Simon’s brows knit together. “How come you can talk now?”
She chewed rapidly then swallowed. “I always could. You were grunting and growling until today.”
Simon tried to speak slowly, articulating his words. It sounded like grunts and warbles to him. He turned to her slowly. “But you can understand me now?”
She dug at the fruit with her fingers, pulling the last of the apricots from the can. “More.” She tossed the can to his feet.
Simon scowled at her. “What do you want?”
She shook her head as she stared at the shelf. Her hand came up and she pointed to a can. “That.”
Simon leaned closer, his mind trying to read the label. “I don’t know what that is.”
“Food.” She grabbed the can and handed it to him. “Give. Now.”
Simon gave her a sideways glare before he pulled the P-38 out again and began to nibble away at the lid.
“Hurry,” she barked.
He gave her a dirty look then directed his attention back at the can. “Don’t yell at me. I’m doing the best I can.”
She snatched the can from his hand and pried the lid up, her fingers sliding into the brownish goo with orange chunks at the top. Simon caught a whiff of the stuff and knew that it was familiar. He started to ask her a question when she dropped to the floor in a squatting position.
“Oh no. You ain’t shittin’ here with the food.”
She glared at him as she scooped more of the chili into her mouth. “Eat here. Shit there.” She hooked her head down the aisle.
Simon planted his hands on his hips and stared at her. “Why haven’t you and your people been eating this all along? Why are you eating people?”
She scraped the last of the chili from the can and dropped it. “More.”
“You can have more when you answer my question.”
“You talk too much. More.” She pointed to the shelf and Simon shook his head.
“Talk first, eat after.”
She jumped to her feet and got in his face. “You are mine now. More.”
Simon stepped back and blinked at her. “I’m yours?” He snorted a laugh. “Fuck that. You’re mine.” He pushed her shoulder, moving her away from him. “But only when I want it.”
Her eyes narrowed and she glared at him. “You are mine.” She stepped closer and thrust her arm out, pointing to the cans. “MORE.”
Simon felt anger rise up in him and his bead began to throb. He squinted one eye and slowly shook his head. “Fuck me, my head is pounding.” He turned and walked toward the liquor aisle, the woman following close behind.
As his hand wrapped around the brown liquor she slapped at his hand, causing him to drop it. He expected the jug to shatter, but it bounced on the floor. Thank god for plastic bottles.
He spun on her. “What the hell?”
“More!”
He bent low and picked up the bottle, twisting the cap as he stood. He eyed her cautiously as he pressed the bottle to his lips and sucked the brown liquor out, swallowing it.
He lowered the bottle and sucked at his teeth, measuring the woman standing before him. “You got balls, lady. I’ll give you that.” He took another pull from the liquor and squeezed his eyes shut. “In my younger days, I’d have skinned you alive for talking to me like that.”
He leaned against the shelf and twisted the cap back on. “I think that was the longest I’ve gone without a drink in…forever.”
She reached for the bottle and he handed it to her. She turned and threw it back down the aisle where the canned goods were. “More.” She stepped closer and got in his face. “Now.”
Simon felt a smile cross his lips and he reached out, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “You’re kind of cute when you’re pissy.”
She ran her hand down his chest and cupped his groin. Simon’s breath caught in his throat when she seemed to massage his favorite appendage. He doubled over the moment she squeezed, his eyes bulging. “More. Now.”
Simon nodded furiously. “I’ll…do it,” he choked out. She slowly released him and he fell to his knees. “You bitch.” He coughed as he cradled his half pound of Aunt Mollie’s Nut Butter.
She grabbed the shoulder of his leather jacket and, to his amazement, dragged him toward the canned goods. She let go unceremoniously and he fell to the floor. “If I had my pistol on me right now, I’d shoot you in the tits.”
“Food.” Her eyes were narrowed and he knew that she was about to squish his nuts again.
“Fine.” He pulled himself to his feet and forced air into his lungs. “How about, I open the cans and you answer my questions while I do it?”
She gave him a barely perceptible nod. He reached for the closest can and held it out to her. “Is this okay?”
She looked at it and cocked her head to the side. Finally she nodded. “Food.”
Simon applied the can opener to the top and slowly worked it into the lid. “So tell me. Why attack and eat people?”
“Easy food. Tastes good.” She smiled at him and he almost cringed at the stuff stuck in her teeth. “Slow but tasty.”
Simon nodded as he continued to work the opener. “Okay. I see that. I think.” He glanced up at the shelves. “But there was so much here still. Why eat people?”
She slapped at the side of her head as though shaking a bug out of her ear. “More!”
Simon sighed and pulled the lid open. He had no idea what she sucked into her mouth, but the juice ran down her neck as she ate.
“You can talk. You can think.” He turned and leaned against the shelf as she continued to suck at the cans innards. “What possessed all of you to start eating people?”
She dropped the can and belched. “More.”
He glanced at the shelf and shrugged. “Pick
