Camp True Touch

The chime sounded, announcing the end of our hand-holding. Then we were instructed to place our right hands on the side of our partner's neck. I slowly touched her left arm and used it as a guide to finding my way to her neck. I felt her shudder from my touch. I feared I had tickled her. Once I got my hand against the warm skin of her neck, she used my technique to get her right hand to my neck. I understood why she shuddered as her soft fingers caressed my arm. It tickled and felt wonderful at the same time. Her smooth, warm hand felt comforting against my neck. I smiled and told the timer to start, then we both took deep breaths and let them out slowly. I could feel her body move as she inhaled and exhaled. Then I felt her pulse against my hand. Comforting was the best way to describe the situation.

The timer chimed, and we slowly withdrew our hands. Our next task was to place our palms against each other's cheeks, take deep breaths, and hold our partner's face for one minute. I used her right arm to find my way to her face. It felt different from her left arm. The skin was exceptionally smooth except for raised lumps at certain points. She shuddered again, and it made me feel warm all over. The exercises were extremely intimate in spite of their simplicity. As I placed my palms against her cheeks, I noticed the right cheek was very smooth with unfamiliar ridges while the left cheek felt normal. She used my arms to feel her way to my face, and I sighed when she pressed her warm hands against my cheeks. It felt wonderful to have my face cradled. I told the timer to start, and we took deep breaths. I could have fallen asleep under her comforting touch. I had no idea it could be so relaxing.

I was disappointed to lose her touch after the timer chimed, but the next step made up for it. We were instructed to sit back to back and talk about our favorite foods, smells, music, animals, and so on. We shuffled around and slowly leaned against each other. I may have moaned softly from the feel of her warm skin against mine. Her hair brushed the back of my neck, and I could tell she had a short hairstyle. To be honest, I didn't care if she was bald, but I still wanted to know more about her.

Part 4. Nude Touch Therapy

Jenifer's perspective:

My heart and stomach were fluttering as I sat on the blanket with Cory under the willow tree. We were holding our palms together for two minutes, and I felt sick to my stomach. I knew he could feel the scars from the skin grafts and the strange texture of my right hand. I hated how weird it felt compared to my left hand. I wished I could see if he was grimacing or not. I had been thankful for the blindfold at first, but now I wanted to see his expressions.

After the first minute passed, my stomach calmed a little. I had gotten over the initial shock of being touched by a stranger. I had to remind myself that Cory wasn't really a stranger at that point. He was a new acquaintance that I liked. I felt calm around him once I got used to him, and I never had to worry about him staring at my scars. That thought made me feel guilty. It felt like I was taking advantage of his disability. I had to remind myself that it was Betty that put us together, not me.

Our next step required us to touch our partner's neck. I was surprised when I felt Cory's soft fingertips trailing up my right arm in search of my neck. I shuddered at the strange sensation. The simple caress felt very intimate. It left my skin tingling afterward, even though it was completely innocent. Cory had to do it that way. He saw the world with his hands. Randomly reaching towards me could end in many embarrassing ways. He was teaching me how to gracefully find his neck while blindfolded. I enjoyed his hand against my neck. It felt comforting.

My anxiety returned when we were ordered to touch our partner's face. My integrity slipped at that point, and I gently readjusted my blindfold, allowing me to peek under it. I had no intention of ogling his nakedness. I desperately needed to see his face when he touched mine. He used my arms again to find my cheeks. I gulped as he gently held my face between his palms. My heart sputtered a little when he smiled. It was a look of happy contentment, not a grimace of disgust. My throat tightened as I gazed into his bright gray eyes. They never focused on anything, but they still expressed emotion. I quickly trailed my fingers along his arm like he did to me, then I placed my palms against his cheeks, and his smile grew more content. He was enjoying my touch, and I loved it.

Our last orders were to sit back to back and talk about things we liked. The conversation was easy and natural, and everything Cory said was rich with detail. I loved learning how he experienced and enjoyed the world. I was disappointed when the tablet chimed and announced the end of our session.

"Well darn," Cory sighed. "I was enjoying myself. Will you talk with me a little longer?" he asked, preventing me from scooting away.

"I... would love to."

