Magic Mountain Herb

                       Magic Mountain Herb


         The soft echoing thud of footsteps atop muffled cracking of twigs chased up the deer trail through the woods and spilled into the tiny clearing which rested at the edge of Mist Lake.  Eric, a tall, muscular young man of Norwegian descent was the first to arrive.  Sweat leaked from his hairline as he took a swipe at pesky mosquitoes and deer flies buzzing past his ears.  After taking a moment to catch his breath and look out over the clear, cool lake under the failing late afternoon sky, he eased himself to his knees and then sat back, releasing the burden of his back pack from his shoulders.
         He could hear the others approaching.  Knowing they wouldn’t be long, he opened the pack and pulled out the tent.  After finding level ground in the tall grass he stomped down an area just large enough to accommodate the tent.  Working at nearly a frantic pace he got the poles set and had the tent erected just as Niki stepped from the shaded woods into the clearing.
         Eric moved to meet her.  She winced slightly as he grabbed the frame of her back pack and lifted so she could get out of the harness.  He set her pack next to his as she slowly stepped forward toward the edge of the water.  The shrill, grating chirp of cicadas, crickets and spring peepers flooded the air around the campsite.  With thin, nimble fingers, she took off her baseball cap, wiped her brow and pulled her long, blonde hair into a ponytail. 
         “It’s beautiful,” Niki said as she turned to Eric and smiled.
         “Yeah, that’s why we do this.”  He gave her a quick, gentle kiss before stepping off toward the woods.  “Find some rocks for a fire pit,” he commanded, looking back over his shoulder.  “I’m gonna find some firewood.”
         Niki stood silently for a moment delicately rubbing her chest and shoulders while watching him seemingly get swallowed by the thick Wisconsin woods.  She sighed before letting her brilliant blue eyes scale the ground for appropriate sized stones.  Her search lasted only a few seconds before she found a cache of rocks near the lake’s edge.  With both hands she pulled up one of the smooth round stones and strained slightly as it dangled her arms below her waist.  Returning to the center of the clearing, she continued to hold the stone while measuring the ground for the best place to set it.  Unable to make a decision, she dropped the stone where she stood, letting the spongy ground catch it with a soft thud.
         “It doesn’t make any difference,” she mumbled.  “Any place I choose will be wrong.”
         Hearing rustling behind her she snapped around to find Gauge entering the clearing, her short, petite body bent forward under the burden of her back pack.  Jay was a step behind her. 
         “Hey,” Gauge smiled at Niki and stopped.  “You guys walk too fast.”
         Jay grabbed hold of Gauge’s frame and let her wriggle free from the shoulder straps.  He carried it to the edge of the clearing and set it down opposite the erected tent.  With minimal struggle Jay freed his pack from his shoulders and gently set it next to Gauge’s.  He listened to the young ladies chattering and giggling as he pulled the poles and stakes out.
         “Isn’t this beautiful?” Gauge asked in a sing-song voice.
         “Yeah,” Jay replied crouched by the bag.
         “I’m sorry.  Did you want some help?”
         “Only if you really want to, I can get it myself.” 
         He no sooner got the tent out of the pack to find Gauge at his side ready to assist.
         Niki turned to get another stone when Eric stepped out from the thick brush with an armful of wood. 
         “Where’s the fire pit?” he asked Niki.
         “I didn’t know where you wanted it.”
         “Any place is good,” he replied and looked around.  “How about here?”  Then he placed the load of branches next to the rock Niki had dropped at the center of the clearing.
         Without saying a word Niki rolled her eyes and returned to the lake’s edge to lift another heavy stone.
         Once Gauge and Jay had their tent erected, they helped Niki complete the fire ring while Eric continued foraging for firewood.  Before long the four were sitting around the fire ring chewing on jerky and nuts as the flames whipped at the evening sky.
         “So,” said Eric as he pulled out a pint of whiskey and took a sip before passing it to Nikki.  “Where to tomorrow?”
         “Well,” Jay began as Niki passed him the bottle.  “I figured we could push good seven or eight miles and try to get to the top of Porcupine Mountain.”
         “That’s way north of the trail, isn’t it?” Gauge asked as she accepted the bottle from Jay.
         “Yeah, but I heard of a trail not too far from here that will get us there.  It’s not on the map, but we have the topo and a compass so everything should be okay, provided we can find the trail.  From what I hear the views make Porcupine Mountain a side trip well worth taking. 
         “What do you think?” Eric asked Niki.
         “It sounds good to me.  I’m up for anything.
         Jay reached over and tossed some more wood on the fire as the umbrella of the night sky began to open above them.  The whiskey returned to him.  He took a sip, passed it to Gauge, and then got up for his pack.  As the twilight settled in, pitching starlight atop the smooth surface of the lake, the fire cracked crisply and the peepers continued their mad chirping.  He returned to his place by the fire with a small pot, a canteen and four freeze dried dinner rations.
         “Supper’s on guys,” he said filling the pot and placing it over some hot coals.
         By the time supper was ready, the whiskey had begun sinking it’s venom into their bodies, relaxing them and forcing them to realize how tired they were.  Gauge and Niki were beginning to get giddy and giggly.
         The meal did not seem to help settle down Gauge’s giggling.  That’s how she got when she was too tired.  It worked for her though.  She was a petite, cute girl and she never let these giggling attacks become this obvious.  Finally she got up, and with Niki, walked to the edge of the woods.  From the fire the two young men watched the young women slip from the outer reaches of the fire light into the abysmal shadows of the forest.
         Eric pulled a red cloth pouch from the side pocket of his pants.  He turned it over and dropped out a small brass pipe and a plastic film container.  He popped open the lid of the canister, pulled out a bud and held it out toward the fire inspecting it.
         “I’ve got some killer stuff here, man,” he said softly across the fire to Jay.  “The bad thing is, like an idiot, I mixed it in with some of the local brown I had in here.”
         “That’s okay; I’m down with the brown.”
         “Don’t worry.  I’ve got a good one,” Eric grinned.  “You’re gonna love this stuff.”
         As Eric fired up, the young ladies emerged from the outer darkness to the gentle light of the fire.  Gauge had regained her composure just in time to get smoked down.  The pipe made its way around the circle as a couple of loons began to call from out on the water interrupting the steady croaking of spring peepers.
         “That’s such a mournful and haunting cry,” Niki said.  She looked out over the black mirrored surface reflecting stars and fireflies as they sparkled.  She took a sip of the canteen and without looking passed it to Eric, nudging him on the shoulder. 
         “Yeah, I love it,” Jay replied. 
         “Me too,” concurred Gauge as she exhaled a thick cloud of smoke across the top of the fire.  “I love the isolation.”  She looked up noticing there was no break in the darkness of the forest to the sky.  Only the thick, dusty clusters of stars gave her sense of the horizon above the tree tops.  “I mean, just look up at the sky.  This is not the same sky we have at home.”
         The four sat silently watching the sky as the bowl continued to make rounds.  Jay wrapped his arm around Gauge’s shoulders as the intoxicating winds of the red-haired bud oils blew through them.  She leaned into him rubbing her head against his chest like a cat.  Niki stretched her long body along the cool ground next to the fire and stared up at the sky.  Eric stiffly moved along her side, and offered his arm and shoulder as a pillow.  She turned from the heat of the fire into his warm body and kissed him delicately on the chin. 
         “Come on,” Jay said softly to Gauge.  “It’s time for your ‘tick check.’”
         “Okay,” Gauge giggled a bit. 
         Jay worked himself to his feet and pulled the petite nubile upright with ease.
         The two couples bid one another good night.  Then Jay and Gauge disappeared into their tent sealing themselves behind the zip of the fly.
         Niki watched a dim light come on inside the tent causing Jay’s and Gauge’s shadows to dance along the dark blue wall.  From the ground she continued to watch past the fire as shadows along the tent wall told her the story of the couple inside removing each others clothes before embracing passionately.  The fire popped sending blistering orange shards flitting into the deep night sky.  Niki kissed Eric’s neck and reached for his pant fly.  He turned to meet her with an open mouth as she wrapped her long delicate fingers around his penis, feeling it grow stiff in her hand.
         “Let’s go to the tent,” Eric whispered. 
         “No,” Niki replied in a firm whisper.  “Here, now, by the fire, under the stars.”  She released her grip on him and sat up to quickly get out of her shirt and sports bra, exposing her ample breasts to the firelight.  Then she leaned over Eric and unfastened his belt.  She popped the button at the waist and in one fluid motion pulled his pants and underwear down, bunching them around his ankles.  Niki stood before the fire facing Eric.  Her body was outlined with orange.  She gracefully stepped out of her shorts and panties.  Niki stepped away from the fire and reached down to grab Eric’s erection.  Slowly she straddled him and squatted down rhythmically pushing him inside her.  Looking over the top of the fire she could see Gauge’s silhouette writhing on top of Jay as quick breaths whispered through the tent wall.  Excitement filled Niki as she began thrusting herself harder and faster on Eric.  A deep breath hissed through Niki’s teeth as she looked up at the star-filled night sky.

         The sun had only crested the horizon when Eric chased Niki out of the tent.  The two of them laughed as they ran naked through the site down to the crisp, clear lake where they dove in without hesitation.  Eric popped through the ripples he caused taking quick, shallow gasps. 
         “Oh, nice effort, dude,” he heard from his right and turned to see Jay and Gauge in the water about twenty feet away.
         “Morning,” Eric replied surprised.  “I didn’t see you there.”
         Suddenly Gauge squealed as she was thrust out of the lake atop Niki’s shoulders.  Niki managed to stand, briefly exposing their naked bodies to the warm sun before splashing down, sending ripples through the quiet morning.  Their heads popped out of the water gasping and laughing. 
         The group swam a bit longer before returning to the campsite.  Once dressed, they started a fire and prepared breakfast and coffee.  After breakfast, they doused the fire and broke camp.  When they were certain they were leaving the area so it appeared as though no one had ever been there, they heaved on their back packs.  Jay checked to make certain the map and compass were within reach inside his cargo pocket of his shorts.  After one last look around, they walked single file to the trail.
         Movement was awkward and difficult initially under the weight of the packs.  However, it only took several minutes to become reacquainted with the familiar encumbrance of their gear.  Movements became more fluid and before long their steps began to flow as if the trail itself were moving them.
         The morning sun sprinkled dappled light through the canopy of leaves high above them, keeping them in a rich dusk as they moved along.  They came to a stop at a curve near a large Catalpa tree growing out of a mossy limestone ridge jutting out along the trail.  Jay pulled a bottle of water from a side pouch of his pack.  Sweat beaded along his forehead and rolled down the sides of his face as he drank.  The rich, humid air seemed smothering at times.  He handed the bottle to Gauge who came next to him, followed by Niki and Eric.  Jay pulled the map from his pocket and inspected it.  He looked at the tree and got his bearings. 
         “What’s up,” Eric asked.
         “This tree is supposed to be the marker of the trail head.  Our passage to Porcupine Mountain is here somewhere.”
         Gauge handed the water back to him.  “I’ll take a look over here.”  She walked slowly down the trail several yards carefully looking for any indication of a way through the forest. 
         Eric moved slowly back the way they had come also searching for any indication of a trail branching off from the main.  The foliage at this spot was incredibly dense.  He wondered if the forest had grown over the trail, swallowing it whole.  Pushing through a patch of thickets which appeared to be concealing another trail, he found only more thickets. 
