Afterworld: Into the Arms of Darkness Ch.49
Title: Afterworld: Into the Arms of Darkness
By: Pink Rabbit Productions
Chapter: 49
Date: 30 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 | Chapter 47 | Chapter 48 |
Author's Note: Many thanks for the replies and support. I wish I had time to respond in more depth because there have been a lot of interesting points brought up.
Author's Note #2: Mention of rape and sexual manipulation. If this is going to bother you, please be careful.
Afterworld:
Into the Arms of Darkness
Chapter 49
The softly spoken words slipped through Olivia, warming some part of her she'd thought dead and buried and bringing it back to life with such intensity that her eyes snapped shut and she had to block the world out for a moment while she regained her equilibrium. There were so many things she wanted to say, promises she wanted to make. They were all on the tip of her tongue, but then she remembered the refusal of the night before.
Whatever Natalia's confession meant, it wasn't an invitation to take things the next step. It struck her that she was still absently stroking the other woman's cheek, the texture of warm velvet easing some of the stress. Opening her eyes again, she peered at the smaller woman, taking in dark eyes and soft features that were clenched with worry.
God, she was stunning. And it wasn't just about silky hair or striking bone structure. There was a kind of beauty that went far deeper than physicality to a soul that was every bit as lovely as warm curves and silky hair.
The knot in her chest eased a little more and she took a deep breath.
Whatever happened, this was what was important, this sweetness and connection and loving support. "I know," she exhaled, "but you have no idea how important your safety is."
Her heart caught as Natalia reached out, returning the gentle facial caress by outlining Olivia's lower lip with the tip of her thumb. "You're still weak," she breathed. "And I know what I'm doing. I'll use the truck...and use the rope ladder to get in. It'll be okay," she added almost inaudibly.
Maybe she should back down, Olivia thought for the briefest second, but her teeth gritted and she shook her head, the reaction as much about instinct as logic.
Like hell.
"I'm coming with you," she said flatly.
Spine rigid, Natalia shook her head. "There's no need," she insisted. "The mercenaries are dead and-"
"Maybe," Olivia said just loudly enough to over-ride Natalia's denial. "But I'm not certain enough to risk your life." Still stroking the line of the other woman's cheek and jaw, she nodded toward Blake's house. "And before...we were a helluva a lot stronger together than either of us was alone." She took a deep breath, then speared Natalia with a challenging look. "You know I'm right."
She saw the younger woman draw breath to argue, but the words didn't come. After a moment, she snapped her mouth shut. She continued to stare up at Olivia for a long moment before finally nodding. "Yeah," she admitted quietly. "We are..."
* * * * * * *
They were stronger together. Much as she wanted to deny the comment, Natalia wasn't that big a liar. So despite her desire to make certain Olivia was safe and protected, they were in Josh's truck, the side rails installed to turn the bed into a virtual cage that could keep them safe while outside the cab.
Hopefully, it wouldn't go that way. Hopefully, the dead were far enough away that they just wouldn't notice.
The backup remote control for the automatic door opener was in her pocket. That would make getting in and out of her home much easier. She had an empty duffel bag slung over her shoulder for the food and any remaining ammo.
The plan was deceptively simple. Back the truck up to the fire ladder still dangling from the second floor of Blake's house, then crawl out into the truck bed through the rear window. From there, up the ladder into the house while the side rails would hopefully keep any dead back. After that, they could lower any supplies to the truck, climb down and get home.
Simple.
Of course, simple had a way of getting complicated very quickly in the new world.
Which was why Natalia was both worried by Olivia's presence and perversely relieved to have her there. The other woman was a helluva a backup, good with guns, didn't panic, and was fast thinking enough to deal with most anything fate threw at her. Unfortunately, due to the head injury, she was also prone to bouts of dizziness, weakness, and the occasional fainting spell.
Speaking of conditions that could get complicated quickly.
"I'm not staying behind," Olivia abruptly broke in as though she'd read Natalia's thoughts.
Natalia didn't even bother to argue as she concentrated on backing the truck into position. Thankfully, there were no dead close, and the few wanderers within sight ignored them. With luck they could just get in and out without any excitement.
Rarity of rarities: the plan went smoothly, and they soon found themselves in Blake's bedroom.
