Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Mechanical Affection ❯ Chapter 18 ( Chapter 18 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Mechanical Affection- Chapter 18

Groaning, we huddled close together as a chilled breeze swept through the trees. New York seemed about as fond of the weather as I was, which wasn’t a lot. He clicked his teeth like the cold had made them chatter, but I don’t think it was an involuntary thing. Rubbing up against me, he did it again. I didn’t move. I didn’t want to move. I didn’t know if I could. My bones felt frozen in place, my limbs concrete heavy. I just wanted to warm myself by the body of the nearest breather, but he was too busy loading the cart with wood.
New York stepped away from me and I let out a breathy hiss. Come back! I moved towards him, but I was so slow and the world was beginning to have more blank spots than colored ones. New York stopped and chattered. I tried to hurry, but another gust of wind froze me in place. Letting my jaw hang loose, I let out a gurgled groan and he returned to huddle together with me.
There was the muted noise of someone talking and reflexively I talked back, complaining about the cold. I wanted to go home, wherever home was. And if we were home, we needed to find a different one because it was way too damn drafty here. This sucked…
“Cold?” The voice sounded weirdly mute but at least it was audible. I lifted my head and stared at him in confusion, “Hey… You all right?” He touched my head. I might have enjoyed it if he weren’t wearing gloves. It was hard to bask in the warmth when the damned fabric kept it contained against his own skin. Stingy bastard. New York chattered and huddled in closer to me. The breather rubbed my shoulder, “Okay… We’ll head back soon.” I hoped ‘back’ was warmer than here, “Can you pull still?” I didn’t know that I could move. He gave me another reassuring rub, “All right…” He left us to stand in the cold before returning with more wood and a girl. They grabbed the cart and began to pull it along… I followed as fast as I could. New York coming up behind to drive me on. By the time we’d made it back, there was a fire waiting and I was half tempted to throw myself into it.
“Let’s get you two inside.” The breather grabbed us by the arm and led us away from the warmth. I didn’t want to leave it. Groaning and grunting, I tried to resist but ended up slipping instead and being dragged the rest of the way. After being shoved into the tent, I went still again. I was too cold to try… So was New York, “I’ll leave the light on…” He said as he tucked me in tightly. I think he failed to realize that blankets really only worked if the body was producing heat, “Wait here.” Right… Wait… What else could I do?
The lamp above my head flickered, or maybe it was my vision, until it all went black.
What the…? Wha…? Touch… Warmth… Rough… What…? Wake… Wake up? I’m tired… I think…
Touching… Let me… Leave me… Wake up… No… Tired… Can’t move… Too hard… Close my eyes, sleep…
What? Why? Touching me, stop it. What… Noise? Stop it… Tired…
“Please…” I don’t want to. Why are you talking to me? It’s too cold. I can’t move. “Please… God, let him be okay.” What? What’s going on? I can feel warmth sinking into me, no… It was being forced into me. Hands rubbing it into me, that was nice. It felt good. I was so cold. I could swear my eyes were open, but I couldn’t see anything. I move what I can to try and warm up, wake up. I feel like I’ve been dead and buried, my body is so stiff… And what the fuck? What was all over me? Who was all over me?
I growled, and the sound was muddled in my ears. Maybe I was in water. Was I drowning? I couldn’t breathe! Oh fuck! Oh wait a minute. I don’t need to breathe… But seriously, what was going on. I couldn’t remember anything.
Warmth spread over my head and I felt heat drop onto my face. I shook a little and worked my jaw before I felt something cover my lips. I tried to bite it, but couldn’t, “Mitch! Thank god! Baby, are you okay?” Who was he calling baby? Let me up. I struggled, “Mitch, look at me! Can you hear me!” I hear you just fine, I just- Grr, I tried to buck him off but was too weak, “Sh, sh, shh… Calm down, it’s okay. It’s just me.” Just who? I can’t see! “Mitch, stop. Look. Look!” I can’t you asshole! “It’s me, Matt. Come on… Come back.” Whoever it was, Matt I guess, rubbed his hands over my face and head, held me close.
