{"id":3372,"date":"2019-03-22T14:08:57","date_gmt":"2019-03-22T18:08:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.beydeckard.com\/blog\/?p=3372"},"modified":"2022-07-23T10:51:49","modified_gmt":"2022-07-23T14:51:49","slug":"the-wanderer-part-nine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/the-wanderer-part-nine\/","title":{"rendered":"The Wanderer &#8211; Part Nine"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.beydeckard.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/W9.png?resize=600%2C434\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"434\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><em>Author\u2019s Note:<br>This is an unedited, ongoing serial that will  eventually be published in novel form. Plot\/characters\/elements are  subject to change as it is being written. It\u2019s currently in 1st  person\/present tense, but I may change it to past tense, excluding the first chapter which will act as an intro. <strong>Read at your own discretion and take note of story tags below<\/strong>.<\/em><br><br><strong>Genre:<\/strong> Post-Apocalyptic sci-fi <br><strong>Tags: <\/strong>prostitution, graphic sex, large age gap, violence, theft, drug\/alcohol abuse, depression, rape, gang rape, cannibalism, murder, incest, child\/infant death and abuse, general abuse, (more to be added as the story goes)<\/p>\n\n\n<ul id=\"menu-wanderer\" class=\"menu\"><li id=\"menu-item-4605\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-custom menu-item-object-custom menu-item-4605\"><a href=\"https:\/\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/the-wanderer-1\/\">Part One<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-4606\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-custom menu-item-object-custom menu-item-4606\"><a href=\"https:\/\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/the-wanderer-part-two\/\">Part Two<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-4607\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-custom menu-item-object-custom menu-item-4607\"><a href=\"https:\/\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/the-wanderer-part-three\/\">Part Three<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-4608\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-custom menu-item-object-custom menu-item-4608\"><a href=\"https:\/\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/the-wanderer-part-four\/\">Part Four<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-4609\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-custom menu-item-object-custom menu-item-4609\"><a href=\"https:\/\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/the-wanderer-part-five\/\">Part Five<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-4610\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-custom menu-item-object-custom menu-item-4610\"><a href=\"https:\/\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/the-wanderer-part-six\/\">Part Six<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-4611\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-custom menu-item-object-custom menu-item-4611\"><a href=\"https:\/\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/the-wanderer-part-seven\/\">Part Seven<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-4612\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-custom menu-item-object-custom menu-item-4612\"><a href=\"https:\/\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/the-wanderer-part-eight\/\">Part Eight<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-4613\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-custom menu-item-object-custom menu-item-4613\"><a href=\"https:\/\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/the-wanderer-part-nine\/\">Part Nine<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-4614\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-custom menu-item-object-custom menu-item-4614\"><a href=\"https:\/\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/the-wanderer-part-ten\/\">Part Ten<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-4615\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-custom menu-item-object-custom menu-item-4615\"><a href=\"https:\/\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/the-wanderer-part-eleven\/\">Part Eleven<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-4616\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-custom menu-item-object-custom menu-item-4616\"><a href=\"https:\/\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/the-wanderer-part-twelve\/\">Part Twelve<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-4617\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-custom menu-item-object-custom menu-item-4617\"><a href=\"https:\/\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/the-wanderer-part-thirteen\/\">Part Thirteen<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-4618\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-custom menu-item-object-custom menu-item-4618\"><a href=\"https:\/\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/the-wanderer-part-fourteen\/\">Part Fourteen<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-4619\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-custom menu-item-object-custom menu-item-4619\"><a href=\"https:\/\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/the-wanderer-part-fifteen\/\">Part Fifteen<\/a><\/li>\n<li id=\"menu-item-4620\" class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-custom menu-item-object-custom menu-item-4620\"><a href=\"https:\/\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/the-wanderer-part-sixteen\/\">Part Sixteen<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSo, who is he?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Finally<\/em>. I look\nover at Pytre. He\u2019s lying on his cot, staring at the ceiling like I\u2019ve been\ndoing for the past hour. \u201cRemember the Gulchtown boy-whore?\u201d I ask.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Slowly, Pytre turns to face me, his hazel eyes wide. \u201cHow is\nhe alive?