Trigger warnings: Gore, explicit sexual scenes, brief mention of drug use, brief suicidal thought

Whoof is my answer, followed by the crunching and stench of jerky. Precious, limited jerky.

Sky is squatting, handing out pieces of the dried meat to the black labrado— no wait, a full grown German Shepherd. It's leashed to the hook in the wall as it jumps up on her, its paws landing on her shoulders, and licks her face with its slimy tongue as she giggles. Glancing underneath and judging by the lack of the male counterpart, it is a she.

"Sky?" I ask again, this time firmer. She looks at me with a smile hovering on her lips and stands up. She's wearing her purple kitty shirt, and under the dim light, her nipples are pressed against the fabric. She never fails to surprise me, and the need to tear her clothes off and devour her right there and then is overwhelming. And the throbbing between my thighs is almost enough to distract me from the situation at hand. Almost being the keyword here.

She seems to know the effect she's having on me, (of course she does after two years of being together)because she smirks as an amused glint in her eyes taunts me.

"I don't know, you must have missed her when you were checking the place." She pats the dog's head, who whines eagerly.

I exhale sharply. "That's impossible. I never miss anything. If she was here, I would have spotted her. She must have crawled in somehow or..."

"Or... wait, are you suggesting that I let her in?"

"I don't know what to think anymore, Sky. You've been acting differently, and–"

"Well, you didn't seem to complain about it. In fact, if I remember correctly, you enjoyed it." A grin spreads across her face.

For the first time, I'm flabbergasted. "That's — that's not the point! That dog has to go." And we have to get out of here. Something isn't right, and it's not just the fact that a fucking dog is inside the place, but I don't say it out loud just yet.

Sky moves in front of the dog. "Ari, you can't just throw her out to those monsters!" Her eyes beg for me to let her keep the dog, and unfortunately, I have a hard time keeping my ground.

The dog peers up at me from between her legs, and a painful pang shoots me in the chest. It was like looking at a ghost. Everything about her, from her big, brown eyes to her muzzle to her tail wagging softly against the floor... She looks like Adala's clone: my former German Shepherd who was my rock and my heart long before Sky came into the picture. The one who carried me through my darkest days. The one who was taken from me too soon.

The ache in my chest increases with each beat as the dog stares back at me with those puppy eyes. We don't have resources to keep a dog with us, not to mention she will be a distraction. But Sky is right. I can't just throw her out. I'm not a monster.

I let out a frustrated sigh. "Fine, she can stay."

"Yay!" Sky runs to me and throws her arms around me.

"But she's your responsibility," I add, looking at her. Butterflies flutter in my heart. What can I say, seeing that smile on her face will always be worth anything.

"Don't worry. I'll take care of her." She then bites her lip in amusement. "I knew you'd give in."

I sigh. "You're a sly little minx. Sounds like someone needs to be punished."

"Then punish me."

I quirk an eyebrow at Sky. She stares back, her eyes full of fire, desire, and lust. Flickering with drops of lust. Jolts of electricity course through me as my hand rests on the curve of her waist.

"What?"

"Did I stutter?"

She's definitely not the sweet, gentle woman that I've known in the bedroom, or wherever we have sex. Sure, she has followed orders before, but she's never been this ... aggressive. And the tingling between my thighs suggest that I'm stupidly turned on.

"Are you sure?"

"Just shut up and fuck me." Raising herself on her toes, she crashes her lips on mine. I grab the back of her neck, my thumb brushing gently below her ear as she sinks into me. Her hands run down my back, sending shivers along my spine. She tastes so fucking sweet, like pure heaven.

Grabbing her hips, I turn her around. Her ass presses into my thighs, the sensation deepening the hunger within me. I roughly move her forward until we're out of sight of the damn dog. She gasps as I push her into the wall, her breasts pressing against the hard cement. My hand slides up her throat and tilts her head back before my lips again meet hers, tongues battling each other as my other hand squeezes her breast. I make sure I don't apply too much pressure on her ribs, as I know they still hurt even if she tries hard not to show it.

"Who's been a bad girl?" I whisper, my voice low as I lightly nip at her neck.

She chuckles, the sound reverberating through my bones as her ass bucks against me. "I have."

"That's right." My hand grazes down her stomach and reaches her pussy. Burying my face into her collarbone, she whimpers as my palm rubs circles around her clit. "You're going to be a good girl for me?"

"Y-yes, ma'am," she breathes out.

"Yeah?"

