Chapter 6

Ben sat by the fire, chatting with Lawrie while the women talked amongst themselves. It had been an eventful day, and almost everyone was ready to turn in for the night. Ben asked about setting people for watch during the night, and Lawrie said not to worry about it. When asked why, Lawrie told him that this place, while out in the wild, was safe as few beasts roamed this far north.

“Are you certain about that?” Ben asked, still apprehensive.

“Many beasts hate the bitter cold, and this is one of the few times that the north has thawed enough to allow people to come up here,” Lawrie told him.

“Has it always been that cold up here?” Ben wondered.

“Ever since the Collapse. There have been times when the ice has receded and allowed people to come north, hoping to settle the land. Many of them found out the hard way that this land would not be settled. At least, not so easily,” Lawrie explained.

“The climate proved too much for them, I assume?” Ben asked, his curiosity about this land now piqued.

“It was. There used to be towns further north. Or at least, so I’ve been told. Many of the people of these towns were never seen again. Some of those who came back warned of dangers beyond the snow and ice,” Lawrie went on.

“Dangers?”

“Yes. Though it is only myth and legend, there have been stories of a great beast that roams the north. One that is immune to the cold and feeds on the flesh of the living,” Lawrie went on.

“Hmm. Sounds like some stories we had back in my day,” Ben stated.

“What kind of stories?” Lawrie asked. He still thought Ben was yanking his chain about being from the Before, but humored him anyway.

“There was one such story, told to me as a child, about what we called the Abominable Snowman. How he would come down from the frozen north and eat anyone he found out in the snows. How often he came at night and when he took someone, there was no trace of them left behind,” Ben told him.

“That sounds a bit like the tale we were told, but with one difference. When anyone goes missing, they turn up later, only dead,” Lawrie replied seriously.

“Did the stories say anything about the beast coming down this way?” Ben asked, now worried about what he heard.

“It never came this far south. Whatever the beast is, it seemed to thrive on the cold,” Lawrie replied.

“Well, that’s a bit of good news!” Ben grinned.

“Indeed. I also have a ... sense for these things,” Lawrie went on.

“A sense?”

“Yes. I don’t know what else you could call it, but if there’s danger nearby, I can sense it. I know it sounds crazy!” Lawrie laughed.

“Not to me. I think you should trust that sense. If it’s kept you alive in the past, then you should trust it. Don’t give a damn what anyone else thinks,” Ben told him.

“Thank you!” Lawrie replied with a smile. He had often been laughed at whenever he explained his sense. Ben telling him it was legit was a breath of fresh air.

“Well, I’m going to call it a night, then. Ylva, you coming?” Ben called out.

“I’ll be along in a bit. Just having some time with the girls,” she replied with a smirk.

“All right. You know where I’ll be,” he said with a smirk before he headed off to the cart.

Ylva smiled at the man, getting herself an eyeful before turning back to Mellany and Tasya. He had been a ... considerate lover, making sure she reached her peak before he sought his. Men like him were so rare, she thought them to be a myth rather than real. She focused back on the women she was speaking to as Mellany rose to her feet.

“I think I too, will get some sleep. It has been a long and exciting day! Hopefully, tomorrow will bring us something better!” Mellany stated as she walked away from the fire.

Ylva smiled, bidding the woman good night, while she, Tasya and Lawrie were still the ones who were left by the fire. Tasya shifted slightly, as there was something on her mind, but she was hesitant to speak it. Ylva gazed at the woman for a moment, following the woman’s eyes, which rested on Lawrie.

“Lawrie, do you mind if we speak alone for a bit?” Ylva asked.

“Not at all. I need to check on the Thunderers anyway,” the man said before he stood up. He was a fair distance away before Ylva turned to Tasya and spoke.

“You seem a little ... nervous,” Ylva commented.

“It is just ... Lawrie wishes to do things with me and ... I...” Tasya sputtered.

The woman then went on about the things that had happened to her. Her time as a concubine, as a slaver’s pet, the treatment she received at their hands, everything. Ylva was floored at the things that had happened to this woman and impressed that she was still alive. That she still retained her sanity after all of this was a testament to her will.

“It’s not easy, going through things that happen to you. Things you have no control of. They can scar you in ways that ... you do not expect,” Ylva replied soothingly, rubbing Tasya’s back.