         “Hey, check it out!” Gauge shouted.
         The foursome converged on the site where a dirt path, little more than a wide deer trail, curved back into the dense undergrowth of the forest.
         Jay checked his notes and bearings.  “This has to be it,” he concluded with certainty.  He returned the map and notes to his pocket and stepped forward on to the path followed by Gauge, Niki, and Eric. 
         The narrow path was soft and spongy under their feet as it twisted deeper into the old growth forest.  Moss covered limestone ridges worn by eons of exposure to the elements lined one side of the trail.  The deeper they went into the forest, the higher the ridge grew.  Finally, the top of the tree lined ridge towered two hundred feet above them.  It was there the trail first started to slope upward, hugging the cliff.
         Jay stopped at the foot of the incline.  There was enough of a clearing, and several limestone boulders, he thought this would be a good resting place before facing the arduous incline.  The others agreed as they were anxious to relieve their backs and shoulders from their gear.
         “This is beautiful,” Niki said as she sat on a moss covered boulder and swatted a mosquito on the back of her neck.  “I don’t think I’ve ever seen any place so incredibly green.”
         “And I love the smells too.  It smells like Juniper and dirt,” Gauge added as she fished out some trail mix and jerky from her pack.  She shared these items with the others and Jay followed her lead by sending the water around again.
         “It’s humid as hell,” Eric complained as he struggled out of his sweat-soaked t-shirt revealing his glistening well developed chest and abdominal brick wall.  He appeared to be perfectly a part of the steamy north woods.
         Unknown to Gauge, Niki caught her in a lingering glance at Eric’s half nude body.  Niki smiled to herself knowing the passing thought that flashed through Gauge’s mind. 
         Jay pulled out the topo map and glanced at his watch.  He marked where the trail converged with the Ice Age Trail and traced their path to their current location.  Realizing what little distance they had covered, he glanced at his watch again.  “Shit!”
         “What?”  Eric asked.
         “We’re not making as much progress as I was hoping.  It’s already afternoon and we really haven’t covered much distance.”
         “So what?” Niki inquired innocently. 
         “Well its not any real big deal,” Jay replied apologetically.  “I was just expecting to be able to get to the top of Porcupine Mountain today.  But that won’t happen.  We’ll run out of daylight first.”
         “Why don’t we pack in for a few more hours and find a place to camp for the night,” Gauge suggested.  “We don’t need to push so hard.  We can get to Porcupine Mountain tomorrow.”
         Jay glanced at Eric.  “I’m fine with that,” Eric said.
         Jay shrugged and put the map back in his pocket.  “Okay, we’ll go for a few more hours and stop for the day.”
         They applied a fresh coat of deet to one another before heaving on their packs and continuing upward along the trail.
         The incline along the limestone cliff increased in grade rather sharply at times, further hindering forward progress.  Struggling up hill in the humid, hazy afternoon they eventually reached the top to the cliff.  There they stopped again taking off their packs and sharing rations of water.
         Once again Jay pulled the map and compass from his pocket and began tracing their progress.
         Gauge and Niki sat along the edge of the cliff with their legs dangling down the side.  They sat silently enjoying the view of the vast, lush forest below.  There was absolutely no sign of civilization within sight.  Calling birds echoed through the forest as a warm breeze lilted past them, gently rustling the trees high above and below them.
         Eric stood next to Jay watching the young women, letting his eyes roam over their bodies and soft shoulders, letting himself momentarily fantasize. 
         Niki could feel the weight of something behind her.  She turned and glanced back at Eric and Jay.  She smiled and waved.  Eric waved back and then looked at the map.
         “So what’s the deal?” Eric asked Jay.
         “It looks like the Dinanny River is not far from here.  I think we should find it and set up camp.”
         “Sounds good to me.”
         “Gauge, Niki,” Jay called.  “Come here a minute.”
         Gauge, with the skills of a gymnast, quickly and confidently sprang to her feet at the edge of the cliff.  Niki slowly backed away from the edge and with a hand from Gauge, got to her feet.  The two young ladies continued to hold hands as they walked over to the young men.
         “What’s up?” Gauge smiled.
         Jay showed them the map.  “We’re planning to set up camp somewhere over here along the river.  We’ll have to get off the trail to do it,” his finger indicated the area.  “Did you want me to go find a spot and come back for you or do you want to pack in and search with me?”
         “What the hell kind of question is that?” Gauge’s eyes grew to large orbs under raised brows.
         “Well,” Jay began defense.  “I was just thinking that it might be easier for you if you didn’t have to wander around the woods with a full pack.  I could find a site and the easiest route to it, that’s all.”
         Gauge rolled her eyes and shook her head with a grin.
         “I appreciate the thought,” Niki replied.  “But I really think we should all stay together.”
         “Definitely,” Gauge concurred.
         “Okay, let’s sack up and find a place for the night.”

They were only a couple of yards off the trail with Eric in the lead when he had to pull out his machete to clear overgrowth just enough to let them pass deeper into the woods.  After a few more yards the brush seemed to thin a bit, making travel among the moss covered limestone and old, thick hardwoods more tolerable.  Jay followed a couple of steps behind with the compass and map in hand, charting their progress.
It seemed to Gauge and Niki they had been moving deeper into the woods for quite a while when Eric came to a stop.
“What’s up?” Jay asked.
Eric raised his index finger to his lips.  Jay concentrated for a moment then smiled as he recognized the familiar sound of rushing water.  Filled with sudden inspiration their packs instantly felt lighter and they pushed forward through another hundred meters to find a clearing conveniently located in the crook of the river bend.
Jay took off his pack and let it drop to the ground.  He helped Gauge get her pack off before he went to inspect the water.  The river rippled with a deep, clear, cool invitation.  Several boulders peeked out of the water as the river curved out of sight whispering the echo of the rapids they heard earlier.
The quartet pulled gear from their bags and quickly pitched tents.  Then Jay, Gauge and Niki went to collect rocks for the fire ring while Eric foraged for firewood.
Once the fire ring was laid, Niki laid out a blanket for her and Gauge to relax on while Jay finished stringing up the food to keep it from interested bears, porcupines and other woodland creatures.
Eric returned dragging two large branches behind him.  Sweat poured down his face and glistened on his taught, shirtless body.  He dropped the wood at the edge of the sight and excitedly joined the others. 
“Hey,” Eric said as he approached Niki and Gauge.  “Look at what I found.”  He knelt before the young ladies with an outstretched arm.  Lying in his palm was a large dark bud covered with reddish orange hairs dripping with resin. 
“Let me see that,” Jay moved in and gently took it from Eric’s palm.  The bud was twice the width of his thumb.  He sniffed it recognizing the fine quality of the subtly skunky scent.  “No way!  Where did you get that?”  He rubbed the sticky resin on his fingers against his pants.
“There are a couple of bushes about fifty meters or so from here.  There are big fat bushes and they’re loaded.”
A wide grin crept across Jay’s face.  “Perhaps I should go with you for another load of wood.”

While the boys tended to starting the fire, Niki and Gauge too the water purifier to the river and collected several liters of water.  Eric set a large collection of buds he and Jay collected on a rock near the fire to facilitate their drying.  Dusky light of the late afternoon filtered through the dense woods as the familiar odor of burning wood rose in large white plumes to the green leafy ceiling.  Gauge lay supine on the blanket with her hands beneath her head.  She smiled, staring up into the tree branches high above her, listening to the birds call out, trying to match the voice to bird.  Jay squatted at her feet with his back to her as he strategically placed incrementally larger pieces of wood into the fire. 
Niki took off her sweat soaked shirt revealing her black sports bra and stretched out next to Gauge.  “What have you seen?”
“So far, the only one I know for sure was a Blue Jay.”  Gauge pointed up at the tree.  “He came swooping in and chased off a couple of small birds.”
The two laid there in silence staring up at the lush green ceiling.  With the fire well stoked, Jay and Eric decided to collect several more handfuls of buds. 
Niki stretched and slightly arched her back.  “I think I’m gonna be sore tomorrow,” she grunted.
“Your back?” Gauge asked.
“Yeah, I should probably adjust my pack.  I don’t think it’s sitting on my hips quite right.”
“Do you want me to massage it?”
“Really?”  Niki was taken by the offer and looked at Gauge who nodded.  “That would be wonderful.  You’re so sweet.” 
         Niki rolled over prone and pulled her sports bra over her head.  Gauge knelt at her side and let her soft delicate fingers gently push away tender knots of muscle.  Niki loved her friend.  Gauge was always seemed to be there for her.  Niki had always been tall and lanky and often felt awkward, making her self-conscious and insecure.  However, that all changed when she met Gauge their freshman year of college.  Gauge saw the true beauty in Niki and helped her build the confidence she needed to release all of her beauty.
Large beads of sweat rolled from Gauge’s forehead and dripped off her chin on to Niki’s back.  “Sorry,” Gauge apologized.
“For what?”
“I’m sweating on you.”
Niki giggled.  “I don’t mind in the least.”
“Okay, how’s that?  I think I got all the knots.  You were pretty tight on the left side.”
“That was wonderful,” Niki sighed.  “Thank you so much.”  Niki rolled over and smiled at Gauge as she pulled her bra back down.  Her hair was pulled back in a pony tail.  Her forehead was jacketed in fat beads of sweat as the muggy afternoon air laid down on them.  “You want to go for a swim?”
Gauge grinned and nodded. 
The two nubiles stripped at the river’s edge and neatly piled their clothes on a rock.  Then, hand-in-hand they tentatively stepped into the chilly, swift moving current.  It did not take long, however, to become adjusted to the water’s cool temperature and they found submerged boulders to sit on allowing their bodies to remain below the surface.  The sun twinkled off the dark surface of the river reminding Niki of the starlit night sky.  Gauge quietly slipped beneath the surface for a couple of seconds and resurfaced as slowly as she had submerged.  She stood up and stepped forward as she wiped the water from her eyes.  She stepped on a sharp edge of a rock causing her to stumble.  Niki reached out and caught Gauge just under her firm breasts and pulled her close, holding Gauge firmly against her.
“Are you alright?” Niki asked.
“Yeah,” Gauge gasped.  “Thanks.”  She turned and gave her friend a warm embrace feeling the contrast of Niki’s warm body in the cool water. 
They returned to sitting side-by-side on the submerged boulders and relaxed in the densely tree lined river under the clear, bright sun. 
Suddenly Niki shrieked.
“What’s wrong?” Gauge jumped.
“Something nibbled my toe!”  She pulled her foot out and examined it.
Gauge chuckled.  “It was probably just a little fish.  They do that sometimes.”
“Are you for real?”
“Yeah.  They won’t hurt you.  They probably do a pretty good job of exfoliating.”
“Ah, look there,” Niki pointed to the campsite.
Gauge looked over to see their two companions quickly disrobing.  Once naked they walked timidly into the water.  The refreshing coolness took its effect on them as they waded in deeper.
Niki whispered to Gauge and they giggled.
“What?” asked Jay as he sat next to Gauge.
“We were just laughing at how guys look so less impressive coming out of the water.”
“Nothing like a little shrinkage to impress the ladies,” Eric added as he sat next to Niki.
“It’s okay,” Niki rubbed his thigh.  “The fish won’t starve.”
“What do you mean?”
Niki and Gauge giggled.  “This fish was nibbling at my toes just a bit ago.”
“Oh shit!” Jay exclaimed nervously and placed his hands over his penis and scrotum.”
