Tight Spot

Part 2

### Chapter 1: Chapter 1

When Tight was released it was to be the superdrug to cure all. Women took it for the perfect body, Men for the perfect sex drive. A year has past, everything has changed. Humanity is in a Tight Spot Prologue -Tight was released to a hungry world, desperate for perfection. It was an dubbed a super-drug - a cure to obesity, it promised the ageless skin, perfect muscle structure, tone, beauty and increased sex drive. For men it had the added bonus of increasing the muscle mass of the male organ to a guaranteed 10 to 12 inches. Everyone clambered to get it, free as a result of the health benefits, there were no restrictions. A year on and the world wasn't the same, The Tight roam the night. Only the male Tight population survived. Their skin stretched taut, their muscles clenched, they struggle to move. Their pain soaked minds are bent on relieving their most obvious engorged muscle. With no Tight females remaining they search for the Loose, those who resisted Tight and fear the night.

Kate is on a search herself. She's heard about a book that was written for such an event. Within it's pages must be the answers and a solution to this Tight epidemic. She must survive and implement the steps outlined for humanities sake. But she's just one loose woman in a Tight Spot. #FIRST DRAFT ONLY - unedited and due for a re-write - Please enjoy in this basic form - rewrite to come.

Complete Chapters 4

Rating 4.7 ( 143 reviews ) Age Rating mature

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Chapter 1: Step 1

The page in front of me was entitled - 'The City Council's Official Plan for Zombie Invasion.' I breathed a sign of relief as I read on, 'Step 1 - Run, Run very fast.'

“Please,” I growled, “Like I didn’t know that!”

I looked around the room in frustration. It had taken me months to get here, months of running, running very fast. This book was supposed to save us. It was supposed to tell me what to do to save humanity.

I had heard about it in one of those human interest stories before the wonder drug TIGHT was released to the public. Someone had placed a freedom of information request into this council to view their Emergency Procedure Manual for Zombie Invasion. It was given so much publicity that the council were forced to provide a plan.

It wasn’t easy getting here and given what I had been through, I expected something more than this!

Maybe it got better. It better get better.

I couldn’t face the disappointment that page one of the thin book held, so instead I wiped a pattern in the dust. This room, these council offices, belonged to another world. A world were housewives gossiped, lawns were kept short, school results mattered and the Tight didn’t walk the streets at night. It was a world I missed. But it was a world long gone.

Strange, I looked at the piles of books on the floor, these had been disturbed. There was a dust-free section of the bookshelf which clearly housed them until recently. Why? The Tight would have no reason to come down here. They weren’t interested or capable of reading.

The Tight were no longer flexible. It was an unexpected side effect. Somehow their muscles seized up and stayed that way, and of course the male muscle that many took Tight to enlarge wasn’t exempt. So they were clenched into body builder poses with every muscle taut and erect. Maybe the drug also affected their brains, or it could have been the pain involved, but whatever the cause they were insane and bent on relieving their immediate and most noticeable point of pressure.

One might have stumbled down here hoping to find a survivor and knocked these to the floor while it thrashed around. The books could have fallen into a distinct pile. But that didn’t explain the fact not much else was disturbed.

I fidgeted with the corner of the page of the book which still sat open on my lap. If a Tight was down here I should leave. The light was dim down here. They didn’t like light, their eye lids didn’t blink rapidly anymore so they hid during the daylight hours.

I slowly shut the book and pushed it into my backpack while keeping my eyes on the shadows. Yes, I should go now. I had what I came for. It was time to go.

Slowly I back up towards the door. I spun and collided with a wall. My head snapped back as my arms flailed out. I teetered on my heels as I tried to save myself. But my centre was already overbalanced. I could feel myself falling backwards. In that horrible moment realisation hit, I was falling and there was nothing I could do to save myself. Damn, this was going to hurt!

Everything moved in slow motion, my arms circling as I tried to grab onto something, my body tilting as it inevitably moved backwards and two strong tentacle like arms wrapping themselves around my waist.

Two strong arms? Around my waist?

I couldn’t decide if I was screaming because I was falling or due to the huge man who stood before me.

Then I fought. I knew it would do no good. The Tight were all muscle. That’s why they took TIGHT. So he was stronger than me and his pain saturated brain wouldn’t register any hurt I could inflict on him.

I could feel the tears of frustration budding in my eyes as I kicked, punched and thrashed around.

I was stuffed. I knew this but it didn’t stop me from fighting. I had no choice. I knew what was going to happen to me. I couldn’t let him do that to me. I had to make even a futile attempt to escape his iron grasp. I couldn’t meekly submit to him.

I didn’t want to die now. I had the book. I finally had it.

The Tight pulled me closer, pinning my arms to his chest and holding my hips to his so that I couldn’t bring my knee up to kick him in the obvious place.

“Calm down Ma’am,” a husky voice breathed through my hair.

I froze for a second. It spoke. They never spoke. Why did it speak?

“You’re so soft,” the voice groaned as the hands gently explored me.

I struggled again. It didn’t matter if it grew wings and flew. It was still a Tight and I was still about to be his pin cushion. It was very obvious that he was Tight.

“So you ain’t Tight? Holy shit,” the muscled bulk in front of me mumbled as he held me out to look at me without loosening his grip on me.

“Let me go, you Tight asshole!”

“I ain’t Tight, Ma’am, although I can’t speak for my asshole.”

“Now Ma’am,” he interrupted, “It ain’t proper for a lady to cuss Iike that. I know I been incline to call the Tight some mighty colourful names, but I ain’t no lady.”

“Ma’am, I’m speaking to you ain’t I? I can move my limbs, can’t I?” He rolled his shoulders but didn’t release me. “I ain’t one of them.”

“I ain’t. Why can’t you see that?”

“That! That’s how I know!” I pointed at the evidence.

The monster in front of me laughed. He actually laughed.

“Ma’am, you are a loose woman and I ain’t held a woman to me in a long time. You might have been meaning to escape me but hell your body felt right nice as you rubbed it against me. I wouldn’t be a man if I didn’t get this reaction to you.”

“Loose woman?” I knew the term it just didn’t seem right coming from his lips.

“I don’t mean that you are easy to get into bed, just that you didn’t take that TIGHT stuff.”

“No Ma’am, that’s what I been trying to tell you.”

“But you are so big?” I looked again over the massively muscular chest and down to the prominent bulge in his jeans, “Huge.”

“Why thank you ma’am. I played defence and my body was built this way from working on my pa’s farm.”

“But...?” I stuttered again, a million questions all going through my head.

“I don’t mean to be rude Ma’am. But it’s getting late and my pa sent me to get something from this room.”

“You’re looking for the book?” I blurted.

“Yes Ma’am. Pa said that the council here wrote a book telling folks what to do if zombies attacked. He sent me to fetch it but I am having the devil’s own time finding it. I ain’t ever been good with school stuff so I don’t know how I am gonna find it.”

I bit my tongue. This man would easily over power me if he knew I had what he was looking for.

“Ma’am I want you...?” he stopped himself as I flinched away and cringed, “Ma’am, sorry ma’am, I ain’t good with words so excuse me if I upset you. I want you to stay with me. There ain’t many loose women left and I want to take you home with me.”

This guy may or may not be tight but he wasn’t all there in the brains department. There were no farms anymore. All that was left were the odd survivor trying to stay alive. No one had a home. Only those who banded together in large groups could afford to stay in one place for any length of time. I’d never found any of these groups but I’d heard they existed. I’d also heard that the Tight were attracted to them like moths to a flame.

“Can you let go of me,” I whispered hoping not to anger him.

He looked surprised and immediately dropped his hands from me, “Sorry Ma’am.”

I took his momentary confusion as an opportunity and ducked under his arm and out the door.

I ran. I didn’t know what else to do. I could hear him running after me. I couldn’t outrun this giant.

There was only one thing I could do. I saw it on the way in. It wouldn’t save me for long but it might give me enough time to find the gun I kept in my backpack.

I sprinted up the stairs and into the council foyer. It was a beautiful building designed around a central courtyard. This space was lit with a large dome allowing the sunlight to steam through to highlight the mosaic on the floor.

I threw myself into the circle of bright sunlight and pulled myself to a stop roughly in the middle. I caught my breath as I turned waiting to see what he did.

“I knew you were Tight,” I sneered when he stopped before the light.

I could see his outline hover around the edge. He was silent but I could hear his breathing.

“You’re so beautiful,” I heard the dark shape whisper. “I couldn’t see you in that room... but Ma’am you’re an angel!”

I gasped as he stepped into the circle. The sunlight fell on his face, in his eyes, and he didn’t react. His gaze was directly on me as his lips curled into a small smile.

His body was broad and obviously muscled but he moved with grace. The small subtle movements he made took my breath away. How long had it been since I had seen a man who wasn’t Tight? He took another smooth step forward as I watched, my eyes glued to him.