“Yes, they ... can,” Tasya agreed. “Have ... things happened ... to you?”

“They have. In more ways than I care to count, but I found my way past the pain,” Ylva told the other woman.

“How?”

“By taking solace in several things. Some may hurt me, but who I am will never change, no matter what they may do to me. They can beat me, take me without consent, but as long as I remember who I am, they will never win,” Ylva told her.

“I do not understand,” Tasya replied.

“When those who hurt you do this, they are trying to make you break. Make you do what they wish, so that serving them is the better alternative. To turn you into someone who is meek and willing to obey, not someone who will defy them. You must be willing to endure anything if you are to overcome the pain,” Ylva stated.

“It is ... difficult to ... do this,” Tasya said.

“It is, and it often seems impossible, but it can be done,” Ylva told her.

“What is the first step? To ... bond with my ... husband?” Tasya asked.

“By remembering one simple thing; he is not those men who hurt you. Do me a favor. Close your eyes,” Ylva commanded her new friend. Tasya was reluctant to do so, but seeing as this woman and her companion saved their lives today, she did as she was asked.

“Put everything out of your mind and think of all the good things that have happened to you. All the events that have made you smile. Do you see them?”

“Yes.”

“Who made them happen?” Ylva asked.

“Lawrie and ... Mellany,” Tasya responded.

“Would they ever hurt you? Like the men in your past have?” Ylva asked.

“Never. They have been nothing but kind to me,” Tasya responded immediately.

“Has Lawrie ever done anything to hurt you? As the men from before have?”

“No. He has been nothing but kind and ... patient with me,” Tasya stated.

“Now, I want you to think of the many things that have happened to you and that you were made to do. Those evil men did them to you, but they did it without you wanting it, didn’t they?” Ylva asked.

“Yes, they did, and I didn’t want it. Not from them.”

“Would you do such things for Lawrie? A man who has protected you, kept you safe and alive? Brought you back from the edge of death?” Ylva asked, tenuously.

“Yes ... I would,” Tasya replied as her eyes suddenly opened, with tears coming down her cheeks. “I want him to take me like that. I want good memories from doing those things with him.”

“Do you think you are ready? There is no shame if you aren’t,” Ylva said, hugging the weeping woman.

“No, I am ready. Lawrie and I have been husband and wife for months, and he has been beyond patient with me. He’s waited long enough,” Tasya said as she hugged Ylva back. She then broke away and kissed Ylva on the cheek before sighing happily.

“Thank you for helping me find the last piece I needed,” Tasya replied as tears of joy streamed down her face. “I want to lie with my husband, but...”

“But?”

“I would ask for some ... help?” Tasya asked.

“What do you mean? Help how?” Ylva asked.

“I would like you to ... play with ... me ... like he would ... but he ... watches? At least ... to help me ... become ... ready?” Tasya asked bashfully.

“You like women too?” Ylva wondered, her eyebrows climbing.

“I ... do. Sometimes. Before I was ... hurt ... I would take what ... comforts I could ... with Bellona,” Tasya replied.

“I see. What does this help require, exactly?” Ylva wondered, as she was no stranger to the touch of a woman.

“You and me being ... intimate, in front of him. I would like him to see the things that we can do. One thing I know is that all men ... enjoy ... watching women with other women,” Tasya mumbled.

“That is something that all women know,” Ylva giggled, sharing a secret smile with the woman. “You stay here. I will fetch your husband for you.”

Lawrie was tossing and turning at the very edge of sleep, but it refused to come for him. He sighed and calmed his mind, trying to seek the bliss of slumber, but couldn’t find it. The big man turned about, finding a more comfortable position, and sighing as he was finally finding sleep. Someone knocking on the cart door interrupted that sensation.

“Yes?” he groaned in frustration.

“Lawrie, you need to come outside. Tasya wants to speak to you,” he heard a woman’s voice say.

Lawrie blinked and looked up to where his sister normally slept and saw her passed out in her bunk. The voice had to belong to the other woman, Ylva. He sighed and sat up before he pulled his pants back on and stepped out of the cart. Closing the door behind himself, he looked around for his wife, but saw that she wasn’t there. He glanced about and saw the figure of his wife by the fire.

