\u201cWhat are you doing?\u201d<\/p>\n
Sighing, Michelle Michaels lowered her eyes from the heavens to the drowned rat of a girl who had addressed her.\u00a0 Her name was Samantha LaRose and seeing her look so miserable made Michelle not feel as bad about being soaking wet and cold. It wasn’t a case of misery loves company; she just didn’t like the girl.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m trying to figure out where we are,\u201d Michelle said, looking back at the night sky. At least, the storm had passed and the stars were out. The full moon gave everything a silver tint.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can do that?\u201d Samantha asked, looking up at the stars, too.<\/p>\n
Michelle looked at her out of the corner of her eye and thought, why did it have to be her? Of all the people on this rock orbiting the sun, why did it have to be Samantha LaRose she got stuck with?<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cI can get a pretty good idea,\u201d Michelle said, then sighed, \u201cthe problem is, the stars aren\u2019t where they are supposed to be if\u00a0WE are where we are supposed to be. The plane must have veered off course after\u00a0it got\u00a0struck by lightning.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo where are we?\u201d Samantha asked, her voice\u00a0in a vibrato \u00a0because she was shivering so hard.<\/p>\n \u201cMy guess,\u201d Michelle said, rubbing her own arms to generate some warm, \u201csomewhere in Canada.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCanada,\u201d Samantha said, staring at her, \u201cbut that is completely in the wrong direction.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, I know,\u201d Michelle said, looking around. All the things her father had taught her were circling through her brain, and she didn\u2019t even know where to begin.<\/p>\n Her father was an ex-Navy Seal turned survivalist tour guide for the over privileged. Those with too much money and too much time on their hands would pay him a lot of money to take them out into the woods to be miserable.<\/p>\n Since Michelle was his only child and he didn’t have a son to pass knowledge on to, he took her camping every summer and had\u00a0taught her a lot about surviving off the land. She loved those couple of weeks in the woods, loved the peacefulness.<\/p>\n This wasn’t exactly the same, not just pretend but real. She wished her father was here. He’d know what to do. She couldn’t focus, the cold and every thing that had happened to her making it hard to concentrate.<\/p>\n Samantha was looking at her like a lost puppy, and it wasn\u2019t helping. Turning her back on the girl, she shook her head and thought, if the preppy little bitch had actually helped with the project they were supposed to do together, she\u2019d be of some use right now. Instead, she is standing there shivering in her mini skirt and heels, her perfectly applied makeup streaking down her face.<\/em><\/p>\n Taking a deep breath to clear that useless thought from her mind, Michelle turned back to the girl, said, \u201cWe don\u2019t have a lot of options for tonight. Trying to build a shelter in the dark isn\u2019t a good idea, so it is going to be a miserable night.\u201d<\/p>\n Samantha looked at her a while and finally said, \u201cOkay. What do we do?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAt least, it is summer, else we\u2019d be up to our tits in snow,\u201d Michelle said, then went on, \u201cbut it is still in the forties right now.\u00a0 Maybe colder. Plenty cold enough to cause hypothermia, especially when we are soaking wet like this.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, I\u2019m freezing,\u201d Samantha whined.<\/p>\n \u201cHere is what we are going to do,\u201d Michelle said, trying to keep her tone even, even though the girl\u2019s complaining was getting on her nerves, \u201cwe are going to get out of our wet clothes. Hang them in a tree so they\u2019ll hopefully be dry by morning. We can try to get some sleep in the raft, use the space blanket I found in the emergency kit.\u00a0 Our body heat should keep us warm until morning, and we can start making better plans, then.\u201d<\/p>\n Samantha looked at her like she had lost her mind and Michelle just shrugged and headed for the raft. Turning it over, she got all the water out of it, then started stripping out of her clothes. Expecting to be going to\u00a0 California, she definitely wasn\u2019t dressed for this kind of weather, so all she had on was a t-shirt and jeans. As an afterthought, she removed her panties and bra, as well, and hung them on the tree with the rest of her clothes.\u00a0 Naked, she climbed into the raft, gasping as the cold rubber touched her bare skin.\u00a0 Hurriedly, she opened the foil blanket, wrapped it around herself.