9 comments/ 14069 views/ 32 favorites Boondocking By: Seanathon This is my entry for the 2015 Literotica Nude Day Story contest. I tried to squeeze it into three pages but it bulged over onto a fourth, so my apologies in advance to any readers who find four pages too long. For those who do make it all the way to the end, I hope you enjoy the story! All characters involved in sexual situations are eighteen years of age or older. * * * Her body floated beneath the surface, waiting for him. He moved the candle closer and let its light spill across her lifeless form. He didn't want to miss a single detail. His gaze slid across her swollen belly as the taper's glow flickered against his cold gray eyes, turning them the same silver hue as the small, sharp tools clutched in his hands. He touched her delicately, not wanting to damage her. She spun slowly toward him and the lambent flame turned her gossamer wings golden. Will's eyes flashed as he dove into the taped-together shoebox beside him, keeping one eye on the female caddisfly floating in the small glass container as he pulled out the materials necessary for his work: hackle, thread, dubbing, a size twelve hook and straw-blonde bull elk hair for the wings. His bobbin twisted and his scissors snipped and when he was done he proudly eyed his creation, a perfect simulacrum of the lifeless Trichoptera suspended in front of him. Yesterday, she'd plunged beneath the lake's surface and drowned. Today she lived again. A skillfully executed improved clinch knot secured the newly-tied fly to his tippet and Will grabbed his fly fishing rod, blew out the candle and stepped out of his camper into the pre-dawn darkness. Sunrise was only minutes away. The chill of night still hung heavy in the air and a thick fog blanketed the lake. He turned toward the water but had barely taken three steps when he stopped. A monstrous shadow loomed in the darkness at the water's edge; a car, rising like a phantom from the mist. Will blinked in surprise. He hadn't heard anyone drive in during the night. In fact, he hadn't seen a single soul in seven days spent at the lake. Based on what he'd been told this was hardly unusual and was the exact reason he'd chosen this remote, lonely place. But there it was, less than fifty feet away. He could only see its silhouette but knew it was one of those landyachts from the early seventies, a ghost from a time before the oil embargo hit, waiting at the edge of the lake like a beacon from the past. The car appeared black in the darkness and wispy strands of fog snaked beneath its dark belly like pale tentacles. But a soft, rising halo above the dark, thickly-forested mountains lining the eastern horizon announced the approaching sunrise and dispelled the shadows cloaking the car. The mist also retreated before the encroaching rays and in the weak blue light of dawn Will finally recognized the make of the car, a Plymouth Fury. His grandfather had owned one similar to it, but that had been decades ago. The car was huge and parked less than twenty feet from the water's edge. There were no tents nearby and Will could only assume whoever had driven it there was sleeping inside. He shook his head, amazed they'd found their way safely through the woods in the dark. Even in daylight the forest road leading to the lake was dangerous and there was one turn near the end that was particularly treacherous. He'd been warned about it and had still nearly driven over the edge, more than a thirty-foot drop to the water's surface and who knew how deep below. Will crept closer, hoping to peek inside the dark windows. Something crunched underneath his foot. A beer can. In the growing light he spotted more and more of them littered around the car. Partiers, he should have guessed. Probably teens from the town he'd driven through on his way up to the lake. He was surprised he hadn't heard them. Something shifted inside the car. Will rose up on the toes of his boots, trying to see if anyone was in the front seat, and as he squinted, struggling to see in the dim light, he felt his initial sense of surprise slowly give way to resentment. The lake was huge. Why had they parked so close to his camper? Couldn't they have driven farther down shore? Didn't they know the rules? He was already in a sour mood after failing to catch a trout in the entire week he'd been there and the prospect of now having to share the lake only made his mood worse. Determined to ignore the car, he turned back toward the water. He knew there were trout in there, he'd seen them jumping. But every trick he'd tried so far -- including matching the hatch -- had failed. Will crept toward the water's edge and waded in as quietly as he could, letting out his line and lazily looping it back and forth as he savored the stillness of the forest around him. He loved waking up in the wild, loved hearing a whiskey jack's early morning call echo across the water as an insect hummed past and a trout splashed in the distance. No sounds of civilization, no sounds of anything but him and his lake. He flicked his line toward the center, letting his Elk Hair Caddis fly settle on the surface like its namesake. As he waited for a tell-tale strike he couldn't help glancing toward the car, the last vestiges of the ghostly mist that had blanketed it still crouching in the shadows beneath it. The sun finally rose and its rays glided across the shimmering surface of the lake until they found the Fury, shooing away the remaining shadows and mist and turning the chrome-covered classic golden. Will held up his hand to shield his eyes as the blinding beams bounced off the car's polished curves and stabbed at his corneas as if commanding him to look away. The vehicle that had seemed so menacing in the dark was now like a vision, dressed in a coat of lustrous metallic gold paint and trimmed in silvery chrome. Someone shifted inside the car again and he heard a bump and a curse as they banged against the side door. Then he heard a second voice, the murmur of their unintelligible conversation carrying through the thick metal and glass and across the quiet of the clearing. The front passenger door groaned as it swung open and the first of the car's occupants stumbled out, a twentyish female with tousled honey-blonde hair, bare legs and an oversized plain white tee. She stepped sleepily from the car, swung the door closed, scratched her bum and turned to face the rising sun. Lifting her arms above her head, she yawned and mumbled, "How long have I been asleep?" Will wasn't sure if she was talking to herself, him or her friends, but as she arched her back and stretched her hands toward the blue sky above he couldn't help noticing how her shirt slid up to reveal the pale pink panties hidden underneath. Her eyes were closed, the sun's warmth caressing her face, and as she spun slowly toward him the lambent light turned her tangled hair golden. She opened her eyes and seemed surprised to see him. Lowering her arms to let her shirt fall back into place, she gave him a friendly smile and a sleepy wave. "Morning." "Morning," Will mumbled back. He turned away and tried to concentrate on his line as he reeled it in, tried not to think about those bare legs or those pink panties. But he couldn't help stealing another glance and was surprised to see her coming toward him, a dreamy smile on her face as she shook the sleep from her sun-kissed hair. "Any luck?" she said, her eyes on his fly as she padded across the grassy shore toward him. Will shook his head as he flicked his rod back and forth, letting his line out and then shooting his fly across the lake again. She watched it settle gracefully on the surface. "I hope we didn't make too much noise when we arrived last night. We tried to be quiet. I was kind of surprised