Disclaimers
See Part 1
The Day the Earth Went Mad {Part IV}
Copyright 1997
THIRTEEN- Wiped Out
THE headless corpse of a man lay rotting on the ground in front of the large country house. We all stared down at with disgust mixed in with sympathy, not sure that we wanted to go into the house. The guy’s body seemed built under the overalls and white now-stained-red T-shirt. The arms were flung out on each side of the torso, as if he’d been on his hands and knees when his head had been hatched. The ground on which he lay was stained with his blood, the area by his neck strewn with tendons, veins and gut looking things. There was a track of blood directly in front of him, I assume indicating the direction in which his head rolled. Speaking of the head, there was no sign of it.
Shaking my head slowly, I looked up at the house; it stood eerily silent. Somewhere in there, would be more bodies, I was sure. Alix turned away from the body, swaying dizzily. I turned with her and pulled her into my arms. "I guess we should bury it." I said after a while. I looked around us, spotting a not so large structure to the far right of the house. There were hardly any trees around this area, the only reason why we spotted the house in the first place. We were somewhere along the outer areas of Pennsylvania, I really didn’t care at this point. We had turned on a hidden road, wanting to avoid cars not far ahead of us.
We had stopped somewhere along New Jersey, and got some gas, bringing a tank along with us in case we needed some. After that, we drove straight through, avoiding towns and cities. We didn’t know where we were going and I was driving freely, the only reason why we had turned on this hidden road. After driving for a while, from the little road, we spotted a bright light in the distance.
With binoculars stolen form the deserted gas station, Charles made out the dark and large figure of a house. We were tired of being in the jeep and of eating from cans; also, we were very thirsty. The house promised hot food and showers, and most importantly, water. As we came closer to the house, I suspected something was wrong. First of all, no one came to greet us with hellos, nor with guns for that matter. The light was coming from a small fire burning off a large oil can right up front.
I was suspicious when we first drove up, and pulled out the gun I carried in my pocket. The first person to see the body was Alix, who let out a loud yelp that shook us out of our bodies. At first sight, I could tell that whoever had done this was really sick. "I’m not touching it." Alix was presently saying, looking up at me. Her eyes were drawn; she had bags under them, and was pale. The sweat ran in thick rivulets down her temples. None of us had slept much since New York.
Paul looked at her, smiling reassuringly. "Nobody’s going to make you." He replied, his gentleness visibly reassuring her.
I pulled Alix into the house, bent on finding out who else had been killed. Alix came along, not so willingly, pausing as we stepped under the threshold, holding my hand tightly. Paul and Charles stood outside, kneeling over the body and speaking of how they could remove the rotting body without touching it. Inside, the house was surprisingly neat; the furniture was made of wood and was excellently shiny. There was an oak dining table that caught my attention; it reminded me of my childhood at home. My mother had one like it in the dining room, but we never really used it, she was so protective of it. It was her favorite piece of property, built more than a hundred years before.
I spotted a hall leading further into the house. The acidic stench of spilt blood slapped us hard in the hallway. I heard Alix gag and felt my stomach lurch. The real mess was in the kitchen, located at the end of the hallway. Alix made another noise deep in her throat, her hand on mine tightening, the other covering her mouth. Her cheeks convulsed and I knew she would vomit. "You don’t have to come in." I said gently, knowing how she felt. My own stomach was turning and my nose was already stuck with the stench.
She shook her head, her eyes narrowing. "Let’s just get this over with." She whispered, pulling me into the kitchen after her. She flipped on the light switch, which was to the right side of the entry, the fluorescent light flickered on. The kitchen used to be a nicely decorated and spacious room. The wall paper had a nice pattern of roses and light yellow background, indicating this was the woman’s room. The white refrigerator was huge and it stood empty, its doors swinging open. The cabinets were made of pure white wood and its doors were wide open also; there was almost nothing inside, only a few forgotten items. The stove was white also, but it was now stained with blood.
There was the body of a young male, lying on its back. He could have been anywhere between eight years of age and twelve, his legs were bent under him at an unnatural angle, which indicated to me that he was probably standing or on his knees too when he was hatched. The blood was pooled disgustingly around his neck; a light hard coating covered it, telling me that this didn’t happen recently. I looked away, feeling faint. The head was nowhere in sight either.
There was a door, which led to the outside, was wide open, and a thick trail of blood told me the obvious. Alix quickly walked around the body, pulling me recklessly along with her towards the door leading to the outside. Outside, a woman’s shapely body lay on its side, a fork-pick buried into her back. The blood had seeped into the dried ground, her arms lay straight forward, stiffly. There was no head either. No big surprise.