Natalia should have known nothing was ever that easy.
It was the smell that hit first, the putrid, strangely sweet odor enough to overpower and knock a person to their knees.
Then there was the sight.
Natalia should have been used to the sight of death by then. She'd seen enough of it, smelled it, heard it, felt it on her skin, and watched it envelop those she loved. She'd experienced it in the most visceral way possible for the living.
But it still hadn't prepared her for the harsh reality of what the bastards had done to Blake. Even braced for what she knew they'd find, Natalia's gorge rose, the world spun, and she couldn't think or function. Then suddenly she was wrapped in strong arms. Despite her intention to stay businesslike and do the right thing as quickly as possible, she sank into the supportive hold and buried her face in Olivia's chest.
"Just breathe deeply," Olivia advised near her ear as she petted Natalia's hair and back with a gentle hand. "It'll pass."
Natalia wanted to scream at her, demand how she could say that when the horror behind them wasn't going away. She couldn't see how anything could blunt the brutality of the scene behind her, not god, not time, not distance, not even profuse amounts of drugs.
But Olivia kept rubbing her back and whispering and assuring her it would pass. Slowly, the heaving agony subsided.
"Listen to me," Olivia whispered near her ear, "she was already gone when that happened. What they did, they did to a shell, not to your friend-"
"You don't know that-" Natalia shot back, her voice thick with tears.
"Yes, I do," Olivia over-rode her. "I know what they wanted from me...and it wasn't a living, breathing woman." She pinned a hard gaze on Natalia, forcing her to stare into jade eyes. "She was gone...she didn't experience that."
A hard shudder shook Natalia and she drew in a ragged, shuddering gasp of air as she fought the spasm that suddenly made her lungs seize up. Snapping her eyes shut, she focused on what Olivia had told her, struggling to reassure herself that it was true. It didn't lessen the horror in some ways, but in others, she knew full well it was the kindest option. She finally managed to drag in a deep breath. Opening her eyes, she abruptly realized that Olivia had turned them both until she was facing the wall instead of having to look at what remained of Blake. "I'm sorry," she apologized, suddenly ashamed of her response. She'd made them vulnerable for a moment and it made her ill because she knew damned well how unacceptable that was. Things could go bad so quickly that even a moment's weakness could bring death on its heels. "I-"
"Don't," Olivia interrupted, her voice hard. She settled a hand along the side of Natalia's face. "It's horrifying...and wrong...and shouldn't happen to anyone. Don't apologize for the fact that it hurts to see."
Hearing the way the other woman's voice shook and seeing the look in her eyes, Natalia relaxed a little. Olivia might seem cold and harsh sometimes, but it was just a façade to get through world where this kind of charnel house was the norm. She rested her palms on the taller woman's chest as she forced herself to keep breathing slowly. "W-we need to take care of her," she said when she finally found voice to speak.
"We will," Olivia assured her. "But I want you to stay where you are while I wrap her in the blankets."
Her movements jerky, Natalia shook her head. "No...I owe-"
"You owe her remembering who she was," Olivia broke in before she could get any farther. "Not this." She stroked Natalia's cheek with impossibly gentle fingers. "I'll make sure she's okay...then we'll take care of her...okay?"
A hard swallow and Natalia finally managed an unsteady nod. A beat and then she felt Olivia start to pull away. She caught her hand and tugged her back, her voice soft and tremulous as she begged, "Please..just...don't..." She didn't even know what she was asking, which made it that much more meaningful when Olivia seemed to understand.
"I'll be gentle with her. I promise," the older woman breathed.
Nodding, Natalia let go of Olivia's arm, then swallowed hard and took a deep breath as Olivia pulled away. She tried not to listen to the soft sounds that followed, tried not to imagine what was going on behind her. Unfortunately, it was impossible not to hear the soft rustle of fabric and movement of a body coupled with Olivia's occasional grunt or whisper-soft curse.
Finally, a hand landed lightly on Natalia's shoulder.
"It's done," Olivia murmured, her voice breathy from exertion.
Pivoting, Natalia peered past Olivia's shoulder at the bed. She could see the shape of a body in the neatly bound bundle, but the blood was hidden by the makeshift shroud. It seemed to mute the awful smell just a little too. Drawing close to the bed, she peered down. "I'm sorry," the tortured words were barely audible, but Olivia must have heard her anyway because she drew close and settled her hands on Natalia's shoulders.