Wondering what this was about, Lawrie walked on over, but was stunned by what he found when he approached. Tasya wasn’t alone but was with Ylva and sitting by the fire. The thing that shocked him was that she was in a state of undress, with her breasts hanging out and in plain sight. Tasya’s head was turned from him and engaged in kissing Ylva. The other woman had her arms around his wife, hands roaming everywhere.

“It took you long enough to come out here to join us, Lawrie. Do you like what you see?” Ylva asked, her voice pure innocence as she went back to kissing Tasya.

Lawrie couldn’t help but admit to himself that what he was seeing had his blood up. More so than usual, and he gulped and rubbed at his eyes, making sure he wasn’t dreaming. When he felt some sleep crusties come away from his eyes, Lawrie knew he was awake. He witnessed Ylva’s clothes also coming off with Tasya’s, and he drank in every detail of both women.

His pants were suddenly becoming uncomfortable, and he looked down. Lawrie’s cock was straining against his pants, begging to be let free from its confines. He snapped his gaze back to the women and saw that their play had progressed. Ylva’s mouth was on Tasya’s neck, sucking and licking it, while one of her hands was stroking her nether lips.

Tasya moaned and sighed at the stimulation, and so did Lawrie. He rubbed the front of his pants, needing to feel some relief from the strain his dick was causing. Lawrie’s mind was nearly blown when he saw the women kiss, using their tongues creatively. His breathing sped up as he watched Ylva’s fingers disappear into Tasya’s nethers and she squealed.

“Oh! I think your husband requires some attention,” Ylva whispered into Tasya’s ear.

The smaller woman glanced up and saw Lawrie’s cock trying to force its way out of his pants. Smiling, Tasya crooked a finger to her husband, having him come closer. Almost automatically, Lawrie did walk closer, until he was standing right in front of his wife. Ylva then disengaged from Tasya, giving the woman her hands back.

“You’ll need those hands of yours to pleasure your husband. Make him feel good, while I make you ready for him,” Ylva grinned. The married couple stared at Ylva in confusion, until she moved and lay down, setting her mouth on Tasya’s pussy.

“Ylva ... oh!” Tasya peeped as a surge of lust and desire pushed through her.

She threw her head back and moaned in delight, before bringing it back and staring at her husband’s covered dick. Wasting no time, Tasya undid his pants and his cock sprang out, missing her face by less than an inch. The woman’s eyes widened at the size of it! It wasn’t the biggest she’d ever seen, but it was something that she would have a lot of fun with!

Licking her lips, Tasya put them around the head of Lawrie’s dick and sucked gently. A moan of pleasure ripped through the man as his dick vanished into his wife’s mouth. Lawrie had women before he’d met Tasya but had never experienced anything like this! He’d heard other men talk about women sucking their dicks but had yet to have one do this for him! Now, here was the woman who he’d taken as his wife, giving him this gift!

Tasya trembled as Ylva’s licks to her pussy lips heightened her need, want and desire to have someone inside her. She looked up at her husband as she blew him and saw his smiling face. She sighed and kept it locked into her mind, so his face would never waver. This would be a time she would have as one for what she wanted, not what her memories would foist on her.

She stopped giving her husband a blowjob and stood up, her lips seeking his. Ylva moaned happily, seeing Tasya gain confidence in being around her husband. She picked herself up off the ground and picked up her clothes, quietly walking away from the couple. She smiled happily as she watched the progress further, with Lawrie laying his wife on the ground. He lined his cock up with her quim and took her as his own.

Watching this primal act stirred a need in Ylva, and she went looking for Ben. He might be asleep, but Ylva was sure he wouldn’t complain when he saw what she wanted. She headed over to the cart where they would be sleeping, but found the pallet empty. Ylva glanced around, searching for Ben, and found him nearby. He was busy emptying his bladder, and Ylva waited for him to finish.

“Have some fun with Tasya there?” Ben asked, without turning around.

“You saw...” she stuttered.

“Yeah. I didn’t know you were into girls. Now that I know, should I expect you to go off with a woman now and then?” Ben asked, more out of curiosity than accusation.

“Not without you. As fun as having a woman is, it’s not the same without a man to join us,” Ylva answered honestly.

“Hmm! I might have to hold you to that idea!” Ben replied with a lustful smile as he turned to face Ylva.

“You like that sort of thing? Women having each other?” Ylva asked, incredulous.

