No Safe Place

There was one thing that Ellis learned from the apocalypse: follow yer gut! When he and the three other survivors made it into the camp, the hick was quick to stash away his weapons from CEDA. He managed to stow away his pistol away from their stealthy hands. He knew he would need it again someday, and he liked the security of having it more than a twelve-foot-tall wall lined with alarms and barbed wire.

He hid it underground in a plastic bag along with five rounds of ammo under a tree in quadrant B before it was converted into a cluster of sex shacks. He ran towards the tree that towered over one house, watching the sun set further. He told Rebecca to prepare for the worst – pack cans of food, bottles of water, anything she could carry in her knapsack. She'd need it after tonight.

Ellis sprinted towards the tree, dodging the gazes of the watchful soldiers marching around. He tried to ignore the loud moans seeping through the walls of the rickety shacks as they flew past him. He collapsed under the tree, holding his breath. Slowly, he clawed his way into the earth, throwing dirt to the side. The sun dipped further behind the mountains.

Ellis felt the smooth plastic beneath his fingernails. He shoved both his rugged hands into the hole and practically tore out the bag containing one of his most prized possessions. It looked just like it did when he left it...

The sun's rays disappeared behind the mountain, cutting the reunion short. Ellis ran back to Rebecca, very aware that her attacker was on the prowl.

"You packed?" Ellis asked as he shut the door behind him. Rebecca emerged from the bathroom with her knapsack slung over her shoulders.

"I think so –"

Ellis ripped open the plastic bag and dumped its contents onto the kitchen counter. He grabbed the ammo and stuffed them into the deep pockets of her sweatpants. He grabbed one of the woman's scraped hands and wrapped it firmly around his gun. She stared at the weapon, then up at Ellis.

"This thing's got me outta trouble more times than I care to admit. There's enough ammo to last yah until the next city."

"What?" Rebecca breathed. "No, I can't accept this."

"Becky, don't be stupid, alrigh'?"

"I don't think –" Becky stiffened and her eyes darted to the door. "Did you hear that?"

Ellis sucked in a breath and turned his attention to the door. He heard faint whistling and footsteps.

"Shit, shit, we can't get out, we're too late!" Becky rasped. The footsteps clunked onto the patio.

"Honey, I'm home!" growled a voice.

"That's him!" she squeaked.

Ellis grabbed Becky's hand and pulled her into the bedroom. "C'mon!"

They barrelled into the room and shut the door as the man opened the front. "HEY!"

Ellis shoved a chair under the door knob. "Window, quick!"

Rebecca ran to the window and tried to wrench it open. It held firm. Ellis ran up to help her. It didn't move.

"Open the fucking door right NOW!" the man screamed. He tried to push the door open. The doorframe started to creak under pressure.

"Gimme some ammo!" Ellis ordered. Becky shoved her shaking hands into her pocket and tossed him one of his ammo clips. He hurled it at the glass. It shattered. He picked Becky up and pushed her through the window, careful enough to avoid the shards.

The doorframe snapped and the man stormed in as Ellis dove out of the window. His wrist caught a shard stuck in the window frame. It tugged at his skin, and Ellis didn't feel a thing until he slammed into the ground. Becky had the ammo back in her pocket and helped Ellis up.

"You're bleeding!" she cried.

"Jus' a scratch," Ellis grunted. The two of them ran onward towards the wall, the man pushing himself through the window.

"We'll need to push that picnic table against the wall!"

The two runaways ran into the picnic table, sending it sliding into the barricade.

"NO!" the man screamed. He was right behind them. Ellis jumped on top of the table. He placed his hands around Becky's waist. She dug her feet into the concrete and gave Ellis' hands a reassuring squeeze.

"Ellis," she said as he pushed her up. "Thank you."

"Stop or I'll shoot!"

Ellis gave Becky a final courtesy nod before he shoved her up to watch her scramble over the wall. She jumped down on the other side. An alarm squealed suddenly, echoing all through the camp. Ellis didn't have enough time to face their pursuer before he grabbed Ellis' bleeding arm. This time, he felt it. The man ripped Ellis off the table like he was a ragdoll and threw him to the ground. Ellis hit his head on one of the houses. Shit, he was strong...

"Well, I'll be fuckin' damned," growled the voice. "It's Nancy."

Ellis opened his eyes and stared at the man. His jaw dropped. He recognized the man.

"Mac, you son of a bitch," Ellis growled. His arm pulsed and blood poured onto the ground beneath him. The soldier looked different without his uniform on. He wore denim jeans and a loose t-shirt. He had no gun with him, but he had a cocky grin towards the fallen kid.