"It's not your fault," the older woman murmured, her voice soft and sepulchral in the hazy light.
"Isn't it?" Natalia bit out as the self recriminations washed over her. "I knew she was slipping...losing the real world. I tried to get her to come stay with me...I should have made her."
"How?" Olivia asked with quiet practicality. "You can't force people to do what they don't want to. She was an adult, with the right to make her own decisions." She dug her thumbs in, massaging slowly. "Moreover, you might both be dead now...and I..." Her voice choked and she fell silent for a long moment before finally continuing. "And I'm grateful you're still here."
Blinking at a few unwanted tears, Natalia wanted to reply somehow, but the words wouldn't come. It was so tempting to just sink back against the other woman and let her take command, but she was afraid if she did, she'd never let go. Instead, she straightened fractionally, and pulled away. "We need to...to take care of her," she said haltingly.
She'd always wonder if she imagined the faint note of disappointment in Olivia's voice as she exhaled, "Yeah."
And it scared the hell out of Natalia how much she hoped it was.
Then she purposely blanked her thoughts as they levered the shrouded figure between them, carrying her out of the room and downstairs as gently as possible.
"The door to the basement is through there," Natalia panted when they reached the ground floor.
Olivia nodded, but didn't immediately move. Her head up, eyes sharp, she glanced around, but didn't speak.
"Olivia?" Natalia exhaled, nervousness making her voice tremble ever so slightly.
Suddenly the other woman shook herself. "Sorry, I just...it's nothing," she dismissed.
The basement was nearly pitch black, but thankfully, Blake had left a flourescent lantern near the door to the stairs. It made the steep climb on somewhat rickety stairs a little easier. Or at least less likely to leave a body broken at the bottom.
The area Josh had prepared was in the far corner of the room, a neat rectangle of removed cement and a dug out trench covered over with a board. The removed dirt was stacked to the side where it could easily be pushed into the hole.
Just like the space in Natalia's basement, it doubled as a cool, larder space for perishables. There was still a ziplock with a thin slab of bacon inside, and a burlap bag with a half a dozen different vegetables. Not exactly a gold mine, but another couple of days of food.
Natalia carefully set the food aside. Hopefully, there were still canned goods left in the upstairs pantry. Finished, she glanced over at Olivia where she was leaning against the wall. Even in the faint light cast by the lantern, she looked paler than normal and her breathing was labored. "You all right?" she asked worriedly.
"Fine," Olivia clipped.
It was patently untrue, but Natalia didn't have it in her to argue. Not when they still had a difficult chore ahead. Between them, they lowered Blake's shrouded body into the makeshift grave. Blinking back on the threat of tears, Natalia tried not to think too hard.
Thinking just hurt too much. Better to just focus on each moment and not look at the past or the future. The weight of the shovel and the feel of rough wood against her palms as she shoveled dirt in on her friend was enough for the moment.
* * * * * * *
He heard them. Soft rhythmic sounds. Voices in the attic, thumps on the stairs, maybe a bit of shoveling in the basement.
Either this house was haunted...
He almost giggled as that thought went through his head while Ava smiled approvingly. She always had appreciated his sense of humor.
Or Olivia was back.
"That's right, Daddy," his baby whispered in encouragement as she slowly petted her hair, then let her fingers trail lower, painting erotic designs on his chest. "Time to make the bitch pay for all the times she's fucked you over."
Smiling drowsily, he nodded. "That's right." He braced his hand on the floor, ignoring the tremor that rattled through his extremities. As he pushed upright, he tried to remember if the shaking was new or something that had started when Reva attacked or maybe come on sometime before.
It was damned hard to be certain. It was all so...hazy. Frowning, he tried to remember, but smooth fingers stroked his forehead, drawing his attention away from thoughts of the past.
"It doesn't matter," Ava reminded him, her voice low and seductive. "Right now, the only thing that matters is her...you have to get up or you can't put her down."
"Right," Jeffrey mumbled as he stabilized himself and pushed to his knees. "Gotta destroy the whore." He smiled at the thought, preening when Ava's gaze turned raw and inviting. "But maybe we could have a little fun first."
