The world had gone to shit in the span of about a week. You could watch the bombs being dropped from your bedroom window. I could still feel the vibrations from the blasts shaking my bones. There were so many reports that nobody really knew what caused it. The TV and radio stations then went dark. Everyone was left clueless. Law and order couldn’t be maintained. The riots, looting and all the other unmentionable things that happened were worse than any bomb. 

Awakened by the rumbling of engines, I flashed my eyes wide open and peeked out of the shattered window. Down the street there were headlights. Lunatics were firing off gunshots, blaring music and hollering obscenities. I tucked myself back into the room and they flew by, drunk off their own newly found power. Taking a deep breath to calm myself down, I checked outside again. They were gone.   

I could relax my shoulders back down. I took a swig from the crumbled bottle of water. It was hard not to grimace at how warm it was. There was quiet again, for now. The night sky was awash with stars, something you’d have never been able to see in L.A when all the lights were on.  

Natalie stirred in her sleeping bag. She groaned gently and then turned over to face me. She was still asleep. I swear she could sleep through anything, even the end of the world. I’d flown over to spend some time with “Auntie Natalie Dormer” after failing terribly at university. Staying over had all the time been such an adventure. The wealth and power she had obtained were inspiring. It had all the time seemed that my best ideas came about every time we came to visit. Her hard work and dedication would rub off on me and I’d return home reinvigorated. Of course, there was no going home this time.  

The fancy boulevards had been the first to be targeted by the amassing rioters. We had gotten out before the mobs got to her place and stayed low in the mostly abandoned suburbs. There was no goal or destination. At the moment, we were just surviving.  

—————————————————————————————— 

As the sun crested over the L. A skyline, we both rose after differing amounts of sleep. Nat was pleasantly rested. She stretched as she sat up and was energised for the day. I, on the other hand, was sluggish and irritable.  

Checking through our packs, we found that both food and water were getting low. That became our priority. We had come into this house late at night, so giving it the once over before we left seemed like a good idea. I headed downstairs and went straight to the kitchen, rifling through the cupboards. Honestly, I had no idea what to take and leave. Natalie had mentioned tinned stuff would last longer, so I scooped up a couple of cans and set them apart on the central island.  

As my search continued, Natalie, still upstairs, screamed. Without hesitation, I charged back through the house, up the stairs and started to shout her name as I checked the rooms I passed. Eventually, at the bathroom, I found Natalie overjoyed to discover the shower still working.  

“Jesus,” I said, a little out of breath.  

“Aww, look at you, coming to my rescue.” She joked, ruffling my hair.  

The steam from the hot water started to rise from the bathtub. Natalie began unbuttoning her top shirt button, stopping to look back over her shoulder at me.  

“Go on then, shoo! Can’t waste this.” 

I was pushed back out of the bathroom. Natalie closed the door, but the latch didn’t catch so it swung back open, leaving a sliver to peer through. I’d tried to keep my eyes off her. It was easy in the beginning, but as we spent more time in such close, constant proximity, it was inevitable that we would see one another without our clothes on. After the first incident where I caught Nat changing, it’d been increasingly more difficult as the weeks went by not to steal the odd glance or, as I was now doing, watch her get undressed.  

She slipped the shirt down from her shoulders and let it fall onto the floor. Her dainty fingers unclasped the plain black bra that fell too. With her back facing me, I didn’t even get a hint of her breasts. After the boots and socks came the cargo trousers. Once unbuckled they fell instantly, and I was greeted with the familiar sight of her pert, shapely ass and long, toned legs. With the heat rushing to my crotch, I eagerly watched as she slipped off a similarly plain, black thong. Partially turning to get in the shower, I never got to see her sex. This was torture. In the haze of my lust, I bumped up against the wall and a picture shook itself free from the nail holding it up. I’d never moved so fast, ducking back into the room we had slept in and made myself look busy. I heard Natalie step towards the door before closing it. Did she know I was looking?  

I’d had the pleasure of showering in cold water. I suppose that’s my punishment for looking in on Natalie as she got undressed. Perhaps she knew and that was her way of punishing me. She spoke nothing of it as we headed out into the street and started to make our way to nowhere in particular. A cool breeze swept through the suburbs and was a welcome break from the rising heat of the sun. With my head constantly on a swivel, I was fighting against the tiredness to keep up with Nat who had put herself ahead of me. She stood at a crossroads, looking in each direction as she waited for me to catch up.  