He waited. I could see that he wanted to move closer but wasn’t. Why?

I forced my eyes up to his face only to find his eyes roaming my body. His indiscrete appraisal reminded me of a time before all of this. A time where men and women would flirt with one another building the sexual tension between them until one took the chance and made the first move.

It had been a very long time since my heart had fluttered like this. I felt my breathing increase as I remember a time when sex was an act of beauty and of love. When couples jointly enjoyed the sensations they encouraged in each other. I felt a foreign ache in me.

I tried to distract myself by examining his face. He was at least in his early twenties, older than I expected. His eyes were a deep blue and twinkled like jewels set into his chiselled face. The distinct cheekbones lead down to a scruffy jaw line. If he was trying to grow a beard he was failing at it. The fluff that grew there was all patchy. His hair was cut short and uneven - home cut with kitchen scissors, I’d guess - tuffs of warm brown were spotted here and there.

He smiled a wide grin as he his eyes caught me watching him. His dimples were to die for.

It was then I realised how good it felt when he touched me. He had held me gently even though I fought him. I wanted to feel his body against mine again. He was standing before me, waiting for me. I wanted to feel his smooth skin against mine. I needed to touch him again and pretend that this was normal. I wanted to believe in his farm and that we could go home.

I closed the distance between us fast, jumping into his arms and without any words his lips found mine. His kiss was soft at first, gentle and caressing as his arms wrapped around my waist lifting me from the ground. But as I responded he became more passionate and demanding. He pushed his tongue deep into my mouth, lashing mine with his, and I was lost. He tasted so good. He felt so good. I wanted to taste and feel more of him.

His body was pressed hard against mine and his hands moved to cup my ass. His hands kneaded with shaky urgency, as he pushed my thighs apart. My legs bent up and wrapped themselves around his waist. He groaned loudly as he pushed his palms against my pelvis, pushing with the heels of his hands into me so that my soft folds were positioned over the hard ridge that dominated the front of his jeans. His tongue began to penetrate my mouth as his hips matched the motion. We ground our jean clad groins against each other.

My hands pulled up his shirt until it was over his head and on the floor. I let him yank mine over my head too. My grip found the hard muscles on his back. I dug my fingers in as I hung off him. His chest was taut muscle overlaying muscle, all moulded into the perfect pattern. It was smooth and warm as the lace on my bra was dragged up and down against it.

I bucked against him. My body moved in time with his creating the perfect friction. My hips were flush against his as he kissed my mouth, my face, my neck and any skin he could reach.

I wanted him too much to separate myself from him. I wanted to remove more of the clothing that stood between us but I couldn’t stop. This felt so good. I needed his hands on me, his mouth ravishing me and his hard desire rubbing against me.

I moaned with each of his thrusts. Then as they grew in tempo I threw my head back and let the sensation take me over. His hard ridge pushed at me straining to penetrate me through all the layers. I pushed against the blunt bulge and slid down the long length that must have been painfully pressed against his zipper. I imagined what he must look like all hot, sweating and naked. I imagined what he must be like unconstrained. I imagined all that manhood was mine for the taking.

A wave of pleasure broke over me and I sung out and convulsed as the bubbles of ecstasy burst inside me. He held me firmly with his hips rocked against mine until I was done. Then as my tingling subsided he began thrusting again. This time he was rough and demanding. He didn’t hurt me but he drove himself against me in clear desperation. His passionate eyes, raw desire and his confident desperation had me singing again. As I did he pushed the wet patch of taut material urgently against me. He released a groaned “Fcuk” as his hands dug into my skin. His erection pulsed through his jeans.

My eyes came up and met his. We held each other’s gaze as we remained welded in place. Our sexes glued together by the wet fabric that separated us.

Then he groaned. It wasn’t the groan of lust that had come so easily before. No this one spoke of frustration and annoyance.

He slowly lowered my legs but didn’t release me until I had my balance. My hand was shaking as it covered the wet front of my jeans and the soft throbbing flesh that waited behind it. I couldn’t help but notice the spreading wet on the front of his jeans. If he didn’t look so pained I might have rolled off the spoilt clothing and repeated that dance with him, only this time without the barriers.

“Shit, I’m sorry ma’am. Ohh hell, you ain’t married are you? Fcuk! I ain’t had a woman in nearly a year. An angel comes my way and I’m rutting her like sex starved ram,” he muttered under his breath, “And I jizzed my pants. Hell. Sorry. What must you think of me?”

“Sex starved ram?” I raised an eyebrow as I stumbled away from him.

I tried to straighten my clothing. The moment was over. My senses were returning and I felt the embarrassment of what I did.

He scooped the shirts up off the ground and handed me mine. As he did I couldn’t help but notice the muscles on his chest flex with the movement. They were glistening with a light sweat and shone in the sunlight.

He moved his hips and grimaced. His eyes flashed downwards taking mine with them. Below his bellybutton a light trail of dark hair which lead the eye down to his wet jeans. As I watched he used his shirt to wipe away the semen that oozed up around the waistband. Then he repositioned himself.

“Yeah,” he grimaced and hung his head, “That about explains it. I deserve my ass whipped for this.”

“Don’t tempt me,” I scrunched my eyes and rubbed my face, “What’s gotten into me? I don’t usually do that. I mean, that isn’t what I’m like. Ohh hell, you must think I am a loose woman now. I don’t even know your name. Damn, I’m sorry. I should go.”

“Go? No! No, please don’t go, Ma’am. Shit, I’m sorry, Ma’am. Please don’t go,” he looked pained as his eyes pleaded with me.

I exhaled in relief. I knew that I couldn’t leave. I should but I couldn’t. There was something about him that made me want to trust him.

“My momma calls me Franklin Joshua Armstrong when she is angry with me but to everyone else I’m Tank.”

“OK Tank, well you can call me Kate,” I smiled and made a hasty decision. “Tank, I think I have the book that you are looking for. Can we make a deal?”

“I don’t know ma’am, my pa says that I shouldn’t make deals with strangers.”

“But you know my name and after what happened here, we aren’t strangers Tank.”

“All right ma’am. So you have this book on Zombie Invasion?”

“Yes, that’s right. I will share it with you if you take me with you, can you protect me?”

“Heck ma’am, I was gonna do that anyway. There ain’t no way I’d leave a loose woman once I found one. Ma’am, I want you to come back with me. But I’ll tell you it ain’t close. There’s a lot of miles between us and the farm.”

“Then we had better get going, it will be dark soon.”

“Shit,” he quickly looked upwards. “Hell, the suns going down and we smell of sex. Fcuk.”

“Smell of sex?” I asked as we hurried out the door.

He linked his hand with mine and ran dragging me along with him down the wide steps in front of the building.

“They can smell it. Like bees to honey.”

His threw me a pained look over his shoulder, “I ain’t had a woman since all this started but I still have urges.”

He ran to a strange looking vehicle that was parked on the footpath. I was about to pull him away, there was no power and therefore no fuel these days. Vehicles were useless. But he pulled the door open and roughly shoved me inside.

“What? You have a truck? But how?”

“We have hand pumps on the farm.”

“Yes so you have already said,” I laughed.

He’s cheeks coloured slightly as he concentrated on starting the truck. It roared to life.

“Ma’am, hell, how old are you? Please tell me you are legal.”

“You’re safe Tank,” I was still laughing, “There are no cops, the legal system is gone, I’m eighteen and we didn’t have sex.”

“Eighteen, Thank Gawd!” he released a deep breath in relief, “My pa says that even though there ain’t no law men left it doesn’t make you any less guilty of a wrong. And we might not have had sex but I sure am planning on correcting that wrong.”

“Yes ma’am, so I have been told.”

“I didn’t mean... ohh, never mind.”

He grinned a deep dimpled smile at me and rendered me all jelly inside.

“How come you didn’t do TIGHT?” I asked in an attempt to change the subject.

“Well ma’am, it’s like this, I been told that I don’t need it. Coach said that he didn’t want me any bigger, and well, the ladies didn’t want me any bigger either. So I stayed off the stuff.” He frowned and his forehead creased he kept his eyes on the road but I could almost feel the pain radiating off him.

“Yes, it’s pretty clear why they called you Tank,” I said softly in an effort to lighten the mood.

He shrugged, “Yeah, the guys in the team reckoned that I cleared the field better than a Sherman Tank. The name stuck.”

“So are you telling me it had nothing to do with the weapon you have in your pants?” I laughed.

“Well there was that too,” his cheeks flushed with colour, “So why didn’t you take TIGHT?”

“Are you implying that I needed it?”

“No Ma’am,” His eyes were wide with nervous tension as they left the road and met mine, “Sorry Ma’am, I ain’t ever been good at talking to the ladies. It was my brother Jed that knew what to say. He would have had you melting in your pants... ohh shit, sorry ma’am, I ain’t good at this.”