Sliding in two fingers, then three, I suck on her neck as her hand flies out and lands on the wall, the smack resounding through the building. It sends a bolt of lightning down my spine as I thrust inside her. Deeper. My hand grips her throat tighter, just the right amount, as her hips grind back and forth between my hand and my thighs, the friction almost unbearable.

Pulling my fingers out of her, I lift them to my face and wrap my mouth around them, sucking her juices off them before bringing them to her lips. With a moan, she tastes herself, the vibration from her sounds and the graze of her teeth driving me crazy. As if I'm not crazy already. Crazy for her. After a few seconds, I thrust them back inside her wet walls.

"Cum for me baby," I whisper, breathing hot air into her ear. Her body shudders against me as her hand reaches behind and wraps around the back of my neck. Which is easy for her, since she's smaller than me and only needs to bend her arm back just a little.

"I– oh my god," she gasps, her fingers digging painfully into my shoulder blades. And I'm loving the pain, the sensation giving me my own pleasure as I pick up my tempo.

"You what?"

"I— just... don't stop."

I chuckle, a deep one that makes her walls tighten around my fingers. "Your wish is my command, baby." My thumb rubs her clit as her moans turn into screams, the sound sending shivers of pleasure despite being in such close range to be deafening. But I soak in every single sound as if it's my life force.

She gives one last ragged moan when her body stiffens against me. Her legs give out, and I hold her up as she leans back into me for support. The only sound that can be heard is the pounding of our hearts consuming the air.

"I got you baby. It's okay," I whisper, tucking a moist strand from her eyes behind her ear. The aching between my thighs begs to be satisfied, but I don't give myself the pleasure. It's only about her, and only her. I'll be fine.

I carry her over to the cot and lay her down, making sure to pull down her shirt. "Let me get something to clean you up, okay?"

"W-wait, what... about you?" she asks in between pants, her fingers weakly tugging at my sleeve.

"I'll be fine, baby." Pressing a kiss to her temple, I stand and walk over to the washstand. Grabbing a washcloth from one of the drawers, I turn on the faucet. Water flows out, much to my relief. I know the water comes from a sealed container, so it should be okay.  Holding the rag under it, it's also hot. Perfect.

Shutting off the sink, I squeeze out a little water, the drops dripping into the basin before returning to Sky and sitting beside her, the cot creaking under both our weights. She bites her lip as her eyes search mine. Holding out the wet rag, she nods before I help her lift her shirt off. My breath hitches in pain when I look at the gauze wrapped around her.

But first things first. Hooking my fingers on her soaked panties, I glance up at her for permission before taking them off. Throwing it to the floor, I place the rag on her inner thigh. She inhales sharply as I slowly clean her, the water on her skin glistening under the lights. Once I'm done with that area, I kiss it before turning over the washcloth and placing it on her vagina. A small whimper escapes her mouth as I apply pressure and wipe away any remains.

"There... all clean," I say with a smile, throwing the rag into an open garbage can together with the underwear.

"Wait, why did you thro–"

"Because we're not using it anymore." I cover her up with the bedcover before scooting closer. My hand hovers over the tied gauze. "Are you ready?"

She inhales shakily before nodding. "Yes."

With extra precaution, I unwrap the white bandage until the final layer remains. I brace myself when it finally falls away, revealing ... nothing.

Her skin is free of any blemishes, bruises, traces of anything. It's as if nothing... happened. Wait... did I dream about it? No... my shoulder still probes me like hell, and the bruises on my arm is proof enough that everything did happen.

So where are hers?

"What is it?" she asks softly.

"I– there's... nothing ..."

"What? What do you mean?" Her head snaps down, her eyes widening at the discovery. "Oh... that was... fast"

There's no way her bruises were so minor that they just faded away overnight. In fact, no bruises disappear that quick. How, and what the fuck happened? Unless...

No. I push that thought away. If she was one of them, then she wouldn't be healing. I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation for this, but I don't think it's a good idea to further delve into it. After all, they're not there anymore. That should be good enough, right?

I reach out and place my palm against her ribs. "Does that... hurt?" I ask gently.

"No." Her heart pounds at a steady rhythm, each beat vibrating against my palm.

"Are you sure?" Searching her eyes, I don't see any signs of a lie. The thought is both scary and relieving to me.

She leans forward and softly kisses me on the lips before whispering. "I'm sure."

Pulling back, she looks at me. I take a deep breath, trying to push away the thoughts of the unexplainable. As long as she seems healthy and not injured, what should I be worried about then? That she's turning? Her bruise healing at that exponential rate definitely doesn't explain or prove that shit.

