Chapter 6

- Next day in the morning -

Daniel sat on the couch, teaching Chris about shotguns. "These barrels have a cylinder bore choke for a wider spread of the ammo. This is the brake." They had made a little trip to Susan's house a while ago, after Paul commented that they needed more weapons just in case. Nick had shown them this one.

"Okay." Chris nodded, following Daniel's instructions.

"You load here," Daniel continued, pointing to the appropriate spot. "These are number eight birdshot, and these are double-aught buck. Those will stop something."

"Okay," Chris repeated, soaking in the information.

The door creaked open, and Travis stepped in. "What are you doing?" he asked, eyeing the shotgun warily.

"He's showing me the gun," Chris answered.

"Finish packing the truck," Travis instructed Chris before turning to Daniel.

"Dad! It's not a big deal." Chris comments under his breath, still wanting to learn.

"Chris, go," Travis insisted.

"The more the boy knows, the safer he'll be," Daniel argued.

"I didn't see the harm, Travis," Madison chimed in from the kitchen, where she was packing some final items.

"You know how I feel about guns," Travis said sternly.

"The gun doesn't care how you feel about it," Daniel retorted.

"That's enough. You ready to go?" Travis asked Madison.

"Cars are loaded, yeah," she confirmed, picking up a hammer and heading outside.

"Susan," she called out, looking at what was her friend through the other side of the fence. Travis followed her "Maddy."

"I was wondering where her husband is. Wondering what it would have been like if you or any of my kids came home and found me like this. When he comes home and finds her…" Madison's voice trailed off.

"I didn't find you like that," Travis replied gently.

"You think Patrick is dead already? Do you think he just left and never came home?" Madison asked.

"I don't know."

"What is she?" Madison asked, pointing to Susan, who was now standing frozen in her yard, staring at nothing.

"She's Susan, she's your friend," Travis answered.

"All the more reason—she's dead," Madison concluded grimly.

"We don't know that."

"I do."

"We don't know anything yet. What if there's even the smallest chance that she can be helped? It's not your call. Give it to me before you do something that can't be undone," Travis pleaded.

"Weak," Daniel muttered from the window, watching the scene unfold.

"Indeed, he will get us killed someday," Paul echoed, appearing behind Daniel. The comment startled the latter.

"And you… You are taking advantage of that. I see what you are doing," Daniel said, turning to face Paul.

"Yes, his stupidity is just pushing him away from us little by little. He is just good enough in an idealistic world. He barely was acceptable before all this. We could say that."

"Time to go. If nothing happens, we won't see each other again, so this is a goodbye. I know you are strong and tough, Mr. Daniel, but as you should know, this world was already based on the laws of the jungle. Not all the people played by that, being restrained by society. Now the game has changed—all are participants now. You will see, men like Travis getting corrupted with no other way than change or die."

"Right, be careful, boy. You seem to already have what's needed to live in these times. Take care of your family," Daniel said, his tone measured.

"Same to you, Mr. Daniel. At any cost, whatever it takes," Paul responded, walking towards his car.

"Come on, Paul. We're going," Claire called from the passenger seat of the car.

"Alright, baby," Paul replied, climbing into the driver's seat. As they drove away, Madison's car turned in the opposite direction from Travis. With no choice but to follow, Paul turned his car towards Madison's.

"Patrick!" Madison yelled as they approached Patrick's house.

"Patrick! Wait!" she cried out again.

They caught up with Madison in the garden of the house where Susan was now a wandering, animated corpse.

"Don't touch her. That's not your wife!" Madison shouted to Patrick, who was approaching Susan with outstretched arms.

"What happened, Susan?" Patrick asked, clearly shocked by the grotesque appearance of his wife.

Suddenly, a sharp crack echoed through the air. Paul, seeing the imminent danger, pulled Madison into a protective embrace, shielding her body as a bullet struck Susan squarely in the head.

At that moment, military personnel appeared from the sides, surrounding them. Seeing the family huddled together, Paul made no rash moves, allowing himself to be pulled by the soldiers against the fence.

A few hours later, after the military had arrived and secured the neighborhood, cleaning house by house armed to the teeth with supportive firepower from machine guns at the top of a few humvees securing a safe perimeter. A guardswoman approached Travis.

"What's your name, sir?" she asked.

"Travis Manawa," he replied.

"This is your residence?"

"No. It's my girlfriend's house."

"And what's your name, ma'am?" she inquired, turning to Madison.

"Madison Clark."

"How many occupants?"

"Eleven...eleven altogether," Travis answered.