I saw them before she did. Straight ahead and behind her. The same trucks and cars from last night. I broke into a sprint, my instincts kicking before I could even think. I dropped my pack off my shoulders to lose the extra weight. The whole world around me seemed to slow down. Nat started to turn around, seeing the fear on my face. They had put their pedals down, speeding towards the two of us. Rapidly catching up to Nat, I pumped my arms and legs as hard as I could and focused only on her. Within seconds, I was within reach but so were they. I took hold of her arm, pulled her in close and dived off to the right.  

We landed on the footpath, my body breaking her fall. She opened her eyes, those brilliant blue gems staring into mine. Her golden blonde hair fell to one side and the light caught the opposite side of her face, accentuating all her sharp, defining features. I saw the beauty up close. Our lips were inches aside. All that lust rushed back and was quashed in an instant by a stabbing pain in my chest.  

“Are you okay?” Natalie asked, climbing off me.  

I wheezed, pain shooting through me again as I rushed to my feet. Something wasn’t right. No time to stop and the rest. The cars that flew by were turning around.  

“We need to go.” I panted, taking Natalie’s hand and pulling her away from the sidewalk into someone’s garden.  

Flying down the side of the house and into the back yard, we made a beeline for the fence as the cars rumbled on the drive and the men at the wheel started to come searching for us. I gave Nat a foot up and she got over with ease. I struggled, heaving myself up and over, clenching my jaw through the pain. Because I’d taken so long, one of the degenerates that tried to run us down caught a glimpse of me, screaming to his friends our position.  

We burst into the next house through the back door. Natalie ran for the stairs whilst I grabbed a knife from the chopping block. I waited behind the inward swinging door. The guy that spotted us was close behind. Once I saw his feet break through the threshold into the house, I reeled myself around and stuck the knife in his chest. I watched the adrenaline dissipate and shock kick in. He gasped, looking down and then back up at me. I pushed him backward, keeping a hold of the knife. His friends wouldn’t be far behind. I scrambled through the house, wiped the blood from my hand on the door and threw the knife out into the street. Hopefully, they were stupid enough to take the bait.  

Natalie came back down the stairs. “Come on!” She saw the blood and said nothing.  

Wrapping my arm up over her shoulder, she practically carried me up the stairs. On the main landing, the loft hatch was open, and the ladder unfolded.  

“We can hide up here.” She put me up against the ladder and willed me to climb up.  

More voices in the garden and further footfall in the house gave me the encouragement I needed to climb faster. Natalie came up behind. We both took a hold of the rope and pulled with all our strength. Between our tired arms and broken bodies, we managed to get the hatch closed. I laid myself down as quietly as feasible onto my back, breathing heavily, and with fuzzy vision, all I could do was watch as Natalie steadied herself. Crouched over the hatch, she waited with what looked like a table leg in case they came searching. 

Hours went by. We could hear their voices filled with rage. They tore the street aside but never wondered to check the loft. As the day ended, they eventually gave up. Relieved, Natalie let go of the tension in her body and slumped down onto her ass. Giving herself only a moment of respite she was quickly back up and rifling through her pack. Pulling out the last of the water, she put her hand under my head and gently lifted it, allowing me to drink what was left. 

“Save some.” I pleaded.  

“It’s okay, there’ll be more somewhere.” She said with a smile that hid the concern.  

The last thing I remember is her folding up her coat and tucking it under my head before I passed out. My dreams were filled with the same chase, only this time it was impossible to get away. I couldn’t run. Natalie was caught. I became so freaked out I woke myself up. It was another night of disturbed sleep. With only a small, porthole-sized, round window to let the moonlight in, the rest of the loft was practically pitch black. Natalie was wide awake, propped up against the window, watching the road.  

“How you feeling?” She asked, shuffling over to be next to me.   

“Certainly been better.” I said with one eye open, feeling across the soreness.  

Natalie giggled and made sure I stayed laid down. “You need to rest, especially if you broke something.” She pressed the back of her hand against my forehead and then the soft palm trailed down my cheek and held my face. “Thank you.”  