to see someone else was here." "I didn't hear anything at all," he said, keeping his eyes on his fly. "How late did you drive in?" "I guess a little after midnight." Will was standing ten feet from shore, the water knee-deep around his waders. He looked back and saw she was standing at the edge letting her toes get wet, and as he watched she stretched her arms above her head again, seemingly oblivious to the fact that her panties were in full view as she savored the sun's warmth, that same dreamy smile on her face. He looked away and cleared his throat. "That road's dangerous. You were crazy to drive in at night." "That road's dangerous whether it's light or dark but it's never been a problem for me. I figure I know it better than anyone, that's why Mickey let me drive. I'm Ellie by the way." He glanced toward the car, wondering what Mickey was going to think if he peeked out the window and saw his girlfriend flashing her panties at a stranger. "I'm Will," he said, and tried to focus on his fly. The water splashed behind him and he spun around, shocked to see her wading noisily toward him. "What are you doing?" he hissed. She stopped, taken aback. "I was just coming out to talk." "You're scaring all the goddamned fish away! If you want to talk, go talk to Mickey." As if on cue, the rear door of the Fury swung open and a gravelly voice growled, "Who's making all the fucking noise?" Will was surprised to see a second girl step from the car. She was tall and full-figured with short, close-cropped brown hair and, like Ellie, at least ten years younger than him. She was also only wearing a t-shirt and panties but her top, which looked two sizes too small, was stretched tautly across her ample, full-sized breasts and didn't even come close to hiding her fire-engine red panties. As he stared past her he couldn't help noticing a third girl still sleeping on the back seat, dark-skinned and obviously naked from the waist down, but his view was cut off as her companion swung the door shut. "Morning, Mickey!" Ellie called. She grunted a reply as she leaned back against the car. Mickey was obviously short for Michelle. There was a pack of cigarettes in her hand and she hit it against the palm of her other hand to tap one free. She shoved the filter between her lips and cupped her hand around her lighter as she lit the end and took a long drag. As she exhaled from the corner of her mouth, she said, "Who's the fucking old guy?" Ellie smiled apologetically at him. "This is Will. He's camping here too." "Oh yeah? Well, tell him to keep the fucking noise down. Izzy's still sleeping." Will felt his anger surge back to the surface. "If you wanted quiet, you shouldn't have parked so close to me!" Mickey squinted at him as a lazy curl of smoke drifted back toward her eye. "Shouldn't have parked so close to you? This is a forest not a fucking parking lot, and I'll park anywhere I damn well please." Will furiously reeled in his line as he glared at her. "There's rules, you know!" Mickey waved away the smoke. "Rules? What fucking rules?" "Boondocking rules. You're not supposed to camp so close to me or the water." "Poondocking? What the fuck is poondocking?" "Boondocking," he said, emphasizing the B. "It's what they call this, camping with an RV in the wild where there's no campground, no hook ups." "You've gotta be fucking kidding me," she said. "Well, I ain't got no RV so I guess I'll just keep calling it camping and camp wherever the hell I want. If you don't like how close we're parked, you move." He was about to respond when he stopped, speechless, as Mickey flicked her half-finished cigarette toward the lake and yanked her shirt over her head, revealing a spectacular set of breasts. Will was six feet tall and even from this distance he could tell Mickey was easily two inches taller than him. But she wasn't gangly or thin, her skin was bronzed all over and she had the raw athletic build of a pro beach volleyball player. And then there were those tits. She arched an eyebrow. "You want to go get a camera and take a picture so you'll have something to beat off to later, or should I go for my swim now?" Will looked away, burning with embarrassment at being caught staring. But his chagrin quickly turned to dismay moments later when Mickey splashed loudly into the lake beside him and dove in. He winced, imagining every trout within hearing distance rushing toward the depths. He glared at her but she ignored him, calmly powering toward the center of the lake with smooth, well-practiced strokes. Then he noticed her fire-engine red panties lying in the tall grass right beside her shirt. "Sorry," Ellie said. "Mickey's always grumpy when she wakes up. Once she gets a coffee and another smoke in her she'll be fine." Will finished reeling in his line, hooked the failed fly to a guide on his rod and brought in the slack. "Not fishing anymore?" Ellie asked. "Not much point now that your friend has scared all the fish away." "Sorry, maybe I can make it up to you with a cup of coffee?" "No thanks. I'll make my own." Will turned away from her and started to wade back toward shore, but stopped when he spotted Mickey's half-smoked cigarette floating by. Ellie smiled apologetically as he bent down to fish it from the cold water, but he just shook his head, pocketed the waterlogged butt and went back to his camper without another word. * * * Will opened his eyes, surprised he'd fallen asleep again. He peeked out the blinds beside him and saw the sun was high. It was nearly noon. He sat up, amazed at how long he'd slept, how groggy he was. He pulled his fly vest and boots back on but left his waders on the floor. He wouldn't need them. He knew he had to go farther down the lake, not just due to his unwanted guests but because he needed to fish from a spot where the sun wouldn't send his shadow across the water, possibly spooking any trout that might be lurking nearby. He eyed the golden-winged fly still hooked to his guide, wondering if he should change it, and heard laughter from outside. Will parted the blinds again and peeked out the window. All three girls were awake now and sitting in the sunshine on a log halfway between the Fury and the water's edge. Ellie was on the left and Mickey was on the right with a small, dark-skinned girl he could only assume was Izzy wedged between them. Coffee time was obviously over as all three of them had beers in their hands. A thin wisp of smoke curled into the air as Mickey took a long drag from the cigarette in her hand. But when she stretched across to pass it to Ellie he realized that wasn't tobacco they were smoking. Normally, this might have surprised him, but it was nothing compared to the shocking realization that all three girls were completely nude. Will narrowed the blinds, worried they might spot him. He couldn't help watching as they sat on the log laughing and smiling like a trio of sirens, but no mythmaker had ever dreamt up a threesome like this one. Mickey was regaling them with an enthusiastic and surprisingly vulgar recap of a live sex show she'd seen on vacation in Amsterdam while Ellie, in the middle of a coughing fit from laughing so hard, tried to keep from falling off the log. Between them, Izzy was shyly covering her mouth but her eyes were alight as she absorbed every detail. She glanced toward the camper, and when she nudged Mickey her sharp eyes narrowed in on it too. Then she leapt to her feet and squeezed her huge tits together, blowing a kiss toward the window as she juggled her breasts up and down for Will's obvious viewing pleasure. He jerked the blinds closed, burning with embarrassment at being caught again. He spun around to grab his rod as peals of laughter echoed from outside and his hip caught the corner of the table. The blow jolted