Alix turned away from me and ran around the house towards the front, swaying dangerously. She looked pale and her legs were weak, she held herself up with a steadying hand against the house. I ran after her, wanting to be close to her and to make her feel better. "Alix!" I called out. She stopped suddenly, bent over and vomited all over her sneakers. I reached her side and held her, caressed her back as she heaved all the canned food out of her stomach. After a while, she sighed, stood up straight and fell against me, her body weakening. I pulled her with me to the front of the house, where Paul and Charles dug a grave with two shovels they’d found somewhere.
Charles glanced at Alix, instantly left the shovel, and came to our side. He looked into Alix’s unfocused eyes and felt her pulse. "She’s just in shock, and this heat is not helping." He whispered. "Come on, let’s get her to sit in the car and give her a relaxant, I have some in my medicine bag."
FOURTEEN- All Alone
WE cleaned up everything, from the front of the house, to the backyard. The bodies were put to rest in the common grave, and then we added a makeshift cross, as was customary with graves. We looked around the house, found pictures of the family. There had actually been four people living here, the two adults and two kids; the missing child must have been sixteen or seventeen. The parents were a young white couple. The husband was handsome, with blonde hair cut into a Caesar, and bright gray eyes. He was clean and neat.
The wife was clean, like him, her hair brown, her eyes were brown too, and she had a nice womanly figure and a very pretty face. Their son looked closer to be eight years old, his features were aggressive and handsome, like his father’s, but held a sweetness that was obviously from his mother. The missing child, a girl, was beautiful. Her eyes were gray, like her father’s, but were shaped like her mother’s. Her hair was a very light brown, on the verge of blonde. Her features were sort of like Meg Ryan’s. I studied the picture for a while longer, put it down, and glanced up at Alix, who stood by the window, looking out at the darkness.
"What are you thinking about?" I asked her, she’d been quiet for a while. The relaxant Charles had given helped in calming nerves and made her sleep while we cleaned up around the house.
She shrugged, not turning to look at me. "Nothing in particular," She said quietly. "My thoughts are shambles right now." She hugged herself.
"It’s the medicine Charles gave you." I assured her, wondering if she was angry at me. I stared at her back for a little while, then asked: "Alix, are you still angry at me?"
She didn’t get to answer, because Paul rushed in, his eyes excited like a little child’s. "This guy could have fought a war and won!" He exclaimed.
"What are you talking about?" I asked wearily, tired.
Paul turned to me, waving his large hands excitedly. "In the basement, he’s got an arsenal. There’re guns all over the place!"
Alix groaned, I jumped to my feet. I suddenly wasn’t so tired anymore; my adrenaline shot to high. "Guns?" I repeated. "In the basement. I didn’t know there was a basement."
"Yessiree!" Paul said with a smile. "Full of guns and knives! Rifles and everything."
Well, well, well! "Let’s go." I said, walking out of the room and down the stairs. I waited for Paul, and he showed me to the kitchen. There was a space, about the length of my semi-wide shoulders, between the refrigerator and the wall. There was a small, almost invisible door there; I wondered how the guys found it. Paul managed to slither through, and I followed him down the dark stairway. It smelled of humidity down there. Charles stood in the center of the long room, he held a shiny rifle, I’m not sure of what make, in his hands. His face was very serious and full of concentration as his eyes danced over the rifle.
I looked around at the room; its walls weren’t padded, nor covered with wallpaper like the rest of the house. It was about the size of the house, very wide and long. There were tables against all walls, tables covered with clean guns and knives. I could feel my eyes widen as my eyes rested on each table. My new fascination with guns was growing as my eyes studied each weapon. Forty-fives, three-fifty-sevens, etc. Jesus! I took a three-fifty-seven into my hand and studied it closely. Its body was made of white gold and silver, it was very shiny and clean.
A tiny engraved word at the butt of the gun caught my attention. Actually, it wasn’t a word, it was an initial. I studied it closely, trying to make out the script. "A. M." I whispered. Must have been the guy’s. I placed it softly back on the table and continued to study each and every weapon. Beautiful, shiny guns, rifles and knives. "I wonder why he had all these weapons." I mused out loud, to myself. "God, he even had knives!" I exclaimed, looking at the shiny bladed knifes, big and small, lying neatly on a table in front of me.