<\/p>\n Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Samantha standing near the tree in which her clothes were hanging.\u00a0 The girl looked at her, then back at her clothes. Michelle had to grin as her shoulders fell and she started undressing. At least, she wasn\u2019t the only one not happy about the thought of sharing the raft with another naked girl.<\/p>\n Samantha came to the raft, her arm across her small breasts and her hand between her legs. Michelle laughed and shook her head, rolling on her side. She felt the girl\u2019s weight settle on the raft, and the girl gasped like she had. Smiling, she held up the blanket so Samantha could get under it.<\/p>\n The blanket was designed to reflect body heat, trapping it. Michelle felt herself begin to thaw out, and she felt better about their chances.\u00a0 Tomorrow, they\u2019d have to think about shelter and try to get a fire started.<\/p>\n \u201cIf we make it out of here,\u201d Michelle said, not looking at the girl sleeping with her, \u201cwe don\u2019t talk about this.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAgreed,\u201d Samantha said, eagerly enough.<\/p>\n ———————————<\/p>\n Michelle started awake, a panicked cry stuck in her throat. She finally managed to swallow it and take a ragged breath. She swore she could taste the acrid smoke from the cabin fire, could hear the labored whine of the engines as their plane plummeted toward the ground, could feel the rush of icy water from the lake as it poured in the torn fuselage.\u00a0 Her heart was thundering in her temples as she relived the crash, her nightmare spilling over even after she opened her eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cJesus,\u201d she muttered, rubbing her hand across her mouth.<\/p>\n Samantha had moved against her in the night, probably for warmth and, for once, she didn\u2019t mind the girl being here.\u00a0 After that nightmare, she needed the comfort of another person, even if that person was Samantha LaRose. The girl was soft and warm as she snuggled against Michelle and it was kind of reassuring. Her heartbeat started to slow, and she finally felt the tension from the dream leave her.<\/p>\n Her nerves finally under control, she glanced at Samantha, saw she was still asleep.\u00a0 Michelle was just glad no one was around to see them like this.<\/p>\n Looking at her clothes hanging in the tree, she cringed at the thought of leaving the warmth of their little makeshift bed.\u00a0 She could feel the cold on her face, knew the temperature hadn\u2019t risen much with the risen sun. At least, the sun was out, the storm having already pushed through.<\/p>\n She knew they didn\u2019t have the luxury of just laying around, knew a lot had to get done today.\u00a0 They had no way of knowing how long they would be here, so shelter and fire were priorities, then water and food.<\/p>\n Forcing herself to leave the relative comfort of the raft, she went to her clothes.\u00a0 She woke up Samantha in the process, and she felt the girl looking at her.\u00a0 She wasn\u2019t as shy as the girl, didn\u2019t try to cover up.\u00a0 When she felt her eyes on her a little too long, she looked at the girl. Caught, Samantha looked away in a hurry.<\/p>\n Maybe there is some truth to the rumors, after all<\/em>, Michelle thought, amused.<\/p>\n There had been rumors circulating around Bellevue Middle about Samantha and another cheerleader named Bianca.\u00a0 Michelle hadn\u2019t cared enough to get the details, but it sounded like Samantha had done more than just peek under Bianca\u2019s cheer skirt.<\/p>\n And now she is checking me out<\/em>, Michelle thought, not sure how she felt about that.\u00a0 Sure, Samantha was a preppy cheerleader, stuck up and thought her shit didn\u2019t stink, but she looked really good in her cheer uniform.<\/p>\n While Samantha had rumors about her sexuality, Michelle’s being a lesbian wasn\u2019t a secret from anyone.\u00a0 She had been out since her twelfth birthday party when she had talked Tara Channing out of her bathing suit. They had kissed and touched, giggling about being naked. It had been fun, and then the girl had told everyone at school about it, outing Michelle. Tara\u2019s eye had been black for almost a month from Michelle\u2019s right cross.<\/p>\n With her jeans on but the button still undone and her shirt and bra still hanging in the tree, she stretched her arms toward the heavens. It was a deliberate move, planned to draw Samantha\u2019s attention and it did.\u00a0 She could feel the girl\u2019s eyes on her bare breasts and her buttocks, and she smiled.<\/p>\n Turning to the girl, Michelle said, \u201cYou should get dressed, too. We have a lot to do today.\u201d<\/p>\n Hesitantly, Samantha slipped from under the cover, came naked to the tree.