Crimson Gods Pt. 01

As Mom finished up the pancakes, Tara and Steph joined us at the table. "I miss coffee everyday" said Steph as she took a drink of her coffee and let out a satisfied sigh.

Steph was the eldest, two years older than me, and had been working towards an engineering degree when the world ended. She wore plain black glasses that seemed to accent the fact that she was easily the smartest person I knew. She had graduated high school early and enrolled at Stanford on a full academic scholarship. She was well on her way to taking over the world before it all went bad. She was 5'6, had long chestnut hair that she always kept in a messy bun. Like all of us she had a tight, toned body with a flat stomach and soft natural C cup breasts. The glasses she always wore almost seemed to frame her beautiful face and full lips. Her hazel eyes always seemed to have a glint of inspiration behind them.

"So what's the plan for today bro?" asked Tara after taking a drink of her coffee.

Tara was a year and some younger than me, nearest to my age and we have always been close. She shared Lilly's bright platinum hair with hazel-green eyes but was taller at 5'8. While all three of my sisters were gorgeous, they would all have the same answer if asked who was the prettiest: Tara. Her face was perfectly symmetrical and absolutely stunning, with flawless pale skin, delicate curves and full seductive lips. Her body seemed to have been designed in a lab, with impossibly perky D or DD breasts, a tight firm stomach and legs that seemed inhumanly long, ending at her perky firm ass. I had been teased by most of my friends in high school about having such a hot sister and secretly I had to agree.

"I'm going to try and finish the lookout tower to get a better idea where to go for my next expedition I think" I replied as Mom joined us with breakfast.

Everyone dug in greedily as Mom gave me a frown. "Do you really need to go out exploring again sweetie? I can't sleep I am so worried about you when you leave," she said with a look of concern on her face.

"I really think it would be best if we could map the whole valley, Mom," I replied through a mouth full of pancakes. "I haven't even seen what's in the northern section and I don't like the idea there could be a path through the mountains we don't know about." She sighed but let it go. She knew I was right. The last radio messages we had heard over a month ago described the world as a savage dog-eat-dog world with people looting and stealing everything they could. "Don't worry, I will only be gone three days, four max and I will be careful" I promised.

"I know you will, and I trust you sweetie" she said as she seemed to ponder something. "I think you should take one of your sisters with you for this trip." She said throwing me off balance. "I want someone with you to watch your back, and it would be good for one of them to be able to help on your expeditions in the future."

I thought about this for a minute and had to admit it made sense. Thus far, I was the only one who went out further than a single day walk from home to hunt and scout the landscape and it would be smart to have a backup if I couldn't go. "I suppose that makes sense" I replied, "Who wants to come?"

Both Tara and Lilly responded at the same time "I'll go!" A brief argument ensued, both women making their case before Mom stepped in to end it "Tara should go, I need you here to help with the births coming any day now Lilly."

Mom was a physician's assistant in previously, meaning she took care of all the health needs of us and the animals, and had begun to train Lilly to help recently. Lilly protested some more, but I could see her resistance fading. She knew that my mom had a point and Lilly seemed to have a natural touch with the animals. "Looks like it's you and me Danny" Tara said brightly "when do you want to leave?"

"Assuming I can get the tower finished today, early tomorrow morning would be best" I responded.

"Sounds good, I can come help with the tower today after I water the crops." She said excitedly.

With Tara's help I was able to finish the tower, which had fallen over during the earthquakes. From the top I saw what looked like an opening in the valley and possibly a lake to the north. The landscape had almost completely changed due to the earthquakes and storms that raged during the collision, so all the maps we had previously were almost useless. The lake I thought I saw was supposed to be out of sight to the north according to the old maps, but it looks like it grew bigger since. I excitedly showed Tara where we are going through the looking glass Steph had put together, and she seemed as eager as I was to set off. That evening we had a nice quiet night with a dinner of smoked ham and potatoes, my favorite, and mom even made some oatmeal raisin cookies for my birthday. Tara and I talked about our upcoming expedition, telling the others there might be a lake to the north. We guessed that it would take a day and a half to get to the lake, so we budgeted four days before we hit the worry point. When I left on expeditions like this, I always set a worry point or day where if I wasn't back yet something had happened. This was a compromise I made with Mom after I spent two weeks scouting the river to the south looking for Dad when we first got here. After dinner we played a board game before shuffling off to bed. "Make sure to take a shower before we leave" I told Tara as we moved to our separate rooms, "We will be roughing it for the next four days and probably get pretty stinky by the time we finish."

