The Meeting Point (16 page)

“Hey, you okay?” Mae stopped what she was doing and stared. “Angelo, help them,” she demanded, and he bounded over to the three, taking over from Hazel and practically carrying Marcus to the water's edge where he lay the man down.

“He needs to be cleansed. We think he has an infection at the site of the wires.” Hazel was brisk and efficient as she started to undo Marcus's clothing. Deborah, knowing the woman was only trying to help, pushed her aside and glared, taking over the task with shaking hands.

“Come on, my love, you'll be fine. Just hang on and we'll get you all better.” She peeled the clothes from his trembling body and Angelo helped her drag him into the icy water. His eyes rolled in his head and Deborah's stomach lurched. “Oh God, what's happening to him?”

“It's okay, it's okay,” Hazel soothed. “He's gone into shock from the cold. We need to work quickly.”

As Deborah washed and scrubbed her lover, whispering words of love and encouragement as she went, she was aware of Hazel giving orders to the others. There was scuffling and movement, and finally she came back with Angelo while Mae and Lena ran naked and loose limbed into the forest like a pair of nymphs.

“I'm going to bathe as quickly as I can then join the girls in the forest where they will start a fire and get some water on to boil while I find some pine resin. I'm letting them take the flint and steel, the small aluminum pot, and the hunting knife. These have been cleansed well in the river, but they will need to be sterilized in the fire.” Hazel's voice was quiet but direct, and Deborah was only too happy to have someone else devise a plan of action. “Angelo will stay with you and, when you are ready, help bring Marcus to us in the forest. We won't be far, and you'll see the smoke.”

“We're supposed to keep unseen...”

Deborah jumped back in shock as the splintered voice of Marcus broke through.

“Shh, it's all right just this once.” She smiled then nodded to Hazel who began disrobing.

Her body was still long and lean, and Deborah caught her breath at the sight of the silvery slashes across her back—faded marks from a different life. She looked at Marcus whose swimmy eyes seemed to focus briefly on the woman. Deborah hoped he was remembering the same scene she was; the first time they saw Hazel—probably bearing witness to the making of some of those very lines adorning her flesh. She thought she saw a flicker of a smile cross his face and she smiled. Maybe lust could be a healer too.

The shuddering had begun to subside and Deborah could begin washing her lover properly while Angelo cradled him in the water. A fragment of her brain acknowledged that it was quite an erotic sight to see these two men in such an intimate scene. She cut it quickly and refocused on the task at hand. The water was clear and she could see her own fingers as they traveled down his abdomen and to his groin. Angelo's gaze followed the trail of her hand and there was an awkward moment where electricity crackled between the three of them, and Angelo coughed and looked discreetly away. Deborah wrapped her fingers around Marcus's flaccid cock and balls and rubbed away their former life as best she could, and wondered at the conflicted feelings of arousal as she cared for her sick lover. Marcus's cock stirred and Deborah breathed a sigh of relief. As long as he could muster a hard-on, there was hope. Angelo quickly looked down and saw what was happening, before looking up to Deborah. Their eyes met. There it was again. The crackle of something.

“Lena told us of the unity bond.”

Deborah nearly fell back into the water.

“What?”

“Well, what she knows of it. I'm not sure...something about a connection that transcends all else?”

Deborah slowly continued the cleansing massage between her lover's thighs.

“Yes...” She couldn't remember what she had told Lena. If anything. Maybe it was Cheryl who'd spilled her secrets. Who knew? Did it really matter now? “Why?”

“Can't you go to him or something? Show him the way back?”

Deborah was dumbfounded. This man, without a shred of evidence or even a discussion on the topic seemed to believe in its power.

“How do you believe in this sort of thing? Nobody does.”

Angelo smiled, looking kind and wise at the same time. Deborah had to force herself to remember he was ten years her junior.

“Well, I make butterflies which respond to their owner's DNA. Not many people believe that would work either, but it does.” His voice was slow and sexy with a depth of knowledge that spilled out and exposed his intellect. She felt sudden and complete trust in this man.

