Rise Once More (20 page)

Haus spun Amy around, grabbing her left side, and pushing away on the right. Amy leaned backwards, angled away from him, her back skirting the surface of the water. Small waves created in her forward movement. Until Haus held her with both hands, outstretched, and then pulling her in close. Amy's hips slammed into his, forming a V shape with their bodies, and the air borne fish splashed down in front of them.

The slimy little creature was wedged between their chests, this time his barbs were folded flat against its own body, disabled the only defense the critter had at its disposal. Haus held Amy firmly against his body, as the fish trashed violently trying to escape, until Amy reached down and forced her hand inside the fishes mouth.

Amy dug her fingernails into the lower jaw of the catfish, using her thumb to hook around into its gills, the catfish could not escape her grip and she flung it onto the grassy bank. Its moist body flopped around helplessly just a few feet away from the other fish. Amy looked up at Haus, a bit taken back by his quick reaction that trapped the five pound fish between them. Once again Haus had came through once again and gotten something done, even if it wasn't exactly conventional.

Catching the fish really didn't matter to Amy; at least not right now, she was starving, but feeling the strong embrace of another human satisfied her more; the satisfaction that could only come from the  arms of a man, the coarse neglected skin of a man's hand, and not just any man. The same man that had driven her away from her former friends turned into mindless beasts. The very same man that had held a gun to her chose not to squeeze the trigger and put himself and his friend in danger by taking a chance on her.

She could have easily been one of the infected, he had little time to make that decision, yet he made the right decision and had watched over her ever since. Amy stood in front of Haus, looking back at him, his arms still wrapped around her waist like an unwavering sentry. Holding her close, keeping her safe from harm, and a gaze in his eyes that calmed her fears.

Water droplets trickled down his chest, illuminated very subtly by the weak moonlight, while a fire fly hovered directly in front of their faces. Its green glow pulsed slowly at first, but it chose to stay still and its pulses grew more frequent, until it looked like a tiny green strobe light. Amy knew in that moment, she was no longer looking at Haus the man, but rather her protector and as long as she with him everything was going to be just fine.

Amy sensed something moving, just to the right of her inner thigh, it radiated like a furnace in the water. Heating the water ever so subtly, she was not startled at all, this movement she had expected, even anticipated it and it confirmed exactly what she had thought earlier.

A warm object gently nudged against her panties, the heat it generated in pulses, matched by the small bulge in Haus neck, as his jugular bounced under each heavy heartbeat. A bounce of the heart, his neck pulsated, and another warm wave of water tickled her thigh. Amy moved in closer, closing the gap between their two bodies, starting at the belly, flesh meeting flesh, inch by inch until their ribcages pressed together.

Amy reached out, her hands resting on Haus's neck, as she tightened her grip, each finger on her hand interlocked with the opposite one, until she had formed a web with her hands. Like a black widow seducing her prey, her web now cast, she pulled him in even closer. Her eyes locked with his, as she moved to less than a few centimeters from his mouth.

Her lips, radiating heat of their own, danced seductively slightly above his; she paused only for a moment, as if she anticipated him to pull away. She knew better than that. No need to second guess or even doubt at this point. She knew, he wanted her, more than anything else in the world. Yet she loved the idea of stretching it out, making him beg a little bit more, before she finally gave in.

The power of having complete control over him, watching him squirm, knowing all too well what will happen in a few minutes. She was in control, and knew he wouldn't cross the line, unless she had given him permission.
He was so scared to make a move even though I have given him every sign that it was his territory to lay claim. No. Haus wouldn't do that.

Haus stood still, a silent statue to the events unfolding around him. He ached, every ounce of his being wanted to burst through, unleash the carnal rage that had built up inside of him. To be with her, not just in his thoughts, but to actually mean something to her.

Amy was the first to cross the line, she had seen enough, satisfied her own desire to be an object of affection. She leaned forward and pressed her lips against his. A single spark, like a carelessly tossed cigarette into a pool of gasoline ignited, sending flames in every direction.

