Ch. 46: Afraid to Blossom

Just at the right moment, Julia was struck with a sense of Earth's natural splendor. The warmth of the sun, the sound of birds chirping, even the sight of butterflies dancing in mid air, all contributed to a feeling of peace and serenity.

"Well...?" Lara asked, waiting for Julia to remove the nightie and go frolicking in the woods naked.

Julia paused.

"I don't know..." Julia replied, sounding shy. 

Lara walked down the steps and on to a patch of grass in front of Julia.

"See! Look at me!"

Lara danced with her arms up in the air, twirling in circles and finally progressing into a Hawaiian style hula dance.

"It's so fun!" Lara encouraged.

Julia smiled and watched. Lara had walked up to Julia on the steps and reached for her hand.

"Come on!"

Julia got up and followed Lara to the patch of grass at the bottom of the steps.

"You just pull one strap down like this..." Lara said, slowly pulling one of the straps off of Julia's shoulder.

Julia giggled.

"...Then you pull the other strap down like this!"

Julia laughed. "Hey!"

Lara stood with her hands resting on her hips. Julia had pulled the straps back up to her shoulders and took a seat back on the porch.

Julia looked at Lara and waited for what she thought would be anger and disappointment. She wanted to do this. She envied Lara for her unabashed pursuit of freedom. But there was a sense of worry that if she tried nudism in the way Lara was suggesting, and that if she relished it for this one moment, that she would undergo a change of attitude and become like Lara. She knew that change would disappoint her parents.

"I guess I'm just not like you." Julia spoke softly. "We grew up on the same street, but it's like we're from two completely different worlds."

Lara looked down at her feet.

Julia continued. "I guess that's why I've always envied you. You're everything that I'm not."

"But I've always envied you Julia. You have a mom and dad who are still together, and they gave you so much love and attention. I never got any of that."

"My parents?" Julia asked sarcastically.

"Yeah."

"My mom and dad wouldn't let me do anything!" Julia countered. "At least you got to be whatever you wanted. You got to do whatever made you happy."

Lara blew out a breath of sarcasm. "Me, happy?"

"Yeah! All those stories you told me about growing up. Being naked and free, and being with Teresa. You could do whatever you wanted."

Lara rolled her eyes. "It's different when you don't have anyone who cares for you."

They paused to hear a nuthatch sing out a repetition of "yak yak yak yak yak yak yak", and then took flight towards the grove of oak trees.

"So what makes you happy?" Lara asked.

Julia stopped to think. "Moving on to college."

"College?"

"Yeah, it's going to be exciting going to a different school, meeting new people, living in a new town."

"That's not happiness for me." Lara answered. "Happiness is reaching into your soul and finding that one thing that's purely you, and then pursuing it."

"I don't know, all throughout high school I always dreamed of college." Julia insisted.

"But did you ever stop to think that going to college is what your parents wanted, and maybe not what you wanted?"

Julia looked confused. "But, I do want to go to college."

"Have you ever been to college?" Lara asked. "Do you even know what it's like? How do you even know that's what you want?"

"Because I want to learn something! I want to be somebody!" Julia explained.

"But you already are somebody! You're you, you're special! Now is your opportunity to reach inside you and bring it out! I mean, did you ever think that all this time you were being raised to be what your parents wanted, and not what was already burning inside you? All this time you've been trained to make them happy, and all this time you ignored this little girl inside you."

"Oh, I don't know about that!" Julia chuckled. "Look, I realize that I'm all conservative because my parents are all conservative, but I'm not complaining about it. I like what I'm doing."

"Yeah?" Lara questioned, putting her hands back on hips. "Then why are you friends with me? Why do you like being with a naked girl who shaves her pussy and masturbates in front of you?

Julia grinned in embarrassment, laughing, covering her eyes with her hands.

"OK, OK!" She said, snorting.

"Maybe deep down inside you there's this little girl who just wants to be herself and let all that light burst out."

Julia kept grinning, progressing more into someone who might be acknowledging a truth but choosing to hide behind a smile.

"Maybe you really do want to love that little girl but are afraid to acknowledge that you might have hurt her instead. If you try to keep her bottled up, she'll only yell louder at you. I mean look at me. Look at me Julia! How many times did I walk into a Starbucks completely naked the past few days? How many?"

Julia looked up at Lara.

"And maybe that's why you don't feel comfortable about taking your clothes off." Lara continued. "Maybe it's not about being afraid of your parents, but being afraid to stand up and do something amazing."

Julia smiled, but clearly her eyes were welling up and beginning to turn red. Lara sensed her opportunity.

"If you were take that nightie off right now, and walk into the woods naked with me, and discover that you really love being a nudist, you'll always have me Julia. If you decide you don't want to go to Fort Wayne... I'm here for you. I'll never leave you Julia, you know that!"

Julia looked down at her feet, trying to hide her tears, but sniffling instead.

"No. You don't know my mother and father, not the way I know them. They're so much a part of me and I'm so much a part of them. You know, you've met them, you know what they're like. I mean, at least you never had parents that clutched you so tightly. At least you have the freedom to do this. It's easier for you."

Lara's expression turned sour.

"No. No Julia. It was not easier for me. Trust me, it was never easy for me. I went through a lot to get where I am today. Maybe having the parents I had helped me to see my path more clearly. But it was Hell going down that path. It was never easy for me to get here. But you Julia, you have that path open for you right now. I mean, I'm not saying you have to be nudist, you just have to look at that little girl inside you, pull her up to the surface, and hug her and kiss her. I'm here for you Julia. Look at me! I'm here!"

Julia rolled her eyes and looked up at the sky. Tears were flowing down her cheeks. She took in several deep breaths.

"Come on girl." Lara encouraged. "I want you to take this thing off and walk with me.

Lara tugged at the straps on Julia's nightie.

"Come on!"

Julia looked apprehensive. She wanted to, but was afraid to concede to Lara.

"Come on! Don't think about who's watching or what's around you, only think about being with me and enjoying this beautiful day we have.

Julia took in more deep breaths and wiped away the tears from her eyes. She nodded her head and slowly stood up. She looked around, and smiled and chuckled at the sight of Lara's eyes opening wide. She moved the straps over her shoulders and let the nightie fall to the porch.

Ch. 45: Auspices of Her Parents

Sunlight broke through the cloud cover and cast its warmth on the wild grasses in the backyard of the farm house. Lara returned from the grove of oak trees and the stream that ran through it, folding her arms, carefully walking past small puddles of water, noticing the spattering of yellows and whites from small ground flowers.

She looked up into the sky and could see small patches of blue. It appeared as if the storm was moving on, and summer would finally return its sunny warm weather.

The sunlight slowly passed over the steps of the farm house's back porch. Lara followed it and sat down to warm herself up. She could hear noises inside the house of people talking, and wondered how Julia was doing.

"Tap, tap, tap." She heard from one of the windows.

It was Julia, looking out the window, trying to draw Lara's attention.

Lara turned around to look, and waved hello. Julia waved back. Lara then made a motion with her finger, calling Julia to come outside. Julia opened the door slightly and peeked out, trying to hide the the nightie she was wearing.

"Hi." She said.

"Hi." Lara returned. "I was just wondering what you're up to."

"I was helping Nan clean up."

"Come on outside and sit down with me."

"I can't. I'm not really dressed!" Julia answered, expressing trepidation.

