The Woods

"Six of one and half a dozen of the other," she whispered aloud as she turned completely around. "The old fire tower," she whispered as she moved in that direction and angled over to the soft sand of the creek channel.

She moved slowly, nervously along the soft sand. She realized she wasn't making a sounds as she went. The soft sigh of the wind in the tree tops was the loudest sound around. That and the chirp, buzz, and whir of insects. Her eyes picked out the darting birds and even a squirrel running across a limb of a tall tree.

The open area of the bottom narrowed and she was moving along in a narrow passage between two walls of thick greenery. In several places, she had to duck under low limbs and another where she had to step over a small log. "This isn't so bad," she whispered to herself. She grinned at that and relaxed some.

*****

The narrow section started to open out. Tessa slowed and moved cautiously. She tried to stay close to cover that blocked her from the open area ahead. She came to the last of the cover and stopped behind it. Her eyes roamed over the open area slowly. Her ears were hearing about the same things as before. Something rustling the leaves drew her eyes in that direction. A moment later, she saw a squirrel on the ground. He was much closer to her than anything she had seen before. She realized she was smiling as she watched him rummaging in the leaves.

Suddenly, the squirrel sat up on his hind legs and looked around. A moment later, he leaned over and then sat up with a large nut in his paws. He gnawed at the nut and then paused to look around. His ears twitched, as did his nose.

Tessa realized, he had all of his senses working. The word survival crossed her mind. All she had to worry about was someone seeing her naked. He had to worry about his life. Perspective, popped into her mind and she grinned. Maybe this was a test or something of a training session. It sounded like something her grandmother would think of.

The squirrel was back to gnawing on the nut. Tessa looked around the open area. The creek went down the middle of this opening with a dozen large oaks on each side of it. It was far wider, more round than the last one. She wondered if she should follow the sandy creek or go along the left hand edge looking for a trail.

Her eyes went to the leaves and then to the soft sand. Noisy or quiet, her mind said as she took a step out into the open. The squirrel rattled the leaves loudly as he darted over to a tree and went up it. Tessa could hear the rattle of his claws on the bark as he went. As he reached the first limb, he went around the tree.

Tessa remained still and was reward a moment later by the sight of the squirrels head poking out from behind the tree, right above the base of the limb. She leaned her head slightly forward and looked at her white arm. With a grin, she whispered, "So much for blending in like he does."

She raised her head and took a deep breath as she looked all around. "A good tan will help that," she said aloud as she started forward with slow easy steps.

As she followed the sand creek bed, she found that she was relaxed even out here in the open. She also noted a couple of places that looked like entrances to trails in the green wall to her left and to her right. She also saw tracks in the sand. Small animal tracks that had to be rabbit or squirrel and several pointy looking hoof tracks that should be deer.

She saw no human tracks she realized as she reached the other side of the open area and followed the sand between the bushes. This section was short, only a dozen yards or so and then it opened out into a field like area with the creek wandering off along the left edge.

Four large tapered concrete blocks sat in the center of the opening framing a small concrete pad. "The old fire tower," Tessa muttered to herself as she walked out into the bright sunlight and left the sand creek bed.

The sun was hot and sweat popped out on her body as she walked toward the concrete pad. The ground was sandy and rocky with clumps of knee high grass and small areas of green crabgrass. She realized she was walking up a slight grade.

Stepping up on the pad, she looked all around. The open area was a circle. Her eyes went to the creek and then she turned around slowly to her left. She saw where the creek came out of the woods. Passed that was brush. She noted several trails leading off into the underbrush. One of which was six feet wide or so. "ATV?" She asked herself.

She hadn't heard any kind of engine noise but she shivered hard anyway. She was a long ways from any kind of cover, she realized suddenly. She groaned as she quickly let her eyes wander on around the circle. She groaned even louder when she saw what was definitely a road close to where the creek went back into the woods.

The words car, truck, and people, ran rampant through her mind as she turned and ran down the slope toward the creek. By the time she reached the creek, she was sweating profusely. She stopped at the edge of the brush, her eyes on the road. She was breathing hard and heavy but not all of it was from running.

Was the road still used now that the fire tower was gone? Where did it lead? "The road past Grandmother's place," Tessa whispered to herself as she remembered an old road with a red and white pipe across it, she had seen on her way to her grandmother's house.

She grinned as she remembered what her grandmother had said about being out in the open. She looked around and whispered, "This is open but not the front yard type open."