“What?” Eric was exasperated and a bit confused.
“Cover up dude.”
“What? Why?”
“A fish nibble is one thing, a turtle bite it another.”
Eric’s eyes widened.  “Oh, man.”  Now understanding the potential peril he was in, he quickly covered his package with both hands.
The four continued to lounge in the cool water, fish at their toes, under the hazy afternoon sun until they decided it was time to eat.
By the time they had returned the fire had burned down to a bed of reddish orange coals with a tiny orange flame dancing across the top.  The pot of water Niki had placed in the fire had boiled and reduced by half.  She measured out the amount of water they would need for supper and refilled the covered pot.
Eric inspected the large buds drying on the rock near the fire as Jay dropped more kindling in and began stoking the fire back to life.  Satisfied with the drying process so far, Eric began turning all of the buds over exposing their undried sides to the sun and the fire.
Gauge and Niki returned to the blanket.  Jay took a stick and scraped at the rich, dark Wisconsin earth clinging to his boots.  Eric, moving around the fire out of the way of the smoke, began packing the little pipe full with some of his new harvest which felt just dry enough.  He put the brass pipe to his lips and inhaled slowly and deeply as he passed the flame over the bowl causing the orange hair of the bud to spark coal red.  Rich, spicy smoke filled his lungs and a familiar flavor coated his mouth.
“Good stuff,” he choked out while trying to hold the smoke in.  He handed the bowl to Jay who moved on to the blanket and sat next to Gauge and Niki.  He took his turn and passed the bowl down.  The group took turns and continued to pass the bowl until the bud was burned out.
The rich smoke serpentined through them, wrapping tightly around their brains squeezing out robust laughter as euphoria swept through them.  The forest, which was turning dusky in the early evening, seemed a little brighter with each passing moment as their pupils dilated to large black pools amid the oceans of their bloodshot sclera. 
Eric was the first to gain control of his laughter.  He sighed and looked around at the surrounding forest listening to the echo of their laughter reflecting through the deep woods.  Everything looked so big and green he was momentarily intimidated at the aspect he was a living being on a living being.  Turning back to the others, the three of them immobilized on the blanket by laughter, he said aloud, “Man this is killer weed,” and burst into laughter again.
Jay’s laughter finally dwindled and with a chuckle he managed to push himself to his feet and remove the pot of boiling water from the fire with a stick and walked over to his backpack which was hanging from a tree branch.  He was particularly sensitive to the subtle sponginess of the ground under his feet.  An urge to take off his boots and run his toes through the rich soil flashed through him.  After short deliberation he plopped down and eagerly pulled his boots off.  His feet fell into the cool, moist soil.  He curled his toes into its reassuring and comforting softness, reminding him of a giant comforter.  A feeling of being electrically or magnetically charged caressed him as he continued to gently rub his feet across the earth as he rifled through the pack for dinner rations and trail mix.
Gauge laid on her back with her knees bent.  She wiped at tears that had escaped the corners of her eyes during her fit of laughter.  She took a deep breath and continued to giggle.  Every time she started to laugh she could feel her stomach muscles tense up.  She felt not just the tensing of the muscle groups, but each individual muscle fiber.  Staring past the awning of leaves high above her to the dull blue sky, she slid her hands under her shirt and slowly palpated her firm abdomen, inspecting and attempting to substantiate the perception of each muscle fiber.
Niki’s laughter slowly slid to a halt.  She rolled on to her side and curled up, resting her head on her hands.  She looked out to the river.  Sun glittered off the dark slick surface of water.  She licked her lips with a desert dry tongue, feeling her taste buds scrape against her coarse lips and wondered what it would be like to be a fish nibbling at fat, wormlike toes.
After adding water to a couple of packets, Jay took the rations and utensils to Niki and Gauge.  They both sat up and eagerly began eating.
“Man, I could really use a beer ‘bout now,” Jay said as he returned to prepare packets for him and Eric.
“Take a look in my bag, dude,” Eric suggested as he accepted the prepackaged meal from Jay.  “I have eight beers rolling around in there.”
“No way!”  Jay looked at Eric who gave him a reassuring nod.  “You’re the best, man.”
Jay set his food down and walked with a feeling that his legs were disassociated from his body.  He took what seemed to be exceptionally high, light steps.  After only a moment or so of fishing through the bottom of Eric’s bag, Jay turned to the others, holding his trophy – a warm can of Grolsch.
“Does anyone else want one?” Jay asked as he opened the beer sending foam spraying.
“Sure, what the hell.”  Niki was the only one who responded.
Jay grabbed a second beer and walked it over to her, relishing the cool ground against his soles with every step.  Then he walked around the fire, picked up his food and sat next to Gauge.  She grabbed his beer and took a sip drawing a raised eyebrow of protest from Jay.
“What?” Gauge asked innocently, returning his beer with one hand and seductively rubbing her breast with the other.  “I just needed a sip.”
“It’s okay,” Jay smiled as he reached over and gave Gauge’s other breast a few soft strokes.  He peered into her rich brown eyes.  A particular life he had never noticed before danced and sparkled through the earthy rings of her irises which encircled large pupils.  Gauge closed her eyes with a smile and leaned forward kissing him softly and then rubbed his thigh.
“Finish your food,” she commanded.  “You’ll need your strength later.”
Jay felt saliva leak from under his tongue trying to flood his dry mouth.  He grinned and took a sip of beer before returning to his packet.
The sound of a beer can opening grabbed his attention.  He looked up to see Eric moving to Niki’s side with a beer in hand.
“I changed my mind,” Eric chuckled.  “I was trying to conserve some for later, you know, since there’s no beer store out here.  But, what the hell?”
As they finished their meals the deep shadows of the night forest began sweeping through, slowly engulfing them in their isolated clearing.  Eric threw a couple of logs on the fire trying to fend off the oncoming darkness.  He stood for a bit watching the progress of the flames as a desire to taste another one of the buds began to chew at him.  Finally he pulled the pipe from his pocket and placed another orange haired bud in the bowl.
“You read my mind,” Jay said smiling as he tossed his empty packet into the fire.
“Mine too,” Niki giggled.
Eric returned to his place at Niki’s side.  He lit the bud and took a smooth, deep hit.  Then he passed the pipe to Niki who in turn took a hit and passed the pipe down the line.  The pipe was passed back and forth in front of the bright fire several times before the pipe’s contents were nothing but ash.  Eric then clapped out the bowl and returned it to his pocket.
A deep, crazy itch cracked through Niki’s gut driving tantalizing sensations down to her vulva.  “Come on,” she whispered to Eric.  “Let’s go to bed.”  She gently bit him on the ear lobe. 
“Good night folks,” he said to Jay and Gauge without hesitation.  As he stood he could feel his anticipation stiffen in his pants.
The zipper of the tent door slid shut leaving Jay and Gauge before the fire.  He extended his arm and Gauge curled next to him placing her head on his shoulder.  Passionate moans emanated from the tent behind them stirring a deep arousal in Gauge.  She gently rubbed Jays chest and suggest they retire for the evening as well.
Jay helped Gauge to her feet.  “You go get ready,” he instructed and gave her a quick kiss on the forehead.  “I’ll take care of the fire and be right in.”
Gauge smiled and staggered stiffly to the tent.
Jay picked up the shovel and broke apart the fire, churning over dirt until all of the flames were snuffed out.  He drove the spade into the ground and stopped as he turned to the tent.  Desire struck through him as he saw the pile of buds Eric had placed on the rock to dry.  He quickly looked back at the two tents.  Secure no one was watching, Jay carefully picked two of the fat buds and put them in his pocket.  He then proceeded casually back to the tent, feeling quite pleased with himself, to join Gauge in a round of passion.

Gauge awoke suddenly, sitting up with a gasp.  A fat bead of sweat rolled off her forehead, down her cheek and dripped off her chin, splashing between her firm bare breasts.  She sat naked atop her sleeping bag gasping as she tried to get her bearings, lost in pitch black.  After a few moments, once she realized Jay was lying next to her naked and snoring, she remembered where she was and began to catch her breath.  She sighed heavily and fell back upon her sleeping bag.  Though she had caught her breath she could still hear her heartbeat coursing through her ears. 
The night air was warm and heavy.  Gauge wiped her forehead with the back of her hand and reached to her side gently swinging her hand in search of the bottle of water she left next to her head.  Upon finding it she sat up again and took a few gulps.  She shuddered automatically as images of the dream that woke her flashed through her mind again.
The images were horrible and frighteningly real.  She could have sworn the events that sequenced through her mind while she slept actually took place several minutes ago.  She closed her eyes tightly trying to drive the images of an unkempt, grizzled man with a thin wicked grin flashing crooked, brown stained teeth.  He seemed so real she could smell his grimy, sweat bathed body as he approached her.  The glint of blue madness in his eyes purported an unearthly knowledge that was truly unsettling.  Eventually his image dissipated only to be replaced by hot, stinking coals scattered across a dirt road. 
After what seemed to have been half the night Gauge laid back down to try to sleep, but every time she shut her eyes, the fear of those horrible images returning to haunt her forced her eyes back open in a shot.  Finally she succumbed to wear, frustration and fear and rolled on to her side away from Jay and began to weep quietly, until exhaustion overtook her and she drifted into a light sleep.     

Niki woke up to the pale light of early morning saturating the walls of the tent.  She looked over to find Eric had already gotten up.  The light scent of smoke and the sound of the occasional pop from the fire told her exactly where he was.  After rubbing her slim, naked body delicately with her hands she stretched out touching her soles and her palms to opposite walls of the tent.  With a yawn she sat up and threw on a t-shirt and panties.  She stepped into her boots, laced them up and crawled out the tent door. 
She ran her fingers through her hair as she walked toward Eric and Jay by the fire.  It was a beautiful, sunny morning with the slightest suggestion of crispness in the air, just enough to force her nipples taught.  Niki returned to her place on the blanket.  It was cool and damp from dew, but she sat anyway, leaned back and stretched her legs, crossing them at the ankles.
Jay looked down at her and smiled.  “Good morning,” he offered.
“Good morning.”
“Did you sleep well?”
Niki smiled broadly.  “Like a baby.”
I’ll get the coffee going as soon as Eric gets the fire ready.”
Eric shot a quick look at Jay.  “Just a minute, it’s almost there.”
“Its okay man, we’re not in any hurry.  We’ve got no time table, really.”
The unzipping of the tent fly announced Gauge’s arrival to the others.  She wore a black sports bra, yellow shorts and sandals.  Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail.  As she walked slowly to the others they could see the dark gray shadows under her eyes.  Gauge smiled weakly to them as she sat next to Niki.
“Are you alright?” Niki asked.
“I’m exhausted,” Gauge confessed.  “I didn’t sleep hardly at all last night.”
“Really?  Why not?” Eric asked as he leaned over the rock where he left the buds and began inspecting them.
“I kept having these really weird, vivid dreams,” she let out a long sigh and leaned her head on Niki’s shoulder.  Gauge closed her eyes and nuzzled against Niki’s warm, firm breast as she put her arm around Gauge and gently began stroking her hair as the two reclined on the blanket.
“It’ll be alright,” Niki encouraged.  “We can take a nap later.”
“I thought we were going to hike to Porcupine Mountain today,” Jay weakly protested. 
“We don’t have to,” Niki countered.  “We don’t have any time table.  You just said so yourself.”
