Talmouth quickly ducked into the alleyway as he saw the female figure running toward him with three masculine figures in pursuit about a block away. A pack of oversized rats picked at some bones nearby; he carefully stepped clear around the pack. The rats eyed him carefully; Talmouth held his weapon ready for a quick burst. He could hear the woman’s footsteps gaining ground. It was nearing dark. He saw an open doorway and stepped inside, closed the door and waited. He heard footsteps quickly approaching then the door opened and just before she let out a scream he placed his hand over her mouth, dragged her inside and roughly held her still while he kicked the door shut with one leg. He heard the muffled voices of the men; then they began to yell and shoot. Talmouth thought they must not have seen the rats and ran right into them. He heard one man scream “Get them off me! Get them off me!” Soon the yelling and the shooting ceased. Even in the darkness of the doorway he saw the woman’s eyes wide open in obvious terror. The whites of her eyes were as dazzling as moons; they were as clear as anything Talmouth had ever seen. He listened carefully; heard nothing, looked down at the woman, spoke close to her ear. “If they’re still outside they’ll kill us. You know what they’ll do to you first.” Her eyes seem to widen. “Just be quiet for a few minutes and if we get out of here we’ll go our separate ways. All right with you?” She nodded eagerly. He took the hand off her mouth and released her. She took a knife quickly out of her pocket and held it between them. He looked at her calmly. “If you feel safe with that okay by me, but I promise I won’t hurt you, I have enough worries without bothering you." She eyed him, said nothing, but held the knife firmly in place. Talmouth eased open the door and looked out through the crack; it was on the verge of darkness. He saw the outline of what appeared to be a body lying near where the rats had been feasting; otherwise the alley seemed deserted. He decided to wait until it was even darker. They waited in silence.
He opened the door slowly, satisifed, he motioned for her to follow. Several rats were eating at the body; there were several other dead rats nearby. He decided not to test the rats this time, with the woman at his heels he crept cautiously down the alley and exited in the opposite direction. The rats paid them no mind; they had plenty to feast upon. “This is where we part.” “Thanks; sorry about the knife.” “Sorry. That’s a word I haven’t heard in years; it’s okay I would have done the same thing in your situation, in fact I probably would have stabbed you for the hell of it.” He looked up and down the avenue, adjusted his back pack with a shrug. “Good luck.” “Yes, good luck to you too."
Talmouth stayed close to the buildings; it was fairly safe on the streets after dark; the snipers in the upper floors usually couldn’t see to hit someone, and they had to preserve their ammunition. One had to be careful of the gangs, but they usually made their presence known, unless they were looking for women or for something to barter. There was the open ground to cross and a swampy field to bypass before he entered the highway that led directly to to the Mall where he would barter for some food and other necessities. He had diamonds; he had plenty of diamonds. Some time ago he just happened upon two men who were asleep; he shot them and stole what they had. They had carried a fortune in diamonds. Ah well, they would have done the same to him, and someone like them had raped and murdered his woman (what the hell was her name?) only a year or so before.
It was hard to keep track of time, and time didn’t matter anyway. Several years earlier he had witnessed the murder of his mother and father, the kidnapping of his younger brother, and then the torching of his home. But that was a long, long time ago. He could barely remember it all. And there was the constant instinct to survive to help dull the pain when the unwelcome, bitter memories crept in. He didn’t discuss survival with himself; he just survived, that was all there was to it. You either did or you didn’t. Like his dad had told him: ‘Life was like business; it was dirty business.’
It was ironic, thought Talmouth, that it was a woman who was the cause for all this chaos; she was the first woman president (and the only one) that the United States had ever elected. She served four years, then she was defeated. She claimed that her defeat was a fraud; that the opposition had rigged the computers; they proably had. She had ordered the Head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to call out the military and declare Martial Law. He complied. Talmouth remembered his father saying that the General had been sleeping with the president’s daughter. He wasn’t too young to understand the implication, after all he had “slept” with a neighbor girl on a frequent basis.
The Militias then rose up joining forces with many of the local police authorities and all hell broke loose. Black, Asian, White, Latino gangs ruled the streets; many of them were killed by each other while most citizens buried themselves in hiding, until hunger or sex brought people back out into the streets. Everyone was armed, everyone was the enemy. The Malls were run by the Militias; they kept control of the food and as long as they were left alone they usually didn’t bother anyone. The Militia at the Mall where Talmouth traded kept to themselves for the most part. They would accept white women into their commune, but no men unless you carried proof that either you were a member or had a family member of the Militia, otherwise there was no point in asking to join their ranks. So they drank, screwed, fought each other and kept their treasury well guarded. One never acquired a good deal with the Militia, you had better make sure that they wanted what you had otherwise there was the possibility that they would shoot you for the hell of it. But if you had ammunition, women, booze, diamonds, or some gadget that they fancied, they would welcome you with a meal, and whatever else you desired. Once four men had followed Talmouth when he departed the Mall. He ambushed them before they knew he was aware of their presence. They were dressed in the uniform of the Militia. He hadn’t been back to the Mall since, so he wasn’t sure what to expect, but he knew that they wanted his diamonds, and they wanted them without giving up anything if they could get away with it.
