Natural World

The world ended at the onset of spring with a sudden violent death throe. A bright flash in the sky and just like that 999 out of every 1,000 people were frozen in stone. The effect on everyone that was turned to stone happened immediately. Cars on the road suddenly had drivers with feet frozen on the gas or break, planes fell from the sky with stone pilots and passengers, and any people in unbalanced positions due to running or climbing toppled. Of the survivors of the petrification, many died from the effects of the sudden, violent halt. A man crossing the street struck by a car with a stone driver. A woman sitting in a bus seat when the frozen driver's foot still on the accelerator launched them into a wall at 80 mph. A cameraman in a news helicopter unable to stop his fall after his pilot is petrified.

Not every survivor died, though. Mark was a survivalist before the Stone Wave. He wasn't an extreme doomsday prepper, but he was into disaster preparation. Mark had a few days' worth of food and water. He enjoyed recreational shooting and owned several guns. Mark's favorite hobby before the world was turned to stone, was hiking and camping. His supplies were not unlimited, but he was better off than most. Its not like there were many survivors to fight him for resources anyway.

Two weeks after the Stone Wave brought humanity to a halt, Mark was on the move. Being a born and raised Oklahoman, Mark usually sought out the natural beauty of other states for hiking and camping. All Oklahoma had to offer him was red dirt and low hills. In a petrified world, Mark had his pick of a vehicle, camping gear, food, weapons, and most importantly time. No job to have to schedule vacation days, no camping sites to have to reserve, no travel expenses to manage. Mark was free to sate his wanderlust whenever and however he chose.

Mark had a goal that he started just the year before. He wanted to see all 63 United States National Parks. The National Park Service, Forest Service, and other federal administrations protected over 700 sites across the United States and her territories. National Parks, Monuments, Forests, Recreation Areas, Historic Sites, Memorials, Seashores, Lakeshores, and other designations were all protected areas set aside for the people to enjoy. Mark's goal focused on the main 63 National Parks because it was a manageable goal for his former civilized life. Whatever other sites he visited outside of the 63, he considered a bonus. He had only been to 6 of the 63 since starting this goal, and decided that if the world was frozen in place, he might as well see as much of the country as he could before he died.

Mark started off with Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas since it was the closest park to his home town and he had been to it before. It wasn't a particularly special park, but Mark liked hiking in the woods around it. When he arrived in Hot Springs, Mark went to the visitor's center first to get a map and pick out a souvenir. It was a tradition he had done here and at the other 5 parks he had visited before, but he had decided when he left home to leave them behind and restart.

Mark hadn't even gone inside the visitor's center yet when he heard a scream. Mark had only seen a few moving people since the population was petrified. He had avoided all of them or they had avoided him. But a scream could mean trouble for him too if he was discovered in the area. Mark quietly and slowly with his rifle ready moved down Bathhouse Row toward the National Park sign and several hot spring pools that were next to the sign. Once he was in view of the pools, he saw the source of the scream. A beautiful naked woman was in one of the pools. She covered her breasts with one arm and between her legs with the other. Her pants and handgun were six feet away. Surrounding her were three armed men.

Mark couldn't make out what the men or woman were saying, but it was very obvious. The men wanted the woman to come out of the pool and spread her legs for them. The woman didn't wat to. She kept looking around for a means of escape. One of the men pointed a shotgun at her and started yelling threats and demands.

Mark decided to take action. He braced himself and his AR15 against a statue that had once been an old man. Mark waited for an ideal moment. The lead man and the man on the right were focused on the woman, but the one on the left was scanning the area. Mark took aim at him and fired. Before any of the strangers could even register what had happened, one of the men was falling to the ground dead. Blood sprayed out from the exit wound in his head. Some of it splashed onto the lead man and onto the woman. She was halfway out of the pool under the weight of the lead man's threats when the shots rang out.

The lead man turned toward the unexpected threat just in time to take two rounds to the chest and one to the jaw. In real life, unlike the movies, adrenaline and a fight instinct can still keep someone moving after they have been shot. The lead man dropped his shotgun, but he stumbled toward a nearby car for cover. Mark put two more rounds in him. One of the bullets must have his something vital because the lead man crumpled to the ground. The last man fired back at Mark forcing Mark to take cover as bullets impacted the stone statue that used to be an old man. The stone people were resilient, but not under an heavy fire. As the statue fell to pieces, the naked woman picked up the fallen shotgun. Still covered in a dead man's blood, the woman fired the shotgun at her would be rapist. The first took him in the arm. The second shot took him in the chest. The woman fired slug after slug into the now dead man until the gun was empty.

