10 Years Before the Outbreak
RickyJo wiggled her shoulders and tugged at her dress, trying to find a way to make the dumb thing more comfortable. Like most of her fitted clothes, the dress was just too tight in the chest. She tried taping or strapping her boobs down, but nothing worked and the stupid things just kept right on getting bigger. Her cousin would love to have them, especially since hers were barely a B cup, it was too bad they couldn't trade. Jessica spent hours a day preening and primping, covering her freckles with makeup and taming her wiry mop of rusty curls. How her cousin spent the whole morning in the barn and still looked better than her, she could never figure out.
Pulling at the dress again, and then plopping down on the couch, not caring if she rumpled it, RickyJo tried to remember why she was even wearing it. Overalls and a tank top is what she liked, with her grubby old cowboy boots. She sighed. Her grandmother had asked her to dress up pretty for her. The doctors said the chemo was working, but to RickyJo, the woman just seemed to be getting weaker and sicker. She had been lying on the couch with her scarf on her head, covered in a crocheted blanket that they had made together years ago. Wear something pretty for me, baby girl. She said it made her happy to see her girls growing up into beautiful women. Unable to say anything even close to no, RickyJo had poked through her closet and put on one of her sunday church dresses. The smile on the old woman's face had been worth it, but why she couldn't change before they came out to the cabin, she didn't know. Jessica had been acting all funny about it, rushing her out of the house in her dress. RickyJo could read her cousin well, and she had a sneaking suspicion that something strange was going on.
Hearing the rumble of a motorcycle, Jessica was up and rushing over to the door. She was all primped up, as usual. And she had taken off the blouse she had been walking around her grandparents house in as soon as they were out the door. Now she was wearing a tight pair of jeans and a halter top that didn't leave much to the imagination. RickyJo had no idea why her cousin even bothered, its not like the jerk was taking her anywhere except to the bedroom to fuck her. She would be better off just answering the door naked.
"When that fucktard gets here, I'm telling him if he wants to fuck you he has to give us a discount on the weed," RickyJo told her cousin. Jessica looked at her in horror. She really hoped her idiot cousin wasn't going to embarrass her.
"Shut up Ricky," she hissed, "He's here." RickyJo started laughing, while Jessica peeked out the window, trying not to look too eager.
"What is he wearing this time?," RickyJo asked her. The dude had good weed, but usually showed up looking like one of Remy's buddies from Higher Learning. Nothing said I don't have a brain in my head like dressing like a neo nazi. Once he had been wearing leather chaps. RickyJo had held it together until he went in the bedroom with Jess and then she had gone out on the porch and laughed herself silly. Then she had made fun of her cousin for two weeks straight. Jessica turned to RickyJo, giving her a pleading look.
"He brought his brother over," she told the other girl, "So be nice."
"Why the fuck did he bring his brother?," RickyJo asked. Suddenly this was all making sense. And it was pissing her off. Jessica tricked her, fucking tricked her. And she had gotten Nana to help her too. Jessica knew some guy was coming over and thats why they had tricked her into wearing this dumb dress. Now she looked like she had known about it and dressed up special for him. As if that would happen. If she had known Merle was bringing over his idiot junior nazi brother, she wouldn't have come out her at all, let alone in a damn sunday church dress.
"Maybe you will like him," Jessica suggested, enjoying the other girl's discomfort. "Either way at least you look nice." RickyJo gave her cousin the finger and crossed her long legs, trying to pull her dress down to cover more of them. Jessica smiled, it wasn't often that she could get one over on her cousin, and this was a good one. Besides, it wouldn't hurt her any to look pretty and meet a cute guy. And he was cute too, Jess thought as she peeked at them climbing off the bike and walking up to the cabin.
Jessica opened the door and wrapped her arms around the older of the two men, kissing him on the cheek. He gave her ass a squeeze. Always the gentleman, RickyJo thought. His brother came in behind him, looking around curiously at the cabin. At least he is not wearing leather chaps. Actually, except for the leather jacket, which didn't look too bad, he was dressed in tan pants and a white tshirt. He had short scruffy looking blonde hair and some soft looking hair on his face that was just a little darker than the hair on his head. He wasn't staring and talking directly to her breasts yet either, unlike his brother who she was pretty sure had never looked her in the eyes.