“Yeah. I think it’s one of the most erotic things a woman can do, is to do something like that in front of a guy. I see Lawrie is reaping the benefits of that,” Ben chuckled while nodding his head in the married couple’s direction. Ylva could see that Tasya was not only taking her husband’s dick into her, but that she was enjoying herself too!

“I’m guessing that you’d like to do the same?” Ylva suggested with a wink.

Without being told and given no warning, Ben kissed the woman and moaned into the kiss. Ylva responded and kissed Ben back, her hands fumbling for his pants, undoing them. Ben’s hands roamed around Ylva’s well muscled body for a moment, before he removed his shirt. Ylva cooed in appreciation at how Ben was hard already, and she licked her lips before hitting her knees.

She sucked Ben’s cock into her mouth, taking the entire shaft in one go. Ylva licked and sucked, slicking the organ up for where it was to go next. She hummed as she did this, and Ben groaned in appreciation of her oral skills. He looked down at the woman before pushing her away for a moment, and she made an indignant sound.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I just have an idea that I would like to try out,” Ben grinned. He then snatched a blanket out of the cart and placed it beneath him before he lay down on the ground. Once he was on the flat of his back, he gestured for Ylva to draw near to him.

“Sit on my face, then lean forward and continue with what you were doing,” the human man told her.

Ylva’s eyes widened for a moment, before she understood what he was asking. She had heard of this before, but had yet to experience it with a man she had lain with. Not wanting to disappoint him, she straddled his head and squatted until her nether lips were over his mouth. She squeaked in delight at the feeling of his tongue on her quim, before settling on her knees and leaned forward.

Taking Ben’s dick in her mouth again, it was interesting to be sucking him off while he ate her out like this. Ylva couldn’t argue with the sensations that rifled through her in that moment, which brought her closer to the edge. She returned the favor by sucking on Ben’s dick hard, and she heard him groan in appreciation.

Her head bobbed up and down on Ben’s tool, slathering it in her saliva. She also played with his balls, massaging his sack as she made him harder than before. Ben’s tongue darted out again and again, licking her inner folds, drawing out her juices. Ylva was leaking constantly, but he lapped up every drop, wanting to taste the woman he held.

Ylva’s eyes caught a glance of Tasya and Lawrie by the fire and she could Tasya taking the lead. She stood on her feet in front of her husband, with her hands on his head. She was drawing him into her nethers and speaking indistinctly, as her chest heaved in desire. Ylva could tell that she was directing Lawrie with what to do to her as he buried his face in her snatch.

She smiled at this, seeing how commanding Tasya was being with her husband. She shivered in delight as she felt a minigasm ripple through her and focused back on sucking Ben’s dick. Ylva popped it out of her mouth and grinned, seeing how thick it was and how it throbbed at her touch. She then stood up and shifted her position, lining her leaky cunt with Ben’s juicy cock.

“Someone wants dick tonight, don’t they?” Ben grinned.

“Oh yes! You are going to fill me with that cock and give it to me, hard!” Ylva told him.

Growling happily, Ben took his tool in hand and lined it up with her slippery cleft. He then pressed the head of it to her steaming hole, which had Ylva moaning in delight. Once he was sure of where he needed to be, Ben shoved it into her with a quick thrust of his hips. Ylva cried out briefly, surprised at the sudden intrusion, but delighted all the same.

“Good boy! You’re learning!” she purred.

“How’s this for learning?” he asked, before turning the tables on the woman.

Ylva squealed briefly as Ben turned her over, taking a dominant position with her. His cock slipped out of her as he set himself on his knees while taking her ass in his hands, lifting her hips off the ground. With his dick standing at full attention, it wasn’t hard for Ben to line himself up with Ylva and slide back into her. She moaned in appreciation and smiled up at Ben, happy to see him taking her like this.

Ben grunted and groaned as he slid in and out of Ylva, thrusting his hips, driving his tool in and out of her clenching quim. The mutant woman shivered and shuddered, as the angles that Ben was hitting was doing plenty to send her off the edge. She gulped and giggled, kneading her pert tits in her hands, trying to draw herself closer to orgasm. Ylva could feel the surge of endorphins through her system, pushing her to her peak.

She could sense that Ben was drawing near his orgasm too, as she could feel his tool throb within her. Seconds later, Ylva felt his seed spill out of him in a torrent, and Ben almost shouted as he came. He stuffed his fist into his mouth and bit down hard, trying to contain his ecstasy. Ylva came seconds after he did, feeling her insides flutter and spasm as her inner walls were basted in his essence.

