Unchained

The girl touched her face and looked at her hand. Her eyes were wide and scared. "I don't... I'm sorry... I..."

"Fucking sorry! You're *sorry*!" She slapped the girl again, putting her weight behind it. Blood trickled from the girl's mouth and she started crying. "Every single fucking one of you ruined my fucking life and you dare to look at me like I'm some fucking degenerate?!" She spit in the woman's eyes and turned away. She held the plastic store bag in one hand and was gripping her purse with the other. She slammed the door with her shoulder and walked out.

A block away she stopped. She just slapped that woman. She just... Oh my god, she thought. What have I done? She sat at a bench nearby and stared at the road. This isn't me, she told herself. What is... what's wrong with me?

Minutes passed before she collected herself. When she pulled the rag off of her foot, it was soaked in blood. The bleeding from her foot had slowed to a trickle but the wound was still open and tender. She took the socks and shoes out of the box and gingerly put the socks on. The shoes were harder to put on and didn't fit quite right. Their tightness hurt her feet and made her cut foot throb in pain. She threw the box, bag and rag away in the bin next to her.

She looked at herself. I look more normal, at least. Thank god I have a long sleeve shirt and pants to cover me. I need a shower and something to eat and I'll feel almost human again. A man walked by and laughed. She glanced up, baring her teeth in a snarl. Was he fucking laughing at me?! The man was walking with a woman but Elizabeth could swear he leered at her as he passed.

It was past noon and she hadn't eaten yet. Perhaps that's why she's acting like this, she thought. Low blood sugar or something. There was a hot dog vendor down the street so she walked over and ordered a hot dog with a cup of coffee. She listened to people talking as she waited. Everyone sounded false. She heard hidden threats, condescension and boredom in everyone she listened to. Men's voices sounded guttural and angry, woman's voices waspish.

Finally her food was ready. Her stomach growled - she hadn't realized just how hungry she was. She stood aside to eat but sniffing at the food turned her stomach. It smelled wrong. Old. Dead. Like something left out for dogs. She glanced at the man and then back to her food. Maybe she was just feeling sick and stressed from everything else. She took a bite of the hot dog and nearly retched. It tasted like a hot dog but with a hint of some diseased flesh and blood. She spit out the food and threw everything at the vendor. He screamed when the coffee hit his face.

"You trying to kill me?! Poison me with this shit?! You think just because of who I am you can feed me this dog shit?!" The man was on his side, clutching his face and still screaming. People were starting to gather around and look. She could smell them - the stench of them. She'd had enough. Turning, she hailed the first cab she could find and gave him the address of her friend.

She just needed a hot shower and a change of clothes. Then she'd feel more human.

CHAPTER 6

Elijah rolled over in bed, his thickly muscled arm smacking hard against Cole's naked back. Cole growled in response, turning his head to look at Elijah. "I swear to god, if you're awake..." A loud snore was his response. Cole snorted. "Figures."

Sleep wouldn't come to him again, not with an hour before the alarm went off to wake them up. He sighed and sat up. Elijah's arm rolled off and lay across Cole's side of the bed. Elijah snorted before resuming his snore. Cole grinned at him and tousled his hair. "I don't know how you freakin' do it. A bomb could go off and you'd probably wonder where everyone was."

Cole stood, his massive 6'8" frame filling their small bedroom. He worked his shoulder and neck muscles in circles in the vain hopes the knots would come undone. He tried talking to Elijah about hogging the bed but it never worked. Elijah apologized and tried to do better but as soon as he was asleep it took everything Cole had to stay on the bed. It wouldn't be so bad if it was cuddling but the bastard was all elbows and knees when he was asleep.

He padded quietly to their shower and let it build up to a thick steam. He braced himself against the wall and let the scalding water run over his body. It was nearly punishing but so relaxing. He stood a long time turning this way and that until he could feel himself loosen up. He worked the shampoo through his dark brown hair as the water ran over the muscles of his back. He scrubbed soap through his thick chest hair and worked down to his crotch, cleaning his dick. It rose to impressive attention but he ignored it and worked down his legs, finishing with his toes. A few more minutes with the hot water and he was entirely clean. It took effort to turn off the water.

