Love in Flux

"Yeah, that sounds good. Thanks."

"Let's see... this one's yours; I made sure to put some chocolate in there for you." She handed me a little baggie of the stuff - she had made it herself - and my cheeks blazed with heat when I saw the little multi-colored candies mixed in. She was always doing little things like that for me. I opened up the bag and dug in as she grabbed her water bottle and took a large swig.

"Thanks, Cam." She looked over at me and smiled sweetly and grabbed her own baggie from her pack - there were no candies to be found in it.

"No problem! I've gotta take care of my man, after all."

"Shush! Now you're just embarrassing me!" I said, unable to stifle the sheepish grin on my face. Cammie just giggled in response.

"What's there to be embarrassed about? I'm just looking out for you. Besides, it's not like the animals are going to care at all - we're the only ones out here, after all."

"Y-yeah, I suppose you're—" I froze, cutting myself off as soon as I felt something crawl onto my shoulder. I quickly shot up off the ground, sending a shower of raisins, assorted nuts and chocolate candies tumbling to the ground. I flailed around frantically and tried to sweep the creepy crawly... thing off my shirt. Just before I swatted whatever it was off my shoulder, I could just barely make out eight legs; I shouldn't have looked. I hated spiders - and the sucker was huge. I finally managed to get the thing off, and my panic died down once I was free of the leggy little bastard. I got as far away from the tree as I dared, while Cammie just stared at me, clearly a bit taken aback by my exuberant display.

"Are you alright over there?" she asked, with raised eyebrows.

"I'm... fine," I said, as I let out a little huff of air and crossed my arms. I grumbled out the next bit: "There was just a huge-ass spider crawling around on me." It was a sobering reminder of why the outdoor life wasn't really for me; no matter how serene it seemed, there was always something out there waiting to bite you... or worse.

"I figured as much. You don't need that spare change of clothes, do you?"

"No, Cam; I'm fine," I replied, my brows knitted with annoyance. I let out a sigh and looked over at her as she continued to munch on her trail mix without a care in the world.

"How big was it?"

I looked down and saw the damn thing scampering around on the ground toward me, and I quickly bolted back over to the tree and jabbed a shaking finger at the spider - it was about the size of a ping pong ball. "See for yourself."

"Oh, him? Aww, he's not so big," she said. "You know, one time, I saw one the size of a—"

"—I really don't need to know about any giant spiders... please." Cammie just shrugged and flashed a half-smile as she zipped up her baggie and stuck it back into her pack.

"Duly noted." She looked down at the trail mix strewn about in the dirt and frowned. "It's a shame about the trail mix, though." I nodded in agreement as my stomach rumbled a bit. She took a moment to gather up the candies. "The nuts and raisins should be fine, but we definitely don't want any animals eating these."

"Oh... right. Er, sorry." She finished up and zipped the bag closed, then brightened up as she spoke up again.

"No worries, Jordan! We can eat when we get to the cabin. Should we get moving again?"

"Yeah... hopefully we don't run into any more spiders."

"Or bears," Cammie said, as if I needed to be reminded.

"Right," I said, as I lifted my pack off the ground, then glanced over toward Camellia's. I set mine back down. "Actually, how about we share some of the load, babe? I don't mind carrying some of those supplies, you know." Cam looked like she was going to protest again, but, thankfully she didn't. I could see beads of sweat rolling down her face; she was clearly pretty tired from lugging the thing around.

"Are you sure?" she asked, and I nodded at her. She hefted her pack up and made her way over to me.

"Of course, babe. I've gotta take care of my lady, after all," I mused, as Cam plopped her pack down and smiled. She wiped at her forehead with the back of her hand, and then we got to work divvying out the supplies.

We split the remaining food between the two of us, and I kept the can of bug spray and the bulk of the first aid kit in my pack, but Cam insisted on stashing a few spare medical supplies in her pack. We each had our own rain poncho, which went in our separate packs. I took the heftier metal flashlight, while Cammie packed the smaller plastic one with her. She also insisted on keeping the knife in her pack, plus the flint and steel. I kept the tent in mine, just like before. I could tell as Cam lifted her pack and set it onto her back that she was relieved at the lighter load she had to carry. As I tested the weight of mine, it felt a bit heavy, but thankfully it wasn't too much for me to handle.

"Thanks, babe."