"Will do Dan the man, I would hate to offend your delicate sensibilities." She responded with mock sincerity before moving to her room.

The next morning before the sun came up, I stumbled into the kitchen to find Tara and Mom chatting and eating some breakfast. Tara seemed excited and Mom nervous. After scarfing down some oatmeal, we check our gear one more time and pulled on our boots to leave. Mom came and gave us a hug and kiss and pressed a small thermos into my hands saying "Happy Birthday, be safe" before we took off.

-

As she watched her two children disappear into the forest, Molly had to suppress the urge to run after them and stop them from going. Watching Danny leave was never easy, but this trip, that seemed destined to take him beyond the barrier, was especially tough. John's words echoed in her head as she stopped herself from chasing them again, this time actually making it as far as the front door. "He will need to leave the boundary sooner or later, Molly, and it must be his choice when. Our job is to help prepare him and ground him in our world as best we can, but when he is ready, we must stand aside." Molly still remembered the day, 22 years ago that John had come home from work with Danny. He looked so helpless, and innocent wrapped up in a blanket with those piercing dark blue eyes seeming to see things others could not. The way he had snuggled into her arms and fell asleep as John explained everything, was all the sign she needed. From that day on, Danny was her son, in every way, and she would die to defend him if necessary.

-

The sun was just starting to peak over the horizon and cut some of the chill of night as I pulled out the compass and map I had been working on for over a year. I showed Tara some of the landmarks I used to navigate, and how to use the compass and map together to keep us on the right path. I felt myself getting choked up as the memory of my dad showing me how to do this came flooding back. Tara waited patiently, somehow understanding what I was going through without having to ask. She soaked in everything I showed her, eager to learn. "Why don't I take the lead for now and we can switch at noon, so you get some practice navigating" I suggested, and she agreed.

The area of our outpost was wild and undeveloped even before the world had ended, meaning there were no set hiking trails. Instead, we followed game trails and the natural landscape, checking on the compass and map frequently to make sure we are going in the right direction. I had a large expedition pack which had most of the heavy or bulky gear we would need, like tent, sleeping bag and camp stove. Tara had tried to fight for more weight, but I was bigger and more used to the weight. Her pack was a smaller day pack with water bottles hanging from the sides and a sleeping pad tied to the back. She also carried a crossbow with three arrows strapped in and one loaded, that I used for hunting. I carried a machete I used to clear brush in the path and had a handgun strapped to my hip. We didn't have a huge collection of weapons, but like I said Dad wanted us prepared so we all knew how to shoot. The gun was just a precaution, not really used for hunting and we didn't have an infinite supply of bullets.

The cool night air quickly faded in the growing sun. Within an hour we found ourselves shedding layers of jackets and extra pants as the sweat began to pour down our bodies. As we walked, I made frequent stops to help teach Tara some of the basics of wilderness survival. I showed her several plants and berries I knew were safe to eat as well as how to spot game trails and what kind of traps to set for different animals. Usually, hiking out here in the woods alone was a reflective, solitary experience for me, a place that I could go to clear my mind and feel closer with Dad. I expected to feel disappointed or at least awkward sharing this intimate area with Tara, but I didn't. Instead, she took everything I taught her seriously, and seemed to recognize that these skills could mean the difference between life and death if she got caught in a bad situation. I found that not only was being here with her not a detractor, but actually made the experience more enjoyable.

When the sun reached its peak, we stopped for lunch eating a meal of trail mix, cheese, and some bread. I discovered to my delight that the thermos Mom had given me was full of piping hot coffee. We both agreed that it would still be plenty hot the next morning and stowed it as Tara got ready to take the lead. I went over the basics of navigation one more time, indicating where we were on the map and pointing out where we trying to reach before sundown before handing her the machete and taking the crossbow.