the flimsy fold-out and his eyes went wide as the water-filled jar with the drowned caddisfly began to tip over. Will lunged and caught it, but not before half the liquid inside spilled out and across the tabletop. A letter was lying nearby. Will grabbed it and sighed in relief when he saw it was still dry. The envelope was sealed and had his name written across the front in faded letters. He'd forgotten he'd brought it down and returned it to its home on a shelf above the table, resting against a row of well-read paperbacks. Will cleaned up the water with a towel and screwed the metal cap back on the jar to seal it. He lifted the now half-empty container and turned it back and forth to let the sunlight filtering through the blinds catch it. As the lifeless caddisfly trapped inside spun toward him, he compared her once more to the gold-winged double hooked to his rod and whispered, "Come on, baby, bring me luck." He stepped out from the shade of the camper and tried not to make eye contact with the girls as he strode toward the trail leading around the north side of the lake. Ellie called his name but he pretended not to hear. When she shouted it a second time he had no choice but to glance in their direction. "Will, come here!" She beckoned him with a friendly wave as Izzy and Mickey watched and waited impassively beside her. He headed toward the girls, pretending to be far more interested in the scenery around them than the fact that all three of them were naked. Ellie greeted him with a warm smile, her hands modestly resting in her lap, her pale, beautiful breasts on full display. Izzy, obviously shyer, had her shoulders hunched, her legs squeezed together and her arms folded across her chest. Mickey, on the other hand, didn't seem to give a damn whether he looked or not. Her legs were splayed out in front of her and she idly scratched underneath her boob as he approached. Bending to her left, she reached into the cooler beside her and threw him a can of beer. "Sit down and join us," Ellie said. Her smile was dazzling and the high noon sun made the waves of honey-blonde hair cascading across her shoulders seem golden. "Thanks, but I've got other plans," he said, and tossed the unopened beer back at Mickey just a little harder than she'd thrown it to him. She caught it with one hand and grinned at him as she popped the top and beer foamed out. She tilted the can back and guzzled it down, ignoring the amber liquid spilling down her chin and running between her breasts. When she was finished she tossed the empty onto the ground beside her and let out a loud belch. "Come on," she said, "get your gear off. I promise we ain't gonna laugh if you got a small pecker." All three girls burst into laughter as he turned crimson. He spun to leave, but Ellie leapt up and grabbed his hand. "Don't be embarrassed," she said, "don't you know what today is?" Will pulled his hand away, uncomfortable at her touch. "I don't know...Tuesday?" She laughed. "You don't even know what day of the week it is? It's Saturday, but that isn't what I mean, today's Nude Day." Will blinked in surprise as he stared at the three naked girls in front of him. "Nude Day?" "Sure, every July 14th is National Nude Day. That's why we're here. You don't have to take your clothes off if you don't want to, but it'd be great if you could join us. Stay and have a beer." Will shook his head and stared in disgust at the cans littered around Mickey, who seemed oblivious to them as she reached down for her pack of cigarettes. "Did you ever hear of Earth Day?" he said. "Why don't you clean up your empties? And before you light up another smoke, maybe you should finish this one." He pulled the still damp, half-finished cigarette he'd fished out of the lake from his pocket and tossed it to Mickey. She watched it land at her feet and glared up at him. "Jeezus, you ain't one a them goddamned enviro-mental-ists are ya?" she said, putting special emphasis on the word mental. "No, I just don't like strangers showing up and leaving their garbage all over an area I'm camping in." Boondocking "Strangers?" she said, standing up to her full height. "You saying we're the strangers here?!" Will took a step back. Even barefoot she was at least two inches taller than him. "I'm just saying I was here first and this place was clean until you showed up." "You were here first," she said with a loud laugh, "ain't that a funny one. All the years we've been coming to this place and I ain't ever seen your face before." She took a step toward him and Ellie leapt in front of her, interposing herself between them. "Don't worry, Will, we'll clean up our mess," she said. "When we leave you won't even be able to tell we were ever here, and ignore Mickey, she's all bark and no bite." "To hell with that," Mickey said, glaring at him over Ellie's shoulder. "I bite all the time, just ask Izzy." Izzy giggled and Mickey sat back down beside her, shoulder to shoulder and grinning as she pulled another beer from the cooler. Ellie smiled too, the same dreamy smile he'd seen when she first stepped from the Fury. "Are you sure you won't join us? I promise we don't bite." "Thanks, but I'm going farther down the lake, better fishing there." "Okay, good luck. But if you get bored with the fish you know where to find us." He turned and headed for the north trail. He was determined not to look back at the three of them, but he couldn't help glancing back when he heard a sharp cry behind him. It was only Izzy, squealing as Mickey playfully bit her shoulder. * * * Will crouched in the shadows, waiting and watching as his green and black fly gently bobbed on the surface in the sun-dappled shade beneath the canopy overhanging the lake. He knew a big brown trout was near. He'd spotted it swimming back and forth when he'd crept close. His gold-winged Elk Hair Caddis was hooked to his vest. When he first found the opening there was a cloud of insects buzzing above the pool and he'd quickly switched his fly to match them. He tried to keep his eye on the drifting fly, but couldn't help sneaking peeks through the trees toward the far end of the lake where the girls' laughter echoed across the water. He felt a pang of regret at how he'd acted. They had just as much right to be here as he did and he knew deep down they weren't the problem, he was. He'd been boondocking too long, been alone too long. When he stopped in a new town for supplies he knew how to make the necessary small talk, knew how to respond when strangers asked him questions they never expected answers to, but he had no idea how to talk to the three girls who had set up camp beside him. How old were they? Twenty? Will shook his head. Even when he'd been their age he wouldn't have known what to say to them. Any other guy that received the invitation he'd been given would have been naked in a flash. Instead, he was sitting alone in the shadows waiting for a fish. He peeked through the trees again and hoped they'd be gone by sunset. A splash seized his attention and he focused his eyes on the pool in front of him, his senses razor sharp as he pinched his line and readied his rod. Rings spread across the water away from the black and green fly. The big brown trout had boiled beneath it thinking it was an insect. The first strike was meant to drown it. Will waited. He knew the second strike would be in the mouth. He tried to stay calm, tried to stay still, knowing the slightest vibration on the line could give him away. What was the fish waiting for? And then he heard a heavy splashing coming toward him. The unexpected sound jolted Will, who stared in shocked disbelief as the trout darted from the shadows at the edge of the pool and raced for the dark depths of the lake. He furiously yanked his line in and glared at