All Comments on 'Number 23'

I enjoyed the story and I enjoy being outside naked. I felt there maybe a few parts that got posted out of order. It seemed to jump back and forwards. Good story. Are there any such events around here?

Penny, you always weave such a beautiful tale.

Loved the "Tunnel in the Sky" reference from Heinlein. Priceless.

Great! Maps and Compass... The emotions of loneliness, the description of the landscape, the flashbacks to Erin's advice... perfect.

And when he says to her "Down!"... great.

Swimming skinny dipp is a huge thrill. I hope there will be soon a Part 2.

Again: that" tarnish" is properly called "patina"

and represents earned virtues accumulated over time.

grin

I really like this story. I have a couple comments: 1) All the participants must have had the same combinations to their locks. In order to open the lock they needed to reach 4 control points to get the 4 numbers to the locks. You would think they would have a specific drop-off point for each person, the 4 control points matching their locks. However they were dropped off in random order. Thus each person’s 4 control points had to have the same 4 numbers.

2) She was so concerned about being seen naked. We’ve enjoyed nude hiking / camping for years. We’ve run into clothed hikers. Never a problem. People who enjoy the outdoors and hiking aren’t put off or i]offended by seeing people nude.

3) Park rangers aren’t necessarily anti nudist. I’m sure they are aware of July 14th being National Nude Day. The organizers of the event should just have informed the park system of the event.

Holy naked and afraid!

5

Response to Ginafrommaine: No, her map and control points were tied to lock box and bag #23.

Thanks to all for your comments.

Ginafrommaine - whoops, you’re absolutely right and that’s a solid gotcha. Not that I am remotely as good as O. Henry, but I wonder how he felt when somebody pointed out that silly arithmetical error in his classic Gift of the Magi? Sigh. I throw myself on the mercy of the court.

This was another enjoyable story from your creative mind. A nice slow build and then a great ending. Another 5 star rating.

As always thank you for your efforts and allowing us to benefit form your professional grade submissions.

I followed you for most of the way, posing on the bridge, up the rock wall, everytime you looked back I expected to be discovered.

Dale he just helped you before I could. You two look good together

Really fun story. Best wishes in the contest, and 5* from me.

Loved the sex. The nudity, well, seems funny to me to be so afraid of being seen while in the forest all alone, but then I suppose our forests are emptier than yours… well done, all in all. Hope you’ll win.

Wonderful.

What an unexpected changed from the usual scenario.

Enjoyed learning about orienteering and following along on their adventure.

a nice change from the usual, sometimes overbearing, description of getting it on.

Would love to see more of this type of story--that leads the reader into unexpected territory.

So well done!

Cheers.

really good, accomplished writing. Marvellous .

A wonderful story. Delivered with great realism and the perfect amount of tease.

A great way to show us that the way you make the journey is the most important thing in life.

Really enjoyed this story, particularly the slow build-up and realistic feel. I believed in the narrator. As pointed out below, the fear of getting caught was maybe a bit too pronounced, but then I've never been in that situation. What I'd have enjoyed too was a voyeur aspect, maybe Dale catching her masturbating or vice versa? That's what my outdoor fantasies tend to revolve around!

This is so much fun, so much about loving life and luxuriating in having bodies! Of course I am glad there is sex too - and I was quite happy to wait while she did all the fun adventures and exploring along the way

Several silly errors!

For instance -

"... definitely a city bus vice a long-haul inter-city bus ..."

"... definitely a city bus VERSUS a long-haul inter-city bus ..."

Just finished this, and, wow!

I retired from the Army a few years ago, and we had to do “Land Navigation”, as an individual task most times, and as a team other times. Your premise of having to get the numbers at the check points to unlock the padlocks? Perfect. We always had to write down the numbers, too, as a check to see we’d actually done the right course. One time, I remember having to punch a score card, and the punches had to be the right ones to get credit. So, no, they didn’t all have to have the same numbers. Time consuming and labor intensive to set up? At least initially, but very much possible. Thanks for another great story (that I just found) and I’m gonna go find another one to read.

Memories of being naked in the mountains and that erotic feeling one gets when you’re never sure if, or when, another person, or persons, might walk around the next bend in the trail. Gave me chicken skin.