He held up his hand, indicating his need for time, as he grimaced at the road. I waited. I let him think through his words and I watched him. His forehead creased a little with concentration and I could feel his frustration.

“Ma’am, you are a beautiful woman. But plenty of beautiful women took TIGHT. I’m mighty glad you didn’t but it makes me wonder...if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Tank, can you call me Kate? It makes me feel old when you call me Ma’am.”

“Sorry, but it was the way I was brought up. Are you married? I don’t mind if you are. I will still look after you if you are. “

He closed his eyes and smiled before he said “Sorry, I don’t mean to be rude, I’m just a little nervous.”

“You’re an Angel Miss Kate and the first since... well it’s been a long time. I want you to think nice things about me. I don’t want to mess this up. I tend to mess things up when I open my mouth. They guys on the team said I shouldn’t let the head on my shoulders do the talking... shit, did it again didn’t I?”

“Tank,” I smiled as his eyes were laden with his nervousness, “I like you.”

His face relaxed as the tension drained from him. He smiled with the full dimple effect, “I like you too Miss Kate. I like you a hell of a lot.”

I smiled and looked out the window at the deserted buildings.

“Did I make you sad Miss Kate? If you want I don’t have to like you that much.”

“No Tank. You can like me a hell of a lot. It’s just been a long time since anyone has liked me. It’s nice but it makes me a little sad that’s all.”

“Yeah,” I watched the red of the sun disappearing, “They will be coming out soon Tank. I’ve never been out after dark. Can you protect me?”

He glanced down at the mess smeared on the front of his pants.

“Not like this I can’t. We need to get rid of these clothes before every Tight in the city finds us.”

He grimaced as he turned the truck off the main road, “Do you remember the ‘Return of The Living Dead’? Well in that movie the zombies wanted to eat your brains to easy their pain. This is a little different,” Tank cringed and his eyes flashed to me, “I don’t want upset you Miss Kate, but their arms are too stiff to use their hands to... well, pump the fuel, as you said before. So they have no other way of releasing the pain in their balls than to hump anything they can find. They are drawn to sex because it is the only thing they want nowadays.”

“I know Tank,” I looked at my hands.

“Did they... have they...?” his hands gripped the steering wheel tighter and he ground his teeth. He didn’t finish the question for which I was grateful.

“I was grounded,” I said quietly without looking at him. “I wanted to take TIGHT but my Parents ground me and that was one of the things I wasn’t allowed to do. If it wasn’t for that I would be dead right now like all my friends. Tank, I’m only alive because I was being punished.”

A silent tear slid down my face. I hated the truth. I hated the memory of my friends rigid and dead or dying. The men lived, if you could call the Tight alive, because the male version was aimed at muscle development. The women had a different version of TIGHT. Woman wanted to be toned not muscular but have taut ageless skin. So that was what TIGHT did for them. Their skin became so tight that they couldn’t eventually move. The lucky ones died of asphyxiation when their skin wouldn’t allow them to breathe, others died of dehydration and starvation when they couldn’t open their mouths or move their arms to eat, but too many were unable to move fast enough to avoid being taken by their male counterparts. They were the unlucky ones.

I felt a warm hand on my thigh and I looked up to see Tank smiling with a sad sorry smile, “What were you grounded for Miss Kate?”

I laughed softly and felt the blood rushing to my cheeks, “My mum caught me and my boyfriend together.”

“Your parents didn’t like your boyfriend?”

“We were in bed together Tank,” I bit my lip, “He was my first and we didn’t even...”

I couldn’t finish. I turned to look into the dark. I saw the faces as we sped down the road.

“They are out there,” I whispered.

“Yes Ma’am,” his voice was quiet. “Hide your eyes Miss Kate. The things they do give me nightmares. And Miss Kate, grab a hold of something, this might get a little bumpy.”

He flipped a switch that must have worked the large lights that were mounted to the roof.

I was too scared to blindly trust in Tank. So I had my eyes open when the light illuminated the road. The high watt spot lights bounced off a Tight standing in the middle of the road. Tank swore as it hit the metal grill on the front of the truck and with a squelch and a thud it went under the driver’s side wheel sending the truck airborne for a second. I felt my stomach twist in fear but Tank didn’t flinch. He just kept driving.

I gasped. There were more. The road was teeming with them. But as the light hit them the Tight screamed and their rigid bodies tried to flee. Most failed. Most fell to writhe with wooden movement, on the ground.

I’d not seen a Tight since they became nocturnal which was when this all began. The wonderdrug had worked. It had given them the stunning bodies they had craved. Their frames where laden with muscles and perfectly proportioned. These bodies now clearly in view. The clothes they once wore were now nothing more than scraps and most were naked. The TIGHT they had taken was still in their blood. I had hoped that it would eventually pass through them and the effects would diminish. It was clear that this wasn’t the case. Apart from scuffs and open sores they looked as buff as ever.

I looked into the darkness and understood why Tank had told me to close my eyes. The light blinded Taken were being attacked by the unaffected mob. I turned away quickly but it was too late the images were burned into the backs of my eyes. I knew how desperate they had become but seeing it displayed so graphically was sickening.

Tank didn’t say anything. His eyes were on the road and although I knew he was seeing what I had seen, he didn’t have the opportunity to be squeamish. If he lost concentration he might lose control of the car.

With another thud I guessed that another had gone under the wheels. This one must have been already writhing on the ground because to the large tyres of truck it was little more than a speed bump. I fought the nausea as we hit another one. I scrunched my eyes up and prayed silently.

The truck was now swerving around on the road. He must be steering to avoid the larger gatherings or piles of them. The occasional swear words he mumbled only served to heighten my fear.

“There’s too many,” he finally mumbled, “Sorry Miss Kate. I was hoping to get you out of town but we can’t afford to get surrounded. Even with the lights on full beam they’ll be all over us.”

“I’m scared Tank. There are so many of them. I’ve never seen so many.”

“The streets of the big towns are like this.” He glanced down at me before returning his attention quickly to the road. “We can’t do this like we are Miss Kate. We’ll be swamped if we try to make a run for it wearing these clothes.”

“I know. I think I know somewhere we can go but it’s not gonna be easy. Miss Kate, I might have to kill some of them. I can’t let them put their filthy hands on you. I want to look after you Miss Kate. I want to be your man.”

I could only manage a pained smile. He was sweet. I reached out and took his hand.

“Take your clothes off Miss Kate,” Tank said quietly.

I didn’t know what to say. I quickly took back my hand. Did he think I was a rival because of what I did in the Council office? His eyes were still on the road as he concentrated on his driving.

“Your clothes smell of our sex Miss Kate,” His mouth was drawn, “If we throw them away they might go looking for them and not notice us.”

“There is only one safe place and it ain’t gonna be nice Miss Kate. It’s not gonna be a good night for our first night together,” he grimaced and his eyes flashed at me before going back to the road.

I nodded as I began to strip off my clothes. I didn’t know if I believed him or not but this wasn’t the time for practical jokes so I had no choice but to trust him. The top went first then I wriggled out of the jeans and underpants.

“The bra too, Miss Kate,” his voice was husky and his steering was now quite jerky as he drove at speed.

I unclasp the bra and added it to the pile. I crossed my arms over my chest hiding what I could as Tank drew a deep breath and mumbled a soft curse.

“You need to help me with my clothes. I can’t take them off and drive.”

I nodded, all he was wearing was his jeans. The stained shirt was left behind at the council offices.

I moved closer and heard his breath hitch as I did. Having my naked body so close to his was having an obvious effect on him. His jeans were stretched in a way I recognized.

“I’m sorry Miss Kate. You’re so beautiful and I’m as hornier than a three balled tomcat.” He smiled his apology, “You might want to take the boots off first.”

He moved a foot over towards me. I leaned over and wrapped my hand around his heel. At the same time I felt a hand slide down my back and squeeze my ass.

“Tank? Are you touching my ass?”

“Ohh, shit, I’m sorry Miss Kate. I can’t help it. You got such a pretty little ass. I just can’t help myself.”

“Given we are trying to avoid smelling like sex, I suggest you don’t touch me like that.”

I sat up with one boot in my hand, “Do you want the socks off?”

“I think they’ll be alright,” his voice was husky and his hands were curled around the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles were turning white.

I reached back down as he lifted and moved his other boot in my direction. I repeated the tugging movements. His breath puffed in and out with each of my pulls. The boot finally came off with a pop and he growled softly.

The boot joined the other one on the floor of the truck. Without saying anything I looked to his jeans. There it was - the clear taut ridge of his erection pressing against his zipper. I tried not to think about it.