"Big family. Names, please? I've got Travis Manawa and Madison Clark."

"Nicholas Clark, Claire Clark, Paul Clark, Alicia Clark, Elizabeth Ortiz, Christopher Manawa. Daniel Salazar, Griselda Salazar, Ofelia Salazar."

"Okay, make sure that everyone in your family stays inside," the guardswoman instructed.

"Where did you take my neighbor, Patrick Tran?" Travis asked curious and worried about it.

"Your neighbor was covered in the infected's blood."

"It was his wife's blood."

"That wasn't his wife anymore." The guardswoman answers him firmly and sternly.

"Is the blood contagious? Is that how it happens?" Travis questioned further.

"Was anyone in this house exposed?" she countered.

"No."

After the soldiers had left the house, Paul spoke up. "Well, it seems we stay still here."

"The problem is, I and Alicia don't have a bed anymore," Claire commented.

"Don't get antsy, love. My bed is your bed, and so is hers too," Paul said with a smirk.

"I know," Claire replied, heading into the bedroom to rest.

"The cavalry has arrived. It's going to get better now," Travis said hopefully.

"Better now than ever, but about this 'getting better,' I don't know," Paul replied.

"Why are you always being so pessimistic, Paul?" Travis asked, a hint of exasperation in his voice.

"Travis, I'm not being a dick. I want to believe what you say is true, but for how long will this new normality last until it crashes again?" Paul countered.

"The soldiers aren't immune to this. There will be less and less while doing their job. The resources someday will get depleted, and there is no new to be produced. That's not talking about the people and how they will react as time passes. We need to think about alternatives to this place still and how to take care of ourselves," Paul continued.

"Because if we don't, we are going to be blind to anything that could happen," he added, walking into the bedroom where Claire was already resting.

"The boy is right," Daniel muttered. "It's already too late."

------------

Paul couldn't contain his excitement as he entered the bedroom and laid eyes on his two sexy sisters. Claire and Alicia were lying face down on the bed, their plump, round asses sticking up in the air, teasing and taunting him. He felt his cock throb with anticipation.

Paul positioned himself behind Claire, slowly pulling her thong aside to expose her dripping wet pussy. The sight and smell of her arousal made his cock twitch with need. He leaned in, running his tongue along her slit, savoring her sweet taste. Claire let out a soft moan, grinding her hips back against his face.

As Paul lapped at Claire's pussy, Alicia shifted to the side, her hand reaching out to stroke his hard cock through his pants. "Mmm, I can see how hard you are for us," she purred. "I want to taste you."

Alicia undid Paul's pants, freeing his rigid cock. She licked her lips hungrily before taking him into her mouth, her tongue swirling around the head. Paul groaned at the sensation, never stopping his attention on Claire's pussy.

Claire reached back, grasping at Paul's hair as he continued to eat her out. "Oh fuck, Paul...your tongue feels so good," she gasped.

Paul was at one second of coming, Alicia, who was still eagerly sucking his cock made it difficult to restrain himself. He slid two fingers into Claire's wet heat, pumping in and out as he flicked her clit with his tongue. Claire writhed and moaned, her juices coating his fingers.

"I want to fuck you both," Paul growled, pulling his fingers out of Claire. "I want to feel your tight pussies squeezing my cock."

Claire and Alicia exchanged excited looks before nodding eagerly. Claire positioned herself on all fours on the bed, her ass up in the air. Paul lined himself up, thrusting into her with one hard stroke. Claire cried out in pleasure, her walls gripping him tightly.

Alicia moved to the front of Claire, kissing and biting at her neck as Paul fucked her from behind. The room filled with the sounds of skin slapping against skin and the moans and gasps of pleasure from the three siblings.

Paul grabbed a fistful of Claire's hair, pulling her head back as he pounded into her. "You like that, don't you?" he grunted. "You like it when I fuck you hard?"

"Yes, fuck me harder," Claire begged, meeting his thrusts.

Alicia reached between Claire's legs, rubbing her clit as Paul continued to slam into her. The added stimulation pushed Claire over the edge, her pussy clenching around Paul's cock as she came with a loud cry.

Paul pulled out of Claire, his cock slick with her juices. "Your turn," he said, guiding Alicia down onto the bed and entering her with one swift thrust. She wrapped her legs around him, meeting his powerful thrusts with her own movements.

Claire moved behind Paul, reaching around to fondle his balls as he fucked Alicia. She leaned in, licking and sucking at his neck and earlobes, driving him wild with pleasure.