Izzy, dog-paddling toward him. She had none of Mickey's aquatic grace and she churned clumsily in his direction thirty feet from shore, grinning from ear to ear as she waved a greeting. Will raced around the edge of the pool, careful not to disturb the water as he frantically gestured for her to go away. "Get out of here!" he hissed, worried that a shout might scare away any other trout lurking nearby. "Can't you go swim somewhere fucking else?!" Izzy pulled up, taken aback by his unexpected outburst. Her smile vanished as she glanced left and right, still treading water, her head just above the surface. Then she gave one last apologetic wave and continued on down the lake, noisily paddling away as she disappeared from sight. Will shook his head in disbelief. He was starting to think the fishing gods didn't want him to ever catch another trout again. He knew there was no point in looking for somewhere else to lay his line, the pool he was at was the only decent opening on this side. He crept back into the shadows and prepared to side cast, praying that Izzy hadn't scared all of the fish away. A frantic cry echoed across the lake and Will peered through the trees in the direction it had come from. He saw the golden Fury and Mickey racing into the water in front of it, taking three giant strides before plunging in. Behind her, Ellie ran along the shore screaming Izzy's name. Will spun to his left, ducking as he spied through the low-hanging branches -- just in time to see a small brown hand slip beneath the surface. He dropped his rod and crashed through the trees, ignoring the branches whipping at him as he fought his way through. As soon as he reached the edge of the lake he dove in and surfaced immediately, powering through the cold green water as fast as he could toward the spot where he'd last seen Izzy. In the distance, Ellie was still screaming her name. Will took a quick breath and dove beneath the surface, swimming straight down. The only sound was the sound of his own body, his heart hammering as he dove deeper, desperately searching in every direction for any sign of life. He swam toward the bottom with no idea of how deep the lake was, but felt the pressure building as the water, so green and clear near the surface, turned a murky black. Izzy! he shouted instinctively, his frantic cry a muted roar, the air bubbles escaping him the only thing he could make out in those dark depths. The cold was numbing and his lungs felt like they were about to burst. Every sense screamed for him to turn back to the surface but he resisted and took two more broad strokes, drawing himself as deep as he dared go. He reached out his hand in desperation toward the darkness hoping to feel something, anything. Cold fingers clawed at his vest and his eyes went wide as they latched onto him and pulled him even deeper. Panic swept through him and a burst of bubbles enveloped him as his last breath escaped him, but Will fought to regain his calm as he reached out and blindly felt for the hand grabbing him. His fingers closed around a slender wrist and, holding it tight, he kicked toward the light above. Will broke the surface with a gasp and pulled Izzy close, keeping her head above water as she coughed and retched. Her wet black hair was matted against her face and she didn't resist as he pulled her toward the near shoreline with a sidestroke. As soon as they reached land he got her on her hands and knees and waited as she coughed up the rest of the water. Seconds later Mickey reached them, plunging naked through the shallows as she raced to embrace her. "Izzy!" she cried, her chest heaving. "Are you okay, baby?" Will slumped forward, his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath, his heart still hammering as adrenalin coursed through his system. Once again, he felt his anger bubbling to the surface. "Do you know how stupid that is, getting drunk and then going swimming?!" Izzy didn't answer. She was still on her knees, naked and shivering, but Mickey spun around and glared up at him. "She wasn't drunk! She didn't even touch her beer." "Then she shouldn't be swimming out this far if she isn't a strong enough swimmer. Why didn't she call for help? Why didn't she tell me she was in trouble?!" "Because she's a god-damned mute!" The force of Mickey's words sent him staggering back a step. She returned to Izzy, still swallowing huge mouthfuls of air, and pulled her close as she sobbed against her. Seconds later, Ellie came running along the trail toward them. "What happened?" she asked Will. "Is she going to be okay?" He didn't answer. He snatched up his rod and strode past her, back down the path he'd come, and as soon as he was out of sight he ran, ignoring the branches that whipped him. * * * Will sat slumped over the small, fold-down table in his camper, staring at the lifeless caddisfly floating in the glass jar. He turned it back and forth and imagined a dark-skinned girl inside, her wet black hair matted against her face like a shroud as she spun slowly toward him. His face contorted with anger and he slammed the jar against the table. The impact echoed like a gunshot in the small space. Will winced at the sound and, relieved that it hadn't broken, pushed the clear container and its fragile contents away. There was a knock at the door. He leapt to his feet and swore when he struck his head on the shelf above him. Wincing with pain he hurried to answer the door, not noticing the envelope that slid from the shelf and landed on the table. Ellie was at the door. "Hey, are you okay?" "Yeah, I just hit my head." "That's not what I mean," she said, as she stepped up into the doorway. "The way you took off after saving Izzy...is everything alright?" Will retreated into the shadows of his camper. The question made him uncomfortable, but not nearly as uncomfortable as her presence did, and that had nothing to do with the fact that she was still completely naked. "Damn it, can't you put some clothes on?" "Sorry," she said, and placed an arm across her breasts. "I just wanted to come and thank you." He shook his head. "You shouldn't be thanking me." She took a step toward him. "But if it hadn't been for you -- " "If it hadn't been for me your friend wouldn't have almost drowned! It was my fault. I chased her away because I was more concerned with catching a stupid fish...she could have died." His face twisted with emotion and he turned away from her, trying to hide it, but her touch startled him as she brushed her fingers against his cheek and spun him back toward her. "Will," she whispered, "you saved her. Izzy's alive because of you." He pulled her hand away. "She should go to a hospital. She swallowed a lot of water. They'll need to check her out." Ellie stepped closer and the sunlight streaming through the blinds drew bright bars across her naked flesh. "She's fine, and it's because you were there and acted as quickly as you did." Will slumped against the wall of the camper. "She didn't make a sound..." "She's mute." "I know. Mickey told me." "Will, she wants to thank you." "She doesn't need to, I -- " Ellie stepped aside and Izzy was there. He hadn't even heard her enter the camper. She stepped toward him light as a shadow, not making a sound. Her raven hair hung silky straight across her slender shoulders, framing her small breasts as she moved toward him with a willowy grace, her arms at her side, naked before him. Will swallowed hard. She seemed so fragile, so delicate. "Izzy, I -- " She didn't let him finish. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged her body against him. The intimacy startled Will at first, but he soon found himself hugging her back, the bars of light from the blinds golden against her narrow waist. He pulled her closer, savoring the warmth of her skin beneath his touch. A stark contrast to the cold he'd felt when he first pulled her from the depths. She stepped back and he reluctantly let his hands slide free from her waist. Smiling, she touched her fingers to her mouth and moved them toward Will as if blowing him a kiss. "She says thank you," Ellie said. Will returned Izzy's smile as he fought back tears threatening to break free. He didn't dare talk. He knew if he opened his mouth the only sound that would come out would be a sob. Izzy stroked his shoulder reassuringly, and made a few quick gestures with her hands. Ellie translated. "She says when she couldn't stop sinking she thought for sure she was going to drown, everything was so dark, but she saw something gold glinting in the darkness and grabbed at it and you were there." Something gold. Will glanced down and realized his vest was torn -- the golden Elk Hair Caddis fly he'd hooked to it was gone. Izzy gave him one last smile and stepped from the shadows of the camper into the sunlight. Mickey was waiting outside for her. She peered warily into the trailer and when she spotted Will she tossed a beer toward him, a perfect underhand toss that arced through the open doorway and landed in his outstretched hand. As Mickey wrapped her arm around Izzy's shoulder and led her back to the Fury, Ellie said, "You better drink that or she's going to be offended, and I don't think I can hold her back a second time." Will smiled and popped the top. The beer foamed out and spilled across his fingers. He took a pull and offered it to Ellie. She smiled and took a sip. "I had a fly here," he said, fingering his vest, "that's what she saw glinting in the water. I just tied it this morning." Ellie stepped closer and touched her fingers to his chest, feeling the torn fabric just above his heart. "I'm sorry you lost it, Will." "Are you kidding?" he said. "That's my best catch yet." * * * Will's eyes blinked open. It was about an hour before sunset. He'd fallen asleep while reading on the small bed in the back of his camper. A battered copy of Gift from the Sea lay beside him. He couldn't recall where he'd bought the book but he remembered picking it up solely because Charles Lindbergh's wife had written it. When he was a boy his father had taken him to the Smithsonian to see the Spirit of St. Louis. He'd told him about the famous flight, and said, imagine what that must have been like, spending all that time alone. Will remembered staring up in awe at the small, fragile, gold-nosed aircraft suspended above him. Neither Lindbergh's plane nor his wife's book had been anything like he'd expected. He stood and picked up the paperback. He could hear the girls outside. Ellie had asked him to join them, had even promised he could keep his clothes on, but he'd graciously declined. Like a trout, he preferred to avoid the sun's midday heat and had stayed in the shadows of his camper. He hadn't planned to fall asleep, he'd intended to tie a new Elk Hair Caddis to replace the fly he'd lost, but after several aborted attempts he'd given up and grabbed a book instead. He went to return it to the small shelf and noticed the letter. It was still lying where it had fallen, face up on the table, Will scrawled across the front in faded letters. He picked it up and turned it over. The seal was still unbroken. His fly-tying tools were lying where he'd left them. He picked up a brass dubbing needle and delicately guided it toward the small opening beneath the paper flap. One flick would tear it open. "What's that?" Her voice startled him. He dropped the dubbing needle and stuffed the still-sealed letter inside the book, hiding it. Ellie was standing naked in the doorway. "I saw it on the table earlier when I was here with Izzy," she said. "What's in the envelope?" "Nothing," he said, as he pushed the book away. "What do you need?" "I was just wondering if you wanted to go swimming with me." She stepped up into the camper and brushed her fingertips across the row of worn paperbacks, the fading sunlight behind her perfectly framing her golden form. "So, what do you say?" He tore his eyes from her hypnotic body and forced himself to look away. "Christ, isn't Naked Day over yet?" "It's Nude Day," she said with a grin, "and we don't put our clothes back on until the sun goes down. Come on, let's go swimming." Will scrubbed his hand through his dark hair. "I don't know, I'm not really a -- " "Please," she said, as she stepped close and squeezed his hand, "I'll even let you wear your swim trunks. I want to swim all the way to the other end and back, but after what happened to Izzy it doesn't seem smart to go alone. Come on, Will. Maybe you can save me, too." He turned toward her. She was still holding his hand and that dreamy smile was back on her face. He couldn't help himself as his gaze slid down her sun-kissed body. If it bothered her, it didn't show. He swallowed hard. "Okay, but just to the other end and back." * * * It took them less than fifteen minutes to reach the far end of the lake. Will considered himself a strong swimmer but he'd found it nearly impossible to keep up with Ellie's easy stroke. He pulled himself up onto the rocky ledge that stretched out into the water, his chest heaving with exhaustion as he fell onto his back and tried to catch his breath. Ellie was stretched out on the rock above him, sunning herself. "I thought you said you weren't a strong swimmer?" he gasped. "You swim like a goddamned fish!" Ellie smiled, her eyes still closed, her face turned toward the sun. "I never said I wasn't a good swimmer. I just said I didn't want to swim alone. I've swam this lake so many times it almost seems like home." Will clambered up the side of the rock and collapsed beside her, still fighting to regain his breath. Ellie turned toward him. Her eyes were the color of autumn and they sparkled as she hooked her finger in his wet trunks. "Why don't you take these off?" she whispered. "You know, now that we're alone." Will twisted away from her and sat up. "Ellie, don't get me wrong, I like you." "Then what's the problem?" She sat up, her damp hair clinging to her shoulders, her body golden. Will forced himself to look away and stared at the lake instead. The setting sun shimmered across its surface. "There's no problem, it's just...there's a reason why I'm alone out here." "I don't care what the reason is. I like you too, Will." She reached out her hand and he pulled away again. "Ellie, please," he said, and stood up. "There are other reasons, too. I mean, how old are you?" "Forever twenty-one," she said with a smile. "See, I'm thirty-three." "That doesn't bother me." "Well, it should and I -- I'm just not good company." "Will, tell me what's really wrong. Any other guy invited to hang out with three nude girls would have instantly been naked, but you've been hiding in your camper all day long. Is it something in that letter?" His eyes told her the answer. She stood. "Tell me, Will. What's in the letter?" "I can't," he said, shaking his head as he turned to stare at the lake again. Its surface gleamed hypnotically. "Will, please, tell me." She reached for him and he stepped off the edge, plummeting toward the lake twenty feet below. He plunged through the surface and the cold water enveloped him, his arms drifting upward as he let the lake draw him down into the same dark depths that had swallowed Izzy earlier. But then he felt her hands on him as she appeared in front of him like a vision -- Ellie. He hadn't seen her dive in after him but she was there, gently taking hold of him as she kicked and carried him back toward the surface. They broke through into the air above and Will didn't resist as she pulled him toward the rocky ledge jutting out into the lake. She held onto it and said, "You're not