We talked for another hour. We eventually laid down on the blanket with our arms touching to continue our conversation. Cory confessed to never experiencing the sky. Clouds, stars, the moon, and the sun were a mystery to him, but he had complex concepts of what they were like.

"How do you imagine clouds?" I asked.

"Well, when I was four, my mom held pillow stuffing over my head and let me reach up and feel the pretend clouds. When I think of clouds, that's what I imagine. Then she confused me more by misting my face with a spray bottle and telling me that's what clouds feel like. The concept makes sense to me, but it's still confusing."

"Wow, I can't wrap my mind around imagining a cloud without seeing it. Your world is fascinating."

"Thanks, you're fascinating too."

I chuckled at his remark, but then I wondered what he meant by it.

"Wait, how am I fascinating?" I asked.

My anxiety was threatening to flare up again. He was silent for a minute, making me extra nervous. I knew where his thoughts had gone.

"Jenifer, don't take this the wrong way, but I love how your skin feels."

His answer floored me. He wasn't mocking me or joking about me, he simply loved the texture of my skin, and that clashed with everything I thought about myself.

"Seriously?" I whispered. My throat was suddenly tight.

"Seriously. Why would you think I wasn't serious?"

"Because... I hate my skin. I haven't been comfortable in it in over ten years."

He was silent for a minute after that.

"I'm sorry. I was just being honest. I wanted to avoid the subject because I sensed your unease about it. But I wanted you to know that all of your skin feels wonderful to me. It smells really good too."

My face grew hot after that confession, and my heart was suddenly pounding. A mix of joy and embarrassment was threatening to make my eyes leak.

"Thank you," I whispered.

We lay there in awkward silence for another minute. Then a duck family with an army of baby chicks waddled past our blanket on their journey to the pond. They were making cute chirping noises the whole way. Cory and I were chuckling as we listened to the little splashes they made as they hopped into the pond. Cory reached over and carefully found my right arm. He trailed his fingers down it until he found my palm. His touch sent a pleasant shudder all over my body. I smiled as he intertwined our fingers and held my hand. It felt wonderful. We lay there until the grumbling of our stomachs told us it was time for lunch. We would have to go back into our cabins and use the landline phones to tell the camp concierge that we were ready to eat. So we parted ways to feed our bellies and mull over our first Nude Touch Therapy session.

After lunch, I knocked on Cory's door and offered to take him tree-spotting with me. He smiled and agreed. He made me touch every single tree with him. Then he impressed me with his navigation skills. He could easily walk with his cane through the trees without tripping or bumping into things.

"You can get around beautifully, Cory. Forgive me for asking, but why are you anxious about going out alone?"

"I don't know. Logically, I know I'll probably be fine, but the anxiety that seizes me at the thought of being alone in a strange place makes it impossible. I would get up some mornings and start readying myself to take a walk alone, but I would talk myself out of it before I reached the front door."

"I know what you mean. The thought of being seen by strangers makes me feel that way."

"Jenifer... I know this is a rude question, but why is your skin different? You don't have to tell me if you're not ready."

I stopped and took a deep breath. I knew that question would eventually come, but I didn't mind telling Cory. I actually wanted him to know.

"I was in a car accident with my dad ten years ago. The truck flipped and caught fire. My dad got me out, but the right side of my body had been cooked. I've lost count of how many skin grafts and surgeries I've had since then. The grafted skin still gives me grief. It doesn't move and stretch as it should. That's why it feels different," I whispered.

"I'm sorry, Jenifer. I can't imagine what that's like."

"I try not to think about it myself, but I have reminders all over my body."

"Do the scars hurt?"

"Not really. My skin is uncomfortable at times, but it doesn't hurt like it used to."

"I'm glad," he said in relief. "Um, can I feel what you're talking about? If it's too soon, just say no. I completely understand."

I stared at him in surprise for a moment. His request sent my stomach fluttering, mainly because I didn't want him to discover my deformities, even though he would likely discover them as our touch sessions progressed. Then he would know I was trying to hide them. He just offered me an opportunity to get it over with sooner than later.

"I... sure."

"Okay, um, please guide me," he said and offered me his hands.