Finishing in the bathroom, he made his way to the kitchen and started breakfast. Scrambled eggs with ham. The timer on the coffee machine clicked on and started brewing. He wrinkled his nose in disgust. One day he planned on "accidentally" breaking that machine.

He smiled when he heard the sheets rustling in the bedroom. Elijah walked in and rubbed Cole's back. "Mornin'"

Cole turned to look at him. 6'3" with blond hair and blue eyes and built like an Olympic athlete. Women swooned over him and he's all mine, he thought. He glanced down. "I think you need to take a piss, Elijah."

Elijah's smile was lazy on his tired face. "Oh, that's not because of that." His hand moved down to Cole's stomach. "We still have time before work, you know."

Cole shrugged him off and laughed. "Get off me and go take a shower. You need to eat something and get ready. You know how slow you are in the morning."

Elijah laced his fingers and stretched all the way up on his toes, showing off his physique. "Who cares? There's time. Come back to bed. The food will still be here." He grabbed Cole's hand and pulled it to his own dick.

"And I say if you want that to still work tonight you need to get your ass into the shower get ready for work. You think this apartment's cheap?" Cole pulled him into an embrace with his other hand and kissed him, first on the lips and then with a quick bit of tongue. Too much and he would find his way back to the bed. Elijah rumbled deep in his throat before turning around.

Cole drank his orange juice while Elijah downed two cups of coffee and talked animatedly about his new clients. Elijah was a fitness instructor at a large gym downtown and loved all of the people he worked with. He was proud of every single one of their accomplishments.

"Krista lost 2 pounds so far this week. She whined about not having ice cream but I told her I'd give her a kiss if she lost weight. You should've seen the look on her face." He laughed loud and long.

Cole shook his head. "And you did, didn't you? Cheating on me already?"

"Hah. Whatever works. I told Linda I'd treat her to lunch tomorrow if she lost weight and she's trying hard enough. Some people just need a push." He smiled. "Or something other than a push."

"Speaking of lunch, are we still on for lunch today?" Cole asked.

"Of course. 1:30 should work fine. I just have three clients this morning. Sandy, Krista and John. They should all be pretty easy."

"Good." Cole glanced at his cell phone. "Hell, I have to head out before I miss the bus." He stood and Elijah stood with him. "Be good at work today, try not to miss your bus again and I'll see you for lunch." He kissed Elijah, longer this time, their tongues exploring each other. Cole pulled back and nipped Elijah on the neck. "See you later, love." Elijah just grinned back happily.

The morning went fairly quickly. Cole was working on the design for a new building downtown. He lost himself in the process - checking code for the proper parts and making sure everything fit where the client wanted it. Thankfully there was no rush so he got to enjoy the project. Having his drafting table near a large east-facing window helped as well. Although more often than not he wanted to stretch out in front of it and take a nap. He loved the California sun.

When lunch time rolled around he pushed back from his desk and rubbed his eyes. He rolled his shoulders and wondered for the millionth time how, with everything else, he could get muscle cramps.

"Hey, looking good, Cole. Still on track?"

Cole looked around. "Hey, boss. Yeah, maybe even a little early. I've got a few calls into the city to double-check some things but everything seems fine so far."

"Great. You headed off? Enjoy your lunch, okay?" His boss was an older gentleman. He seemed to revel in the "favorite grandfather" look - balding, gray fringe of hair, slightly rounded around the middle, rectangle glasses and a tweed jacket. The jacket even had elbow pads. And that calm smile. The good news is, it was genuine. He was honestly a good guy. And sharp for his age.

"Will do. See you later."

Elijah was late as usual but Cole enjoyed the time alone. He loved to people watch and had a soft spot for little kids. A little girl smiled shyly at him from her stroller and he smiled back. He made the napkin ring dance between his fingers and delighted in the way her eyes lit up.

He almost dropped the ring when Elijah came up behind him. Elijah just clapped his shoulder and sat down. "You'll make a great father some day."

Cole glanced back at the stroller. "Yeah. Some day. Let's eat, huh? Did Krista get her kiss?"

Lunch was slow and wonderful - both men sat out in the sun while others scooted their tables into the shade. Elijah had two tuna fish sandwiches while Cole contented himself with a large hamburger. Both asked for salads instead of fries.