"Oh! Well let me see!" Lara asked, hoping to see a more daring side of Julia.

Julia shyly took another step from behind the doorway to show Lara.

"How cute! Where did you get that?"

"It's Nan's. She's washing my clothes, so she gave me this to wear."

"That?" Lara asked, nearly laughing. "How does Nan fit into that?"

"It was just supposed to be for bed last night, but she hijacked my clothes this morning and now it's going to take awhile before they dry."

"Well come on out, there's no one around!"

"No! I can't!"

"Of course you can!"

"Uh! No. Not like this!"

"As if there are any other people around here!" Lara said sarcastically.

Julia slowly took a step out and then sat down on the steps next to Lara. As soon as she sat, the nightie pulled up above her waist, exposing her labia and tuft of auburn brown hair. She crossed her legs so as to reduce disclosure.

Lara giggled as she watched.

"Did you get any sleep last night?" Julia asked.

"Yeah, I slept really well!" Lara answered. "Nan gave me some nice blankets to keep warm. How about you?"

"It got it really toasty in the basement, but I went out like a light."

"Basement?"

"Yeah, they have a spare bedroom down there."

Lara stared out towards the grove of oak trees.

"Did you know the stream runs just inside those trees over there?" Lara asked.

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah, I'd like to take a walk up stream and see where it goes. You wanna join me?"

"I don't know, I did a lot of walking yesterday."

"Oh, come on!" Lara said while turning her head to look at Julia. "What else are we going to do today anyways?"

"I don't know when my clothes will be ready!"

Lara sighed and rolled her eyes. "Well, you don't really need clothes anyways. Come on, let's go!"

"Ha, yeah right!" Julia said sarcastically. "Besides, I don't want to get this nightie dirty."

"Then take it off!"

"No! I'm not going to go out there naked!"

"Oh come on! Now you're finally on your own, and away from your parents, let yourself go and enjoy a moment of freedom. You'll love it!"

Julia remained quiet, making a doubtful expression on her face.

Lara pinched the shoulder strap on the black nightie Julia was wearing, and pulled it down a little. "Come on, try it. Now's your chance!"

Julia pulled the strap back up. She remained in her doubtful expression, taking a glance at Lara's face, and then looking back at the ground in front of her. Lara knew how to push her buttons. Julia spent her entire life under the watchful eyes of her religious, conservative parents, always wishing she could do the things other girls got to do in high school.

Julia took in a deep breath.

Lara put her hand on Julia's hand for just a moment, and again said, "Come on."

Ch. 44: Strength and Comfort as a Drug

Lara awoke to find herself alone in the barn. After blinking several times and wiping the crust from her eyes, she called for Nan.

"Nan?"

There was no answer.

She laid down on her back and looked up at the roof of the barn. There were several supporting crossbeams, and somehow she fixed on one of them and kept her look as she wondered if her life would be an endless string of similar events.

On the one hand, she understood the sight of a thin eighteen year old naked girl would bring about thoughts of lust in others. But on the other hand, she understood there was a darker side to her that could be brought about under the right circumstances and from the right people, and to which she couldn't resist.

She still could not get Teresa out of her mind. That tall, stocky girl, athletically built for sports, and with a mind sharpened by a feminist mother, remained fixed in her head like a ghost haunting her neural pathways.

The 7th grade, their first year of middle school, had been a defining moment. What started out as two friends having innocent fun through intimacy, became a relationship in which Teresa developed a taste for control. Teresa had matured far more psychologically and intellectually than most girls her age, thanks in part to the encouragement and nurturing from her mother.

Teresa was not just taller than most girls, but much more physical. She won a great deal of respect from other girls, even from many boys, and it contributed to her sense of dominance.

But Teresa found it difficult to make friends. Her rapid maturity both mentally and physically as well as her aggressiveness, made her something of an anomaly. Both girls and boys made fun of her, and she was excluded from other circles. 

Likewise with Lara, who often found herself alone with an inward focus, Teresa spent a lot of time alone as well. Where Lara was naturally introverted, Teresa was extroverted. She needed human interaction to keep herself energized and fulfilled. Sports turned out to be a great way for her to contribute and be a part of a circle, and she excelled in it, to the point of making other girls feel jealous of her physical abilities. Nobody wanted to hear anymore about Teresa's home runs, or her volleyball kills. It was always the other girls who were cheered when points were scored. Outside of sports, Teresa was shunned. It frustrated her and eventually created anger.

Lara grew an emotional attachment to Teresa mostly due to her perceived view of her as her protector. She was willing to hand her mind, body, and soul to Teresa and let her do as she pleased, even in public or even in view of others, as long as Teresa kept her one hundred percent safe. She needed to feel wanted, cherished, and protected, which Teresa gave to her.

Teresa found in Lara a friend who accepted her as she was and genuinely liked her. Teresa wasn't a freak or anomaly in Lara's eyes, but someone who was appreciated for her tall stature and stocky build. Moreover, Teresa was welcomed into being the leader of the relationship. Lara never once complained about the high level of control that Teresa wanted. Teresa could practice her ideas with Lara and hone her skills at manipulation and dominance.

Lara thought about the shopping mall. The two were inside a dressing room, where Teresa had picked out some clothes to try on. Teresa had wrapped her arms around Lara, and kissed her deeply for several long seconds. Lara found herself enveloped within Teresa's massive frame, and seemingly locked inside her protective shell. Lara remembered exactly how she felt at that moment. Loved, cherished, and protected.

Teresa never stopped there. She always practiced her skills at manipulation and training at the expense of Lara. Teresa was creative, inventive, and bold, pushing Lara to greater extremes. It was always a test of Lara's resolve to trust Teresa, and Teresa never wavered in her promise to protect her from harm, whether physical or emotional.

Even in her early teens, Lara already realized this was no longer two girls exploring their puberty. This was setting her on a course that would shape her future. But this was still better than what she had at home. At least with Teresa she was wanted, cherished, and protected. She felt none of that from her family. She reasoned it was OK to invest herself in Teresa.

Ch. 43: The Essence of Freedom

Nan stroked Lara's cheek, looked into her eyes and kissed her deeply once more. Lara succumbed to the larger, stronger, and taller Nan and allowed her to have whatever she wanted. 

The thirty-seven year old woman, who had resigned to living at home nestled inside the Eastern Appalachians, kept bottled down deep inside her a longing to break free and become the free spirit that she had dreamed of when she was little girl. Nan wanted all of Lara's essence. She wanted all of her free spirit and bravery. 

Nan ran her hands over Lara's A-cup breasts and grabbed them both, just as if she were taking the reins of a horse. She squeezed them with the same kind of control and authority as a ranch hand trying to tame a wild fillie. Nan lowered her face to plant another deep kiss, stretching her tongue deep down into Lara's mouth. Lara received it with no resistance, allowing Nan to explore and taste whatever she wanted.

Nan picked herself up and pulled her tank-top off, casting it aside. Then still on her knees, pulled her pajama bottoms and panties off one leg at a time. Lara watched while reaching her right fingers down between her labia. Nan wasted little time.

She placed her hands underneath Lara's thighs, lifted them up and sank her mouth on her clitoris, sucking and lapping her tongue as if she had been starved for far too long. 

"Uhh!" Lara whined and cried like her six-year old girl.