Paul stepped up close, studying them also. "Obviously, they did not help him against those maniacs." He whispered as he ran his thumb along the edge of a butterfly knife to test its sharpness. He winced, sticking the thumb into his mouth quickly, and sucking on it.
I continued my tour around the room, fascinated. I wondered if he had any more at the farm house. "Have any of you guys gone to the farm house?" I asked, feeling very curious.
Both men shook their heads, their concentration on the weapons in their hands. I left them, intent on seeing the farm house, thinking that maybe there were more weapons in there. It stood painted red, paint that was already in need of retouching. It was a large structure, though not larger than the house. I realized I had something in my hand and I looked down. I must have picked up the three-fifty-seven again, not remembering if I did or not. I pulled up to eye level and with my other hand, pulled back the safety, at the same time pulling back the glock to see it fit had any bullets. Yes, there were bullets. Good.
I proceeded into the farm house. Inside, the barn was as clean as the house. Just as it looked old and rusty outside, inside, it was clean and brand new looking. Everything was set up methodically, there was not one object on the ground, and everything either hung from a nail on the wall, or stood neatly against the walls. As I walked further from the door, I tucked the gun between my belt and stomach. The barn consisted only of one neat story.
I walked more, studying every object in sight. I looked ahead of me and felt my breath catch as my eyes fell on the large brand new Ford five passenger pick-up truck, shiny red. In awe, I walked slowly towards it. It was beautiful; it reminded me of my own little red car, stranded back in New York Damn City! I stepped up closer to it.
A small sound coming from the truck bed startled me, and I jerked backwards. Finding myself staring into the largest shotgun I had ever seen, I started trembling. It was pointed straight in between my eyes; I felt the sweat break out of my body, and it wasn’t from the intense heat. At the other end of the barrel, holding the gun steadily, with one eye closed and the other taking aim was the young girl from the pictures. Her mouth was set into a tight pink line, her cold gray eye emotionless.
I lifted my hands up in a peace offering; they were shaking, just like the rest of me. Ever since I had been wounded, I had become a little afraid of any person with a gun, especially since I couldn’t just reach for mine. "Hey," I squeaked. I cleared my throat and tried again: "Listen-"
"Who are you?" She cut me off coldly, her stance never changing. Her hair was matted against her sweating forehead, it was greasy and it fell over her shoulders, her clothes were dirty, so was her pale skin. Her voice was strangely sensuous, though cold, deep, husky and full of pain. "Why did you do this to my family?" She asked. "I should just shoot you right here!" She then barked.
I stepped back, thinking of finding a place to hide. Damn this family and goddamned neatness! There was nothing scattered, nothing that could protect me, at least. "Listen, I didn’t do anything!" I said, trying to put some force into my shaking voice. "My friends and I, we just got here. We found your family like that, we even buried them. We are really sorry….."
"Shut up!" She roared, and I obeyed. "What makes you think I’ll believe you?" She asked then, her voice calmed. She cocked the trigger, the shot gun lowered to shatter my chest.
I swallowed hard, my eyes going from the shotgun to her and back down. "Because my friends and I know what it is like to be hurt," I answered, not exactly sure if her question required an answer, or if it was a rhetorical question. I lifted my shirt over my stomach, showing her the large scar on the right hand side. "Not long before we headed this way from New York, I was shot by a street thug. I even died, but my friend is a doctor and he managed to save me. I wouldn’t wish this kind of thing on anyone, no matter how much it hurt me to experience it."
She studied me for a few seconds, the gun not wavering. Her eyes narrowed. "You died?" She asked doubtfully.
I nodded eagerly. "Yes," I answered. "My friend saved my life. He brought me back." I waited for her to say something else, but she didn’t. "We are really sorry about what happened to your family." I said pleadingly.
She studied me some more, then lowered the gun. I wondered if she heard my heart pounding and felt sorry. "My name is Lillith." She said, her eyes looking deeply into mine, with great intensity. I had to look down. "What is yours?" She asked.
I felt foolish, a sixteen year old kid intimidating me, now that was absurd! "I’m Julia." I said, daring to look back up at her.
She smiled a smile that contained a sadness, knowledge of all things gone wrong. "Your friends, are they safe?" She asked cautiously. "Will they hurt me?" Her grip on the rifle tightened to the point that her knuckles turned white.
I shook my head. "No, never." I assured her. "We are not like those people who did this to your family."
Her eyes watered, her mouth turned down bitterly. She shook her head and looked away from me. She closed her eyes tightly, and then opened them, clearing her throat. "Let’s go to the house. I trust you."
