Snareville II: Circles (27 page)

“Uh huh.” I wrapped my arms around her. We stood like that for a few minutes. I heard the garage door creak open and we parted. I pointed Kevin to the house so he could gather up his things and head home.

“You stayin’ the night?” Cat asked.

“Soon. This week. Let’s play it by ear.”

She reached up and tickled my ear with her fingertip. I laughed and pulled away.

“Okay, by ear it is,” she said. “Maybe you can come fishin’ with me one night and we’ll work something out.”

“Or in,” I said.

She laughed as she nudged me with an elbow. Kevin came out of the house, backpack slung across his shoulder. He hugged Cat goodbye, and we left. On the way home he asked me about Cat. I knew he was fishing for an answer to what was going on between us. He was ten. He wasn’t stupid, but he might have remembered how things were before, so I explained the situation. At least as best I could. He had a few questions, which I tried to make clear. He asked if I loved Pepper and Cindy. I said I did. I loved them and my kids and my daughter Ella, even if we were a new kind of family. He asked if I loved Cat. I thought about it. I told him I cared a lot about her. That it might turn into love. That she was beautiful and we would make a baby. He thought about these things for a long time. Finally when we turned down our street, he shrugged.

“Am I part of your family too?”

I laid my hand on his shoulder and he didn’t pull away. “Looks like you are, whether you like it or not.”

He turned and stared off down the street, the direction we had come from the first day we found him. “I like it,” he said, barely at a whisper.

Chapter 36

Henry stood outside the communal house he shared with Mart and the others. Around them, the Amish went about their business of the day. The men of the community said little to them. Johnson and Beno had already taken Elizabeth up on her offer. Elizabeth in turn, set the two men up with groups of girls who they would sleep with while they remained in the community. Johnson was three houses down with two of his five women, Beno was across the street with three. Many of the girls weren’t out of their teens. “They bleed, they breed,” as Johnson had crudely put it.

Mart stepped outside onto the porch with him. “How’s the new ink?” she asked.

Henry glanced down at the tribal Trinity piece on his forearm. The tattoo artist who ended up in town as she tried to escape the plague had taken up her art on the women of the community. She had become lost off the interstate and found the Amish here in the woods. Now, she gave each man a piece of work on his body and etched the matching image on the women he would bed.

“The sting’s gone,” Henry said. “I imagine it’ll heal up fine.”

“Don’t expect me to wear one,” Mart said. She took a step closer.

“I wouldn’t ask you to,” Henry said as he pulled her close to him. “But I might ask you to wear a ring.”

“Who says I’ll have you?” Mart asked. Her voice was soft, raw.

“I know this isn’t something we ever considered. With these girls I mean. But it makes sense.”

“You just want a piece of blond tail.” Mart’s grin looked more like a grimace.

“No, that’s not it. It’s just the way things have gotten to be. These people have been needing outside blood for a couple of generations at least and the guys at home…”

Mart laid a finger over his lips. “I know. I know how things have changed. I know life is different. I wish it wasn’t. I wish I was the only one to have your baby. But these women need you too. At least I know where you be.”

“At least for the next week. Mart, I didn’t plan this.”

“No one could, Baby. No one could.” She kissed him briefly, but glanced away. “Now, you go. You know where us girls are. Go make your babies. I see you in a week.” She pulled away.

“Mart…”

“Just go.” She turned and walked down the boardwalk along the street. She ducked into the small dry goods store half a block down.

Henry squared his shoulders. He left the boardwalk and walked the opposite direction Mart had taken. The house he was to spend the next week in was a block to the west. Nice little place. Tidy. Like all the others behind the walls of this town. Not a blade of grass out of place, or a weed in the flowerbed. All white. No trim. Trim would be proud and no one wanted that. He was to meet Elizabeth and Mary there after the noon meal. That was a half hour past.

He took a deep breath, straightened and stepped inside. It was as neat as the rest of town. What always struck him about these Amish homes was their cleanliness. The people lived without electricity or indoor plumbing, yet every home was neat as a pin. This particular home had been empty for a few years. It was a large family home at one time, but as the population dwindled, more places emptied. Still, it was maintained by the community. For the next week, it would be used again. Small things stood out to Hawk as he stood in the front room. The seams between the inlaid pieces of the oak floor had no dust between them. A cupboard full of dishes stood in the corner, one cup handle faced the opposite of the others. A simple brown throw rug lay in front of him, with two sets of women’s black work shoes on it. The edge was frayed at one end. He took off his boots and set them beside the girls.