I reached for the button. He took a deep intake of breath as I slid my fingers down his abdomen and followed the soft hair. With my fingers wedged between his jeans and his groin, I worked the button. Something large and smooth brushed against my fingertips as I fumbled. I nudged against it as I tried to tilt and push the button through the hole. He groaned loudly as the button came free which loosened the waist causing my hand to slip colliding with the waiting erection.

“I’m sorry,” I couldn’t look at him. I could feel my face flush as Tank continued to steer the truck.

Next was the zipper. He was pushed up against it and I didn’t want the steel teeth to get caught on his skin. The soft material of his boxers wouldn’t protect him given how erect he was. I slipped my fingers inside and tried to use them to create a clear path. My fingertips skimmed over the silky smooth skin of his head. He groaned a husky swear word and the car swerved on the road narrowly missing the gutter. I eased my grip down to his shaft as I yanked at the zipper. I tried to touch him as little as possible. I resisted the urge to wrap my hand around it and measure its girth. I fought the craving to find out exactly how big he was. No. My core was already burning with a need. If I stepped over this mark we would both be lost. Having wild sex in a car, at night, in the middle of a city filled with Tight wasn’t the best idea and definitely wouldn’t lead to a fairytale ending.

I tried to think of something else, anything other than how good he felt. I could feel the wet warmth of precum against the sensitive skin of my wrist. He was struggling to steer the vehicle now. It was just as well there were no other cars on the road. I had the zipped down most of the way now. I slid my hand further along the shaft until I touched his pubic hairs. He moaned softly as his erection throbbed and my fingers combed through the course hair to the thick skin of his scrotum. His hips came forward as he pushed against me. I took the opportunity to peel off his jeans and his boxers. I slowly dragged them down over his hips. He lifted his hips for me each time with a soft moan.

I bit my lip in an attempt to smoother my own excitement. My core was throbbing for him. I finally had his pants to his knees then he stomped his feet to get them over his ankles. This did very interesting things to his beast that stood tall on his lap and begged for attention.

He was a fine man. I could see why he had no need for TIGHT. His body was far better than what the wonder drug promised. He was hot and I wanted him very, very badly - it the best way possible.

“Football, let me think about football,” he breathed through his clenched teeth.

He stared at the road and started muttering about football plays.

“Please Miss Kate, don’t look at me. I’m right ready to jump your bones and I’ll never get this thing down if you keep watching me like you are doing.”

I hugged the door and turned myself to the window closing my eyes and slowing my breathing as I tried to ease my cravings. If the Tight smelt sex then this truck would reek of our pent up desires. I pressed my cheek against the cool glass and listened to Tank’s mumblings.

“We are nearly there Miss Kate,” his voice was still husky but wasn’t as forced as it was before. “We’re gonna have to put the windows down and air the truck. We’ll throw the clothes out just before we get there to draw them away before we make a run for it. Put your boots back on, Ma’am”

The cool night air helped. It swirled around the cabin of the truck clearing our heads and giving me goose bumps. I tried to occupy myself with putting our boots back on. As I sat back into my seat I crossed my arms over my chest to hide my pert chest.

I threw the clothes out into the night when he indicated it was time. It was nearly 8pm according to the dashboard clock when he swung into a large suburban butchery. I knew what I had to do. We had to leave the car and run. My backpack was on my back and my hand was on the door ready to jump.

I looked backwards to see a large group of Tight lumbering towards the clothing. Most had taken the bait but not all.

The brakes on the truck screamed as it came to a jolted halt. I had the door opening as the engine died. I jumped and hit the ground running. Skidding to a stop I pulled on the shop door. I shoved and I pushed against the glass but it didn’t budge.

“Tank! I can’t open the door! They are coming!”

I turned to see Tank running towards me. Behind him were two Tight lumbering with their stiff moments. Tank’s upper body swung something large, long and bat-shaped at the glass. The glass splintered but stayed intact. It must be safety glass. Tank swung the object again. I could see the drewl trailing from the mouth of the Taken closest to me. His unblinking eyes were focused on me and he was grunting in his excitement. His naked body was so close that I could smell him. And he wasn’t alone. If Tank didn’t get this door open soon we would be pinned against this glass wall.

The glass was bulbing in but was still glued together in a solid sheet. What sort of butchery was this?

The closest Taken was now four or five shuffling steps from me.

Tank roared as he shoulder-charged the door. The glass sheet completely dislodged itself and skidded across the floor.

As I spun to follow him through the vacant hole that was the door, I felt cold fingers skim my shoulder blade. The Tight behind me grasped but didn’t have quite enough purchase to get a hold of me. I shivered but didn’t hesitate.

“Gnaa!” The Tight screamed in frustration.

I looked around the room and wondered what Tank had gotten me into. It was a simple shop with one entrance/exit at the front and a service door near the display and cash register at the back. This place was a death trap. If that door didn’t lead anywhere we would have no hope of escape. The Tight were already pushing themselves through the front door.

“Miss Kate,” Tank said in a deep voice, “Get out back. I will slow them down.”

“Tank! No!” I was past panic. He couldn’t sacrifice himself for me.

“Go, I don’t want you to see what I’m about to do. Go!” his soft gentle voice was gone. I didn’t have a choice but to do as he said.

I left him there in that store front and ran. Tears blinded my way as I threw myself through the connecting door and into the backroom. I couldn’t help look back as the door swung closed. Would I ever see him again? Why would he be so ready to give his life for mine when he didn’t even know me?

I jumped as a booming noise erupted from behind the closed door. A gun? He had a gun? That had to be a gun, and not just a hand gun. I wasn’t familiar with guns but that sounded like something powerful.

I could hear him cursing and swearing as the Tight growled back with their distinctive tight jawed bellows. I wanted to run back into the room and do something to help him. I didn’t want to leave him. I wasn’t ready to lose him yet. But I held back.

He wanted me in here. Why? Why did he bring us here? He picked this particular shop on purpose. He wanted us to hide in a butchery, he must have had a reason.

The back room was lined with benches and cupboards. There were cutting boards and plenty of knives. Knives wouldn’t save us. There was nothing here that screamed salvation.

Then I saw it. Then I realised what he was planning. Built into the back corner was a cold room. A meat locker designed to hang and cool the carcasses. Its walls were thick and insulated and the handle to open it was complicated. The Tight might be able to nudge and grasp but I doubted that they would have the dexterity to manipulate this door.

I yanked the door open and immediately doubled over from the smell. I retched. Tank must have known. He did say it wasn’t going to be a good night. I grabbed anything I could to cover my nose. I didn’t have time to be precious. It was only stench. The alternative was far worse than the odour of rotting meat.

Another shotgun blast had me turn to the shop door again.

“Tank!” I screamed out. “Get in here!”

I quickly grabbed any cloth like substance I could and a whole bunch of other stuff that was just lying around and threw it into the dark of the meat locker.

The door to the shop swung back to reveal Tank. He was butt naked and holding a short shot gun. It was the bat-shaped thing he had used to get us in here. I quickly surveyed his body for any damage. There was some blood splattered on his boots but other than that he looked perfect.

He grabbed my hand and together we plunged into the dark foul smelling depths of the meat locker. Tank pushed the thick and heavy door back and with a click of the latch fell. There was no light in this room which made our sense of smell even more sensitive. We both dropped to the floor in the hope of finding some fresh air there. The smell was suffocating but I didn’t complain. Outside something solid and determined threw itself against the door.

Tank’s outstretched hands touched me. He pulled himself across the floor to me and wrapped himself around my back draping his arms around me.

“Ohh Tank, are you alright? They didn’t hurt you did they? Are you going to be alright?”

He didn’t speak for a minute and I felt my heart ache. Maybe he was hurt. I didn’t see any injuries but maybe I missed something. I quickly turned in his arms and ran my hands down his chest.

“Where are you hurt Tank? You shouldn’t have done that. You didn’t need to hold them off like that.”

“You’re worried about me, Miss Kate?” his voice was rough, “No one’s every worried about Tank before Ma’am.”

“Don’t tease me Tank. I’m sure you have had plenty of girls all worried over you.”

“No Ma’am. The girls didn’t like Tank like that. I ain’t the type of man that they wanted to worry about.”

“Really? Well, I was worried about you Tank. Now tell me where you are hurt.”

“Depends on the type of hurt you are talking about, Ma’am,” he whispered his voice still heavy with some deep emotion, “The Zombies didn’t hurt me. I’ll be fine Miss Kate once I settle down some.”

I felt it pushing into my thigh and understood what he was referring to. Even though he was obviously turned on, I couldn’t reciprocate. The smell, the inky darkness and the muffled groans of the Tight just did nothing for me romantically. My nausea outshone all other feelings.

“I hope our second date is better than this one,” I whispered.

“Our second date?” Tank shuffled closer to me, “You’d go on a second date with me Miss Kate?”

“Of course Tanks, why wouldn’t I?”