Nan groaned and grunted with satisfaction, working with intensity and haste. The sense of ferocity coming from her might have made other girls uneasy, but Lara's little girl had already learned to trust the stronger, dominant partner after years of being with Teresa.

"Oh Lara!" Nan whispered, raising her head, squeezing the young woman's thighs. "Cum for me, cum for me!"

Nan inserted a finger deep inside Lara, fucking her fiercely and licking her clitoris at the same time.

"Ohh!" Lara cried more emphatically from the determination. 

She kept her eyes closed and breathed heavily and rhythmically. Her arms flailed helplessly. Nan kept her pace, maintaining her motions and working feverishly to get the reward she thirsted for. She removed her mouth and rubbed Lara's clitoris with a couple of fingers while still frantically pumping a couple of fingers from her other hand.

"Come on, cum for me. Cum for me!" Nan whispered.

Under closed eyes, Lara kept seeing the face of Teresa. The moment when the two were fourteen years old at the movie theater. Teresa had mastered the art of playing Lara and knew exactly how to get what she wanted. Lara paid no attention to her surroundings, placing all trust into Teresa's protection.

"Don't think about who's watching or what's around you, only think about me."

Over the course of her relationship with Teresa, she had been trained to trust that Teresa would take control and keep her safe and protected. Lara allowed Teresa to do whatever she wanted, as hard she wanted, and ferociously as she wanted, and knew that no harm would come to her. In turn, Teresa enjoyed experimenting with Lara and learned exactly what to do and how to do it to get exactly the response she wanted.

"Mmm!" Nan said, grabbing hold of Lara's pelvis and holding it steady against her face.

Lara's thighs trembled while she cried and whined, just like in the movie theater. She twisted to her left and right, heaving and bucking, but Nan's stronger arms and upper body held her firmly in place against her mouth. 

Nan licked up the remaining juices from Lara's little girl. Lara's body continued to jolt and jerk from the random electrical surges after orgasm. Nan released her grip and sat up on her knees. Lara turned to her side and pulled her knees up to her chest in exhaustion.

"Ahh!" Nan breathed in with delight.

The two remained resting for several seconds. Neither one spoke.

Nan laid down next to Lara, facing her.

"Come on, come here." She whispered. Lara rolled into her Nan's arms while Nan enveloped her in a cocoon. Lara felt safe.

Ch. 42: Blow With the Wind Like a Butterfly

Lara finished off a couple slices of toast and a fried egg, along with a cup of coffee.

"Mmm, thanks that was good!" She remarked as she picked up the tray at set it aside. "Wow! the service here is excellent!" She smiled and then giggled.

Nan picked up the tray and moved it over some more, while Lara stretched her arms up with a huge morning grin.

"Ahh!" She yawned. "I slept great!"

Lara leaned back on to the bedding, pulling the quilt over her, and laying on her side.

Lara was still aroused and wet from touching herself earlier. Underneath the quilt, she couldn't stop herself from burying a finger between her labia, and applying only subtle movements while still keeping her hand and arm still.

Nan, still wearing her tank-top and pajama bottoms, sat on the quilt next to her. Her morning appearance painted a more earthy, more human look to her taller, full-figured and rounded frame, emphasizing every part of her thirty-seven year old age.

"So, I want to tell you," Nan spoke. "I had this dream last night that I was in a castle, and I was on trial for something. But I had no clothes on. Isn't that weird?"

"Wow, why would that be weird?" Lara answered.

"Well, because you're here and you're naked, and all of a sudden I had this dream where I was naked!"

Lara smiled. "They say when you dream that you're naked in public, it's because you feel inferior or ashamed."

Nan chuckled. "So, maybe I feel inferior?"

Lara giggled. "No. I don't know." She said with some embarrassment.

"Well, I'm still envious of your situation." Nan said. "I wish I could do that."

Lara smiled again, and then giggled, still laying on her side, and still touching herself with subtle movements. She felt her six-year old girl surfacing, but tried to keep her from fully coming out. Lara  liked Nan, and felt a little empathetic for her, but Nan didn't express the protective character Lara needed to fully release her little girl. Nan seemed fragile herself, as if her exterior was a calloused shell protecting a lonely little girl herself. For Lara, it was a strange exercise in allowing herself to feel her own little girl while presenting the "real Lara" to Nan.

Nan laid down on top of the quilt and turned on her side facing Lara, with her hand supporting her head.

"I mean, just look at you. You have the whole world as your home, you're never lost. You're like a part of nature, just like all the other animals. You just blow with the wind like a leaf."

Lara looked at Nan in wonder at the thoughtful words she had spoke. Was this the same woman who only yesterday held a rifle at her and Julia?

"I guess maybe I do feel a little inferior." Nan continued.

Lara stopped touching herself and made a serious expression.

"No. You're not inferior! You're you! You're special! 

Lara sat up and allowed the quilt to fall off of her.

"You still feel it in your heart, like you did when you were sixteen." She continued. "As long as you hold on to it, it's always going to be there. You'll find that right moment again."

Nan made a slight smile and sat up herself. She carefully reached to Lara's face and gently brushed aside a few stray strands of hair that fell over her face. In the motion, she drew her fingers under Lara's chin. Lara closed her eyes and blushed. Her six-year old girl was taking over.

"Is it OK Sweetie?" Nan whispered.

Lara closed her eyes and gently nodded.

Nan leaned over and gave Lara soft kiss on her lips. Lara opened her eyes, and almost as quickly smiled and feigned away in shyness. Nan placed her fingers under Lara's chin, and brushed her thumb across her mouth, and planted another kiss on her lips.

Lara looked at Nan's eyes. Lara felt her own heart racing with every bit of adrenaline rush flowing through her. Nan leaned herself in and placed her hands on Lara's shoulders. Lara instinctively lowered herself back on the bedding. She felt herself submitting to Nan and melting away like butter. Nan straddled her body and planted a deep kiss on Lara's lips as Lara held on to Nan's shoulders.

It was the sign that Nan was waiting for.

Ch. 41: Where Are My Clothes?

"Julia?" Nan yelled down the stairs and into the basement bedroom.

Julia opened her eyes.

The basement bedroom was dark.

There was an LED clock on the table next to the bed, and it read 7:15am.  Julia had slept the entire night soundly.

She sat up and realized she had kicked the covers off the bed. Moreover, the sheer black nightie she wore had been twisted around her body, with both shoulder straps off, exposing her from the chest down.

She got out of bed and fixed her nightie, then flipped the light switch on the wall, and sat back down on the bed again to collect herself.

"Julia?" Nan called out again.

"Yeah?" Julia answered.

"There's breakfast on the table. Come on up while it's still warm."

Julia looked for her clothes but they weren't where she had left them. She looked all around the bed, but they were gone. She remembered specifically leaving them on the floor next to the bed.

"What happened to my clothes?" She thought.

She didn't want to go upstairs for breakfast wearing the nightie because it was still sheer enough to expose her nude body, and it only covered her crotch by a few inches. She continued to search for her clothes, but could not find them.

Julia stopped to look at herself in the mirror. 

"How could Nan even wear this, if it barely covers me?" She wondered.

Julia walked up the stairs and stuck her head out of the doorway. Neither Nan or the old woman was there.

"Nan?" She called out.

"Nan?" She called out again.