"Mind on the fight...we can play afterwards," she drawled, her tone part encouragement, part taunt.
For a moment, he almost forgot how much of him was missing.
But then, that was getting easier and easier, the pain slipping away like he wasn't really missing anything at all.
He looked down, seeing torn, blood-stained clothes, but was afraid to look too close for fear of seeing his own disconnected flesh. Maybe it was all just a fever-dream. A body couldn't survive damage that severe without bleeding to death, could it? And it would hurt, be agonizing really, and he wasn't feeling so bad any more.
He frowned in confusion, struggling to remember, but then Ava blew in his ear. "Worry about it later," she reminded him. "After we've played with Momma Olivia and her little friend." She nibbled on his earlobe. "Then when we're done, we can play with them," she added, nodding toward the assembled array of his past conquests. As he looked at them, they all smiled and preened, clearly hoping for his attention, their denials and accusations things of the past. He laughed softly. And they'd all denied they wanted him, but there they were now, eager for his attention.
Even Reva.
And not a trace of blood on her.
He shook his head a little dazedly as he laid eyes on her and she offered a saucy wink.
Just a fever dream, he decided as he remembered the sounds of her screams and felt a rush of heat to his groin. No pain at all this time. In fact, it was rather pleasant. Yeah, he was all there. Had to be. Any other thoughts were just weird thoughts. All the fucking government drugs, probably. That shit could make a body crazy.
Which meant he was okay, all there, and all man.
"That's right, Daddy," Ava praised, then reached down and squeezed him intimately. "All man."
He grinned triumphantly, confident now that he still had it in him to show Olivia who was boss one last time.
"That's the idea, Daddy. Fuck her 'til she admits how much she wants you," she praised as she continued to lean against him. "And when you're done, show that little greaser girlfriend of hers just what she missed when treated you so badly. They'll both be grateful to get fucked by a real man."
"Yeah, a real man," he exhaled as he contemplated all the ways he was going to make them pay. He grinned as he imagined their gratitude.
Oh yeah, it was gonna be a helluva party.
* * * * * * *
Natalia said a few words over the makeshift grave. Nothing biblical or too meaningful. Blake had mentally broken before she died and she'd died in the worst way possible. All of the usual platitudes seemed painfully inadequate, so mostly she just thanked the dead woman for being a friend and wished her well on whatever journey she was on.
Not so long before she would have envied Blake her escape from this world, but as hands descended on her shoulders, the touch soothing and warm, she realized that she didn't anymore. It might have offered some peace, but it would have cost her the comfort and sense of family offered by the woman at her back and the child safely tucked away in her home.
"Let's see what we can find," Olivia murmured, "and get the hell out of here."
Natalia couldn't argue with that plan. She turned to head back up the stairs when something occurred to her. "What about the Hummer?" she questioned. "It was parked near the garden door. If there's nothing close, we could probably check it out pretty safely." She felt Olivia pause.
"They'd probably had supplies, so yeah, we should check it out," Olivia agreed.
Olivia took the lead on the stairs when Natalia paused to look back at the basement grave. It wasn't a new sight. There'd been others, but this one hurt a little more because Blake had been a friend and she felt like she'd let her down. "I'm sorry," she whispered, then suddenly realized that Olivia had already reached the landing at the top of the stairs. "I'm coming," she called up as she hurried after the other woman.
No response, but a soft thump and startled curse.
Dammit, Olivia must have fallen. Probably another of the dizzy spells, Natalia decided as she cursed herself for not making the other woman stay behind. In her condition, the effort was too much and it was a damned miracle she'd made it as far as she had. "Should've just tied her to a damned chair," she muttered in frustration as she hit the landing and pivoted only to pull up short, horror in her eyes.
Olivia was pinned to the wall, a hard hand dug into her throat, her feet nearly off the ground. Her weapon was missing from the shoulder holster.
"Now that sounds like one helluva good idea," Jeffrey O'Neill drawled. He flashed a quick to his left side as though speaking to someone. "Doncha think?" Whatever response he heard, it made him grin. "Oh yeah, that's a good idea," he said softly when he looked at Natalia again, his eyes wild. "A bed would be even better..."
* * * * * *
TBC