“I didn’t go on many dates before. The girls wanted me in their beds not as their dates.” He paused as if he didn’t want to tell me something. I waited. Finally he blurted it out, “I ain’t smart Miss Kate. Momma said that the Lord was so busy making me beautiful that he forgot to fill my head. So the girls were happy to ride the Tank but didn’t want to be seen out with me.”

“Well I disagree. You got us here didn’t you? You have plenty in your head Tank. And I want to go on a date with you.”

“Would you feel that way if there were other fella’s around here?”

“I could say the same thing to you Tank. I’m not exactly cheerleader material. I doubt you would look at me if I wasn’t the only girl you’d seen in months.”

He didn’t say anything he just held me in the darkness. I closed my eyes and listened to the steady beat of his heart. With no light there seemed no point keeping my eyes open so I just relaxed into his arms. I snuggled closer as exhaustion claimed me.

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### Chapter 2: Chapter 2

I panicked. I grabbed my backpack and wrenched it open to find the book still inside. Releasing my relief in a long exhale, I laughed. I should have known that Tank wouldn’t be the type to go back on his word and steal the book leaving me here.

The title at the top of the almost empty page read - 'Step 2 - Don't get bitten, avoid contact with their bodily fluid, and run and hide if you see one.'

No! This was a serious document! It had to be.

There must be some cryptic meaning behind the words. Maybe I just didn’t understand it. Maybe I just wasn’t reading it right. Maybe there was some sort of code within the words.

Damn, I wasn’t very good at code breaking and somehow I doubted that Tank was either.

On the page underneath step2 was a list of things you should pick up on the way to your hiding spot.

Water, preserved food, torch, spare batteries, radio, weapons (e.g. sledge hammer, axe, shotgun, chainsaw), and a change of underwear.

I rubbed my face with my hands and put the book back into my backpack.

This was our salvation. It had taken almost a year of my life to find this?

I tried to find the answers to this riddle on the roof of the meat locker. No such luck. But as my hands reached out on the concrete floor my fingers brushed against a piece of paper. Maybe something had fallen out of the book? This might be the key to break the code. I turned and reached for the scrap of paper.

I smiled in disappointment but also in relief, as I picked it up.

“MORENING,” it read all in capitals, “GON TO GET CLOETHS - LUV TANK.”

I laughed at the various spelling attempts he had made and crossed out, before he settled on ‘cloeths’.

I crawled out of the meat locker and lay on the floor in the backroom just inhaling the sweet smell of fresh air. Next to the door was a large bottle of water, a bar of soap, and a small bag of dried fruit and nuts. I practically inhaled the food. It wasn’t enough but it tasted good. The water was clean so I drank enough before I looked at the soap. I was still naked and my skin was past filthy. Using as little water as possible I washed by body. The soap smelt of jasmine and my skin tingled with gratitude. My hands touched on my hair. I couldn’t leave that. I decided to be frivolous and I used the last of the water rinsing the soap suds from my hair. I was pretty sure I moaned like one of the models on those shampoo commercials.

I was squeezing my hair out when I heard the pacing on the other side of the door to the shop space.

“Yes Ma’am?” the pacing stopped.

“You wouldn’t happen to have a towel out there would you?”

“No ma’am. But I you can use this,” a hand appeared holding a large clean shirt. “It’s a spare. There’re clothes out here for you Ma’am. I’ll turn my back.”

I pulled on the large Tank sized shirt and gingerly opened the door. Tank had his back to me so I closed the door behind me. He was dressed in a pair of jeans that hugged his ass in a way that should be illegal. His t-shirt did nothing to hide his muscular back either. My fingers itched to be dung into that back again.

I dragged my eyes from him and to the piles of clothing on the shop counter. There was a large pile of jeans and shirts. On another display case was a show of dresses, all the same and all still on their hangers. Between the piles and the dress was a plastic bag. Spilling out of the bag was a tangle of colourful lace and shiney satiny material.

“Sorry Ma’am, I ain’t no good with sizes, so I just picked up a bunch of stuff,” he shuffled his feet.

“Do you like the dress Tank?” I smiled as these were laid out carefully.

I smiled as I fished out a matching set of underwear. There was quite an assortment of lingerie. Some of it was quite scandalous. I flashed a look at Tank but his back was still turned. I wasn’t sure what he was expecting but I wasn’t the sort of girl who wore crutch-less panties.

I took out a pair of jeans in my size and a shirt. These were practical. My eyes went to the dresses. Ohh damn! What the hell?

It was a pretty dress. The floral pattern was bright and summery without being gaudy. It had a wide swooping neckline and small capped sleeves. It was shaped around the bust then straight down to a flared out short shirt. It was cute.

“Tank, can you help me with the zip?”

I heard him turn as I held the dress to my body. His fingers trembled as he eased the zip up to the top of the dress.

I dropped my hair and turned smiling at him.

His face took on a pained expression and as he stepped backwards away from me.

I took in a deep breath, “Tank, did you shave?”

His eyes flowed down my figure then he closed them tightly and turned away.

He mumbled something that I couldn’t hear. Using my hands I gently turned him to face me.

“Tank, what’s wrong?” I asked again with a gentle voice.

“Nothing,” he hung his head but his eyes lifted to me quickly before dropping back to the floor.

“It doesn’t look like nothing. Tell me what I have done.”

“What you have done?” His eyes lifted to mine again.

“Yes Tank, what have I done to upset you like this?”

“Why are you calling me Ma’am then? Why aren’t you talking to me? What have I done Tank?”

“You’re too good for me Ma’am,” he blurted out then dropped his head lower.

“I’m sorry? I don’t understand?”

“I’m not good enough for you. I ain’t been with a lady before Miss Kate. I don’t know what to do.”

I waited while he shuffled his feet.

“You’re so beautiful and you ain’t like the other girls I been with.”

“Now Tank, that can’t be true.”

“You’re different Miss Kate. You wanted to sleep with me. The others just wanted Tank for sex. They never wanted to sleep with me.” His cheeks blushed again, “They jumped my bones then I’d have to leave. They didn’t want to wake up in my arms or snuggle with the Tank. What I am trying to say is that I ain’t ever made love to a woman before Miss Kate. The cheerleaders said I was their property and they would use me for sex when they had the need.”

“I’m a man Miss Kate and they were mighty pretty and flexible as all hell.”

“I see,” I dropped my eyes away from him.

“But not as pretty as you Miss Kate and they ain’t all that flexible now,” he grimaced, “Did you love him?”

“The guy, your boyfriend,” he whispered.

“I thought I loved him but I was wrong. He lied to me. We made a pact to take TIGHT together. He obviously didn’t wait.”

Tank shuffled his feet and was still looking at the floor.

“Tank can you look at me? I still don’t understand what I did?”

“Ma’am, the girls I’ve been with only wanted me for what I could do for them in bed. You had me last night all ready for you and you curled up in my arms and slept instead. No one’s ever done that before. I held you in my arms as you slept. You ain’t only an angel Miss Kate but you are a lady. I don’t know what to do around ladies. You wouldn’t want a meat head like me.”

“Tank, you saved me last night. You found this place and you got us in here. You might not have been good at school work but you aren’t dumb. And I wasn’t lying when I said that I like you.”

“So you ain’t in love with someone else?”

“No Tank,” I smiled at his hopeful face.

“Ohh Miss Kate,” He stepped in and picked me up into his arms, “I’m ever so happy to hear you say that. I thought for sure you didn’t want me because you belonged to someone else.”

I took a deep breath and breathed in his manly scent as I relaxed in his arms, “Ohh, I want you Tank but I don’t belong to anyone. And I won’t have sex with you just because you are pointing that thing at me.”

“Sorry ma’am,” he blushed slightly.

“That’s fine Tank, your reaction to me is very flattering.”

“I want you so much Miss Kate, it feels like my balls are gonna explode,” his arms tightened around me, “Ohh shit, sorry Miss Kate, I shouldn’t have said that.”

I just laughed and said, “It’s probably time we left because I don’t want to spend another night in that meat locker.”

Tank slowly released his grip on me with a reluctant look on his face, “I got us a new truck this morning.”

“Really? Why?” I asked as I walked towards the doorway. I gasped as the answer to my question was very clear. The truck was on its side and was wet with blood and other substances that I didn’t want to know about.

“Seems that it still smelt strongly,” was all Tank said.

He walked towards a large new Truck which he had mounted the roof lights on. I looked like he had already reloaded it with the equipment he had salvaged. I could see several containers of water so I guessed that he washed it all before it was put away.

“You weren’t worried about being infected?” I carefully stepped over a puddle of something.

“I don’t recon they can turn anyone Tight but I’m still mighty careful around blood and stuff, just in case.”

He opened the door for me and I climbed into the new Truck.

