Cora (Love in the Apocalypse #2)

3. Cora

Chapter three

Cora

M y heart pounded as I heard footsteps above me, my breath coming out in silent pants. Someone was in my house. I set aside the book I was reading and crept upstairs.

I didn’t spend much time outside the bunker but occasionally went upstairs. Returning to the house was too painful when I first went into the bunker. There were too many memories, but as the years have passed, it’s gotten easier and easier.

I slipped through the walls, following the unfamiliar sound of voices. I stopped when I could see them in the kitchen from a living room and watched them through the spaces between the boards.

Four men stood in my kitchen, one rifling through the cabinets. They opened the fridge and got excited. I had listened to the radio in the beginning before the airwaves went silent, so I knew that the world had fallen rather quickly. They probably hadn’t been anywhere with electricity in some time.

This was further confirmed when they raced to the bathroom. Their antics made the ghost of a smile flit across my face. I watched the man in the bathroom as he undressed. His dirty blond hair fell over his hazel eyes as he bent to remove his pants. I admired his muscular back and the black, tattered wings tattooed there when he suddenly stood and turned toward me.

My mouth fell open in shock. His wasn’t the first penis I’d ever seen in person, but it was definitely the biggest.

Four Years Ago

“I don’t know about this, Kelly,” I hissed as we approached the movie theater where Kelly’s boyfriend Jake and his friend Cody were waiting for us.

Kelly stopped walking and twirled to face me. “Dammit, Cora. You said you felt left out because you were stuck on that mountain. Cody is a sure thing. He’ll catch you up on dating and boys real quick. Don’t chicken out on me now.”

“But I don’t even know him,” I protested.

“So?” Kelly laughed. “That’s what makes it even better. You can fool around and get your rocks off without worrying about all the complicated relationship crap that the rest of us have to deal with. Listen, if it makes you feel better, Cody is a fantastic kisser.”

“Kelly!”

“Cora!” she mocked.

“I thought you were in love with Jake.”

“I am. But I got bored one night. He was busy, Cody wasn’t. It didn’t mean anything, relax.”

The more Kelly spoke, the less sure I was about doing this. But then I thought of all the other girls I knew and about how they’d all been to second base, and I hadn’t even been kissed yet, and I pushed my uncertainty away. I was going to do this, dammit! “Ok, fine. Let’s go.”

“That’s my girl!” Kelly grinned. She grabbed my hand, and we skipped to where the guys were waiting. “Cody, this is my best friend, Cora. Be nice to her, or I’ll kick your ass!”

We waved awkwardly at each other as Kelly jumped into Jake’s arms, wrapped her legs around his waist, and kissed him.

“It’s nice to meet you, Cora,” Cody said. “You wanna go get our tickets and snacks? I know from experience that those two could be stuck like that for a while.”

I laughed lightly and accepted the arm he offered me. “I’d love to.”

Cody bought our tickets and snacks like a gentleman. By the time we had our popcorn, Jake and Kelly had caught up with us.

“Are you going to get any snacks?” I asked.

“I already have mine,” Jake grinned as he pulled Kelly closer, making her giggle.

We followed them into the theater and to our seats in the back row. Jake and Cody left a few empty seats between them. I craned my neck around to look at Kelly. I knew we were on dates, but I had also hoped to sit beside her. Jake’s tongue was already down her throat again, so I shrugged and turned back to the screen. Cody and I made small talk until the lights went down and the trailers started. That seemed to be the signal he was waiting for because he moved the bucket of popcorn from between us as he raised the armrest.

I looked at him questioningly in the dark, and he seized the moment and pressed his lips to mine while sliding his arm around me to pull me closer. While the move itself felt overly aggressive, his lips were soft and teasing as they moved against mine.

I forced myself to relax in his embrace. This was why I came here, after all, to finally get my first kiss, and here I was, making it all weird and awkward. I felt him smile briefly when I leaned into him before I felt his tongue slide across the seam of my lips. Tentatively, I opened my lips, allowing him entry. I sat there with my mouth open, unsure of what I was supposed to do, until Cody dipped his tongue into my mouth to brush lightly against my own. He teased and prodded my tongue until I began to respond. It only took a few more seconds for me to figure out how this kissing thing worked. I was enjoying myself when I felt his hand brush against my breast.

I stiffened, and Cody’s hand moved up to stroke my face soothingly before slowly moving back toward my breast. This time, when he squeezed it softly, I was expecting it. Cody and I continued to make out as he fondled my breasts for several minutes when he took my hand and guided it to his lap. He pressed my palm against his hard penis and moaned into my mouth. My first reaction was to jerk my hand back, but he caught it and pulled it back.

“Touch me, please,” he whispered.

Right, I wanted experiences. There’s no sense in chickening out now. Slowly, I let my hand curl around his penis through his shorts. Cody released my wrist and pushed them down enough so that his penis popped out. My hand closed around soft, smooth skin. I squeezed again experimentally, feeling the odd balance of hard and soft. Curiously, I leaned back to get a look at it. If I was touching it, I should know what it looks like.