“Come to the back,” one of the girls shouted. He couldn’t tell which.

He found his way to a back room. It must have been a summer kitchen. There was a stove in one corner. One wall was all windows. The white curtains were all drawn at the moment. A door led outside. Both girls stood inside, quietly talking.

“We know our customs are different than the English,” Elizabeth said. She and Mary were wrapped in white terry robes that ran nearly to the floor. Henry could see their ankles and feet and that was about it. Black tattoos flowed down Elizabeth’s legs. “We do not bathe daily as you people do, but this is a different time. We will do as you do. We set this up for you too. If you like, we could help you wash up. We’ve had our turns.” She indicated a large black plastic bag with a showerhead on it. It hung from a nail in the wall over a large washtub.

“Where’d you get this?” Henry asked.

“We go to town to get supplies we need,” Mary said. “These were in the Wal-Mart. No one had taken them yet, so we brought several home with us. They work quite well. I don’t imagine they are the same as what you are used to, but they are far better than a wash tub and pitcher.”

“You girls are amazing,” Henry said.

“We are used to living simple lives,” Elizabeth said. She stepped to his side, began to unbutton his shirt. “What you people have forgotten, we do every day. If we have a few things for the better now, so be it. To hear the elders talk, you would think that we were the cause of this chaos by not wearing a shirt and using a few simple things like this shower, instead of the walking dead.” She pulled his shirt open and ran her fingers through the dark hair that sprouted across his chest.

“Elizabeth…”

“I know, Henry. This is not how life should be. But it is how life now is. Tell me, do these tattoos make us ugly to you?”

Henry grinned in spite of himself. “What?”

Mary pulled the shirt from his body gently as Elizabeth began to work on his jeans. “We have seen that Mart has a butterfly on her shoulder. And Jinks has several on her body. But none of your women have anything as extensive as our work.”

Henry looked at Elizabeth. She was serious. He didn’t want to dismiss this as just a joke. “It doesn’t make you ugly. It’s amazing art. It’s beautiful.”

“Thank you, Henry. We did this originally as we were bored. Then after we were attacked once, we thought it might scare the bad English away.” Elizabeth unzipped his pants and pushed them to the floor. Mary hooked her thumbs through the elastic of his boxers; pulled them down.

He tried to talk, as Elizabeth kissed his chest softly. Nothing would come out. Henry cleared his throat, tried again. “I can see how it would scare people. But I’ve always appreciated good tribal work.”

“I am glad it does not scare you,” Elizabeth said into his chest. “We were unsure.”

Both girls dropped their robes. Henry reached out, began to trace the black etchings in Elizabeth’s skin. The lines followed the curves and lines of her body. Around her cheeks, down her neck, over her shoulders. It swirled in a tribal flare around her nipples, then continued its journey across her belly, over her bum and down her legs. The trinity that matched the one on his arm was etched near her pubis.

“Thank you for agreeing to do this,” Elizabeth said with watery blue eyes inside a black mask. The fearless war leader was gone for the moment as she laid her cheek into his hand. Mary’s hands reached around from behind, as she laid her head upon his back. He could hear her sniffle as well.

He pulled Elizabeth to him, kissed her blackened lips. She paused, relaxed, then returned the kiss with eager passion. “I’m honored.”

He shifted his reach and pulled Mary gently around to him. Their kiss was different. She was more shy, but the fire was building in him. As if they sensed the need filling the room, the girls helped him into the tub. He washed, they helped, the three chatted. When he was finished, he had regained his composure. He stepped out, dried and slid into a robe Elizabeth handed him.

Together, they climbed the stairs. The first room at the top of the landing was the master bedroom. Inside, a king sized bed was neatly turned down. On one night stand was a large ceramic pitcher and basin, washcloths and towels folded neatly beside. On another stand was a smaller, glass pitcher with drinking glasses.