"Damn girl," Merle said to the girl, "who hit you with a bar of soap." He wasn't joking either. She was looking good. Usually she had shit on her boots and her hair in a sloppy ponytail. Now she had sandals on and a dress. The dress looked like the fancy printed kind that little girls wore to church on sundays with matching hat ribbons and mary janes with lacy white socks. There was something almost pornographic about seeing such a curvy girl in a dress like that, her tits all pressed together, with her skinned knees and her chipped red nail polish. She still didn't have her face done up, but she looked like she had a little lip gloss on and her hair fell down in soft golden waves around her face, spilling down behind her shoulders. Truthfully, he had been imediately attracted to her, but found out quick she didn't put out and her cousin did. He wasn't sure if Daryl would have any better luck with the girl, but since all he was doing anyway was sitting at home spanking his monkey, Merle figured he might as well bring him along and find out.
Daryl looked around the cabin. It was a really cool place, the kind of house he wouldn't mind having some day. The downstairs was one big room, with a large kitchen area that was tiled with a drain and a huge butcher block island. Some people would ask what that was for when they came over, but Daryl knew right away it was for processing deer meat. The rest of the place was hardwood floor with some old carpets covering it near where the couches were. There was a huge gun safe against one wall and a stone fireplace. Plus a big bookshelf covered the wall oppposite the fireplace and was filled with books that didnt look decorative but well loved. Through the windows in the back he could see a big wooden deck that held some lounge chairs and a big outdoor dining table and chairs. The place looked lived in and comfortable, but well taken care of.
Merle looked at Daryl and breathed a small sigh of disgust. He had brought Daryl here to meet this girl, and he hadn't even introduced himself. Instead he was staring around at the house with his mouth open like a fucking catfish. He elbowed Daryl a little in the ribs, making him jump. Then he turned to RickyJo, who was staring at them both. She narrowed her eyes a little, evaluating them.
"This here is my brother," Merle said to the girl, giving Daryl a little shove. She stood up and closed the few steps between them.
"Does he have a name?," she asked, "or should I call him Merle's brother?" Merle elbowed him again. He shuffled his feet a little and then nervously stuck out his hand.
"Daryl," he said. He knew Merle had said this girl was hot, but he said that about every chick he tried to set him up with and one of them had only had three teeth. This girl was actually hot. She was also wearing a sundress, which no girl had ever dressed up in to meet him. The girl took his hand and gave it a firm shake.
"RickyJo," she said. Then she turned to Merle and said, "Come on, I got your money in the kitchen." Daryl watched as his brother followed her into the kitchen and she pulled down a mason jar from the top of the fridge and counted out his money. "If I give you and extra ten," she asked, "will you roll it into joints for me?"
"Daryl can do it," he told her. She nodded and pulled back the extra bill then walked over and handed it to Daryl. He stuffed the bill into the back pocket of his pants. Merle rolled his eyes. Dumbass should have offered to do it for her for free. He tried to help his brother when it came to women, but there was no cure for stupid. Merle sat down on the couch and got the baggie of weed out of his jacket. What two girls did with that much weed he had no idea, but they bought it like clockwork every two weeks. They always paid cash and never called him at four in the morning geeking out asking him to front them. It was a bit of a drive to get out here, but since he was making money and getting laid, he didn't mind at all.
Jessica sat down next to Merle, and he slid his hand up her thigh. She was looking like a big slut, as usual. Her shirt was the kind that tied around the neck and waist, leaving her back and stomach exposed. Her jeans were tight and low, and showed her thong and most of her ass when she leaned forward on the couch. Her hair was straight this time, instead of fluffing up around her head in a mass of curls. She had the reddest red hair Merle had ever seen, it reminded him of the orange color they put on hunting jackets so people wouldn't accidentally shoot you in the woods. Merle leaned in a spoke quietly into the girl's ear.