"Oh fuck, I'm going to cum," Paul groaned, feeling the familiar tingle building in his balls.

He pulled out of Alicia just before he reached his peak, turning to Claire and positioning himself at her entrance. "I want to cum in you," he said huskily.

Claire nodded, wrapping her legs around his waist as he entered her with one deep thrust. He pumped in and out a few more times before stilling inside her, his cock pulsing as he released his hot seed deep within her.

After a few moments, Paul pulled out, his cock still semi-hard. Alicia immediately took him into her mouth, licking and sucking to clean him off.

"Mmm, I can taste both of you," she said with a wicked grin.

But as Alicia continued to suck him, he felt it start to swell and twitch back to life. The feeling of her wet, warm mouth around him was too much to resist.

Paul pulled Alicia off the bed, lifting her into his arms and positioning her against the wall. He entered her in one swift thrust, burying himself deep within her tight, wet heat.

Alicia wrapped her legs around his waist, clinging to him as he began to pound into her. The force of his thrusts made her back slam against the wall, but she relished in the delicious pain.

Paul reached down, rubbing her clit as he continued to fuck her against the wall. "Oh God, yes," Alicia moaned, her nails digging into his shoulders.

Just as Alicia was about to reach her climax, Paul pulled out, setting her down on the bed. He positioned himself behind her, entering her from behind as he stood. The new angle made him hit deeper inside her, sending waves of pleasure through her body.

Paul grasped Alicia's hips, pulling her back against him as he slammed into her. The sound of skin slapping against skin filled the room, mixing with their moans of ecstasy.

"Alicia, I'm going to cum," Paul grunted, feeling his orgasm building rapidly.

He continued to fuck her hard and fast, pushing her over the edge as he came within her. Alicia cried out, her body trembling with the force of her orgasm.

Paul stayed buried inside her, enjoying the feeling of her tight pussy gripping him as she came undone. After a few moments, he pulled out, watching his cum drip out of her well-fucked pussy.

Claire approached from behind, running her fingers through Paul's hair as she kissed his neck. "You were incredible," she whispered, her hand wrapping around his semi-hard cock.

Paul turned to face her, pulling her into a deep, passionate kiss. As their tongues danced, he felt his cock twitch and grow, hardening once again.

"Mmm, seems like someone's ready for the next round," Alicia said, eyeing Paul's now erect cock with a mischievous grin.

Paul smirked, a plan forming in his mind. He pushed Claire back onto the bed, positioning himself above her. "I think it's time we switch things up a bit," he said with a wink.

As Paul entered Claire, he knew their day was far from over with the night still awaiting. With two gorgeous women willing and eager to satisfy his every desire, he was determined to explore every position and pleasure them both until they couldn't take anymore.

- A week later -

Since the coming of the military, people inside the fence go around doing their daily life as it was before all this began, and so was Paul who was cooking food on a barbecue in the backyard, meat he froze courtesy of the neighbors and the generators bought to feed the freezer since the lights went out while having a beer and enjoying the pool with his brother and sisters.

They were having a good time as Madison stormed into the backyard, her brow furrowed. "Hey!" She greeted her children, her tone clipped announcing trouble.

"Mom!" The kids chorused, looking up from their barbecue and pool party.

"We have to repaint the family room," Madison announced, her arms crossed over her chest.

"We did it last week," Alicia pointed out, rolling her eyes.

"I know. It needs a new coat. Travis found some more paint in the garage," Madison replied, her voice sharp.

"What's the point?" Claire asked, splashing water in Nick's direction playfully.

"Semi-gloss... What? Excuse me?" Madison snapped, clearly at her wit's end.

"No one is coming to the open house anymore. The market has taken a turn," Alicia said, her voice laden with cynicism given it is the end of the world.

"I can still see the stains," Madison muttered, her eyes darting around the room, not bothering with her answer, she was wanting to bother them because she couldn't with Travis.

Paul in the meanwhile was laughing his ass off inside. "Mom, stop the nonsense. But if you still want to put someone to do that waste of time, I'm pretty sure Nick would love to do something productive around here, isn't that right, Nick?"

Nick scowled at his brother. "What? No. Stop messing around, Paul."

"It's not funny, Nick," Claire chimed in, her tongue sticking out playfully. "We are doing all the work around here, it's about time you do something instead of being lazy all day."

"Then what about Paul? Let him do it instead," Nick shot back. "Anyway, he's doing nothing too."

Paul grinned, pointing to the sizzling barbecue. "I'm not cooking now, bro?"

"I don't mean now, you ass," Nick growled.

