The morning sun was just coming over the horizon, but Ari felt no joy in the prospect of observing it. Thanks to Trevor and his accomplices, it would be a long time before she quit associating the sunrise with what happened to her.
“Come, girl,” Olga said in a firm tone. “Let’s watch the sunrise together.”
Knowing that Olga was aware of her love for the morning’s light, she could think of no justifiable way to decline. With a sigh of resignation, she joined the older woman who was sitting on a fallen log with her body facing in the direction of the rising sun and wearing a smile of anticipation. Within seconds, Felix joined them.
The light that grew stronger with every minute of sunrise showed the three spectators something that they never expected to see. There, in the field where they’d held council just the night before was a small herd of walking dead battling a half dozen creatures that had the body of a
Kendra stroked the stubbled hint of a beard on Rex’s face as she debated whether or not to give him his first shot. She cursed herself for not having the presence of mind to have asked Josie to explain what type of reaction Rex might have. Would it be physical? Emotional? Was she capable of handling it on her own? Or, should she do her best to get back to her family where she’d have help.Taking the water jug, she carefully tipped it to his lips to make sure that he stayed hydrated during their long journey.After checking on the baby’s position to make sure that he’d stay secure during the travel, she loosely propped the tarp over them to protect them from the sun’s rays, but still allow a comfortable air flow for them, and then climbed back into the driver’s seat.By the position of the sun, she guessed that she had about four hours of sunlight left to her before she’d have to find a
Olga and Felix had just finished packing up their camp when Ari returned with Jax’s soldier. She quickly explained that the others were bringing Kendra, Rex, and a baby by pony cart but that he wanted them all together for strength in the event of a battle against the aliens as well as peace of mind in knowing where everyone was. She’d hardly finished her explanation before Felix and Olga were mounted and ready to leave.They were closer to each other than they’d imagined. Within an hour Kendra’s cart – surrounded by Jax and his soldiers- could be seen making its way down the road.Felix kicked his horse into action and raced toward them. Not as expert in the saddle and very aware of the hard macadam beneath her horse, Olga had to be content with urging her horse into a trot.The reunion was bittersweet as they embraced and cried while giving just enough information about what had been happening to each
The location that Ari found for them was as close to perfect as Olga could have asked for. She quickly went about assigning tasks for everyone so that the camp was set up in record time. Kendra was amazed at the lack of resistance Jax gave Olga when she barked orders to his men. Most of them obediently obliged her right away. Of the one or two who looked to Jax for guidance over what to do, he simply nodded his approval of her request and they went about it without question.Felix took charge of the baby that Kendra had rescued. As he swaddled the infant in a clean shirt from his backpack, he noted how familiar the features of the little tyke were. Was he Kendra’s child? No. He had Rex’s bone structure and -although he was still too young to tell for sure- it looked like he had his nose as well.Olga took a brief moment to coo over the infant before she poured her attention towards Rex’s well-being. She accepted the littl
It took all three of the prepared shots before Rex was able to comfortably move about and speak coherently. At first, he remembered very little about what he’d endured, but what he did remember left his mood dark and sullen. As time moved forward, more bits and pieces of what occurred came forth, like a puzzle waiting to be put together.He quietly sat and listened to Jax and his men update him on the preparations that they were making and the precautions that they were taking in the event that the aliens sent a search party after Kendra and him.Doing his best to focus on their words, he battled memory flashes of strange naked women mounting him as he lay strapped to the bed. When his manhood began to react as erotic sensations accompanied one particular vision, he quickly forced it from his mind while doing his best to put his body in check. This type of reaction to a sexual thought had never occurred before. He assumed it was residue from the shots
It was past midnight before the camp settled down for the night. Although Rex and Kendra lay together in the make-shift tent that they’d created with the tarp from the cart, they lay stiff and separate. Kendra wanted to feel the security and love of being wrapped in his powerful arms, but she feared that he might want more from her than she was presently comfortable with.The thought of being touched in an intimate way - even by Rex- after being manhandled for so long by the guards and being forced to climb atop strange men by the aliens made her hesitate. She just needed a little time without sex to put the past behind her.Understanding that everyone was different and, therefore, had different needs for healing, she decided that if he needed the intimacy of coupling with her to bring normalcy back into his own existence, she would ignore her own emotions. She loved him and wanted things to go back to the way they were as quic
They made it back to Center Land without mishap. True to his word, Jax spread the word that Trevor had been speaking garbage and that he and his men had witnessed, firsthand, the courage that the female soldier possessed. He proudly proclaimed that he’d accept a mission with her at any time and urged his men to give her the respect, consideration… and apologies… that she deserved. Although it felt good to finally be free of their taunting and ostracizing, Ari just couldn’t muster up a warm and fuzzy feeling for her comrades and she doubted if she ever could.“They love you now,” Felix said as he lay on the narrow bed and nestled his face into her bare breast.“I could care less,” she sighed. “It’s too late.”“You need to try to find the good in what we’ve been through before you become permanently embittered,” he murmured.“That’s one
Kendra slipped out of the great hall as quietly as she could. She’d just witnessed Felix’s wedding and was filled with mixed emotions. She was happy for him, of course. It was wonderful that, after all of the misery he’d seen in his short life, he’d managed to find love. Unfortunately, the blatant happiness of the newlyweds mirrored her own misery back at her.She and Rex were far from normal in their relationship since they’d escaped the aliens; let alone happy. It was weeks since their escape and they’d yet to come together as man and wife. Nor had they sat down to talk about what they’d been through. It was like it had never happened.They could use the excuse that their days were filled with searching for information about how they might get Eugene back. Olga had even stood before the village leaders on more than one occasion to plead for his return. Sadly, she was given the same response each
Felix noted the looks on the faces of the three people he loved with all of his heart as they joined in the reception celebration, but he and Ari were inundated with well-wishers and their toasts so he was unable to make his way to them to see what was up. Also, his beautiful bride was glowing with happiness and enjoying the adoration and complements that were flowing her way. After such a long time of being mistreated by her peers, it had to be like a dream for them to be surrounding her with laughter and marriage jokes as if they were the best of friends. He couldn’t spoil the moment for her. If whatever was bothering his family was truly serious, he was certain that they’d find a way to confer with him about it.As time progressed, he and his bride eventually managed to work their way to the table that his family sat around. They were in such deep and serious conversation that they didn’t notice the newlyweds standing next to them.