\u00a0 Michelle drank her in, saw she looked even better out of her cheer uniform than in it.\u00a0 Her body was lean and shapely from years of cheerleading, lovely in the morning sun.<\/p>\n Samantha caught her looking, but she was bolder than the girl and\u00a0didn\u2019t look away.\u00a0 Michelle grinned as the girl hurriedly got dressed, clearly flustered by Michelle\u2019s attention.<\/p>\n Interesting<\/em>, Michelle thought, finishing getting dressed.<\/p>\n \u201cSince we don\u2019t know where we are,\u201d Michelle said, shivering, \u201cchances are, neither does anyone else. They\u2019ll be looking for us, I\u2019m sure, but we don\u2019t know\u00a0 how long it\u2019ll take.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat about the plane\u2019s black box?\u201d Samantha asked, rubbing her arms for warmth.<\/p>\n \u201cHopefully, it survived the lightning strike and the crash. The lake,\u201d Michelle said, cringing at the long list, \u201cif it did, we could be out of here in no time. I\u2019m worried though because we flew a ways in the wrong direction before we crashed, which means the instruments were malfunctioning.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShit,\u201d Samantha said, which summed up Michelle\u2019s thought perfectly.<\/p>\n \u201cI think the best thing we can do is assume we are spending another night here,\u201d Michelle said, with a heavy sigh, \u201cwhich means we need to make some sort of shelter and hopefully get a fire going. I don\u2019t know about you, but last night\u2019s awkward cuddlefest was more than enough for one lifetime.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d Samantha said, laughing.<\/p>\n \u201cThe biggest problem I see is the storm. Everything is wet, which is the last thing we need.\u00a0 We might get lucky and find some dry wood tucked up against the trunk of the trees in that thick stand right there,\u201d Michelle said, pointing at a clump of pines, \u201cdo you want to start looking while I find us a place to build a shelter?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUm, yeah,\u201d Samantha said, looking around nervously.<\/p>\n \u201cListen,\u201d Michelle said, trying to keep an edge out of her voice, \u201cwe could be a lot worse off. We walked- well, paddled away from a plane crash relatively unharmed. We have fresh water from the lake, abundant materials to work with to survive.\u00a0 We are going to be fine.\u201d<\/p>\n Samantha blinked at her, then smiled, \u201cThat was a helluva speech.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShut up,\u201d Michelle said, shaking her head and laughing.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll see what I can find,\u201d Samantha said, grinning as she walked away.<\/p>\n \u201cI hope the black box held up,\u201d Michelle muttered, as she went to the life raft.\u00a0 She found the pouch that had contained the solar blanket, dumped the contents into the bottom of the boat.\u00a0 There were two flares their plastic igniter caps still intact; a simple first aid kit in a plastic container; an EPRB- Electronic Positioning Radio Beacon- that must have been damaged because it wouldn\u2019t turn on; and the one thing that got her really excited. It was a Craftsman’s multitool- a pair of fold up pliers with a knife blade, a saw blade, and both Philips and flathead screwdrivers. It was the survival equivalent of a pot of gold.<\/p>\n \u201cThank you, whoever packed this kit,\u201d Michelle said, hugging the Multitool to her breast.<\/p>\n Samantha showed up at her side with an armload of sticks, sat them down next to the boat. Michelle glanced at them, saw they looked relatively dry. Looking back at the raft, she saw the solar blanket and\u00a0got an idea. She flipped it reflective side up, then started piling the wood on top.<\/p>\n Seeing Samantha looking at her, she said, \u201cThe blanket will reflect the sun back up and hopefully help dry this out some more. Good find, though.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere is some more,\u201d Samantha said.<\/p>\n \u201cGreat,\u201d Michelle said, feeling better now that they were working, \u201chelp me drag the boat out into direct sunlight, then I\u2019ll help you gather it.\u201d<\/p>\n They managed to get the raft out of the shade and into the sun, and then Michelle let Samantha lead them to where she\u2019d found the wood. They worked in silence, gathering armloads of wood and carrying it back to the boat<\/p>\n On the last trip, Samantha asked, \u201cYou don\u2019t think anyone else survived the crash, do you?\u201d<\/p>\n Michelle looked at her, then dropped her eyes, said, \u201cWe sat in the boat for over an hour, calling out.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know,\u201d Samantha said, sighing.