getting away from me that easy." The water was still too deep to stand, but she had her arm wrapped around his waist and her pale body pressed against him. "Tell me, Will. Tell me who sent you the letter." Boondocking He stared across the lake toward the sun, its fiery red glow bathing them as it sunk toward the horizon. "It's from my wife." "Your wife...you're married?" "I was." "What happened?" "Life happened. We were having dinner with a friend one night and ran out of wine. The store was within walking distance so I went to get more but realized I'd forgotten my wallet. When I came back to get it, I caught them. "They were in the kitchen, kissing. When I came through the door they broke apart, tried to act like nothing was going on. I remember she kept asking me where the wine was. Then she got this strange look on her face and he stepped in front of her, shielding her. It wasn't until later that I realized they must have both been terrified." "Why?" Ellie whispered. "Because I had a knife in my hand. I didn't even remember picking it up. It was the big one I'd used to carve the roast and I was holding it so tight my knuckles were white. I was angry, and the more he kept pleading for me to put it down the angrier I got." "Oh my god, what did you do?" His shoulders slumped. "Not what you think. I turned around and threw that knife so hard it nearly went through the wall. But I didn't throw it because I was mad at them, I threw it because I was mad at myself. She was my wife, I loved her, and now I wanted to hurt her for what -- daring to love someone else? "I still remember that look on her face as he protected her, protected her from me. I went out the door and never went back. I bought this camper with my half of the divorce and I've been boondocking ever since, looking for places far away from people, places where no one can get hurt." Ellie brushed her fingers against his cheek. "But you didn't hurt anyone, Will." "No, but I could have, I wanted to. Like I said, I'm not good company. Look at what almost happened with Izzy today." "That wasn't your fault. You saved her, and you still haven't told me what's in the letter." "I can't tell you, because I don't know. I've never read it. I've never even opened it. She left it with my father, he gave it to me the last time I saw him, but I don't need an apology or an explanation. "It turns out they were right for each other. Last I heard, they were married and had a son. It wasn't me she was meant to spend her life with, and the thought that I wanted to hurt her for that..." His voice tailed off as he stared into the distance. "This is where I was meant to be, and I've been here ever since." "Will," Ellie whispered, "how long have you been out here? How long have you been alone?" He looked up at the sky as if counting notches on a cell wall. "Three years, I guess." "Three years in the wilderness? Will, that's too long to be alone." He shook his head. "I like it. I want to be alone. It's better out here where no one can get hurt." "But you didn't hurt anyone, you threw the knife away and you were there when Izzy needed you. Will, I need you." She brushed her lips against his, and whispered, "Sometimes life's like this lake; you can swim across it alone, but it's always better if there's someone else beside you." Ellie pressed her mouth against his. Her limbs were wrapped around him and he was surprised to find himself kissing her back, his arm sliding around her waist as he pulled her even closer. The water surrounding them no longer seemed so cold. She teased her tongue against his and hooked her thumbs inside his swim trunks. Pushing them down, she whispered, "Let's go find somewhere to dry off." They climbed naked onto the rocky ledge and Ellie held his hand as she led him up behind the rocks to a high grassy spot where the sun's rays still reached. They lay down together; their bodies intertwined as they explored each other's mouths and traced their fingers across each other's flesh. Will brushed his palm against the curve of her breast, her skin soft to his touch. Ellie slid her hand between his legs and broke their kiss with a gasp when she realized how hard he was. "Wow," she whispered, "you really have been alone way too long." Will smiled and kissed her harder as she caressed him with both hands; one hand twisting up and down his stiff length as she fondled him with the other. As she continued to caress him, Will trailed kisses down her neck and across her tender flesh until his mouth found her breast. Ellie sighed, her hands still busy between his legs as he teased her erect nipple with his tongue. He pulled away from her and she arched her back as he brushed his lips across her ribs and down toward her hip. She parted her legs as he slid between them, flicking his tongue against her downy softness as she trembled at his touch. Then he planted a delicate kiss against her tender folds, parting them with the soft tip of his tongue as he sought out the bud beneath. Ellie groaned when he found it. She spread her legs wider and slid her fingers through his still damp hair, holding him tight as she guided him exactly where she needed him to be. His tongue flicked a drumbeat against her and she arched her back higher, swiveling her hips as she ground herself against his mouth. Will pressed his face into her as he held her thighs tight, her honey nectar flowing against his tongue. The taste was intoxicating and he drilled his tongue even deeper, wanting more. He was so focused on his goal that he almost didn't notice Ellie's cries as she bucked against his mouth and tried to squirm away as wave after wave of pleasure overwhelmed her. "Holy fuck!" she gasped, her chest heaving. "For a guy who just spent three years alone in the wilderness, you definitely haven't lost your touch." Will grinned as he moved on top of her, his stiff length aimed right at her tiny opening. "Not yet," she said, touching her hand to his chest to stop him. "I want to return the favor first." She pushed him onto his back and got on her knees beside him, stroking him with one hand as she traced the fingers of her other hand across his well-muscled midsection. Then she bent forward, the sunlight a halo in her honey-blonde hair as she enveloped him with her mouth. Will groaned as she swirled her tongue around him, exploring his taut flesh as her wet lips circled his stiff length. He tilted his head forward and she pulled her hair back to give him an unobstructed view as she slowly started to bob up and down, softly sucking on his thick shaft. Her mouth felt incredible...so warm, so intimate. It boggled his mind that this beautiful girl -- who he hadn't even known existed twenty-four hours earlier -- was now kneeling beside him and doing everything possible to please him. She worked her wrist up and down, stroking him as she sucked him. More and more of his length disappeared between her wet lips and she moaned her approval, obviously pleased at how hard he was getting. Will collapsed back on the grass and squeezed his eyes shut. He couldn't take any more. He knew if he dared watch the show Ellie was putting on for even a second longer he'd explode in her mouth. But looking away hadn't helped, he could still feel the warmth of her persistent tongue, could still hear the soft sounds of her sucking him. He groaned and pulled away, popping his rock-hard cock out of her wet mouth as he squeezed himself to keep from coming. "Sorry," he groaned, "it's been a while for me." Ellie smiled. "That's okay. It's been a while for me, too." She fell against him and pressed him back down onto the grass. Their lips came together once more. She brushed his hand away and gently stroked him. He groaned and begged for mercy. Laughing, she sat up and straddled him. "Easy," Will