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I figure he means the withdrawal and rapid aging. I think about all the cock-sucking and decide to keep my mouth shut. \u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHe should be dead.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYeah.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A few seconds click by and I try not to squirm under Pytre\u2019s\nshrewd gaze.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat is he to you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Well, <em>technically<\/em>\nApple\u2019s my property, seeing as how I bought him and all, but I\u2019m not sure\nthat\u2019s what Pytre wants to hear. \u201cWe travel together,\u201d I say gruffly. \u201cAnd what\nabout you? How are you still alive?\u201d I think about the cannibals and add,\n\u201cbecause of the drug, I mean. Isn\u2019t it the same as Apple\u2019s?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHis name is Apple?\u201d Pytre\u2019s somber expression finally cracks for the first time in days and he lets out a little laugh. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I smile at him. \u201cYeah. Stupid name.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cPoor kid.\u201d Pytre shakes his head with another soft chuckle.\nHe shrugs. \u201cI\u2019m not on any drugs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I frown, confused. \u201cYou\u2019re... not?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou said you were.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI did not. As I recall, I stated that the Disciples of Rime and the whores of Gulchtown take something similar. I never said I did.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I wipe my hand over my mouth, staring at him. I\u2019d been\nassuming all along that he could possibly be as old as thirty\u2026 But then Ghest had\nbeen forty and looked like a wizened, crusty old man-child. Pytre is still a\nfresh-faced teen. I feel uncomfortable and look away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSorry, I just figured...\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m nineteen.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Alright so he <em>is<\/em> older than he looks, but not by much. \u201cOk.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAt least I think I am. I came wandering into the compound\nwhen I was just barely walking age, they said,\u201d Pytre murmurs. I look over\nagain and see he\u2019s got his eyes closed. \u201cA one-year-old, alone in the\nwastelands. They searched for a week for my parents and found no trace. I was a\nmiracle... given to them by Rime himself, they said. Maybe Rime reborn.\u201d He\nlaughed. \u201cWhat a crock of shit.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My frown deepens. I\u2019m no believer, and it <em>is<\/em> a crock of shit, but it bothers me hearing Pytre talk this way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThey raised you.\u201d Would account for what I had perceived\nwas a long life of worship. Hard not to absorb some of that serenity when\nyou\u2019re fed it from age one. I wish Pytre could find a little of that serenity\nnow. I have no idea what to say to take the hurt away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThey did, yes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Again, we lapse into uncomfortable silence. We\u2019re saved by the door banging open and Apple trudging in, his jaws parted in a cavernous yawn. He sees me lying on the second cot and sighs dramatically. \u201cNo, no, don\u2019t get up. Really. It\u2019s not like I\u2019m the only one working these days.\u201d He leans over and yanks the pillow out from under my head. He throws it down, kicking dirty clothes out of the way, and stretches out on his back on the hard floor. He\u2019s wearing a bright-green sleeveless jumpsuit, open to just above his groin. A patch of crinkly blond hair is visible above the zipper. Sighing, he folds his hands behind his head and closes his eyes. \u201cActually, I\u2019ve been bent over backwards for the better part of an hour. This feels nice.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cTurk again?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>His eyes snap open and he shoots me a look that\u2019s either\ndefensive or nervous. \u201cYeah, why?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAren\u2019t worried your ass is going to fall out?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMy ass is just fine.\u201d He frowns and looks away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019ve been assuming the way he\u2019s been acting the past few\ndays is because of Pytre, but maybe it\u2019s something else. I look over at Pytre\nand he\u2019s gone back to staring at the ceiling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cDid you pay the water bill?\u201d I ask Apple. We\u2019re down to one\njug of potable water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNo.\u201d Apple\u2019s forehead wrinkles up and he lifts himself up\non his elbows, staring hard at me. \u201cTurnbull said to say he knows who you are,\nand we can get our water elsewhere. But he didn\u2019t say it so nice as that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cFuck.\u201d I rub my face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat the hell does he mean?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s nothing,\u201d I say, shaking my head. Maybe Pytre\u2019ll be\nwell enough to secure a new source of water tomorrow. He\u2019s got an honest face\nand I have to stop showing mine if we want to stay alive. \u201cNever mind.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI wanna know.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cGo the fuck to sleep,\u201d I growl.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAsher hasn\u2019t told you who he is?\u201d Pytre asks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWho\u2019s Asher?