to figure out that calculus.

Sifting her fingers through spun silk hair, Olivia pressed a soft kiss to the top of Natalia's head as something both precious and fierce roared through her. It was scary as hell, but also impossible to resist. "We're gonna be okay," she assured the woman ensconced safely in her arms. She couldn't have let go even if she'd wanted to.

"You make me believe it," Natalia admitted.

"Then just keep listening to me," Olivia instructed and sank back on her heels. She felt Natalia tremble in her arms, her small frame shuddering gently as if under the impact of blows. Olivia wanted to ask, probe for answers in hopes of understanding. Because one thing was damned certain, there was something going on. But as another tremor rippled through the smaller woman, she became increasingly certain neither one of them was up for the bloodletting the gain in knowledge would require.

Though why exactly she was so sure it would leave them both slashed and bleeding, she couldn't have explained. The sense of it all went beyond words to some instinctive understanding. But she was certain it was true enough.

So instead of asking, she simply went on holding and soothing. It seemed to work well enough. Spring steel muscles softened and turned pliable as Natalia sank against her. Meanwhile, the crushing ache in her own chest eased, letting her breathe more comfortably. She could do this, be normal and helpful and get someone through a tough time.

Okay, so it wasn't historically her strong suit, but she could do it. Hell, she did it with Emma all the damned time. Even people who hated her guts generally admitted she was a good parent.

And if Natalia wasn't a child, neither was she anything like the old-world barracudas who'd taught Olivia to build her corporate walls high and her emotional walls higher.

Time stretched on as dusk faded to night.

As things calmed, Olivia's ears pricked to the soft sounds of movement and the low sounds of the wandering dead. Despite the warmth and tenderness, it left her feeling jumpy and exposed. Time to move to safer ground. Shaking Natalia's shoulder gently, she whispered near her ear, "We should probably head back upstairs."

Natalia managed a slurred mumble and a faint nod. After a moment, she straightened, her movements slow and stiff, as though she was waking from a nap that had run too long. After a long moment, she lifted her chin and Olivia was relieved to see her eyes were clear, her expression determined.

"You okay?" Olivia asked, barely suppressing a tremor as Natalia reached up to stroke her cheek. Unbidden, the memory of warm breath on her face and the awareness of lips drawing closer slid through her. If Natalia repeated the moment now, Olivia was far from certain she could resist.

Fortunately or un, she didn't, just offered a tired smile. "Thank you," Natalia said very softly when she finally spoke.

Olivia drew breath to wave the thanks off, but gentle fingers landed on her lips, silencing the comment unspoken.

"Don't," the smaller woman whispered to forestall any denials. "I needed you and you were there...and I'm grateful."

This time, Olivia simply nodded her understanding, glad she could help.

Then, leaning against each other, they made their way to the attic in silence, both automatically checking doors and windows as they passed and testing each lock as it was closed down.

No such thing as being too careful in Afterworld.

They found Emma passed out in Natalia's queen-sized bed, her small figure sprawled to take up the most space possible. She looked so peaceful that Olivia didn't have the heart to move her. "I need a shower," she sighed. "You?"

Natalia shook her head, already reaching for something to sleep in. "I'm just going to crash." She peered at Emma for a long moment. "Should I move her?"

Olivia shook her head. "Let her sleep. I'll get her later or just...hang off the edge of the bed." It would be friendly, but there was scant room enough for the three of them. She chuckled softly and waved a hand before Natalia could argue. "Meantime, see if you can get some sleep."

The shower was cool and surprisingly relaxing. Yeah, a hot, beating water massage would have been better, but just being clean did wonders for the soul. Clean and sweet smelling once again, she exited the bathroom to find Natalia sound asleep and Emma somehow taking up even more of the bed. She smoothed a hand over her daughter's hair, silently reassuring herself that all was fine, then tucked the blankets around the girl's small body.

As she straightened, it took all her willpower not to do the same for Natalia. Not that she saw a child when she looked at graceful curves and the wild tumble of dark hair.

Drawing closer to Natalia's side of the bed, she caught a few tendrils of silk between her fingers, toying with the springy strands.

Not a child at all.

Outside, a moan floated on the night air, the dull, lowing sound punctuated by a solid thud.

Olivia's chin snapped up, her body language tense, eyes sharp as she automatically searched the dark with senses that were well attuned to surviving in an utterly heartless world. She was already moving toward the window feet when she heard another thump from the yard below. Her steps were perfectly silent unlike the pounding thud of her heart.

Checking from each of the bedroom windows, she peered down at the world below, grateful for the near-full moon that illuminated the landscape surprisingly well. A few zeds wandered within sight, but none that she could see very near the house. She suddenly wished she'd paid more attention to their patterns so she could be sure, but it seemed like they were antsy and more snappish than usual with each other.