The few remaining undergarments that remained, flew towards the bank, eyes locked, engaged in a rabid passion. Haus placed a hand under her hips, lifted her slightly and carried her to shore. His heart raced, and the hormones ravaged his body. He placed her body on the sandy shore, his gaze never leaving hers, as he nipped at her neck and ears.

Haus made a single thrust; the warmth enveloped him, and sent chills down his spine. He grabbed at Amy's hair, pulling her long hair into his fist, the feelings overwhelmed him.
Was it possible to experience so much pleasure?
He thrust again, this time with more force, trying to regain his composure. It was far too late for that.

Amy was the boss, and she now called the shots. He bucked, hoping each thrust would bring her closer to her goal. Haus thrust forward, giving everything he had, hoping to turn the tide of the orgasmic battle. Amy's toes started to tingle, a familiar feeling she had felt many times before, it slowly crept up her legs, like an old fashioned chord fuse on a bomb. She knew what would happen once it arrived at its destination just below her belly button.

The tingling sensation advance wasn't steady, it advanced forward, then retreated slightly before pushing forward. Much like the waves crashing on the beach, each small crest would land, licking the grains of sand, spending its energy, and retreating slightly to regain strength.

Haus continued thrusting, synching his movements with the sway of her hips, and gently nibbled on her neck. He could feel a tingling sensation of his own, one he had known many times before, an itchy feeling at the tip of his manhood. It had reached critical mass, sensation overload, and the end was quickly approaching for him. He tried to suppress it, biting down on his own tongue, he knew the feeling of pain would delay it a little more. Hopefully long enough to know she was getting very close, he could keep it at bay for a small amount of time, and if he timed it just right he could finish at the last second.

Amy felt the fuse getting close, growing in intensity, each wave advancing faster, it wouldn't be long now, and she needed the release; a real orgasm, not a pity one, as she had given many times before. They did the job, made her lover feel better about themselves, but couldn't compare to the mind shattering ones she could induce solo. The fuse was just a few inches away, and she wanted it badly.
Just a few seconds more. Don't stop now. Just a little longer.

Haus knew his time was up, a few more thrusts, and it was time to pay the piper. He could feel Amy tensing up, her muscles deep inside started to contract, and he was so close to the edge himself that he worried he wouldn't make the last few seconds.

A few seconds, a fractional amount of time separated him from being the best, and being just another disappointing lay. He knew it, his body knew it, but his body screamed at him to slam once more and unleash all of his pent up aggression.
Not this time. She is out of your league. I've been lucky so far, and if I want to change her mind... One shot. Get it done son!

Haus bit down into his tongue, much harder than before, the pain registered in his brain, and sent its message back.
Have you lost your fucking mind?
Yes he had. He lost it long ago, this woman owned him, every ounce of his being was being tested, and he would be damned to allow it to go to the way side. The iron laden taste of blood filled his mouth, his teeth still clenched together when he felt another sensation.

Deep inside of Amy, muscles spasmed, contracting, forming a death grip on his penis. The fuse had reached her core, the black powder kegs had been ignited, and powerful bursts of energy radiated outward. A concussive force, detonated deep inside her body, and her toes started to curl inward. Here it was at last, she felt the release explode, and let out a scream of ecstasy.

Amy's finger nails dug deep into Haus's back, her hands frozen in place, nails digging deeper, holding her prey captive, the time had come and Haus couldn't hold out any longer. He tried his best to avoid it, but something beyond his power threw him over the edge.
Pain.
Not the self-induced pain to suppress his orgasm, pain that he welcomed, a final confirmation that he could thankfully let go.

Haus thrust one last time, pinning himself deep inside Amy, as his seed spilled out. Amy's claws pushed down, relieving themselves of the previous position, dragging along his back, bloody trails left behind, as she stopped on his buttocks. Gripping once again, and thrusting his hips towards her, trying to force him even deeper inside her.