Nan appeared in a tank-top and a pair of pajama bottoms. "Yes dear?"

"My clothes? Where are they?"

"Oh, I'm washing them right now. They should be ready in a few hours. Come on up and have some breakfast."

Julia was struck. Did Nan walk into the basement and gather them while she was still asleep? Did she her naked body tangled in the twisted nightie?

"A few hours?" She replied.

"Mmm, hmm." Nan answered.

Julia didn't realize that Nan and her mother normally hung their laundry outside to dry, and because it had been raining yesterday and now today, they would have to hang her clothes inside.

Nan waited for Julia come out from behind the doorway.

Julia looked troubled. "Um..." She sounded.

Nan chuckled. "It's alright, you're among women here."

Julia wanted to skip breakfast and just wait in the basement. But because Nan stood there waiting for her, and because they had offered so much hospitality, she felt pressured to come out.

Julia paused, but put a foot out and brought herself from behind the doorway, and then took cautious steps towards the kitchen, but waited for Nan to lead the way.

Instead, Nan took a few steps back and looked at Julia. "That nightie fits you just fine, looks like."

Julia put her hands down to her sides, pinching the bottom of the nightie to keep it pulled down. She walked towards the kitchen quickly. Her nude body was exposed by the bright light of the kitchen.

"Oh dear, did Nan get you that?" The old woman asked.

Julia didn't answer, and just took a seat at the table.

"Don't you have anything better she can wear?" She asked Nan.

"No, not anything that'll fit her." She answered, smiling slightly.

The old woman shook her head and continued eating.

Outside, Lara had already been up for a couple hours. She had already ventured outdoors in the cold morning air, managing to sneak out while it had stopped raining to relieve herself as the clouded dawn was breaking in.

But she had returned to the barn, opting to stay snuggled between the warm blankets on the bedding of hay. The barn provided Lara a sense of protection. It was large, but strong enough to weather countless storms over numerous decades, yet the hay and blankets contrasted it with softness and warmth.

Lara felt a feeling of eroticism in this way, her fully nude body under the protection of something larger and stronger, but offering a cocoon of soft, warm comfort. And it was already heightened by a sense of satisfaction in her life from having left home fully nude, with nothing to her name, and as free as the wind.

The feeling instinctively caused her hand to reach down and sooth herself. She closed her eyes and basked in the comfort of memories and fantasies while connecting with the little girl inside. 

"Lara?" Nan called, while walking in with a tray of breakfast.

Lara was startled, and turned her head. She was caught in a transition from her "real Lara" and the six-year old girl. She could feel a strange feeling of separation inside her.

"I brought you some breakfast."

Lara smiled, struggling to regain herself. "Oh, thanks!"

Ch. 40: A Cold Shower and a Hot Bath

"Julia, we can wash your clothes for you. I'm sure they must need washing after all that walking today!" Nan said as Julia helped wash the dishes in the kitchen.

"Thanks." She replied. "But I'll be OK."

"Are you sure?"

The old lady chimed in. "You're going to be here for a few days until Charlie gets back. Certainly you can't go around in dirty underwear like that!"

Julia didn't know what to say. She liked the hospitality and the idea knowing they were being kind, but these were completely different people than the kind she was raised with in suburban Charleston. It was still frightening to her.

"You should at least take a bath!" The old woman insisted. "Nan, why don't you make a bath for Julia!"

"That's probably a good idea." Nan added. "We got some bath salts that'll really help you relax."

Julia paused for a moment, and then reluctantly agreed. "OK, I guess that'll be fine."

"I have some old nighties that don't fit me anymore. I'll get you one." Nan said.

A half hour later, Julia sat in the tub while the water continued to fill. It was an old cast iron tub with claw feet, the kind she had seen in home decorating magazines. The bathroom itself looked cute to her. They were laden with striped wallpaper with wainscoting, though with an old yellowed-look of not having been updated for decades. There were small wooden shelves with decorative corbels and a window adorned with soft white drapes and lace trim.

Nan had picked out a black nightie and had hung it on the towel rack in the bathroom. The bath salts made her skin feel soft and silky. She turned off the water, and laid her head back to rest.

The rain continued to fall. Lara had snuggled herself up inside the blankets and quilt on the bedding of hay in the barn. The dinner was indeed making her sleepy, but she had been stuck in the barn for four hours already, and again needed to pee. She'd have to go back outside into the rain, at least if she was going to sleep soundly the entire night.

Leaving the warmth of the bedding was a tough proposition as it was, let alone trying to find a place to pee. She forced herself out anyways, knowing she going to have to go sooner or later.

The thought occurred to her that she could pee somewhere inside the barn, but she shrugged it off considering how generous Nan had been. It didn't seem right. She begrudgingly set foot out of the barn, and immediately took the brunt of a cold wind and rain, walked out several feet, and then spread her legs apart, bent her knees slightly, and relieved herself.

Running back inside the barn, shaking and shivering, with water running all over her, she grabbed the towel that was still laying on a bale of hay, and dried herself off.

At the same time, Julia dried herself off too, having finished her bath. She put on the black nightie that Nan had left hanging on the towel rack. It was made of sheer material, and her pale nude body was visible beneath it. Not only that, it came down to just a few inches below her crotch. It wasn't quite the conservative dress she was accustomed to and she felt uneasy about wearing it through the house with a couple of strangers.

"What was Nan thinking?" She wondered.

She took it off, and put her dirty clothes back on, opting to leave her bra and panties off. She grabbed them up, along with the nightie and left the bathroom.

On her way to the basement bedroom, she passed by the living room.

"How was your bath Julia?" The old woman asked.

"Nice, thank you." Julia stopped momentarily, but then continued walking.

"How does the nightie fit you?" Nan asked.

Julia stopped again. "Um, I don't know yet. I was going to try it on for bed."

She continued walking.

"Good night." Both Nan and the old woman said.

Julia made her way down the stairs into the basement. She removed her clothes and put on the nightie. She looked at herself in the mirror hanging above a chest of drawers. She made some poses, and admired herself.

"Ugh!" She whispered and made a face. She tried to readjust the nightie so that it would drop down a little more below her crotch. It just wouldn't cover anymore.

Julia found the bed and crawled in. The basement was noticeably more cool than the living room upstairs. However, the bed was covered by a warm goose-down quilt. The pillows felt very cushy and the mattress, though old, offered a restful sleep. It was so much more inviting than the car seat she had slept in the night before.

At least, she figured, she could feel comfortable and pampered by herself in the basement.

It didn't take long before she felt too hot. After having soaked in the tub, her body was already plenty warm. The goose-down quilt and the layer of sheets and blankets had her toasty in no time.

Julia kicked off the covers for the time being. Before she knew it, she fell asleep.

Ch. 39: A Strange But Familiar Sense

The sun had already set below the horizon, but the dark gray rain clouds had already turned the day into night. The dim light bulb Nan installed cast an orange glow across the inside of the barn. She stayed warm and dry, but could still hear drops of water that leaked from the roof and landed on the barn's floor in various places.

The sense of loneliness and abandonment remained inside her, but it was something she had gotten used to, and even welcomed to a certain degree. Being alone helped reconnect her with herself. She could think more clearly and feel more at peace.

This would be her second full night on her own as an adult, and she relished the thought of being completely left to her own devices. She loved the idea that no matter where she was, she was always at home. With nothing to own and nothing to her name, she belonged only to herself. There was nothing to take care of, nothing to store away, and no responsibilities whatsoever.