<\/p>\n When Michelle looked back up, she saw the girl was crying quietly. Three of Samantha\u2019s friends had been on the plane. Still, she kept working, hauling her biggest load, yet.\u00a0 As she dumped the sticks on the raft, she turned away from Michelle and wiped her eyes. No sobs, just silent tears.<\/p>\n \u201cSamantha,\u201d Michelle said, surprising herself by putting a hand on the girl\u2019s shoulder, \u201cI\u2019m so sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n Samantha turned, looked at her wide eyed. Michelle realized her compassion had caught the girl off guard. Samantha kind of lost it at her kindness and Michelle pulled her into her arms, let her cry on her shoulder.\u00a0 It felt weird, embracing the girl after all the hostilities they\u2019d heaped on each other over the last couple of months, but it also felt right.<\/p>\n \u201cI can\u2019t believe they are gone. All gone,\u201d Samantha said, hugging Michelle tightly.<\/p>\n There had been ten of them from Mr. Hanley\u2019s seventh-grade science class on the plane, plus Mr. Hanley himself and the pilot, but only she and Samantha seemed to have made it to shore. The lake had claimed ten souls last night.<\/p>\n Michelle felt tears sting her own eyes, then spill down her cheeks.\u00a0It was a shock to see how fragile life was at such a young age. When young,\u00a0kids thought they were invincible, and it took something like the plane crash to shake that conviction. Michelle knew it could have just as easily been her lost at the bottom of the lake.<\/p>\n After a moment, Samantha pulled back, gave her a sheepish look and said, \u201cSorry. It just snuck up on me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s okay,\u201d Michelle said, wiping her eyes. She gave the girl a sad smile that Samantha seemed to appreciate.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m alright now,\u201d Samantha said, blotting her eyes, \u201cwhat\u2019s next?\u201d<\/p>\n Maybe there is some toughness to this girl<\/em>, after all, Michelle thought, mildly impressed.<\/p>\n \u201cUm, shelter,\u201d Michelle said, gathering herself, \u201cwe need a roof over our head in case it starts raining, again.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s do it,\u201d Samantha said, looking at her for instruction.<\/p>\n \u201cCome on,\u201d Michelle said.<\/p>\n She picked a direction at random, then started walking. They made their way through the trees in silence, neither girl in the mood to pretend civility. They had been walking a while, a couple of hours when Michelle started hearing the clock ticking in her head. She didn\u2019t know when it got dark here, and she didn\u2019t want to get stuck out in the dark another night without a fire.<\/p>\n \u201cWe should head back,\u201d she said, sighing, \u201cI don\u2019t see anything, and I want to be sure to have a fire going before it gets dark.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOkay,\u201d Samantha said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe can use the raft to make a half-assed shelter tonight and keep looking for something better tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n ———————————-<\/p>\n Sitting in the raft, Michelle was using the knife blade on the multitool to whittle shavings from the driest stick they had.\u00a0 These she added to a bunch of dried grass she had collected on their walk. She set her tinder bundle aside, then started breaking small sticks into little pieces, stacking these.<\/p>\n She noticed Samantha watching her and said, \u201cI made a tinder bundle. The dry grass and wood shavings burn well and catch a spark very easily.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh,\u201d Samantha said, nodding.<\/p>\n \u201cDid you see how I did it?\u201d Michelle asked, looking at her.<\/p>\n \u201cI was watching, yeah,\u201d she said, frowning, \u201cwhy?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou should know a few things, in case I get hurt and you need to do this,\u201d Michelle said, thinking she sounded like her father. It had been good advice when he said it to her, and it was still good advice.<\/p>\n \u201cYou aren\u2019t planning on getting hurt, are you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot planning on it, no, but whoever does,\u201d Michelle said, and then picked up the bundle and moved beside the girl, \u201cyou don\u2019t want to pack it too tight because you need airflow to keep a fire going. See the spaces in mine.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d Samantha said, nodding.<\/p>\n Handing her the multitool, she said, \u201cWhy don\u2019t you try making one while I try to get us a fire started? In case mine doesn\u2019t catch.\u201d<\/p>\n Samantha gave her an amused look, said, \u201cOkay.