Mark approached the bloody scene with a fresh mag loaded into his rifle, but he kept it pointed down to avoid scaring the woman. The stranger turned towards him after picking up a handgun from the belt of the last man. It was smart of her considering her own gun was out of reach and Mark may be a threat. Mark now got a better look at her. The woman had dark brown hair and a round face. She was petite, but not in a model-forced-thin-diet kind of way. Her breast were probably Bs. Her pussy wasn't freshly shaved, but she probably did shave it when she could. It maybe had a week worth of hair. Her ass was firm, but not big. The kind of body Mark would love to hold after a great fuck.

Mark held out his trigger hand. "Easy," he said. "I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to make sure they are actually dead." The first and last degenerates were very much dead, but the leader might still be alive. And if he is alive, he can still shoot.

"Go ahead. Check them," she replied. She didn't completely lower the gun, but she did scan the area for more threats and the dead men for movement. She also prioritized survival over modesty since she didn't make a move her cover herself.

Mark went to the leader first. He had a faint pulse. Mark drew his 9mm Sig Sauer handgun and put a bullet in the man's skull. He moved on to the other two. Like he suspected they were long gone. Especially the last man, whose face, neck, and torso were torn up by slugs. While conducting his search, Mark introduced himself.

"I'm Breanna. Brie is what I prefer," she responded.

Mark had on a long sleeve plaid shirt over his t-shirt. He took it off and placed it next to one of the hot spring pools. "For you, after you've cleaned off the blood."

Brie seemed to notice for the first time she was covered in blood. She also realized she was still completely nude in front of a stranger. Brie looked around again. "Turn away and watch our surroundings."

Mark contemplated the possibility of her putting a bullet through his head while his back was turned, but he decided to take the risk. Brie retrieved her own handgun, shoes, socks, pants, and panties from where they lay. She put them next to the shirt, then tossed away the dead man's gun. Mark didn't ask her why her pile of clothes didn't include a shirt or bra. After a few minutes she told Mark he could turn around down.

As Brie was buttoning the last couple buttons, she asked, "What happens now?"

"We could go our separate ways, obviously. But I've been alone since all this started. It might be nice having someone who can watch my back."

"And I'm an attractive woman?" Brie inquired.

"I'm not going to pretend that I didn't notice. If you had been hot with no skills or survival instincts though, I would suggest we go our separate ways. Life is too perilous these days to have to babysit someone. I'm asking if you want to partner up because you look useful. Being attracted to you is just a bonus. I wont try to pull what those men did though if you have no interest."

"Nice little speech. The same holds true for me. I don't intend to drag a burden behind me, so you best pull your weight. We can see how this goes for a few days."

"My SUV is just up the road," Mark told her and started moving back toward it.

Brie followed him. "Mine is at the Gulpha Gorge Campground."

"That's a few miles from here," Mark replied.

"I know," Brie said. "I like walking and I thought I was alone out here. Why are you here?"

Mark told Brie about his goal to see all the National Parks. "I know some of them are beyond my reach. The ones in Hawaii, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and most of the Alaska parks are only accessible by plane or boat. I don't know how to fly and I cant navigate an ocean, so I will see all the ones I can along with other places I would've just considered side attractions."

"Wow. I love to travel, but I never thought about having that kind of a goal. I've been to Europe once and a few Caribbean islands. Going back to any of those is out of reach now, but seeing the beauty of the United States might be fun."

When they got into the visitor's center, Mark picked out a Hot Springs National Park hat. He got a trail map to add to a binder with laminated holders for the folded-up maps. The first of many, he hoped. He got a sticker set that included all 63 parks that he would add to a fresh journal as he traveled to each park. Mark also picked up a United States map that showed all 63 parks. He opened it and circled Hot Springs National Park.