Turning toward the hill and the slab she had a smile on her face. She took her time climbing the slight hill. Once on the slab she turned in a circle as she looked around. She bent over and touched the concrete. It was hot. "I should have kept the towel."

She straightened up and turned toward the woods past the creek. Halfway there, she turned right and walked over to the old road. With a soft whimper, she started down the road. As the road reached the edge of the woods, she paused and took a deep breath.

Her fists were balled up she suddenly realized. Why, she wondered and took a deep breath. She realized she was steeling herself to do what she wanted and not what her mind told her she should do. It was a freeing thought.

There was a smile on her lips as she followed the road into the woods. The shade was cool after the hot sun out in the clearing. The woods were thick and the road was just two narrow tracks. She was relaxed as she continued.

She rounded a turn in the road and froze. A red and white pipe was across the road about fifty feet in front of her. The road was open and clear all the way to it. She was debating what to do when a pickup truck flashed across the opening.

'Highway' flashed across her mind and she jumped sideways to hide behind a large pine tree trunk. Shivers chased each other up and down her spine as she peered around the side of the tree. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other.

"Whose scared of a highway," she whispered as she stepped out from behind the tree. A car flashed past the end of the road followed by two more. She jumped back behind the tree. With a deep groan, she whispered. "I am, it seems."

She made a whimpering sound as she squatted down close beside the tree. She groaned loudly as she suddenly had to pee in the worse way. She spread her knees wide apart and peed a strong stream out into the pine needles.

When the stream stopped, she shivered and closed her knees slightly. With a whimpering sound, she wondered what she would dry herself with. A moment later, she giggled as the thought of drip drying crossed her mind. It now had a completely different meaning.

She spread her knees back out wide and sighed as she watched the direction of the highway. Ever so often, a car and sometimes two blew past. "Going that fast, they can't see me," she whispered.

Wiggling her hips from side to side, she stood up. She stepped around the spot where she had peed and moved forward to the next tree. Tree by tree, she worked her way closer to the highway. The cars and trucks grew larger but didn't seem to be going as fast.

"Optical illusion," she whispered as she moved away from the road and closer to some thick brush. She moved forward until that brush ended. She could now see the roadway itself. A large truck flew by. She shivered and turned around.

"Close enough," she whispered as she retreated away from the highway.

When she was back at the bend in the road, she moved over to the tracks of the dirt road. A little ways farther, a narrow faint trail went off to her right. She turned into it and followed it until she reached the sandy creek bed.

It had been farther than she thought it would be until she drew a map in her head with the road and the creek. The creek had run straight and the road had angled to the right. "Mental maps," Tessa whispered. A new concept for her.

She turned left in the creek and headed back toward the clearing where the old lookout towel had been. She passed several trails and then came across one very much like the one at the back gate of the pasture. She turned right and followed it.

The trail was wider than most she had seen and was bare dirt in places. Short thick little pines lined the sides with widely spaced larger pines. Suddenly the short pines ended and scattered large oaks replaced the taller pines. The trail was fainter, covered with oak leaves.

Tessa stopped and looked around. It wasn't as open as the flats she had crossed in the creek. It looked different. She looked up and decided it was because the oaks more interlaced and blocked more sunlight. She walked straight ahead until she was halfway across the open area.

She stopped and looked around again. She could see where several small trees had been sawn off close to the ground. There were limbs that looked like they had been chopped or clipped off other small trees and bushes. "Why would someone do that?" She asked herself aloud.

"So they can see better," a male voice said softly from above and behind her.

Tessa jumped and spun around. Her eyes were scanning the area but see didn't see anyone. "I, I, I," she stammered.

"Up here," the voice said.

Her eyes jumped upward and she groaned loudly. There was what looked like a small tree house a dozen feet up in the tree directly in front of her. She gasped as she realized there was a naked guy standing in the doorway to it. She wasn't sure what to do so she just stood there with her mouth hanging open.

"Are you lost?" The guy asked.

Tessa shook her head and groaned as she realized, like her grandmother, she had been caught running around naked. "I, I, I," she stammered and then groaned as she added, "My grandmother lives near by."

"Would that be Mrs. Davis?" The guy asked.

Tessa turned to her left and started to run. Her eyes were scanning the woods ahead for a trail, any trail. She wasn't seeing any. From behind her, she heard, "The trail is to the left more."

The young woman skidded to a halt and ducked behind a large tree trunk. She hurriedly scanned the edge of the woods more to her left but didn't see a trail. "Where," she said louder than she meant too.

