A Long Way From Home - 8. Chapter 8 SHEBA

I woke up in the middle of the night to pee. So, I thought it was a wise idea to put more wood in the fire after I had used the bathroom. The firelight flickered over Dustin with the cover only on one leg. What caught my attention was his flaccid man meat laying off to one side fully exposed. Either he hadn’t put it away earlier or it found its own way out of his pajamas. I crawled slowly up so I was right over it. I did the first thing that I know I crave. I inhaled that area of him, his natural man scent. It’s like his scent can actually create electric impulses in me. And, of course, it goes straight to my dick. I brought my lips to the tip and let my tongue touch the slit. I let it go up and down tasting that scent that drives me crazy. Two seconds after I took the whole thing in my mouth, I got my first indication that I was doing something good. It definitely is swelling and now I want to do to him what he did to me. I had put in my best effort to force it into my throat, beyond my tonsils and passed my uvula. I plunged, again and again. The faster I did it the slick everything was getting from my saliva and his definite precum. Using that slick mixture, I have one hand working my cock into a frenzy, and the other hand holding his balls as they pull up tight. The moment that first blast hit the back of my throat I started shooting off myself. But, I couldn’t swallow the necer ending volume, I couldn’t help but pull off as another shot blast across my face. Once I swallowed what was in my mouth, I got back on it to pull out the rest.

I looked up at Dustin’s face, I wasn’t sure if he had woke up for any of it or not. But, either way I was ready for more sleep. Now, as I drift away, I can smell and taste him in my mouth. I slept deep and hard. Well, at least I woke up that way,

I had been pressing my dick into his ass like it was trying to break through the layers separating it. So, I helped. I wasn’t going to do anything other than feeling the heat of his flesh on mine. I got my shaft in the crack of his ass and slid up and down the entire length. With so much precum oozing out, it felt like just this could make me cum. I am entirely pressed against him, top to bottom, and getting closer to cumming by the second. Dustin joined the excitement by masturbating at a record pace.

We stopped all movement when we realized I had just slid inside. I didn’t pull out and he didn’t stop me. In fact he started pulling on my cock with his asshole. A whole new level of energy had begun, although it was about to be short lived because I was too excited. I was grateful to realize Dustin got off at the same time. We laid there for a while in euphoric bliss. But, Dustin got up with some urgency and I suddenly felt bad.

I went to the other store room and got coffee to start our day. The sun was just coming up and it looks like a clear day. We need more boiled water, so I got the big pot and saw Dustin go to our room. With water from the faucet I watched till it bubbled into a boil. I found a kitchen strainer I put the grounds into, and slowly poured the hot water through it. Gradually it filled the coffee pot underneath. Two cups in my hand, I passed Dustin a cup, he looked so pleased. I thought I would be nice, “Good morning, I am going to get cleaned up, unless you want to go first.”

“Thanks, you’re awesome. I got cleaned up already, I might need to do it again later, but I am good for now.”

“Cool, I won’t be long.” I knew I would be getting sweaty, it was already humid even though the sun had just come up.

When I stepped out to the main store area Dustin was leaning on one of the shelves. I was struck by how incredibly good looking this dude is. I could feel that I would have a difficult time resisting him if he showed any desire for a real relationship. I’ve failed so miserably, so far, in love. I had been determined not to fall for another man. Too many additional complications between male personality issues and society issues. I’ve been trying to commit to the idea of putting all of this kind of thing to the past.

“I set some spring traps earlier along the tree line. I want to make a few dead falls around this area. But, let’s grab the packs and spears, oh look what Bob had in his glove compartment, it’s a 9 millimeter glock. Do you know how to shoot?” Pretty or not, Dustin definitely comes across as a city boy.

“No, I hope you do though, I admit I would feel safer if we had one. I used to be pretty good at bow and arrows, if you find one of those.” He chuckled like it was a fat chance.

“Well, do you mean something like this?” I pulled out a pretty intense hunters bow with a quiver full of aluminum arrows. “Bob must have been a deer hunter by the looks of it.”

“Wow, I never met him, but I like this guy.” I actually was impressed with Dustin’s accuracy after he took a couple shots. “This is great.”

We loaded up and headed south towards the freeway. Aside from mud, branches, and some lumber debris, the road was easy to trek. Dustin pointed out how close the water had come to our sanctuary. Submerged under the ocean of water covering the freeway ramps was shimmer of a car. Just under the surface was all that could be seen. Same with the off ramp from the east, except a semi tractor trailer was partially exposed above the surface. The freeway bridge over our road became engulfed slightly more than half way across. The scene beyond was chilling. Peaks of roofs scattered the surface as far as the eye could see. Many were mere fragments of structures that are memories of what they once were. We were up quite higher than the freeway itself, it was murky and difficult to judge the bottom as we tried to follow its path. Dustin pointed at a car that looked like it was bobbing ass end up. We made a prayer for anyone who died on this road. It easily could have been us.

