All Is Silence - Deserted Lands #1

Chapter 10 - Part II

A TEXT HAD POPPED UP on Lizzie’s phone. Nevaeh. Ran into trouble getting out of town. Her cell buzzed, another one. Won't be there till morning. Can't wait to see you, banana. Banana? Oh, mañana.

After a brief exchange, Lizzie decided to call it a night. Saj had fallen asleep, beat from the day’s activities, and her eyes were starting to droop. She lifted the baby to her chest and carried him toward Mama’s room. “Gonna put the kid to bed,” she said over her shoulder to C.J. “Thanks again for your help with the crib and stuff.”

“Yer welcome. Gonna get me some more of this, s’all right with you?” He tipped his beer can toward her sloshing some of it onto the floor. “Shit.”

Lizzie hesitated, looking at the puddle. “Don’t throw up in the house?”

“I can handle my booze, baby.”

“Whatever, C.J.” What would she find in the morning? She got Saj into the crib. C.J. was still as obnoxious as he was in high school. She pulled on her mom’s old flannel pajamas and snuggled into bed. The clean sheets felt nice. It had been one hell of a week. At least, she was no longer lonely.

                                                                       *     *     *

Lizzie came aware to a weight pushing down on the bed and the covers lift up. “Zach, it’s not gonna happen again.” She rolled over groaning. “Go away.”

A hand went up her pajama top and cupped her breast.

“Shit! Zach get out!

“It’s not little Zach. It’s big Curtis.” C.J.’s voice was slurred.

“Jesus, C.J.” She shoved him away. “Get the fuck out of my bed.”

“No.” His breath heaved and stunk of whiskey and cigarettes.

He tossed off the covers. His strong arms jerked her onto her back. The heavy weight of his body rested on her thighs as he straddled her.

“Please, C.J..”

“Need to repopulate the planet.”

Shit, this is not happening again. She couldn’t see his face in the dark. ”I can’t have kids, C.J. Please don’t do this.”

“Then we’re just gonna practice.” C.J. wheezed, he wasn’t as fat or heavy as Jerkwad, but he wanted more from her than Jerkwad ever had.

“Zach and Nev are going to be here any minute.”

“Nope. Not till tomorrow. Saw the post.” His hands reached down between her legs.

His hard hands fumbled with the drawstring on her pajamas. He grunted and yanked. She heard tearing fabric. Shit. Change of tactic. “Curtis. Please. I gotta pee.” She wiggled her legs together. “You don’t want me to pee.”

A ragged chuckle escaped his throat. “No, I ain’t a pervert.”

His weight lifted off of her. Lizzie pulled what was left of her pajama bottoms up and stumbled into the hall. The lights were still on. He hadn’t even bothered to turn them off.

“But I’m coming with you.”

She glanced back. His pants were already off and he was ready for the deed he was trying to inflict on her. Not if you were the last person alive. She backed away toward the bathroom. “I can’t go when you’re watching. Thought you weren’t one of those perverts.”

“All right, but I’m gonna be right outside the door here listening. Don’t try nothing.”

Lizzie closed the door. A string of profanity ran through her head. She clicked the lock. She flipped the lid of the toilet up as she glanced around for something, anything that would get her out of this. “It might take me a minute, I’m all stressed out.”

“Take your time, I’m waiting.”

The bathroom had no windows, but rows of glass brick to let in light and a skinny slider to get some air circulation. She couldn’t get more than her arm out. Keep playing. “Okay, C.J., it’ll be just a minute.”

The metallic hose on the shower hung down. No way she could choke him, he was too strong. She stepped in the bathtub and slid the window open. “Help.”

“Nobody’s gonna hear you,” C.J. said. “They’re all dead.”

“HELP ME,” she screamed.

“Quit hollering or I’m breaking down the door.” The knob jiggled. “You know these doors are no better than cardboard.”

Lizzie looked down. Behind the bathtub. Jerkwad’s shotgun. She reached down the other side, her shaking hand tightened around the gun. Now she would have control.

“C.J.?” she called surprised at the steadiness in her voice. “I’ve got a shotgun in here.”

His drunken nasty laugh repeated. “Sure, ya do, honey. And I got a big gun out here for you.”

“I’m serious.”

“Look, Lizzie, don’t play this shit with me. I want you.”

“I don’t want you.” She sat down in the bathtub as far from the door as she could get. “Please, C.J. Go away. Leave me alone.”

BAM! He bashed against the door. She heard it splinter.

“C.J. Don’t.”

Another crash and the door bowed inward. “I’m coming in, Lizzie.” A pause and then the door burst, the frame splintering away from the wall. C.J., half naked, his face screwed up in anger, stood there breathing heavily.

Lizzie steadied the shotgun.

C.J. stared in disbelief. “Well, fuck. You do have a shotgun.” His eyes flitted from the shotgun to her face. “But you ain’t gonna use it or you already woulda.”

“Curtis! Please, don’t come any closer.” In the other room Saj started to cry.

“You’re even prettier when you’re angry and scared.” He stepped toward her.

Another step forward and he could touch the shotgun. Then he would have control again. “No,” Lizzie whispered. She could feel the metal of the trigger pressed into the flesh of her finger. “C.J., please.” She aimed the gun at his crotch.