“Well that’s fine.  I still may go anyway.”  Jay turned to Eric who continued staring at the dried buds on the rock.  “How ‘bout you, Eric?”
“Huh?” Eric turned to him.
“Do you still want to go to Porcupine Mountain today?”
“Yeah, sure,” Eric said with a shrug and turned back to the buds.
A particular unease crept through Jay’s chest as he watched Eric study the buds.  “What’s wrong?” Jay finally asked.
“What?” Eric asked as his attention stayed forward on the buds for another moment before he realized Jay’s question.  “Oh, nothing I guess.  I thought I left more our here.  I guess we just smoked more than I realized.”  He stood and moved away from the buds as the smoke from the fire shifted in his direction.
Jay casually began making the coffee, all the while trying to act nonchalant.  But, he knew Eric suspected him of taking the buds.  A sense of dread dangled in his chest as he knew Eric would not take kindly to his hording efforts.  He briefly raised an eyebrow at Eric as he sat next to Niki.  Jay knew he would have to watch himself for the rest of the trip.
Eric absently stroked Niki’s thigh as he watched Jay move around the fire, almost dancing in semi-circles to avoid the smoke from the fire.  Deep down, Eric knew Jay took some of the weed.  Anger began to bubble in Eric’s chest.  Eric wondered why this anger seethed forth, knowing there was an abundance of weed and it was free.  After mentally deliberating this for a moment he concluded he was angry with Jay’s silent denial of theft, not anger at the act itself.  This anger shifted Eric’s thoughts to the fact that people get lost in the wilderness and that many accidents can happen while backpacking and perhaps one might happen to Jay.
“So,” Jay again asked Eric.  “Do you want to hike to Porcupine Mountain today?”
Eric hesitated as a dozen different visions of Jay’s ‘accidental demise’ flashed through his mind.  With a nonchalant he coolly said, “Sure, if you really want to go.”
“Oh come on you guys,” Niki countered without getting up.  “Let’s just take today off and re-energize.  We want to go too, but let’s wait until we’re well rested and can really enjoy it.  There’s really no sense in going if it’s going to be a pain in the ass.”
Without argument Jay and Eric conceded to Niki’s suggestion.  The water was boiling and Jay poured coffee for everyone.  The girls sat up as a more relaxed attitude befell the group.  The group then sat silently on the blanket as bird songs filled the clear forest.  Jay set more water to boil for the breakfast rations as the group sat sipping their coffee waiting for their food.


Eric stood up and belched.  As he walked around the fire to the rock bearing the buds, he dropped his empty breakfast pouch into the fire.  He sifted through the small pile until he found a fat, juicy red-haired bud that he felt was large enough to get them all off.
“Well, since we’re staying put for today,” Eric said as he slowly walked back to the others while packing the bud in his pipe.  “Would anyone like some refer?”
“Sure, I’ll take a pull off that,” Jay chuckled as the girls sat up.
For a moment Eric considered telling Jay to smoke the weed he took last night, but he could not force the words from his mouth.  Confronting Jay was one thing, but upsetting the girls was another.
Eric sat down facing Niki and Gauge.  Jay rotated over toward Eric so the group loosely formed a circle.  Eric put fire to the bud and inhaled slowly and deeply.  When he could draw in no more smoke, he held his breath and passed the pipe to Niki.  After taking a slow deep drag herself, she passed the pipe to Gauge.  She held the pipe in the palm of her hand, staring at it, as a thin wisp of smoke rose from the bowl. 
“What’s wrong?” Niki asked as smoke billowed from her mouth and nose.
“I don’t know,” Gauge replied softly.  “I guess I’m just afraid this stuff gave those creepy dreams.”
“Has weed ever given you nightmares before?” Eric asked.
Gauge thought for a moment, “Not that I remember.”
“Well, there you have it,” Jay interjected.  “It was merely a coincidence.  Go ahead and fire up.”
“It will only help you to relax, Gauge,” Niki encouraged.
Gauge gave them a weak smile and put the pipe to her lips.  She took a long slow drag, filling her lungs as best she could.  When she could get no more in, she licked her lips and handed the pipe to Jay.  After Jay took his hit, he passed the pipe on to Eric who started another rotation around the circle.  In all, the pipe made the circle three times before the last of the bud was consumed.
Eric clapped out the spent ashes into the fire as the girls lay back on the blanket and began giggling uncontrollably.  Jay watched with a wide grin.  He gently nudged Eric with his elbow.
“Hey man, check out the giggle sisters.”
“Yeah, that’s quite the fit,” Eric grinned.
Jay gasped as intense waves of nearly painful pleasure began to surge through his body.  It was as if an electric tide started at his scalp and slowly flowed down through his body to his toes only to ebb and slowly return to his scalp.  He licked his dry lips with his dry tongue and closed his lids over his bloodshot eyes.  “My God this is intense schwiz!” he exclaimed in a raspy voice. 
“Yeah,” Eric replied as he continued to watch the girls giggling on the blanket.  “Maybe we shouldn’t have smoked quite so much,” he suggested only to begin laughing out loud a moment later at having suggested such an absurd idea.  “Who am I kidding?  We would have smoked ourselves to this point one way or another,” he said as he slowly stood up.
“Where are you off to?” Jay asked. 
“I have to see a man about a dog,” Eric replied with a chuckle.  “Then I’m gonna take a little walk around the area.”  His red, swollen eyes fell upon Jay.  “Do you want to come?”
Jay’s demon eyes looked over at the girls cuddled on the blanket.  He thought Niki was gorgeous.  Her platinum blonde hair fell away from her face so he could slowly study her soft features.  His eyes drifted down her long, slim body, rolling over her breasts covered by only a thin t-shirt, her taught nipples clearly marking their places.  Her shirt had risen up during her giggle fit exposing her flat abdomen with pierced navel.  As his eyes drifted over her red panties, he could see the subtle outline of her labia, causing a sudden stir through his mid section as he found himself wanting to get to know that moist, intimate part of her.  A bolt of anger for Eric and desire for Niki shot through Jay as he looked up at Eric.  He wondered how a girl of Niki’s caliber could wind up with a meathead like Eric.  “No,” Jay replied.  “I think I’m better off here.  I’m really high.  I think sitting around is good for me right now.” 
“Suite yourself,” Eric said as he started off.  “I’ll be back in awhile.”
Jay waited until Eric was out of sight before he lay down next to Gauge.
“Hey,” she greeted with a soft giggle as she rolled over to face him.  Her scleras were a deep rich red with circular crystal blue irises in the center which looked like turquoise rings around her enlarged pupils.
“Are you feeling okay?” Jay asked as he silently considered how his eyes looked. 
“I’m fine,” Gauge replied.  “I’m just tired, that’s all.”
Jay leaned toward her and could smell the sweet aroma of the smoke mixed with her sweat and oils.  He could feel strength and anticipation coursing through his veins, forcing him to whisper, “Perhaps we should go to the tent.”
“What was that?” Niki asked.
Jay hesitated for a moment, uncertain as to how to respond.  Then he straddled Gauge and leaned close to Niki’s ear.  He breathed in deeply, drinking in the aromas of Niki’s sweat and oils, further teasing and exacerbating his new found desires for her.  “I said we should go to the tent,” he little more than breathed the words into her ear. 
Niki locked eyes with Jay.  Her eyes were a field of crimson with a black pit surrounded by a ring of turquoise, just like Gauge’s.  “If you two go to the tent, what am I to do?” she asked innocently.  “Eric is gone….”  She stared deeply into Jay’s eyes and ran her finger down the side of his face and let it trickle over his lips.  “I’ll tell you what,” she suggested.  “I’m going with the two of you.”
Jay gulped audibly and looked down at Gauge who grinned and giggled.  “The sooner you get off me the sooner we can get into the tent,” she said.
Jay stood up and offered each of the girls a hand.  He followed behind them as Gauge took Nki by the hand and led her to the tent.  The girls took off their tops before they entered.  Jay looked around the woods one last time making certain there was no sign of Eric before he climbed into the tent after the girls, zipping the fly shut behind him.



         The fire snapped and popped as Jay poked at it with a stick, adjusting the logs he used to rekindle the fire.  A strange sense of absence had come over him since the ménage-a-trio with Gauge and Niki.  The sex was kinky, dirty, and everything else he imagined it could be.  Still, as his eyes became clearer the strange empty pang intensified.  He stared at the buds on the rock knowing they had what he desired.  Saliva cascaded through his mouth as a silent scream forced him to pick up an adequate sized stick, into which he plunged the blade of his pocket knife and began boring out one end.  Once the soft wood had relinquished to the length of the blade, he began boring a second hole on top until it just intersected with the hole he bored through the center of the stick.  Jay walked over to the buds and picked up a nice, fat one which was covered in resin and stuck to his fingers.  He managed to scrape it into the top hole and then put a lit match to it as he took a deep, slow drag through the bored out end of the stick.
         Suddenly Eric emerged from the woods.  He saw Jay sucking on the handcrafted pipe and quickly walked up behind him.  “What the hell are you doing?” Eric demanded as he grabbed Jay on the shoulder.
         Jay turned to find Eric’s sclera completely red with a sliver ring of blue separating the pupil and sclera.  “I’m just smoking some of the schmee, dude.  What’s the problem?”
         Eric let go of Jay’s shoulder.  He leaned in toward Jay and sniffed.  Jay reeked of wet pussy and smoke.  Eric slowly straightened up.  “The problem is that I’m the only one collecting the shit.”
         “Sorry man, I thought this was community pot.  I didn’t realize we were playing ‘finders keepers’!” Jay said with a smirk.  “I thought we were out of second grade.”
         Eric lashed out at Jay with lightning quickness and caught Jay’s throat in his hand and began squeezing.  “Don’t fuck with me little man!” Eric warned.  “If you’re gonna smoke my weed you could at least ask first.  That’s just common courtesy.  That or go find your own.  And don’t think I don’t know where those missing buds can be found.”
         “Okay, man,” Jay croaked.  “Sorry about that.”
         Eric held his grip for a few seconds longer before Niki and Gauge came walking up from the river.  They were naked, wearing only their sandals and drying themselves off with small towels. 
         “Eric! What the hell’s going on?” Niki demanded.
         Eric released his grip from Jay’s throat.  “Nothing,” he said as he continued to look at Jay.  “It was just a misunderstanding.”
         “I certainly hope so,” Niki said as she and Gauge passed to the blanket where they left their clothes.
         The two young men stood silently and watched as the young ladies put their clothes back on.  Once dressed, Niki and Gauge shared sips from a bottle of water and reclined on the blanket in front of the fire. 
         “Can I have some of that?” Gauge asked Jay.
         Jay looked at Eric for a moment with questioning eyes as if waiting for approval.  Without saying a word Eric turned and moved over to where he had dried the buds by the fire.  He moved the dried buds over to another rock and began to empty his pockets, placing freshly picked buds to dry by the fire as Jay walked his handmade pipe over to Gauge. 
After Gauge and Niki each took a hit off the wooden pipe, Gauge gave it back to Jay who in turn took a slow pull and walked over to Eric and offered him the pipe.  Eric, still kneeling over the drying rock, looked up at Jay.  With a silent nod he slowly rose and accepted Jay’s offering. 
         “I’ll go gather some more a little later,” Jay said apologetically as Eric inhaled a long, slow deep breath.  He held it for long seconds before exhaling a plume of smoke. 
         “Don’t worry about it,” Eric replied.  “We’ve got enough to get us through for awhile.”