"I'm guessin' Becky-Pie told you," Mac chuckled. Ellis held him arm to his chest, trying to stanch the bleeding. "About our little party."

"Go to hell."

Mac ignored Ellis. "You should have seen her, all sweet and innocent. 'Could'a sworn she was a virgin. I'm a sucker for the smaller women. Tight."

Mac smiled at Ellis. Ellis glared back, pulling himself up.

"Man, she was good. Did you get some? Or did you go cry to Chuckles back home?"

"Fuck you."

"Well, sorry kid, beat yah to the punch. I mean, if I didn't get her pregnant, I dunno what will."

"SHUT UP!" Ellis screamed. He threw his fist towards Mac's face. Mac dodged and punched Ellis in the gut. He fell back to his knees hugging his stomach.

"You're a soldier!" Ellis choked.

"And that means we're the horniest mother fuckers on this goddamn earth. So why can't we get some, hmm? I mean, we are the strongest and the bravest, unlike some of the queers out in the world, surviving the apocalypse, blah, blah, blah. It was just too easy to take your paper and put the blame on you. You could think of it as a compliment. I sorta made a man outta you."

Ellis leapt to his feet and tackled Mac. Mac wrapped his arms around the kid and threw him into the wall Becky jumped over. His head cracked against the cement as Mac drove it in. He pressed his body against his, breathing into his ear.

"You're too desparate, Nancy," he purred in his ear. "Yah gotta stop putting yourself out like that. You could get hurt."

"Get off me!" Ellis gagged. Blood ran down his face. Mac pressed even harder, grinding Ellis into the hard surface.

"You're just so... fragile. I like it."

Mac dug his fingers into the hick's blistered shoulder and used his other hand to probe the gash on his wrist. He screamed, but his cries were blanketed in the sirens. Shit, if Mac wasn't so strong, he'd be able to push him off.

"I think I'm starting to like you," Mac cooed in his ear.

"You two!" another man called. He cocked a gun. "Sir, step away from the wall!"

Mac tensed at the sight of his fellow soldier. He stepped away from the wall. Ellis slid to his knees, trembling. Two soldiers behind the first ran up to Mac and pointed their guns at him.

"What is going on?" one soldier asked. Ellis coughed and held his arm close to his body.

"Las' time I checked, that ain't how to repopulate the Earth!" Ellis said. The soldiers looked down at him. "Ain't that what yah told me, soldier Mac?"

The soldiers snapped their heads to Mac. "You're a soldier? Mac? You aren't in uniform."

"That's cause he's been hunting women. Though I think he missed with me."

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Mac growled as the soldiers handcuffed him.

"Well, guys can't get pregnant. That's what my momma said."

The soldiers stared at Mac, disgust slowly clouding their eyes. The first soldier pulled out his radio.

"It's clear over here, sir. It appears to have been triggered by contact with the wall. Tell the Sergeant that we have someone for him to speak with, out." The soldier put the radio down. "We're hauling your ass out of here. Boys, maybe we should teach our friend a lesson. You take him while I get this one to the clinic."

"Actually, you guys go have fun," Ellis seethed. "I'll escort myself."

Ellis didn't bother getting to his feet until the four men were long gone. He just hoped Becky was out of harm's way.

"Stop fussin' and let me heal you."

Ellis wriggled at Rochelle's touch as she cleaned Ellis' wrist. The glass had sliced his skin open and Mac tore it even further, leaving a four-inch long gash. She was able to use some tape stitches on it and wrap it in gauze as Ellis pressed a cloth to his forehead.

"It hurts," he hissed.

"I know. Almost done."

"Ow!"

Rochelle finished bandaging Ellis' wounds and stood up. She was wearing loose pyjamas and was alone in the house, her two roommates in quadrant B. She lived not too far, so Ellis went there in case Mac went to get him. It was safe, to him. Safer than the military.

"I can't believe some guy would do this to you. I mean, what did he do to your chest?"

"Actually, a woman did that tuh me." Ellis craned his neck to rest his head against the couch. His forehead was still bleeding slightly. Rochelle took the rag from him to soak it again. She laughed.

"What on Earth did you do to deserve that?"

"Nothin'. She went berserk on me. She had too much tuh drink."

"So she lit you on fire?"

"No she threw a candle at me," he replied. "Thanks for letting me stay, by the way. I know it's very late."

"No problem, Sweetie. You're welcome at any time of the day, even if it is at midnight."

