“What? Don’t be silly.” I wave a hand, trying to dismiss my fears. “And um, I guess, a little. It’s just weird, you know?”
He leans in. “Between you and me, I don’t know how much of campers the others are going to be, so I thought we’d hit all the cool spots today and tomorrow, and swing back to get them for the kiddie shit. But if you’re uncomfortable—”
“No, no, it’s fine,” I say, despite the weirdness of the situation. I did ask to rough it. I did ask to see a few of the local spots. He’s giving me what I asked for.
I can’t be weird about this. Pat guides groups out all the time, a lot of them full of women. The nervousness is all in my head.
???
It’s not in my head. Pat’s a creep.
It started out innocuously enough, but the longer we hiked up the mountain, the more convinced I became that this was a bad idea. For one, he left the trails behind, telling me he knew a ‘shortcut’.
‘Shortcut’ seemed to mean ‘cut through the trees and bushes and forge your own path that even Bigfoot wouldn’t want to take’.
As we walk and my legs get bitten by bugs and slapped by branches, I worry about tonight. I’m not interested in Pat. Like, not even slightly. He’s a nice guy, but there’s something a little…heavy-handed about his jokes that’s pinging my rape-dar.
“So where’s this great stargazing spot?” I ask for the hundredth time as I watch the sun disappear behind the trees. “You said we were almost there?”
“We are,” he agrees, and checks his wrist-compass. “Isn’t this some great scenery?”
“Lovely,” I agree. And it is pretty. Everything’s alive and lush with early summer…including the black flies. I slap at one that lands on my arm. I hear the crinkle of paper and see that Pat has his back to me. Curious, I move forward to peer over his shoulder. “What are you doing?”
“Hm? Nothing!” He hides something that looks suspiciously like a map.
“Are we lost?” I ignore the quiver of terror in my stomach. Cole was right, I think, then squash that idea.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Pat says, and then gives me another toothy smile. “We’re just taking a breather to enjoy the twilight air.” He inhales deeply.
I slap at another bug.
“Are they biting you?” he asks, all concern.
“Everywhere,” I agree. He should have mentioned that I’d need bug spray, but all he’d told me to wear was a smile. I’m really regretting this trip. I should have waited for Cole. After all, what’s another three years to a lonely virgin? I sigh.
“Sit here,” Pat instructs me, and his hand on my elbow steers me toward a fallen log.
As he does, I hear a branch snap in the woods. I turn, scanning the trees. It’s dusk and so it’s getting harder to see. “What was that?”
“Probably just deer—”
“You said there were bear in this area—”
“It’s just a deer,” Pat repeats, and presses on my shoulder. “Sit and let me look at your legs.”
I sit as instructed, and the moment I do, he picks up my foot and slides a hand along my calf. A startled “Eeep!” escapes me.
“Oh my,” Pat murmurs, stroking my leg. “It’s a shame to see these beauties all torn up. You poor baby.”
“I’m fine,” I say, and try to jerk my foot back. This trip has gotten Officially Weird.
He doesn’t let me have my foot back. In fact, his hand strokes over my knee and then to my thigh, where I slap it away.
“Hands off!”
“Don’t be like that, Addie.” He gives me a flirty grin. “You want me to rub some lotion on you? I’m real good at making girls feel better.”
“Ew. Just leave me alone.”
Another branch snaps in the woods.
He doesn’t let go of my leg, and I do my best to kick his crotch. “I’m serious, Pat. This is not funny. I’m not interested in you like this!”
His smile grows harder around the edges. “Don’t be a fucking tease. Why else would you want to come up here with me alone if it wasn’t to get laid?”
I gasp. “Because of nature! And I didn’t want to be alone!”
“You don’t have to play hard to get anymore, baby,” he murmurs. “I’m a sure thing.” And he reaches to slide a hand up my thigh again.
This time, it sounds like something’s thundering through the woods…and heading right in our direction.
5
Cole
After the last tour group gets kitted out, I close up shop and head for the Lodge. Eli’s place serves as the meeting ground for most of the tour groups, even if they aren’t headed up by Eli and his crew. He allows it, figuring that doing a solid by the townsfolk will play in our favor should the secret of our otherness get out.
Eli thinks it’d be good to come out. Up here, people are mostly pragmatic and practical and would be less likely to turn us into circus animals than down in the cities. I don’t have an opinion either way. Living with humans doesn’t mean we are humans, though.