Holly

Max asked me to help him move some boxes from out of the attic the other day.  I really didn't feel like breaking a sweat in that dump, but what are friends for? 

I was up in the attic handing him the boxes when his sister Holly climbed the ladder saying, "Hi".  She was wearing a silver dress and had a blue band in her hair.  We did some small talk while I moved the boxes.  It sure was nice that she decided to keep me company while I labored for her family.  But then, out of the blue, she asked me if I was a virgin. 

"What?", I said. 

"You know, are you a virgin?" 

She said it in the most straight-forward way a 12-year-old can.  I mumbled and stumbled a bit before asking, "Do you even know what a virgin is?" 

She laughed and said, "Of course, silly." 

"Yes, yes, I'm a... virgin."  Words had never struggled so hard to escape my mouth.  Holly didn't look surprised.  She just smiled and said, "Awww." 

"Why are you asking me this?" 

"No reason." 

"I don't suppose you're a virgin too?" 

"Ummm..." 

I looked at her mystified.  Then she burst out laughing.  My face turned red. 

"Of course, I am!  Did you forget my age?" 

She crept over to me on her knees and helped me move a box.  The next time Max came up, he asked what she was doing up there.  She said nothing, as innocently as possible. 

The next time he went away, she pulled my arm and bit my hand. 

"Ow!" I cried.  "What's gotten into you?  Are you always this rude?" 

Her legs were spread out on the floor, revealing just a bit too much skin for my liking.  I looked away. 

"Don't you want to play with me?", she asked, pouting her lips. 

The sound of her father's voice saved the day. 

"I better go now.  Bye Stu-boy," she said, blowing me a kiss. 

She was just about to descend the ladder when an alarming thing happened.  The Earth shook so hard that the attic collapsed!  We fell for what seemed like an eternity, but really lasted a few seconds. 

I landed hard, confused, oblivious to what had happened.  Moments later, after finding myself uninjured through the smoky air, I gathered we'd just had a tremendous earthquake, probably an 8 pointer. 

Through the dust I asked Holly if she was ok.  She coughed, saying she was fine.  

After it settled, I looked around.  She was bleeding from her knee, but she looked to be moving fine.  Luckily, only a corner of the roof had collapsed, instead of the whole thing.  Unluckily, it had fallen right on top of our only escape route. 

The natural thing to worry about was my own family, but I found myself worrying about Holly's family too.  My friend Max, his mother and father.  I couldn't hear their voices.  Had they all died? 

"I don't hear anyone", Holly said. 

"Don't worry.  Maybe they ran out," I said. 

"I'm scared," Holly said, through her tears.  "What if they're... They're..." 

"Listen to me," I interrupted.  "We've got to get out of here before something else happens.  Help me dig." 

Holly watched me as I frantically tried to move all the debris away. 

"It's no use, Stu." 

"Yeah, the whole thing's jammed.  Fuck!" 

"Stu?" 

"What is it?" 

"Come hold me." 

Normally I wouldn't, especially after her strange behavior.  But I was scared too, and Holly was all I had.  Delightfully I obeyed. 

I brought her close to me.  She smelled of cheap hairspray and crayons.  Through our tears and sweat we silently prayed that someone would excavate us from our entrapment.  Perhaps the thing we had to worry about most, was that it was damn hot in here. 

"It's too hot and we have no water.  We shouldn't do this for too long," I pointed out. 

"But I need you", she said, not letting go. 

"Let go, Holly." 

"Stuey..." 

"Let go." 

I had to wiggle my way out of her fierce grasp.  In the process I'd hurt her hand. 

"Sorry", I said. 

We didn't speak for hours.  Nobody came to rescue us.  Slowly it dawned on us that Holly's family must have died in the collapse, and that most of our neighbors probably had as well. 

The sun was setting, and the heat died down.  I was getting hungry, and Holly was too. 

"What if we have to eat each other?", said Holly, the most awkward thing possible to say under such circumstances. 

"Funny." 

"Seriously... Don't you know about the Donner Party?" 

"No." 

"They were moving to California, in the old west.  They got stuck in the mountains and had to spend a whole winter there.  The only food they had was each other." 

"Ugh!  We aren't going to be here that long.  It won't happen to us." 

"Before you eat me, you should know that I have rabies." 

"I'm not going to eat you, Holly." 

Then the ground shook again, and Holly scrambled into my arms.  I held her tight, like I had before.  This time, the shaking was less severe. 

"Just an aftershock," I affirmed. 

"I don't care.  I want them to go away." 

We held each other again for a few minutes.  Suddenly I felt her moving on my stomach. 

"What are you doing?", I asked in the darkness. 

"Shhh,", she said. 

Her hand moved lower to my belt.  I didn't resist. 

"Do you want to die a virgin?", she asked, still whispering. 

"Nobody can hear us, why are you whispering?" 

"It's better this way." 

"How do you know?  Have you ever done this?" 

"No, I just know." 

"You're a strange girl." 

I felt her hand moving through my pants now, latching onto my erection.  Then I couldn't resist.  I lost control, an animal urge took over me, I swarmed her with my lust. 

That was when we heard a search party outside.  We looked at each other, wondering if the other would stop to holler out for them.  But neither of us did, and it made us happy.