\u201d<\/p>\n She left the girl to fiddle with her tinder bundle and looked at what she had to work with to make a fire. The flares would make an easy fire, but she didn\u2019t want to waste a signaling device if she didn\u2019t have to.\u00a0 Looking at the EPRB, she wished it was functional but since it wasn\u2019t, maybe she could salvage some parts from it to make a fire. Borrowing the multitool from Samantha, she opened the dented back panel, shaking her head as mud and lake water poured out of it. She located the nine-volt battery, popped it out. She also pulled one of the battery leads, a piece of wire about two inches long. Pressing the battery to her tongue, she tasted alkaline and hoped it still had enough juice for what she had in mind.<\/p>\n She gathered her stack of small, dry sticks and her tender bundle and found the best place to place her fire. Using the piece of wire she had stripped the insulation off of, she shorted the positive and negative leads of the battery. It was hot on her fingers, but she held it until the wire began to glow orange, then pressed it into her tender bundle. It was a good sign when it started to smoke, and she gently blew on it. More smoke, then it caught fire. Dropping the battery, she sat her bundle down, started stacking her little sticks on the burgeoning fire. She held her breath as the dried grass and shaving crackled and sputtered, threatened to go out. It didn\u2019t, though, and the small sticks started to catch so she add more, then larger sticks. When the fire was going and wasn\u2019t going to go out, she sat back and looked at Samantha. She saw the girl grinning at her.<\/p>\n She beat her chest and hooted, said, \u201cCave Betty make fire.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cVery cool,\u201d Samantha said, coming over to sit beside her, \u201cI guess we don\u2019t need this, then.\u201d<\/p>\n Michelle saw her holding out a tinder bundle, took it from her.\u00a0 It looked well made, should light with no problem. She handed it back to Samantha, smiled at her, \u201cNicely done. Did you see how I lit the fire?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d she said, interested.<\/p>\n Finding the battery and wire, Michelle told her how to do it, then let her light her bundle.\u00a0 Samantha laughed triumphantly when it lit, and she made a small fire of her own. Michelle looked at her expectantly, and Samantha rolled her eyes. She beat her chest, hooted and yelled, \u201cCave Betty make fire!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere you go,\u201d Michelle said, grinning at her, \u201cfeels pretty good, doesn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cActually, yeah,\u201d Samantha said, laughing. She sobered up and smiled at Michelle, said, \u201cThank you.\u00a0 For teaching me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou are welcome,\u201d Michelle said, then couldn\u2019t resist, \u201cnow, if you had helped with our class project, instead of letting me do all the work, you would have already known how to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAlright, I deserve that,\u201d Samantha said, laughing, \u201cSorry.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAh,\u201d she said, with a dismissive wave of her hand, \u201cI\u2019m over it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not just talking about the project,\u201d Samantha said, poking at her dying fire with a stick, \u201cI\u2019ve been a real bitch to you.\u201d<\/p>\n Michelle looked at her, saw she was serious. Taking a deep breath, she said, \u201cI haven\u2019t exactly been civil, either.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cStill, I\u2019m sorry,\u201d Samantha said.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, me, too,\u201d Michelle said, then shook her\u00a0 head, \u201cbut stop with the mushy shit, okay?\u201d<\/p>\n Laughing, Samantha said, \u201cI just had to say it. Are we good?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re good.\u201d<\/p>\n —————————————<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a lot better than last night,\u201d Samantha said, sitting on the log she had drug near the fire, \u201cI\u2019m warm and dry. Went all day without nearly dying.\u201d<\/p>\n Laughing, Michelle said, \u201cHere, here.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIf my stomach would stop grumbling, it would almost be like camping out.\u201d<\/p>\n Michelle looked at the raft propped up on to Y-shaped branches, said, \u201cThis will do as shelter for now. Tomorrow, we\u2019ll focus on food and water.\u00a0 We could probably drink the water from the lake, but I don\u2019t want to risk it. We need to find a way to boil it, first. A container or something.