Ylva tried containing herself, but was failing at it, badly. Breathing rapidly, she grabbed Ben by the neck and dragged him down to her, biting down on his shoulder. He almost yelped at this, but Ylva took his head and directed it at her shoulder. Seeing as he had no other choice, Ben bit down on her shoulder, causing the woman a small amount of pain.

The way her body was trembling and how her pussy flexed, it was well worth the pain she was enduring. They gnawed on each other as they came, riding the tidal wave of pleasure to its very end. They chanced a look over to the fire and saw both Lawrie and Tasya kissing each other fiercely. Ylva could tell that they had come together, as she saw Lawrie’s sizable cock buried in Tasya’s pussy, which was leaking a mixture of both their fluids.

As she turned her gaze back to Ben, Ylva noted that all four of them were being watched. In the shadow of the house cart’s door stood the darkened form of Mellany, staring at the encounters taking place. The woman was naked and had one hand gripping her sizable rack, while the other was buried in her quim. Ylva liked what she saw, looking at the thick woman with interest, but averted her gaze, so the woman didn’t see her.

“You’re looking more than a little happy,” Ben grinned goofily.

“An itch scratched and a plan coming together. Not too bad for a night’s work,” she replied with a sigh. Ben looked over her shoulder and saw Lawrie and Tasya cuddling together by the fire, and chuckled.

“Helped Lawrie get his balls emptied? Nice! Having blue balls is the worst thing in the world for a guy,” Ben stated.

“Blue balls?” the mutant woman wondered.

“A term from my time. It often refers to a man who doesn’t empty himself, and sometimes his balls will turn blue,” Ben told her.

“Hmm. You will have to tell me about what it was like. Living in the Before,” Ylva said to him.

“Well, we have all night. What did you want to hear about first?” Ben asked her.

“What was it like, living in those ... cities?”

“Hmm. Where to begin? Ah, yes! Living in a big city differs greatly from how you would live out in the wild. There are so many things...” Ben started and carried on and on.

Ylva lay there, all starry-eyed and amazed at what she was hearing. Had her ancestors truly lived like that? In cities where there were so many people living it in, that no one was alone? It sounded almost impossible to believe, but she knew Ben was being truthful with her. She hung on his every word, envisioning just what life would be like, living in such a place.

Screaming jolted Samara awake from her dream, the screams of someone who was dying. She blinked against the sleep in her eyes, slowly coming awake, before she started rubbing them. She heard voices outside of her room, frantic voices, as though their owners were unsure of what to do. Samara hopped to her feet and ran to the door, opening it just a hair.

Outside of her room, in the hallway, were two men, each one of them holding a pistol and arguing frantically. At their feet lay a woman, and Samara’s eyes widened in shock and alarm. She feared it was Chelsea at their feet, but after one man kicked at the woman and she flopped over, groaning, Samara got a good look at her face. It wasn’t Chelsea, but it was one of Erica’s people who she had been with in hydroponics.

“What the fuck, man? You said you killed this dumb bitch!” one man with blue eyes fretted.

“I shot her in the chest, so I assumed she was dead!” the other man fired back hotly. He had brown hair and brown eyes, but his otherwise handsome face was contorted in rage.

“Well, I’m gonna finish this cunt!” the first man growled as he cocked his pistol.

“No!” Samara shouted, not meaning to see this happening.

“What ... well, lookie here! It’s that bitch that Jeremy wants!” Blue Eyes said as he approached and threw open the door. “Maybe we get ourselves a piece of her before we hand her over to him.”

“Not a good idea, man! You know what Jeremy would do if he knew what happened to her,” Brown Hair stated.

“I’m fucking sick and tired of doing the shit Jeremy wants us to do! The fucker can rot in Hell for all I care! It’s time I got some new pussy for myself!” Blue Eyes grinned lecherously as he advanced on Samara. Out of nowhere, a gunshot sounded, and Samara yelled as she watched Brown Hair crumple to the ground, a lifeless corpse.

“What the Hell?!?” Blue Eyes screamed as he rounded to see his friend fall.

