Chapter 9

The most frightening times on the island were during tropical storms. Maria and I would huddle together, clutching each other as torrential rain battered the metal shed, praying it would withstand the strong winds.

After one such storm, I stumbled upon a large rock while hunting. The rain had washed away the dirt covering it. What caught my attention was the exposed side. It was almost flat. I dug it out and hauled it back to the shed.

It took several days using inappropriate tools to chisel my father's name and the year he died on it. When done, I dragged the tombstone out back and planted it at the head of my father's grave. Then I looked up to the heavens.

"That was a neat trick uncovering your tombstone," I said. "So you held me to my promise. I wish you would have found another way, though. That storm was a doozy. It really messed up the campsite. There's so much cleanup to do and Maria isn't feeling well. Did you have to make it rain so hard?"

I stood up, but dropped back to a knee.

"About Mom. If you're watching, don't be mad at me. It's been hard. Mom's, well, she's kind of messed up. I'm doing the best I can."

I returned out front to see Maria's nude body doubled over. She was vomiting. That was a common occurrence lately so she had a designated puking place. It was downwind and far enough away not to stink up the area. But close enough for her to reach in time.

After rinsing her mouth in the stream, Maria sat next to me. I placed the back of my hand on her forehead.

"I don't get it," I said. "You don't feel like you have a fever. But you must be sick."

Maria took my hand and clasped it between hers. She looked at her lap and then back at me. "I'm not sick."

"You must be sick. You throw up all the time."

"Only in the morning. I think I'm pregnant."

My jaw dropped and I looked at her bronze belly. Our clothes were getting raggedy so we didn't wear them all the time.

"How do you know?" I asked.

"I don't. I mean, I'm not sure. But I've been throwing up every morning and it's been a while since I had a period."

"Oh." I said it softly, sort of to myself.

"I thought you'd be happy. Isn't it what you wanted?"

"I guess."

"What the hell does that mean?"

I looked into Maria's eyes, and then reached for her. She swatted my arms away and crossed hers. I placed my palm on her cheek. She jerked her head back.

"You're mad at me," I said.

"Damn right."

"Maria, it is what I wanted. It's just— I'm afraid."

"You don't have to give birth. I'm stuck doing that."

"And that's what scares me. Will I know what to do when the time comes?"

"Well, there's nothing we can do about it now."

"You don't sound happy," I said.

"Not after your reaction."

I pulled her to me. She struggled to break free, but I held her tight. After a while she relaxed in my embrace.

"We'll get through it," I said. "Dad's watching over us so he'll make sure. We'll do it together." I paused before saying, "Do you want a boy or girl?"

"I don't care. What about you?"

"A boy."

"Why?"

"I need someone to take over when I'm gone. Like I did when my father died."

There was silence and then I felt Maria trembling. Sobs followed.

"I told you, it'll be okay," I said.

"That's not why I'm crying."

"Then why?"

"You gave up. You don't think we'll be found. Ever."

"I didn't say that."

"Yes you did. Just now. That's what you meant."

"If that happens, it's not the end of the world. We have each other and we'll have a family. We won't be alone."

"How long have we been here?" Maria asked.

"I don't know. It seems like forever."

"Do you still love me?"

"Of course. Why would you even ask?"

"Well, you're kinda stuck with me. I'm the only one here."

"Maria, I love you. More now than before. More each day. You're my whole world."

"And what about the baby?"

"We'll be a family. We'll all love each other."

"I feel guilty."

"Why?"

"I'm creating a person that will have no hope."

"What do you mean?"

"We're not gonna be rescued. So our child will be trapped here."

"He won't feel trapped. It will be the only life he knows."

"He, if it's a he, won't have friends. Won't fall in love. Won't have children."

"We'll have more children. They'll be friends. They'll have each other."

"And children?"

"They'll have to—"

Maria waited for me to finish. When I didn't, she said, "Have to what?"

"They'll have to love each other like that."

"Oh my god! You're gonna teach them to fuck each other?"

"What choice do we have?"

"Oh my god. This is so wrong."

"Was it wrong for Adam and Eve's children?"

"That's different. There wasn't anyone else."

"So why's that different from our situation?"

"What if it's a girl?"

"So she'll be older than her brother."

"But what if we don't have a boy?"

"Then I'll teach the girl what I would teach a boy. I'd probably do that even if she had a brother."

"I mean, who will get her pregnant?"

My breath caught. I looked to the left and then at the ground. I released Maria and stared at her. "Enough of the what ifs. Let's live one day at a time."

"But—"

"No buts. We'll do what we have to."

I cupped her face in my hands and kissed her lips. Then I pressed my ear to her belly. She giggled.

"How pregnant do you think you are?" I said.

"No idea. We should have continued keeping your father's calendar."

"Yeah. We don't even know when it's our birthdays. There's no change of season here."

"We'll start a calendar when the baby is born," Maria said.

I leaned down and said to her belly, "Hear that? Your birth will be the beginning of our calendar. Like Jesus."

"That's sacrilegious," Maria said. "So now you think you're God."

I kissed her belly again, and then my lips travelled higher until I was kissing her breasts. "I guess I better get my fill of these before they belong to the baby."

I sucked her nipple. Maria moaned. I guided her onto her back and knelt next to her, never taking my mouth off her breast. Her hand went to the back of my head.