Finally… I could see again. I turned my head to see the face of the breather who’d quite literally woken the dead with his antics. I could see glittery streaks down his face. Was this freak crying? I looked towards another warm body and grew rigid. Growling, I eyed the large dog lying over my lap. The muzzle over its mouth and the growly noises it was making told me it didn’t much like me either. Get off me, mutt! The dog tried to move but the breather grabbed him by the collar and kept him there.
“Dodger, stay. Toto!” He flailed to grab another animal and forced it back on me. A little ratty looking thing, smaller than the one growling at me. What was going on? I’m not a goddamn couch! I tried to sit up but Matt’s hand on my chest kept me down. He rubbed his face with his arm… And I realized he wasn’t wearing a shirt. I stared at his arm… The symbol on it calmed me. Matt… The name rang more fondly in my head, but I didn’t know why.
He touched my face, “That’s right. It’s okay now.” Yeah… It’s okay. Matt…
I turned my head to look around. There was another motionless form beside me. His face didn’t look quite all there… I felt like I was waking up from a dream and all the pieces of reality hadn’t fallen back into place yet.
Matt moved off me and the dogs scattered as he straddled the cold form. I don’t think he’s okay. I rolled over with some difficulty and immediately regretted. Christ! That’s fuckin’ cold! I scrambled on the ground until I ran into something. Pushing against it, I climbed to my feet and hurried back into the sunlight. I needed the sun.
I closed my eyes and tipped my face towards the light. Ah… Much better.
“Come on…” I turned and looked to see Matt with the dead body. It wasn’t moving but he was doing his best. He rubbed his hands all over him, breathing into his palms and rubbing them together before touching the cold flesh. I moved in closer to watch and Matt stopped a moment to push me out of the way. Geez, sorry.
The body on the ground twitched. I perked up, not so dead after all then, “Almost there, come on New York.” New York? I don’t think that’s a real name. Then again, with the way the body responded to the speech, maybe it was a real name. It was amazing, like magic. I excitedly walked around them in circles until Matt slapped a muzzle on him, stood, and pulled New York to his feet. Our half-faced companion looked a little dazed but otherwise okay.
The breather grabbed us around the necks and pulled us in close, “Don’t ever do that to me again.” I’m not even sure what it was we’d done… But okay. As he moved away to pull on his shirt, Matt seemed at a loss of what to do with us now. I felt okay to move around, though I was massively hungry. I wondered if a bite to eat was a possibility, “Come on…”
It occurred to me… I could’ve tried to eat Matt. I’m not sure why I hadn’t. Maybe it had something to do with the warm fuzzies he gave me… How lame was that? But I do like my warm fuzzies, so I didn’t mind when Matt pulled back to grab my hand. That was probably a good thing anyway; it was getting dark and harder to see.
Matt stayed with us all night, feeding a fire, keeping us warm.
The heat of the sun broke the night and the longer I watched Matt’s sleeping face, the more I felt I knew him. I didn’t know a breather could look so peaceful sleeping sprawled out over a log like that and a zombie practically laying over him. He stirred and I moved at least attempt to get up but he grabbed my arm, “Hey...” Hey. I leaned in when he reached for my face. “Feeling better today?” I groaned a happy little response, “Good. Are you hungry?” Was I ever not? “I’ll check the traps. You wait here by the fire where it’s warm.” Okay, but it didn’t feel too cold. Squeezing out from under me, Matt helped me to my feet then left.
I loitered around the fire, circling the dying flame. When Matt returned, I still remembered his name, I excitedly went to him expecting food. No such luck. I groaned unhappily as he wrapped a strip of leather around my neck, “I know, but I can’t have you wandering around right now. It’s dangerous.” Dangerous my ass. I can take care of myself! I snapped at his hand when it brushed by my face, but it was a futile effort because something on my face kept me from biting anything.
