The Nameless Survivor (Valkyrie) (14 page)

             
The flashing subsided and I dug in to find any shard of courage left within me. Slowly I cracked open the door and the abrasive wind pushed it into me like a freight train, how the infected could withstand natures wrath so easily was a mystery to me. But I braced the door with what strength I could conjure and slowly raised my gun out the crack as I waited for the next flash to provide a clean shot. My eyes squinted with the next blinding flash, yet they remained opened just enough to see the same lone figure standing just before me. His mouth agape and releasing a foul stench as he moaned and moved forward into the doorway. My finger snapped the trigger back as I stumble down onto the floor in shock. A direct hit and his body slumped down into the entryway as black and putrid blood poured from his cheek and pooled upon the floor.

             
I know that I had shouted something, but for the life of me I don't remember what. Most likely it was simple, like “Shit!” or “Fuck!” Yet when the next flash came, I definitely used the F word. The howling wind must have muffled its approach, yet luckily the bright blue flash revealed a charging, large dark mass just beyond the tree line. It was no human, but an enraged black bear. Another succession of flashes revealed a scar across its face and bleeding gash on the neck. Scarface was quickly charging forth through four-foot snowdrifts with little resistance. He was at a full demonic sprint, and the door was still ajar with me sprawled out on the floor.

             
Straight into the waves of snow that blew through the doorway I opened fired, letting the remaining five rounds fly into the darkness like angels of death. I slid my ass back further into the cabin in a desperate attempt to widen the gap. The five hundred pound beast toppled over his creator with such force that it shook the floor-boards. My heart pounded like a jackhammer in my chest. Two out of the four shots hit the beast, one to the shoulder, the other straight through its left eye.  His paws quivered in the snow dusted floor for a few moments before falling completely stiff.

conclusion;

              Whilst others boarded up their homes or made their way to federally designated safe-zones, I took my chances in the womb of Mother Nature. Such a massive disaster would only bring out the worst in people, and I could have no part of it. My fellow humans became the decoys that allowed my escape and thus far my survival. I owe them my life, and I hoped that if there is a higher power above, that he has forgiven them for all of their sins.

             
Although my story is short and absent of the majority of pain and suffering that the rest of the world has felt, it is still my story. More importantly, unlike the rest of the world, I am still alive to tell it. Even if it is only to a young girl whose own stories outweigh mine in both pain and tragedy.

              Springtime is both relished and painstakingly loathed. Despite the cool fresh air and sense of renewal, it means work, and lots of it. Winter cleanup is first on this list, and thankfully I now have Mia to assist me. If we both stay productive, we should get it done in no time. 

             
A chorus of chirping birds dance around the cabin like school kids on a playground. Small buds can now be seen on most of the trees, and the grass is getting greener every day. The snow is all but gone, except a few patches scattered throughout the forest and a nice cool breeze swims through the mountain-side fighting back the rapidly growing humid days.

             
The smell of freshly bloomed wild flowers fills the air, creating a sense of long needed tranquility. Mia and Nova have been spending most of the warm days exploring the area and playing in the ice-cold brook, all the while making sure to stay within ear shot of me. Although peace and new life has fallen upon the mountain, this warm weather may soon draw in the walking-blight, and we cannot take any chances. Our luck could run thin any day now.

             
Nova is getting so big, almost doubling her size since we found a month or so ago, and every day she begins to resemble the fierce beast that she is. She also eats more than we do, putting a big strain on our preserves. Hopefully her wild nature and hunting instincts will come in handy this summer. I'm sure her wolf senses will be a lifesaver for us.

             
Mia too has begun to fill in and grow into a healthy teenage girl. Her hair is growing back fast now, almost two inches since I chopped off her long golden locks. And, all the signs of malnutrition have faded, yet the strain over the last few years has aged her appearance. The mid-teen looks almost mid-twenties, but mostly in those beautiful yet torment ridden eyes.

             
The yard is looking much better, we spent most of the last week picking up branches and raking leaves. Today I started turning the soil in my garden since there is little time before the seeds need to be in the ground. My stockpile of corn has barely been touched, but now with another mouth to feed it is essential we preserve the entire crop.