“You're right. I could go to him. But it requires a certain action that I'm not altogether sure I could achieve right now.” She didn't know just how much Angelo knew about the whole orgasm side of ultimate unity, but he seemed to understand that it perhaps wasn't the best time to be trying out his theory. Deborah finished washing in between Marcus's toes then gently came back up, rubbing his face. “I should get clean now. Can you and Hazel take him out of the water?”

Hazel had returned from her cleansing and hooked her diaphanous arms under Marcus's. In silence, they hauled her lover to the banks and began carrying him to the forest. Deborah pulled at the heavy, waterlogged clothing, managing to peel herself free and submerge herself in the cooling river.

She opened her eyes under the water and watched the sunlight dance and glint on the surface. This was one of her most favorite things. To see sunlight refract and play among liquid was one of life's joys. Such a simple and honest treasure. Despite everything, Deborah had an overwhelming gratitude for this little pleasure. She made a silent promise to Mother Nature, or the earth, or whatever it was—even one of the gods from years ago—that she would cherish this place. For as long as she could, she would care for and cherish this gift.

Emotion in her chest was bubbling and welling, and Deborah felt herself drift into that place, that sublime realm where she could catch her lover. Angelo was right. Finding Marcus at unity was exactly what she should do. She let go and let the twinkling lights guide her. She was floating now, her body rose, she was smiling, Water rushed through her ears as she surfaced, coughing and spluttering while the river clutched at her.

She hauled herself to the side and choked out the icy water from her throat and lungs. Of all the stupid, ridiculous things to do. Deborah had once again fallen into the sublime without making sure of her own safety. She grabbed handfuls of grass in frustration, burying her head into the delicious blades, and roared.

When her breathing had returned to as normal as she thought it could, she took stock of her situation. She'd had a lucky escape. Although she'd been in real danger, Deborah really felt like she had to do it. She had to give Angelo's idea a go. This time, she would try her best not to trip off into another plane while being entranced by shafts of sunlight underwater. She shook her head at her own stupidity and caught a glimpse of the pile of belongings only half buried.

Rolling her eyes and muttering under her breath, Deborah began to calm down when she remembered that the others had left the task of hiding the belongings to help save her lover. It still needed to be done though. She would wash again after she'd cleared everything. Thankfully, the hole had pretty much already been dug and Deborah pushed the items into it. The fox pelt was already deep in. As the rolls of belongings and bags tumbled down, something black and shiny protruded from one of the furs. Deborah's heart skipped a beat. Could it be? Holding her breath, Deborah reached in and pulled out the long, heavy strap-on.

Bloody hell
, she thought and smiled to herself, remembering the fun she'd had dominating prisoners with this very thing. Tingling surged between her legs as she remembered Lena dominating her that time. The one woman she'd let into her private space. The tingling became a heat as she also remembered how close she'd gotten to Marcus on that very orgasm. It felt wrong to be having lustful thoughts while he was so sick, but Deborah banished the thought. It was right. It was the right thing to do. The others had his physical wellbeing in their hands; it was now up to her to deal with his spiritual health.

She lifted the strap-on out and took it back to the water with her, rinsing and cleaning it thoroughly. Turning herself on while she wrapped her fist around the dense rubber as she cleaned it in a pumping action. She sat on a submerged boulder near the side of the river, being sure to anchor her feet under the weeds below. If she was going to do this, she had to keep safe. It would have to be strong and quick. She angled her body and opened her legs so that the current rushed directly onto her sex. It was hard and cold, and her pussy lips quickly felt numb.

She pulled the dildo free of the leather strapping, thrusting the harness onto the bank. Holding her pussy open with one hand, Deborah placed the thick tip of the rubber cock to her entrance and closed her eyes. The water rushed and pushed her arm and fist, and her pussy tightened around the tip, trying to halt the invasion. It was sexy to feel such resistance and she wondered if Marcus liked it like that too. When her pussy gripped him hard, not allowing entry right away.