Brie picked out a water bottle that had outlines of the parks on it. It came with stickers to add over the outlines once she has visited that park. She added the Hot Springs sticker onto the bottle. Since there was no need for magnets on the road, Brie also found a nice pin button to place on a backpack.

Mark had to make space in his front passenger seat for Brie since it was loaded up with snacks, ammo, and random gear. He stored the ammo in the back after reloading his magazines. He put the med kit, flashlight, tools, and other survival supplies within easy reach like under his seat or in the center counsel. He offered some of his food to Brie. She started eating some pringles as they drove to the campground.

When they arrived, they found her jeep, tent, and supplies intact. Brie changed into one of her own shirts. She faced away from Mark when she did it, so all he saw was her back. Despite knowing what was under her shirt, Mark was still turned on with the anticipation of possibly seeing her naked again. He did his best not to stare, but he stole glances at her ass or the nipples poking through her shirt. Brie gave him back his shirt.

Mark finally asked, "Why were you topless?" It didn't add up that she didn't have a shirt when she arrived at the pools.

"I lived in Branson, Missouri. After everyone turned to stone, I took one of my last decent showers before the pipes stopped working. I realized as I was in my apartment that no one would whine or complain if I were to step outside naked at that moment. So, I walked around my apartment complex with only my shoes and socks on. It felt freeing. When I left town, I was traveling with someone. She didn't make it. This morning, I wanted that freeing feeling again, so I walked through the woods, nude from the waist up. When I got to the springs, I wrongly thought it wouldn't matter if I stripped down completely for a soak."

"The world ends, but helps you discover you're a nudist?"

"Kinda. Its more like the old taboo of being naked outdoors turns me on."

Mark smiled. "You wont here me complaining."

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves. I barely know you, and I will be a lot more cautious for a while after what just happened at the springs."

Mark had known he said the wrong thing as soon as the sentenced had left his mouth. He was thinking with his dick after what Brie said had turned him on. Now, he might have blown a chance at having her bare for him.

The newly met pair cooked dinner over a fire. That night, Mark and Brie slept in separate tents at the campground. In the morning, after some breakfast and coffee, they hiked the Sunset trail around the park. Talking about their former lives and their new ones. Brie had hiked Hot Springs Mountain the day before while topless, but today she kept her clothes on.

During their conversations, Mark learned more about what happened to Brie since the Stone Wave. A fire started in Branson somewhere. She didn't know the source of it, but it quickly consumed the city. She had to flee along with the only other person she had seen alive at that point, a woman named Anna. The stress and fear and sense of hopelessness overwhelmed Anna. She committed suicide the day before Brie got to Hot Springs. Brie ranted about weak or cruel people like Anna and the would-be rapists surviving while good people were turned to stone. She ranted about how people like that were better off dead than poisoning the second chance Mark and Brie and others like them were given. Mark and Brie spent the evening with some target practice on a couple of cars. They had plenty of ammo and could get more at any gun store along the way.

The next day, they were on the road with Brie following Mark. Early spring would be a good time to see some of the desert National Parks of the American Southwest before the weather got too hot, so they made their way west. They siphoned gas from cars when they needed, took bathroom breaks wherever they needed, took food from whatever store they came across or ate from their own supply. It was slow going due to all the damage from the people that were petrified while driving or flying. Highways were often clogged with wrecks. Once the wreckage of a passenger plane caused them to backtrack several miles. In late afternoon, they camped at Chickasaw National Recreation Area in Oklahoma and explored for a few hours before bed. It was one of the few places in Oklahoma with worthwhile natural scenery.

Mark set up a portable camping shower from a tree for them to use before they left in the morning. Brie walked over to the tree in her underwear and a bra. Mark had to sneak away to jack off. He had not done it since meeting Brie. He easily finished to the memory of her naked body from a few days ago and the way her underwear framed her this morning.

When they stopped for the evening in the middle of Texas, they took a break from camping by finding a hotel room that was free of statues and had been made up by the maids before they were turned to stone. It was a double queen room. Some point late at night, Mark was awoken from his sleep as Brie slid into bed with him. She cuddled against him. He wrapped his arms around her.

Mark adjusted how they were laying a bit. He wanted Brie so badly. He gave in to the risk. He slid his right hand down her back to cup an ass cheek. Brie responded by lightly kissing the base of his neck near his collar bone. Understanding that as permission, Mark squeezed Brie's ass cheek. He knew Brie must be feeling his cock getting hard and pressing against her. They fell back asleep cuddled together.