"No problem, I answered. "If I can ask, why did you try and carry so much in your own pack if it was uncomfortable for you?"

"Well, I figured I'd just handle it myself since you're a bit out of your element, Jordan." I stared at her and shook my head. "It's less for you to worry about."

"That may be true, but it doesn't mean I can't help - we're supposed to be a team, you know." Heat bloomed in her cheeks, and she fidgeted with the straps of her pack for a moment.

"O-of course, babe. I just figured... I'd handle it, is all." I nodded, after a moment.

"Well, I may not know as much as you, but... you don't need to handle everything yourself, you know."

"I..." she hesitated for a moment, before she spoke again. "No, no... you're right, Jordan. Sorry. I'm just... used to it, I guess."

"I get that, but I don't want you to take on too much. I'm here with you; might as well let me help, yeah?" I asked, as I grabbed her hand it gave it a gentle squeeze. She smiled at me, and her cheeks flushed again as she nodded.

"R-right," she said, before she pulled away from me and beckoned me onward with a wave of her hand.

We continued just like that for a while, heading North like Cammie suggested, until she eventually turned around and stopped me. "Alright, we're almost to Maple. Try to keep it in your pants when you see her, okay?" She winked at me, then turned around and kept walking on. Eventually, we reached a clearing where a very large tree stood, and I realized why Cam had said she was special.

The tree looked exactly like a woman - a very well-endowed one at that. Somehow, two smaller trees had grown together in such a way that they stretched upward to form an impressively thick set of thighs before twisting together at the 'hips.' They both ended up separating slightly at chest-height, but then twisted together one last time to form a sort-of head. Finally, the two trees grew apart and branched out, stretching up toward the sky. I had to admit - the resemblance was uncanny. I took a moment to admire Maple before I looked over at Camellia to find her smirking at me.

"It's crazy," I said, as I gave the tree a couple of light pats. "Mother nature got really creative here, huh? No wonder your grandpa said these woods were special."

"Well, yeah, but I really do think there's something else going on. I can... feel it, in the air," Cammie said, as she checked the compass and turned yet again.

"Yeah, just like how you can smell the lake?" I asked, with just a hint of incredulity in my tone.

"Shush, Jordan; you'll understand what I mean later. I just shrugged and nodded at her.

"Alright, alright - I'm looking forward to seeing this special lake of yours... and having something to eat once we get to the cabin. I'm still pretty hungry."

"Well, most of your trail mix ended up on the ground, so no wonder you're still a bit peckish." With that, Cam started to walk again. "Don't worry, we'll get you sorted in a bit - the cabin's not too far now." I flashed her a thumbs-up and followed close behind her.

PART FOUR: THE CABIN

True to her word, we came to a large clearing after another twenty minutes of walking, and, sure enough, it was our destination. An impressive two-story A-frame cabin that managed to look rustic and luxurious at the same time sat on the outer edge of the clearing. There was a lovely covered porch along the front of it with a couple of rocking chairs set up, and even a hot tub set up against the front of the house, under the window. I guess I had expected something a bit less... fancy.

"Oh, wow. It's bigger than I was expecting. There's a hot tub, too?"

"Yup," Cam piped up, and her grin stretched from ear to ear. She let out a little chuckle and turned back to me. "What, did you think we were going to be staying in some kind of hovel?"

"I mean, no... er, yes? Maybe? I don't know, but I'm not complaining."

"My great, great grandparents built the place; we've just updated it a bit over the years," my girlfriend said, as she picked up her pace. She took in a big whiff of air and exhaled contentedly. "See what I mean about the lake, though? The air smells sweet here." I sniffed at the air, but there was no hint of any sweet that I could make out. I shook my head at her and frowned.

"I... definitely don't smell anything," I said, with a shrug.

"Wait, really?" Cammie asked, and I nodded. She just frowned at me and shrugged, quickly turning her attention toward the cabin up ahead. "Weird. I'm sure you'll be able to tell when we get closer to the lake, though. For now, we should head on inside. Come on!" We both headed toward the cabin, and I threw another glance at the hot tub again as I walked - I was definitely looking forward to soaking in it sometime over the weekend.

When we finally made our way inside, the interior proved to be just as impressive as the exterior. There was an electric fireplace with a TV mounted on the wall above the mantel, a black leather couch, and, of course, a bearskin rug was splayed out on the ground between them.