The movie flashed brightly in a moment of luck, illuminating the theater enough for me to see it. It was whiter than I expected and a little wrinkly. Overall, I wasn’t terribly impressed, but until now, I had only seen a dick online when I got curious and looked at porn. Maybe this is what the regular penises look like? Remembering what little I had learned from the video, I slid my hand up and down the shaft.

“Shit, yes,” Cody hissed. His lips found my neck, and he began to kiss and suck me there as his hand slid up my thigh. My body started to hum in that special way it did when I touched myself sometimes. I could do this! And I was enjoying myself. His fingers brushed over my center, making me jump a little. Cody applied a little bit of pressure, and holy shit; I liked that! Cody’s other hand slid up my back to my head. The hand between my legs disappeared as he sat back in his seat and pulled my head toward his lap. “Suck it,” he pleaded.

Whoa! Wait! My brain and body froze inches from his penis, which I still held in my hand. I had come to the crossroads of my boundaries. Did I want to do this? Did I have to do this? I didn’t want to lead him on, but I also really didn’t want to put that in my mouth.

“Make me feel good, and then I’ll make you feel good,” Cody urged. “You’ll like it.” He applied more pressure to my head, nearly forcing the tip against my lips, and that was when I made my decision.

“Nope. Sorry,” I said quickly, standing and running out of the theater in embarrassment.

“Cora, wait!” Cody called after me.

“Shhhh!” I heard someone else in the theater say.

Tears filled my eyes as I ran to the bathroom to hide in the stall. It was good that I lived outside of town and never saw anyone because I didn’t think I could show my face here again.

The bathroom door opened, and I held my breath as I stepped onto the toilet and crouched down. “Cora?” Kelly asked.

Shit.

“Cora, I know you’re in here. I watched you come in,” Kelly continued. I sighed and left the stall. Kelly wouldn’t leave until she saw me for herself. “Oh, honey, what happened?” she asked when I burst into tears the second I saw her.

“It’s stupid,” I replied.

“Did Cody hurt you?” she demanded, wrapping her arms around me.

I shook my head. “No, but I don’t think he will want to talk to me anymore. We were making out and touching each other, and then he tried to make me put it in my mouth, but I couldn’t.”

“Who cares what he thinks!” Kelly replied. “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do, Cora. And you don’t have to explain yourself or make an excuse. No is a full sentence, and Cody can just rub one out and get over it. If he can’t respect that, he doesn’t deserve you.” Kelly pushed me back to look me in the face. She smiled as she wiped the tears from my eyes. “Were you having fun up until then?”

I nodded.

“Then it sounds like tonight was a success. Not only did you get your first kiss, but you had your first heavy make-out session and ran some bases,” Kelly replied.

“Yeah, but then I ran away from him,” I groaned. “That’s such an uncool move.”

“Just because you played the game doesn’t mean you have to make it back to home plate,” Kelly replied. “You went as far as you were comfortable, and that’s ok.”

I laughed, and Kelly planted her hands on her hips indignantly.

“Cora Lynn, what the hell is so funny?” she demanded.

“What’s with all the baseball analogies?” I sputtered. “Have you ever even watched a game?”

“No, but so what? That’s what they compare it to, bases. I don’t make up the rules. I just follow them!”

“If you say so,” I teased.

“Whatever,” Kelly replied, rolling her eyes. She looped her arm through mine and dragged me toward the door. “You wanna blow this popsicle stand and go back to my house, eat junk food, and watch reality TV?”

“What about Jake?” I asked.

Kelly waved her hand dismissively. “He’ll understand. Besides, I see him all the time. I’d rather spend the time with you.”

I shook my head as the memory faded. A little over a year later, everything fell to shit, and Cody and Kelly ended up making me run for my life as they tried to eat me. None of that mattered anymore. I watched the man wrap his hand around his dick and stroked it. It grew larger in his hand as the tip turned a more purplish color. Why the hell was it getting bigger? It was already plenty big enough, far bigger than Cody’s had been. If Cody’s had been that big, I would have run as soon as I saw it.

We both jumped as someone banged on the door. “Hurry the fuck up. Jack off on your own time, Derrick,” one of the other men yelled through the door.

Derrick cursed as he released himself like he had been burned. “You’re a real asshole, you know that, Remi?”

Remi’s laughter faded as he walked away. Derrick turned on the shower and brought the water to a reasonable temperature. I noted that his growing penis had returned to its original size. When he stepped into the shower and pulled the curtain closed behind him, I circled to the other side of the house to see what the others were up to.

As I went past Daddy’s room, Remi entered. I knew it was him because he was still laughing. He belly-flopped onto the bed and moaned in pleasure. “I call fucking dibs on the big bed,” he muttered.

I knew I was out of touch with the ways of the world now, but I’m pretty sure that’s not how dibs works. Someone has to hear you call it, or it doesn’t count. Remi rolled into a seated position at the side of the bed and snatched something off the nightstand.

“No fucking way!”