ALIX was sitting outside, at the front steps of the house. Her face was buried in her hands; her elbows were propped on her knees. Her hair cascaded over one side of her face, beautiful auburn waves seeming black by the dark blanket that was now the sky. The dim light bulb outside reflected a faint golden glow on her hair. She heard the sound of our feet crunching the dried ground and looked up, her eyes widening at the sight of Lillith. "Isn’t that the girl in the pictures?" She asked.
I nodded. "Her name is Lillith," I said. I looked at Lillith and said: "Lillith, this is Alix." Lillith was openly staring at Alix, her eyes gauging from head to toe.
Alix smiled awkwardly, aware of Lillith’s lingering eyes. "Nice to meet you, Lillith." She said as gracefully as she could, and looked at me. I was serious, swallowing hard, my skin growing hot, with the green eyed monster called Jealousy making its first visit. Alix smiled at me in the most reassuring way, it only made it worst. Her eyes widened and she looked away to Lillith, as I’m sure she felt safer not looking at me. "We’ve been wondering about you," She said, Lillith’s eyes snapped up. "How it is that-"
"That I survived?" Lillith cut her off bitterly, her grip on her shotgun tightening. "Because I hid, like a coward. While they killed my family, I hid in the barn, praying that they wouldn’t find me." Her face grew red and a tear slid from her eye. "I should’ve let them kill me too!" She lowered her head and began to cry.
I looked away, unsure of what to say. She was striking, but not as striking as Alix, who had an ethereal beauty, but she was close. Her figure was that of an athlete, or at least someone who worked heavy. I had been wrong in the assumption of her age; by really looking at her face, shaped so much like Alix’s, I knew she must have been nineteen or twenty.
OOPS! I was staring. I looked at Alix, she was staring too. Lillith lifted her head, wiping the tears from her eyes and cheeks with hasty wipes with the back of her hands. She looked at me, then at Alix, saying: "Let’s go inside," She said hoarsely. "So that I can meet the rest of your friends."
PAUL and Charles were in the kitchen, busily making something that smelled really good. They’d emptied the jeep of all the cans we had in the back, brought them into the house and began discussing the meal. Obviously, they’d agreed on something. Paul was fussing over the stove, stirring a pan almost overflowing with spaghetti. Charles was bent over the sink, washing dishes for the meal. They were sweating with the heat of the kitchen plus the heat coming from outside, it must have been a hundred degrees or so. Paul looked up as we walked into the kitchen and gasped. "That’s-"
"Her name is Lillith, Paul." I said, smiling. "She was at the barn. That is Charles." Charles smiled and waved a little. "She hid in the barn, that’s how she made it. The attackers didn’t think of looking in there."
Lillith looked down at the floor, and saw the small trace of blood that Paul and Charles couldn’t remove. She shook her heads, her lips pouted and her eyes watered. "I was a coward."
"It was an instinct." Charles said walking up to her and putting his hand on her shoulder. "Instincts are good sometimes." She looked into his eyes, as if seeking reassurance in them, and found it. "We would never blame you for what happened. So get that thought away from your mind. Okay?" He smiled his warm smile.
She nodded and smiled shakily. She looked at the food longingly. Paul smiled, and said: "Let’s munch, I’m starving!"
LILLITH insisted that Alix and I sleep in her parent’s room, she wouldn’t be able to herself, and it would be torturous. Paul and Charles were assigned the little boy’s- his name had been Louis- room. Lillith was yawning throughout the meal, saying she hadn’t slept basically since the explosion. "I was outside with Louis when it happened. I never heard a sound as loud as the one on that morning." She had said as she chewed on a meatball. "The earth shook and everything!" We compared stories, agreed that we all felt the same fear.
Alix was presently in the shower, having chosen to go last. I felt fresh after the cold shower, but the heat was intense and never rested. There was no breeze or winds, having the windows open meant nothing if you wanted to cool down. I was wearing a pair of light boxers and tight cotton tank-top.
I lay with my hands clasped behind my head and my legs crossed, looking straight up at the ceiling and thinking. I wondered where Maria was, if she made it out. Damn! I didn’t even try to get in touch with her! I shook my head as a feeling of guilt washed over me, and frowned.
"What are you thinking about?" Alix’s voice startled me; she stood by the door, rubbing her wet hair with a towel. She had my towel wrapped around her slender torso. I propped myself up on my elbows, studying her. She was gorgeous.