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cToo bad the plane is underwater,\u201d Samantha said, with a sad laugh, \u201call that survival gear just going to waste.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt IS awfully ironic,\u201d Michelle said, laughing.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat, two girls on their way to give a presentation on survival techniques find themselves in a survival situation?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, that,\u201d she said, laughing, again.<\/p>\n Samantha laughed with her, shaking her head.<\/p>\n \u201cI think if we are still here Friday, I might try diving for some of our stuff. It isn\u2019t that deep,\u201d Michelle said, staring at the flickering flames.<\/p>\n \u201cReally,\u201d Samantha asked, looking at her.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d Michelle said, nodding, \u201cI\u2019ll need your help, though. The water is so cold that it is going to sap my strength in a hurry. You\u2019ll probably have to row us back, get me to the fire.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs it worth it,\u201d Samantha asked, her eyes bright with concern.<\/p>\n Michelle didn\u2019t say anything right away. Finally, she looked at the girl, said, \u201cIf they haven\u2019t found us by Friday, the transponder was fried in the lightning strike, and they have no way of knowing where we are. Then we will need every advantage we can get.\u201d<\/p>\n Samantha lowered her eyes, the idea that help might not be coming knocking the wind out of her sails.<\/p>\n \u201cI hope they find us,\u201d Michelle said, shivering, \u201cI remember how cold that water was.\u201d<\/p>\n They were quiet for a while, each thinking about the risky dive in the icy lake.\u00a0 Finally, Michelle had to shake it off, before she talked herself out of it. She glanced at Samantha sitting across the fire from her.\u00a0 The girl looked so out of place in the woods wearing her low-heeled shoes and short skirt, collared button up shirt.\u00a0 She should be at the mall not under the stars.<\/p>\n A thought popped into her head, and she had to ask, \u201cYou and Bianca\u2026 Is there any truth to that rumor?\u201d<\/p>\n Samantha gave her a dirty look, then asked, \u201cAre the rumors about you true?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d Michelle said, then added, \u201csort of.\u201d<\/p>\n Raising her eyebrows, Samantha said, \u201cSort of?\u201d<\/p>\n Michelle sighed and said, \u201cIt was my birthday party, and I talked Tara into going up to my room to play a new game.\u00a0 We kissed and touched, saw each other naked. It was fun; we both liked it.\u00a0 Tara told her friend Alison about what we did, and the girl started teasing her about it, so the story changed.\u00a0 I was the bad guy in the new version. To save face, Tara ruined my reputation.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh,\u201d Samantha said, looking down at her hands.<\/p>\n \u201cBitch couldn\u2019t even look me in the eye when I confronted her about it. I might have lost it a little,\u201d Michelle said.<\/p>\n Samantha grinned at her, said, \u201cI remember she had a black eye for like a month.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThat was me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSounds like she deserved it,\u201d Samantha said, laughing.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, now you know my story,\u201d Michelle said.<\/p>\n Samantha stared at her for a second, then said, \u201cShit. This stays between us. Just like the night in the raft.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t gossip, Samantha.\u201d<\/p>\n Shaking her head, Samantha said, \u201cI can\u2019t believe I\u2019m telling you this.\u00a0 Bianca had her older brother buy her a bottle of Boone\u2019s Farm wine.\u00a0 There was supposed to be a group of us, but everyone bailed, so it was just her and me.\u00a0 We finished the bottle between us and\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Michelle was grinning, thought she knew where this was going. She waited for Samantha to go on.<\/p>\n \u201c…Then she kissed me.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShe kissed you?\u201d Michelle asked, grinning.<\/p>\n \u201cOr I kissed her,\u201d Samantha said, grinning sheepishly, \u201cI\u2019m not sure which.\u00a0 All I know is we were suddenly making out.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cJust making out?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe made it to second base before we just fell out laughing,\u201d Samantha said, shaking her head, \u201calthough I ended up out of my pants, somehow.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou sure she only made it to second,\u201d Michelle laughed.