The space had an open floor plan, and the living area moved seamlessly into the kitchen, which was decked out with stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, and a spacious island for meal prep. The dining room table was smaller than I expected, and there were only two chairs set up - perfect for an intimate weekend for two. My stomach rumbled again as my eyes fell on the refrigerator, and I wondered what was available food-wise.

"Can we drop these off somewhere?" I asked, as I took up off my pack. "I'm getting a bit tired of carrying this around."

"Yeah, that's fine. The bedroom's upstairs; we can drop them off up there, then come back down and make some food." We headed up the stairwell and came to a little hallway with only two doors. Cam pointed at them in turn, starting with the one on the right. "This here's the bathroom, and over there... is the bedroom." She opened the door to the room on the left and flipped on the light. I took a moment to examine the space and saw a large queen-sized bed in the middle, set up against the wall. Two nightstands with lamps flanked the bed on either side and there were a couple of small dressers off to the side. Scenic photographs sat in frames on the walls, and a fan began to spin above the bed - the whole room looked cozy as hell, and that bed...

"Oh, this'll do nicely," I said, plopping my bag onto the floor just before I threw myself onto the bed. I sank into the soft mattress and flapped my arms and legs like I was making a snow angel. "God, I almost want to take another nap right now." Cammie rolled her eyes and chuckled at me as she set down the bag she was holding.

"Well, if you really want to. I know I'm gonna make some breakfast, though." My stomach rumbled again, and my body was weighing whether it wanted food or sleep more. "I think my mom mentioned that she bought some bacon for us..." I looked at Cammie with raised eyebrows and a little grin - she knew I couldn't resist bacon.

"Alright, you've won me over - breakfast it is." Cammie's mouth curled upward into a knowing smile, and she nodded.

"I figured you'd say that. How about we both take that nap after we eat? Truth be told, I'm a bit tired, myself." I nodded and got up off the bed, and then we both headed back out into the hallway and down the stairs.

It wasn't long before we both worked together to whip up some bacon, eggs, and pancakes. I made Camellia a plate, then worked on getting some food for myself before I took my place at the table across from her.

"So... food, nap, and then we head to the lake?" I asked, as I poured syrup onto my pancakes. Cam nodded as she shoveled a mouthful of eggs into her mouth. She swallowed before she spoke up again.

"If you're still up for it. We don't even need to bring our packs, either; everything we need should be able to fit into a duffel bag. I think there's one up in the in the bedroom closet."

"Sounds good to me," I said, as I cut up my pancakes. "You said you wanted to swim?"

"Yup. You can, too, if you want - I put your trunks in your pack this morning." I smiled as I speared a large forkful of my pancakes and shoved the morsel into my mouth - it tasted amazing. I chewed it up and swallowed, then shook my head playfully at Cam.

"Of course, you brought my swimming trunks. You really do think of everything, don't you?" My girlfriend flashed me another smug grin.

"What can I say? I like to come prepared," she replied, just before tucked into her own stack of pancakes. "So... do you want to take a dip with me?"

Mmmm... maybe; I'm not really sure," I answered. I felt a little weird about the fact that we'd be swimming out in the open woods. "Won't we be kind of... exposed out there?"

"Oh, come on. The lake is like a little oasis - it's pretty well-hidden. It'll be alright. I can even be on bear watch if you'd like."

"A-alright. I'll... think about it," I said, before I turned my attention back to my meal.

Once we finished our breakfast, Cammie headed upstairs to get some more shut eye while I did the dishes. A few minutes later, I made my way up to the bedroom to find her already sound asleep. I peeled my clothes off and carefully crept into the bed. I smiled at her sleeping form and ran a hand through her brown locks before I snuggled up against her and fell right to sleep alongside her.

I awoke to the sound of the door opening, and I saw Cammie creeping into the room with a towel in her hands.

"Oops. I hope I didn't wake you; I was just getting some things together for the lake." I yawned and stretched out as she stooped down and put the towel into a duffel bag that was lying on the floor.

"Oh, no, you're fine," I said, waving my hand dismissively. I sat up in bed and rubbed the sleep from my eyes. "Have you been up long?"

"Not really," she replied. "Maybe twenty minutes or so."

"Wait, what time is it?"

"It's just past two."

"Wow, that was a bit more than a nap, huh? Sorry, I didn't mean to sleep that long." Cam shook her head at me.