Uneasy, she checked on Emma and Natalia. Still asleep. Just as well, Olivia decided as she retrieved her shoulder holster from the top of the bureau where Natalia had laid it aside. After shrugging into the leather harness, she checked both pistols with automatic precision. Both were fully loaded and had a round chambered.

A quick check of the attic trap door confirmed the locks were still secure. Good.

Easing the dormer window open, she climbed out onto the roof and stood watching the world. Nothing unusual moving as far as she could tell, but her instincts were ramped up and buzzing. It could be hard to know what to do under those circumstances. Feral wariness had kept her and Emma alive more than once, but it had also cost her more than a few nights of desperately needed sleep and made her jump at shadows.

Easing along the roofline, she searched for any sign that the sounds came from dead trying to get into the house.

Nothing.

The dead wandered and staggered about, but there was no sign that any of them noticed the house even when they fell against it or it blocked their way. Moving to another vantage point, she leaned out over thin air to check on the jerry-rigged kitchen door.

Still nothing.

A light breeze slid over Olivia's skin and ruffled her hair. The faint odor of death clung to the air, leaving her to wonder if the world could ever smell clean again even if wiped free of its current infection.

Some days it didn't feel possible.

She was just starting to relax again when another thump reached her ears followed by a slurred cry. More distinct now, but she still couldn't track the direction. Eyes flicking between the shingles under her feet and the ground far below, she moved fast, hunting for some sign of movement or threat. It occurred to her that running along the edge of a rooftop while prone to dizzy spells was perhaps not the best plan in the world.

Then there was another dull cry. This time it surged and raised in pitch, melding into a ragged scream, then a furious roar and several noisy thuds and scrabbling sounds. This time it lasted long enough for Olivia to spot the direction.

The other side of the house.

There was another dormer window on that side, but she didn't know if it opened and it would take too long to get back there anyway.

So she kept moving, climbing the sharply angled roof in a stooped crouch, one hand down and scraping shingles to steady herself, the other holding a Colt .45 automatic. She crested the peak of the roof just in time to see all that remained of Reva Shayne come roaring out of the night. Running on pure instinct, Olivia actually ducked even though Reva was safely on the ground far below.

Then Reva crashed into her target. It took Olivia an extra beat to recognize him as one of the mercenaries as he fell back from her old nemesis with an angry squall. Not pausing, Reva advanced, shoving and slapping at the dead thug, driving him back with a rain of blows and furious screeches.

Almost like the old Reva, Olivia thought wryly as she watched the fight.

The mercenary tried to fight back, baring his teeth and screaming at his tormentor as he pushed and flailed.

Olivia could have told him it would only piss Reva off. Standing up to her wasn't something she tolerated well.

They growled and hissed at each other like crazed cats, then bumped chests as they pushed and shoved. Frustration, anger, the desire for dominance. It was impossible to tell why they clashed with such violence. Olivia had never paused to really watch them before. The dead were simply in her way. Where possible, she destroyed them and where not, she avoided them.

Trying to understand them simply hadn't been on the menu.

But as she watched and remembered all the strange thoughts running through her head as she'd been sliding toward becoming one, she couldn't help but wonder what remained. Before she'd just assumed they were all instinct with no remaining thought. Now she wasn't so sure.

Not that there was anything reachable or reasonable, but maybe there were stray signals still remaining in the brain, little bits of programming not yet lost to the destruction that ravaged the mind and body.

Reva and the mercenary continued to clash and circle each other, with the dead thug getting by far the worst of the conflict.

Olivia had accused Natalia of playing Wild Kingdom, but as she watched the strange scene, she couldn't help but notice how the battle for dominance was eerily similar to any number of old nature shows. Without humans present to trigger their hunger, they seemed to have their own rules and conflicts.

That possibility had never occurred to her before.

Finally, the thug gave way before Reva's blows and shambled away, his head ducked to avoid more hammering fists. His retreat suggested they felt some level of pain or survival instinct, not just rage and hostility.

Then something moved off to the side and Olivia understood the conflict better.

Josh.

The combatants had blocked her view, but now she could see him. He was down on the ground and struggling frantically, but kept upending himself as soon as he came close to reaching his feet. He didn't seem to realize his ruined arm was missing and would get himself partly up, then move as it to push with his missing hand and go down again.

The vague, dark humor of the situation drained away in an instant. Olivia blinked at a few stray tears and silently willed Reva to find some burst of humanity and go to Josh when he so clearly needed her.

But whatever remained of her old self, Reva didn't have that kind feeling left in her and with the mercenary driven off, she turned and wandered away, leaving Josh on his own.

Remembering her own decaying thought processes, Olivia wasn't surprised. Hostility, they could handle. Compassion was something else altogether. There was no room left for it in whatever shadowed bits of humanity remained.