"Lara?" Lara turned to look at who called her. It was Nan.

"I brought you some dinner." She said.

Nan sat down a tray holding a plate of boiled potatoes, carrots, and a slice of venison steak.

"Oh thanks!" Lara replied.

Lara dug in. She was famished, having only eaten a few cookies earlier in the morning and one more just now. She ate quickly.

Nan sat down on a bale of hay next to her and watched.

"Wow! this is so good!" Lara remarked while chewing on a piece of venison.

"You like it? It's venison."

"Really? I haven't had venison since I was little."

"My dad goes out deer hunting and gets them processed. One deer usually lasts us several months."

"Thanks so much for this. I really don't have anything to give you!"

"That's OK. I love the company. You probably guessed we don't get many visitors."

"So what do you do?" Lara asked.

"Around here?" Nan answered.

"Well, I mean what do you normally do with yourself?"

"I just take care of my mom and dad and help with things."

"So you've lived all here all your life?"

"Pretty much. When I was sixteen I left home and lived in Raleigh for awhile. But then my dad had a heart attack when I was twenty-four, and my mom needed help, so I came back and been here ever since."

"What did you do in Raleigh?"

"Not much!" Nan smiled and chuckled. "I moved in with my cousin, and then tried to find some jobs, but every job I got I didn't last long. So, when my dad had the heart attack, I just decided to come home."

"Do you have any friends?" Lara asked, digging into the vegetables.

Nan chuckled. "Not anymore. There ain't anybody around here. I mean, I know some people in Elk Park and Beech Mountain, but they're not really friends. Besides, I'm getting older and heavy!"

Lara took a look at Nan. Her short black hair was starting to show some gray, though Lara didn't think she looked old. She was also overweight, but it didn't appear to Lara that Nan was obese or looked anything usual.

"I don't know, you don't look any older or heavier than most people." She offered.

At 37 years of age, Nan had resigned herself to just taking care of her mother and father and not ever pursuing any kind of social life. Her clothes consisted of just oversized t-shirts, baggy jeans, and work boots. It suited the chores she had to do around the house and the property.

Lara finished her dinner, and picked up the tray and set it aside.

"That was delicious! Thank you." She said.

Lara laid down on her side on the quilt. The cold air didn't feel so cold anymore. Staying dry helped. Her skin felt cool, but her insides felt warm. 

Nan sat down on the quilt.

"I hope you don't mind me saying, but I really admire what you're doing."

Lara smiled. "What do you mean?" 

"Well, I mean just traveling around and not having stuff to worry about. I mean, I wish I could something like that."

"Do you like being naked too?"

Nan smiled. "Well, I meant being so free. I mean, you get to go anywhere you want, and you don't have anybody pulling on you. Don't get me wrong, I do like having a place here to belong to, and I like knowing that I'm inheriting something that's been in my family for generations. But, it also feels like a prison here. So, it's really nice to meet someone like you."

Lara propped her head up with her arm, but remained laying on her quilt. The orange glow of the dim light bulb colored her nude body into a tan and cast dark shadows in various places across the barn.

"Thanks." She said. "I think you're the first person to say something like that."

"Really?" Nan answered. She chuckled slightly. "You'd think around here I could go naked also, but my mom and dad are sticklers on being proper."

Lara smiled. "Why don't you just do it anyways?"

"They'd just give me a hard time about it. I mean, that's why I left home at sixteen. I quit school, and wanted to get away." Nan paused for a few seconds, and then continued. "My mom and dad... Well, they don't like the person that I am."

"What do you mean?" Lara asked.

Nan looked at Lara.

"Well, forgive me if I'm being presumptuous, but I sense something about you... that's a lot like me."

Lara looked at Nan and thought about what she was saying. Nan looked back at her. Lara finally put two and two together and realized what she meant. At that point, Lara lifted herself up and sat, then reached out with her hand. Nan took her hand in return.

"I get it now." Lara said.

Nan smiled, then let go of Lara's hand.

"Well, I should turn in and let you get some sleep." Nan said. "That dinner ought to be working on you by now."

She held her look at Lara just for an extra second, and then got up to pick up the dinner tray. Lara sat and watched her leave

Ch. 38: Walking Nude in the Rain

Lara found a place where she could easily walk into the rushing stream. Her idea was to squat just over the water and relieve herself in the current. The rain fell hard, but under the canopy of thick growth oaks, she had some protection. Still, the water managed to pool and drip in random places atop the canopy and and hit her on the head. As she crouched down, beads of water rolled down her shoulder blades and and channeled itself down the small of her back

She started to shiver while relieving herself. After finishing, she dipped her body into the cold running water, and used her hands to clean herself off.

Even though she was on someone's private property, and even though it was raining, she still found it beautiful and serene, and still felt like she was alone in the wilderness. She could see the house and the barn several yards away through the oak trees.

"This is what I need." She thought to herself.

The water rushed from beneath her, its force stimulating her labia. Lara's head was hung over, facing down towards the water, while her body was tightened trying to generate heat. A constant swoosh of wind and rain blew through the tree canopy, with a steady patter of water droplets tapping the leaves on the ground.

"Lara!" A distant, soft cry echoed. 

Lara picked her head up, and listened.

"Lara?"

Again she could barely hear from far away. Lara stood up in the stream, and then walked to the side and climbed up the bank. Now out of the water, her body became more cold. The voice must have come from Nan. She was supposed to come back with a towel.

Back at the house, Julia sat in a reclining chair in the living room, while a warm fire crackled in the fireplace.

"I made you some hot tea, Julia. It'll relax you." The old lady said, setting it down on a coffee table.

"Thanks." Julia smiled.

"I just want to apologize for this afternoon. We just don't get many strangers, and we have to be careful around here."

"Yeah, I understand." Julia answered and smiled.

Julia was beginning to feel a little more at ease being by herself in a stranger's house. The hospitality offered by Nan and her mother was helping. Though, seeing how these two women greeted people with pointed rifles struck her. It wasn't at all like growing up in suburban Charleston.

It was also the first time she had to face this level of adversity without her mother and father.

And there was something strange she detected about this old woman and her daughter. They seemed quite reclusive, no available car, no working telephone... Anything could happen here and no one would know about it.

Lara emerged from the thick growth of oak trees and found Nan several yards away.

"Nan?" She called out.

Nan turned around to look and saw Lara. She walked towards her.

"Where'd you go?" She asked.

"I just did a little exploring in the trees." Lara answered.

"Oh my Lord! You're going to catch a cold out here, especially going around naked!" She said. "I put a towel and some blankets in the barn for you."

"Thanks!" Lara answered.

Lara entered into the barn, with Nan following behind. Lara's body was dripping with water. Her hair completely soaked as if she had just taken a shower, and shivering and shaking uncontrollably.

Nan picked up the towel, opened it up and invited her into it. Lara walked in with Nan wrapping it around her body. 

"Here." Nan said.

Lara dried herself off. Nan stood and watched. It felt more warm not having water on her skin anymore. Removing the water off her skin helped make her feel more comfortable. Though, it was still cold in the barn.

"I also put in a new light bulb for you. It's lower wattage so that it don't shine so bright."

"Oh, thank you!" Lara said graciously.