<\/p>\n \u201cShe might have gotten to third a little,\u201d Samantha said, laughing, too.<\/p>\n \u201cOne question,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s that?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou said you were \u2018just suddenly making out\u2019,\u201d Michelle said, seeing Samantha fidget, \u201cso there is more to this story, then.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI knew I shouldn\u2019t have told you,\u201d Samantha said.<\/p>\n \u201cHey, I\u2019m the last person to judge you.\u201d<\/p>\n Shaking her head, Samantha said, \u201cIt wasn\u2019t the first time we had kissed\u2026 Or the last.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo, what\u2026 Are you a couple?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d Samantha said, sighing, \u201cshe broke it off a couple of months, ago.\u201d<\/p>\n Grinning at her, Michelle said, \u201cWomen, right?\u201d<\/p>\n Samantha laughed, said, \u201cYeah, tell me about it.\u201d<\/p>\n —————————–<\/p>\n Michelle woke up to find Samantha already awake, adding wood to the fire. Standing up, she stretched and winced at the tightness in her back.\u00a0 Sleeping on the ground sucked, she decided. A little gimpy, she went to the fire to warm up a bit. Samantha gave her a tired smile, looked as rough as she felt.<\/p>\n \u201cWater and food, huh,\u201d Samantha said, her stomach grumbling right on cue. She started laughing when Michelle looked at her, said, \u201cI didn\u2019t eat before we got on the plane. I\u2019m starving.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe can go longer without food than water, so it is the priority. Luckily, I might have an idea on how we can boil some water from the lake.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow?\u201d Samantha asked, intrigued.<\/p>\n \u201cLet me work on my idea, then I\u2019ll show you,\u201d Michelle said, then, \u201cwant to gather us some leaves as bedding. The ground doesn\u2019t have much give.\u201d<\/p>\n Laughing, Samantha said, \u201cYeah, I can do that.\u201d<\/p>\n Michelle watched the girl go off to gather leaves, a little unstable on her heels in the loose soil. Shaking her head, she thought they needed to get her something better suited for the terrain before she hurt herself.<\/p>\n She found two Y-shaped sticks, drove them into the mud on either side of the fire, the laid a straight stick across it. Staring at her improvised spit, she thought it would work. With that done, she went to their makeshift camp, looked at the nylon bag the emergency kit came in. She wondered if it was waterproof, decided to test it while she was down at the lake. Stuffing the bag in her pocket, she turned to the first aid kit. She dumped the simple medical supplies out, looked at the shallow, oblong box. It didn\u2019t look like it would hold much water but, if the nylon bag wasn\u2019t water tight, it might be all they had.<\/p>\n \u201cPlease be waterproof,\u201d she said, patting the bag in her pocket.<\/p>\n She grabbed the solar blanket, stretched it out on the ground. Looking down at it, she wondered how much she could remove from it without taking away from its main function. She thought she could take a two- foot by two-foot square from one corner and still have plenty of blanket to keep her and Samantha warm if the worst case scenario happened and the fire went out.<\/p>\n With the multitool, she cut her square of material. Setting the square aside, she used the tool to cut the safety lanyard that went all the way around the life raft, then pulled it through the grommets. Cutting a piece, she made a loop of cord about eight inches across. She stuffed the panel of blanket into the ring, then folded edges over, creating a pocket. With lengths of the lanyard, she secured the blanket to the loop. She took her time,\u00a0 added a bunch of ties to make sure it wouldn\u2019t slip. Giving it an experimental tug on the bottom, she grinned when it held firm. With another length of cord, she made a carrying handle for her new water bucket.<\/p>\n \u201cWow,\u201d Samantha said, coming up beside her.<\/p>\n Grinning at her, Michelle said, \u201cNot bad, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou are a regular McGyver,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cHopefully, this works.\u201d<\/p>\n They walked down to the lake together. Pulling the nylon bag from her pocket and handing it to Samantha, Michelle said, \u201cSee if that will hold water.\u201d<\/p>\n She watched Samantha dip the bag into the water, hold it up. She smoothed the water from the sides, waiting to see if it would start dripping. After a few minutes, she turned to Michelle, grinned. Pouring out the water, she gave her a thumbs up.<\/p>\n \u201cGood,\u201d Michelle said, putting some water in her fabricated water pail.