Chapter 3: Holding Ground
Small whimpers came from the backseat, startling Claire. She looked into the rearview mirror to find Andy tossing and turning in K-Mart's arms, obviously having a bad dream. K-Mart felt the sudden movements and awoke from her peaceful slumber. K-Mart, Claire observed, was whispering something into the distressed girl's ear and in the blink of an eye, Andy was sleeping peacefully again. "What did you say to her?" Claire whispered gently, studying K-Mart's face. "I said, 'Fur mich, meine liebe, besser schlafen.'" K-Mart smiled at the confused face Claire looked at her with. "It means, 'For me, my love, sleep better,'" she stated, feeling accomplished.
German had been K-Mart's best subject in school, her other classes not captivating her enough. Claire just looked forward and slowed the hummer down as they drove within city limits. Andy had done a good job of cleaning the place; the city was barren and the sand-covered streets were desolate. K-Mart shook Andy awake and kissed her sweat-covered brow in consolation. As the vehicle came to a stop, Andy opened her mouth and spoke, "I found a few apartment buildings, a hotel, and some houses. If you'd like I could show you the houses. We could take shelter in them for the night." Her voice was hoarse, indicating that she had just woken up from a deep sleep.
Claire nodded and the three of them exited the metal beast. Taking the lead, Andy led them around town, pointing out the individual houses for Claire to inspect. After a few minutes of silence, Claire spoke up, "These are nice. They're perfect for the children." Andy smiled and took them back to the rest of the convoy. As Claire wandered off toward the group of children that had gathered outside the bus, Andy turned to K-Mart. Her face flushed lightly as she stared at K-Mart's neck. Her partner smiled, sensing her hunger and pulled her close, tilting her neck to give Andy access to her sweet venom.
A light pinch told K-Mart that Andy was feeding. A smile crossed her lips and a moan bubbled up as she felt Andy's tongue gliding across her silky skin. When Andy was satisfied, she tilted her own neck, letting K-Mart quench her own thirst. When the two were full and their hunger had subsided, walked hand in hand to the building Andy had claimed for them.
The house was nice. Furnished lightly, the bedroom was their favorite place. K-Mart scouted the house, looking into each room briefly before moving on to the next. Pictures hung on the walls and littered the small tables. A magnificent fireplace complimented the soft, cream-colored walls. "Andy, look at this place! It's gorgeous!" she exclaimed.
Andy shuffled into the grand hall, checking the floor to make sure it was safe. "This is our place. Our home," Andy said, turning to K-Mart, who had appeared right beside her moments ago. K-Mart smiled and nodded. The mansion was massive and the backyard was very expansive. The pair made their way into a large game-room where an extravagant flat-screen television and more than seven different game consoles captured their gaze. Bookshelves covered the walls, all of them filled with videogames. A large pool table sat collecting dust and the glass wall on the right side gave them a gorgeous view of the untainted farmlands that laid beyond the city limits.
"God, I can live in this room and be completely happy," Andy said as she plopped into a large, blue beanbag. K-Mart giggled and slid open the glass door that would've been hidden to a human. Walking out onto the balcony, K-Mart felt a small, gentle breeze. It was a beautiful day and the air was clean. 'No undead, no worries,' K-Mart thought to herself. She leaned against the railing and stared over the trees.
Andy had already hooked up the Xbox and was playing Resident Evil 5 while K-Mart was enjoying the view of the hills and the farm animals munching on overgrown grass. "Fuck! No, get out of the goddamn way!" The sudden, rage-filled words startled K-Mart and brought her back into reality. She turned to look at her partner, who was on the edge of her seat staring angrily at the images on the T.V. screen. She laughed softly at her mate's aggressiveness toward the game.
"Andy, sweetheart. It's just a game," K-Mart chuckled. Andy paused the game and smiled. After going back to playing, Andy sighed. K-Mart turned back to the open land, taking in all of it's untarnished beauty. Since the outbreak, K-Mart had not seen much of anything that wasn't destroyed, dead, or falling apart due to lack of maintenance. The amazing view gave K-Mart chill bumps.
It began to get dark and K-Mart estimated that it was about seven o'clock in the evening. The girls had moved their stuff to the bedroom and settled in for the night. Lighting a few candles, Andy set up a romantic dinner for them. They, of course, didn't need to eat, but it made them seem more human. The couple enjoyed grilled salmon with rice and vegetables, all cooked to perfection by Andy. K-Mart was thoroughly surprised at the generous amount of food and gratefully accepted the romantic gesture from Andy. K-Mart finally spoke after a long, peaceful silence had shrouded the table, "Andy?" Andy looked up at her partner, silently asking her to continue. "What…was your family like?" she asked softly. Andy opened her mouth, "My mom was a bitch. She was always trying to get rid of me. I didn't really know my father. I had a sister; she was adopted and she was a little over seven years older than me. I don't know what happened to her, but I hope that wherever she is, she's safe…" K-Mart's mouth went dry and she saw the pain in her lover's eyes.
Getting out of her chair, K-Mart gracefully moved to pick her broken mate up. The Fae's trembling form broke her heart; seeing Andy like this was unbearable. As tears began to fall from Andy's neon-blue eyes, K-Mart held her tightly and began humming a soft melody into her ear. Andy's soft, gentle sobs died out and her breathing slowed; K-Mart knew she had fallen asleep. She kissed Andy's forehead and moved her into the bedroom, where she undressed herself, along with Andy. She then folded back the covers on the queen-sized bed and tucked Andy in, putting Andy's head on her chest and wrapping her arms around the sleeping beauty. The quiet house was now filled with memories that would never be forgotten. The silence was full of open wounds that would never heal. K-Mart closed her eyes and fell into a dream, or maybe, a nightmare.