"I was thinking about Maria," I said thoughtfully. "I was wondering if she made it okay."
Alix closed the door and walked over to the bed, sitting beside me. "I’m sure she did." Alix said in her mystical tone, letting the towel drop from her head to her lap, her hands resting on it. Her eyes were very blue as they looked into mine, her lips curved softly in a smile. She lifted her hand to touch my face softly; her fingers grazed my cheek tenderly. "I love you, Julia." She whispered.
I let out a long breath I’d been holding since her fingers first touched my skin. I sat up, tore the towel from her body, and took her naked body into my arms, my breathing quickly growing erratic; she wrapped her arms around my neck, her chest pressing against mine. I broke out in a cold sweat, moving my face closer to hers and staring at full glistening lips. I felt her quick breath against my lips and took a deep breath, inhaling the sweet scent of her body. "Oh God, Alix!" I gasped, and kissed her, pressing my lips hard against hers.
Alix moaned deeply, opening her lips to allow my tongue passage. The inside of her mouth was velvety and hot, her soft tongue connecting with mine sending hot shivers through me. Her hands on my back pulled up at my tank-top, her body quivered. Alix pushed me onto my back, lying on top of me, her hands running up and down my sides. I was groaning fiercely, my body experiencing her touch keenly. She pulled my shirt up and off me, pulled my boxers off, and threw herself on top of me and kissed me again. I felt her soft body against my skin, a strong surge made me lift my hips against hers.
My hands gained a life of their own, ran down softly along her shapely thighs, her firm buttocks, her back. She laid astride me, pushing her chest against mine, her hips pressing against my abdomen and leaving a wet feeling against my skin. She was incandescent, her breath leaving her with the beginning of moans. She kissed my neck, her tongue caressing my skin with violent fervor, leaving me shaking and needing more. "Alix…" I groaned, my voice trailing off as her lips and tongue found my breasts. I felt my nipple enclosed by velvety softness and my back arched involuntarily, the great river of life running in between my legs. I hissed as she flicked her tongue slowly over my nipples.
Alix caressed between my thighs, her fingers going close, but not touching. She was moaning now, her tongue working miracles on my chest. She moved down, running her silky tongue along my ribs, going back up to trail it down the center of my chest and stomach. It left deliciously wet trails along my skin; I felt my eyes rolling beneath my lids. I propped myself back up on my elbows, looking down at her, with her lips pressed softly against the skin of my inner thighs; her kisses and licks sent cold shivers through my body. My breathing quickened as I saw and felt her lips move closer to my center, my hips lifted to meet her. "Oh, God-" I groaned as her tongue slithered into me, as her lips met my flesh.
She brought me to intense ecstasy with her tongue, her lips engulfing me sweetly. She was down between my legs for a long time, alternately pleasing me with her fingers deep inside me, her tongue adding to the pleasure that was killing me ever so softly. After a while, I couldn’t take it any longer, I pulled her up to kiss her lips, tasting myself, turning her over to lay on her back, throwing myself on top of her, still feeling the quivers between my legs. I pushed my hips in between her legs, feeling her wetness against my abdomen again. I pushed against her, she arched, her lips opened wide as the breath left her in a long groan.
I took a nipple into my mouth, sucking it, intent on pleasing her. She ran her fingers through my hair, burying her lips into the top of my head. I pushed harder and faster against her, until she arched with every movement I made. She wrapped her legs around me, I groaned against her nipple, her arms pulling my lips tighter against her chest. "Oh, God, Julia!" She groaned. "I’m coming! I’m- I-" Her words were interrupted by the violent orgasm that flowed through her body again and again. Her cries were choked, desperate, came from somewhere deep in her throat. And then she slouched, her body quivering violently; she was quiet as if in deep concentration. She suddenly unwrapped her legs from around my body and pulled my hand in between her legs, engulfing my fingers with her wetness.
I lay with my head against her chest for a while, my fingers engulfed by her, my satisfied body caught in her embrace. Her breathing slowly turned to normal, her heartbeat too. She stirred languorously, keeping me inside her with her hand. I was still shivering from the intensity of her orgasm, of my orgasm, which had come again when she came. "You are beautiful." She whispered against my forehead, her breath cool against my sweaty skin. I could smell her womanly scent on my skin, and wanted her all over again.
"Alix," I whispered, lifting my head to look up at her. She was gorgeous! Her wet hair unruly around her face, her cheeks flushed with her excitement, the sweat glistening with the lamp-light’s glow. Her beautiful baby blue eyes looking into mine with love. "I love you." And I kissed her, and took her again.