Following someone else in the woods was a new experience for me, but Tara had taken my directions to heart and confidently lead us further into the wilderness. Apart from being in terrific shape, Tara was sharp as a whip and picked up on navigation in no time. As we walked along, I couldn't help but be drawn to her fantastic ass. Due to the sweltering heat, she was wearing just tight workout shorts, long hiking socks, boots and a sturdy sports bra. Her ass jiggled enticingly as she walked and swung the machete. I soon found myself flushed in a way that had nothing to do with the sun. I could feel my dick starting to swell in my shorts and knew that I would be sprouting an obvious tent if this kept up. Occasionally, Tara would stop to ask me about various notations I had made on the map or to verify the landmarks as we reached them. I am pretty sure she caught on to my situation as she started to add brief glances and playful smiles at me as we went. I chastised myself for my thoughts, this was my sister for god's sake, but naughty thoughts kept filling my head.

We eventually reached a small clearing in the trees lined with three distinctive looking rocks shaped like arrowheads. I caught myself staring at my sister's ass as she pulled out the map. "Earth to Dan" she said over her shoulder, and I realized I hadn't heard a word she was saying.

"Shit sorry, what were you saying?" I said feeling my cheeks flush with embarrassment.

She turned around with a wicked grin on her face and said "I said this is the first campsite, right? Dan, Danny, Brother, are you listening or staring at my ass more." She giggled as I squirmed before I responded.

"Sorry, yeah this is the right spot."

I stared at my feet and felt my cheeks heat up as she responded "Psh.. don't worry, it's not like I wasn't enjoying the view earlier too." Before pulling off her pack and starting to set up camp. It took a minute for what she said to register and when it did, I felt an all too familiar swelling in my shorts. Eager to get my mind off it, I busied myself helping to set up camp.

I never lit fires on my expeditions if I could help it, they were too easily spotted by anyone or anything we would rather avoid. Instead, I used a small camp stove to heat up water and relied on my sleeping bag and gear to keep warm. After setting up the stove and setting the water to boil, I helped Tara finish putting up the tent. After the water boiled, we made a meal of some leftover ham, potatoes and mint tea Lilly had found near our house. The sun set as we ate and chatted, talking about things we missed and speculating about the state of the world. When the sun had well and truly set, I laid out a camp towel for us to sit and watch the stars. Tara and I had always been close, a sort of combination of best friends and siblings, and I always enjoyed spending time with her. As we laid there looking at the stars, I pointed out a few that were useful in navigation at night. I noticed she had an unreadable expression on her face as I talked and caught her looking at me rather than the sky as I turned to her. As good as this moment felt eventually fatigue and the dropping temperatures caught up with us and I suggested we get to bed.

Tara went into the tent to set up the bedding as I packed up and stored our gear the night. After everything was put away and stored, I made my way to the tent and pulled back the flap. I was surprised to see that Tara had laid out our two sleeping bags open on top of each other. I crooked my eyebrow and gave her a questioning look.

"What? Pretty sure you have never tried to fit two people in this tent before, but there is no way we can comfortably lay them side by side" Tara said in a matter-of-fact tone.

She was right, of course. This would be my first time spending a night in this tent with someone else, and it did look like it would be a relatively tight fit, but I was still thrown off by the arrangement.

"That's fair..." I said uneasily, "But you do realize we are going to be practically cuddling with the bags laid out like this right?"

Tara had been watching my reaction with a somewhat nervous and maybe eager expression on her face. "I do realize that Dan, I'm not an idiot, but if you have a better way to keep warm and fit in the tent, I'm all ears" she said in a playful mocking tone.

"I guess you're right" I respond with a sheepish grin. I could feel my cheeks growing red as the awkward tension filled the tent.

"Well?" she said arms crossed under the sleeping bag, "Are you just going to stand there in deep contemplation, or do you think you could close the tent flap? My tits are going to freeze off here."