         Once the bowl was cashed, the young men joined the young ladies on the blanket.  The four of them laid there, cast in deep silence, listening to the intense business of the forest around them.  Gauge smiled widely as she closed her eyes and concentrated on the sounds of insects flying and scurrying, the busy maws of ants and beetles chewing through decaying plants and animals, the soft bassy thwang of the spiders’ webs as the bulb bodied predators moved about their intricate lace work to finish off the prey that had become entrapped.  After a long period, her attention shifted to the sounds of the surrounding vegetation.  She concentrated as the crisp snap of dry blades of grass broke off.  She also heard the echo of the tree leaves breaking from their branches and falling to the ground.  Then, concentrating more intently, Gauge could hear the low hum of the trees and other plants around her grow as cells divided constantly, further expanding the leafy beings into the sky.
         Gauge smiled in wonder at the sharpness to which her senses had grown.  She marveled at being able to hear such sounds of life around her.  Suddenly her concentration was interrupted by a familiar, musky aroma.  She inhaled deeply through her nose as a new sound caught her ear.  Before long she recognized the slick, slightly grating sound of wet skin rubbing together.  Gauge instinctively opened her eyes and looked to the sound to find Niki with her long fingers stretched into her panties, gently stroking her clitoris.
         Niki felt Gauge’s eyes upon her.  She peered into Gauge with feverish desire and seductively smiled at her. 
         Gauge froze for a moment, lost in Niki’s beauty.  As Niki continued to stare into Gauge’s eyes, Gauge began to feel a primal lust build through her abdomen and spill over to her loins.  As Gauge remained caught in Niki’s lustful gaze, she could hear Niki’s pleading thoughts that Gauge accompany her to a more private area away from Eric and Jay.  She could hear Niki’s thoughts so clearly it was as if Niki were speaking aloud.  Gauge was entranced by Niki’s suggestion and became overcome with the desire to please her any way she could.
         “I’ll be back in a few minutes,” Gauge announced as she slowly sat up.  “I have to go to the ladies room.”  She sat for a moment wondering if Jay and Eric were able to hear her and Niki’s thoughts too.  But there was no way to know.  She concluded that if they could, they did not seem to care.
         “I’m going to go too,” Niki said and effortlessly stood up.  She offered a hand to Gauge and assisted her to her feet. 
         The two young ladies ventured through the old growth forest away from the campsite until they came to a large collection of limestone outcroppings covered with soft green moss.  They sat and let their desires take hold as they shared an open mouth kiss.  Gauge could feel a surge pour through her body as she and Niki pressed their firm breasts against one another. 
         Niki broke away from Gauge’s mouth and began delicately nibbling on her neck.  Gauge felt Niki’s long, nimble fingers slide under her sports bra and gently fondle her breasts and nipples. 
         “What if the boys followed us?” Gauge asked and gasped as Niki gave her nipple a squeeze. 
         “Don’t worry about them,” Niki said aloud in a sultry voice.  “I told them to stay where they were and take a nap.”
         Gauge did not understand this.  She did not hear Niki give them any instructions.  But it now made no difference as she was too overcome with passion to care.  She gently pulled back from Niki and began peeling off her clothes.  Niki watched with delight as Gauge revealed her firm body.  Once naked, Gauge watched as Niki tantalizingly removed her clothes from her long, fit body.  Then the two nubiles again embraced and locked lips as they began to further explore their lustful desires for one another.


         Gauge and Niki returned to the campsite hand-in-hand to find Eric and Jay staring absently at the fire as they passed the bowl back and forth to one another.  The sight and smell of the burning weed sent obsessive pangs of desire through Niki and Gauge as they unconsciously quickened their steps to join Jay and Eric.
         “Did you have a nice nap?” Niki asked as Eric blew a thick, rich cloud of smoke out through his nose and offered her the pipe.
         “Yeah, I think we did,” Eric replied as the girls sat next to him and began to share some smoke.  “We both just woke up.”
         “Yeah,” Jay chuckled.  “There’s nothing like a wake-n-bake.”
         “Where did you two go?” Eric asked.
         “We just went to potty,” Niki replied with a reassuring smile.
         “Speaking of which,” Jay interjected and hopped to his feet.  “I need to see a man about a dog.”
         Eric watched Jay as he walked so smoothly he almost seemed to float over the sun dappled floor of the campsite.  When Jay was out of sight Eric looked up through the thick, green canopy above them and gauged the angle of the sun.  “Are you hungry yet?” he asked the girls as they continued to take long, slow pulls off the pipe.
         “I can eat whenever,” Gauge replied.
         “Me too,” Niki concurred.
         Eric nodded and hopped to his feet.  “I’ve got an idea,” he said and walked off a short distance into the woods.  A bit later he returned to the campsite with four meter long sticks. 
         “Mmmm, yummy, my favorite,” Niki teased.
         “Oh, how nice of you to hunt and gather for us,” Gauge added.
         Eric chuckled and sat at the edge of the blanket.  He then pulled out his pocket knife and began shaving off the ends of the sticks to shape long, sharp points.  When satisfied with his work, Eric grabbed the sticks and walked off toward the river.
         Niki stood up and walked seductively over to where the buds were drying on the rocks.  Gauge felt her mouth water as she watched Niki’s hips sway with each step.  Niki bent over to inspect the dried buds.  After several moments of deliberation she returned to Gauge’s side while delicately holding a plump, oily, red-haired bud between her thumb and forefinger.  Gauge offered up the pipe as Niki leaned down and pressed the bud into the bowl.  Once satisfied the pipe was appropriately loaded, Niki found a twig on the ground and held one end over the fire.  Once the twig ignited, she returned to Gauge and held the tiny flame over the pipe as Gauge took short puffs to get the weed burning.
         Jay returned from the surrounding forest with a large pile of buds in his hands.  He stopped by the fire to spread his newly found treasure on a nearby rock to dry under the heat of the fire.  Satisfied he had arranged them so they would dry most efficiently, Jay stepped over to the blanket and sat next to Niki. 
         Gauge was amazed at the dexterity with which Jay moved.  He only seemed to take one step and then skidded, or slid to the edge of the blanket with perfect grace and control of his body. 
         Niki took a slow, deep drag off the pipe and then leaned into Jay opening her mouth to blow smoke into his lungs.  Having filled him up, Niki took another long, slow drag and then pressed her open mouth against Gauge’s thin, dry lips to fill her lungs as well.  The three of them sat on the blanket sharing smoke for some time before Eric returned from the river.  On the end of each stick was a gutted and scaled brook trout.  Eric smiled broadly as he approached.
         “Supper will be ready shortly,” he announced.
         “Sweet dude!” Jay exclaimed as he effortlessly stood and moved to assist Eric in placing the fish over the fire.
         Eric sat next to Niki who offered him the pipe.  He took a deep drag, held his breath as long as he could and finally released a huge plume of smoke toward the fire.  He then offered the pipe back to Niki. 
         “No thanks,” Niki said.  “I’ve smoked quite a bit.  I should probably lay off for awhile.”
         “I know,” Gauge concurred.  “This stuff seems to last a long time, but we’ve also seemed to go through a lot of it.”
“Don’t worry ‘bout it,” Jay said as he sat next to Gauge.  “I brought back some more and there’s a ton of stuff out there in the woods yet.”  Jay looked over to Eric.  “So man, how did you catch the fish?”
Eric shrugged and exhaled another thick, white cloud.  “I don’t know.  I was walking along the river and it was almost like I could hear them, smell them and see them in the water.  It was as if I knew instinctively right where they were going to be.  Then, real quick, I’d reach in and grab ‘em.”
“Barehanded?” Niki asked incredulously.
“Yeah,” Eric nodded nonchalantly as he put his lips to the pipe.
“Very grizzly,” Gauge teased.
“That’s fantastic!” Jay added.  “Hey, did you ever hear of noodling?”
“Oh,” Gauge groaned and chuckled.  “Not this again.”
“Hear of what?” Niki asked, playing into Jay’s hand.
“Yeah,” Jay continued excitedly.  “There are these guys in like, Tennessee and Oklahoma and a couple of other southern states, I don’t remember which.  Anyway, these guys go fishing for catfish.  But they don’t just grab the fish, they blindly reach their hands under logs and into large crevasses of underwater rock formations and they try to entice the catfish to swallow their hand.  And these catfish are huge, man.  Some of them weigh as much as fifty pounds and are over four feet long.  And once they bite down on the hand and arm they don’t let go and the noodler just pulls the fish out of the water.”
“Oh, come on,” Niki laughed.
“No, it’s true,” Jay insisted.  “We saw it on PBS a few months ago. 
With wide eyes and a doubtful grin, Niki looked at Gauge who nodded reluctantly.
“It’s true,” Gauge confessed.  “I hate to admit that we stayed up watching a bunch of rednecks bare hand fishing for catfish, but we did.”
“That’s hilarious!” Niki squealed as she arched her back and burst into robust laughter.
“I’d try it,” Eric said with a smirk.
“Oh, come on,” Niki said in disbelief and nudged Eric with her elbow.
“No, really,” Eric insisted.  “There’s a particular rush you get with barehanded fishing.”
“Well, it’s like they say,” Jay interjected.  “You know once you catch your first fish.  You’re either a noodler or your not.”
The group fell silent as the pipes were reloaded and passed back and forth while they waited for the fish to slowly bake out over the open flames.
Dusk was settling in by the time they finished eating.  Silence prevailed during their supper as they all savored the tender, fresh fish.  After days of eating rations, it was a welcomed change.  Not that the rations were bad, mind you, but meal after meal of re-hydrated food had become tiresome.  Once they had finished eating, they sat before the fire passing the pipes back and forth, each taking turns inhaling deeply as they watched the oncoming night seemingly creep through the forest to cover over them.
As they smoked, they resumed their discussion of planning a hike to Magic Mountain the next day.  They agreed to leave the camp set up where it was and just make a day trip of the seemingly elusive goal of getting to the top of Magic Mountain
Once the bowl cashed out and the fire burned low, leaving only orange coals and a short blue flame to occasionally dance across their tops to gently hold back the dark of night, Jay and Gauge bid their companions good night and returned to their tent.
Gauge and Jay lay naked atop their sleeping bags in the warm, humid night air.  With his arm around her shoulder Gauge nuzzled against Jay’s chest.  She closed her eyes and listened to the crickets’ and cicadas’ searing chirp.  As she took a deep breath and relaxed further into Jay’s chest, she noticed a far more subtle sound.  At first it sounded as if a fire were crackling and popping.  However, as she concentrated on the sound, she noticed it began to sound more like popcorn popping and as she further tuned into the sound it became a persistent hum.  In her half sleeping state it took her several moments of concentration on the sound and sensation before she realized what she heard and felt were the cells of her skin reproducing, rising and shedding.  Only her wear kept her from a more enthusiastic reaction to her new self discovery.  With a grin of satisfaction she continued listening to her skin letting go until she finally drifted off to sleep.




The next morning Gauge awoke refreshed and felt a renewed energy surge through her body.  Jay was still sleeping along side of her.  She sat up and stretched before putting on a clean t-shirt and panties.  She tied her long, greasy, dishwater blonde hair into a bun before stepping into her boots and then left Jay to slumber in the confines of the tent. 
Outside, she found Niki wearing nothing but sandals squatting by the fire pit poking at the coals with a stick.  Gauge smiled at her friend’s seemingly tireless, new found exhibitionism.  As Gauge approached, Niki put the stick down and stood to greet her. 