I gulped and gently pulled his palms to my face and let him explore. My heart was pounding as he carefully felt along my cheeks, lips, nose, eyes, and forehead. His touch was soft and precise. He didn't poke me in the eye or stick his finger up my nose. I watched his face as he explored mine. He was softly smiling as he slid his fingers into my hair and found the parts of my scalp where the hair didn't grow anymore. His expression didn't change until he reached my deformed right ear. He looked sad as he carefully explored its weird shape.

"Was your hearing damaged in the accident?" he asked.

"No, it's fine."

"Oh, that's good," he said with a relieved smile.

I stared at him in disbelief for a moment. He was happy again as he continued to explore my oddly shaped earlobe and the skin around it. That's when tears blurred my vision. He cared more about my ability to hear than the shape of my ear. He considered its function more important than its appearance. That realization hit me right in the gut. Happy tears streamed down my face as my nose started to run. He froze when I sniffled. He knew I was crying.

"Are you okay? Did I hurt you?" he gulped.

"No, I'm fine. I'm just happy," I whispered.

"Oh... do you always cry when you're happy?" he asked, looking perplexed.

"No. You just... you're really wonderful, Cory, and you made me really happy."

He gave me a big smile after that.

"I'm glad. You're really wonderful too."

Part 5. Enjoyment

Cory's Perspective:

I was still confused as to how I made Jenifer happy, but I did! And after the conversation about her ear, she touched me more. She held my hand as we walked through the woods behind our cabins. She would grab my arm and pull me over to a tree or plant she wanted me to touch. She would gasp and grab my arm when I started to wander towards poison ivy. I was beyond thrilled with the attention and thinking of ways to get more. She already knew I was really good at navigating with my cane. My idiotic desire to impress her had worked against me. I could always 'accidentally' lose my cane in the duck pond. I was astonished at myself for considering it, but that's how much I was enjoying Jenifer's touch. She had made me a junkie in less than a day.

I decided against tossing my cane away as we strolled back to the cabins. Jenifer seemed willing to give me her attention with or without it. We enjoyed cheese pizza for supper on the front porch that evening. Then we relaxed in the cushioned chairs and listened to the nocturnal chorus of insects and frogs.

"You're right, Cory. Every part of the day feels, sounds, and smells different. I always thought the light was the important part, but you proved me wrong."

"I didn't say the light wasn't important. It's just a part that I don't experience, so it's not that important to me, and that's okay," I shrugged.

Jenifer fell silent after that. She got more meaning out of my words than I intended.

"The light helps me see what's beautiful. What's your idea of beauty, Cory?" she whispered.

A cool breeze caressed my skin at that point. It made my hair stand on end. It distracted me from saying I thought she was extremely beautiful. I had been thinking about it all day, but only then did I realize our ideas of beauty were different. I knew visual beauty was extremely important to sighted people, but I lacked a fundamental understanding of it.

"Um, well, what I'm feeling right now is beautiful to me. The air is cool on my skin. I can smell the flowers more because the moisture in the air is condensing. Humid air carries scents really well. I can smell you, and I'm enjoying your company after a fun day. This day has felt gorgeous to me," I declared, hoping I answered her question.

She was silent for many seconds afterward, and it made me annoyingly anxious.

"It has been gorgeous. I completely agree."

I slept like a rock that night. Walking with Jenifer in the woods had done me a world of good. She was the first person I thought about when I woke up. I called for breakfast and requested the tray delivered to the small table on the front porch. Then I jumped in the shower. Breakfast was a hearty spread of scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, toast, buttermilk biscuits, and sliced tomato. I could hear Jenifer's shower running. Her breakfast had been delivered with mine and was sitting on the table. She greeted me a few minutes later. We ate in relaxed silence, basking in the cool morning air and listening to the dawn chorus.

"Cory, would you mind leading me out to the pond today while I wear the blindfold?" she asked.

"Uh, I don't mind. What made you want to do that?"

"I want to experience the world like you do, but I don't have a cane."

"Oh, good point."