Another two days of travel through Texas got them to Big Bend National Park. During the two days of slow travel, Mark and Brie found a long stretch of road without any wrecks or stalled vehicles. They went to a car dealership, took a couple of sports cars, and raced on the stretch of road. Mark and Brie also went into a storefront with bats to break things and blow off steam. They drank at a bar the night before they arrived at Big Bend and just set up their tents in the clothing store next door since they didn't have any home to drive drunk to. The two had also started sleeping in the same bed or tent each night. Sometimes they would cuddle for part of the night. Brie let Mark touch her ass and tits sometimes, and they kissed goodnight before falling asleep.

When they arrived at Big Bend, Mark got into Brie's jeep for the drive to Balance Rock. Brie's jeep was better for the rough half washed out road to Balance Rock. The pair had dressed in jeans, plaid shirts, cowboy boots, and cowboy hats. The hats they wore would have been expensive were it not for the end of the world. Over the next couple days, Mark and Brie went deeper into Big Bend. They drove to Santa Elena Canyon through which flowed the Rio Grande River. They hiked from the Chisos Basin up to Emory Peak, which gave them an amazing view of the Chisos Mountains and surrounding area. Up there, with a beautiful sunny day, Brie got her urge back for outdoor nudity.

Laying against a rock with his backpack off to the side, Mark was enjoying the views from the top of Emory Peak with Brie next to him. Brie standing up got his attention. His eyes widened when he saw her unbutton and unzip her jeans. She pulled them down and off after removing her boots, showing Mark her black lace underwear. She laid her jeans out as if they were a picnic blanket, then she stripped out of her underwear. She sat her naked ass on top of the jeans and leaned into Mark. Mark wrapped on of his left arm around her. His eyes kept moving down to her slit. Brie must have known what he was looking at because she spread her legs for him.

Mark moved closer to kiss her. As their tongues danced in each other's mouths, his right hand hovered over her pussy. Brie took Mark's hand to bring it to her pussy. Mark rubbed her lower lips till they were wet enough to insert a finger. Once her pussy had soaked his finger, he added a second. Brie moaned loudly over the light wind. As Mark's middle and ring fingers slipped into, out of, and back into her cunt, he used his thumb to push again her clit. He also pushed his tongue into Brie's mouth as deep as he could. His free hand explored beneath her shirt to play with her tits.

Brie's hips bucked as her orgasm hit her. Mark stopped kissing her to listen to her cry out as she reached her high. Her pussy clenched around his fingers, and his hand was soaked. She laid there panting. She looked at him and giggled.

"First time I've been finger fucked to an orgasm on a mountain peak," she said between deep breaths.

Mark kissed her again. "It wont be the last time. And next time it wont be just my fingers."

Brie looked down at his pants. She freed his hard, throbbing cock. Her mouth descended to reward Mark for his work on her. As worked up as he was over fingering Brie out in the open, it didn't take Mark long. He warned her that he was about to finish. She still bobbed up and down on his dick until his body tensed. His cum shot into her mouth and down her throat. Brie took swallowed all of it.

The two of then cuddled naked that night on blankets they laid out in the Big Bend Visitor Center. The next morning, Brie rode him cowboy. His bare cock impaling her wet pussy. They had changed positions by the time he was ready. He pulled out of her while she was on her back a spilled his load onto her stomach. When they left Big Bend the next day, they also left Brie's jeep behind in favor of Mark's SUV.

Over the next week, the pair travelled northwest through Texas and New Mexico and visited three more National Parks. At Guadeloupe Mountains National Park, they hiked to Guadeloupe Peak which was also the highest point in Texas. It was too windy and chilly up there to do anything sexual, but on the way up and down, Mark and Brie took every opportunity to kiss and grope each other. While at Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico, they descended into the cave through the natural entrance walking path. No electricity meant the only lights were from their flashlights. When they were deep into the cave system they turned them off to experience a true darkness that was actually kind of frightening. When they got to White Sands National Park, the couple went dune sledding on the gypsum fields and saw an amazing sunset from their campsite among the white dunes.