"I don't know how someone goes around with no clothes on!" Nan remarked. "Especially around here!"

Lara began wrapping the towel around her hair. Nan stood by with her hand up to a wall and observed.

"How long you've been doing this?"

"Doing what?" Lara asked.

"This! Going around naked?"

"Well, since I was twelve."

"Twelve! And how old are you now?"

"Eighteen."

"Well heck! Like six years? I guess you get used to it."

Lara began unfolding the blankets. Nan reached down to help. The two laid the first blanket across some broken up bales of hay that Nan had created earlier. Then they laid a second blanket over that, and then followed by a quilt.

"My grandma made this quilt for me when I was young."

Lara had laid down on top of the quilt, opting to settle down before crawling underneath the blankets. She still had the towel wrapped around her hair. Picking up the bag of cookies next to her, she found a chocolate chip variety and began to snack.

"Well, I best be getting back inside and checking on Julia. I'll come back in a little bit, OK?"

"OK. Thank you!"

Ch. 37: Strangers in the Strange Place

"This used to be my bedroom when I was little." Nan said, leading Julia down a set of stairs into a finished basement. "When my brother moved out, I moved into his bedroom upstairs."

Julia walked to the bed, and sat down.

"It feels nice." She said.

"If you like quiet, it's gets really quiet here. And if you like to read, there's lots of books on that shelf." Nan pointed.

Julia looked around, feeling uncertain. She felt uncomfortable and vulnerable without Lara.

"I bet you must be hungry." Nan asked.

Julia looked at Nan, and cracked a little smile. "I'm OK, thanks."

"Well, we have plenty to eat here, you're more than welcome." Julia smiled again, but soon looked away.

"Why don't I show you the bathroom?" Nan asked.

Meanwhile inside the barn, Lara stood by the door watching the rain pour.

Nan and her mother lived on several acres of land, and it went on and on for as far as she could see. Much of the land was flat and grassy, while on either side were flanks of thick growth oak trees. It was situated atop the Appalachian Mountain Range, on a flat where a stream ran through.

Lara put her hand to her tummy, feeling a movement. Yet, she didn't see any place where she could go. She knew she wasn't allowed in the house unless she opted to wear clothes. She stepped out of the barn and walked into rain yet again, but this time headed for the thick growth of oak trees on the west side of the property.

The rain was falling quite hard, and it didn't take long for her hair to become fully soaked. She walked quickly, running slightly. The water was dripping off her nose and landing on her lower lip. She was either blowing it off, or lapping it up with her tongue.

When she got into the oak trees, there was less rain, but the ground was slippery with a carpet of oak leaves. She walked carefully past several trees, ultimately looking for a place to squat down. But catching her attention was what appeared to be a ditch further ahead, and proceeded towards it. When she got there, it turned out to be the same stream bed that she and Julia had crossed by the dirt road. 

Lara found a path down into the stream. The water was about seven feet across, having swollen under last night's rains.

"This is the bathroom." Nan pointed out to Julia. "We don't have a shower, just a tub, but you're more than welcome to use it."

Julia looked, and smiled, feeling shy and uneasy.

"I bet you're ready for a bath." Nan added. "All that walking probably got you tired out."

"There are towels right here on the wall, and there's a box of salts over there, just feel free to soak anytime, OK?"

"OK", Julia answered with a smile. She was starting to feel a little more pampered.

Less than a few weeks on her own, Julia wished she was back at home with her parents. Growing up under the watchful eye of her mother and father had given her sense of security that she never understood until now. Being miles away from home, up in the mountains, in a house with a couple of gun-toting women, left her feeling afraid.

"You didn't bring any clothes with you from the car, did you?" Nan asked.

"Um, I guess I didn't!" Julia replied, embarrassed.

"I have some clothes you can borrow, and we can wash what you got on."

Julia smiled, expressing the modesty she had been raised to feel.

"I think I'm OK." She said.

"Well, you have to get on some clean panties at least. You can't go around unsanitary like that!"

Julia smiled and opened her eyes wide. "Oh, no! I'll be OK, really!" She reassured.

"Oh shoot! I forgot to get that towel for Lara." Nan exclaimed. "Why don't you go make yourself comfortable, and I'll be right back, OK?"

Nan grabbed a fresh towel from the linen closet next to the bathroom, and headed back to the barn.

Ch. 36: Spider Webs and Bales of Hay

The mixture of mud, dirt, leaves, and pebbles was wearing on Lara's feet. They felt sore after nearly 12 miles of walking back and forth along the dirt road. Julia's feet were getting sore also, mostly from her feet rubbing along the insides of her shoes.

"I've never been so exhausted in whole my life." Julia said.

"I think we're almost there" Lara replied.

Rain was finally starting to fall, as the breeze cooled down ever more.

"I just felt a drop!" Julia said.

"It's just around that corner." Nan replied.

The drops of water landing on Lara's body felt colder than before. Even though the walking had warmed her up, the air was cooling and the skies turning gray again. But with drops of water collecting on her body, it became difficult to keep warm and she soon started shivering.

"I can't believe that girl walks around naked like that." The old lady said to Nan. "She's likely to get sick."

As they approached the house, the rain had picked up. Lara, Julia, Nan, and the old lady had increased their pace to get inside.

"The barn's behind the house!" Nan said to Lara. "You can follow me.

Julia followed Lara and Nan to the barn as the old lady went back inside the house. At one point the barn had kept horses and a variety of farming implements. But there were no longer any animals, and much of the tools and machinery were covered with cobwebs. There were still several bales of hay stacked up from years ago, and the barn had an old smell to it, as if no one ever went in there anymore.

Nan flipped a switch by the door, but nothing happened.

"Oh shoot, it looks like the light bulb is out." She said. "I'll have to get you another one."

There was still enough daylight coming through the open door to illuminate the inside. Lara and Julia walked through the barn, as if it were a museum, amazed at the old farming tools, rusted implements that looked like antiques.

"Wow, everything here looks old." Lara said.

"Most of this stuff belonged to my grandparents." Nan replied.

"Did this place belong to your grandparents?"

"My great-great-grandparents, actually. It's been in the family since the 1800s."

"Wow!" Lara exclaimed. "That's amazing!"

The barn was only a couple of degrees warmer than outside, but felt significantly warmer for Lara whose nude body was still dripping wet from the rain. Nan walked to the bales of hay, and broke a couple of them apart, spreading the hay into a bed.

"I'll bring you some blankets, and you can sleep here. It'll keep you pretty comfortable."

"Oh, thank you." Lara replied.

"No problem. Are you sure you don't want to least put something on? You can join us inside for something hot to eat, you must be hungry." Nan asked.

"I still have my cookies. I'd rather not put anything on."

"Well, I better get you a towel right away."

Nan started walking towards the door, but stopped and turned around to look at Julia.

"Julia, come on and I'll show you your room."

"Oh," Julia replied. "I was going to stay with Lara."

"No, Julia, that's OK." Lara reassured. "You don't want to stay in here."

In the back of her mind, Julia didn't at all want to stay in the barn. It was dark, musty, and full of spider webs. She felt bad about leaving Lara alone, however didn't want to put up much of an argument either.

"Come on Julia we can't leave you in here also." Nan added. "It'll be a lot more warm inside."

Julia paused and looked at Lara.

"Go." Lara said, smiling.