It wasn't a pleasant moment when she found herself comparing the current dead to her old life. No compassion or gentleness, only fury and the need to strike out at anything that moved and might be a threat.

Reaching up, she laid a hand over her chest, feeling the steady thud of her own heart. It was a comfort and she found herself wondering if it had been beating before the end of the world. She'd never stopped to listen to be certain.

"Stop with the crazy," Olivia chastised herself. Of course she'd been alive, just as she was alive now. Living and dead were biological conditions, not psychological ones, even if death and near-death now had their own psychologies for the first time in history. And even if she'd been through some near-miss hours in there, letting them fuck with her head wasn't going to help anyone. "The dead are dead," she whispered in an effort to ward off any kindness or sympathy toward them.

It was just that it was Josh squalling and in such agony.

Thumbing the safety on and off in rhythmic time, she debated the chances of taking him down from that distance. It would be a kindness. No doubt in her mind of that. And after all the plotting and meanness that had passed between them, she owed him a little peace if she could possibly give it to him.

But killing them required massive damage to the primal parts of the brain at the base of the skull. Given the angle, distance, and using a handgun, she could probably do it, but it would take so many shots and make so much noise they'd probably be ass-deep in wanderers before he dropped.

Exhaling a soft, sad sigh, Olivia thumbed the safety back on and reholstered the weapon. "Sorry," she whispered as she cast a last look at her former husband, then turned away. Guilt tried to stick and cling, but she pushed it back with a mental reminder of everything that waited for her inside.

Her family. Emma.

Natalia.

Sheer terror threatened to take Olivia to her knees, but at the same time something rich and warm filled her heart. No time to question the emotion or what it meant for the future. She only knew that her responsibilities to the living outweighed any debts owed to the dead.

That thought uppermost in Olivia's mind, she clambered back into the attic, then sat down in the open window, the import of what she was feeling washing over her in a rush. It wasn't just friendship or respect or the relief of having adult company for the first time in months.

It wasn't even the simplicity of mere horniness or the prospect of possibly getting laid. If anything, that would only make things so much more complicated.

She buried her face in her hands.

Because amid all the death, destruction and misery Olivia was finally in love...

With Natalia...

* * * * * *

Something was wrong. The thought went through Natalia's head she opened her eyes and snapped awake. There was a body next to her, small and sprawled and slumbering deeply.

Emma, not Olivia. That was the sense of wrongness, she realized in an instant.

It was still dark, the only illumination in the room coming from a thin spray of moonlight that slipped in through an open window. It was just enough for Natalia to confirm that Olivia wasn't elsewhere in the room.

Emma was there, so she had no fear Olivia had run, but an odd kind of uneasiness settled over her. Careful not to wake the sleeping child, she eased out of bed.

It didn't take long to find Olivia. She was sitting sideways in the open dormer window, a pistol in one hand, polishing rag in the other, carefully cleaning the weapon. As Natalia watched, the other woman abruptly tensed and twisted to peer out at the world below. Without turning back, she laid the polishing cloth aside and reached for a rifle that was leaned against the wall near her hip, but didn't pick it up.

A few moments later, Olivia relaxed fractionally and retrieved the cloth, then went back to cleaning the pistol.

Natalia suspected she hadn't gotten any sleep at all. "Olivia," she whispered very softly.

The other woman tensed ever so slightly, but didn't turn her way. "Hope I didn't wake you."

"No," Natalia assured her. "I just realized you weren't there and got a little worried," she explained haltingly.

A dull scrabbling sound echoed somewhere in the night and Olivia turned to glare out at the world, her body language tense and feral. "Couldn't sleep," she said almost inaudibly. She nodded to indicate the outside world. "They're restless."

Not knowing how to respond, Natalia was silent for a long moment, then she moved forward, drawing close to the other woman. She peered out the window and noted the slowly moving shadows. "Did you get any rest?"

Olivia shrugged, but didn't offer any kind of answer, which undoubtedly meant, no.

Barely resisting the urge to reach out and ruffle the honeyed silk of Olivia's hair, Natalia stood helplessly. "It won't help anyone if you get yourself overtired," she chided gently when she finally spoke.

That earned another shrug.

Natalia peered at the other woman uncertainly, confused by the sudden distance and coldness. "Are you all right?" she questioned worriedly.

"Fine," Olivia answered coolly, focusing on her task with laser-like intensity.

"Are you sure?" Natalia whispered after a beat. Reaching out, she trailed a fingertip along the line of Olivia's jaw, unsurprised when her chin came up and their eyes met. "Because you seem kinda...off."

Another shrug, and then green eyes snapped shut as Olivia slowly shook her head. "I just...um...I saw Josh earlier," she said haltingly, the answer feeling oddly incomplete, though Natalia wasn't sure why. Olivia gnawed on her lower lip. "It just made me...think..."