warned, as she positioned herself above his rigid length. "I wasn't kidding. You have no idea how close I am." Ellie smiled. "Don't worry. I'll go slow." She braced one hand against his chest and guided him between her legs with the other. When he was lined up she lowered herself, shuddering as he spread her wide. "Oh fuuuck," she groaned, both of her hands now pressed against his chest as her head slumped forward. Will's hands were on her hips, steadying her. He glanced between her legs, and from his angle it looked as if she was impaled on him even though only half his length was inside her. Ellie ran her tongue across her lips, her breath coming faster as she slowly started to bounce herself up and down, letting her momentum work more and more of Will's thick pole into her tight opening. "Go slow," Will groaned, his hands clenching her ass as he fought to hang on. "I'll try," Ellie gasped, but her definition of slow was obviously vastly different from his. She jounced up and down, all eight inches of him inside her every time her ass smacked against his hips. Will squeezed his eyes shut, trying to make it last as long as he could, but Ellie's sharp cries of pleasure as she rode up and down on his thick pole definitely weren't helping matters. He bit his lip hard, fighting to hang on, trying to stay in control. Ellie rode him like there was no tomorrow, humping up and down as she let herself be consumed by pleasure. Her breasts bounced, her moans grew louder and the setting sun lit her hair on fire. "I'm gonna come!" she cried out. "Me too," Will groaned. He'd expected her to scramble away, to make sure he didn't go off inside her. Instead, she moved closer, her mouth pressed against his as she swiveled against him. Will dug his fingers into the cheeks of her ass, his hips bucking as he exploded inside her. Ellie moaned against his mouth, trembling from tongue to toe as she came too. After, they laid side by side and hand in hand on the grass, silent as they watched the sun set. They swam back under a blanket of stars, and when they reached the far shore the tell-tale glow of Mickey's cigarette signaled she and Izzy were sitting together on the log, waiting for them. Ellie and Will stepped naked from the water, and when they approached Mickey and Izzy he was embarrassed to see both of them were now dressed. Mickey eyed him up and down and arched an eyebrow as she took a long drag from her smoke. "Hey, weirdo," she said, "Nude Day's over." Will covered up, red with embarrassment. "Sorry, I, uh, I lost my shorts while we were swimming." "Swimming?" Mickey said, nudging Izzy. "Is that what you call what the two of you were doing? I guess you got no idea how well sound carries on a lake like this." Will's fingers were twined with Ellie's. He didn't notice Izzy glance down and spot them, but when she smiled up at him her dark eyes shone like stars. He led Ellie past them, back to his camper. "I don't know what the three of you have planned but I don't usually stay up long past sunset," he said. "It's small, but if you wanted to spend the night..." She smiled and shook her head. "I can't. I have to stay with Mickey and Izzy. The car's fine for the three of us, they sleep in the back so I've got the rest all to myself. You'd be surprised how comfortable the front seat of a Fury is." "I can only imagine. Maybe I'll get a chance to try it out sometime." She smiled. "Maybe you will." * * * Will opened his eyes and cracked the blinds. It was still dark outside, but he didn't need a clock to tell him it would soon be dawn. After three years in the wilderness he knew by instinct. Like every morning, he suited up, grabbed his fly fishing gear and crept from the camper into the darkness. The fog had returned and its ghostly mass blanketed the shore. He didn't want to wake the girls so he headed away from the Fury toward the north side and, following the trail, was soon back at the same spot where he'd spotted the trout the day before. The same spot where Izzy had nearly drowned. The mist was still low over the lake but the darkness had faded, replaced by the pale blue light of dawn. Will reeled out his line and side cast it, letting the fly sit on the surface as he waited for a bite. While he waited the sun woke and swept the fog away, leaving the lake glittering in the early morning light like a jewel. In the shadows beneath the trees, Will still waited. He thought of Ellie and leaned forward, careful not to disturb the water as he tried to spy the far shore and the Fury through the trees. But then a glint to his left caught his eye. Something golden was moving swiftly toward him just beneath the surface. Will stared in surprise, not sure what he was seeing. Then there was a splash. The trout hit and Will's reel screamed as their prey raced back toward the depths with the fly hooked in its mouth. Will leapt into action, palming the reel to slow it down and add tension to the line. When it finally went slack he started to wind it in, careful, ready for the fish to run again. It was a relatively brief battle and less than five minutes later, his eyes alive with excitement, Will was bringing in his catch. He pulled it toward the shallows. The big brown trout was on its side, gasping, its mouth open and its eyes wide, but not nearly as wide as Will's when he rolled the fish over and saw what was hooked in the opposite side of its mouth -- a golden-winged Elk Hair Caddis fly. It was what he'd seen glinting beneath the surface. How it had ended up in the trout's mouth after being torn free by Izzy baffled him. He pulled his pliers from his vest and turned the hook, careful not to harm the fish as he twisted it loose. When it was finally free he held the fly up and let the sunlight catch it, astonished that it had found its way back to him. He heard a splash and glanced down. The trout was still trapped on his line, its mouth moving as it stared up at him with a bulging eye. Will hooked his golden fly back onto his vest and kneeled, twisting the pliers back and forth as he worked the second hook free. "I guess I owe you one," he said, and waded into the pool with the dazed fish. He cradled it and gently rocked it back and forth. Sunlight filtered through the trees. There was a splash and the trout bolted free, darting away as it disappeared back into the depths. Will smiled and watched it go. Once it was out of sight, he double-checked his newly-recovered fly to make sure it was secure and turned back toward the shore. He was knee deep in the water and from this angle could easily see the far beach and his camper. But the Fury was nowhere to be seen. Will splashed farther out into the lake to get a better view, thinking the girls must have moved. He waded in until he was waist deep with an unimpeded sightline toward the far shore. There was no mistake, the Fury was gone. Will hurried out of the water and back down the path, nearly breaking into a run. He hadn't heard them move during the night and he was sure they'd been there when he'd woke, was almost certain he'd seen the car sitting in the mist. He reached the beach and dropped his fly fishing rod as he hurried to where the Fury had been. There were no empty beer cans, not even a half-finished cigarette butt. It was like they'd never been there. Will stared down the road leading to the clearing and shook his head. Surely he would have heard them leaving, surely the sound of the car starting would have woke him up. He stared across the lake, wondering where they could have gone. He returned to his camper and opened the door, half-hoping to see Ellie standing there waiting for him. All he found was shadows. He stepped inside. His well-read copy of Gift from the Sea was still on the table where he'd left it. He picked it up, intending to