"Stop bitching around, Nick," Claire admonished him, splashing him again.

"You will paint the room, Nick. Point," Madison declared, her tone brooking no argument.

As Nick grumbled and muttered about the unfairness of it all, Madison approached him with a handful of pills. "Also, how are you doing? I found this on the counter." She showed him the meds.

Nick's eyes widened. "Oh! Yeah, I guess I forgot."

"Oh, you forgot?" Madison asked, her voice laced with exasperation.

"Yeah, I guess I did," Nick mumbled.

"Okay, here it is." Madison held out the pills.

"Oh, no thanks. I'm good," Nick said, pushing her hand away.

"I don't think that's the best idea," Madison said, her voice tinged with concern.

"I've got to kick it. That's the whole point," Nick insisted.

"Nick, come on. Nick..." Madison pleaded.

"Give it to Griselda. She needs it more than me, you said so yourself," Nick argued.

"I know what I said, but the point is to wean you off of it slowly, so it just doesn't, you know, happen again," Madison reasoned.

"I thought you'd be happy," Nick said, his voice tinged with a mix of defiance and vulnerability.

"I am happy. I just..." Madison trailed off, her eyes searching Nick's face for answers.

"Okay, well, if you need it, it's right here. Don't be a hero," Madison said softly.

"No chance of that," Nick replied, a ghost of a smile on his face.

"Hey, Mom!" Nick called out.

"Yeah?" Madison turned to him, her expression softening.

"Are you okay?" Nick asked, his voice filled with genuine concern.

"Enjoy your swim," Madison replied, a hint of sadness in her voice.

As Madison walked away, Paul couldn't resist a smirk. "Well, done bro. Your silver tongue always works like a charm with Mom."

Claire's eyes narrowed as she glared at Nick. "Spit it out. What shit are you taking that it's better than those meds?"

Nick shrugged her off. "Nothing, little sis. Nothing at all."

"It's not funny, Nick. I hope you're really getting better," Alicia said, her voice heavy with worry.

Just then, the sound of raised voices could be heard coming from inside the house. Madison and Travis were arguing, their words sharp and biting.

"Where are you going?" Madison demanded.

"Moyer's... He's making some kind of announcement and asked me to attend. Well, we wouldn't want to upset him, would we?" Travis replied, his tone dismissive.

"Okay..." Madison said, her voice tight with barely contained anger.

"What's the problem?" Travis asked, his brow furrowed.

"How much time do you have?" Madison snapped.

"Maddy?" Travis looked at her with a mix of confusion and concern.

"My house is a refugee camp. My daughter's room is an ICU unit for strangers. Someone has to cook, someone has to clean, someone has to watch Nick, and that someone somehow is me, because your ex-wife is gone," Madison ranted, her voice rising with each word.

Travis's eyes widened in surprise. "She's helping sick people. Is this about Liza?"

"What? No, it's about you!" Madison yelled, her face flushed with anger.

"Me?" Travis looked at her, stunned.

"Yeah, you run off to play man of the people with your soldier friends..." Madison accused, her voice dripping with venom.

"This is not easy..." Travis started to say, his voice tinged with frustration.

"And what, being helpful in the house is harder for you or what Travis?" Madison shot back, her anger reaching a boiling point.

Travis backed away, unable to find the words to respond. "It's not that Maddy, please stop. I need to go."

With that, he turned and fled, leaving Madison standing alone, her chest heaving with the force of her emotions.

"Yeah, go, go to keep playing with your soldier friends," Madison says angrily as he goes away.

Alicia shook her head, her eyes filled with disgust. "Can't they just stop this domestic bickering like it's normal? They need to stop acting like it is."

Paul took a long swig of his beer, a wry smile on his face. "Why? It's like every day for them after the soldiers came to clear the neighborhood and put the fence."

Claire swam towards Nick, her eyes glinting with mischief as she pushed him around. "It's not just them, it's everyone. They don't want to see or face it."

"They feel safe. They don't need to do anything. The soldiers do it for them. They just need to wait and food comes, security is provided free. There's no need for any civilian to do anything," Paul mused, his voice tinged with a hint of cynicism.

Nick looked at his brother, a mix of curiosity and concern on his face. "So, it's an illusion all of this, that's what you mean?"

"Exactly. At some point, it will shatter," Paul said, his voice filled with a hint of dark humor. "Let them keep bickering. I love the drama."

Alicia rolled her eyes. "Stop being cynical. All you want is to push Travis away from Mom."

Paul grinned, a mischievous glint in his eye. "What happened today, all of you are very insightful today. What have they done to my brother and sisters?"