Talmouth reached the swampy field; a dog spotted him and charged. He held up his weapon, aimed it at the approaching dog; the dog stopped in his tracks. Talmouth waited; the dog dropped to all fours in submission. Talmouth took a candy bar from his pocket and tore the wrapper off and held it out for the dog. The dog crept closer, then gingerly took the candy from Talmouth and devoured it in one swallow. Talmouth gave him another, then walked away; the dog walked by his side and wagged his tail looking up at him. “Okay you can come with me until I get to the Mall, then you’re rat bait as far as I’m concerned.” They walked on in the still darkness; a fire burned somewhere off in the distance. He turned quickly as the dog growled turning his head to their rear. There was enough light from the reflection of the moon to see the silhouette of a slight figure directly behind him. The figure stopped moving, then with hands raised overhead, approached Talmouth; he kicked at the dog to quiet the growling and waited for the figure to get within his range. Damn, he thought, it was that same alley-woman! “All right what’s this all about?” “I have nowhere to go. They killed my man while I hid in a closet. Then I left when I thought it was safe, but they were waiting. You know the rest.” “What’s your name.” “Call me Madison.” “Madison huh? Okay you call me Talmouth. Are you hungry?” “I’m starving.” “Want some dog?” “No, I’d die first.” “He’d kill you if I wasn’t here.” “It’s better than being raped by a bunch of men, they just leave you lying there to bleed to death after they beat the shit out of you.” Talmouth looked her over; she was attractive under all that crust on her face; her skin was a bit dark, but perhaps the Militia would buy her anyway, after he had his way with her. It had been a long time since he had had a woman; at least a woman who was willing. She knew the score; once anyone relied on someone to feed them they belonged to that person, body and soul. That’s the way it was; it was survival, nothing more, nothing less. “All right you can come; do you have a gun?” “Yes.” “How many shells? “Twelve.” “I’m on my way to the Mall to barter; we’ll probably spend the day there, then head back home when it’s dark again.” “Okay. Could I have some food first?” “Sure; let’s wait until we pass the swamp, then we’ll eat. It will take another three hours before we get to the Mall, but once we get there you’ll get a feast.” “What do you barter with?” “That’s none of your business. Oh! I see what you mean. You think I might want to sell you.” “Yeah.” “Your skin is too dark. What are you anyway?” “I don’t know; some Asian, some Caucasian, some Negroid. I can't recall what my parents even looked like.” "I promise not to sell you too.” He looked at her carefully; he could tell that she didn’t believe him. “Did you see those two guys back in the alley again?” “No, I didn’t see them; I waited until you were out of sight, then I followed in your direction. I had nowhere else to go.” Two tiny tears appeared on her cheeks. Talmouth stared in disbelief; it had been a long time since he had seen tears. He had heard screaming; he had heard wailing, he had seen horrible atrocities take place, indeed he was the cause of that horror at times, but tears? No! The last time he remembered tears was when his brother cried at the rape of his mother. Talmouth had been watching from the crawl space in the ceiling. He managed to sneak out the back just before the gang torched his home, and his parents. He was sixteen then, and on his own for the last several years. “Come on; let’s move; it’s not safe to stay in one place too long.” Talmouth adjusted his back pack; the dog stayed by his side; Madison walked behind them.
They walked and walked; the moon was now obscured by a few scattered clouds; larger clouds hovered. The dog froze in place and emitted a low growl. Talmouth crouched as Madison joined him; the dog stopped growling as Madison held its snout. They could now hear laughter - high pitched giggles - the sound of many women. They were as dangerous as any gang, and to men they were extremely harsh. Talmouth had seen many a male body with its privates cut off and jammed into the mouths of their victims. The laughter died out but they could hear the collecive sound of their voices becoming louder as they approached. A large cloud barely covered the moon. Talmouth heard a whimper and saw the dog’s body go limp. Madison still held its jaw shut; she had instictively cut the creature’s throat. He should have done that initially, he thought, but he kind of felt bad for the thing; a moment of dangerous weakness. They were better off without another mouth to feed anyway. He could feel her body next to him as they lay on the moist ground. He was filled with tension and desire; her body felt good, soft, warm. His senses were totally alert. He thought he could see dark figures approaching. The voices were silent for a spell, but now they could hear their footsteps. “Listen! Do you smell anything?” Talmouth and Madison held their breaths. “Yeah, your crotch!” There was raucous laughter. “I’m serious; I smell blood.” There were several loud sniffs, then someone yelled. “The fuckin’ Curse is what you smell honey. Want to smell it up close and personal?” There was more laughter, then they began to chatter and move on toward the direction that Talmouth and Madison had traveled.
The Mall was thriving as usual. No one seemed to look at him any different than the usual hostility reserved for non-militia. Talmouth presented his diamonds and received his food, one bottle of scotch, some clothing and other items. He and Madison put on different clothes and threw their old clothing away. He was asked how much for Madison, but he said she was not for sale. He needed her for a spell. He had enough diamonds to demand a good meal, and a room with a bath and, most important, a secure lock. That took care of all the diamonds he had carried with him.