"Lets go upstairs first and smoke later," he suggested. She smiled and stood up, taking his hand and heading for the stairs. RickyJo watched them go. What the big thrill he cousin got out of having sex with random dudes, she woud never understand. She would rather let someone blow their nose on her face. Merle's brother sat on the floor next to her legs and started taking the pot out of the bag and breaking it up so he could roll it into joints for them. He was trying not to stare at her legs, even though they were long and tan and only a few inches away from his face. Her knees were scabbed up and she had bruises on her shins. She stood up suddenly and stepped over him, walking into the kitchen area. She got two mason jars from the cupboard and plunked a few ice cubes into each one. Then she filled them with iced tea from a gallon jar that was in the fridge. Grabbing a lighter from a drawer in the kitchen, she picked up the glasses and bumped the drawer closed with her hip. Stepping over Daryl again, instead of going around, she set the glasses down with a clink and grabbed one of the joints he already had rolled.
RickyJo put her feet up on the edge of the table and leaned back into the couch. She lit the joint and took a long drag, holding it in and blowing it out slowly. Tapping his shoulder gently to get his attention, she handed the joint to Daryl. After a quick puff, he handed it back and went back to rolling up the rest of the smoke for her. She watched him, his back was tensed with concentration, and the way the tip of his tounge flicked out to wet the paper. He seemed nice so far, but she kept a wary on him just the same. Because Jessica slept around with anyone and everyone, guys often expected she would do the same. A few had acted nice until they had her alone and then had gotten quite forceful with her.
Finishing up the last joint, Daryl used his arms to lift himself up and onto the couch. He leaned forward and sipped his tea, then set it back down. They passed the joint back and forth quietly for a few minutes. He kept trying to think of something to say to her, but nothing was coming to mind.
"What do you have in the gun safe?," he asked her. She giggled a little.
"Guns," she said, laughing more. What did he think was in there, the gimp from Pulp Fiction? He felt himself relax a little, and he laughed at himself. It was a pretty stupid question. Some not so quiet noises were coming from upstairs now, making them both laugh more.
"You like to shoot?," RickyJo asked him. It took him a minute to figure out what she was talking about. Shoot what, his shit? He had definately had enough to smoke. Of course he had just asked her about the gunsafe.
"Yes," he said. He noticed she kept tugging on the hem on her dress, trying to cover more of her legs. And everytime she moved it kept creeping back up.
"We have a gun range," she said tentatively, "do you want to go shooting? I mean I guess we could stay and listen to your brother have sex with my cousin." Daryl smiled at her. This was interesting. He had never gone shooting with a girl before.
"Yes," he told her, "I think I would."
"You sure?," she asked, "sometimes he starts yelling shit when he gets really excited."
"I'm sure," he said, laughing. This girl was funny. Maybe coming here had not been such a terrible idea after all. RickyJo opened the safe and got out a gun bag. She grabbed her rifle and a smaller handgun. Daryl noticed he could tell which ones were hers, they had custom pink camo leather grips. Then she let him pick out what he wanted and put them in the bag with some ammunition. He carried the bag, and they went out behind the cabin where she had a golf cart parked. She drove them over to what looked to be a pretty legit shooting range. It was a covered wooden deck with paper targets that you could reel in and some fences and stands where you could set up bottles or cans. This girl obviously knew what she was doing, he better shoot straight or he was going to make an ass out of himself.
Merle had finished up with Jessica. He laid there a while next to her, not because he liked holding her, but because he liked fucking her and wanted to be able to do it again the next time he came over. Girls got pissed if you leaped right up as soon as you got done. He didn't hear any talking coming from downstairs, which was either a really good sign or a really bad sign. Jessica got up to use the bathroom, which meant he could make his exit now without pissing her off. Merle crept down the stairs. If that Ricky chick was naked down there, he wouldn't mind a look at that. That dress she had on had been more than sexy and while he pumped into her cousin, he had been thinking about her long tan legs and the white lines her bathing suit had left across her chest.