             
It's hard to believe that the human race had survive all those years on chemically enhanced processed food, hell, maybe that's what began this plight. We even had the means to grow in small quantities of vegetables within our own homes, yet no one ever did. Sad but true, the end of man began with himself.

             
Corn, Beans, Carrots, Spinach, Peppers, Tomatoes and Wild Potatoes are the bulk of what I will grow this year, mostly due to the heartiness and quality of preserving them. There will also be some broccoli and lettuce to help us get through the summer months. Of course a good fraction of my crop will be of a special herb variety. I may have to plant little extra this year since Mia has come to indulge in it quite often.

             
Mia tends to sit and observe me throughout the day as I pull weeds and rocks from the soil, she seems to enjoy watching me break my back. I make fast work of plunging the hoe into the ground and overturning the dark, almost black, soil - good fertile soil. Mia has become quiet curious of my hard work, constantly asking questions, including a lot of redundant why's.

             
“What are you doing?”

             
I stood up and leaned on the hoe and stared at her beautiful green eyes.

             
“I'm getting the garden ready for planting.” I answered.

             
“Why?”

             
“For food, to prepare for winter.”

             
“We already had winter.” She naively giggled.

             
“True, but the summers are short. Before you know it the snow will be falling again.”

             
“Why don't we just go exploring, find food?” Mia Continued.

             
“We will, Mia, but the more, the merrier.”

             
She sighed in disgust and began pacing back and forth as Nova lazily laid about. An energetic girl and she bored very easily. I would have loved to spend the day exploring and entertaining her curiosity, but there was just so much work to do. And until now, I have had very little distractions from it.

             
“If you’re bored, you could always give me a hand.” I mentioned

             
“Can I?” she asked eagerly.

             
“Of course you can.” I said, smiling down at her. “How about gathering up those piles of leaves and dump them in the garden.”

             
“Your growing leaves?” she responded with a bit of confusion, which made me chuckle a bit.

             
“No, Mia, the dried leaves will break down and act as food for the vegetables, make them grow big and strong.”

             
Without further interrogation, she eagerly dashed off to gather up the leaves as I continued to work the soil. It still surprises me the range of personalities she displays from one minute to the next. One moment a sweet little naive child, and the other a grown woman holding on to so much burden. It's hard to conceive a life where one loses their childhood in a swift fatal blow and has to mature overnight with little to no guidance.

             
Nova followed Mia around all afternoon, pouncing and nipping at her feet as she skipped back and forth gathering leaves and throwing them in the garden. By midafternoon my arms were exhausted and sweat poured down my face, I could taste the saltiness on my lips and feel its sting sweep over my eyes. I threw down the hoe and looked over at Mia who now rolled around in the last remaining pile of leaves playing with her pup.

             
“Break time,” I called out, “Let’s go for a swim!”

She stopped playing, and looked over at me with a concerned glare.

              “I don't know how to swim.” She said softly.

             
“Well it's time you learn, besides, we both need a bath, we are beginning to smell worse than a pig-sty.”

             
“What's that?” She asked.

             
“A Pig pen.”

             
“Gross.”

             
“Yep, and you smell worse than me.” I joked.

             
“Hey!” Mia retorted, yet giggled still.

             
We hiked leisurely up the mountain along the brook, Nova as always following right at our footsteps. Mia looked nervous, lagging behind a bit as if to draw-out our climb. I think she was hoping I would change my mind and not force her in the water, but now is a better time than any for her to overcome her fears.

             
We climbed for about twenty minutes before finally arriving at my own personally swimming hole. This is one of my favorite places to relax, a small yet deep and almost perfectly round pool of spring water. It was no more than fifteen feet across and just barely over my head.

             
The crystal clear water is almost like a window into another world. Through the shimmering surface you can make out the small brook-trout circling the depths awaiting for a fly to hit the surface. The icy water cascades down a steep ledge, rippling the pool just slightly but enough to distort the fish's dark shadows. I began to strip down and looked back at Mia.

             
“Take off your clothes first, they wear out faster if they get wet too often.” I advised. Slowly she lifted her shirt as I dropped my pants. There was a moment of pause when Mia caught sight of my naked body, obviously she was uncomfortable it. At first I assumed that the image before her was all new, but who was I kidding, she was frozen in place and shaking ever so lightly. The site of me naked triggered something awful from her past. “It's okay, Mia, we are just going for a swim. Nothing more.” I reassured her. Slowly I stepped into the frigid water, my calves tightened in response of the icy-grip. The further up the mountain you are the colder it gets; pure, clean water straight from within the rocky depths - nectar of the earth.