They were enjoying their coffee (Elijah) and tea (Cole) when they both stopped in mid-conversation. Cole slowly turned his head and took in a big sniff. Elijah took a deep breath and gagged on it.

"What -?" Elijah started but Cole was already on his feet, a $20 bill on the table to pay for the food. "Hey wait..."

Cole was walking east. There was a smell in the air. Something rotten but familiar. His powerful legs carried him quickly down one street and then the other as he tried to find the source of the smell. Elijah followed behind and thankfully kept his questions to himself. Just as he was about to turn a corner the smell slammed into him and he held back.

"... fucking degenerate?!" His ears twitched. Two blocks away he could see an irate young Asian woman at the counter of a shoe store. He heard the cashier crying quietly. The Asian woman stormed out and Cole waited a minute before following discretely. She was the smell. She looked human but she smelled... wrong. She should be dead, he thought. But there was another smell beneath that. Small but there.

Elijah whispered to Cole. "Hey, she..."

Cole stopped him. "Yeah, I know. She smells like us."

CHAPTER 7

The taxi ride took forever and she swore the taxi driver was checking her out the entire time. She paid him but left no tip.

"I think you undressing me with your eyes was tip enough, pig." She told him as she got out. The man look bewildered but how else could he look, she thought? She caught him in the act.

Her friend's house was small but well kept and in a nice part of town. Her husband was often traveling for work and she stayed home to take care of things. No kids so all of their money went into retirement and toys. The black Mercedes sitting in the driveway was recently washed and flawless.

She heard Susan coming from a back room after she rang the doorbell. This hearing... she couldn't tell if she was imagining things or if she really could hear better. Susan was a little older than Elizabeth at 35 years old but she looked younger. She was all smiles and hugs but they seemed false to Elizabeth.

Don't bother making friends.

"Girl, don't they have a shower in that hotel? You smell like you just got off the plane." Susan stepped back and wrinkled her nose.

Elizabeth looked down at her feet. The one foot was still throbbing painfully. "Yeah, that's... that's one of the reasons why I'm visiting. Their hot water heater was broken. I was... I was hoping I could use your shower and maybe borrow a change of clothes? Mine, uh, mine are lost somewhere in Minnesota."

"Tsk. Those airlines. I never trust them. Come on in and use my shower. Take all the time you need. I'll look around my clothes for something older. When I was skinnier. I swear you never gain weight and here I am eating salads and bloating up. I'll show you where the bathroom is."

Elizabeth sat in the bath tub hugging her knees while the hot water soaked into her. She felt so cold. Eventually she scrubbed her body to get the dried blood off of her. It came off easier than she expected. When she got to her stomach she noticed clotted blood in her thick pubic hair. She thought about cleaning it off but grabbed Susan's razor instead. Carefully she shaved the hair off, piling it on the floor beside the tub as she did. She pulled her pussy lips to the side and took her time getting every little hair. When she was done she set the razor aside and looked at herself.

Her pussy filled her with shame. Single at 33 years old and still a virgin. She poked her breasts and leaned back to let the water drill into her nipples. They stiffened under the attention and she shook from the feeling. Her hand crept down to her wetness and placed a finger on her opening. She traced the finger up and down her lips, enjoying the feeling. Occasionally she'd dip the finger inside and jerk a little. Up and down, she moved her hand. She leaned back against the tub and put a finger all the way inside, letting the heel of her hand rest against her clit. She twisted her legs with the feeling of it. In and out, letting the pressure build slowly inside her. In and out.

Unclean.

Her hand stopped. Did she imagine that? What was that? She waited but heard nothing else. She started rubbing herself again but the feeling was gone and she wasn't into it. Unclean? What did that mean? Why did that make her scared?

Her foot had scabbed over and looked like it was doing better. She washed it gently and then turned the water off. Digging around in the cabinets she found a bunch of different bandages with antibacterial goop - the largest bandage covered the wound perfectly. She heard Susan coming again and a minute later her voice sounded through the door. "I found an old skirt and top that will fit you. I'll leave them by the door. And some panties, too. I hope you don't mind black. I don't have an extra bra, though. And I think my shoes still fit you?"

Yeah, sure you don't have a bra. Elizabeth thought. You mean you don't have any that will fit me because my tits are too small. Bitch.