It was at that moment that Ofelia appeared "Are you ready to go?" asking Alicia to leave for the supplies distribution.

"Do you want a beer?" Paul held out a cold bottle. Ofelia looked at him, her expression a mix of amusement and exasperation.

"Yes, let's go," Alicia said, eager to escape.

"Not now, later maybe. Thanks anyway, Paul," Ofelia replied, her voice tinged with a hint of gratitude.

"See if you can get dehydrated potatoes. They'll taste great with the meat," Paul called after her.

Alicia turned to her brother, a mix of annoyance and fondness on her face. "Alright, alright."

Paul chuckled, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "That's my twin." He couldn't resist giving her a playful slap on her ass.

Alicia flushed, a mix of embarrassment and excitement coursing through her. "Don't be an ass," she admonished him, but there was no real heat in her words.

Travis looked up as he was leaving the house and frowned at his son on the roof. "Chris? What do you think you're doing? Get down here."

Chris didn't move from his perch. "Dad, you've got to see this. Look, there's someone out there."

"Now! I want you to help Madison," Travis barked. "Okay, just look at this."

Chris pointed. "I don't have time for-"

"Just five seconds. Look. There. Do you see that?" Chris pressed.

"See what? What am I looking at?" Travis huffed.

"It's like a light or a glint, but they said there's nothing alive out there." Chris insisted.

"Okay. Come inside." Travis waved him down, dismissing what he said. 

"There's someone out there, Dad, really!" Chris called as Travis turned and left.

"Chris come take a beer and relax with us dude," Paul invited.

"I can't, dad says to help Madison," Chris replied a little depressed because his father didn't bother with his finding.

"Alright, be my guest," Paul shrugged. He picked up a guitar and started tuning it. "Big brother, big sister, this is for you..."

"Don't bark like a dog Paul" Claire responded sarcastically.

"Huh, Paul do u even know how to sing?" Nick asked with a smirk.

"Shut up, both of you, u will see" Paul replied confidently as he tuned the cords of his guitar. "It's called, Forest Night."

Paul began to sing the song, that tells the story of a lone wanderer walking through a forest at night. Despite the storm brewing in the distance, the trees stand tall and unshaken. When the storm quiets, birds return to their melodious singing. The wanderer is reminded to be strong and find joy even in difficult times, as the "sacred Voice of Nature" admonishes. The song encourages the listener to remain resilient and hopeful, as their own inner strength and the beauty of nature can help them through any hardship.

"You sing like howling to the moon Paul, but at least you tried," Claire smiled.

"She's right on that, but was nice for these times, we need to be strong, that's what you wanted to tell us, right?" Nick said.

"Yeah singing is not one of my talents, but, yes at least you get it Nick," Paul acknowledged.

"Don't bother about them dear, you sounded kinda nice," Madison said, showing up with a small smile for her son.

Paul looked at her skeptically. "Kinda nice? Thanks Mom, a great compliment." He just felt kinda like he was trolled.

Madison smiled wider. "Yeah, kinda."

"Right, anyway this other is for me..." Paul said. He launched into another song, his voice rich and expressive "It's a sin."

"The song's message is one of inner conflict and the struggle between personal desires and societal/religious expectations."

"I love to sin, and he knows that's why he put me here," Paul smiled at his mother with a roguish wink, then at his sister.

Madison blushed and looked away, flustered, not commenting anything. 

"It is a pleasant sin if I may add, and I don't take you to be much of a religious man to care about it Paul." Claire looked at him with love and wonder.

Paul's expression turned cryptic. "I am just that I do not practice it, my thoughts are only for me and the maker. He knows what kind of man I am. He will be the one to decide my fate in life and death. I only need his approval, not anyone else's. And that's why I didn't care if it's a sin and being scorned for my desires. No matter what it is."

He could see Daniel listening from inside the house, a frown on the older man's face before his expression softened. Paul smirked, knowing Daniel had also heard him having his way with his sisters the night before, and other nights too, all the week. The man would just have to get used to it if he planned to stay here, because Paul had no intention of stopping.

Madison cleared her throat awkwardly and turned to leave. "I have things to check. You all enjoy the music."

Claire and Nick exchanged glances. "Well... that was intense," Nick said finally.

"Mmm, our Paul sure has some hidden talents," Claire mused, eyeing him appreciatively.

Paul grinned, looking rather pleased with himself. He struck up the intro to another song, the music filling the evening air as the group settled in to enjoy his unexpectedly captivating performance.