"Okay. Hold on, let me get the clothes." Standing up, I walk to one of the steel boxes, my eye catching the dog's head looking around the corner, and search for some clothing. Ah, perfect. Camo cargo pants and a gray T-shirt. "Here."

Her face scrunches up. "Black and gray? Is there really no pink –"

I sigh. "Yes, as you probably realize, we're not in the middle of WestSide mall. You'll be fine." She huffs but still takes the clothes from my hand. "Get dressed. I'll go check the cameras."

"Cameras?" She pulls the shirt on.

"Yep. Jack had them installed," I call over my shoulder as I walk over to the desk near the front and press a button underneath before sitting down on the chair. Scooting in, five computer monitors slide up, extending into ten. I'm still impressed that Jack had managed to make his own security system. Pressing keys on the board, they all turn on, the crack of dawn providing me with enough light to show me a colored view of the front entrance, the sides, and the back, all void of any life. None of them are pointed at the streets, since it's a law in this town that it's illegal for cameras to film public places. Which, to me, has always been baffling, but small towns tend to have ridiculous laws and reek of centuries of buried shit.

Pulling up the feed from one of the Camdros, a video surveillance camera/drone, I get ready to fly it. "Jack and I would use the headphones, but it's not a good idea to have your hearing blocked." I chuckle half-heartedly. Then glance back to where Sky is standing behind my shoulder. "Unless you don't want to... hear..."

She shrugs, her expression remaining stoic. "I'm fine. Don't worry about me."

Just two nights ago, she had buried her face into my chest at the meager sound of flesh being sliced from the TV, but she's fine with dead people eating each other?

"See, I'm worried that you're telling me I shouldn't worry when I'm... worried..." Did I just repeat the same word three times?

She smiles and places her hand on my shoulder, the warmth seeping through the fabric. "I'm perfectly fine. We should be focusing on that." She gestures to the monitors.

With a reluctant sigh, I turn back to screen and press the U button on the board to unscrew the lens cover on the drone. The view of the destroyed street appears: wrecked cars scattered through the roads and yards, burning houses, and a fire hydrant sprouting water up in the air. A wheel spins slowly on a lone garden cart turned upside down. But that's not what brings on the heavy feeling of dread in my chest.

"Чёрт,(shit)" I mutter.

"What is it?" Sky asks, her red hair tickling the side of my face she leans in to take a closer look.

"There's nobody here." I steer the Camdro further out.

"Shouldn't that be a... good thing?"

"Not in this situation, no."

None of the tentacle oozers or monsters are anywhere in sight. Where the fuck are they?

Well, okay, I mean the ones that can still walk or at least drag themselves. Because the further I fly out, the amount of unrecognizable bodies, or rather remains, litter the entire area. Bloody intestines, dark splotches, chewed up arms and legs, and cracked open heads devoid of brains.

Jeez, even while dead, they still discard perfectly good food.

My Camdro hovers over the old lady that I witnessed being torn apart yesterday morning. Her lower half waist is completely missing, but her upper body has been cleaned of flesh until her collarbone, leaving behind her attached skeleton. The esophagus dangles by the side of her bare neckbone, or rather slithers along the crimson red pavement. Her eyes are wide open, inky void inside of them as her teeth snap at the drone.

Pressing the F button, I shoot a silenced bullet into her skull. The entire head shivers and shakes like jello before melting into a quivering pile of black goo, smoke rising from it as it soaks into the cement. Sky doesn't so much as flinch or make a little noise. Something is definitely wrong with her. A person cannot change this dramatically overnight, even in an environment like this.

As much as I want to sit down and have a long conversation with her, we have bigger worries. Because the other very concerning thing is the lack of monsters. I'd rather keep them in my sight than not know where they are.

The dog whimpers, reminding me of that problem. Not to be cocky or anything , but there's absolutely no fucking wash I missed her when I was checking the place. She crawled in through somewhere, and considering that the streets are empty...

"Maybe they're in the back," Sky says, her voice soft but firm.

And immediately after she said it, a thud resounds from the back. I stand and shove her behind me, keeping my hand on her stomach as I stare at the dim area. The dog has somehow broken out of her leash, because she yelps and bounds toward us. Planting herself beside me, she presses her body against my leg. Silence once again spreads all around us, one that reeks of death.

Good thing she didn't escape while we were having sex.

Another thud followed by an indent in the wall and the guttural roar of a monster sparks me into action.