She heard the guy groan softly and say, "I knew I should have kept my big fat mouth shut."

Turning around to face the tree, she moved slowly to the side until she could see the tree house. The guy was sitting in the doorway with his feet on the ladder leading up to it. "Who are you?" Tessa asked.

"Carl," came the reply. "I live across the road from your grandmother.

"Why are you over here?" Tessa asked in confusion.

"Hiding," Carl said quickly.

"From who?" Tessa asked even more confused.

"Everyone and everything," Carl replied.

"Why do you hide over here? Why don't you hide on your side of the road?"

"My dad farms. The only woods around our place is a thin strip along the road," Carl replied.

"Why are you naked if you are so scared of everything?" Tessa asked.

"I could ask you the same thing and you would probably have the same answer."

"And?" Tessa prompted.

"Excitement for one and adventure for another," Carl replied.

Tessa groaned softly. "This is my first time," she admitted.

"I figured as much since you don't have a tan."

Her eyes roamed over the young man and shivered. "You have a tan to rival my grandmother."

Carl chuckled. "She has a good one for sure."

Tessa's eyes grew wide from the implications of his statement. "You've spied on my grandmother?"

"I've, uh, been over close to the fence when she's worked in the garden," he said.

"Were you over there earlier today?" Tessa asked quickly and then groaned softly. If he had been, it didn't matter now. He had had an excellent view of all of her.

"Uh, no," I just got here a few minutes ago."

"How do you get across the road naked?" Tessa asked.

"I don't, I undress in this old deer stand," he replied.

"Ah," Tessa said and then asked, "You don't seem to mind me looking at you?"

Carl shrugged. "I figured since I saw you then you should see me."

Tessa took a deep breath and took a small step to the side. "Like I said, this is my first time and you're the first person who has seen me besides my grandmother."

Carl nodded, grinned, and said, "Was it exciting for you? I got busted one time out at the old fire tower by a guy and a girl on a four wheeler. They waved so I know they saw me. I waved back. My heart was beating a mile a minute."

Tessa groaned. "I, uh, know that feeling," she said as she took another small step to the side. Her heart was racing now and had been for a while.

"You're beautiful, you know," he said.

"I, uh, I," Tessa said and groaned as she took a bigger step to the side. She was pretty much out from behind the tree.

"Do you want me to show you where the trail to your grandmother's place is?" He asked.

"I can probably find it," she replied and then took a step forward.

"Have you ever been up in a deer stand?" he asked and she shook her head. "It's small but the view is great," he said as he stood up.

Tessa shivered hard as her eyes took in his hard dick standing up against his lower belly. "I, uh, I," she said and then added, "Maybe another time. I should probably get home before grandmother starts to worry."

Carl nodded and said, "Follow the edge of the wood until you reach the end of this opening. There is a trail there. Follow it a little ways and another narrow trail leads off to the right. That'll take you to the fence line."

"Thanks," Tessa said as she started to turn around. Stopping, she asked, "How often do you come over here?"

"As often as possible when my chores are done," he replied.

As she started to turn away, he said, "When you get to the fence, follow the edge of the woods around to the old iron gate. That way you can't be seen from the road."

"Thanks," Tessa said again as she started for the far end of the open flat.

*****

She found the fence and walked around to the old iron gate. She could see her grandmother sitting on the back porch doing something with a bowl between her legs. She was as naked as she had been earlier. Tessa had a grin on her face as she climbed the gate.

Her grandmother was smiling at her as she walked toward the back of the barn and the gate there. As she neared the porch, her grandmother asked, "Did you have fun?"

Tessa took a deep breath and nodded. "I think I had an excellent time."

"I'll have to see if I can find that old bottle of tanning oil I have. You got a little pink."

Tessa smiled and asked, "Do you have an old brown or green towel I can borrow when I go hiking tomorrow?"

Lorie chuckled. "I told you walking the woods naked was habit forming."

"It also builds character and nerve," Tessa said with a shiver. "Anyway, there is a lot yet unexplored."

"Just be careful of too much sun at first," Lorie said.

Tessa sat down on the steps and leaned back on her hands. Her shoulders were pulled back and her breasts were thrust outward and upward.

Her grandmother was grinning at her way of sitting. A shy young girl earlier was now a more confident young woman this afternoon. If nothing else came of the mess her daughter and son in law had started, her granddaughter was finding herself.