World War 4: Sticks and Stones

Ben: Part Two

Ten years later.

Nothing changed. I found myself stuck in the deep cycle of life that the bunker had put me in. Every day was the same. I would wake up, see the glaring beauty of Eliza lying next to me and then I would have to extinguish the deep sexual desires that I had towards her in the terror of bearing a child. today, however, was slightly different. I whispered to her, "what if I wanted a child?" I asked this inquisitively as if I was simply curious. I knew that the response would be negative, but it was more harsh than I had previously anticipated. She gritted her teeth, "to bring a child into this God-forsaken Hell hole is the equivalent of pouring gasoline over another person and to burn them from bottom to top leaving no inch or patch or speck of unburnt skin on their body and to force them to live just so that they can feel the wind pierce their skin as a dagger every single waking moment of their lives."  I giggled at her dramatization of child birth, but then I agreed, kissed her on the cheek and stood out of bed. I told Eliza that I would have to go to a council meeting this morning. She understood, kissed me goodbye and I was on my way. 

I had tried as hard as I could to not join the council, but they persuaded me at the idea of continuing my father's legacy. Suicide rates had gone up by about ninety percent over the last month, so the council had decided to see if there was a way to lower them. Some people suggested parties, festivals, concerts, dances, every sort of celebration under the sun. Eventually they realized how quiet I was being and asked if I had any suggestions. I said no and that it was stupid that they all thought that parties could cause depression caused by circumstances that we couldn't change. They knew I was right, but they continued their meeting as if I didn't say anything. The meeting lasted about an hour. I hate the council meetings. No matter what the issue is, we had to present solutions and they would vote, regardless of how important the proposal was. Today, I declined to vote to stand against the council's ignorance. They decided to have a concert. 

Now, don't get me wrong, I was not at all against having a concert or a party of some sort, I just thought that it was insane to have one for the reasons that were brought up during the meeting. I argued with Eliza for about five or so minutes about why I just did not want to go to the concert, but I quickly realized that the argument would be fruitless, so I joined her. She insisted that we look for some nice clothes in an old bin of her mother's things. She found her mother's wedding dress. Even I, who didn't completely understand fashion saw it's glaring beauty. I urged her to wear it. She did. I found a nice deep blue suit jacket and dress pants. I looked for a while, but I could not find a dress shirt, so I just had to keep the jacket buttoned. I gave her some privacy to change. Other than for nature's call, I don't think she had undressed even once since the beginning. Somehow, I fought the urge to look. Then, it was my turn. I realized that I had also never undressed. It felt cold. A shiver took over my body. I hoped that Eliza was fighting an urge as well. After getting dressed, I took a second to absorb Eliza's untamable beauty. Her dress was nearly skin tight, but it was long. I could see every curve, every angle, every slight imperfection in her skin that gave her life. But even with her dress, I could only see her eyes as hers saw mine. I held her like I was young again. Just for a moment, I felt free from the chains that bound me. She smiled. Then we kissed just briefly, just to taste our childlike wonder. Then, I grabbed her arm and we started towards the concert. The crowd was packed. Since there was no stage, I could only hear the singing, but could not see it. The music was terrible. It was some sort of rock-jazz hybrid that I was too simple to understand. Eliza didn't get it either, which made me feel a little better. The concert lasted a little over two hours. The entire time, I hoped for even just one slow song so that I would have an excuse to hold Eliza in my arms and dance with her. The last song was slow. I jumped at my opportunity and grabbed Eliza's shoulder and pulled her close. We were no longer distanced. I felt every inch of my body touching hers. I felt my shoulder on her shoulder, my heart on her heart, my love on her love. I could not let go. I was swept up in emotion, in a type of bliss that I was unsure still existed. We walked back to our room as soon as the final song ended. We were both now laying on the bed, both trying to extinguish our desires. I could not. me in my suit and her in her dress, I moved closer to her. She smiled. I kissed her with a long passionate kiss. My hand started on her face, then moved almost as a train to its station to her shoulder and then down her side and to her thigh and then moved back upwards. Her smile faded to a look of love, a look of unwavering, heart wrenching, unconditional love. I waited for her to kiss me. She did. And then she did once more. In but a second, I felt her hands on the buttons of my suit jacket that I had done up tightly. She undid one and then another to reveal a shirt that had been plastered tightly to my chest since I was a child. Her look of love became a look of priority. I knew how much I wanted this, but I knew how much we couldn't. "We can't do this" I whispered. "We have to." After removing my jacket I found her hands at my waistline removing my shirt from my pants. She had never seen my chest before. I let her remove it, revealing a body that was more bone than skin. She seemed to be crying. I asked her if she was okay. "I never imagined you to be so beautiful." Her words cut through me like a knife and my reluctant-ness became but a memory. I was now all in. My hands found themselves at the strap of her dress. I was unsure of how dresses worked, so after a bit of tugging, she giggled and took it off herself. This was only the second time she had undressed since the beginning. Now I did not fight my urge. I remembered the curves I saw through the dress, and the angles, and the slight imperfections that gave her life and my eyes scanned for those. They were leagues more beautiful than I could have ever possibly imagined. Even with her nakedness, I found myself not looking at her body, but instead looking at her eyes, which were looking at mine. I became one with her body, I kissed her with the most passionate, angry, wet kiss that could ever exist and just for a few moments, nothing could hurt me.