She cracked open the door and picked up the clothes. They were too cute for her but she didn't care. At least they were something. The skirt was shorter than she liked and she ground her teeth at that but let it go. The shoes were flats that were a little loose but at least they didn't hurt her feet. Once out of the bathroom she asked if she could lay down for a while - she was exhausted from the stress of the day and wanted to catch some sleep. Susan agreed easily and told her she'd be out in the garden but that her house was Elizabeth's house while she was there.

Elizabeth was asleep in minutes. Her dreams were the same. The faceless man. The pain. Everything the same. She woke up with a shout. Outside the sun was setting and the clock near the bed told her it was just after 4:30 pm. She felt like she hadn't slept at all. She could hear Susan outside. It sounded like she was working with the garden shears. The metal on metal sound hurt her ears and made her teeth ache. But now Susan was done and coming back inside. Elizabeth waited until Susan cleaned herself up before stepping out of the room.

They passed pleasantries while Susan made a supper of baked tuna and asparagus. The smelled turned Elizabeth's stomach even though she hadn't eaten properly since the day before. The tuna smelled like it'd been sitting out in the sun.

They'd known each other for about 10 years - they'd met out of college after working at the same temp agency. Susan took it upon herself to befriend the quiet girl and dragged her along everywhere she went. They talked about all of the trips they'd had together and Susan gossiped about her husband and their friends. Elizabeth made the appropriate noises when she could.

When dinner was served, Elizabeth took her time trying the first bite. She was starving but the smell of rotten fish was overpowering. She saw Susan tuck into her own food and eventually tried a bite. She gagged but held it in. When Susan wasn't looking she spit out the piece into her napkin.

That fucking whore! She thought. I knew she was being too nice! She gave me the rotten piece on purpose and kept the better one!

"Oh, honey. You're barely eating anything. Are you feeling okay? Is it too salty?" Susan was trying to look concerned but Elizabeth could tell she was making fun of her.

"Gosh. I think the stress of the trip and losing my luggage is getting to me. I guess I'm not hungry. With my figure I don't have to eat that much." She smiled at Susan, showing her teeth.

"I... I guess that's true." Susan said. She looked down at her food and put her fork down, only half-way done with her tuna.

What's the matter, you fat bitch? Worried about your weight? I hope you choke on a fucking bone and die.

Susan brightened up again. "Speaking of food, remember our trip to the Philippines two months ago? Now that was some interesting cuisine. Especially that bar at the end. Who was it that ordered the appetizers? We didn't even know what we were ordering but we still..."

Susan's voice faded out as Elizabeth focused inward. Something about that tickled the back of her brain. That bar, she thought. Something about that bar. She felt herself break out in goose bumps. What was it?

Her revelry was suddenly broken by the phone ringing. Susan excused herself and answered it. "Hello? Oh, Janice. I've got... what's that? You need it now? But I'm... Oh, you have guests over? I guess it can't be helped then. I'll be over in a few minutes. Okay, you too. Bye."

Susan turned back to Elizabeth. "I'm so sorry, hun. I have to step out for a few moments. I borrowed Janice's video camera and she needs it back. I'll just be fifteen minutes or so. I'll be right back."

Elizabeth barely noticed her leaving. What the hell was it? The bar... something... not the bar but something... She stood from the table and paced the kitchen. There were four of them there and Susan took her along because she thought she would have fun if she were out with her friends. They were drunk and loud. Elizabeth was complaining about her work and dealing with the men there while the other women were complaining about the men in their lives. But... what? Nothing happened. They went back to their hotel rooms and then left the next day. So what was bothering her?

She stopped at the kitchen sink and leaned against it, thinking furiously.

"Diseased." Came a voice at her shoulder. She spun wildly, yelling out. Nobody was there.

"Unclean." She turned again. "Who's there?!" She yelled. A rasping noise floated in the air and she trembled. Slowly, she raised her eyes to the window above the sink.

Oh, god. She thought. The moon. It's burning my eyes. I can't... I can't...

"Outcast." The voice whispered to her.

She sunk to her knees, covering her face. Tears rolled down her cheeks. Her stomach cramped as if her period was coming on. That can't be, she thought. I haven't had my period since that trip. The cramping made her curl into a ball.