The sneaking had been a waste. He didn't know where his brother was, but he wasn't on the couch fucking Jessica's hot ass cousin. What a fucking waste. He saw half a joint in the ashtray, so wherever they went, they were high a a couple kites. This was some good shit. He picked the joint up and light it. Jessica came downstairs, back in her little super slut outfit. He bet those tight ass jeans didn't feel so good now after the pounding she just got.
"Where's my cousin?," she asked the man.
"Wasn't my turn to watch her," he replied with some sarcasm. He would like to know where those assholes took off to. The girls already paid him for the weed, and now that he got his rocks off, he was ready to get the hell out of here and go home. Maybe have a few drinks and fire up the grill, cook some venison steaks. Jessica cocked her head a little to the side and looked at him.
"I bet I know where they went," she said, "Listen." He listened. At first he wasn't sure what he was listening for, then he heard the gunshots. They sounded like they were not coming from too far away either. "They are out at the damn gun range."
"You have a gun range?," Merle asked her. She nodded.
"Come on," she told him, "just bring the joint with us." Merle got up and followed her out the back door. He had been coming around here for at least six months and this was the first he had heard of any gun range. It didn't surprise him though. He had to come through a large iron gate to get onto the property, and follow a winding road back to the cabin. The place was full to the damn brim with deer, and not the usual sort that he saw hunting around the area. Since he started coming here, he had seen at least two different kids of deer that he had never seen before, and he had seen a lot of deer. He guessed it was some sort of game preserve where rich people who didn't know what they were doing would pay to go hunting. What the girls were doing out in the middle of it he didn't know, but he guessed maybe one of their dads owned the place or something. They obviously had money.
He followed her along a wide path, the shots getting louder and louder. When they got there he saw Daryl and RickyJo with ear covers on, firing away at bottles and cans and little paper targets. They looked like they were having fun. And seeing a girl in a sunday church dress shoot a hunting rifle was something new. Looked like she was hitting was she was aiming for too.
Merle walked up the steps onto the wooden platform. RickyJo gave him a smile. Then she pulled the covers off her ears. Daryl saw him, and did the same.
"Good shooting," Merle told them. Daryl offered up the gun he had been using and handed Merle the ear covers. RickyJo looked on with some interest. Daryl had been a much much better shot than she had expected. She had been very impressed. He was the only boy she had met that could shoot as well as she could, and maybe better. When she asked, he told her his brother taught him. Knowing that, she wanted to see what Merle could do. While she knew she was a good shot, RickyJo wasn't overly cocky, and was always interested in learrning something new, especially from someone more experienced. She watched the man. With his ridiculous biker getup, to her he had looked like a city boy who was trying to look tougher than he was. Watching him shoot, she realized maybe she had judged the man too quickly. He finished off his round and turned to see that RickyJo looked impressed and Jessica was trying not to look bored.
"Where did you learn to shoot like that?," RickyJo asked him.
"The army," he told her, "I was a sharp shooter. Now lets see what you've got." She shook her head.
"I'm not that good," she said. She wasn't trying to compliment him. It was just the truth. Her poppa was the best shot she had ever seen and Merle was much better.
"You're not that bad either," he told the girl, "lets see." She turned and picked up her rifle. He smiled a little when he saw the pink grips. Then she turned and fired at a few of the targets, hitting most of them. Merle moved in an corrected her stance. She had never been that close to the man before and having him touching her felt strange. She wasn't sure if she liked it. Daryl watched them, feeling like the biggest idiot ever for not thinking of trying to help her like that. They had been having a good time before Merle showed up and started putting his hands all over her.
"Aim for that furthest bottle," he told the girl. She looked at him skeptically. Her and Daryl had been aiming for that one all afternoon. It was too far away.
"Go on," he said. "Take a deep breath. Let it out. Then shoot." He stood back a little and watched her. She was standing the way he showed her. Then she shot and the bottle exploded.