I saw the glassiness of her eyes and didn’t know what to make of her shedding that tough exterior.  

“You’d do the same for me,” I said humbly. I didn’t do it for glory or praise.  

Natalie wiped her eyes and laughed away how silly she probably felt. Looking down at me for a moment, she paused to help her process the next thing she was about to do. Leaning down to me, turning my head with her hand, she kissed me. Lying there perplexed, I couldn’t enjoy it as much as I wanted. The softness of her lips pressed up against mine still got an instant reaction from my body. She pulled away a little, our faces the same distance aside as they were early on the sidewalk. Her eyes flicked down to the growing bulge in my trousers. That popular smile found its way across her face, and she came back in for more.  

The kissing became more passionate. Her mouth opened and our tongues got involved. I ran my hand through the silkiness of her hair and held her steady as we continued to make out. My skin prickled with excitement as the hairs on my arms shot up. Natalie was careful to avoid going anywhere near my chest. I felt her switch tact, slowing down to let her hand discover its way onto my crotch. She gave the growing erection a tentative squeeze before pulling her lips away from mine for a second time.  

“I think we need to do something about this. Don’t you?” With a raised eyebrow and a devilish look, she started to unbuckle my trousers. 

I couldn’t help but consider our relationship to one another. The voyeurism is one thing, but this — this was wrong, right?  

“Wait,” I said abruptly. 

She stopped and looked back at me, “don’t worry, I’ll be gentle with him.” She said again with that same mischievous look on her face.  

“No that’s not it.” I took a hold of her hand and pulled her up and away from my trousers. “It’s just that — well — we’re related and that doesn’t sit right with me.”  

Natalie’s face went from excited to irritated. 

“So, this isn’t okay, but watching me get undressed is?”  

My heart sank. I guess that answers the question of whether she knew what I had been doing. I felt my face flush red and didn’t know what to say or how to explain myself. This was beyond awkward. What made it even worse was Natalie breaking out into raucous laughter.  

“You’re too sweet!” She said ecstatically. “We’re not actually related.”  

I furrowed my brow in confusion and looked at her, waiting for an explanation.  

“I grew up with your mum. I was practically family, but we aren’t actually related.”  

“What about everyone calling you auntie?” I asked what I wondered was a sensible question.  

It only fuelled Natalie’s laughter. 

“Oh that, it just kinda’ stuck.” 

Not only have I made myself look like a complete idiot, but because of my ineptitude to realise the obvious, I have also turned down Natalie Dormer of all people. Once the laughter died down and she wiped away the tears, her attention came back to me.  

“Oh dear.” She looked down at my trousers to see the gigantic erection I had was now gone. “I think it’s best you get some more rest anyway.” She left me with a kiss on the forehead and returned herself over to the window.  

Inside, I was screaming at how badly I handled that entire situation. On the outside, I simply bit my tongue and fidgeted for a bit until I was somewhat comfortable on the hard wooden board. Staring up at the ceiling, I replayed the whole thing in my head over and over again. There were a million different methods I could’ve handled that, all of which would have resulted in a happier ending. Instead, I returned to the present, to me lying in pain having cucked myself.  

At some point, I drifted off. It seemed that being chased, killing a man and possibly breaking bones resulted in a better night’s sleep. I rubbed away the heaviness in my eyes to see Natalie was gone and the hatch open. A short stint of panic was quelled when I saw her head pop back up.  

“Awake then! Come on, breakfast is ready. You need a hand down?”  

“No, I’ll be alright.” 

That pride had made the journey down the ladder and stairs one hundred times worse. I moved at a snail’s pace, stopping in the bathroom and lifting my t-shirt to inspect the damage. All up my left side was heavily bruised. I didn’t dare even touch it. Natalie called again and I trundled down to the kitchen. The smell was divine and hit my taste buds like a train. Straight away I was salivating. Set out was a plate filled with eggs, bacon, toast and mushrooms. I hurried to the table and sat down. Picking up the cutlery, I didn’t know where to begin. I stabbed a piece of bacon and shoved it into my mouth.  

“Fuck,” I said, leaning back, “This is amazing. Thank you.”  

“Seems I owed you one.” She said with a smile.  