“Daniel, there’s no way for us to get out this way. It looks like the water goes along the freeway and then goes back on each side of us. The water may have formed a peninsula, or worse, maybe even an island.” We both suddenly had a fearful wide eye expression.

“Well, let’s go back the other way. Maybe we can get rescued, or at least find things we can use.” Silently I prayed for the rescue.

The smell of the foliage was strong, like when you mow the grass or cut down a tree. In this case it was a thousand trees cut down at once. We had to move carefully through the piles of shattered buildings and cars. We also needed to be careful not to get bitten by snakes or other animals as we go around and over these things.

“Dustin, I want to try to get up to the second or third floor of that apartment building. Maybe we can see further out.” He agreed with my suggestion.

The amount of ruble around the structure made it reasonably easy to have Dustin just boost me up to the second floor. After, I then gave him a hand up, before finding a staircase in shockingly good condition, we could have used. From the exposed opening of a severely damaged apartment, we could see that we were definitely in a patch of land that had become an island. More islands could be seen much further in the distance, but we haven’t seen any signs of human life. There’s a few islands we saw dogs digging through the rubble. On one of the distant islands, through the broken trees, we could see a horse grazing on some grass.

“Daniel, I knew it wasn’t going to be good, but I didn’t think it could be this bad. How long do you think it will be before someone saves us?” I became aware of just how scared Dustin had become, almost like a child begging for hope.

“It doesn’t look good right now, does it? I think we could be here a while.” We started moving out into the hallway, but we stopped to pick up some cans of vegetables and fruit. Dustin picked up one of those empty big bottles for water that you turn upside down on a dispenser. “Great idea, hey I think that thing, over there, is the base your supposed to put it on. The legs look broken, but maybe we can either use it without the legs or maybe fix’em.”

Dustin lead the way down a staircase that was blocked from exiting to the front of the building, but the path out of the back proved to be reasonable. All along, we spotted bodies of people who didn’t survive. One of those sticking out from under a tree, was Poly. I just couldn’t hold back my tears as I pictured them being sucked out of the gas station. Dustin set his things down to hold me as I cried, for them, for us, for everyone else who had died and all of the others who suffered as we were. It was as if all of my fears and sorrows were being pulled from me at that moment. I heard Dustin let out a sob as well, which I seemed to switch to protector at that very moment. “Hey, I’m alright, we’re alright. We will get through this, I promise you.”

Dustin pulled back and wiped his eyes on his shoulders. “I’m good too, we should head back, I don’t want to find our way back in the dark.” I thought that was a good point.

We moved rock and rubble to bury Poly. With that, we prayed for Poly, and headed back ‘home’. About half way back, beside the remnants of what was a home, sat a rather large German Shepherd. He obviously watched us intently, definitively frightening at first. But, I pointed out to Dustin that it was watching over his lifeless human friend. Dustin seemed to read my mind all of a sudden. “You don’t know if that dog is friendly, and after what he’s been through, I wouldn’t blame him for biting someone.” Dustin was not happy with the idea of helping a stray.

“Yeah, maybe, but I am still going to come back with something to feed it.” I figured it was the least I could do.

“I figured as much.” He was gaining the ability to read my mind.

I kept noticing how Dustin would bump into me, when he clearly could have avoided it. Or, how he found reasons to touch me, like using my shoulder for support, or making sure I am balanced enough by putting his hand on my back. I actually had to tell my friend back home to cut it out, however, I liked when Steve would do it, and it doesn’t seem to bother me when Dustin does it. I actually try to predict when or how he’ll do it next. Very interesting to consider what the differences are. Like, maybe I am older and care less what other people might think. It could be that we are lonely and horny so we are taking advantage of what’s available, like prison sex. At this point I have no idea what to feel about it, I just want to make it alive, one day at a time.

As we reached our shelter, I sat my scores down to free my hands looking under the deadfall traps and in the spring traps. I found, a squirrel, a rat, and a large bird that was caught in one of the spring traps. I wasn’t very familiar enough with birds to know for certain what it was, but I am guessing it to have been a Crane, Flamingo, or some other long leg and long neck bird. Dustin looked over our bounty and agreed we’d eat the bird, make a squirrel soup and cook the rat for the dog. He isn’t completely on board with my desire to help it, but he seemed to know that it isn’t his place to tell me what I can or cannot do.

