Afterworld: Into the Arms of Darkness Ch.41
Title: Afterworld: Into the Arms of Darkness
By: Pink Rabbit Productions
Chapter: 41
Date: 21 November, 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 |
Author's Note: Many thanks for all the kind replies. I apologize for not replying in more depth, but it's just not possible at the moment. However the comments are much appreciated.
Afterworld:
Into the Arms of Darkness
Chapter 41
One day, two days, three days.
The pattern continued, quiet and unassuming, a tiny swirling eddy of comfort in a giant ocean of misery. Natalia stood guard while Olivia slept, and when her body finally gave way to exhaustion, it was Olivia who watched protectively over her. The overlapping hours of wakefulness in between were spent talking quietly about anything and everything but the world in which they found themselves.
Natalia smiled ever so slightly as the line from a favorite children's story popped into her head.
Of shoes and ships and sealing wax, of cabbages and kings.
She lay stretched out on the couch, limbs all tangled up with Olivia's until it was hard to tell where one of them ended and the other began. The other woman was deep asleep, her breathing slow and steady, if a little ragged. Her temperature was high. It always spiked late at night, then dropped lower in the morning.
Right now, it was almost painfully high.
Sometimes when it shot up, Olivia slept and dreamt, her slumber restless, but the awful, fever-driven delusions didn't return. Other times, she would lie awake, telling funny stories about nutty hotel guests and lost luggage, or laughing softly as Natalia told her own stories of tending bar or waiting on strange customers and oddball bosses. By tacit agreement, neither of them mentioned family or the past or anything that offered to cause pain.
As one day spun into the next, Emma came and went on little cat feet, silent and scared, but brave enough to bring food and water and hold her mother's hand whenever Olivia was awake for her appearances. When it was Natalia who was up for the slinking visits, she would slip from her impromptu bed and hold out her arms to enfold the little girl in a protective hug. Emma never asked and Natalia never promised anything, but they would hold each other and sometimes whisper their prayers together. They would stay like that for awhile, then Natalia would walk Emma back upstairs and make sure she had everything she needed before returning to her solitary watch.
A battle was being fought for Olivia Spencer's body and soul and all Natalia could do was offer whatever support and comfort was possible while making sure Emma was protected.
Occasionally, when Olivia slept deeply enough, Natalia would rise and see to the household duties. The irony of living through the end of the world was that even though much of civilization had died, drudgery lived on. Household repairs still needed to be finished, the washing seen to, plants watered, and the assorted daily chores done.
Plus there were the new bits of boredom. Checking locks, food stores, and ammo supplies.
And now Natalia had added one more worry to the list: trying to find new temptations to bribe Emma into eating. The upstairs treats had run out, but she'd found a store of Reva's favorite sweets in the basement which seemed to work nicely. Another few days though, and she was going to have to do something about getting in more food. She'd been running low before adding two guests to the serving list. Now the cupboards were starting to get pretty threadbare.
Of course, she could start raiding Olivia's supplies in the SUV, but was hesitant to upset the careful design of things, particularly since she was sure stocking the vehicle was a lot harder than what she was up against.
Still, for the moment, it seemed more important to stay where she was, looking after her new charges than to go traipsing off after supplies, so if need be, she'd check through things.
Natalia was still musing on that when she realized she was being watched. Leaning on her hand, she peered into faintly glazed green eyes. "Hey there."
Olivia offered a tired smile. "What time is it?"
"Around one, I think."
"I'd ask if the room's hot or if it's me, but-"
"It's you," Natalia confirmed, then waited for the obvious joke.
"Knew you thought I was hot," Olivia teased right on cue.
Feeling a flush slide over her skin, Natalia still didn't know quite how to respond to the other woman's open sensuality, even when she knew it was coming. She'd never known anyone like that before. Oh, she'd known the girls they'd all classed as sluts in her old neighborhood, but they'd all been in your face in a sleazy sort of way. There was nothing sleazy or even terribly serious about Olivia, even though there was an undercurrent of confidence Natalia didn't quite understand. "You're not funny, you know," she complained, her tone light. It had quickly become a running joke between them.
"Yes, I am," Olivia disagreed, grinning cheerfully in the face of Natalia's disapproving look. She held up her hand, thumb and forefinger just barely apart. "A little," she cadged as she spread her other palm against the small of Natalia's back, tugging her closer with no more than the weight of her hand for pressure.
"Maybe a little," Natalia admitted after a beat, unable to resist the other woman's charm. The hand at her back stroked ever so lightly. Despite the pervasive heat that threatened to sear her flesh, there was comfort to be found in their closeness, in being held and protected. It had been so long since she'd felt close to another person that she barely remembered the sensation and yet in this woman's arms, she'd found...
Her brain stuttered to a halt as she hunted for the right word, then shied away from the search almost as quickly as she'd started along the path. It occurred to her that maybe while she was out getting supplies, she could stop in at the church. Sometimes she stopped there, not so much in search of guidance as some sense that God hadn't abandoned the human race or worse set all this upon them as his final punishment. Father Ray and a few others still paced outside, but she hadn't seen anyone inside in months and maybe it would soothe her soul a little.
"Penny for 'em," Olivia said, breaking in on Natalia's thoughts.
Natalia froze for a moment, then shook her head. "Nothing really," she said softly as every possible thought ran screaming out of her brain at warp speed. Oh well, probably easier that way. Not thinking was something she'd gotten good at since the end of the world. Too much thought could leave a person sobbing, giving up, and begging for the end.