Amy's body shuttered violently, pushing even harder against her new lover, her fingers dug deeply into his flesh, and a new trail of blood began. This was something beyond what she expected, the newly spent fluids, deep inside her caused an unrelenting wave of pleasure, and she wanted to feel every part of it. Her hips shifted upwards, as to cause the semen to run down deeper inside her, it was instinctively, and far beyond her rational thought.

Haus fell forward, satisfied; his member pulsed in time with his heart beat. Every pulse, gave way to another whimper from Amy, another muscle spasm, a confirmation of a job well-done. Haus laid his head on Amy's chest, listening to her racing heart, beating in time with his own. Amy wrapped her arms around his back, squeezing him closely, and let her exhausted head fall back into the grass.

The two lay there, exhausted, mentally and physically until sleep took hold. Locked together, embraced in each other's arms, the sounds of crickets filled the night air. A single firefly hovered above them, its greenish light casting shadows below, until it too found a mate for the evening and flew away.

Chapter Twenty Two

Breakfast in Bed

Amy was the first to wake, it was dark out, and her body still tingled. She looked at Haus, his face partially illuminated by the moonlight, and then the pain in her stomach reminded her why she had awoke. It had been ages since they both had eaten, or at least it felt that way, she wanted food before they engaged in the act.
What an act it was!

It was a first for her. The first time a man had actually got her to that moment without any help. She had previous lovers, each self-confident, and each tried to please her, yet each one had ended in the pity orgasm.
Haus was different.
She thought to herself. She thought about everything, the lighting, the atmosphere, and the intangibles. There was nothing over the top she could think of, except the intense feeling she felt once he entered inside of her.

Not overly big, definitely not small, just right, she cooed. That was it.
Perfect.
She mumbled. He had manipulated her, pushed when needed, sent her into a realm she had not known before. Just by accomplishing that, he at least deserved some food, and she was hungry herself. It was a win across the board.

Amy headed down to the shore to retrieve her catch, and in doing so she noticed the wayward catfish. The same fish they had caught, it was still fighting, still twisting in the grass. She gathered both fish, and headed back to camp.

Haus remained asleep, ignorant of her actions, asleep, and satisfied.
He has done enough.
Amy thought as she cleaned the fish.
They very least I could do is offer a warm meal. He rocked me to the core, and I want an encore, or two.

Amy prepared the fish, dipping them in batter, and then tossed them into the skillet. The familiar smell of a fish frying entered her nose, bringing back a tidal wave of happy memories, and she had just added another memory to the smell. She flashed a devilish grin, as she poked at the browning fish bites, a hum buzzing on her lips.

She hadn't heard Haus wake up, or him stalking around behind her, she was unaware of his presence until he leaned forward and placed his hand on her shoulder. “You must have read my mind.” He said softly as he rubbed her shoulder.

“
Just in time!” She chirped. Swishing the spatula under the now golden bite sized pieces of fish and flinging them onto a paper plate. “Try one.” She said offering the plate over to him.

“
I will wait for you to eat first.” Haus said. Amy shot him an incredulous look, and bull dogged him with her eyes for a few moments before speaking.

“
Where I am from... You eat what you are served and when you are served. Don't piss off the chef my mother always said.” Another memory flashed across her mind, a similar situation that had happened between her parents. Dad, always trying to be a gentlemen insisted that everyone ate before him, and he would happily clean up the left-overs.

Thinking back to that nightly ritual, everyone sat down and ate, while dad read the paper calmly, occasionally asking how the day had gone or if my mother had heard about a recent news story. Now that she was thinking about it, he had seldom eaten directly in front of them, rather he would eat his fill while the kids got ready for bed and Mom tended to the bedtime stories.

It was one of those small things a person doesn't think twice about as a child, but as an adult make perfect sense. It wasn't because he didn't need to eat, he chose not to eat, and whatever was left was his reward. He was the provider for the family; it was his job to keep food on the table, and moms to make sure it was warm. If there wasn't enough to go around, he made sure his priorities were met, wife and children were fed, and he could make do with whatever was left; simply because if there wasn't enough, it was his fault, and he alone accepted to shoulder that burden, even if it meant a rumbling stomach to remind him to work harder.