I didn’t know whether she was talking about the chase or last night. I was too absorbed in eating all this food to care. Wolfing it down, it was only a matter of minutes by the time the both of us were finished. It’d been months since we had been able to eat a proper meal. Even sitting at a table and using cutlery was a blessing. For a moment everything was okay. The world was back to typical, and I almost wanted to ask when I could catch my flight back home.  

“How’s your ribs?” Natalie asked, seeing the expression on my face drop.  

“Sore. I don’t think anything is broken, just bruised.” I massaged my stomach after inhaling that breakfast.  

“We should stay here until you’re able to move,” Natalie said, taking the plates from the table and over to the sink. “There’s plenty of food and actual beds.” 

“We can’t. Those guys might come back.” I pointed out. 

“Then we just hide in the loft. If they catch us out in the open again -.” She stopped, dreading the wondered.  

I hadn’t the heart to argue the point with her. We’d seen first-hand what these roaming gangs will do to people who they capture. Especially the woman. It didn’t bear thinking about.  

“Okay. We’ll stay. Let’s at least get rid of the body.”  

“Yeah, it’s already starting to stink.” Natalie held her hand to her nose as she walked over to look at it.  

It was mostly all Nat that did the heavy lifting. I tried as much as my body would allow. It took a few tries with plenty of breaks, but eventually, the body was dragged down to the bottom of the garden. We also agreed to keep the loft hatch open and ladder down in case we needed to get up into the loft with short notice. There was also the ever-looming threat of that gang returning. As much as Natalie detested not at least trying to barricade, I argued that if they were able to rub two brain cells together, then they’d realise someone was here. We had already moved the body. The final act was gathering as many of the supplies as feasible, getting me a new backpack and filling it up.  

We were at the dining room table. Natalie had completely cleared the cupboards of anything useful and I was slowly organising it in my new bag. It was peaceful. There were birds that’d flocked into the city for nesting, and without so many people and no pollution, nature was taking its land back. There was distant commotion, but it stayed as just that, a distance. For once, it was nice to have a day or two where we didn’t have to worry. Where everything was planned for. Natalie came over and was instantly repulsed when she went to sit down next to me. 

“What?” I said before taking a whiff of my t-shirt. “Jeez.” I understood why she reacted so excessively.  

“Up to the shower!” She demanded. 

When I went to stand, after sitting down for so long, my body seized up and I fell back into the chair. Natalie grimaced, comically pulling her shirt up over her nose and slipping under my arm to help lift me.  

 ”Come on, it isn’t that bad.” I tried to convince her, but the words fell on deaf ears.  

“Yes, yes it is. I don’t want to end up like the guy at the bottom of the garden.”  

I laughed, to my detriment as the pain shot through me again. We made it to the bathroom, eventually, and Natalie stood at the door as I rested up against the towel rack and began to lift my shirt off. She was still standing there, watching me struggling and I thought if I should even ask.  

“Need a hand?” She said playfully, knowing full well I wasn’t gonna be able to do this on my own.  

Propping myself up, I let her grab the bottom of my shirt and lift it up and over my head. She audibly gasped at the bruising down the left-hand side of my ribs. 

“It looks worse than it is.” I was fooling myself into thinking this would go away quickly.  

“Are you sure? It looks really fucking bad.” Her curiosity got the better of her and she laid a hand against my side.  

I wanted to cry out in pain but instead held it in and grunted like a wild animal.  

“Oh shit! I’m so sorry.”  

“No – it’s fine.” I spat out through gritted teeth.  

“Can you handle the rest?” She asked sincerely.  

I smirk. “I can’t say I would mind the company.”  

She hit me on the shoulder. “I didn’t mean like that!” That opinion made her turn and leave.  

Maybe I overstepped the mark. Maybe she was teasing me. It was difficult to read her. I suppose that’s the sign of a good actress. I started to unbuckle my trousers but stopped at the point where I’d normally pull them down. Instead, I wiggled and shook my legs the best I could to get them to fall. Once they hit the ground, through my continued noise of anguish and pain I managed to get the shower turned on. Stepping up into the tub was a horrendously painful task. Once the first foot was in, I could feel the slick of the tub and knew I’d fall over if I lifted the other foot. So, I was stuck, naked with one foot in the tub and wasting what precious little hot water there was. It bruised my ego a little to have to admit defeat but there was no getting out of this one by myself.