             
After a few deep breaths to prepare my body, I dove into the middle of the pool and in an instant my balls shriveled like grapes in the sun. When I surfaced I let out a few loud hoots which echoed back at me from the ledges. Painfully refreshing, a great pick-me-up after a long day's work.

             
Mia slowly made her way into the water, the sun shining through the trees added a nice hue to her bare pale skin. I could see her breathing deeply, both out of fear, and reaction to the cold. As soon as she was knee deep she froze stiff, too afraid to go any further. She stared back at me, trying to cover her breasts with her hands, her petite frame shivering in the cold.

             
Any lesser of a man might take advantage of such beauty and innocence, and I assume they already have. Personally, I have never had the barbarian gene, violence towards woman has always sickened me. In attempt to ease her fear I splashed a bit of the cold water at her and called out.

             
“Come on chicken, I am right here, jump in!”

             
She cringed back as the cold splashes hit her bare skin, but after a little more coaxing she gained the courage needed to take a few more steps forward. She stopped again as the water rose above her petite waste-line, her eyes darted around the deep water before her then back to me.

             
“I - I - I can't.” she stuttered as she still covered her breasts tightly with both arms.

             
“Of course you can, Mia.”

             
“No, it's too deep.” She was starting to panic. Calmly I tried to reassure her.

             
“Hun, I won't let anything happen to you. Push yourself out to me and I'll catch you.” I said as I held my arms out for her. “I Promise.”

             
She stared back at me for a while as I drew water into my mouth and spurted it back out at her, trying to make her smile again. Without warning she did it, plunging into the deep water like a sack of rocks. Swiftly I grabbed hold of her just as she went under, and like a panicky animal she clawed at me trying to climb up onto my shoulders.

             
“It's okay, Mia.” I said softly, holding her tight. She slowly calmed herself all the while being sure to keep her arms wrapped tight around me and her soft cheek pressed firmly against mine. Her cold-hardened nipples pressed into my chest as she pulled me even closer, and in spite of the cold water I quickly became aroused.

             
Gently I pushed her back, still holding on to her waste as to keep her above the water. Desperately I tried to think of something, anything, other than her gorgeous naked body. It took everything in me to control my deprived animal urges. I realized then that bathing together was probably not my best idea for the day.

             
Mia looked back at the shore line to find Nova investigating and pawing at the water, unsure what to do with it. She has been deprived of normal guidance from her elders, having to grow and learn on her own, much like Mia has. Although we are her family now, it is nothing like being with your own kind.

             
“Nova, Come!” Mia called out, and without hesitation Nova leaped into the cold water with a drenching splash. Mia let go of my shoulders and reached out to the pup as she desperately doggy-paddled her way out to us. The young pup gagged and coughed on the water as she tried keep her head above the surface.              

             
Firmly I continued to hold onto Mia's waste, her back now to me, as the pup climbed up into her arms. My toes struggled to get a gripped onto the submerged rock that kept me above the water as Nova frantically licked Mia's face. And for that moment those carnal thoughts disappeared and the cold waters pushed back my urges of lustful darkness.

             
However, Mia's beautiful figure still shimmered beneath the rippling water, and her butt glistening in the sunlight. She was perfect, like those airbrushed models in an old-world nudie magazine. Even the scars that crisscrossed her body added a morbidly erotic beauty to her. Soon the cold forces lost the battle and once again my erection burned within the depths - I am despicable.

             
Nonchalantly, I swam Mia and the pup back to the edge of the brook all the while trying desperately to keep my package tucked away. In no way did I want to startle Mia or have to answer another one of her naive questions. It is shameful that I cannot even control my urges, my selfishness is inexcusable. Mia, clueless to my carnal instincts, immediately began to splash around the shoreline as Nova hopped, pranced and barked all about. At one point she plopped her butt down in the shallow water and raise her head to the sky releasing an immature and pitiful howl. It reminded me again of her true wild nature.