After breakfast, Jenifer collected the session blanket and our tablets, then I carefully led us both off the porch with the aid of my cane. We arrived under the willow tree without any snags, and I helped spread out the blanket. We sat down close to each other and activated the session apps. We didn't bother using our earbuds that day. We were both curious about the other person's instructions. They were mostly the same, but they were tailored to our specific needs. We were ordered to hold hands again for two minutes and take deep breaths. I was already feeling relaxed. Then we were ordered to hold each other's faces again. I loved doing that.

The third step surprised us. I was ordered to press the left side of my face against the right side of Jenifer's face. We chuckled as we scooted closer and brought our cheeks together, and took deep breaths. Her face was softer than her hands. I let out a happy sigh and rubbed my cheek against hers. She chuckled and did the same. God, she smelled good. I was suddenly tempted to kiss her cheek before our minute was up, but I decided against it. I didn't want to make her uncomfortable or be disrespectful of her boundaries. We held the opposite cheeks together next, and those were officially my new favorite steps.

The next step ordered us to expose our inner arms to our partners and caress them from the inner elbows to the fingertips three times each.

"Hmm, that's interesting. Would you like to go first, Jenifer?"

"Um, sure, I'm holding my arms out now," she announced.

I cautiously reached out and slowly brought my arms closer from the sides until I found her forearms. Then I slid my hands up her arms until I found her inner elbows. I caressed down her forearms in tandem, and she shuddered. I smiled and did it three more times, provoking another shudder out of her. It was very entertaining.

"Sorry," I grinned.

"It's fine. It tickled, but it felt really nice too," she breathed.

"Me next. I'm holding out my arms now."

The anticipation of her touch was thrilling. She carefully used my technique to find my arms. I shuddered as she slid her soft fingertips up to my inner elbows. Then she glided them down my forearms to my wrists and over my palms. I bit my lip as she did it again and again. I shuddered more than twice from the pleasant caressing, and it left me with an erection.

"Uh, Jenifer, you're still wearing the blindfold, right?"

"Of course, why did you ask?"

"Um, no reason."

"Okay," she chuckled.

I was really glad she didn't press the matter. Our next step was even more enjoyable. We were ordered to take turns massaging each other's shoulders and backs. Jenifer let me go first, and I thought I would melt as her soft hands squeezed the muscles at the nape of my neck. I couldn't hide my enjoyment of it. I groaned every time she squeezed me somewhere and ran her hands down my back. When she squeezed my lower back close to my hips, my erection came back in full force. It felt heavenly. Three blissful and arousing minutes later, my massage ended. It was time for me to return the favor.

Part 6. Comfort

Jenifer's Perspective:

Cory made me feel beautiful yesterday, and his groaning and sighing were making me feel warm and happy. He wasn't even trying to hide his enjoyment of the massage. My face was burning with blush as I listened to his pleasure. I squeezed the muscles of his lower back, and he let out a groan that made my insides tingle. I wondered if the blindfold was helping me enjoy sound more or if I were simply enjoying Cory. I suspected it was a little of both. I was disappointed when the three-minute timer chimed. I would have happily massaged him for ten more minutes.

We rotated on the blanket, and he placed his warm hands on my back. I shuddered as he trailed his fingers along my skin until he found my neck. He squeezed the tense muscles, and I think I melted a little. It felt exquisite. I softly moaned as his hands slid down my back and squeezed the muscles close to my hips. I went tingly all over. I understood why he was groaning so much when I rubbed him there. My body was getting warmer as he gently squeezed the muscles above my hip bones and my sides. Then I felt his fingers curiously trailing along the biggest scar that ran up the right side of my back. I didn't feel self-conscious about it with Cory, but I wondered why he did it.

"You seem to enjoy touching my scars," I noted.

"I do. I want to know every part of you. Does it make you uncomfortable?" he asked and returned to massaging my shoulders.

"Not anymore. What do you think of them?"

"They make me think about your suffering and your healing. It's like touching the story of your life with my hands. They break my heart and make me... um," he trailed off, searching for the right word or maybe a different word. "They make me admire you more. You can't escape them any more than I can escape my blindness. People think I'm disadvantaged because I'm blind, and maybe they're right in some respects, but I love how I experience the world. I love what I'm feeling right now," he whispered, then I felt him kiss my scar.