\u201d Apple asks, turning to the Rimer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The look on Pytre\u2019s face is almost comically confused. \u201cHe\nis,\u201d he says, gesturing to me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Apple\u2019s mismatched eyes find me again. I can\u2019t help but\nlaugh. It never occurred to me to tell him my name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cCael Asher,\u201d I say.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Apple studies me for a few seconds and turns back to Pytre.\n\u201cWhy\u2019d he tell <em>you<\/em> his name?\u201d His\ntone is peevish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHe didn\u2019t have to. He\u2019s well known.\u201d Pytre smiles at me.\n\u201cHe\u2019s the man who saved the human race.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I scoff and turn over in the cot, facing away. I have half a\nmind to leave, but if Pytre\u2019s going to give Apple a history lesson, I should\nstay here and make sure he gets the facts straight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThen, why do they spit in his food?\u201d Apple asks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cBecause he couldn\u2019t save all of them,\u201d Pytre says quietly.\n\u201cWhat do you know of the last days of Earth?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOnly a little bit. My people weren\u2019t from Earth.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOf course, your people were from Earth. You\u2019re human,\nstupid\u2026\u201d I mumble, eyes closed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cBertchel says I weren\u2019t born there and neither was the\nwhore that whelped me,\u201d Apple replies, sounding annoyed, but a few seconds\nlater he adds, \u201cSo, what happened to Earth?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAbout forty years ago, something called a \u2018catastrophic climate event\u2019 happened on Earth. No one knows exactly what triggered it, but there was no stopping it. The world was ending,\u201d Pytre tells him. \u201cNo one could decide what to do and no one could agree when Doomsday was. The world was in chaos.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My eyes are shut tight now and I\u2019m trying to keep the memories from getting their hooks into me. Half the planet was in flames by the time the World Government collapsed. Sometimes, when I\u2019m overtired, the smell of a campfire makes my hands shake and my bladder feel real weak. I see burning bodies in my dreams.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cCorporal Asher and a dozen soldiers seized control of a buildyard\nwhere there were finished colony ships just sitting there empty. He got them fueled\nup and sent out a message: <em>We are leaving\nthe world<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I swallow and cross my arms, gritting my teeth. I\u2019d been only\na year older than Pytre when I stood before that swelling crowd of hopefuls. Somehow\nin all the mayhem I\u2019d found clarity and purpose. We couldn\u2019t wait for a failed government\nto save us. We had to save ourselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cPeople started arriving. Little by little at first, then by the busload,\u201d I say quietly, taking over the story. I don\u2019t bother turning to face them. I don't want them to see the pain I know is plastered all over my face. \u201cThere were tents as far as the eye could see\u2026 too many people for twenty-nine ships. We barred the gates to the buildyard, but they kept coming, right over the razor wire.\u201d I frown, thinking about the disorder and confusion of those last days. \u201cPeople were killing each other over food and space. A platoon arrived, Marines\u2026 they tried to retake the ships, but the people just tore them limb from limb. Half the Leaders of the World Government were telling us to wait, the other half wanted me in front of a firing squad. Some of the colonies were vowing to keep us from ever reaching their orbits. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThen... the earthquakes got worse. Six ships were lost when the ground collapsed beneath them... lost about a thousand people too, maybe more. We couldn't wait any longer\u2026 so we had a lottery.\u201d I shake my head slowly. That had wasted so much goddamn time. \u201cI took forty thousand with me. I left the rest to burn.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The silence is dense in our small hostel room, then I hear\nthe other cot creak and feel Pytre\u2019s hand land softly on my shoulder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe human race owes you a debt.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat if I left too soon? What if I could have taken more?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d asks Apple. \u201cSounds like you got out of\nthere, nicky-time-like.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s no way to tell if the world <em>did<\/em> end, or if I pulled the trigger too soon.\u201d I open my eyes and turn onto my back. I never burden anyone with the shit in my head\u2014why the fuck am I doing it now? \u201cToo many ships passing through the wormhole collapsed it. There\u2019s no way back. What if I was wrong? What if Earth was around for another month? Another half-year? We could have built more ships. Could have saved more.\u201d The loadmaster had said the same thing, over and over, until he let himself out the airlock one night. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pytre\u2019s mouth twitches to the side and he shakes his head,\nhis expression sympathetic. \u201cLike you said, there\u2019s no way to know. You know\nyou did the right thing\u2026 besides, could the colonies have supported more than\nwhat you brought with you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I curl my lip at him. \u201cThat\u2019s bullcrap and you know it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cSorry\u2026 I don\u2019t know what to say and I\u2019m afraid if I quote\nRime you\u2019re going to punch me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I blink. I\u2019d as soon cut off my balls than lay a hand on Pytre, but Apple decides then to put in his two credits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe past is dead\u2026 why\u2019re you still fucking a corpse?