“That’s exactly where I’m sending you, asshole!” a cool feminine voice told him, before another shot was fired. This time, Blue Eyes’ head exploded, blood and brain matter spraying everywhere. Samara yelped as the spray missed her and the bullet imbedded itself in the wall. She hyperventilated until she saw who her savior was and calmed down instantly.

“Chels?!?”

“Hey Sambo. I guess the plan’s changed, huh?” Chelsea told her with a wry smirk.

“Ya think?? What happened? What the fuck started this chaos??” Samara asked.

“If I had to guess, one of Erica’s people probably got a little antsy and started shit a lot sooner than he should have. Nothing for it, Sambo! It’s now or never!” Chelsea told her.

“Let’s get our asses in gear, then! But what about her?” Samara asked, gesturing to the fallen woman.

“Oh shit! Tina!” Chelsea cried out before rushing to the woman’s side. “Sam, can you help her at all?”

“Hang on,” the ebony woman replied, tearing open the fallen woman’s shirt. “Damn! She got really fucking lucky!”

“How do you mean?” Chelsea asked worriedly.

“The bullet hit her in one of the few spots that it’s best to be hit! It missed her heart and lungs by an inch! There’s an exit wound, but a quick patch up and she should be OK! Help me get her to the bed!” Samara urged her friend.

Chelsea helped Samara pick the wounded woman up and brought her into the room that Samara was staying in. Using some clean shirts, soap and water, she cleaned Tina up as best as she could, while creating a rudimentary bandage for her. Tina was still coherent, but losing consciousness.

“Sam, we need to go!” Chelsea implored her.

“We can’t just leave her alone! She’ll die if she doesn’t have someone to watch her!” Samara argued.

“We can look after her,” a male voice said from the doorway. Samara gasped when she saw two men who were standing there. It was the jerks from the gym!

“You!”

“Relax, Sam. It’s just Jake and Zane. Their Erica’s guys on the inside,” Chelsea told her.

“What?!? But they...” Samara started.

“Had to play the part of one of his guards, or it would have looked suspicious. Sorry we startled you like we did, but we had to roll along with what the others are up to,” Jake said apologetically.

“Is the way clear to the Control Room?” Chelsea asked.

“For the moment, yeah. We’ve got a firefight going on near one of the main rec areas, but we snuck away to help with getting to the Control Room,” Zane replied.

“So, what’s the plan on getting to the Control Room then?” Samara wondered.

“Simple. I march the two of you in front of me with my gun drawn. Ron will see this on the feeds and let us in. From there, it should be easy enough to overpower him,” Jake told them.

“All right. Zane, you’ll stay here with Tina?” Chelsea asked.

“Yeah. Is she going to be all right?” the man asked.

“Just keep her awake by any means necessary. I’ve patched the wound as best as I can, but she will need proper medical attention to close it,” Samara told him.

“One of our number is a doctor, so he should be able to look after her. Come on you two, we’re running out of time,” Jake urged the two friends.

“He’s right, Sam. We need to go, now!” Chelsea stated, as she tucked her sidearm in the back of her pants.

“All right. Let’s do this,” Samara agreed.

Jake drew his gun and marched the women out in front of him. He kept his weapon trained on them, staying far enough away so they wouldn’t try anything. That was the illusion they had to maintain, anyway. Jake directed them along a roundabout route, avoiding any potential encounters or scuffles that were going on through the facility. They eventually came to the familiar area where the control room was located.

“Ron! You need to open up! Caught these two mucking around in places they shouldn’t be!” he shouted, while pounding on the door. The door opened maybe a few seconds later, with Ron looking harried and distressed.

“Jake! What the fuck are you doing here?? And with these two?!?” Ron asked hurriedly as he let them into the room.

“Jeremy’s orders were to find these two and bring them here! He didn’t want them getting caught in the fucking crossfire!” Jake argued as they walked in.

“That’s funny. I didn’t get any orders like that,” Ron stated as he pulled a gun out from behind the door and pointed it at Jake.

“Ron, what the...” Jake started.

“Did you think I was that stupid? I saw your little conversation with these two at the door to Samara’s room. I know that you’re part of this ‘resistance’,” Ron accused, as his finger tightened on the trigger. A shot rang out and Samara yelped as blood splattered the equipment behind Ron.

“Chelsea...” Ron breathed as the bloodstain on his shirt spread quickly, his heart pumping what blood it could out of his body.