Talk stopped. Elizabeth walked to a dresser, pulled a towel, tattered in places, from a drawer and laid it in the middle of the bed.

“For all of our killing, we’re still virgins in the way that matters,” she said. She stepped to Mary, gave her a small kiss. Both girls dropped their robes, bunched their shoulders. “If we don’t do this now…” Elizabeth said. She climbed into the bed. Mary followed.

Henry had to take it all in. Part business, part scared girls. He shook his head as his mouth closed with a click. He didn’t even realize he had been gaping like an idiot until then. He dropped his robe and without a word, joined them under the covers.

It was awkward at first. Strange to all. The girls had no experience and Henry had no experience with that. He tried to make it as easy for them as he could. Nothing crazy, nothing strange. He took Mary into his arms first. She whimpered slightly as her maidenhead gave, but relaxed after as she felt their bodies fall into the same rhythm.

They lay together a moment after he climaxed. Soft kisses and murmured words as Elizabeth traced the muscles of his back with her fingertips. He brushed the auburn hair from Mary’s forehead. Her green eyes searched his face.

“Tis a relief to have the first over and done wit. Next time, I will enjoy it more.” She pushed him up and rolled away from him. Together they changed the towel on the bed, washed and Mary pulled her robe on. “I have other things to be doing this afternoon. I’m sure my cousin will excuse me?”

The girls hugged, as they softly spoke German. Mary turned to Henry before she left, gave him a kiss, thanked him and was gone. He was alone with Elizabeth. Round two. She touched his shoulder gently as she sat on the edge of the bed.

“Do we disappoint?”

Henry sat on the bed. She looked into his eyes. “No, Elizabeth.”

“Your woman is alright with all of this?”

“Mart is…feeling the same way you would be if the situation were reversed.”

“I understand this. I’m sure the ones you call Jinx and Jessica are of the same mind. The world, even our little world here, has gotten strange.”

Henry traced the circles of black across her face. He kissed her black lips softly. Her tongue flickered out to tease. She ran her hand across his chest, gently rubbed a nipple with her thumb. More kisses, more intense, until she pulled away and lay back. He kissed the patterns on her body. Finished with the fresh one that matched his.

“Didn’t all this hurt? I’ve got some, but nothing like all yours.”

“I’ve done other things in the last three years that have hurt worse.” She opened her arms. “Make love to me, Henry.”

He obliged as they slid under the covers. It was late spring and warm. He didn’t often make love in the daylight, but he enjoyed watching her as they melted together. Elizabeth was bolder than Mary, drove herself harder against him. She nibbled his neck, his shoulders. Her fingernails dug into his back as she bucked. Her shouted climax sent him over the edge again until he lay spent, wrapped in her arms.

He nuzzled her neck while she ran her fingers down his back, sending shivers through his body.

“Wow,” she whispered.

“I agree,” he sighed as he rolled to the side.

“I will hate to see you leave.”

“Elizabeth…”

“Shh. No talk about that. Come. I have much laundry to do now.”

They washed again and again, stripped the bed. Henry helped remake it with crisp, air dried sheets, then stretched out on the soft cotton. She stood at the side of the bed, unsure what to do. He ran his hand over the flat belly.

“Lay with me,” he said.

She hesitated. Slowly eased under the covers beside him. “In a way, part of me wishes you were my husband and I didn’t have to share you.” She snuggled up against his chest. He wrapped her in his arms. “But that is not to be. I think I know a little of how Mart feels.”

He kissed the top of her head. Soon, they drifted into a dreamless sleep. He woke two hours later to find himself alone. He found his clothes folded in a chair, a note on top. One of the other girls would meet him there in the night. His next week of debauchment would be a lot of guys’ dreams. His mind though drifted to two women. One was a blond warrior who at times was a simple farm girl. The other was a shadow skinned city girl who found a better life on the farm.

Elizabeth and Mart. Mart he loved and wanted to spend his life with. Stacy was forgotten. She had her girlfriend. Had her baby coming. She had been a good hump and that was about all. These two, each had something that made him want to spend his life with them. More than sex. He’d never been with Mart. They flirted, they kissed. Had they not been found at the creek crossing, no doubt they would have been together in the tall grass before much longer.