Night Watch

At some point they drifted off to sleep. Zed was warm. Buried under limbs and sheets. Betty was curled against his left side, breathing soft and steady. Carla was a weight across his legs. Alice lay on the edge of the mattress, back turned.

The room was pitch black in the middle of the night, when something moved.

A soft touch. A hand searching in the dark.

Carla. She was moving down the bed. Silent. Determined.

She looked up at Zed, sleeping motionlessly. Then she ducked under the sheet.

From the edge of the bed, a rustle. A sharp intake of breath.

Alice.

She rolled over. Propped herself up on an elbow. Her hair was a mess. Her eyes squinted in the dark, focusing on the movement beneath the blanket.

-The hell?

Carla popped her head out. She looked at Alice.

-I hope you're not angry, she said innocently enough. I never got to try the sausage.

Alice scoffed.

-Fine. Have at it, cow.

She flopped back down. She watched. Zed’s legs went prone, he tossed and turned but Carla held on. He finished and opened half an eye.

Alice was staring at the sheet. Her hand hovered near her own hip, fingers twitching.

-Welcome back to the land of the living, sleeping beauty, Alice growled. Seems you’re having a vivid dream.

-It was a good time, Zed murmured, reaching under the sheets to stroke Carla’s hair.

Alice narrowed her eyes.

-Caressing her hair after using her mouth? Real classy.

-I didn't use anything, Zed protested. She's enjoying herself.

Carla mumbled her agreement from beneath the cotton.

Alice rolled her eyes. She crossed her arms over her chest.

-Crawl on your knees, why don't you?

-Any of you can touch me, Zed whispered.

He reached a hand toward Alice.

Alice stared at his hand. Then at the sheet. Then at his face.

She snorted and turned her back to him.

-The hell we can. You just want a harem to worship you while you snore.

-A harem sounds nice.

Alice went quiet. She lay there, tense and awake.

Her hand drifted back to her hip. She rubbed the fabric of her panties.

Carla crawled out from under the sheets. She saw the movement.

She shifted across the mattress.

-May I?

Carla whispered it. She placed her hand over Alice’s.

Alice froze. Then she glared down at Carla.

-What the hell do you think you're doing?

She yanked her hand away.

-I didn't ask for your help. Keep your hands to yourself.

Carla shrank back.

-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to---

-Just shut up, Alice said. Go back to sleep. I don't need your pity.

Carla nodded. She retreated to the center of the bed. She snuggled close to Zed, burying herself under the sheets.

Alice turned onto her back. She stared at the ceiling. Alone in the crowded bed.