Ch. 35: Persistence and Stubborn

It was about 40 minutes later until they arrived back at Julia's car. This time the clouds had covered up the entire sky, and some of it had patches of dark gray, while a cooler, stronger breeze had set in.

"Well it looks like they were telling the truth, Ma." Nan said.

"Hmph!" The old lady grumbled.

Nan was still carrying Julia's purse, and opened it up to find her keys. 

"Are your car keys in here?" She asked. "Uh huh." Julia answered.

"Are these it?" Nan asked holding them up.

Julia nodded, "Yes".

Nan unlocked the car door, and sat inside. She started the engine and tried to drive the car out of the mud, but the tires still spun and the car went nowhere. Nan also tried in reverse and got the same results.

Meanwhile, Lara stepped towards a nearby tree, spread her feet apart, bent her knees, and let loose a stream to relieve herself.

The old lady made a facial expression and mumbled, "Dear Lord!"

Nan got out of the car, and handed the keys and purse back to Julia.

"Well, it's definitely stuck." She said. "But unfortunately, we don't have anything pull you out with." 

"Well what about that car you have?" Lara asked walking out from behind the tree. "Ha!" Nan answered. "That thing hasn't run for years. All we have is a truck, and my Dad has it in Morgantown right now. He won't be back for a few more days."

"Can we call a tow truck, or get a neighbor to help?" Lara suggested.

"There ain't no tow truck around here!" The old lady barked. "And we don't have a phone to call up one."

"And the nearest neighbors are several miles away." Nan added. "And they're not as friendly as we are. I think your best bet is to stay with us until my Dad gets back."

"What?" The old lady exclaimed. "They're not staying with us! They can stay in their car until the mud dries out."

"Ma, they ain't staying in the car, and besides it's going to rain again and I don't think we have to worry about them."

"Well that nudist over there ain't setting foot in my house unless she puts some clothes on." The old lady countered.

Lara looked concerned.

"I guess you're going to have to put something on." Nan replied.

Lara shook her head. "I can't. I don't wear clothes."

Nan chuckled.

"Look, you're just going to create more trouble if you don't put something on".

Lara hesitated, and then looked at Julia's car. "Well, maybe I can just wait in the car then."

"No." Nan replied. "When my Dad comes back he's going to see this car. And then he'll see you in it all naked, and there's no telling what he's going to do. He's just as paranoid as Mom."

"But do I have to wear clothes? If I can't stay in the house, can't I stay somewhere else?" Lara asked.

"It's just clothes." Nan replied. "You have clothes in this car right?"

Lara shook her head. "No. I don't have any clothes."

"You mean you don't have any clothes at all?" 

"No, I'm a nudist!"

"Well, can't you wear some of her clothes", Nan asked pointing at Julia.

Lara looked at Julia, and then looked at Nan. Then she looked to her left and to her right, looking for something to say.

"If you have some place else she can stay, I'll stay with her." Julia jumped in.

Nan looked on in disbelief that Lara wasn't even willing to put on some clothes out of courtesy, considering Nan was inviting her to stay with them for the next few days. But Lara was looking at things from a different perspective.

"Well... OK." Nan replied. "We have a barn in the back, you can sleep there, alright?"

Lara nodded her head, "That's fine!"

"Is that OK with you Ma?"

"In the barn? Someone's got to keep an eye on her, you know..."

"Ma enough already. They ain't going to do anything!"

"Alright." Nan said. "Let's start walking back home before it starts raining."

Ch. 34: A Bit of Humiliation

It was getting to be about midday in the afternoon and what sunshine there was earlier in the morning was starting to cloud over. The adrenaline rush from being at gunpoint seemed to make both Julia and Lara forget about how tired they had been.

But Julia hadn't forgotten that she needed pee.

They had already walked a mile, and there were still a couple more miles to go before they got to her car, and she was having difficulty holding it in.

"Um." She spoke out, turning her head to the side.

"I need to pee really bad."

"Oh yeah?" The old lady replied. "I bet you do. You just keep walking."

"Oh Ma, let her stop and pee. She's not dangerous." Nan said.

"Listen Nan, I ain't taking any chances with Charlie not around. And you better learn to keep your guard up, because as soon..."

"OK you two stop!" Nan broke in.

Julia and Lara stopped.

"Damn it Nan!, what the Hell are you..."

"OK, you go pee over there." Nan pointed her rifle at a tree about fifteen feet away.

"There?" Julia asked.

"Yes, right there."

Julia walked over to the tree, and then looked at Lara and looked at Nan and the old lady. She tried to hide behind the tree, but it offered only partial privacy.

The old lady walked out a ways to get a clearer look at Julia and kept her rifle pointed.

"Don't you even think about running away!" She said.

Julia looked Lara and made an expression to say that she couldn't pee with so much attention on her.

"Ma! Come back over here and let her pee in private." Nan said.

The old lady looked at Nan, and then looked back at Julia.

"Ma! Give the girl a break!"

The old lady finally walked back to Nan. Julia undid her pants, and pulled them down along with her panties, but had trouble trouble squatting and keeping a balance with them on, let alone peeing without getting them wet. Worse yet, the agony that she was still partially exposed made it very difficult for her to do.

Lara looked at her, and felt sorry.

Julia stood back up again, and this time pushed her pants and panties as far down as she could, and kept a hand on the tree trunk to balance herself as she squatted. She managed to relieve herself while the old lady and Nan kept a watch.

It felt good to finally relieve herself. For a brief moment Julia seemed to forget about the embarrassment of being watched while peeing. Julia needed something to dry off with, but there was nothing available. She pushed and squeezed to get everything out, and then just pulled up her panties and pants. It made Julia feel a little bit dirty.

Then with her head pointed down, and feeling humiliated, she walked back to Lara.

Lara maintained a humbled and remorseful look. She still felt as if this was her fault.

"OK, keep on walking" Nan ordered.

Ch. 33: At Gunpoint

Lara and Julia stared at the old lady as she kept her aim at the two of them. Nan, also had her rifle pointed at them as well.

"OK, I want the both of you to lay down on the ground on your bellies." The old lady demanded.

The girls looked at each other, and then looked at the ground and hesitated.

"I said lay down on the ground!" She demanded.

"Do it!" Nan added.

Lara and Julia slowly crouched down to their knees, and carefully laid themselves out on the wet dirt. Nan walked towards the two girls, looking down at the bodies sprawled out across the dirt, and then stood behind them.

"No please! No don't kill me!" Julia cried out. 

Nan reached down to Julia's ankles and ran her hands up her legs, feeling, patting, squeezing all the way up. She felt around her butt, and up her back, her sides, and her arms.

"There's nothing on her!" She yelled out. The she stood over Lara, "And I guess there's nothing on her too!" She joked.

The old lady walked closer to the girls.

"Now who sent you here!" She asked.

Lara answered. "No one did! We just got lost, that's all!"

"Well then how in the Hell did you get here?"

Julia remained crying, sniffling her nose, and gasping for air.

"We were in Asheville last night." Lara answered. "We couldn't find a vacancy, so we tried to find some place to park, and went down a street. It was raining really hard, and it was dark, and there was a lot of traffic behind us, so we kept on going. We turned down another road, and it was all dirt, but we couldn't find a place to pull over. Then we went on another dirt road, and finally we just stopped the car and decided to wait it out until this morning. But this morning the car got stuck in the mud. So we started walking to find help."

