Anything for Food - A Post-Apocalyptic Erotic Tale by Amy Morrel Page A

the plants that were just poking
their sprouts up when they finally found more food. It was only five
cans of vegetables so they started moving again immediately after
splitting a can between them.
    The next afternoon, they were cooking their lunch when three men
appeared. Without a word, they'd rushed Patrick and the cans of food
next to him. Andi was sure the men killed Patrick since she saw one
of them thrust a knife into his side. She hadn't stayed around to
find out or to make herself a target. She'd been fleeing ever since.
Her fear that they might think she possessed something they wanted
pushed her beyond her normal endurance. She was sure they were
chasing her so she kept pushing herself along as quickly as she
could, even when her fastest was only a staggering walk.
    She woke up, sure that it was all a nightmare, until she stretched
out and barked her knuckles on the protruding tree roots. There were
stars in the sky and a sliver of moon was visible through the small
leaves of early spring, but there wasn't enough light to illuminate
the floor of the forest. She gave up her idea of moving on and, with
a sob, slumped back into sleep.
    The nightmares began again.
----

Chapter
2 – Jake's Place
    Andi woke to the damp grayness that preceded dawn. She heard
something or someone moving around in the woods nearby. They were
trying to be quiet but not entirely succeeding. The attempt at
stealth made her fear it was a person and not a wild animal. She sat
up slowly and huddled back against the nearby tree. Andi was cold and
sore, hungry and thirsty, but above all else she was terrified that
the men had caught up with her.
    As soon as she sat up, the noises stopped. She knew that whoever
it was saw her movement and was now sneaking up on her, moving more
quietly than they had earlier on. She sat there trembling from the
cold and her fears, waiting for a chance to run. If she could just
see where they were then she could run in the opposite direction. As
the sun slowly rose the area brightened, bit by bit. Finally, she
could see her surroundings. She scanned the area but was unable to
spot anyone.
    I have to run, she
thought, when I move maybe they will also and I'll be able
to see them.
    She slowly inched herself up the tree
until she was standing. When she pushed off from the tree and started
to run, her legs refused to cooperate. She stumbled and fell to the
ground. Her legs would not obey her when she tried to force herself
into a standing position. Despair took her as she lay there, waiting
to be grabbed. She was shocked when a pleasant male voice called out.
    “I'm sorry. I didn't mean to
scare you. I heard something crashing around in the brush out here
last night and thought I might be able to bag a deer if I was out
here early enough. I didn't know it was a person or I would've come
out when I heard you.”
    The voice was a solid baritone that
sounded rusty from disuse.
    Andi rolled onto her back and saw a man
looking down at her. There was a haunted look in his eyes for a
moment before he shook his head dismissively. After that they were
just ordinary eyes with a hint of curiosity in them.
    He leaned over and offered her a hand
to help her up. She instinctively took his hand and he hauled her
onto her feet. Andi was about average height for a woman and she
wasn't at all petite but the man had effortlessly supported most of
her weight with one arm as she stood. She saw that there was a
crossbow slung over his back and caught herself staring at it. She
knew what it was in general, she'd just never seen one up close
before.
    Andi continued to lean on his arm, in
order to stay upright. The man noticed where she was looking and
began to speak.
    “Oh that, I didn't want to
attract attention with a gunshot if it was a deer, so I brought this
along instead.” he said, gesturing to the crossbow, “There
are far too many other folks in the area that would hear a gunshot
and come to check it out. If I take down a deer I