I licked and nibbled each breast in turn, sometimes kissing her belly. The belly my baby was growing in. Soon Maria's fingers gripped my hair and yanked my head up. Our mouths met and we kissed.

"Let's go inside," Maria said. "It's cleaner."

She flew past me and disappeared into the shed. When I entered, I found her stretched out on our tarp. Mom was lying nude, oblivious to the commotion.

"I'm taking my mother outside," I said.

Maria pouted. "But I thought we were going to..."

"I'll be right back. I just want her to get some fresh air."

Maria placed her feet flat on the tarp and spread her raised knees. She used two fingers to pull her labia apart, showing me the pink hole. "Hurry back."

I snatched Mom's shirt off the tarp and scooped her up. She bounced in my arms as I rushed out of the shed. Maria had bathed her the day before so I spread the shirt on the ground next to the shed. No sense getting her backside dirty. I sat her on the shirt and leaned her against the wall. The fresh air would be good for her. The sun too. Vitamin D and all that.

When I reentered the shed, Maria was staring up at the ceiling with her hands clasped behind her head and her legs straight and spread. I dropped to my knees next to her and leaned over, pressing my lips to hers. She thrust her tongue into my mouth.

I swung a leg over hers, turning to lie lengthwise on top of her, and followed it with my other leg. Maria slid her feet towards her butt which raised her knees. When I entered her, her legs flew into the air and snapped around my waist.

"You feel so good," Maria said. "I need you."

I slowly pulled my hips back and reentered her. After the second time, Maria's legs tightened around me and pulled.

"Do it hard," she said. "I want you so much. I'll die if you don't."

I pulled out and rammed my cock back into her. Maria grunted.

"Like that?" I asked.

"Yes. Even more. I want to know you want me."

"Maria, I always want you."

"Yeah now. But what about when I'm fat and ugly?"

"You'll always be beautiful. Especially when you have our baby in your belly."

"I'll be fat."

"You'll be pregnant."

"I don't care. Right now I need you to fuck me hard. Like I'm the only girl you lust for."

I pulled out and my buttocks clenched as I thrust into her as hard as I could. Maria closed her eyes and bit her lower lip. I pounded her pussy. With her legs locked around my waist, clinging to me, each time I pulled out I ended up lifting her off the ground. And then when I rammed my cock into her, I slammed her onto the tarp.

Maria grunted so much I thought I was hurting her, but she didn't tell me to stop. Sweat poured down my cheeks. It dripped into my eyes and stung. My mouth was dry. My nostrils flared with each deep breath. I kept fucking her, harder than I ever had. I clenched my teeth. All the while my hips were a blur, lifting Maria up and slamming her back down.

Maria screamed. Loud. Her eyes opened, but all I saw were the whites. Her mouth opened too as her head tilted back. The tendons on her neck bulged. Every one of them. Her pussy gripped my dick. Again and again. Even more than my mother's did. That sent me over and I rammed into her one last time and held it there. Pubes crushed against pubes. My dick all the way inside her. Her pussy spasming in an orgasm, milking my cock. My sperm blasted into her.

I collapsed on top of Maria. Our sweaty bodies were slippery so I slid to the side. That was probably good because I was heavy. We lay there panting.

I rolled onto my back and stared up at the ceiling. We had never fucked like that. Were we turning into animals?

Maria placed a hand on my arm. I turned towards her. Her mouth was still open, sucking in air. Her chest rising and falling. She smiled. That warmed my heart. I leaned over and kissed her lips. Just a peck. A soft, loving kiss.

"Thanks," she said.

"For what?"

"For wanting me."

After I caught my breath, I said, "I need to rinse off. Too tired to go to the bathing area. I'll do it right here."

I kissed her lips one more time before clambering to my feet. Smiling, I strolled out the door heading for the stream. Life was good. About halfway there, I stopped. My mind played back something. Something I should have paid attention to as I exited the shed. I turned and gasped.

Mom was gone.

"Maria! Maria!" I screamed.

I turned right. Looked left. Twisted to look behind me. I ran a few steps one way and then the other. Maria came out of the shed.

"She's gone," I said. Then I formed a megaphone with my hands and yelled through it, "Mom! Mom!"

Maria scanned the area. "Oh my god. How?"

I didn't answer. I ran to the back of the shed. Not there. I continued around until I was back in the front. My stomach hurt. My legs were weak.

"Where could she have gone?" Maria asked.

I looked around again. I felt so helpless. This was not possible.

"I'm going to look for her," I said.

"Where?"

I looked around again. "I don't know. Shit. Shit, shit, shit."

"Let's split up," Maria said. "You go upstream. I'll go downstream."

"What if she didn't stay near the stream?"

"Then we'll look other places. But we have to start somewhere."

I didn't answer. I spun around and sprinted to the water. Then I ran upstream, looking right and left. That didn't work. After tripping and falling twice, I walked briskly. Even that caused me to stumble. I couldn't look down. I had to find her.

The bathing area was now close. Maybe she was there. It was a familiar place. But was any place familiar to her? I started running anyway. If she wasn't there how would we ever find her? I tripped. Stumbled as I tried to catch my balance. Fell. Jumped to my feet and ran. The bushes scratched my naked skin. I wished I had put clothes on. Especially sneakers. I kept running. Almost there.