“The ones I’ve seen them capture don’t get turned they just get betrayal to death. Pa thinks they just want to ease their pain by prodding themselves into any hole. So the humping and being cannibals is all I’ve seen. I haven’t seen any new Tight, although I don’t want to think about what any babies might be like.”

“Ohh shit, sorry Miss Kate, I shouldn’t have said that.”

“It’s alright Tank. It’s just I don’t like remembering some things.”

He nodded and started the engine.

“You must have been up early this morning to get all the clothes and a new truck?”

Tank’s hands tightened on the wheel just enough for me to notice.

“You didn’t sleep did you Tank?”

“No, Ma’am. It ain’t your fault but you felt so good curled up against me.”

“Ohh Tank, what am I going to do with you?”

“I got some suggestions, if you are asking?” he sent me a cheeky smile. His dimples were so clear and deep on his freshly shaven face.

I laughed, “I’m sure you have Tank!”

We smiled at each other and he reached over and took my hand.

“Have you been alone all this time?” his eyes touched on me before he focused back on the road.

“No, there are other survivors out there. I used to meet up with quite a few but it’s getting less and less now. I don’t know why. I hope it’s because we are getting better at hiding not because more have been caught.”

I felt Tank’s hand tighten around mine.

“Other guys? Were there other guys?”

“No Tank, you’re the first for a long time. I think the lure of having a larger,” I pointed downwards, “Manhood and six pack abs was just too much. I didn’t think so many men would take TIGHT. I just didn’t think guys were so vain.”

“Yeah, I don’t understand it either.”

“I did meet up with a small group of guys in that first month, when we still didn’t understand what was happening. They were convinced they could protect all the women, including the Tight women. They thought that they could stop the Tight guys. They were wrong. They were outnumbered and it takes a lot of bullets to stop one Tight. A lot of people died in those first weeks.”

“My parents weren’t rich so we lived in a suburb on the edge of town. After seeing what happened at my school, I left. I couldn’t see people I knew doing that. I thought that if I hid outside town I could wait it out. I thought someone would come along and fix it. They would invent a cure and everything would go back to how it was before. I thought I would be able to go home when it was all over. I was a coward Tank.”

“You survived Miss Kate that takes a lot of guts.”

“No Tank, I should have done more. Maybe if I had helped they might have survived. That’s why this book is so important. I have to do something to help. I’ve been searching for it since I realised that the good guys weren’t going to win. I’ve walked so far to get it.”

“You walked? Through the Cities too? But how did you avoid them?”

“I hid up high. They can’t lift their arms above their heads or climb. So as long as they can’t knock you down, you are safe off the ground. I spend the nights in trees, on roofs, shelves, or anywhere that’s over ten foot off the ground and stable.”

Tank nodded and squeezed my hand.

“What about you Tank? Doesn’t it worry you being amongst them?”

“It worries me more dying an old man alone,” he whispered. “When it first happened I was on the farm working. We didn’t have a game until Friday night and so coach said I could go help my pa with the hay. So I worked with Pa from sun up to sunset all that week. It was only when I went into town that I found them. I didn’t know. The last practice we had most of the team were sent to the gym to limber up because they were complaining about being stiff and the coach was fuming because a whole heap didn’t bother showing up. The cheerleaders didn’t turn up to practice either. It was unusual but I didn’t think anything about it. If I had been smarter maybe I could have saved them.”

“Tank you can’t save them from TIGHT.”

“Yeah, I know Miss Kate. I don’t mean them. There was a group of girls that made a stand against TIGHT. They protested it. They said it was stereotyping the female body, whatever that means. It looked like they barricaded themselves in the Sheriff’s office. If I watched TV or listened to the radio I might have been able to save them.”

“Tank, but don’t you see that’s what the guys I knew thought too. They all died. Their best friends and teammates killed them. The Tight didn’t know or care who they were. They just wanted to get to the girls. You wouldn’t have saved them.”

We sat in silence remembering the horror of those first few weeks.

“I met a girl called Melissa a couple of months ago. She was convinced that they had some harem somewhere. She believed that when they drag off the girls before sunrise that they were being taken to somewhere and the Tight made them into sex slaves. I hope for her sake she was wrong.”

“Yes,” I looked out at the houses flashing by, “She got pulled down from a tree. I couldn’t save her. I tried but I couldn’t. I closed my eyes but I could still hear them. She had stopped screaming by the time they dragged her off. I hoped that they would leave her when the sun came up and I’d be able to get to her then. But they took her with them.”

“I’m sorry Miss Kate,” Tank said softly, “I’d kill them all if I could. But I reckon that if they can’t infect others, we just have to out survive them.”

“Yes but food’s starting to get scarce. The canned goods won’t last forever.”

Tank laughed softly, “No Ma’am, but remember you live on a farm now. We got plenty of food. I might not be good at the school work but they guys on the team used to joke that I had the F’s covered - football, farming and... ohh shit, sorry Miss Kate.”

I laughed, relieved to have the change of subject. I listened as he told me about football and the farm. He was so child like with his enthusiasm. After so many lonely days, dark nights and the constant fear, Tank was like a breath of fresh air. Not only did I felt safe for the first time since this started but I felt at ease with him. I loved his innocence. He was like a huge teddy bear.

We stopped for fuel and food in a small town mid-afternoon. I got out and stretched my legs as I watched him work the hand pump. His biceps flexed with the movement. I couldn’t see his abs but I could imagine them tensing too as he steadily pumped. As I watched I felt that tugging sensation in my core.

He looked up at me and his eyes widened but he dropped his gaze back to his job and said nothing. However I didn’t fail to notice the muscles in his jaw tightening and he shifted his hips as he discretely tried to re-arrange himself. He packed up the fuel pump into the back of the truck and pulled out a map without turning to me. I could hear him muttering a continuous stream of words.

“Let’s not do this again Tank. Tell me what is wrong.”

“I’m trying to be good Miss Kate. But it doesn’t help when you look at me all lusty like that. I can’t control my dick. I just want you.”

“Ohh shit, I’m sorry Miss Kate,” he interrupted, “I’ll wait for you. I’ll just have to keep distracting myself until we get married.”

“You’re a lady Miss Kate and I’ll not disrespect you by treating you like anything less. I won’t go pushing myself onto you until we are married.”

“Shit, sorry Miss Kate. Shoot me now. I don’t want to pressure you but I’m kinda falling in love with you. I know I ain’t the sort of man most girls want to marry but you said you liked me and I can’t help see the way you look at me. I figure you might be waiting for me to ask you. I ain’t good enough for you Miss Kate and I ain’t known you for long but I want you for my wife.”

I looked into Tank’s nervous eyes. His gorgeous face was lined with concern.

“I gotta ring with a big-ass stone in it. I’ll get down on my knees for you.”

He started to drop to one knee but I stepped in close to him and pushed my lips against his. With a deep groan he kissed me back and pushed me against the truck. His hands went to my breasts which he gently worked while his tongue explored my mouth. The other hand slid down my waist, over my hips until it rested on my thigh. His fingers gathered up the skirt of the dress as his hips pushed in between my legs. My panties were now exposed as his bulge pressed into me.

“No, not here,” I breathed as he fought with the zip on the dress and ground against me at the same time. “No Tank.”

Tank dropped his head to my shoulder and breathed heavily. The hard ridge was still pressing into me but he didn’t move.

“Ohh shit, Miss Kate I’m sorry.” He pushed away from me and looked down the deserted street, “I did it again. It’s just this is killing me. Hell, I can’t think. I can’t go five minutes without my cock throbbing in my pants. My balls ache for you Miss Kate. They are so fcuking tight.”

His eyes widened as he realised what he had just said. He spun away from me and his shoulders dropped.

“I’m no better than one of them. Shit. I’m sorry Miss Kate. You deserve better.”

I stepped forwards and ran my hand down his back, trailing my fingers as I walked around him. When I stood in front of him with my palms resting on his abs, I pushed him back against the truck. His face was a mask of confusion until I undid the button on his jeans and brought the zipped downing freeing the weapon he was named for.

He mumbled soft curses as I eased his boxer shorts off exposing him. I admired him. He was quite the man. His cock stood out like an extra appendage, ramrod straight and almost a thick as my wrist. It was an impressive piece and more than a little frightening. My body ached for it but I had no idea how it was going to fit inside me?

I ran my fingers over it as he tried to free me from my dress again. I shook my head and small lines creased the area between his brows. I smiled and dropped to my knees.

“I can get down on my knees for you too Tank.” I smirked as he groaned even before I took him in my mouth.

I had done this to my boyfriend before but this was a different ball game. Tank was massive. His large helmet of a head slid into my mouth smearing the salty taste of his precum on my tongue. He throbbed gently as I watched the muscles in his body tighten. His hands came down to rest in my hair. My lips pressed down around his shaft and I sucked.

