SURVIVAL

This night it was Zach and Julian's turn to guard. Julian stared straight ahead, as did Zach.

Stefan woke up. He took a piece of meat and stole away to the end of the cave with Jessica in it. "I'm sorry I punched you earlier." he whispered to her, putting small pieces of the meat in her mouth. He brought some lotion, too, which he rubbed on her stomach. He kissed her softly and gave her some water to drink, before going back to his bed.

Zach came over and smacked her hard with his spear across her legs. "Shut up, will you?" he yelled at her.

Stefan stopped when he saw what was happening. "Stop, Zach! You'll kill her!" he screamed. He threw himself in front of Jessica. "Stop hitting her. Please. Gag her or something, but don't hit her." Harley got up and pushed Stefan to the floor. "She's my girlfriend, not yours." he sneered at him. Stefan whimpered, but walked back to his bed.

"That was in the past. This is the present." he hissed, smacking her stomach. Stefan looked over at her hopelessly.

Harley turned around with no answer. The rest of them went back to their beds, and Zach and Julian to their posts. Stefan crept out of bed again. "Are you ok?" he asked her. He kissed her, then began putting the same lotion on her other cuts.

Stefan nodded. He walked up to Julian and whispered in his ear. Julian nodded, and Stefan came back grinning. "Come on," he whispered, leaning in and giving her another kiss. He led her out of the cave to a stream. "I can't help you escape now," he said. "But we can escape soon." He gently lowered her into the river and bathed her cuts and wounds. His hands ran over her naked body with some soap that he had brought along.

"I will be taking care of you." he said. "You have to sleep next to me at night, eat whatever I hunt, and do whatever I do. It's harder for me, though, because I basically have to survive on my own. I can only eat what I hunt."

"Harley already agreed to it. But he will treat me harsher now." he muttered to her. "You're not allowed to wear any clothes, by the way." he told her, gently but firmly taking off her clothes. He snuggled under his covers, pulling Jessica closer to his warm body.

When he woke up, it was morning. He found Jessica by his side. He kissed her, running his hands over her breasts. He went out early to go hunt. Half an hour later he returned with two rabbits. When he went to find Jessica, he found that his bed had been moved to the far corner where Jessica had used to sleep. Julian explained that now, since he was taking care of Jessica, he had to sleep back there. Stefan brought some wood and started up a fire. He skinned the rabbits and cooked their meat.