"Don't worry about it; I slept, too, you know. We've still got plenty of daylight left, and besides, we're here to relax, babe. We don't have to be doing stuff all the time."

"Ah. Gotcha," I said, feeling a wave of relief wash over me. I was definitely alright with just lounging around the cabin for a while, though I figured Cammie would be eager to head out as soon as she could. "You ready to hike out to the lake, then?" She nodded, then stood up and walked over to one of the dressers. She grabbed my swim trunks from the top drawer of one of the dressers and held them out so I could see them.

"Should I bring these?" I could tell she really wanted me to swim with her.

"Alright, alright; I'll take a dip with you. It'll be nice after the hike, anyway."

"Oh, definitely! You're going to love it, I promise!" she chirped, as she returned to the duffel bag and shoved them in. She scooped it up and slung it over her shoulder with one quick motion. "I'll go get you a towel, too!" With that, she rushed out of the room. I could hear her open the bathroom door as I got up. I quickly tossed my clothes back on, and I could hear the sounds of Cammie's footfalls pounding down the stairwell - clearly, she couldn't wait to head out. I grinned as I left the room and followed her downstairs; she was already standing by the door and practically bouncing on her heels when I got to the first floor.

PART FIVE: A SWIM AND A STORM

"Well, let's get going, then," I said, with a grin. She locked the door behind us and we headed out into the woods once more with the duffel bag in tow. I offered to carry it, and Cammie gratefully obliged, handing it off to me. I watched in befuddled amazement as she sniffed the air and headed off in a seemingly random direction, leaving me stunned for a moment. I quickly snapped out of it, though, and picked up my pace to catch up to her; soon we were walking side by side under the blue sky, without a cloud in sight for miles. "You really weren't kidding about following your nose, huh?" She shook her head.

"Nope! I don't even need the compass to tell where I'm going." I sniffed at the air again, and still got nothing.

"Oh yeah? That's surprising, coming from you," I said.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Cammie asked.

"Well, I figured you'd be all about... you know, directions and stuff. It's just... interesting, to see you... loosen up a bit."

"Loosen up?" she asked, coolly, as she shot me a bit of an icy glare. "Care to elaborate there, Jordan?"

"Huh? I... I didn't mean that in a bad way! I just..." I let the sentence trail off as heat blazed in my cheeks and a shiver crept down my spine - I had really dug myself into a hole here, and I knew I needed to choose my next words carefully. "What I'm trying to say is that you're always... very diligent, and that's a good thing!"

"Uh-huh," Cammie said. Her lips were pressed into a thin line as she sniffed the air yet again, then quickly veered off in another random direction - I stumbled a bit as I turned on my heels to follow in her unpredictable, zigzagging footsteps.

"Look, all I'm saying is that I was surprised to see you be a bit more... spontaneous, is all. Loosen up wasn't the right phrase. S-sorry." She stopped for a moment and stared at me in silence, and I could feel my cheeks grow even hotter with each passing moment.

"Spontaneous, huh? Gimme that duffel bag." I quickly did as she asked and handed it to her, and I watched as she stooped down for a moment and undid the zipper. She rummaged around in it for a second before she caught me completely by surprise as she pulled out a small metal flask. She opened it up and took a large swig, and I saw her grimace a bit just before she wiped her mouth off with the back her hand. She screwed the cap back on and forged on ahead, leaving me speechless and stupefied in the trees. I jogged ahead and looked over at her.

"I'm guessing that's not water, is it?" She just held out the flask toward me.

"See for yourself," she said. I unscrewed the cap and gingerly sniffed the contents; it smelled like apples. I raised the flask to my lips and took a hesitant sip. The liquor was cloyingly sweet and definitely tasted like apples, but there was also a spicy, cinnamon flavor to the stuff. It burned my throat on the way down.

"What is this?" I asked, just before I took another, larger swig. I closed the flask again and handed it back to her.

"Moonshine," she replied. "It's apple pie flavored. It's homemade, too - my parents always keep a few jars handy at the cabin."

"Huh. Well, it sure is tasty!" I said, with a grin.

"Yeah, it is. This stuff sneaks up on you, though - believe it or not, I learned that the hard way," Cam replied. I raised my eyebrows and threw a surprised glance her way. I had hardly ever seen her drink in our time together. I guess she really was letting loose. She opened up the flask and took another swig before she sealed the cap back on and started walking again. I quickly scooped up the duffel bag and walked beside her.