My hands went to the long length of him that was still outside my fill mouth. I gripped him with my fist and began to pump him just like he had pumped the fuel a moment ago. His skin was hot and soft but underneath that satin was a rock hard muscle straining for attention.

“Ohh, yes baby, yes,” he groaned even louder. His hips were making small movements of encouragement.

I sucked harder as I increased the strokes I made with my fist. Tank’s hips now came forward with each and his fingers were tangled in my hair.

“Ohh, yes please baby please,” He began to plead.

I dropped the roof of my mouth onto his swollen head and applied my teeth gently to his shaft as my hand rapidly moved the layer of skin covering the muscle.

He begged me using excited expletives.

My arm muscles ached and my lips were stinging as they held the suction. But I didn’t slow down.

“Please baby, I’m so close,” his hands tightened around my head as he leaned into me.

My other hand came up and cupped his scrotum massaging the soft orbs inside and that was enough to send him over the edge. He erupted in my mouth. His hips thrust forward and, had it not been for my hand between my mouth and his pelvis, I would have choked on it. I pumped his release while my name echoed off the vacant buildings.

He slumped back against the truck. I sat back on my heels observing the man in front of me. His jeans and boxers were still around his ankles and his hands were gripping the door of the car as he breathed heavily.

“Ohh shit Miss Kate, holy shit that felt good.”

I smiled and dusted off the dirt as I stood back up. He pulled up his jeans with a look of concentration on his face.

“Marry me Miss Kate. Be my wife.”

I dropped my eyes before he could see my expression.

“You... don’t want me?” the vulnerability in his voice was endearing.

“You don’t have to marry me Tank.”

“You don’t have to marry me to get what you want.”

“What? But? You don’t want me as a husband? You don’t want me like that?”

“Ohh Tank, of course I want you. It’s just... I don’t want you to marry me for sex. You might be the last man on the planet but every girl dreams of romance. I don’t want to get married to you just because there is no one else around. I want you to sweep me off my feet and make me crazy in love with you.”

The worry didn’t leave his face, “I’m not the last man on the planet and Jed’s better with the romancing.”

“Jed, my brother, remember. He’s the ladies man. They say I’m better in bed but Jed sure can sweet talk.”

“Ohh, shit, sorry Miss Kate. I should have told you before but I figured if I had a couple of days without the competition you might wanta marry me before the others get a go.”

“Yes, Ma’am,” his eyes showed his guilt.

“Tell me Tank. Tell me the truth.”

“We were heading for the finals. The team you know. We had this unbroken streak and the Coach said that we shouldn’t jinx that. He said that if we took the TIGHT we might not get settled into our new muscles in time.”

He stopped as if remembering something and frowned.

“I didn’t lie to you before. He did tell me I shouldn’t ever take it, that I didn’t need it. He just told the team to hang off taking it until after the finals. Most of the guys didn’t listen but I brought back five guys to the farm that Friday night. We looked for more but, like with the girls, we found them too late. Then we lost Josh, Tom, and Alex during the year so now it just us four guys and my folks.”

“Yeah,” he raised his eyes to me and grimaced, “Me, Jed, Nate and Matt.”

“And that’s why you wanted to marry me? So you could stake you claim before the others had a chance?”

“Yeah, I mean... fcuk. You ain’t gonna want anything to do with me now are you?”

I clenched my jaw. This hurt more than it should.

“Is marriage a condition of me coming with you? Because if you are going to ditch me I’d rather know now when there’s still time to find somewhere to stay tonight.”

“I wouldn’t ditch you Miss Kate, even if you can never love an idiot like me,” his voice was small as his eyes showed his hurt.

“I didn’t lie to you. I just didn’t tell you about the others. I can’t compete with them. They are clever and good with girls. I ain’t like that. And I want you, Miss Kate. I want you plenty.”

“But you don’t love me. You only want me because I am the only woman around!”

“You’re wrong Miss Kate. I love you something fierce.”

“How can you? You met me yesterday. You don’t even know me. You just want to get into my pants.”

“Hell Miss Kate, I want that yes. But that’s because I love you. I want all of you.”

“Lust isn’t the same as love Tank.”

“I know that. But I ain’t ever felt this way! You are different Miss Kate. You listen to what I say. You don’t talk to me like I’m five years old. You don’t look at me like I’m a moron. You don’t treat me like a dick. You don’t jump my bones just because I am hard. You look at me like I’m a man, like I’m your man. I want to take care of you for the rest of my life because you don’t want to take care of me. Nobody’s ever made me feel like you make me feel. I don’t know if its love or not Miss Kate but it makes my heart beat a hundred miles an hour and ache like it ain’t ever done before. I can’t let you go without a fight and I don’t have any idea how to make you mine.”

“Ohh shit, sorry Miss Kate. Now I’m crying like the five year old everyone thinks I am.”

“No Tank, you’re crying like a man in love.”

His eyes lifted to mine as the tears ran down the now smooth skin on his jaw.

I smiled at him as I took his hand lacing my fingers with his.

“Will you give me a chance Miss Kate? Will you let me try to win your heart?”

He closed his eyes and when they opened they danced with joy.

“It’s getting late Tank. We should find somewhere to sleep.”

“Do you want to stay here tonight Miss Kate? The gas station has a flat roof and it’s gonna be a clear night. I can show you the stars?”

I smiled as he wiped away his tears and then bit his lip.

“But we don’t have to if you want to go somewhere fancier.”

I laughed, “This is good Tank. I’m looking forward to it.”

His dimples were back, “Me too Miss Kate!”

“Ok, you get things ready. I’m going to run over to the mini mart and get some supplies.” I smiled a flirty smile at him as I walked in the direction of the shop.

“Oh and Tank,” I said over my shoulder as I walked away, “I liked it when you called me Baby.”

His face split into a broad grin as he leaned against the truck and watched me walking.

I couldn’t help but feel a little heady as I glanced over at the man who wanted me enough to shed tears for me. He was so beautiful inside and out. Sure he wasn’t a rocket scientist but he had a good heart and that was enough for me.

I picked up a basket at the door and went in search of canned or dried food that wasn’t spoiled. I stopped in front of the home corner. Sitting there on the shelf was a selection of candles.

I closed my eyes and made a decision. I grabbed a number of candles. I would let Tank make love to me tonight. I would give him everything he wanted. Then we would see what tomorrow brought. If this was just lust he would work it out of his system before we got back to the farm. And if it didn’t work out or if the spark died then we wouldn’t be committed. From everything he had said about his parents, it sounded like they were old fashion. I would rather have a passionate short term lover than a resentful husband.

I was standing in front of the condoms when I heard him come up behind me.

“Which ones do you prefer?” I smirked without turning to see the surprise on his face.

“Gnnaaa,” the groan behind me had me jump, turn and throw myself backwards into the shelf at the same time.

It stood directly blocking the aisle. Its arms were outstretched and it was naked. It was Tight. Its body was covered with open sores but the muscles were well defined. The erection between its legs was bloated and red with misuse. It was coming for me. The tight pointed his weapon towards me as I failed to breathe.

It was day time. They didn’t come out in the day. He shouldn’t be here.

“Tank!” I yelled knowing that there was no way he could hear me from outside.

“Gnnnaaaa!” the Tight groaned again as his shaggy hair fell in his face. He stumbled another faltering step towards me.

Flattened against the shelf, I ducked as I tried to avoid his arm. The door was in sight all I had to do was get past him and make a run for it. Tank was just outside that door. Tank would protect me. He just didn’t know I was in trouble.

Packets of condoms rained down on my head as the Tight’s arm knocked them off the shelf with another sweep. His erection bumped into me as he made a jolty turn. He turned and I had no choice. A narrow gap between the shelf and his rigid body was my only chance of escape.

I pushed off the shelf and dashed across to squeeze past him. If I could be fast enough. If I could just get by him then I would be safe. I dived through the gap but something snagged on my clothing. I came crashing to the ground landing awkwardly on my arm. I screamed in pain and in fear.

I was sprawled out on the floor and I wasn’t alone. A heavy weigh rested on top of me my legs were held together with solid objects on either side. I looked down to find a dirty head of hair resting between my breasts. The Tight was on top of me. I struggled but his arms were around my waist. My arms were free but everything below was firmly in his grip.

Then despite the fact I was fully clothed and he was hugging my waist I could feel him thrusting his hips and drilling his erection into the space between my knees. I fought as I screamed. I pushed at his shoulders and his head. His arms were like steel around my waist and I was having trouble breathing.

I retched with the sensation of him jacking off against me. What Tank and I did at the Council offices had been beautiful. This wasn’t that. This was disgusting and dirty.

I knew as soon as he was done he would be moving up my body and I was wearing a dress. Why did I wear a dress? What was I thinking?

A tight had me and Tank was just outside. He wouldn’t be able to hear me through the glass. I was going to die in here while he prepared our love nest. Hell. If only I had left the door open.