"Aria, what are we going to do?" Sky squeaks quietly, her hand gripping my arm. The dog whines and looks up at me.

I glance back at the monitors. The streets are still empty, and if that monster is behind the building, then everyone else must be there as well. That still would give us little chance to make a run for it... unless... wait a minute, fuck, как я могу быть такая дура? (How can I be such an idiot?)

"Come on, Sky." Grabbing the axe and her wrist with my other hand, I lead her to the closed door near the front. The dog follows, not leaving my side. Pressing my thumb against the lock panel, I receive the approval and the door slides open. And there it stands, my precious car that Jack has kept for me in here. A Gatling gun and two machine guns sit on top of the roof. The windows are spotless, thanks to me cleaning them regularly, and protected by metal bars. Flashbacks torment my mind at the sight of it, the amounts of fatal incidents that it saved me from. I can only hope that it will protect the both of us now.

"Wait." Sky places her hand on my arm. "There's a garage here, and you didn't check it?"

"I'm checking it now, aren't I?" With a scoff, I step inside, the dog bounding past me and scouring the area. Okay, maybe having a dog won't be a complete waste of resources.

After checking under the vehicle and walking around, I announce "all clear!" before grabbing the keys from atop the rear tire and opening the driver's side. I slide in, the familiar rough surface of the seat bringing back memories, both good and bad. Putting the axe on the floor so its handle protrudes upward, I stick the key into the ignition switch, and take a deep breath before turning it. And I'm greeted by the purr of the engine coming to life.

I'm about to tell Sky to hop in when something catches the corner of my eyes. It's a small box. I pick it up and open it. My breath catches in my throat when two dark blue pills come into view.

I thought Jack and I had gotten rid of every X pill. Either he still kept a stash and lied to me, or I missed them when I was cleaning out my car. The latter which cannot be possible. But then why would Jack leave them here in the open?

Looking at them, a memory I've tried to forget comes up. Sky's terrified face appears when the pills took over my body over a year ago. I had overdosed, on purpose, because I wanted to leave my life behind. I thought I didn't deserve Sky's love, not after everything I've done. Killing people because there was no other option. The pain that poisoned me from the inside, devouring my soul little by little. I wanted release from life, until Sky convinced me that I was worth it, that she'll never leave my side, that she'll never hurt me. Her love saved me, gave me enough strength to fight through, like the sun giving life to a dying plant.

Jolting back to the present, I hold the two pills in my palm. There's no knowing what's going to happen out there. And I had sworn to protect Sky with my life, even if it means sacrificing myself. That's what love is. It requires sacrifice, although that word holds a different meaning in a normal world. If I have to die for her, then so be it.

Plus, the pills... They're calling to me, seeping the poison into my mind. It's been so... so fucking long since I've had them. Flashbacks of how good it feels, how they numbed the pain in me, gave me power, even it was for a short time before the dangerous side effects kicked in. But that delicious release was always worth it.

Popping the two pills into my mouth, I move them around before swallowing them both dry. An uncomfortable but familiar tingle appears in my face as they immediately activate. After all, they were designed to be taken during any action.

Sky coughs. Panic courses through me. I throw the pill box in the back before jumping out to find her waving her hand in front of her disgusted face as the smoke from the exhaust pipe surrounds her. "Are you trying to poison me?" she demands.

Relief floods me as I roll my eyes. "Come on, hop in."  The poundings and snarls from the back increase in both tempo and volume. We have to go now. 

"Are you sure–"

"I said get in, Sky! Now!" I order. Opening the passenger seat from the driver's door, Adala jumps in first before Sky finally climbs in. "You ready?"

"What do you think?" Sky asks, the door automatically slamming shut on its own.

Squeezing her thigh in reassurance, I press the thumb-activating remote. The garage doors quickly begin to rise, the morning sun streaming from under when Sky grabs my face and kisses me deeply.

Pulling away, I breathe. "Remember. Together. Forever..."

"Always,"  we say in unison.

"Exactly. Now hold on, because this might be a very bumpy ride."

As if to prove it, just as soon as I switch gears to drive, a horrendous crash ensues from the back. And that's when a tentacle strikes through the walls, bending the steel in all directions, and heads straight for us. The dog barks just as it misses us by inches, smashing through the generator.

"Go!" Sky yells.

And pressing down on the gas pedal, I drive us the fuck out of there.

Word count: 3778

A/N

Important message: consent is always, ALWAYS important, and remember, you are LOVED.