We made love, slower this time, more thoroughly, with even more passion.
FIFTEEN- Crush
LILLITH seemed to like us being around. She was hospitable, talkative. She was very glad to have company, as if being alone meant loosing her mind. We all did shores around the house and barn, enjoying the roof over our heads and willing to pay for it. Her father grew vegetables at the back of the house, having set up a large area behind the house for the task.
Most of the vegetables were dried up, and the others were drying with the intense heat and unusual land draught in the Pennsylvania territory. No matter how much water we were giving it, there was no hope of the plants blooming again. And I thought how it really was true that life on earth needed the sun to remain. I wondered how it was that this part of the earth could remain so hot, while others were freezing below zero. Perhaps the planet’s surface was miraculously shifting, causing this type of anomaly. Or maybe the heat of the planet’s core was concentrating more on some parts.
We attempted to get something through the old-style television, the only one in the house that was in Lillith’s room. Nothing. There was no cable TV or anything that could use satellites. The radio was disabled, too much static invaded it’s airwaves. Meaning that radio stations were no longer existing, or that satellites were no longer available. We were basically incommunicado. I was becoming a little unhinged, being in the middle of nowhere and no-time as we were. Alix would comfort me in bed, giving me all of her love and taking all of mine.
By now, we suspected Lillith knew of our love, Alix and I weren’t hiding it much.
Paul and Charles. Boy! From what I saw, they were becoming closer, did mostly everything together. I suspected that they’d already consummated their courtship, which had begun just around the time we arrived at this house. I felt a little sorry for Lillith, she was alone, had lost her family. Although she now had us, it wasn’t the same. She needed intimacy, someone to be close to, like Alix and I were. We started playing with Lillith’s father’s weapons, Lillith showing us the little tricks.
We all grew fond of her, became more like her family.
"YOU guys have made me feel cared for again," Lillith was saying as she and I lounged outside at the front porch, rocking lazily on the rocking chairs. Alix, Paul and Charles were already asleep. I wasn’t tired and couldn’t sleep. I had carefully left Alix’s side and bumped into Lillith outside. She’d been sitting on one of the two rocking chairs with her feet propped against the wall, looking out into the darkness. I sat down quietly, stretching my long legs out in front of me and crossing them. We’d looked out at the empty distance for a long time, in silence, before she spoke. "Thank you." She continued, her voice holding suppressed emotion.
I glanced over at her, smiling. I could only see her silhouette in the darkness, but I knew she was beautiful still. "We are very fond of you, Lillith." I said gently.
I saw the shadow of her head lean back against the back of the rocking chair. She was quiet for a long time, and then I made out her head turning towards me. "Alix-" She said, and hesitated for a moment. "Does- does she love you, Julia?"
I was quiet, I could feel myself blushing violently. Pretend you don’t understand, I told myself. "Yes, just like Paul-"
"You know how I mean," She cut me off softly. "Don’t play stupid with me." She chided gently.
I was dumbfounded, even though I already suspected she already knew. I never thought she’d ask me, but then again, she was the kind of person that was straightforward and never hesitated too long. "Well," I began, taking a deep breath and bracing for her reaction. "Yes." I looked over her in her direction, trying to see the expression on her face through the darkness. "She tells me all the time."
Lillith didn’t move, her head remained turned towards me. I felt like she could see the flush of my cheeks. She was quiet for a while, and I waited for her to speak. "Okay," She finally said, her voice husky. She stood up slowly, and walked towards the steps. With her hands shoved deep in the pockets of her cargo shorts, she stared out into the dark distance. I watched her lithe shadow quietly for a while.
"If this makes you feel uncomfortable, we can leave." I said softly. I waited for an answer. She said nothing. I nodded slowly, standing. "Okay," I said wearily. "I’ll get Alix and the guys."
She turned suddenly towards me, walked closer to me in quick long strides. She stood very close to me, her face only inches from mine. Her quick movements stunned me, her closeness. She smelled good, her breath was sweet and hot against my lips. "What if I told you I love you?" She demanded, her grip on my arm tight a little painful. She was surprisingly strong.
I stared across the darkness at her in complete surprise, trying to make out her expression. "What are you talking about?" I exclaimed as soon as I found my voice. "You don’t know what you’re talking about!" I stepped back, trying to get my bearings. She kept pace with me, bringing herself even closer to me. She pushed me against the wall, trapping me with her body. Her body was hard against mine, her breasts full and round.