Dustin took charge of cooking for us, and I worked on setting more traps, with some for protection. I had to explain to Dustin how they work so he wouldn’t get caught in one. I had previously started making X type spikes placed around the perimeter. On the tops and behind them I put every thorny plant I could find. This made a wall around 6’ tall. If something or someone got passed that, I strung a series of trip wires the first set designed to make a loud ruckus, but if they didn’t get the hint, everything after that was designed to hurt or even kill them.

As soon as I got on the bed I passed out. I don’t even know when Dustin came to bed, could have been a minute after I laid down, or maybe the minute before I woke up. All I know is I was on my back and he was cuddled up on me snoring away. I continued to lie there for another few minutes feeling his warmth. But, nature was calling me enough to slither out from Dustin’s hold. The sun had just arrived over our area. ‘Day four or five, not one other live person, not even a fly over. It’s hard to believe we haven’t been rescued yet.’

As I started fidgeting around, I realized I wasn’t in the mood for chit chatting. After Dustin got up, It seemed like he wasn’t either. We moved about washing up and making coffee, probably won’t be having much more of that unless we find more somewhere. “Hey Dustin, I want to take the rat to the dog. Can you just stand guard? I want to give it some water too.”

“Yeah sure, just let me know when you’re ready.”He seemed occupied with organizing things.

I nodded and went about gathering what I wanted to take. My nerves were really starting to rattle. I wasn’t sure what the dog might do, it looks strong and if it decided to attack, I’d be a goner. However, trying to give it food is the right thing to do. The walk to the place we saw the dog was uneventful, the only thing is that there were some pretty dark clouds in the distance. That only adds pressure to hurry this along. After turning a corner we could see it still sitting there. It was easy to see the dog’s health was weakening. It definitely looked at me as I approached, but it didn’t seem to have any energy left to fight about it. About 8 feet away I put the rat meat on a plate and water in a bowl. I backed away about 3 feet and sat on a rock. After just looking at me for about 5 minutes I saw it’s legs starting to twitch as it sniffed the air. Looking defeated it got up and moved to the food. It is a Her. I could see her collar and hoped I might find her name on it. After she finished the meat and drank some water, she just looked like she was trying to figure me out. I stayed sitting and put my right hand out like I would shake someone’s hand. Slowly she came to me to get pet. Her name was Sheba, and so I kept telling her what a good girl she was. I stayed like that for about 15 minutes or so before I stood up.

I wanted to see what she wanted to do, so I walked towards Dustin who stood about 10 yards away. After she took a few steps with me she stopped to look at her old friend. I could see the anguish in the way she turned. But, it was clearly a goodbye, because she turned to catch up with me. I was already standing by Dustin when she came up beside me. “Dustin, I want you to meet Sheba, I think she’s going to be coming back with us, if it’s alright with you.”

Dustin reached out and rubbed the side of her face. Then he squatted down to her level, “If you want to come with us, I would like your company.” I actually got choked up when she licked his face without any hesitation. “Daniel, why don’t you start walking slowly towards the station, I will bury him in rocks and bricks with a cross like Bob and Polly.”

I gave him my sweetest smile, “Come on Sheba, Dustin will take good care of your friend.” Slowly, Sheba and I turned the corner.

Sheba is very weak, so I had stopped here and there, to give her water and rest. I constantly tried to judge when the rain would reach us. I am not going to lie, I was afraid of the rain, afraid that it could be another hurricane. But, having Sheba and Dustin with me really helped. Dustin came up just as we got up to continue our journey. He just nodded and scratched Sheba’s ears. We quietly walked the rest of the way and while I went about giving Sheba food, Dustin went to the traps, I was thrilled to see a rabbit and a hen in his hands. “They were both in snares, but you’ll have to show me again how to reset them.”

“That’s a great catch. I will help you clean them as soon as I make sure Sheba is comfortable, she needs to get some rest, so I will make her a bed near ours.” My focus was on caring for that poor girl who’d already been through so much.

“Take your time, I am going to work on setting up a place for cleaning these. I think I can do something behind Bobs camper.”

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“How’s Sheba?” Dustin was in a fortified area behind the camper, he had an ingenuity that seemed very detailed.

“I made a bed with one of the cushions from Bob’s couch in the camper and an old blanket. She was so ready that she fell asleep as soon as she laid down. But, before we go to bed, I need to give that bitch a bath. Man, she stinks.”

“Yes Daniel, she does smell bad. I didn’t want to say anything, but now that you mention it. I don’t mind helping you with that.” He gave me a great smile and we set about cleaning the bounty.

Sheba seemed like a whole new dog after her bath. She obviously feels better to be clean. She even grabbed a stick encouraging us to play with her. I actually felt like all the crap we’ve gone through had gone away. I continued to occupy her as Dustin cooked the food.