Nan started laughing.

"You expect us to believe all that?" The old lady asked.

"We'll be glad to leave, but we just some help getting our car out of the mud." Lara continued.

"And why are you naked?" The old lady asked again.

Lara paused for a few seconds before answering, and then muttered "I'm a nudist. I don't wear clothes."

"What?" The old lady replied, and then broke out in a laugh.

"You don't wear clothes? You expect me to believe that too? Let me guess, did Jimmy Baker send you two out here?"

"Oh come on Ma, you know Jimmy didn't send these two out here. I mean look at how the other girl is dressed, and look how scared they are. They came from some big city somewhere."

"Honestly, we just got lost, and now our car is stuck in the mud." Lara pleaded.

"I think they're telling the truth Ma." Nan replied. "Look at 'em, they ain't dangerous."

"No, but that Jimmy probably sent them here to distract us."

"Oh come off of it Ma! Jimmy ain't done anything to us for 20 years now."

The old lady paused and thought for several seconds.

"Well, alright. But we're going to find out if they're telling the truth!"

The old lady walked back inside the house, and several minutes later walked back out, locking the front door. Then she approached Lara and Julia.

"Now get up, and let's go find this car of yours."

Lara and Julia got up, and started walking towards the old car that was parked behind them. They slowed down a bit, thinking they would get into the car, but the old lady reminded them again.

"Go on, keep walking!"

She kept her rifle pointed at the girls. Julia and Lara continued walking, realizing they were going to have to walk all the way back.

"Sorry I got you into all this" Lara whispered to Julia.

Julia collected herself, and started to calm down.

"Uh huh", she nodded back.

Ch. 32: Trespassers

Lara and Julia were beginning to tire from walking. They had already walked about four miles, including the mile round-trip they took from the car to the first road and back. They were losing their patience trying to find help.

"This road must go on forever!" Julia said.

"It's gotta go somewhere" Lara answered.

"And I need to pee!" Julia replied.

"Well, you can pee anywhere you want!" Lara said jokingly.

"Funny" Julia said, not amused.

Julia chose to hold it in, hoping they would find a residence soon and be able to use a toilet.

It still took another 15 minutes, which translated to about a 1/2 mile before they spotted a structure down the road.

"I think I see a building!" Julia said.

The two girls picked up their pace and came to an old-looking house, with a old car sitting in front that looked as if it hadn't run for several years. But the house didn't look abandoned, there were signs that people still lived there.

"Do you think anyone's home?" Lara asked.

The two stood at a distance from the house, hoping they weren't intruding or surprising anyone.

"I guess we'll find out." Julia replied.

Julia put her hand out to stop Lara.

"Why don't you wait behind this car, while I knock on the door." She said, hoping that Lara's nudity would remain hidden.

Julia got to about half-way to the house when the door creaked open and an older lady, heavy-set in size, stepped out, holding a rifle.

"Hold it right there!" The lady warned. Julia stopped and froze. Lara crouched down behind the car and peeked through the car windows to keep an eye on Julia.

"And you behind that car! Come on out!" The lady continued.

Lara stood up slowly.

"Come on, step out where I can see ya!"

Lara walked away from the car, but remained nearby and waited for the lady to say something.

"Well goodness sake!" The lady murmured as she watched Lara.

"Who are you, what are you doing here?" The lady looked at Julia, keeping her rifle pointed at her.

"We... we're just looking for some help." Julia answered cautiously.

"Help? What kind of help? Who are you?" The lady demanded.

"Our car got stuck in the mud, and we just need some help." Julia answered.

The lady looked up at Lara, still standing a ways behind Julia.

"And what the Hell are you doing with no clothes on?" She yelled out.

The lady turned her attention back to Julia. "Who are you?"

"My name is Julia, and her name is Lara. We got lost, and now our car is stuck in the mud. We just need some help getting out, that's all."

"Nan!" The lady yelled out, turning her head slightly towards the door behind her.

"Come on out here!"

Seconds later a woman walked out the front door, also holding a rifle. She looked to be in her 30s, dark short hair, about 5'8" in height, and also heavy in build but not as obese at the older woman.

"You!" The older lady looked at Julia.

"Drop your purse on the ground, and walk back to that car."

She looked up at Lara.

"And you, come up here and drop that bag on the ground too."

Julia dropped her purse on the ground and walked back to the car as demanded, while Lara walked up and placed her bag of cookies next to the purse.

"Now go on, walk back to the car." The old lady instructed.

The lady turned to Nan.

"Go check them bags."

Nan kept her rifle pointed at the two girls, while the older lady remained by the front door, also keeping her rifle pointed at Lara and Julia. Nan picked up Julia's purse and went through it.

"It's clean." She said. Then she picked up Lara's bag of cookies and opened it up. "It's just cookies in here!"

The old lady walked out towards Nan, keeping her rifle pointed at Lara and Julia.

"You're on my property! I have a presence of mind to shoot you right here." She spoke out.

Ch. 31: A Water Nymph in the Making

The trees flanking either side of the dirt road had become more dense and thick, and completely shaded the road, creating a spooky effect that made both Julia and Lara feel a little less comfortable.

"I don't like this." Julia said.

"I wonder how far we've walked?" Lara asked.

"I don't know. I hope we find something soon."

The ground was more wet and muddy through this area. The girls walked just off the road, over a more firm bed of oak leaves, though having to hop and jump over puddles of water. Another fifteen minutes of walking, the road turned into a small wooden bridge, about fifteen feet in length, crossing over a stream. They stopped to look up and down the stream to see what they could see, but in either direction there wasn't any sign of a residence or structure or anything.

At the other end of the bridge, Lara spotted a pathway that led down the stream bed. She walked towards it, and sat her bag of cookies on the ground. Then she climbed down to the stream bed, and dipped her toe into the running water.

"It's really cold!" She said.

Lara carefully brought both feet into the stream, balancing herself on some smooth, polished rocks below the water's surface. She reached down to wash the caked, and dried mud from her ankles.

Julia remained standing at the end of the bridge, watching.

Rays of sunlight broke through Lara's hair, giving it a golden glow, while a dragonfly hovered over her. The water was indeed cold, but it felt quite good, mostly because this is what Lara envisioned for herself, in Nature, in the way Nature intended her.

Julia saw the same free-spirited nymph back at the car. This time, frolicking in the water seemed more feminine. Lara looked like someone happy, radiating a kind spirit ready to love someone. Julia pulled out her cellphone to snap a photo of her reaching down to splash the cool water on her legs. Lara stood back up and looked upstream, while taking note of other stepping stones to balance herself on.

She walked further into the water, and took a few steps away from the bridge.

"Hey, where are you going?" Julia asked.

Lara spotted an area in the stream where she could sit herself down and bathe.

"Wouldn't it be nice to lay in the water?" She replied.

"Are you serious? It's freaking cold!" Julia answered.

Lara was cold too, but the thought of her being nude the woods, and bathing in a stream, seemed so idyllic. She wanted to try it.

"Come on! We have to get some help!" Julia reminded her.

Lara stopped and turned to look at Julia.

"OK", she answered, and carefully walked back out of the stream.

"This is so beautiful isn't it? Lara asked.

"Yeah, it is."

Lara picked up her bag of cookies, and the two girls continued down the road.