It was that attribute that her father was known for, always thinking of others, putting himself at the bottom end of the receiving line. Everyone loved her father, the countless things he did may have gone unpaid at the time, but they always came back around. More often than not, paid back with interest, and had always benefited their family. He always made sure of it, because his family was more important than his own life.

“I have never eaten catfish before. Is it supposed to taste like this?” Haus asked. Amy's eyes grew wide, a feeling of insult tensed her body, and she was just about to speak. She was just about to assault him, throw hot oil onto him, and chastise him about not pissing of the chef.
He honestly has the balls to bitch about the meal I just made for him?
Amy's teeth clenched, as she raised the spatula, and tried to suppress this newly formed rage until Haus interrupted her.

“
Fucking amazing!” Haus said, in between chewing and shoving more breaded bites into his mouth. He hovered over the grease soaked paper plate, snatching up the final bits of crumbs with his fingers and shoving them into his mouth. Haus looked down at the now empty plate, like an orphan child named Oliver, his gaze focused on Amy hoping to find that she held some back in reserve.

“
You really like it?” Amy asked. Her rage instantly suppressed by his words and actions.

“
I can see why you wanted it so badly. My mind is blown right now. I have never tasted anything better in my entire life and I am not a fish fan at all.” Haus said.

“
Plenty more where that came from, just give me a little bit longer to fry it up.” Amy said.

“
That's fine. I need to figure out a route to Eiccas place. We are really close and I want to double check some avoidance areas.” Haus said as he gave her a kiss on the cheek and wandered off towards the Corolla.

Haus looked at the map, barely legible thanks to a weak interior light of the car, it was almost a straight shot due south to Eiccas address. He was unfamiliar with the area, and had to use his best guess as to which areas were densely populated. The good news is they were close; two hours drive if they went straight at it, but four hours if they took back roads.

They were close to Nashville, which was an obvious, no-go zone, and Haus looked harder at the map. A few interstates traced out lines before him, once again an area he wanted to avoid, but a large green area indicating protected land caught his eye. There were no roads on the map going through the large green area, but he knew there had to be some.

The map was made to show the fastest venue to drive through, but he wasn't interested in that, common meant people and at this time people meant death. There had to be a road to get through the area, one that wasn't indicated on the map, and the very road he wanted to travel. Haus analyzed the map once again, focusing on the green area, looking for a clue that would reveal the road to him.

Amy opened the door, sitting down in the passenger seat, and offering Haus another heaping plate of catfish bites. They sat together, feasting, and going over the next course of action. Haus showed her the destination and his idea of crossing through the green area via some unmarked road. To avoid any large areas filled with people, and in hopes avoiding any complications.

Amy let out a giggle and motioned for Haus to pay attention. “You are thinking about this the wrong way. You are using a map, created by people, to get them to stop at certain places. You don't honestly think that the roads featured are the best ones? Not by a long shot. It all comes down to money and tourism.” Amy said.

“Follow the land. If it needs to be traveled it will be. How else do they shuttle in supplies? There isn't very many areas that don't have a homestead, or even a person living off it. Alaska is pretty damn desolate, but they still have supply lines. Easy to follow supply lines at that.” Amy said.

“
I don't see any roads.” Haus said.

“
That is because your map is worthless!” Amy said.

“
It's the only map we have.” Haus said.

“
AND I am telling you it isn't worth the paper it's printed on.” Amy said.

“
Alright. You want to lead this expedition, go right ahead. Once we get lost, expect me to say I told you so.” Haus said.

“
We won't.” Amy said motioning down to the map, her finger placed at the base of a mountain town, near the green area, and tracing a line around the protected zone.

“
That's our road. Follow it and we can cut the trip down to under two hours.” Amy said confidently, “as long as you don't follow the speed limit on a gravel road.”

“
Gravel road?” Haus said with a confused look across his face.