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Eyebrows raised, I look over at Apple. He\u2019s sitting cross-legged next to Pytre on the other cot, his chin on his fists and his blond curls shadowing his eyes. Blocking out the past is probably the only thing that gets him up in the mornings\u2014I can\u2019t imagine his life has been anything short of a nightmare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou saved the humans. Yippee\u2026\u201d he says in a flat voice, then gives me a little grin. \u201cDid you get a shiny medal?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I shake my head, but Pytre does the honours for me. \u201cWhen\nthey arrived, the colonial council stripped him of his rank, citizenship, and\nsentenced him to two hundred years hard labour in the asteroid mines.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Apple whistles low. \u201cOuch. But\u2026 I thought you saved the\nhuman race?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIn light of that feat, they reduced the sentence. I did thirty years.\u201d Thirty years digging tungsten out of a crater in the dark, alone except for the stars and the hiss of oxygen in my ears. Feels like a dream now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThat\u2019s not fair,\u201d Apple says, his expression subdued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s not,\u201d I agree. \u201cThey should have put a bullet between\nmy eyes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pytre and Apple share a glance and I sigh, sitting up. I scratch\nthe back of my head and shrug. \u201cNow you know why they spit in my food.\u201d I roll\nmy shoulders, feeling stiff. \u201cBest you two get some shuteye. I\u2019ll go deal with the\nwater situation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>+++<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>An hour later, I\u2019m back at the hostel having secured enough water rations for a week. I don\u2019t like dealing with off-market water merchants\u2014who knows if we'll get sick drinking the crap they sell\u2014but it\u2019s not like we have a lot of choice at this point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I key in the code and push open the door to see that both Pytre and Apple are fast asleep on their respective cots, leaving me the floor. With a sigh, I pull off my dusty jacket then unlace my boots, stretching out on the cold grey laminate. I\u2019m exhausted, but not tired, so I lie there trying to clear my thoughts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After a while, I feel like I\u2019m being watched\u2014I look over and\nsee that Apple is awake. He stares at me for a few seconds, his face devoid of\nexpression, then quietly gets out of bed. I frown as he undoes the rest of the\nzipper on the green jumpsuit and lets it fall to the floor. Naked, he stands\nover me and I\u2019m surprised to see that his dick is hard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I glance over at Pytre as Apple straddles my thighs. The\nRimer is dead asleep but Apple reaches over my head and taps the light, dimming\nit further.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat are you doing?\u201d I mouth. Of their own accord, my hands find Apple\u2019s pert backside. He sighs softly and arches back as I squeeze his warm flesh. He feels good. Just as I\u2019m about to open my mouth to ask Apple again what he\u2019s up to, he leans forward and presses his lips to mine. For a moment I don\u2019t do anything, but he moves his mouth insistently, his hands around the back of my neck, and I can\u2019t help but let him in. I close my eyes, tentatively moving my own tongue against his as he settles his weight on me. I don\u2019t remember the last time I kissed like this. I let him breathe for me for a bit and my tongue gets bolder. Apple tastes like lemon for some reason. It's sort of nice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My dick is waking up, but it\u2019s as confused as I am. This isn\u2019t fucking\u2026 this feels like that other thing that people do. That word that I won\u2019t use because I have no business saying it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Apple pulls back to look down at me, his eyes sparkling in the dark. He\u2019s breathing as hard as I am. I move my hands, stroking them up his back, his skin so smooth against my hands. I like the feel of his nakedness on me. Experimentally, I scratch his back lightly and I\u2019m rewarded with a hushed groan\u2014I remember I\u2019ve done this to someone before, long ago. My hands take over, rusty muscle memory at best, and slide down his back, cup his buttocks, squeeze, then rake his thighs gently with my nails again. He sits up straighter, rocking his pelvis, so I shift my hands to his waist, thumbs stroking his taut belly, then slide my palms up his chest. His nipples are hard between my fingers and when I give them a good pinch, he gasps quietly. I want to kiss him again, take my time with it, but his hands are at my belt and in a matter of seconds, he\u2019s freed my cock. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Panting, I\u2019m running my hands up and down his thighs\u2014distracted, involuntary movements because my entire focus is on Apple spitting on his fingers and reaching back, his eyes half lidded. He\u2019s up on his knees, one hand around the base of my cock to guide it, and pauses with a smile\u2026 then he sinks down, his ass swallowing my dick down to the balls in one smooth motion. Fucking hell, that\u2019s sweet. I close my eyes, stifling a moan, and breathe out slowly, savouring the feeling of my cock buried deep. When I look up, he\u2019s staring down at me, his expression somber, unreadable. He slips his hands beneath the hem of my shirt and strokes them up my belly, his fingers raking through the thick, greying hair there and up onto my pecs\u2026 then he starts to move. My hands find his waist again and I can feel the rhythmic rolling of his hips and pelvis as he rises and falls, fucking me at an unhurried pace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My heart is beating so fast I\u2019m breathless\u2014he rises up to\npause with just the tip of my dick threatening to slip out, and I groan, pulling\nhim down so I can bury myself back to the hilt inside his slick hole. My chest\nstarts to hurt, and for a second I\u2019m worried that I\u2019m having a heart attack. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hey, it\u2019s not a bad way to go, blowing my last load into a good-looking\nkid like Apple\u2014but the pain passes and I chalk it up to how hard I\u2019m tensing\u2026\nthe pace is so slow it\u2019s a tease, and I need more. I grab the back of his neck and\npull him down, eagerly kissing him again as he opens his lips to meet mine, and\nI take over the pace, thrusting up into him hard until he\u2019s gasping the air\nright out of my lungs and the slap of skin-on-skin is loud enough that I worry\nit will wake Pytre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At the last second, I turn my head, breaking away from Apple\u2019s hungry mouth, and clench my teeth as I empty my balls inside him, biting back a deep groan of pleasure. Shit, when was the last time I felt this good? Maybe never. The aftershocks jerk my legs out straight and I\u2019m twitching and shuddering beneath Apple, trying to catch my breath as he smiles down at me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>His dick is still hard, but he hasn\u2019t cum yet. Can\u2019t have\nthat. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I sit up, arms looping through his to coax him backwards\nonto the floor and I lay beside him, kissing him for a bit. My hand strokes his\nshaft and up over the head to catch the dribble of precum, using it to swipe my\nthumb back and forth over his banjo string, before returning to a firm grip to\nstart all over again. I know I\u2019m pretty good at this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019re driving me crazy, old man,\u201d I hear him whisper. Grinning, I keep playing with his dick a while, teasing him until he\u2019s trembling and covered in a sheen of sweat. I kiss him again, breathing in those raspy breaths for a moment, then move down his body, kissing and nibbling\u2014first his neck, then a nipple between my teeth and I bite harder. Apple makes a sharp noise and I can\u2019t tell if he\u2019s objecting or enjoying it, but I don\u2019t linger to find out. My mouth finds the head of his dick and I lap up the salty drop at its tip before rubbing my lips over the smooth skin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Apple\u2019s hips twist and his pelvis jerks up, his desire making\nhim greedy, so I slide my finger into his ass at the same time as I suck down\nhis cock\u2014he lets out a quiet whimper, bucking his hips again as my finger slips\nfurther into his cum-slick hole to tickle his prostate. I feel the head of his\ncock swell in my mouth and he\u2019s shaking so hard it\u2019s almost like he\u2019s\nvibrating, so I push a second finger inside him and press on his gland, my tongue\nand lips working him faster now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It doesn't take long. Apple gasps and my mouth fills with his seed, salty and bitter, and I swallow it down as his ass clenches down over my knuckles. Drawing back when his body goes limp, I swallow again and pull my fingers out of him. His eyes are closed and he\u2019s smiling from ear to ear. After a minute or so, he cracks an eyelid, finding me in the dim light. His smile slips.    <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThank you,\u201d he whispers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There\u2019s something funny about the way he says it, like he\u2019s\nthanking me for more than taking care of his dick. \u201cDon\u2019t mention it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI mean it,\u201d Apple says. Then he sits up and kisses me\nagain, but this time it\u2019s a quiet kiss, and for some reason that worries me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cOk,\u201d I say awkwardly when he pulls away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>His forehead wrinkles up as he stares at me with those striking\neyes, then his expression shifts into its usual combination of sass and good\nhumour. \u201cBut, you know, a good blow-job doesn\u2019t mean you get the bed,\u201d Apple says\nwith a wink. He climbs on to the cot, still naked and collapses on his stomach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cRight.\u201d I sigh and stretch out again on the floor, tucking\nmy dick back into my pants. Pytre is still fast asleep, his breathing deep and\nmeasured, and I\u2019m glad he missed\u2026 whatever that was. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bemused, I close my eyes\u2014I can\u2019t tell whether I\u2019d like a repeat or if I\u2019d like to forget it ever happened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-css-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n<ul id=\"menu-wanderer-1\" class=\"menu\"><li class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-custom menu-item-object-custom menu-item-4605\"><a href=\"https:\/\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/the-wanderer-1\/\">Part One<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-custom menu-item-object-custom menu-item-4606\"><a href=\"https:\/\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/the-wanderer-part-two\/\">Part Two<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-custom menu-item-object-custom menu-item-4607\"><a href=\"https:\/\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/the-wanderer-part-three\/\">Part