Free After the Fall: Close and Confined (Taboo Erotica) (Eden Harem Book 1) by Anya Merchant Page A

can clean all of this up. Getting the power back on should be our main focus.”
    Jack thought carefully for a second about what they needed to do. Slowly, he looked over towards the main door and the stairs.
    “Mom,” he said. “I’m going to go up to the surface.”
    He saw his mom shake her head in the darkness and stand up from her bed.
    “That’s ridiculous, Jack!” She started towards him. “You’ll end up-“
    “Molly said that the temperature would be low enough today.” Jack was already opening the door to the stairs. “I’ll just crack the top door open and take a peak.”
    “Jack, what is the point?” Rebecca’s voice was sad and almost defeated. “You’re just going to see…”
    I’m just going to see the destruction. Everything that’s been destroyed. I know.
    “Mom, it might not just be a wiring issue,” he said. “The shelter is powered by solar panels, remember? After what Molly told us about the fire that swept over anything, there’s almost no chance that they’re still working. This will be a good time to see if we can set up some of the replacement ones.”
    His mother didn’t say anything, but he could tell that she wanted to.
    “Fine,” she said softly. “But I’m coming with you.”
    The two of them took a minute to get dressed, a slightly frustrating task to have to do in the darkness, and then headed up the stairs. Jack felt as though every step made him a little more anxious, and he paused before turning the door handle after gripping it.
    “Ready?”
    He felt one of his mom’s hands settle on his shoulder.
    “Alright, here we go.”
    He pushed the door open about a third of the way and flinched back at the light that streamed in. It was brighter than anything he had ever seen before, bright enough to make his eyes sting and give him a mild headache.
    “Jesus,” he whispered.
    “The air… It’s still breathable.” Rebecca slid her hand through the opening. “And it’s not that hot, at least not to the point of being dangerous.”
    The two of them waited for about a minute, letting their eyes adjust, and then Jack opened the door further. What he saw was completely different from the last time they’d been outside, right after the first earthquake and before the sky ignited.
    The cellar’s foundation was still there, but coating it was a thick layer of ash and ruin. The house that Jack had grown up in was gone, and in its place was nothing more than a several inch deep pile of soot and charred pieces of scrap.
    “This is unbelievable,” he whispered. Even after seeing the Earth from Molly’s perspective, and seeing the damage that the flames had done, it was still hard for him to process just how complete the destruction had been.
    “We’ll have to climb up carefully,” said his mom. “There isn’t really anything for us to get a boost on.”
    Jack glanced up at the sky as they walked into the empty cellar and over to the earthen wall on the other side. There were no clouds in sight, not even a hint of the smoke and smog that they’d seen when Molly had showed them her view. The sun hung against a brilliant blue backdrop, completely oblivious to anything being out of the ordinary.
    “I think I can make it up on my own if I get a running start,” said Jack. “Here, I can give you a boost.”
    His mom nodded, and stepped her foot into his clasped hands. Her sweatpants were tight against her thighs and butt, and Jack found himself shamefully aroused by the sight as she swayed right in front of his line of vision.
    I need to focus on what’s important right now, not being horny over my own mother.
    Rebecca’s blouse became dirtied with ash and soot as she pulled herself up to ground level. Jack took a couple of steps back once she had made it up and then charged at the wall with a couple of fast running steps. He jumped, managed to get his elbows on the edge, and let his mom take his hand and pull him the rest of the way.
    “Honey, don’t