005

Chapter Five

Storming from the tall stone tower, Luger clutched in his hand, Johan is bright red and desperate for answers. The wind blows through his scruffy beard as many thoughts race through his head. Where is your wife? Is she still alive? What is left of home? How is he getting home? With each question his rage builds and the thoughts whirl faster. There had to be other survivors, other settlements, somewhere. One of these people had to have a functioning boat or plane or something. The stone tower quickly fades into the distance and Saul with it. Johan keeps up his frenetic pace.

Dashing through the wasteland, Johan's legs begin to cramp up causing him to lessen his pace. He starts to gasp for breath but the air is dry and cramping his lungs. Falling to his knees Johan coughs loudly and spits a large wad of phlegm into the dust.

"F**k," he gasps.

As be begins to gradually regain his breath, Johan moves upright onto his knees. With the rusty Luger tucked into his belt, he draws the back of his hand across his forehead, wiping the grime and sweat from his face.

"I need to find food," he groans and stands onto wobbly feet.

Walking through the day, Johan sees hardly anything fit to eat. Vultures circle high above him, mammoth black birds with silver claws. They, however, were too far to take with the old Luger.

Cresting a large hill in the late afternoon, he peers down on a vacant campsite. Alertly, he drops into a prone position and scans the surrounding. When all seams clear, he shimmies down to the site and crawls about some small sacks. They don't offer much but the last one he checks yields a small can of spinach and a tin of sardines. Greedily, shoving them into his pockets he glances around for water knowing he couldn't survive without it. His eyes fall upon a large bin that had been used to catch rain water. Franticly, he finds an old glass Coca-Cola bottle and fills it to the top. He chugs down it's contents in a few greedy gulps, refills the bottle, again chugging every last drop and fills it one last time for later. Crawling back to cover at the hill's crest, he observes the campsites inhabitants moving back to their dwellings. He can see three man wrestling with someone. A forth man holds a much smaller figure firmly in his arms. One of the three lifts a crude club and thumps the fighting figure, causing them to go completely limp. The body is tossed over the largest one's shoulder and they stalk back to their campsite. Johan hears a muffled scream as the small one is thrown into a large iron cage.

The four turn their attention to the unconscious figure, who Johan now realizes is a young teenage girl. A rock drops in his stomach but he knows he can't fight off four armed bandits. With reluctance, he strafes along the small gully in order to abandon the soon to be gruesome scene.

Almost half way around, Johan begins to hear the girl sob as they take turns pleasing themselves at her expense. Facing the grayish yellow ground, Johan gags and throws up onto the dead grass before him. He picks up the pace to get away from the scene unfolding in front of him.

The pleading and crying fades into the distance behind him and he stands to his feet with a pained deep breath. What happened to world he knew? Is there any humanity left in this god forsaken dust bowl? Shaking the terrible images of the helpless young lady from his head, he breaks open the can of spinach. Any other time in his life the contents inside would have caused him to gag and pull away in disgust but he had never felt such hunger in all his years. With two giant gulps, Johan swallows the entire contents, green, slimy water and all.

After the wet, green leaves settle in his stomach, he pulls the tab on the metal sardine can and pulls the lid off. Eight tiny fish lie juxtapose in the little tin soaking in thick, light colored oils. Grasping one of the tails, Johan lifts it and drops it on his tongue. The salty flavor fills his mouth and Johan enjoys the strong fishy flavor and greedily swallows the next seven down. Wiping his mouth off, he tips the container back and sips down the oils.

Satisfied, Johan stands and continues on, fueled by cold spinach, salty sardines, and the dream of seeing his beautiful Martina again.

The sun slowly hides itself behind the rolling horizon and Johan feels the ache in his whole body from a full day of traveling the hilly landscape. The cold air begins to chill his bones causing his cramped legs to knot up even worse. He grits his teeth and continues on. With each step he takes, the middle of each hamstring knots up almost crippling him.

He finally has enough and decides to rest until morning. Strolling stiffly up a low embankment, he curls up under a rock jutting from the ground. The hard earth plays games with his aching muscles but his fatigue gets the better of him as he fall into a heavy, restless sleep.

The hot, steamy water flows over his lean, muscular body. The last shower he would have for five years. Squeezing the white shampoo bottle, a large blob of blue shampoo pours into his hand. As he lathers it up in his hair, the bathroom door slowly opens causing him to jump and get shampoo in his eye.

"Owe, son of a b***h."

"Are you okay?" a sweet voice asks concernedly. "What happened?"

"It's okay, you just startled me. I got some soap in my eye," he rubs it vigorously trying to quell the stinging.

"Oh, Im sorry sweetheart."

"Whatcha doin'?"

"Hmm, I don't know. Thought I'd give you a little treat since you're leaving tomorrow," she says in a sexy voice.

"And what would that be?"

"Close your eyes," she giggles. He obeys and a second later he feels the shower curtain slowly getting pulled aside.

"I think Im gonna like this," he smiles.

"Don't peak," she whispers right next to his ear.

"Okay."

He reaches out and holds her round, naked hips and feels her soft lips kiss him in response. Her soft lips slowly kiss down the length of his body. Pecking gently down the side of his neck, to his muscular shoulder, down the center of his chest, and to his belly button. As her lips close around him, his eyes shoot open. Kneeling in the shower before him, dripping wet, is the most beautiful woman he's ever seen. The love of his life. Water streams through her long blonde hair, down her toned back into a delta that is her firm, peach bottom. Droplets run around her perky, perfectly round breasts and drip off her hard n*****s.

"I love you babe," he moans.

"Johan, I told you not to look," she beams up at him playfully.

"I love you Martina," he smiles again.

"I love you too baby," she stands and looks into his eyes. She turns around and rubs her perfect butt right where it feels best. Johan smiles, kisses her on the neck, and caresses her amazing hips. She convulses as his hands move from her hips to an area a little more south.

The shower becomes even steamer as the passion inside rises. Moans and sighs of pleasure are muffled by pattering water and skin slapping together. Reaching a climax, they scream out in ecstasy. With both finished Martina looks lovingly into Johan's eyes and kisses him long and hard. He can't take his eyes off his beautiful wife's flawless body.

"I'll let you get cleaned off," she winks at him and runs her finger down his chest. She scampers naked across the bathroom and wraps a towel around her dripping body and disappears into the bedroom.

Johan takes a deep satisfied breath and rinses his body off. When thoroughly rinsed off, he turns the scalding water off and reaches for a towel. He wipes his face and hair dry and shammies off his dripping arms and legs. Pulling on a pair of blue underwear, he enters his small bedroom. To his surprise, when he enters, he finds his beautiful wife lying butt naked on the bed giving him a come here motion with her pointer finger.

"Back for seconds?" Johan chuckles. Martina just grins and lays back for him to take her. She is scooped up and they start once more. After thirty minutes of the best love making either of them had ever had, they roll over completely exhausted and satisfied.

"I can't believe I won't see you again for another five years," Martina is suddenly serious and melancholy.

"Babe, don't think about it," Johan gently touches her face.

"I know but," a tear forms in her eye.

"Shh," he puts his finger to her lips and leans in for a gentle, passionate kiss.

"I love you," she whispers.

"I love you too," they kiss once more and roll over to sleep. He pulls her in close and they fall asleep in each others arms. For the last time ever?

Author's Note

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