Her lips were close to mine, her face tilted upwards. She breathed hard, pressing her body hard against mine. "Oh, I know what I’m talking about." She breathed, bringing her hand to the back of my head and pressing her lips to mine. They were so soft and warm against mine. I felt the breath leaving my body. God! I couldn’t help but respond. A surge of adrenaline hit my body and I had her in my arms, opening my mouth to hers and pushing my tongue deep into the silky wetness of her mouth. Her arms wound tightly around me, her tongue caressed mine, her hard body awakening intense pleasure. She was pressing her hips against mine, soft moans escaping her throat.
Alix! Her name hit me like a bolt of lightning, making me push Lillith away with surprising force, sending her sprawling against one of the rocking chairs. Alix. I loved her, more than anything in this world, and I couldn’t do this to her. I couldn’t hurt her, because I’d be hurting myself, infinitely. Alix is a half of me that I would hate to loose. "I can’t!" I gasped, bracing myself against the wall. I fought against the surge of passion that had overtaken my body.
Lillith was leaning against the rocking chair, I could feel her eyes on me. I could hear her hard breathing. "Why can’t you?" She demanded softly, but with great feeling, her voice husky and full of want. "I love you." She whispered tenderly, I felt a shiver run through my body. "Can’t you see that? Doesn’t it matter to you?"
My breathing was slowing down to normal again, but my body was still reacting powerfully to the kiss. "It matters to me," I said slowly. "But not because I love you. I just don’t want to hurt you."
She stood up again, walking slowly towards me, like a predator towards it’s prey. "You’re hurting me by refusing me!" She whispered passionately, standing very close to me again. I wanted to take her in my arms and devour her right then and there, but I held back, my body fighting against me. She touched my face with her fingertips, running them along my lips reverently, as if trying to see them in the darkness. I closed my eyes tightly and found myself breathing hard again. And then she moved even closer, bringing her lips to mine again, running her tongue against them. My knees weakened. Alix popped into my head again, I pushed Lillith away with such force that she couldn’t keep her balance.
"We are leaving!" I rasped, turning and stumbling into the house.
Alix was awake in the bedroom, laying on her back and staring at the ceiling with wide eyes. I closed the door behind me and leaned against it, staring at her. "Alix," I said softly. She turned her eyes towards me, expressionless, her beautiful blue eyes narrowing. I walked tentatively towards the bed, and sat next to her. "I want us to move on." I whispered, hoping she wouldn’t ask me why. Of course, she did the complete opposite of what I wished.
She stared at me with a strange expression. "Why?" She asked, sitting up and crossing her legs.
"I just do." I replied a little guiltily. "I thought that maybe we could go… ah… to Chicago! To my parents!" Good excuse. "They must surely by worrying about me. Heck, I’m worried about them!" I was babbling nervously, but it was the truth, I was worrying about them.
Alix cocked her head to the side, and stared at me as if she were looking into me. Her pupils were strangely large and covered most of the blue of her eyes. Her hair framed her soft face beautifully. She was stunning. "It’s because of Lillith, isn’t it?" She asked me softly.
God-all-mighty and her damn intuitions! "No!" I said a little too quickly, my hands shook. I wasn’t doing a good job at trying to keep the situation from her. I always found that I couldn’t keep things from her for too long. "Why do you say that? Have I done anything to-"
She laughed, catching me by surprise. I stopped babbling and stared at her. "You don’t have to do anything, baby!" She said after a while. "All you have to do is breathe and they’re on you like flies." She continued chuckling until her breath grew short.
I was stunned. "What are you talking about?" I demanded, angry because she found this so funny.
Alix’s eyes were glistening brightly, a mysterious light reflecting off them. They looked almost like two little pools, but they weren’t teary. "It’s like you, not to have known. God! You didn’t even know I was falling apart for you until Paul told you. You would’ve still been moping around for me if I hadn’t had the sense to tell Paul of my feelings for you." She paused to laugh some more. "And you know Georgia?" She asked.
I frowned in confusion. "What about Georgia?" Alix didn’t answer, just wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. I snorted, dismissing the thought. "Nah!" I said with a disbelieving smile. Alix’s smile grew, and she nodded slowly. "You’ve got to be kidding me! She hated me."
Alix lay back on the bed, propped on her elbows, a half smile on her lips. I couldn’t help but notice the tug of her cotton tank-top against her full breasts. "Georgia had the biggest crush on you, she even carried your picture with her." She said.