I wasn’t sure what he had grabbed until he took a cigarette from the pack and tossed the box back onto the nightstand. Daddy wasn’t a heavy smoker, but he did enjoy one or two before bed. Remi lit the cigarette and inhaled deeply. “Fuck yes,” he groaned.

The smoke came through the walls, and memories slammed into me as I breathed it in. I stumbled back against the exterior wall. I must have made enough noise to be heard because Remi suddenly froze and tilted his head like he was listening for something. He walked toward me and stuck his ear against the wall. I didn’t dare move. Even if he knew I was back here, he wouldn’t be able to see me. It was too dark. That didn’t mean I wanted to be discovered, though.

Eventually, Remi shrugged and sat back down on the bed. When he finished the cigarette, he tucked the pack and the lighter into his boot and left the room. I shadowed him through the walls as he went to the kitchen, where the other two men were.

“I don’t think that’s going to happen,” Remi said as he entered the kitchen, responding to one of the others’ asking what they would do if the owners came home.

Their reasoning was sound but inaccurate. If they thought upstairs was well stocked, they would lose their minds if they saw my stockpile downstairs. I had more than just paper towels. I sniffed the air as the smell of the chili wafted toward me. I didn’t have any chili, though. I went through my canned goods stockpile a while ago. I hadn’t realized that I left any cans in the cupboard.

“Also, I think there are mice in the walls. I heard them scurrying around,” Remi announced.

I looked around me in confusion. I couldn’t see anything, and I hadn’t heard anything either. It took me a minute to realize Remi was talking about hearing me earlier.

“We’ll be lucky if that’s the only thing living in the walls,” the man at the stove replied.

Derrick came into the kitchen wearing only a towel, water dripping down his hard chest. I lost track of the conversation until one of the men left the room. I followed the dark-haired man in glasses back to the bathroom. He stripped out of his clothes quickly. His penis was much smaller than Derrick’s, but it was also much floppier. Remi showered after him, followed by the youngest-looking man, whose name I found out was Trent. His older brother, with the glasses, was named Isaac. Trent had long brown hair, piercings in his face, and the most striking green eyes I have ever seen.

I hung on to their every word for the rest of the night. I watched as they ate dinner and put the leftovers in the fridge. I’d be helping myself to those later; it was my food, after all. They didn’t stay up long past dinner, and I waited until I was sure they were asleep before sneaking into the house through one of the hidden doors. I first transferred their chili and rice leftovers to my plate and took them downstairs to heat up and eat later. Once I had secured dinner, I went back upstairs to watch them sleep. Doing it outside the walls was risky, but I couldn’t resist getting closer to them.

I started in my old room, where Isaac and Trent were sleeping. The steady cadence of their breathing was soothing, and for a little while, I lay down on the shaggy carpet at the end of the bed and just listened. The peace was interrupted when one of them breathed heavier and moaned. I popped up to look at their sleeping forms to figure out what was going on. Trent started to shift restlessly as his eyes darted back and forth beneath his eyelids.

“No,” he whispered harshly.

He must be having a nightmare. I crawled to his side of the bed, and with my heart pounding, I rose to my knees to lean over him. His brow creased as a whimper fell from his lips. My chest squeezed for this stranger, and I couldn’t keep myself from smoothing the worry lines with my finger. Once they faded, I continued to trace his face gently. This was my first human contact in three years, and it felt strange in the best way possible. I didn’t want to stop touching him, but as his breathing settled back down, I knew I had to, or he’d wake up.

I backed out of the room regretfully. I wanted to stay by Trent’s side for the rest of the night, but I also wanted to check on Remi and Derrick. I entered Daddy’s room and stood in the shadows until I was sure they were asleep. Once I was, I approached the bed. Remi was on his stomach, hanging halfway off the bed. Derrick was on his back, and the blanket was thrown off him. One arm was behind his head, and the other lay across his stomach. My eyes were accustomed to the dark, so seeing him wasn’t difficult, and man did I see him. He was naked again, his heavy penis draped across his thigh.

I sat there staring at it until Derrick suddenly jerked and sat up. Terrified of being caught, I scurried silently to the secret door in the room and disappeared behind the walls. I watched as Derrick rubbed his eyes and looked around. Eventually, he flopped back onto the bed, and I heard his snoring resume shortly after.

Deciding I had tempted fate enough for one night, I returned to my bunker and reheated the chili. I took the first bite and nearly moaned as the flavors exploded in my mouth. It was so good, I wouldn’t have been surprised if I had made a sound. I don’t know when I stopped being able to talk. In the beginning, I talked to myself constantly, but as time passed, I became quieter until I realized that I hadn’t made any sound in a long time. When I tried to talk, nothing came out. Since I didn’t have anyone to talk to anyway, it hadn’t bothered me much. Now that people were nearby, being mute might be a tad inconvenient. Especially if they choose to stay here permanently, I won’t be able to remain hidden forever, and they’ll want to know why I’m in the walls.

It might get awkward if they ask me how much I’ve seen.