Song: Halley's Comet - Billie Eilish
She lead me up a spiralling branch staircase, we were heading up through the canopy this was pretty if I didn't think about us going further up in this fucking tree.
We reached a small platform crudely built out of found floor boards, she began placing her things down on a small stool and winding a pulley system of ropes. The canopy leaves rustled then they groaned as the branches were pulled away.
"Woah. I haven't seen a sky this angry since..."
"Since the nukes went off?" Her tone was deadpan bored with the trip down memory lane.
"Yeah when it all went to shit." I smiled and rubbed the back of my neck a nervous move.
"The black storms always look extra angry when they mix with the afterglow." Hands on her hips she stared up into the black clouds orange tinted clouds the rain droplets were getting heavier.
"The worst firework show on the planet."
"We were so lucky we weren't hit. Those reports from Europe... there's nothing there anymore." She's right the drones they sent out came back with some really fucked up footage.
"They say the rain is full of nuclear shit, you sure it's ok to wash in it?" It was sort of worrying thinking that if we did survived all the shit going on. That eventually because of how we fucked up the planet any chance of actually being happy and not dying painfully of radiation poisoning was pretty slim.
"Everything can kill us now, all our natural water sources have some form of pollutant, radiation, micro plastics hell they could name a new virus and I'd believe it. Just... I guess it will get us when we're ninety, if by miracle we make it to that age."
"It's sad that it's come to this."
"Well we're up shits creek without a paddle, the world moves so do we. I'll try my hardest not to get hunted, poisoned, ripped apart, tortured or eaten alive."
"You really are a glass half full kind of woman aren't you?"
The towering clouds lit up with red lightning, the bolts not yet striking the ground Spielberg would have been turned on by the violent spiderwebs. Some how the horror scape still remained beautiful, at the height we were at you could see clear past the tops of the trees all the way to the mountains, they stood somber dark and unwelcoming.
Tearing my sight from the haunting landscape it wasn't the only frighteningly beautiful thing around me.
"So how do you want to do this?"
"What's got your panties in a twist now princess?" She began to untie her shoes, yanking at the laces the built muscles in her arms popped and twisted. The few paper thin scars that scattered her left bicep pulled at her skin the silvery colour flashing up with every lightning strike.
"As much as I appreciate the gun show..." She rested her forehead on her knee pulling a small smile like she was gently holding back laughter.
"Do you want to go first, or do you have a hidden shower curtain made of leaves or something?"
"Such a southern gentleman... how chivalrous of you Henry."
"I just er we haven't, um known each other for very long. I wouldn't want you to think that... I'm in anyway being... um."
"Henry. Just stop, it's ok I couldn't care less if you see me naked." She said it so matter of a fact and blunt I probably would've believed her tone if she didn't pair it with a smug look.
I didn't know what to do with my hands or even where to look, I could feel the heat crawling up my neck flushing my face. Why was I nervous? It's just a shower for christ sake.
"We have to use it together because the tank I rigged up only holds enough for one really. I never expected to have guests. I'm hoping the storm will top it up as we use it, plus I don't know how strong that radiation shit is in the rain so be quick."
"Right yeah. Makes sense, you made an outdoor shower? How?" I moved close to where she pulled the first pulley. There was a flattened end of a tray around a two foot wide that snaked through the branches, held up by rope every section or so.
"I found an old abandoned gold mine a few miles from the mountains, it took me so long to carry the trays out and up here. It was so worth it to have something close to a shower though, it saves me hiking to the river an unnecessary risk when it's weather like this." She stood now barefoot and began unbuttoning her shorts. I got down on one knee and busied myself with my shoes, distracting myself with the laces.
"You're smart underneath all that attitude."
"Asshole."
"There she is." I couldn't help but chuckle, placing my shoes in the shelves she'd put her stuff in they looked huge compared to hers.
"The stuff I found there was ridiculously useful, well the stuff I could carry anyway. The trays link up to the tank and filter the other crap that gets caught. So no bugs or twigs will get caught in your pretty hair princess." There was that sarcastic smile again.
"You think I'm pretty?" I batted my eyelashes at her barely holding my laughter in.
"I think you're annoying." She yanked her shorts down and pulled her shirt over her head, throwing the mud soiled clothing in the middle of the deck. She stood in nothing but her underwear and I spun around so fast I nearly lost my footing.
My face felt on fire and I could hear her muffled giggles at my reaction, I'm a grown fucking man and it's like I've lost all sense.
The rain speckled my t-shirt the storm was nearly here looking out into the branches their arms swayed in the distance, the strong breeze whirling towards us.
Throwing my shirt over my head I tossed it to the pile of her clothes, still facing away I noticed two small pink garments landed on top of it.
"If you want to keep your modesty princess we can shower back to back?" She was teasing but had lost that usual snarky tone. Was she actually trying to be nice?
"I just don't want to complicate things, thats all." I was choking on my words, I don't know how long it's been since I'd seen a woman naked, been intimate with or even had those needs met.
"What's wrong Henry?" She was loosing her patience not that she had very much of it to begin with when it came to me.
"What if what I see... I like."
"Henry. I'm not asking you to fuck me."
"God I know."
"You so much as touch me I cut it off."
"Where could you possibly hiding a knife right now?!"
"A lady never tells."
"YOU a lady?!"
"I could be a lady if I wanted to. But I don't, playing with knives is much more fun." I could practically hear her smile.
"Take your pants off and turn around."
"Yes Ma'am."
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