I poked her. "And how do you know that?" I challenged her. "Did you poke around in her shit?"
She laughed sensuously. "It would have been a little too stinky, my love." She joked, laughing softly this time. "Once, she dropped her purse. Your good friend Lucas caught sight of it."
"She liked Paul." I pointed out with an air of triumph.
"Millions of people are bisexual." Alix pointed out with even more triumph. "There began my suspicion."
My shoulders drooped. I thought about the way Georgia treated me. And she liked me? What would it have been like if she hated me? "But when did you really know?" I asked.
Alix shrugged. "When we went to the office that last time and I leaned towards her over the desk and looked into her eyes." She said.
"Sometimes I think you’re psychic." I muttered, reaching over and taking her hand. I played with her soft fingers.
"Sometimes I think so too." She whispered, looking intently at me. As if on an afterthought, a smile on her full lips, she said: "Maria had a crush on you too."
"Oh, Christ!" I exclaimed, rolling my eyes. "And how did you figure that one?"
"She flirted with you," Alix replied. "She let you believe that friendly was as far as it got. I watched her those times we took the train together, and I’m sure she was hoping you would take it beyond that one day. She was supposedly straight and needed someone to initiate her."
I remained quiet. "Which brings us, last and not least, Lillith." She declared grandly. "Lillith has been drooling all over you ever since we found her."
"Have you seen it with your psychic eye?" I asked sarcastically, feeling angry and exposed.
"Nope." Alix said, shaking her head. "Our beautiful friend had the grace and nerve to tell me."
"I thought whom she had a crush on was you." I said. "When we met her, she couldn’t keep her eyes off you. As a matter of fact, you couldn’t keep your eyes off her either!" I growled, Jealousy making it’s now regular visit.
Alix wasn’t phased, she shrugged. "Neither could you, Julia. Remember that." She said seriously. I decided to keep quiet. "Lillith confessed to having an attraction to me also, in no uncertain physical terms. Of course-"
I fumed. "The Goddamned bitch!" I growled, wanting to bash her face in. "How dare-"
Alix put her hand over my mouth. "What matters is that I refused, although for a moment there I did respond." She said gently, but with a command for me to shut up. She took her hand away and leaned back on her elbows. "She also confessed to her physical attraction to you. She is more attracted to you than she is to me, I must tell you. And I don’t blame her, you are one hunk." She stopped, and waited for me to speak.
I was quiet for a second or two. "She said she loved me." I finally said to her, breathing a sigh of relief. I felt better just telling her. I told her of the kiss, of my reaction, of the way my body felt when I kissed her back. And then I stopped, waiting to see Alix’s reaction.
"She does have some kind of appeal," She said with a smile in her eyes, letting me know she wasn’t upset. "But she confuses the feelings of her body with those of her heart. She’s never been physically with anybody. Maybe she needs to experience."
"Well, there’s bound to be someone bouncing around close by." I grumbled sarcastically.
"I was suggesting you show her what it’s like." Alix said.
I couldn’t believe my ears. "What!" I exclaimed, glaring at her.
Alix smiled again, and said: "Sometimes, no matter how in love you’re with someone, you may feel an attraction to someone else, an attraction that may grow to be a little annoying, or that may just go away some time." She deliberated for a few seconds. "I suspect hers may grow to be a little annoying for us, if something is not done."
"So you’re telling me to sleep with her?" I retorted. A thought flashed into my mind. I looked at her suspiciously. "Did you-"
Alix laughed her silky laugh. "No!" She said. "I’m not that attracted to her," She continued. "At least not as much as you are."
I looked away from her. "You don’t trust me?" I asked softly. "You don’t think I could refuse her for too long?"
Alix smiled gently. "Oh, I do trust you." She said softly. "I trust our love to survive anything, even another body." She took my hand, squeezing it lovingly. "She needs you right now."
"You want me to got her right now and sleep with her?" I demanded angrily.
Alix smiled mystically. "The time will come when it’ll be right." She advised.
I studied her; her beautiful, fine features, her deep blue eyes, eyes that changed more and more, and that saw more and more. Alix was changing before my eyes, her intuitions more accurate. I thought it may have been something accredited to the changes of the earth. Maybe. I took her in my arms, held her tightly, burying my face into the hollow of her neck. I felt her wrap her arms tightly around me, felt her kiss my ear softly. "Alix," I whispered softly. "I love you, only you!"
And I kissed her, my tongue caressing and exploring the softness inside her mouth.