Sensing she needed to talk, Natalia remained quiet.

The silence stretched between them, growing increasingly uncomfortable with each passing moment. "It was easier when I could just...pretend..." She trailed off, then shook her head abruptly. "It doesn't matter," she muttered disgustedly. "It doesn't change anything." Pushing to her feet, Olivia crossed back to her gear and replaced the freshly cleaned handgun in its case.

Unsettled by the odd conversation, Natalia moved to the window, bracing her hands on the frame as she leaned out into the cool, night air. The slight chill felt good, the light breeze almost enough to clear her head and ease some of the pressure sitting right over her sternum.

"Your larder downstairs is empty," Olivia abruptly changed the subject. "And the one upstairs isn't much better...unless you've got some hidden supplies somewhere..." She trailed off, the question implicit in her tone.

Natalia shook her head. "No...just what you've seen."

Olivia muttered a curse under her breath. "And the box and half of shotgun shells? They also all you've got?" Clearly she'd spent the off hours checking the stores.

Pushing back a wave of resentment, Natalia nodded, her response bringing another curse. She wasn't quite sure what she expected from the other woman, but there was an edge of implied criticism in her tone that set her teeth on edge. She almost hoped for a fight. Maybe it would give her some much-needed distance.

But when Olivia finally spoke, she sounded rattled to the core, her breathing suddenly ragged, her voice shaky. "I don't even...know...how you've..." she said haltingly, then fell silent, the thought unfinished.

The compassion and caring slid through Natalia, melting away any tension. A beat and then she felt rather than heard or saw Olivia draw near, standing so close to her back that she could feel the heat of the other woman's body.

"You're a freaking superhero," Olivia whispered, her voice husky and raw. "You've kept us safe and fed with less food than I'd have had on hand for a casual client meeting and less ammo than the average hunter takes for a weekend of shooting up the local forest."

Olivia was silent for a long moment and Natalia could almost hear the gears turning in her head as she struggled to find the right words.

"You don't have to do it alone, you know," Olivia said at last.

Natalia's eyes slid shut and her heart kicked into overtime. She could feel the heat as Olivia's hands drew near to her shoulders. Instinctively, she suddenly knew what was coming, could almost feel the firm weight on her shoulders and the press of Olivia's body against her back. Her voice would be warm, worried, inviting, protective. Olivia was going to ask her to come with them. No question in her mind. And god help her, Natalia was far from certain she would be able to refuse. She was alone in hell and Olivia held out the promise of being a part of something, of having a little hope for the future.

Something moved far below, the faint motion enough to draw her attention. Desperation made her search as she always did, hoping against hope that the day would come that she'd see a recognizable frame and catch a glimpse of familiar features, not expressionless and slack with death, but alive and intent and fighting to get back to everything he knew.

"I have to stay here," Natalia whispered without planning. As long as she didn't know, there remained a chance that Rafe would come home. She couldn't leave as long as there was any possibility.

The heat near Natalia's shoulders was replaced by a chill as Olivia yanked her hands back.

"Right," Olivia exhaled, her voice sounding pained and ragged to Natalia's ears. "Your son."

Natalia nodded stiffly, the excuse sounding hollow when Olivia said it. Even if Rafe was out there and trying to get home, what were the chances he'd find her messages and come to her here. The chill at her shoulders settled over her entire back as the other woman stepped back a pace.

"I just meant," the other woman began haltingly, "that we've used so much of your food...that before we leave...I'll help you...restock...and if we can't find where Jeffrey's men tossed your shotgun, I've got a spare you can have, plus a couple of boxes of shells."

"You don't have to-" Natalia began, but Olivia cut her off.

"Yes, I do," Olivia disagreed sharply. She was silent for a beat before continuing, her voice softer, her tone placating. "I need to-to make sure you're okay when we go."

As if that was even possible, Natalia thought, her stomach clenching and rolling at the mere idea of being alone again. Digging her teeth into her lower lip, she fought to contain a ragged sob. "Thank you," she choked out at last.

"I...uh...I should probably move Emma to her own bed," Olivia muttered, her voice uneven. She took a deep breath, then another, then finally continued. "I'm going to sit with her for awhile," she whispered. "So go ahead and get some sleep if you can."

Natalia nodded, but couldn't move as she listened to the sounds Olivia made carrying her daughter into the other room. She heard the other bedroom door slip closed, then let out a shuddering gasp. Glancing toward the door that stood between them, she felt a tremor slip through her as she clutched the window frame with enough force to leave sharp dents in her palm.

It was the way things had to be. She knew that, but as she contemplated life without the woman and child who'd come to mean so much to her, she honestly wasn't sure she could survive...

* * * * * *
TBC