Last time on Lovin' in the Apocalypse!
The camp's defenses held back a mob of infected with minimal casualties. Rachel struggles to accept new people into her heart and Kelsey begins to face a harsh reality.
An outside threat in the form of barbaric raiders looms up to challenge the strength of the encampment.
How will the distressed and battered survivors handle so many negative setbacks? Can Tom and Rachel settle in or will their past drive them into loneliness? Find out now!
Chapter 4: Boiling Point
Rachel splashed cool water on her face several times. She felt exhausted after a long night of broken sleep and haunting dreams. She did feel a little more together today, despite the lack of deep rest. The flighty mood was starting to fade although she was not yet convinced they should stay here. Rachel was concerned for her own mental health and knew she was on the edge of disaster. There were times when she felt so blank that it scared her. No emotions at all, just the repetitive thought to keep breathing. In those moments, a small voice would question her stubborn refusal to just join the rest of her dead family. Those thoughts were sometimes more frightening than the monsters that would eat her alive.
As Rachel looked at her miserable features in the mirror, a face tried to swim up to her awareness. A small face with a toothy open mouth smile... Rachel gripped the metal sink tightly and clamped her cheeks between her teeth. She bit down hard and the immediate pain forced her mind to clear. She cried out a bit as she tasted blood and slapped a hand over her mouth. Too late.
"Are you okay?" Tom called out from behind a shower curtain.
"Yeah. Just bit my tongue." Rachel spit blood into the sink.
"Damn. Are you okay?"
"Yes Tom. I'm not that fragile."
Tom was silent for a second too long. "I know."
Rachel glared at the shower curtain through the mirror and felt annoyed. Though she guessed he was justified in the doubt, it still stung to know he thought she was weak. She had let too much of her worries and fears out. She would have to reign in her feelings. Tom already spent too much effort on making sure she stepped in the right spots. If he began to steer her anymore, it might drive her totally bat shit. She put up a mental wall and swore to do better at keeping her emotions in check.
"I'll prove it when you're finished. Come give me your best shot, I bet you can't even make me whimper." Rachel gathered up her belongings and left the bathhouse. Rachel felt a ball of energy sitting in her stomach that was like a ticking bomb. When Tom finally makes it to the shack, he will be in for a surprise.
The morning sun was coming up over the mountain tops and bathed the camp in a peaceful orange glow. Other survivors waved and greeted Rachel as she walked back to their shack. It was strange to see how normal everything looked. The attack was a few days behind them and most of the corpses had been disposed of but seeing smiles and hearing happy words was too strange to accept. She glued a smile on her face and returned the gestures as she made her way home.
When Tom came in, he found Rachel naked and laying back on their bed with her legs open. She was looking at him with a stern and challenging expression. Her right fingers were moving in slow circles on her clit as she warmed herself up. Tom could tell this was going to be no gentle love making. Nor would this be one of those affirmation filled sessions that could get energetic. Every now and then, they would have this kind of sex. The kind that made certain hard physical acts somewhat acceptable. She wanted to fight him. Literally.
Tom let his mood sour. She has been nothing but counterproductive since they got here. What in the fuck did she expect anyways? That he would want to just leave here to live alone on the road again? That was ridiculous. She needed to pull her shit together before she got them kicked out. Tom let the towel wrapped around his waist fall to the ground. He saw Rachel's lip twitch as if she wanted to bare her teeth at him. He felt his pulse quicken as his recent frustrations oozed to his current thoughts.
Tom did not touch her sweetly as he approached her body on his knees. He glared back at her hateful expression as he positioned himself above her. He pushed without hesitation into her body, not allowing her the moment she usually got to adjust to his invasion. She hissed the stinging feeling in her pussy out through clenched teeth and refused to break eye contact. "You won't make me whimper." Rachel challenged Tom when it looked like his aggression was going to fade.
Tom's eyes narrowed as he assessed his wife's face. "No?" He thrust into her hard enough to move her body up the bed. Her head hit the wall of the shack. "Not a whimper? How about a whine?" He thrust hard again, pushing her more firmly against the wall. "How about another fucking complaint?"
Rachel's head began to hurt as Tom fucked her into the wall. She asked for this and felt energized by the pain. It drove away all her anxiety and fear. This would not be pushed away like the faces of loved ones. Pain demanded her immediate and total attention. She drank it in like water but found her thirst to be too great. She wanted more, wanted to feel it all over her body. Rachel struck out like a coiled snake, her right hand was a blur as it shot forward. Her palm connected with his jaw with a blow that was intended to be a slap but ended up being an open hand punch.
Tom felt his jaw click as Rachel hit him. A flash of red hot pain blurred his vision as a ringing in his left ear started. He forgot he was inside his wife for a moment as he moved his jaw experimentally. The blow jarred him out of thought but as the pain began to radiate, Tom felt angry. He did not deserve to be beaten like that. He did all he could to keep them safe and alive. She could not even be grateful. Tom looked at Rachel, her face reflected his own feelings. He slapped her back, not as hard or reckless as she did to him but enough to get his own look of shock. True to her promise, she did not whimper and he began to fuck her with the intention of driving her through the wall.
"Fuck you!" Rachel hissed at him. She hit him again, this time with a closed fist on his chest. She wanted to elevate this but did not know where she wanted it to go. Instinctively, she knew he would not go overboard but wanted to get him to that edge. She wanted his control to slip even just a little. "You treat me like a dumb bitch so fuck me like one. Teach me a lesson." She hit him again, harder this time.