“
Just let me drive. I got it from here and hold on to your ass during the ride.” Amy said.

They packed up the meager supplies, placing them in the trunk, and with Amy at the wheel burst out into the uncharted back roads. She accelerated much faster than Haus was comfortable with, the car fish tailed, spewing gravel out as she darted between roads. Changing directions frequently, and hopping onto different gravel roads, as if they were an interstate highway.

They flew past a sign indicating entry to the state of Georgia, it was just a minor flash, and one of many, as Amy drove the old car at over 100 miles per hour down a gravel road. She had told him it was under control, but Haus had his doubts as the car fishtailed. Damn near spinning out of control, as she entered into what she called a minimum maintenance road.

That wasn't any road he had encountered before, but was left helpless to her navigation. The car bucked, swayed, and followed a path only a suicidal monkey could follow. Yet she held fast, cranking the wheel at an intersection, and punching the gas at any opportunity.

Haus wondered if it was possible to get sea sick on land, because he sure felt like spewing chunks out the window. Amy handled it all in stride, her hands gripping the wheel tightly and cackling maniacally after each turn. A few times the car went airborne and came down hard with the crunch of metal on rocks as the bottom frame scraped the road.

Minutes seemed to last an eternity, well at least for Haus, Amy was having the time of her life. The sun had just cracked over the horizon, its life giving rays spilling out, and illuminating the world. There were a few spots that could cling with shadows, but in a matter of minutes they too would be embraced by the suns radiance.

WOODBURRY CITY LIMIT. The rectangular green sign, unceremoniously welcomed them to their destination. “Stop the car Amy.” Haus commanded, and she slammed the brakes, skidding the car to an abrupt halt. The tone of Haus's voice had alarmed her, he hadn't spoke in nearly two hours, and she wondered if he saw something she didn't.

“
Did you see that?” Haus said.

“
See what?” Amy asked.

“
Exactly. Where are the people?” Haus said, his eyes darting in different directions. Scanning the foreign town for any potential threats. Amy looked around as well, but she still could not spot any movement. That is until something caught her eye, she read the sign, then glanced down at her watch and began laughing.

“
What the hell is so funny?” Haus asked, a little annoyed at her taking the situation lightly.

“
Population 921: its 5:14 AM on a Saturday.”Amy said, her voice still lingering with giggles, as she looked at Haus, placed the car in drive and took the first right hand turn.

“
Amy! I told you to stop the car. What are you doing?” Haus said.

“
I am taking the scenic route. Look around Haus, this is small town USA, and in small towns aint nobody going to be moving around at 5 AM on a Saturday. Do you see something else?” Amy said calmly.

“
I don't see any people! Which means they must be infected, and getting ready to rip our throats out at any moment.” Haus replied.

Amy drove around, sitting in silence, ignoring Haus's demands for her to stop the car. She knew this feeling too well, the feeling of small town living, and knowing that the residents were just fine. A little annoyed by the lack of electricity, concerned by the news reports, but even when things get bad small town folks stick together.

They weather the storms of life, watching each other's backs, offering whatever they can to help a neighbor, and even when things get even worse they find a way to make it through. Amy recalled her grandfather speak about the great depression, the great dust bowl days, as if they were another hurdle in life, they had suffered, but rather than dwell on it they found a way to survive. That is the way small town folks lived, everyday was a struggle, and they were not strangers to dealing to adversity.

“
You know what else you don't see Haus?” Amy said, her voice changing, as if she was a tour guide preaching to a group of tourists. “You don't see any chaos. Where is the broken glass, looted businesses, or abandoned cars?” Amy said.

Haus looked around, expecting to see something out of place, but couldn't find anything. The streets were tidy, lawns kept, and no real sign that something was wrong; as if this whole shit-storm had not affected them somehow. Cars were in drive ways, keys in the ignition no doubt, because this was a small town and in small towns people trust each other. The only thing he could see that wasn't normal was the lack of electricity, but there was no real way to know if it was out. It was daylight now and street lamps would have already flipped off by now.