Her tits bobbed in the current, and her nipples buzzed with cold and arousal. She shivered a little and her cunt gave way, the dildo pushing in just a shade. Stretching her open. She held it tighter, fisting the rubber, feeling dirty and wanton as she pushed harder, fucking herself with the thick dick. Her clit was screaming out to be touched and she rubbed at it furiously as her pussy walls clenched and unclenched around the dildo, swallowing it up inside her. Full and on the brink, part of her spirit broke free and rushed off with the current to come crashing into Marcus as he lay feeble in that other plane.

“Marcus, my love, I'm here for you.” She could only see eyes. Dilated pools of darkness feasting on her soul. Warmth flooded her and she wrapped herself up in it. “I'm here, we've got you, you'll be fine. Just keep with me, keep with us all.”

A very faint heartbeat became noticeable in the distance, and as she swam around in those eyes, in that warmth, it became stronger and harder, just like the pulse of the dick inside her. They were in harmony, beating out a rhythm together, and she began to come.

Freezing cold water roared around her as she came back into the river, her pussy spasming, bucking, and wanting more, more, more. She rocked her pelvis forward and spread her legs open as far as she could with the dildo hanging out. There was still a fair length left, and she wanted it all. She hovered over the boulder then eased down onto it, using it to plunge the fake dick even deeper into her body. She bounced up and down and held her pussy lips open to the current pressing the other into the crack of her ass, letting a finger probe at the tight hole there. Heat from her cunt warmed the cold water and with one tweak of her bud, Deborah came as hard and as fast as the very river itself. As she fell into the sublime oblivion she heard one thing, it was Marcus's voice.

“I'm here, I'm not going anywhere.”

* * * *

As Deborah stood naked on the threshold of the forest and her new life with these people, an overwhelming tranquility settled through her. Who knew how long they would be there or whether they would survive, but she was grateful that they had made it. Despite all the complications, they were all together.

She paused and thought very carefully about each of her companions. About their traits. Could it be, as she looked into the circle of naked, cleansed humans caring for her lover, that each of them brought something to this union? Her scientific background had already been tested to the limits and her skepticism had taken a deep bruising over the years. So much so, that her mind now had the freedom to ponder such imaginings. Deborah, the scientist; Marcus, the transcendent; Mae, the leader and escapologist; Angelo, the engineer and visionary; Hazel, the healer and fire lighter; and Lena...what was Lena's role? Ah yes, Lena the savior. The pheromone fertility goddess.

Maybe it was more than just coincidence that had brought them here to this fertile place together—maybe it was fate. Maybe this was the new beginning for mankind. Maybe she and Marcus were to guide a new tribe of people in the transcendent life of ultimate unity. If Lena was indeed able to rekindle fecundity then this was surely their path.

Deborah exhaled the last of the air she'd carried from the outside and stepped into the forest. The whole atmosphere seemed to shift and change slightly—become clearer, fresher, more hopeful. She was at ease by the time she crouched next to her lover who lay still in Angelo's arms. Hazel had already applied an array of leaves to his wound, and color was slowly but surely returning to his cheeks.

“It worked already?” Deborah said, amazed, and reached out to touch his cheek. “Those must be some powerful plants.” She smiled and leaned in to kiss him.

“Well, I'd like to take the credit for it,” Hazel interjected softly, “but the strangest thing happened just a few minutes after we'd laid him in this clearing. He had been completely unconscious—you saw him—then out of nowhere, he said, ‘I'm here, I'm not going anywhere,' and opened his eyes.”

Still looking very weak, Marcus turned to Deborah, smiling, and winked.

“Oh, thank goodness, thank goodness,” she cried, falling onto his chest and listening to his heart which was beating strong and solid.

“We need to start making up the camp.” Hazel stood and began to usher the others away a little, and Deborah inwardly applauded her discretion. A little alone time would suit her perfectly. Angelo eased Marcus from his arms and lay the still weak man down beside her and went to join the huddle a few meters away.

“Thank you for finding me,” Marcus whispered, his voice very frail. “Just now. I felt so tired. So, so tired. It would have been so easy to just have let go...”