At this comment, I felt all of the tension instantly evaporate, and I burst out laughing. One of the things I loved about Tara was she always seemed to know what to say to instantly make any situation more relaxed. She was easy going and easy to talk to, and just had this way that made people feel comfortable around her. Still chuckling, I turned around and scooted myself back into the tent. I kicked my boots off in the rain fly and zipped up the flap.

As I moved to get under the covers Tara exclaimed in a mock haughty voice "Daniel! Take off those sweaty, dirty clothes before you even think about touching my nice clean sheets!" She laughed at her own wit before adding in a much more reasonable tone "But seriously, we are going to be dirty enough as it is by the time we get back, I would like to at least feel semi-clean at night."

Laughing I shrugged and said "Why not" before pulling off my shirt, shorts, and socks. I then clicked off the flashlight and shuffled under the covers.

Even though it was pitch black in the tent, I knew my cheeks must be showing rosy red again as I lay there awkwardly on my back. I could feel Tara's arm pressed against me, and the feeling of her soft skin against mine was sending waives of stimulation through my body. Tara once again came to my rescue by turning to her side and scooting her butt up to mine, "Come on Dan, big spoon me, I'm freezing over here."

As I did what I was told and turned over she grabbed my hand and pulled it across her stomach. She then scooted her body back against mine and hugged herself with my hand, "That's better" she said with a satisfied sigh. As she pressed her butt up against me, I noticed that she was most definitely not wearing pants. I couldn't tell through my boxers, but it also felt like she wasn't wearing panties. All she had on as far as I could tell, was one of my old shirts she used as a night shirt. The sudden realization that I was wearing only a ratty old pair of underwear, pressed up against my absolutely stunning sister who was also practically naked had a predictable effect on me. I could feel my erection growing and knew it would be nearly impossible for Tara to miss.

"Ummmm" I stammered before Tara moved her butt around a little and giggled.

"Looks like someone is excited!" Embarrassed, I started to pull away before she grabbed me firmly saying "Don't you dare. It's not a big deal, totally natural, plus I take it as a compliment." As she said this, she pulled my other arm under her head and continued to hug herself with the other one.

"If you're sure" I stammered softly.

After more than a year in isolation, combined with the fact that a lot of our clothes had been in the truck dad was driving, our supply of clothes was fairly limited and much of it had been patched back together multiple times. As a result of this, most of my underwear was patched together with various materials including the pair I was currently wearing. The patch on the front of these particular pair was made out of the material from an old pair of jeans, which was perfectly fine for everyday use however when pulled tight across my erection like it was now, eventually became quite painful. After groaning and shifting uncomfortably for a second, I muttered nervously "Tara, I think I need to turn over."

"What? Why?" She responded.

"Well... um with my... situation" I stammered, feeling like I would die of embarrassment, "Well it's rubbing against my jorts.... and it kinda hurts."

Jorts was our name for our denim patched underwear of which we all had a few pairs.

"Well then just take them off," she responded in a matter-of-fact tone.

"But then I would be naked!" I burst out.

"So?" she replied.

"So, it wouldn't be right to lay naked next to my sister!"

"It's your choice Dan, but I don't plan on freezing so you are going to stay right there, underwear or not."

Maybe it was the lecturing tone in which she said it, or maybe some part of me really wanted to listen, but I quickly found myself pulling down my boxers and throwing them in the corner. Tara let out an amused giggle as I moved myself back into position behind her.

"What is so funny?" I asked in an exasperated voice.

"You Danny, you are so funny. Here we are, at the end of the world, monsters roaming the lands, people dying by the thousands, on an expedition into the unknown, and the only time you've gotten nervous is taking off your underwear." I couldn't help but chuckle when she laid it out like that.

"Sorry if having my bare cock pressed against my sister's ass feels a little awkward," I responded in a sarcastic tone.

"Don't get all moody and overthink everything Dan," she said in a whimsical tone. "So what? You got a boner, big deal. I already said it's totally natural and a compliment if anything." As she said this, she wiggled her butt back against my now fully erect cock, forcing it in between her ass cheeks. "Plus, you feel nice cuddled up against me, and I love you."