“Good morning,” Niki said softly as the two shared a lingering kiss and a warm embrace.
“Did you sleep well?” Niki asked as she slowly rubbed Gauge’s back. 
“Yes I did,” Gauge replied as she caressed the warm, moist skin of Niki’s naked back.  “How about you?”
“Like a baby.  No nightmares last night?”
“No,” Gauge said as she suddenly remembered a dream and stopped rubbing Niki’s back.  Gauge pulled back from Niki’s embrace and looked her in her striking blue eyes.  “But I did have a vivid dream.  It was strange, but not uncomfortable or scary.”
“What was it about?”
“I’m not sure,” Gauge said as Niki led her by the hand to the blanket where the two of them sat down.  “I was sitting at this table, a long dinner table.  I was with family.  They must have been cousins or something like that because I didn’t recognize any of them.  They all had that particular, comfortable feel of family about them though.”  Gauge fell silent for a moment until Niki stroked her thigh.  “Anyway, we were sitting at this rustic table in this cabin and we were eating this large meal.  It was like a Christmas dinner or something.  We were talking and laughing while we were eating, but we weren’t really talking….  I don’t know how else to explain it.  It was just a weird dream.”
Eric emerged from the forest with a large armful of firewood.  He dropped his burden by the fire pit and sighed as he shook his head.  “Niki,” he began.  “Why don’t you put some clothes on?  We don’t need to see you running around naked all the time.  Besides, you need some protection from the bugs.”
Niki shot him a stern look.  “I thought you would like having a naked woman around.  Besides, the bugs aren’t bothering me.”
It suddenly occurred to Gauge that there had been no bugs around since they set up camp.  In fact, she could not even remember being pestered by a mosquito, let alone having been bit by one.  This struck her as incredibly odd, but she was glad not to have the pests swarming around them. 
“Niki,” Eric continued.  “I think you should….”
“I think you should smoke a bowl and relax about it,” Niki interrupted and spoke to Eric with slow deliberate words as she pierced him with her blue eyes. 
Eric stood silently for a moment before pulling the pipe from his pocket.  “Would anyone like to smoke some reefer?” he asked and made his way over to the buds.
As if on queue, Jay exited the tent to join the others.  “Sure, I’ll join you for some.”  He slowed his pace when he saw Niki sitting stark naked next to Gauge.  “Good morning ladies,” he greeted weakly as his voice cracked. 
The young ladies chuckled and returned his greeting.
Jay was unable to take his eyes off Niki as he moved slowly over to Eric. 
“What’s the matter?” Eric asked in an aggressive and impatient tone.  “Haven’t you seen a naked woman before?”
“Eric!” Niki scolded.  “What did I tell you?”
Eric looked at her with large, round eyes.  He stood silently staring at her, their eyes locked.  Finally Niki reminded him, “You need to smoke a bowl and relax about it.”
A moment after she spoke Eric put the pipe to his lips and fired up the bowl.  When he had his lungs full he handed the pipe to Jay who took a hit as he walked over to Gauge.  But before Gauge could get the pipe to her mouth, Niki stopped her. 
“Wait a second!” Niki commanded and grabbed the bottom of Gauge’s t-shirt and slowly pulled it off over her head, revealing her firm breasts, leaving her in nothing but her panties and boots.  “That’s better,” Niki said as she folded the t-shirt and set it aside.
“Cool!” Jay exhaled with a billowing cloud of smoke.
Niki turned to him and stared deeply into him.  “You need to relax about this, Jay,” she instructed.  “You and Eric need to rekindle the fire.”
Without question Jay nodded and he and Eric began sifting through the wood to get to the smaller twigs. 
Gauge smiled and took a long, slow drag off the pipe. 
“Men are so easy,” Niki whispered and giggled. 
Gauge grinned widely and handed the pipe to Niki, who took a long, slow, deep drag.  She held the smoke for painfully long seconds before exhaling.  “Let’s go for a soak,” she suggested to Gauge.
Gauge thought the cool, rushing waters would be invigorating.  Yeah, that sounds good,” she said and pulled off her boots before sliding out of her panties.
Niki stood and faced Eric and Jay.  “We are going for a swim,” she informed them.  “You two need to get the fire going and get breakfast made.  We have a long hike ahead of us today.”
Without question the two men continued toiling about the fire.  Niki helped Gauge to her feet.  Then she walked over to Eric and handed him the pipe.  “Have some more smoke and stay relaxed,” she instructed.  She and Gauge held hands as they walked to the river. 
When the girls were out of sight, Eric stood erect as smoke began to pour heavily from the kindling he and Jay placed on the hot coals.  He looked over at Jay who was kneeling and arranging the wood in different piles according to the girth of the sticks and logs.  As Eric continued to stare at Jay a distinct loathing for his friend crept through his chest.  Eric was disgusted by the way Jay ogled the girls, especially Niki.  The urge to crush Jay’s skull seized Eric as he knew that Jay took those buds the other night and then lied about it.  He also knew of the three way Jay had with Niki and Gauge.  Eric heard them in the tent as he was returning to camp.  The betrayal had struck him so deeply he could not think of anything to do, so he ran back into the woods and did not return until he was able to calm his anger.  Eric was completely disgusted with Jay.  He now recognized him as nothing more than a thief and a cheat and a liar filled with gluttony, greed and lust.  The only thing which kept him from pummeling Jay to a pulp was Niki’s command to relax about things.  He very much wanted to confront Jay about these things, but he could not disobey Niki.  As much as he would like to punish Jay for his treachery, there was no way he could deny Niki’s command.  Every time she looked him in the eyes he knew he would do anything for her, anything she wanted, including swallowing his pride.
Jay added a few more larger sticks to the fire as yellow and orange flames began to dance through the kindling.  Once he was convinced there was enough fuel loaded to get the fire burning adequately he pulled a big, fat bud off the drying rock and handed it to Eric.
“I just can’t seem to get enough of this stuff,” Jay said with a chuckle as Eric looked down and packed the weed into the pipe.
“Yeah, I’ve noticed,” Eric said and then lit the pipe.  After his lungs bit huge chunks of smoke, he blew a large plume of smoke out over the fire.  “But, we’ve all been smoking a lot.”
Jay held the smoke as long as he could before exhaling.  “We’re getting better at it too,” he added as he passed the pipe back to Eric.  “I think it’s cashed.”
“What?” Eric nearly exclaimed as he inspected the pipe.  “No way!  We only took one toke apiece, right?”
“Yeah, we’re professionals now,” Jay laughed.  “Mmm, that’s some good schwiz.  I’m gonna go collect some more since we’re going through it at this rate.”
“Okay,” Eric concurred.  “I’ll tend to the fire.  Bring back some more wood too,” he shouted after Jay who appeared to hardly step, but rather glided into the woods.
Once Jay was out of sight, Eric inspected the number of buds on the rock.  He found two plump ones, sticky with resin, and carefully tucked them into his shirt pocket.  There was no way he was going to let Jay’s greed consume all of the weed.  Eric realized he must start his own secret stash if he wished to have some smoke whenever he needed it. 
Eric poked at the fire with a meter long stick as the hunger for more weed began to shoot pangs through his gut.  He turned his attention to the rapidly diminishing pile of buds on the rock and took a fat, juicy one.  He stuck it in the bowl and put a flame to it taking a long, slow drag, which to him seemed to last several minutes.  He stopped when the bud had burned out and there was nothing left but ash.  Eric held his breath as long as he could as the smoke seemed to scratch a damnedable itch in his chest, which he could not otherwise reach.  It only took moments after he exhaled a huge cloud of smoke that a sense of deep satisfaction washed through him.  Eric sat on the ground next to the fire as waves of gentle electricity ebbed and flowed from his head to his extremities and back. 
Gauge and Niki returned from the river, dripping a trail of water behind them.  Their erect wet nipples glistened in the gentle morning light.  Niki squatted next to Eric and kissed his cheek as she stroked his thigh to his groin. 
“Sweetie,” Niki whispered in seductively in Eric’s ear.  “Can I have your pipe please?”
“My pipe?” Eric asked, suddenly uncertain of her request. 
Niki laughed out loud.  “We want to smoke some more, you silly,” she said aloud then leaned into him and whispered in his ear, “I get your other pipe later.”
Eric grinned and handed her the bowl.  He watched her as she bent over the buds, selecting on of her choice.  Eric’s mouth watered as he stared at her ass.  He knew he could no longer trust her.  She fucked Jay and Gauge, and has tried to keep it a secret.  Eric knew then Niki was full of secrets and used sex and seduction manipulatively.  Still, as distrustful as he found her silent lies, he knew there was no way he could resist her.  Niki would be able to get anything she wanted from him.  At the same time he cursed himself for being so weak that he could not resist her and he prayed she was not teasing him about coming for his other pipe later. 
As Niki loaded the pipe, she returned to the blanket and sat next to Gauge who had stretched out to dry.  Niki fired up the bowl and Gauge sat up in anticipation of her turn.  They were each able to get two hits before the weed was ash.
Jay returned from the forest with an armful of firewood and two bulging pockets full of weed.  He set the wood in a neatly stacked pile and then arranged the buds along the rocks to dry.  Once finished, he stood and turned to the girls.  “You ladies look lovely this morning.”
Gauge and Niki giggled as Jay pulled out his wooden pipe and loaded it up.  As he took a long, slow drag he started for the tent.  Jay walked around to the back of the tent and proceeded into the woods where he had hung the bear bag from a high branch.  He lowered it and pulled out four breakfast packets.  Then, he glanced over his shoulder to make certain no one was watching.  Once certain he was unobserved, he moved to where his backpack rested at the base of the tree and unloaded a handful of buds from his cargo pocket into a zippered pouch of his backpack.  Still convinced the others were unaware of his action, he nonchalantly ran the bear bag back up the tree.  Then he casually returned to the others to boil water for their breakfasts.


After breakfast the girls got dressed and put their boots on while Jay studied his maps and notes as Eric placed items they would need, including a handful of weed, for their day hike in his backpack.  Once confident in his bearings, Jay put the maps and compass in his pocket and led Gauge and Niki through the woods with Eric bringing up the rear.  Before long, Jay had them on the trail which would lead them to Magic Mountain. 
The path was narrow and the woods crowded them on both sides.  Gauge marveled at the ease with which Jay seemed to move ahead of her and she wondered if she moved as easily.  It did not feel that way to her.  The warm humid air stuck to them forcing beads of sweat to crop up on their foreheads and tumble down their faces.  As Gauge wiped her forehead and face with the bottom of her shirt she noticed no bugs, not even one mosquito, seemed to show any interest in them.  She also noticed they had not seen any animals.  Not even birds had made an appearance near them.  Certainly they heard birds calling in the distance, but everywhere they went a barrier of silence seemed to envelope them.   
After little more than an hour the path emptied out into a narrow clearing and seemed to come to dead end at the edge of a shallow river.  Crystal clear water rushed over and around large rocks and boulders causing a refreshing trickling and splashing.  Jay stood at the embankment and retrieved the map and compass from his pocket.  He studied their location as the others moved up along side him.
“So, what’s the story, man?” Eric asked as he slid out of the backpack and retrieved a bottle of water.
“This is the Woeful River,” Jay informed them as Eric chugged several mouthfuls of water and then passed the bottle to Niki.
“It’s so pretty,” Niki gasped.  “Maybe we should take time for a swim.”