I looked down at the tight gyrating on top of me. He lifted his head and stared back at me.

I screamed and thrust the heels of my hands into the blank face. His eyes were pure white. There was no large black pupil like all the others. His white eyes made him look less than human. It made him look like a true zombie.

He didn’t even react as I threw all my strength at him. I hit him with everything I had and he didn’t flinch. He just kept grinding himself into me.

This wasn’t working. I wasn’t going to get out of this.

My arms flew out wide and grabbed anything I could. Maybe I might find a weapon. I just had to stop him.

I grabbed a hold of the only thing I could reach. I looked at the tub of face pain’t in my hand. Damn this wasn’t going to help! I couldn’t entertain him to death.

It probably wouldn’t work but it was worth a try. I twisted and threw the tub with all my might at the front window. It splattered on impact with the glass. I had no idea what Tank was doing but if he looked towards the shop I hoped that the red smear of pain’t on the glass would alert him to the trouble I was in. I grabbed for a second tub and it followed the first.

The fourth tub exploded just as the Tight groaned a guttural noise.

“Tank!” I screamed. “Tank! Tank! Tank!”

The Tight was now rocking against me as he shuffled upwards. The sticky wetness was gross as it seeped between my calf muscles. Ewww! I couldn’t die like this!

I was screaming and struggling with new vigour as his hips moved higher taking my dress up with them. He managed to get his knee on top of my legs and now he was putting his weight on it and using it to prize apart my thighs. I knew that once he got between my legs I wouldn’t stand a chance.

Somewhere I heard a soft ding. Maybe it was the bell to let me know that my time was up. Thank-you for coming, have a good afterlife.

No! I wasn’t ready! No! I wasn’t going to die like this! I screamed in my fury and continued to pound the Tight with my fists.

I could feel him getting ready to start humping me again. I closed my eyes and wondered if I what I would die from. The act wouldn’t kill me. Although the shock of what I was about to endure might kill me before dehydration and starvation took me. I knew he wouldn’t release me while I had the means to dull the pain. And his pain and his urges would never be eased.

It was also possible that his body fluid contained the drug to turn me Tight.

What did it matter? I was dead whichever way I got there.

A roar of aggression, that didn’t think a Tight could make, surprised me. The Tight looked up as a large hand wrapped around its neck. The hand squeezed and lifted at the same time. I watched in amazement as with that one hand the Tight was wrenched from my body. He had not been holding me at the time, instead relying on his body weight to subdue me. Now he was peeled off me as my saviour lifted him and threw him with another bellow of fury down the aisle to collide with a shelf of baby formula.

He struggled to right himself but I didn’t want to watch. I looked up and saw Tank looking down at me with his face a melting pot of fury, pain, pity and sorrow. I couldn’t take him looking at me like I was soiled. I crawled up into a ball. But as I did I saw Tank bring up the shot gun. I covered my ears against the sound. I sobbed as Tank fired again. My body shook as I broke. Tank continued to fire the gun without saying a word.

I smelt like him, the Taken. I was sticky with his discharge. I was dirty.

I didn’t know how many shot gun pelts Tank fired but the ground was littered with the red casings. I didn’t care. I was still in my ball.

I expected Tank to take one look at the state I was in and walk away. I sobbed as I realised that was what he should do. That thing had touched me. I was dirty, polluted and possibly infected.

Without saying a word Tank scooped me up and carried me out of the mini mart. I had no strength to resist him. I pushed feebly against his chest while mumbling soft No’s.

He had to go. He had to leave me and go. I didn’t want him to see me like this. And what if they were contagious? He should have left me. He should have let me die on that floor.

I still had my eyes closed when he put me down gently.

“I’m sorry Baby.” He finally muttered as he kicked a door open.

I closed my eyes and when I opened them I wondered if I was dead. I heard the sound of running water. Maybe I was in heaven. Yes that was the only place where waterfall cascaded down white marble to pools.

“There ain’t much water in the header tank and its cold Baby but it will get you clean.”

I was in his arms when we stepped into the waterfall. The cold water shocked me out of the dream world I had hidden in. The waterfall was a shower, the white marble must have been the tiles.

Tank washed me as he stripped off my clothes. His face visible relaxed when he saw my panties still on and looking undisturbed.

“Aren’t you glad I didn’t pick the crutchless knickers now?” I laughed with no humour.

“Baby, I’m so sorry,” he murmured.

“He was blind Tank. Blind. That’s why he was out in the daylight. I didn’t even look for him. I thought I was safe.”

“Shh Baby, I have you now. I ain’t ever going to leave you now Baby. I won’t ever let them touch you again.”

I closed my eyes, “What if I’m infected Tank? What happens if I turn into one of them?”

“You won’t Baby. I’ll look after you. I won’t let you go.”

I looked up into his face and saw great rivers running down his cheeks. I reached up to wipe them away. I knew as soon as they touched my finger tips - they were warm tears not the cold water for the shower.

“Please forgive me Baby. Say you forgive me for not being there when you needed me. I want to be your man but I wasn’t there. Baby, I’m so sorry!” his shoulders shook.

I let my hand cup his face and felt him lean into it.

“Of course baby,” He turned the water off and wrapped a towel around me. “I love you Baby. I have to get you up onto the roof. It will be dark soon and they will come. I gotta protect you.”

I closed my eyes and let Tank carry me out of the house wrapped only in a large fluffy towel. He left all my clothes on the floor of the shower. He ran with me in his arms.

The truck was positioned under the roof and with a couple of strides he went from the ground, to the deck, to the cabin roof, to the flat roof of the service station.

The sun was an orange ball on the edge of the sky.

“I got to go and move the truck just to be sure.”

I gripped onto him, “Don’t leave me Tank,” I whispered as I felt my body shake in fear.

“It’s alright baby. I won’t leave you. I just have to protect you.”

He lowered me onto an air mattress that was inflated on the roof. I looked at the inflated bed in surprise but when I turned to Tank to ask him how, he was gone.

I had more than a moment of panic. I wrapped my arms tightly around me as the sun’s final rays of light hit me. I heard the truck’s engine start, the wheel skid, the brakes being heavily applied, and then the engine cough as it died.

The next sound I heard was “Gnnnaaaa!” from more than one direction.

“Tank!” I screamed. “Tank, Please!”

I heard him swear from below my vantage point. I hear him running and the sound of metal straining. Then the crunch of something large landing on the metal roof had me scream in fear.

“Baby, it’s alright. It’s just Tank. It’s just me.”

“Tank? I thought they had you,” I cried as he pulled me into his chest.

He held me on the air bed smoothing my hair and whispering soft words as I cried.

“Don’t leave me Tank,” I managed through all the tears.

“I don’t plan to Baby. I’ll be yours for as long as you want me. I love you Baby.”

I dropped my head in shame. I was tain’ted now. He shouldn’t want me now.

“Just let me hold you Baby. I ain’t ever been in love before Miss Kate. Hell, it feels so good but it hurts at the same time.”

He dropped his head to kiss me but he stopped, winced and moved away before his lips touched mine.

I closed my eyes and my body shook in shame.

“You don’t have to do this Tank. You don’t have to feel sorry for me. If you want to let me go, if you want to leave me - I understand.”

“What are you talking about Baby?”

“No you ain’t. I cleaned you up.”

“Not on the outside Tank. He touched me now you don’t want to touch me.”

“Ohh Baby, I still want to touch you. But you just had that monster all over you, and that ain’t your fault, but I figure you don’t want me and my hard cock against you right now.”

“I love you Baby. Of course I still want you. I’ll always want you.”

“Tank, where did the air bed come from?”

He laughed softly, “I picked it up this morning. I figured that a lady shouldn’t be sleeping on the lumpy ground. Actually, you spent most of last night on top of me and I was lumpier than the floor.”

I smiled as he kissed my forehead.

“I wanted you to be comfortable Baby. I wanted you to sleep in a bed good enough for an angel. But this was the best I could do.”

He started to point out the stars and constellations. He had plenty of stories to tell me as he held me. I listened and tried to ignore the sounds that came from below us. We were safe, I chanted in my head as I gripped a hold of Tank.

“Tank?” I looked out into the night as he was showing me a group of stars near the horizon, “What’s that?”

“Ohh, that’s just some lights. Street lights and house lights make it hard to see the starts. Why in big cities you can hardly see any.”

“Tank,” I said his name slowly, “Those are lights?”

He was quiet for a minute, “Shit! Lights!”

We both looked at the small patch of light in the distant. There was some sort of settlement there and they had electricity.

Tank’s arms pulled me into his chest, “Don’t you worry about it tonight Miss Kate. We’ll see how you feel about it in the morning.”

I couldn’t keep my mind away from the possibilities. I closed my eyes and didn’t see the Tight. Instead I saw a future.

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