He tied the end of the leash to the log and I gave it an experimental tug… I wasn’t going anywhere. Fuck. I’d rather just go if being collared was my only other option, “Don’t worry, I’ll be back before you know it.” Probably, but that didn’t make me any less pissed off about it. New York got the same treatment, but he seemed oddly okay with it. When Matt left we stood side by side and watched him go before moving in close to fire. Did he know how dangerous this was? What if the fire spread? We’d roast before anyone even realized we couldn’t simply walk away from the flame. How inconsiderate.
The leather at my neck twitched and I turned. Forget something else? I watched as Matt untied us, but something seemed… Off. I stared and cocked my head, but couldn’t figure it out. My eyes settled on the trident on his arm… That seemed… Right. I looked up. Was it going to rain? The sky seemed hazy, but not dark… So why the hat and sunglasses? Whatever, if he wanted to wear stupid shit let him, just so long as I got something to eat.
New York jerked back when Matt gave out leashes a pull. I made a gurgling noise at him. Come on, breakfast. I moved forward and New York lurched after me, getting ahead and stopping. Seriously? What the fuck? Move it! I rammed into him hard and he stumbled as I went around to follow Matt. Matt gave New York one last tug before deciding dragging him along was way too much effort… And really, it was.
I picked up pace when I realized we were heading to something warm. I was disappointed for only a moment when I realized that the thing we’d arrived at wasn’t alive. But it was a beautiful yellow vehicle. It’s engine was running, the hood heating. Nice. I moved to go to it but my leash was given a sharp pull. Fuck. What gives? Let me go!  I pulled again, but was pulled back even harder. I groaned and turned around to face him. Grabbing my arm, he pulled me over to the car, “Get in, now.” He sounded dangerous. That wasn’t right. I tried to resist but something caught my feet and I was stuffed in the back like I didn’t even matter. What was going on? This didn’t seem right at all. He jerked my head forward and wrapped the leash around the headrest in front of me. I struggled a little, but I was stuck.
Matt got in the front seat and put the car in gear. Where the hell were we going? I pulled and tried to grab my restraints but my hands refused to cooperate. Instead of doing something useful, I ended up clawing and pounding the car seat like a five-year-old throwing a temper tantrum, “Knock it off!” He elbowed me in the face and I snapped viciously at him.
Let me go! I pulled and jerked until the hummer drew to a stop and Matt pulled out a radio. I didn’t catch what he said but after he was done, he shoved the thing in his pocket and turned in his seat. Hat and glasses off, he stared back at me and I couldn’t help but think that blue wasn’t the color of Matt’s eyes. He pulled a gun out, lazily pointing it my way, “Still confused, metalhead? Man, you are stupid.” He tapped my head with his gun, my skull making a tinny noise. I seethed, “I know you can understand me… So I’m going to talk real slow.” Talk to someone else, I don’t want to hear your bullshit.
“They think you’re so special.” I jerked my head away when he touched the cold muzzle of the gun to my cheek, “You’re just another rotting sack of meat. I can’t have some queer spreading the love around. Humanizing you monsters.” He leaned in close smiling a creepy kind of smile that could make the dead turn in their graves, “When I get back… He’s going be the first to go.” He? “I’m going to rip that stupid look right off his face with my bare hands… It won’t look like any human did it. You got me?” What the hell was this freak talking about? What did he want from me? “And while my friends are finding interesting new ways to kill you mother fuckers. Everyone in camp will be blaming you and your kind for what happened to Matt.” Matt? “It’ll make my job so much easier if they stay how they are. Oblivious.”
Shit! I pulled hard but couldn’t get free. I had to get back! I had to get back to Matt!
I glanced to the side as jeep pulled up and a warm body emerged from it. Shit, shit shit!
“I thought you said this one was tame.” The man with the deep voice said as he unwound my leash and I suddenly flung myself at the blue-eyed monster that was going to kill Matt. My fingertips touched him but nothing more as I was dragged out of the vehicle by my neck.
The breather that had brought me out here laughed, voice ringing crystal clear for a brief instant, “Maybe you just have to fuck him first.” Bastard!