Rochelle returned with the new rag and sat with Ellis on the couch.

"So are you in this, too? This whole Repop thing?"

Rochelle sighed and leaned her head on her hand.

"Yes. Well, I'm done, actually."

Ellis' eyes snapped open. "What?"

"I got my test back today. I'm pregnant."

Ellis couldn't breathe. Everything just got real. "But – what – I don'."

"I met with a man, we talked, we did it, and we went our separate ways. It was pretty civil."

"There's nothin' civil about it!" Ellis yelled. "This whole thing is wrong!"

"I know it is, but you gotta do what you gotta do."

"Yeah, I've heard that before."

"Alright, well, you seem to be getting better. I have to leave in the morning to register. Try to get some sleep."

"Fine," Ellis spat. "Goodnight."

Rochelle was gone when Ellis awoke. His head was sore and his wrist was stiff. He didn't waste any time getting dressed and leaving to go home. He knew the house he'd arrive at would be empty, but at least it was better than Rochelle's. It wasn't the same.

On his way home, Ellis realized something. It had been over a week since he and Nick did anything intimate. Ever since he left to see Jules, really. Since then, he hadn't kissed Nick or hugged him or even grazed his skin. Things were fucked up and weren't getting any easier. But with Jules gone and Becky free, Ellis was starting to miss those things.

He arrived at his house and stepped up onto the deck. He grabbed the doorknob and opened it, slightly zoned out.

"Oh, someone's here!" chirruped a voice.

Ellis's jaw dropped. Standing in the middle of his kitchen leaning over the counter was a blonde, busty woman, wearing shorts and a plaid shirt.

"Nick!" she called.

Ellis' vision started to tinge with red. His throat felt compressed and his gut went cold. Nick rounded the corner with a smile. He froze at the sight of his lover in the doorframe.

"Ellis? What are you doing here?"

"I should ask you the same," Ellis retorted. "Who the hell is she?"

"I'm Debbie," she replied. "Nick's...partner."

Ellis choked on his words. Partner?

"We ran out of coffee in quadrant B," Nick murmured, avoiding his gaze. "I was just grabbing some."

"What the hell Nick?" Ellis screamed. The two others jumped. "This is our house. OUR HOUSE!"

"Woah, kid, calm down," Nick said. He raised his eyebrows and tried to shoot him a 'shut the fuck up' look.

"FUCK YOU! Don't fuckin' tell me to calm down!"

"Maybe I should go..." Debbie said.

"GET OUT!"

Debbie walked out angrily. "Let me know when your friend calms down, hmm?"

Ellis slammed the door behind her. "You mother fucker."

"Ellis, what the hell? We just came here to get coffee!"

"Did yah sleep with her?"

"What –"

"How could you do this to me? You could'a taken her to the store, or to the neighbours', not our house. This place is for us only!"

"You're blowing this out of proportion," Nick growled. Ellis grabbed Nick's shirt to the conman's surprise.

"Lemme ask you this, Nick, did she try to rape you?"

"What, no!" he replied. "Let go, kid, or I'll make you let go."

"Well, my match did!" he screamed. Nick didn't respond.

"What are you talking about?"

"THE BURNS, NICK! She threw a candle at me because I pushed her off me after she tried to rape me! I know it doesn't sound true, but it is!"

"Ellis, if I'd known –"

"Oh, and remember Mac? Yeah, I met him last night. So there's the explanation for my forehead!"

"Wait, you met Mac? He hurt you?"

"An' then you go ahead and bring your fuck buddy into our house."

"I didn't know you were coming home!" Nick shoved Ellis off him. "Look, I'm sorry about what's happened to you, but I tried to help. You wouldn't even talk to me!"

"Because I KNEW you wouldn't understand! An' I was going through a lot!"

Ellis was shaking, tears spilling onto his skin, blood seeping through the gauze around his wrist. Nick was pressed against one wall and Ellis was on the other in the hallway.

"No, Nick. I'm done. I can't do this anymore."

Ellis shoved past Nick and headed towards the door.

"Ellis, wait! Just sit down and talk to me for fuck sake!"

"I tried!" Ellis responded. He ripped the door open. "Debbie's waitin' for yah. See yah."

"ELLIS, get back here!"

Ellis slammed the door shut, making the house shudder. Nick stood dumbfounded in the hallway, processing everything. He didn't run after him, didn't drag his sorry ass back to the house. He just stood there, staring at the door, hoping Ellis was just bluffing instead of folding.