The room was more like a cell, no windows. The blankets didn’t smell too bad, and this time the water was hot enough. Talmouth entered the tub and Madison gave him the scotch. After his bath Madison used the same water and the same bottle. By the time they had eaten and consumed more scotch they were both a little drunk. The sun was making its entrance in the east when he groped and kissed Madison for the first time.
Someone banged heavily on the door; it was evening. Time to go home. Madison moved her hand slowly down his hairless chest; her lips soon followed. It was dusk when they left the entrace of the Militia camp. They stopped every so often to make sure that no one was behind them. A few hours later they passed by the bones of the dog; they were stripped clean. They approached the decayed city, went cautiously through it without incident. Madison stayed behind him all the time. They stopped in a junk yard for their meal; they had to kill a few rats first. The sun peeked over the horizon as they rested briefly. He led her through the junk yard and around the enormous tire graveyard and down a slope, then across a putrefying pond and into the bushes where his tent was hidden. “Whew this is a tough place to find, and the smell . . .” “You get used to it, or you don’t, either way it’s fairly safe, and the rats don't come near the place.” “Yes, I can see that. What’s that thing sticking up in the air way over there?” “That’s a cherry picker. It was used to trim trees, when there were trees, and to pick fruit from the taller trees.” “It’s huge.” “It’s my landmark; I can see it a long way off and then I know I’m heading in the right direction.” They sat, exhausted from the long trek. “Thanks for not selling me.” “Actually I had that in mind, but after we stayed the night together, I changed my mind.” “I counted on that.” “What do you mean?” “Well I figured if I were a man, what the hell would I want a woman around for? I’d have to feed her, go everywhere she goes in order to protect her; if it wasn’t for sex, than what else would she be good for?” “Yeah. I see what you mean.” “And I’m good at something else too.” Madison opened her pack and took out a full bottle of scotch. “I’ll be dammed.” “How did you manage that?” “I stole it from someone’s pack when you were bartering.” “You might be useful after all. Prepare the meal then we’ll have a few drinks.”
The early evening was warm; they lay on dirty blankets, lethargic from over-indulging in sex and scotch. Talmouth was more talkative, still feeling the effects from the bottle of scotch. They discussed their personal history; their stories were similar, but in Madison’s case she was abducted at age ten and belonged to a gang until she and another woman ran away to live by themselves. Of course they ran away with some of the gang’s jewelry, so they had to travel fast, and far. That lasted a few months, until the evening she ran into Talmouth. “Do you have any of the jewelry left?” “No, those guys got it all after they killed my man.” “Well, we don’t need to worry; I’ve got plenty of diamonds left, in fact, I’ve got more than enough.” “Aren’t you afraid someone will find them?” “Not where I have them hid.” “I’ll bet I know where.” “Where?” “In that smelly pond.” “Na, that water would disintegrate all of them.” “Okay, how about in that mountain of tires?” “That’s the first place I thought about, but I changed my mind.” “I give up then.” “How do I know that you won’t steal them from me? He laughed abruptly. What the hell; it really doesn't matter anway, so I’ll tell you where they are.” “Where?” “In the cherry picker.” “The cherry picker?” “Sure; can you think of a better place? You have to climb up the neck first; I found some grease and cans of oil, so the last six feet of climbing is slippery except when I use those old work gloves that are hanging over there. I usually climb up in the dark and take what diamonds I need.” “You are clever Talmouth. I like cleverness in my man; you make my body feel hot.” “I don’t know if I have any energy left.” “Let’s find out shall we?”
Madison slit his throat within seconds after his initial snore. His eyes opened wide, then he sighed; he actually looked peaceful to Madison. She picked up the gloves, placed on her back pack and departed the tent. Her women would be waiting at the tire mountain, then they would go to the cherry picker and pick up the diamonds. They had been watching Talmouth for some time; looking for a way to find out where he had hidden those diamonds. They had searched his tent and all around where he lived, when he had vacated his camp, but they had come up empty every time. Madison’s plan was almost foiled when those three men found her while she was waiting for Talmouth to make his monthly trek to the Mall.
The band of women were waiting for her; they made their way to the cherry picker. Madison rubbed dirt on the gloves, climbed up the rusted neck to the cab, the cab looked high up, she guessed about sixty feet or so. Talmouth was right; it was slippery to climb, but she took her time and thought about the diamonds as she slowly inched her way up toward the cab of the cherry picker.
The cab was totally rusted; it looked almost orange in the evening light. She finally reached the cab and hoisted herself inside. There was a small metal container with a heavy link chain around it. Madison couldn't feel the trip wire with the gloves on. The explosion blew her right out of the cab; parts of her body scattered as the diamonds followed her inert remains. The cherry picker toppled over just missing the women as they scattered out of range. It was too dark for them to see the diamonds, besides they were running for their lives; it was a matter of survival, nothing more, nothing less.