Three<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-custom menu-item-object-custom menu-item-4608\"><a href=\"https:\/\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/the-wanderer-part-four\/\">Part Four<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-custom menu-item-object-custom menu-item-4609\"><a href=\"https:\/\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/the-wanderer-part-five\/\">Part Five<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-custom menu-item-object-custom menu-item-4610\"><a href=\"https:\/\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/the-wanderer-part-six\/\">Part Six<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-custom menu-item-object-custom menu-item-4611\"><a href=\"https:\/\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/the-wanderer-part-seven\/\">Part Seven<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-custom menu-item-object-custom menu-item-4612\"><a href=\"https:\/\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/the-wanderer-part-eight\/\">Part Eight<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-custom menu-item-object-custom menu-item-4613\"><a href=\"https:\/\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/the-wanderer-part-nine\/\">Part Nine<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-custom menu-item-object-custom menu-item-4614\"><a href=\"https:\/\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/the-wanderer-part-ten\/\">Part Ten<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-custom menu-item-object-custom menu-item-4615\"><a href=\"https:\/\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/the-wanderer-part-eleven\/\">Part Eleven<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-custom menu-item-object-custom menu-item-4616\"><a href=\"https:\/\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/the-wanderer-part-twelve\/\">Part Twelve<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-custom menu-item-object-custom menu-item-4617\"><a href=\"https:\/\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/the-wanderer-part-thirteen\/\">Part Thirteen<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-custom menu-item-object-custom menu-item-4618\"><a href=\"https:\/\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/the-wanderer-part-fourteen\/\">Part Fourteen<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-custom menu-item-object-custom menu-item-4619\"><a href=\"https:\/\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/the-wanderer-part-fifteen\/\">Part Fifteen<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"menu-item menu-item-type-custom menu-item-object-custom menu-item-4620\"><a href=\"https:\/\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/the-wanderer-part-sixteen\/\">Part Sixteen<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cSo, who is he?\u201d Finally. I look over at Pytre. He\u2019s lying on his cot, staring at the ceiling like I\u2019ve been doing for the past hour. \u201cRemember the Gulchtown boy-whore?\u201d I ask. Slowly, Pytre turns to face me, his hazel eyes wide. \u201cHow is he alive?\u201d I figure he means the withdrawal and rapid aging. I think about all the cock-sucking and decide to keep my mouth shut. \u201cI don\u2019t know.\u201d \u201cHe should be dead.\u201d \u201cYeah.\u201d A few seconds click by and I try not to squirm under Pytre\u2019s shrewd gaze. \u201cWhat is he to you?\u201d Well, technically Apple\u2019s &#8230; <\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more-container\"><a title=\"The Wanderer &#8211; Part Nine\" class=\"read-more button\" href=\"https:\/\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/the-wanderer-part-nine\/#more-3372\" aria-label=\"Read more about The Wanderer &#8211; Part Nine\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"generate_page_header":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[5],"tags":[18,645,143,557],"class_list":["post-3372","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-my-life","tag-nsfw","tag-post-apocalypse","tag-sci-fi","tag-serial"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4sexs-So","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3754,"url":"https:\/\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/the-wanderer-part-fourteen\/","url_meta":{"origin":3372,"position":0},"title":"The Wanderer &#8211; Part Fourteen","author":"Bey","date":"April 26, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Apple is no longer straddling my lap\u2014we\u2019re sitting side by side on the bed watching Pytre as he slowly undresses in front of us. He\u2019s keeping his eyes averted and his cheeks are so red they\u2019re almost burgundy. After painstakingly folding his shirt, he places it on the other bed\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Bey's Tales&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Bey's Tales","link":"https:\/\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/category\/writing-2\/beys-tales-writing-2\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/W14.png?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/W14.png?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/W14.png?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/W14.png?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/W14.png?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3313,"url":"https:\/\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/the-wanderer-part-eight\/","url_meta":{"origin":3372,"position":1},"title":"The Wanderer &#8211; Part Eight","author":"Bey","date":"March 11, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"By the time Pytre is done eating, his lap is buried under a pile of discarded plasti-form wrappings. Frankly I\u2019m amazed by how much he just put away. \u201cFull?\u201d I ask, thinking again about the dwindling credit situation. Pytre covers his mouth and lets out a loud belch, then gives\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;My Life&quot;","block_context":{"text":"My Life","link":"https:\/\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/category\/my-life\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.beydeckard.