“What happened to the path?” Gauge asked as Niki finished drinking and handed the bottle to Gauge.
Jay studied the map for a moment.  He shifted as an undeniable itch cracked through his gut making it difficult to concentrate.  Jay knew what his body was calling for.  As he tried to concentrate on the map, Gauge handed him the water.  He took a couple of swallows and looked out over the river and then back to the map.  With a nod, Jay took another sip of water and handed the bottle back to Gauge.  Then he placed the map and compass back in his pocket and pulled out his wooden pipe, fully loaded and ready to scratch that itch.  He turned to the others to find Eric was a step ahead of him as smoke billowed out from Eric’s nose and Niki took deep drags off his pipe.
“The path continues on the other side of the river,” Jay informed them as Eric handed him a lighter.  Jay paused long enough to slowly haul large chunks of smoke deep into his lungs.  Once he could no longer hold his breath, he exhaled and continued his explanation.  “It looks like we have to go about fifty yards south and cross the river.”
“But where do we cross?” Gauge asked.
“Here looks good to me,” Jay replied and proceeded to hop effortlessly across the tops of rocks sticking out of the water.  Once on the opposite embankment he shouted to the others, “Come on, it was easy!”
One at a time Gauge, Niki and Eric navigated their way across the river, each taking much longer and moving with greater uncertainty than Jay.  Once they had all successfully crossed, Jay led them along the edge of the river to a point where he found the path cutting into the forest.
For another half-hour they moved through lush thickets and bushes that crowded the nearly overgrown path.  Jay instinctively followed along the path pushing thick branches out of his way.  He pushed through one thicket and the path opened up on the other side.  The familiar, pungent aroma of wild herb suddenly surrounded them.  He slowed as he continued to move forward.  He was stunned at the sight of the large bushes towering over them on either side of the path, bearing countless oily, sticky buds.
“Holy shit!” Eric said aloud.  “We hit the mother load.”
“This is just unbelievable,” Jay added.
An eerie silence ensued as they slowly continued forward, marveling at the massive bud-bearing bushes along the trail.  Niki stopped and reached out to one.  She snagged off a bud that was nearly as large as her hand.  With a broad smile she showed her prize to Eric.
“Unbelievable,” he said dumbfounded by the size of the bud.  “Put it in the pack,” he suggested as he turned around.
Niki opened a pocket in the pack and secured their prize.
“I don’t know about this,” Gauge said.  “Something isn’t quite right.”
“What do you mean?” Jay asked as he held his arms out with his palms up and spun around.  “This is perfect.”
“No,” Gauge insisted.  “I have a bad feeling about this.”  She grabbed Jay’s hands and stopped him from spinning around to look him in the eye.  “Let’s just forget about this.  Let’s go back to camp.”
“What?” Jay exclaimed.  “There’s nothing wrong here.  Nothing’s gonna happen to us.  Besides, we’re more than half way there.”  Jay looked deeply into Gauge’s eyes and gently squeezed her hands.  “Everything will be fine,” he smiled reassuringly.  “You’ll see.”
Gauge was unconvinced, but managed to force a weak smile for him and nodded.  “Okay, but the first sign of any trouble we leave, okay?” she pleaded with big round eyes.
“I promise,” Jay replied and pulled her into him.
“Hell,” Eric said as he and Niki continued to pull plump, oily buds from the bushes and stuff them into the backpack.  “I don’t care if we go any further.  It’s already been worth the hike.”
“No doubt,” Niki concurred.
The group continued to cut huge buds until the back pack was full and sticky with resin.  Once they could not fit another bud into the pack, Eric strapped it on and they resumed their hike with Jay leading the way. 
A short while later the path emptied out into a large clearing dotted with thirteen log cabins.  The path widened into a narrow dirt road which meandered its way past each little house.  Well groomed flower gardens occupied spaces in front of many of the houses while it seemed like each house had a vegetable garden behind it.  Men and women worked in some of the gardens while others sat out on porches and conversed and smoked. 
A strong sense of self consciousness befell the group as they slowly entered the rustic village.  All of the villagers stopped what they were doing and looked over at the hikers.
“Holy Appalachia,” Eric whispered uncomfortably, but no one in the group was able to laugh. 
A young man got up from his flower bed and walked over to the group.  His clothes were stained with years of dirt and frayed at the edges.  His greasy hair was shoulder length and unkempt.  A few days of facial hair growth covered his face.  He smiled as he approached the group revealing his crooked teeth stained yellowish brown from years of heavy smoking. 
“Hi folks,” he greeted with surprising friendliness.
A chill shot through Gauge as she recognized the man as the one she saw in her dream the other night.  As he got closer, she could smell the sweat and smoke that had saturated his body.  His steely blue eyes seemed to pierce through Gauge when he looked at her.  Those eyes seemed to be mad with knowledge, an inhuman knowledge.  “We’ve been waiting for you Gauge,” she heard his voice in her head.
He stopped a couple of feet before the group.  “You folks ain’t from ‘round here, is ya?” he said in a surprisingly serious tone.
Jay swallowed hard as he noticed a couple of other men approaching.  “Um, no, we’re not,” he managed to reply.  “Sorry, we didn’t mean to trespass.”
The unkempt man struggled a bit with keeping a straight face before finally bursting into robust laughter.  “I’m sorry,” he finally said and motioned for the group to follow him.  “Come with me.  My name is Bill.  Where are you folks headed?”
“We’re on our way up to Magic Mountain,” Jay replied, feeling rather uncertain of their new acquaintance. 
“Oh, that’s real nice up there,” Bill said as he led the group down the dirt road into the village.
A sense of de ja vu gripped Gauge along with a subtle sense of fear, forcing her senses to high alert.  She barely listened to Bill and grasped Jay’s hand as she looked about the village.  A chill shot through Gauge as she recognized the village from her dream and instinctively seemed to know what waited around every corner. 
As Bill led them through the village, the resident’s would stop their toiling and look at the visitors to their home.  Bill stopped before a square log cabin at the center of the village and walked up the squared off log steps to the porch.  Jay and Eric stopped at the foot of the stairs and kept Gauge and Niki from continuing. 
Bill stopped and turned to them as he opened the door.  “It’s okay,” he reassured them with a smile.  “Come in and rest a bit.  Have a drink.”
“Thanks, but we’re just passing through.  We really should get going,” Jay said firmly. 
Bill laughed, “Really, it’s okay.  We aren’t in Appalachia,” he replied aiming a wink and a nod toward Eric. 
A sudden unease scurried through Eric’s chest and he instinctively took a step back.
Bill’s affect flattened and he stared deeply into each one of them.  Though his lips never moved, they each heard an undeniable invitation to come into the calm and relax for a bit. 
“Come on,” Bill pressed aloud as he started into the cabin.  “I insist.  It’s not often we get to entertain guests.”
Jay hesitated only for a moment before he was compelled to follow Bill into the cabin.  Holding Gauge by the hand, Jay led her into the large, well lit living room.  All of the furniture was handmade.  Jay found the craftsmanship quite remarkable.  Some of the wooden pieces had intricate tribal designs carved in them, while other pieces still plain and untouched. 
“Have a seat,” Bill insisted as he moved to a cupboard in the kitchen.
Hand in hand Jay and Gauge sat on an intricately carved love seat.  Gauge ran her hand along the familiar carvings of the arm as she looked around the room.  A sense of having come home both relaxed and alarmed her.  She could sense something was not quite right, yet felt that this was the way things have always been.
Niki sat in a chair next to a fieldstone fireplace where burning coals smoldered.  She looked anxiously about the room as Eric inspected the detailed carvings of a desk. 
Bill returned with a large wooden bowl that had six long stems projecting up and out from it.  He put it on a small round table in front of the love seat.  Gauge saw the center of the wooden bowl was lined with charred metal and heaped with large dry buds.  Bill grabbed some nearby straw-filled pillows and threw them on the floor around the table.
Niki instinctively, yet cautiously, move to a pillow next to Bill.  “What’s this?” she asked. 
Bill chuckled as he walked over to the fireplace and with tongs grabbed an adequate ember.  “It’s our weed,” he said in a light, cheerful tone.  “But, you guys know all about that.”
“We don’t know anything,” Eric shot back in a tense and husky voice.
“Sure you do,” Bill said as he returned to his pillow next to Niki and set the coal on top of the weed.  “You’ve been smoking for a few days.  We can tell.  And I can smell the bitter sweet resin from all of the buds in your backpack.”
Eric stopped cold and looked at Bill who smiled and winked at him.  In his mind Eric could hear Bill instruct him not to lie anymore.
“Come over here and join us,” Bill said to Eric and patted an empty pillow to his side.
Gauge and Jay slid off the loveseat and sat on some pillows opposite Bill.  The intoxicating bitter sweet smoke filled the air as the herb began to smolder under the weight of the orange coal.  None of them could deny its beckoning.  Each of the group leaned forward to the mouthpiece stemmed out before them and took deep hits from the bowl.
“Holy shit!” Jay exclaimed as his head spun with explosive sensations.  “This is much better than the stuff we’ve been smoking at the campsite.”
Niki leaned back on the floor with a thud and stretched her long slim arms out before she burst into laughter.  The others watched her for a moment then left her to her world of laughter. 
“It’s taken us a long time, but we were finally able to breed this strain,” Bill informed them.  “This is really a good hybrid.  I don’t know that we’ll be able to breed a better one, but we’ll try.”
Gauge closed her eyes as wave after wave of intense pleasure ebbed and flowed from her brain out through all of her nervous system.  She could feel everything in her body and its perfect functioning.  Once again she could hear and feel the cells in her body performing their tasks as her brain processed a seeming limitless number of functions without problem, keeping her body in perfect rhythm.  Suddenly she became aware of a new sound.  Voices in conversation were audible to her.  She was not hearing them in the normal sense, but she could more or less feel those conversations in her mind. 
“How long have you been up here?” Eric asked Bill as he leaned over to check on Niki whose laughter had subsided to an intermittent giggle. 
“Most of us have been up here for a long, long time…decades even.  Jackie was the last one to join us.  She got here a year ago last spring.”
“So, how many of you are there?” Jay asked.
Gauge counted twenty-five separately identifiable voices in conversation in her mind, and recognized Bill’s as one of them.
“There are twenty-five of us,” Bill replied. 
“How do you guys get stuff up here?” Eric asked.  “I mean, where do you get your food and supplies and stuff?”
Bill chuckled.  “No, it doesn’t work that way.  Our little society stays out of the world we left behind.  We grow our own food.  We manufacture our own goods.  We have done away with the ills of mans’ society up here.”  He paused for a moment.  “I won’t call it utopia, but we’re close.”
An alarm rattled through Jay.  “Um, we can leave when we want, right?” he asked hesitantly.
“No one here will make you stay,” Bill replied.  “But I would encourage you to stay for a little while.  We will all want to be inside before long.”
A deep uneasiness began to pitch through Gauge’s chest.  She could sense a wicked turbulence approaching from the distance.  She could not place where this was coming from, but it was like nothing she had ever sensed before.  It almost felt alien; still there was a familiarity to the turbulence.  Even with that subtle familiarity, as far as she could determine, it was not of the earth she knew.
An uncomfortable silence befell the group.  As Gauge felt the turbulence increase in pitch a sudden anxiety forced her to her feet and she moved to the window.  She could sense the source of the turbulence as Jay, Eric and Niki gathered behind her.  All of the people of the village had cleared the street with a last straggler or two retreating to their cabins as the turbulence grew into a perceivable tremor. 