return it to the shelf above, but the letter fell out. It landed face up on the table with the faded letters of his name turned toward him. Will stared down at the envelope that had haunted him for three years, a reminder of everything he'd left behind when he'd retreated to the wilderness. He swallowed hard as he pulled the golden-winged fly from his vest and used its sharp hook to tear the envelope open. He peered inside and saw a folded sheet of yellow paper covered in blue ball-point ink. Even after all these years, he still recognized his ex-wife's handwriting. But now, even though the letter was finally open, Will couldn't bring himself to read what she'd written. He leaned the torn envelope against the glass jar with the caddisfly suspended inside and paced back and forth. His camper had never seemed as lonely as it did now. Snatching both the jar and the letter up, he burst through the door and hurried toward the lake. When he reached it he splashed in up to his thighs and craned his neck around as if suspecting the Fury might have magically reappeared on the shore behind him. It hadn't. He shouted her name across the lake, hoping against hope she might be waiting for him at the other end. "Ellie!" But his only answer was a distant splash and a hum as an insect buzzed past him. Will's arms slumped to his side. He let the envelope go and watched as the letter floated, unread, away from him. He held the jar up and let the sunlight catch it. The caddisfly trapped inside spun slowly toward him, her wings golden. Will unscrewed the cap and gently tilted the glass container's contents toward the water, returning her where he'd found her, returning her where she belonged. He turned his back to the lake and returned to his camper. Once it was secure he settled into his cab, retrieved his keys from the visor and turned the ignition. He drove away from the clearing and never looked back, picking his way through the woods as he followed the old logging road out and making sure to take extra care on that treacherous hairpin turn. That was where he would have had the best view of the lake but he didn't look back. He never spotted the silvery strands of mist, clinging to the shadows of the far shore as they watched him go, and he never heard the splash as his envelope disappeared beneath the surface. * * * Three hours later, Will was sitting in a coffee shop in the small town he'd passed through on his way to the lake. He was surprised at how awkward it felt talking to real people again, not having felt nearly as uncomfortable with three naked girls the day before. He took a sip of black coffee as a cop leaned against the counter to his left, the sunlight glinting off his badge. "That's a damn nice caddis," he said, glancing at the fly hooked to Will's vest. "I'm guessing that's your camper outside and you're up here doing some fly fishing?" "Just finished, actually, I was out there a week." "Oh yeah? Whereabouts?" "I don't know the name of the lake, but it's at the end of an old logging road about fifty miles north of here, one with a hairpin turn right before the end." The cop stepped back, obviously caught off guard by his answer. He tilted his cap and said, "You ain't from around here, that's for sure. No one ever goes up to that lake, and not just because that damned old road's so dangerous. People say that place is haunted." Will laughed, figuring he was joking. "Haunted?" "That's right, happened about twenty years ago. Three girls -- " "Wait a second," Will said, a chill coursing up his spine, "did you say three girls?" "Yep, they drove up there in the dark, probably looking for a place to party or wanting to skinny dip in the moonlight. It was a few days before anyone reported them as missing. "I was just a rookie back then, but I'll never forget watching as they dragged that car out of the lake. That hairpin turn caught them and it was a terrible thing, all three of them trapped together and drowned like that. I didn't even realize until they pulled her out I'd gone to school with one of them, prettiest blonde thing you ever seen. Her name was Ellie." Will braced himself against the counter. It was like the room had suddenly spun sideways. Boondocking "You okay, mister?" "Yeah, I -- I'm fine." The cop went to leave, but turned back. "I almost forgot to ask. You catch anything up there?" He could still picture Ellie, still smell the sharp tang of Mickey's cigarette, still feel Izzy's arms wrapped around him. He shook his head. "No, not a thing." Will pushed his half-finished meal away and dropped a twenty on the counter, his mind in a fog as he stumbled from the shadows of the restaurant into the bright sunshine outside. He was still reeling from the story he'd been told, it seemed impossible to believe, but he knew one thing for certain -- he had to return to the lake. He headed toward his truck and was halfway there when he caught a movement from the shadows at the rear of his camper. He held up his hand to shield his eyes from the sun's glare and saw two legs stretch out into the sunlight, two golden legs. Ellie was sitting on the back bumper, wearing a pair of cutoffs and a baby blue tee. "Hey stranger," she said. Will took a step back, hardly believing what he was seeing. "I was just talking to a cop in there and...he was telling me a story about three girls who drowned in that lake." She laughed. "And you think I'm a ghost?" He swallowed hard. "One of the girls...he said her name was Ellie." "It was," she said, as she stood and stepped into the sunshine. "Her name was Eleanor, but everyone called her Ellie. She was my mom. She named me Elizabeth and after she was gone everyone started calling me Ellie, too." Will stared hard at her, as if he still couldn't believe she was real. "When he told me that place was haunted..." "Sometimes I wish it was," she said. "I've been going up there every year since I was old enough, just hoping I might see some sign of her, and there's been times when I've almost felt like she was right beside me...but ghosts? Well, I guess we're all surrounded by ghosts. "I was kind of surprised to see your camper in the parking lot. I thought you'd still be up there with your fishing rod and your letter." Will shook his head. "I couldn't stay without you there. Why did you leave?" "Izzy started to not feel well so Mickey figured we better get her to a hospital and have them check her out. She asked me if I wanted to stay there with you but I -- I wasn't sure if you'd want me to. "We left a little after midnight. They said Izzy's fine. She and Mickey are on their way back home now." "Then how did you get back here?" "I hitched a ride. I wasn't going to, I wasn't sure if you wanted company, but it just didn't seem right to let you swim across that lake alone. Did I make a mistake coming back?" Will spotted her bag beside her. "You mean...you want to stay with me?" "I was hoping maybe we could do some boondocking together, you know, if you've got room." "Oh, I've definitely got room." "Even with that letter?" "It's gone. I threw it in the lake." "That's good, my mom can take care of it. But do you think maybe we can go back and visit her some day? Maybe meet Izzy and Mickey and swim across?" "Sure, but there's just one thing I need to warn you about before you come boondocking with me." "What's that?" "You better like trout, because I'm a hell of a fisherman." * * * "I find that there is a quality to being alone that is incredibly precious. Life rushes back into the void, richer, more vivid, fuller than before." -- Anne Morrow Lindbergh Thanks for taking the time to read my story (an entry for the 2015 Literotica Nude Day Story Contest). Any feedback or favorites are always appreciated and, if you enjoyed it, please don't forget to vote! ~ Seanathon