Much safer just to set a pace, keep moving and avoid too much careful consideration of the situation.
"Hey," Olivia whispered, her voice a low rasp, rough from the fever, but also soft and inviting. "You get any sleep?"
"No," Natalia murmured. "I never do when you're...asleep." She always stood guard, sometimes whispering to her or simply watching, sometimes doing her chores and staying close.
"I know," Olivia exhaled on the faintest breath.
She tucked a finger under Natalia's chin, her smile tender in a way that made the younger woman's heart jump.
"You're always here," Olivia continued, her voice still that delicate whisper.
A tiny shiver slid over Natalia's skin as the other woman trailed her fingers up to brush mussed hair back from her temple. Her touch was light, the feel of her skin almost impossibly warm and soothing. After so long alone, the sense of comfort and community was irresistible. "I didn't want you to wake up alone...be afraid..." Natalia stammered.
Tipping her head ever so slightly to the side, Olivia took a long moment to carefully study Natalia, then suddenly looked away, her lips faintly parted. "I...I'm never afraid with you," she breathed after a beat. She shook her head and laughed very softly. "First time I haven't been afraid in a long time...since long before...this...now...everything," she said haltingly. She shook her head again as if to throw off whatever thoughts were running through her brain and offered a gentle smile. "So how about I return the favor and let you get some sleep while I stand guard for a little while?"
Natalia shook her head uncertainly. As tired as she was, she wasn't sure it was the right time. Reaching out, she laid her wrist against Olivia's forehead. "Your fever's awfully high," she whispered as the searing heat hit her skin. "Are you sure you-"
"It's not like I'm gonna be sleeping anyway," Olivia cut in with a touch of humor, then she smiled that gentle smile again, the one she'd previously reserved for Emma, and slid the hand on Natalia's back higher, applying enough pressure to tug her back down. "And you've gotta be exhausted."
Natalia drew a breath to argue. After all, she'd spent most of the last three days sleeping, but Olivia laid a finger over her lips, silencing the protest unspoken.
"You need to sleep."
Olivia tugged more firmly, until Natalia was lying plastered against her, her cheek pillowed on Olivia's shoulder. Then Natalia felt the softest of kisses against her temple.
"Escape for a little while," Olivia urged.
But escape wasn't in the works, at least not for long. Natalia dozed fitfully, waking frequently as she realized that Olivia's fever was spiking even higher than it had in the past.
When it went over 107°, she got scared. "Maybe it's time to start trying to cool you-"
"No," Olivia rasped, catching Natalia's hand in her own. Her eyes were glazed, but intense.
"But-"
"No," Olivia repeated firmly., then let her head fall back into the cushions, her breathing rough and unsteady. Her throat bobbed as she swallowed hard. "I have to ride this out."
Despite the desire to argue, Natalia bit back on the impulse and simply held the other woman's hand as she tracked her temperature and offered what comfort she could.
Olivia whimpered with the pain of the fever, but there were no delusions. When she spoke, it was obvious she knew where she was and who she was dealing with.
Natalia whispered soothing nonsense and petted dark hair or stroked soft skin. Despite feeling like her own body was burning from the same fever, she didn't pull away, just held Olivia as though she could somehow steal the raging heat away from the other woman's body.
Olivia finally quieted sometime before dawn, and her temperature slowly eased downward. Her own body pushed to the limit, Natalia settled against lush curves, and her eyelids floated shut. Just a little rest, she promised herself even as her breathing slowed and exhaustion slid through her.
Without planning to, she slept...
* * * * * *
Cool.
Natalia was cool for the first time in ages.
It took her a moment to process the sensation as she crawled up from the depths of sleep.
And then another moment for the panic to hit.
Her eyes snapped open and she pushed up on one hand as her gaze swung to the figure sprawled against the back of the couch. "No," she croaked as she realized the heat that had been there for days was missing. The body lying against her own was cool.
Fumbling in her panic, she pressed her hand against Olivia's chest, searching for the thud of her heartbeat without success, then rested her hand to the other woman's throat, hunting desperately for the gentle pulse of her carotid artery, her hands shaking so badly it was a wonder she could do anything.
Especially since, if she was gone, Olivia might be back at any moment, and then...
And then she wouldn't be Olivia anymore.
Searching frantically, she suddenly felt a delicate flutter against her fingertips and froze.
A pulse, slow and steady.
Leaning down, Natalia pressed her ear against Olivia's chest, listening carefully. She easily picked out the steady thrum of her heart.
A moment later, she realized that what she'd read as cool wasn't really. It was just normal, human, skin temperature. She stroked Olivia' cheek with a light touch.
Faintly damp and silky soft, the flesh under her fingers was the same temperature as her own.
Fever break.
A hint of a hopeful smile touched Natalia's mouth. "Olivia?" she whispered very softly.
She got a soft grumble in reply and Olivia rolled away and pressed deeper into the cushions. "Gimme another twenty minutes...don't care if 'm late f'r the meet'g..." she mumbled, clearly still mostly asleep. "Don' wanna buy th't h't'l an'way..." Then she collapsed again, just barely snoring.
Frowning, her mouth twisted into a bemused smile, Natalia brushed soft hair back from Olivia's temple. She was definitely alive.
And the fever was gone...
* * * * * * *
TBC