A short yellow flame burst forth in the center of the narrow dirt road from the exact location of where Gauge could sense the cause of the approaching tremor.  The flame quickly spread out as if it had caught gas soaked tinder.  As the tremor grew to crescendo a man burst forth from the ground.  He appeared to be running, yet they could not see his legs as a thick cloud of smoke enveloped him from the waist down and trailed behind him from where he sprouted up.  His wickedly pale and tortured face looked back, twisted in terror and pain.  Suddenly an unearthly scream erupted from him, but lasted only a few seconds before he burst into flame and exploded, sending burning rock-like chunks skipping down the road. 
“What the hell was that?” Jay exclaimed and ran to the door. 
Gauge shuddered as she instinctively knew this scene had burst forth from the gates of hell. 
“Don’t worry Gauge,” Bill said to her.  Gauge turned to him but his lips never moved as he continued.  “This will never happen to you.”
Gauge turned back to the window to see the flames had burned out leaving the wicked stench of smoldering sulfur wafting through the air.  Eric and Jay cautiously walked out into the smoldering, charred road along with a few other villagers to inspect the crumbled, stinking remains which had scattered about. 
“We need to get the hell out of here,” Niki insisted with panic grasping her voice.  She glanced at Gauge who remained motionless by the window.  Then Niki ran out to catch up with Eric and Jay. 
Without taking a step Bill moved up alongside Gauge.  “You should probably go with them,” he suggested.
“Is it safe now?” Gauge thought.
“Yes, for you,” Bill silently replied. 
“What does this all mean?” Gauge mentally questioned him.
“You will learn,” Bill replied.  “Just know, we will be here for you when you need us.”
Bill took Gauge by the hand and stepped away from the window.  He led her to the door where she followed him to meet Jay, Niki and Eric.  A small group of villagers had congregated with them.
“What the hell happened?” Eric demanded with wide eyes.  “What was that?”
“Come on, Eric, let’s go,” Niki pleaded.
“It was the hell fire,” a young woman replied easily with a smile.  She had dust covered barefeet and wore a purple summer dress.  Gauge found her beautiful despite her nearly waist length matted hair and brown stained teeth.
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Jay questioned.
“Every now and again the damned try to escape,” a tall lanky man replied calmly.  “In all the years I’ve been here, I’ve never seen one make it.  They all wind up that way,” he motioned toward the stinking smoking embers on the road.  “I don’t know why it happens here; don’t know that I ever will.
“This is fucked up,” Eric replied, notably shaken.  He looked around the group and then hurried off to the cabin. 
“Look,” Jay said as he took Gauge and Niki by their hands and pulled them next to him as he stepped back from the group.  “We don’t want any trouble.”
“And you’ll get none from us, brother,” said a stocky man with matted long brown hair.
“We’re just gonna be on our way,” Jay continued as Eric reappeared from the cabin with the backpack on.  He hustled over to join Jay, Niki and Gauge.
“Well, good luck,” Bill offered.  “You’re all welcome back whenever you like.”
“Yeah, yeah, great, thanks,” Eric replied hastily over his shoulder and hurriedly led Niki back to the path with Jay and Gauge close behind.
Before long they were among the towering bushes of herb.  Jay kept looking back over his shoulder to make certain they were not being pursued as they pressed on, keeping up with Eric’s frantic pace.  The branches crowding the narrow path seemed to almost reach out and grab them as they rushed by.
Before long they were at the point where the path was interrupted by the Woeful River.  Without hesitation, Eric led the group across the rocks, the way they had come, to the narrow clearing on the other side.  There Eric stopped and took off the backpack.  He pulled out a couple bottles of water and handed one to Niki who plopped on the grass at the river’s edge.
“My God,” Niki said between taking mouthfuls of water.  “Did that really happen?”
“That was some weird fucking shit,” Eric stated as he handed the bottle of water to Jay who eagerly imbibed. 
Gauge sat on a rock next to Niki who shared her water.
“You’re sure they didn’t follow us?” Eric asked Jay.
“Not as far as I could tell.”
“They wouldn’t follow us,” Gauge said as she recapped the bottle.  “If they wanted to do anything to us they would never have let us leave.  Besides, I really don’t think they had any real interest in us.”  Gauge fully believed her defense of the villagers, aside from the horrific scene that took place on the road through the village.  She decided she felt right at home there, as if she had always belonged.
“Well, you may be right,” Jay concurred.  “But that was weird.  I never saw anything like that in my life.  I’ll be thinking about that for a long time.”
“We just need to calm down,” Eric offered as he loaded the pipe and lit it.  He took a slow deep drag, burning up all of the bud.  As he held his breath, he clapped out the ashes and loaded another bud into the bowl and handed it to Jay.  After Jay had burned down he reloaded the pipe for Niki and Gauge. 
“Oh, yeah, I needed that,” Jay said as he sat next to Gauge who had stretched out in the grassy clearing along side Niki.  The woods were silent around them, as if they were enveloped in a bubble of silence.
“I’m gonna go see a man about a dog,” Eric said. His voice boomed through the eerie silence of their clearing.  Jay nodded to Eric as he stepped off into the woods. 
Jay stared silently at Gauge and Niki as they both lay quietly on their backs with their eyes closed.  He studied their firm breasts, abdomens and hips.  His mouth watered as he remembered their ménage a trios.  Jay knew he would he would not have time for another romp while Eric was gone, but he was driven to at least suggest it in Eric’s absence. 
“Are you lady’s feeling better?” he asked innocently.
“Absolutely,” Gauge replied with her eyes closed.
“To be honest, I’m still a little freaked out,” Niki admitted as she looked over to Jay.
“I know how to remedy that,” Jay said as he reached over and gently place his hand on Niki’s taught belly.  She closed her eyes as he slowly slid his hand under her shirt and gently squeezed her breast.  She gasped and nearly moaned as he slid his hand back down to her belly and pushed his fingers under her shorts and panties.  Niki slowly rocked her hips into his hand three times before she grabbed his arm to stop his advances.
“No,” Niki protested.  “Not here, not now.”
“I thought ‘any time was a good time’,” Gauge giggled.
“Let’s just wait until we get back to camp,” Niki suggested.
“What the hell’s going on?” Eric demanded from the edge of the clearing.
“He dude,” Jay responded, and quickly withdrew his hand from Niki’s shorts.  “What’s going on?”
A stiff rage ripped through Eric like a gale force wind.  He stepped toward Jay deliberately as his bitter energies swelled within him.  “Fuck you!  You piece of shit!  Don’t think I don’t know about the three of you, and that you’ve been stealing the weed.”
Gauge sat up to face Eric.  She noticed the tree branches around the clearing began to sway as if caught up in the winds of an approaching storm.  Jay quickly rose to his feet and, without taking a step, moved away from the edge of the river and the girls.  With a low growl Eric charged at Jay and threw a combination of punches at his head.  Jay rather calmly intercepted the blows, slapping them aside.  Eric quickly dropped down and kicked Jay’s ankles.  Jay lost his balance and fell to the ground with a thud that seemed to shake the earth around him. 
“Eric!  Stop it!” Niki commanded as she got to her feet.
But it was too late.  Eric was now blind and deaf with rage as his heart was set on vengeance.  Before Jay had a chance to recover, Eric pounced on him and wrapped his fingers securely around Jay’s throat.  Jay struggled violently, but he was no match for his longer, stronger opponent.  He desperately struck Eric in the face and head with mere glancing blows but was unable to loosen Eric’s grip from his throat.  Jay’s eyes bulged as his face swelled to a deep purple before fading to a dusky blue.  As he lost consciousness he felt and heard the cartilage of his trachea finally breaking under pressure of Eric’s hands.
As Jay fell silent, Eric maintained his grip around his throat.  Rage pumped through Niki.  She could not believe Eric would not listen to her, and his actions were simply inexcusable.  Gauge stood silently, calmly, watching with a certain understanding as Niki picked up a large rock and rushed Eric.  With all of her might and fury she delivered a blow to the back of his head, crushing the base of his skull.  A clap of thunder echoed as Eric fell forward to Jay’s side.  He lay still for a few moments before he began convulsing.  As his violent shaking subsided, the tree branches which swayed under the wind of his fury fell still.
Niki covered her mouth with her hands and let out a shrill shriek.  She backed away, wide-eyed with horror at the beastly rage she felt, at her own brutality.  Niki continued to back away, unable to take her eyes off the horrific scene.  She was so overcome by the brutality of her attack she did not realize when she was next to Gauge, who also continued to look forward.  Niki took one too many blind steps backward.  Out of the corner of her eye, Gauge saw Niki losing her balance and reached out for her.  But it was too late.  Niki fell backwards down the embankment and struck the back of her head on a large rock in the river.  She rolled over face down in the water as the current began to drag her down stream.
Gauge quickly jumped down the embankment and managed to grab Niki.  She pulled Niki’s head out of the water and wrestled her back to the clearing.  Gauge held Niki’s head as blood trickled from her scalp, matting her long, blonde hair with dark strawberry stains.  Gauge gently let her head rest on the ground and stood up.  She was not frightened at the scene.  In fact, it felt to her this was the way it was supposed to be.  Still, she was compelled to get help for Niki.  And she knew the only people around for tens of miles were the villagers. 
Gauge looked to the sky and knew she would have plenty of daylight left to get help and come back for her friends.
“Niki,” Gauge said softly as she knelt at Niki’s side and gently stroked her cheek.  “I’m going to get help.  I’ll be back as soon as I can.”  She then leaned forward and left a lingering kiss on Niki’s cold, wet lips.
Once across the river, Gauge ran down the path which now had a strange, yet comfortable familiarity to it.  It was like being in the presence of an old, dear friend.  Though this was only her third trip through the encroaching branches, she felt as though she knew what lie ahead at every turn.
Sweat rolled down her forehead and into her eyes, burning them and obscuring her vision.  Gauge closed her eyes and tried to rub the sweat out as she continued to run, feeling the path in front of her, knowing exactly which steps to take.  She was surprised that she felt no panic in her situation and in her underlying calmness, she was not breathing hard at all as she continued at the best speed she could manage. 
Before long she was running through the towering bushes of herb and the sweet, spicy aroma caught her nose.  She knew it would only take a few more moments before she entered the village and would be able to acquire help for her friends.
Gauge slowed to nearly a full stop when she entered the edge of the village.  Ahead of her, in front of Bill’s cabin, all of the villagers had congregated.  They were all seated at long tables around a large bonfire.  Gauge could smell the burning weed they smoked and she could see soft, translucent clouds rising into the air as the group chatted and laughed festively.
Bill walked over to meet Gauge as she tentatively approached the gathering.
“Gauge, you finally made it,” he said without speaking.
Gauge was surprised at his apparent anticipation of her arrival.  “I’m sorry to trouble you,” Gauge replied out loud.  “But my friends, they’re hurt and need help.”
“I know,” Bill replied and gazed deeply into Gauge’s eyes.  “There is nothing we can do for them now.  I’m sorry.  But we have your place here among us.  We have waited ninety-seven years for your return.”
A euphoric relief erupted through Gauge’s chest.  She was home and she now knew it.  Deep swells of emotion washed over her eyes as she could not control her bitter-sweet happiness.  She took Bill’s hand as they walked toward the group.  Once seated at her place at the table, the festivities began in honor of her return.