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/W8.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3402,"url":"https:\/\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/the-wanderer-part-ten\/","url_meta":{"origin":3372,"position":2},"title":"The Wanderer &#8211; Part Ten","author":"Bey","date":"April 7, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Apple won\u2019t meet my eye as he moves around the room packing his few belongings. \u201cYou can\u2019t be serious,\u201d I say, laughing. \u201cTurk\u2019s just looking to make a few bucks off your ass.\u201d He stops and glares at me before resuming. \u201cHe says he loves me,\u201d he replies, his tone\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Bey's Tales&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Bey's Tales","link":"https:\/\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/category\/writing-2\/beys-tales-writing-2\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/W10.jpg?fit=1200%2C653&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/W10.jpg?fit=1200%2C653&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/W10.jpg?fit=1200%2C653&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/W10.jpg?fit=1200%2C653&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/W10.jpg?fit=1200%2C653&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3427,"url":"https:\/\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/the-wanderer-part-eleven\/","url_meta":{"origin":3372,"position":3},"title":"The Wanderer &#8211; Part Eleven","author":"Bey","date":"April 21, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"In the center of the room, a man is hanging upside-down, suspended from his ankles from a metal frame, his legs held apart. A woman in high heels is helping another man feed a big chain into the first guy\u2019s ass. I wince, watching the thick greased links slip into\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Bey's Tales&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Bey's Tales","link":"https:\/\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/category\/writing-2\/beys-tales-writing-2\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.beydeckard.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/W11.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.beydeckard.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/W11.png?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.beydeckard.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/W11.png?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.beydeckard.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/W11.png?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3188,"url":"https:\/\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/the-wanderer-part-six\/","url_meta":{"origin":3372,"position":4},"title":"The Wanderer &#8211; Part Six","author":"Bey","date":"January 20, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"I\u2019m still in shock as he slumps towards me\u2014I easily catch him and hold him against me. He\u2019s just skin and bones, light as a feather in my arms, and he smells like he hasn\u2019t bathed in weeks. Weakly, his arms come around my waist, fingers scrabbling up under my\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Bey's Tales&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Bey's Tales","link":"https:\/\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/category\/writing-2\/beys-tales-writing-2\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/bar-yellow.jpg?fit=1200%2C918&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/bar-yellow.jpg?fit=1200%2C918&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/bar-yellow.jpg?fit=1200%2C918&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/bar-yellow.jpg?fit=1200%2C918&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/bar-yellow.jpg?fit=1200%2C918&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3462,"url":"https:\/\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/the-wanderer-part-twelve\/","url_meta":{"origin":3372,"position":5},"title":"The Wanderer &#8211; Part Twelve","author":"Bey","date":"May 19, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"There\u2019s no getting around the security cameras, so I don\u2019t have much element of surprise to work with, but I\u2019ve got a blaster shoved down the back of my pants that I\u2019m hoping Turk can\u2019t see on the old body-scanner pointed at me. \u201cOpen up!\u201d I pound on the thick\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Bey's Tales&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Bey's Tales","link":"https:\/\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/category\/writing-2\/beys-tales-writing-2\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/E497DDE2-77CB-499B-A76E-739763A16E9B.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/E497DDE2-77CB-499B-A76E-739763A16E9B.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/E497DDE2-77CB-499B-A76E-739763A16E9B.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/E497DDE2-77CB-499B-A76E-739763A16E9B.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/E497DDE2-77CB-499B-A76E-739763A16E9B.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/E497DDE2-77CB-499B-A76E-739763A16E9B.jpeg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3372","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3372"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3372\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4596,"href":"https:\/\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3372\/revisions\/4596"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3372"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3372"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beydeckard.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3372"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}