\u00a0 She made sure there wasn\u2019t too much strain on the blanket, didn\u2019t want it to tear. It looked solid.<\/p>\n Satisfied, they headed back to camp. Michelle slipped the handle of the bucket onto the cross poll of her spit, moved it as close to the fire as she dared.\u00a0 She didn\u2019t know what kind of heat rating this blanket had and didn\u2019t want to risk getting it too hot.\u00a0 When she checked the water after a few minutes, she grinned at Samantha.<\/p>\n \u201cGetting warm,\u201d she said, wiping her hand on her jeans, \u201cI think it\u2019ll work.\u201d<\/p>\n Sitting around the fire, they waited to see what would happen. When the water in the bucket began to steam, Michelle checked and saw little bubbles beginning to form.\u00a0 She gave it a few minutes more then pulled the bucket further away from the fire.\u00a0 She didn\u2019t want the nylon cord to melt or, even worse catch fire.<\/p>\n She grabbed the first aid kit container, tried to tip the bucket to pour some water, but the blanket was way too hot to touch.\u00a0 In the end, she just dipped the oblong box into the water, came out with a little.\u00a0 Crossing her fingers for Samantha to see, she sipped the hot liquid.\u00a0 Having not drank anything since the mouthful of lake water she got after the crash, it went down easy.\u00a0 She passed the container to Samantha and she finished the rest off.\u00a0 It took two more dips in the bucket to satisfy their thirst.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have water,\u201d Michelle said, holding out her fist. Laughing, Samantha bumped it with hers.<\/p>\n \u201cNow we go grocery shopping,\u201d Samantha said, grinning.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah.\u201d<\/p>\n They struck out from their camp, heading roughly due west. They had gone the other direction their first day and knew there wasn\u2019t much in that direction. About twenty minutes of walking and Michelle began to smell the sweet, cloying smell of rotting meat. It only got stronger as they got closer. Then they found the swollen body of the dead deer.<\/p>\n Looking at it, Michelle said, \u201cWell, at least, we have dinner, if we can\u2019t find anything else.\u201d<\/p>\n Samantha made a face, said, \u201cYou can\u2019t be serious. That thing is rotten.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, not the carcass. That is riddled with bacteria. I\u2019m talking about the maggots crawling on it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh God, that is even worse,\u201d Samantha said, her face bleaching of color.<\/p>\n \u201cThat is the last resort,\u201d Michelle said, no more eager to eat the wriggling white grubs than Samantha was, \u201clet\u2019s keep looking.\u201d<\/p>\n They walked a little further, and then Michelle thought she heard something. Coming to a halt, she grabbed Samantha\u2019s arm and held a finger to her lips. Sure enough, she heard the gurgling, mumbling rush of water over rocks. They trounced through some brush and saw the stream that probably fed the lake.<\/p>\n In the crystal clear water, Michelle could see small trout darting back and forth.\u00a0 Seeing the fish, she got to thinking about fish sandwiches and her mouth started watering and her mind running.\u00a0 She thought about trying to make a spear but, while she knew how to make one, in theory, she had never made one before in real life. A better idea popped into her head, and she worked it over in her mind. It was doable.<\/p>\n \u201cDo you remember how to get back to camp?\u201d Michelle asked, excited.<\/p>\n \u201cUm, yeah. I memorized some landmarks,\u201d Samantha said, then blushed when Michelle gave her a funny look, \u201chey, I\u2019m not completely useless.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNever said you were,\u201d Michelle said, grinning at her, \u201crun back to camp and get the space blanket.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe are eating fish tonight,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cGot another plan, McGyver?\u201d Samantha asked.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll be back,\u201d Samantha said, turning on her heels and starting back toward camp. Michelle watched her go for a minute and hoped the girl knew what she was doing.\u00a0 She really didn\u2019t want to have to go looking for her if she got lost.<\/p>\n Taking a deep breath, she walked along the stream until she found a spot that she thought would work. It narrowed to just three feet across and the water was only two feet deep. She used a piece of the colorful lanyard she had brought with her to mark the spot, then started looking for two long, straight sticks. It took longer than she expected as all the branches in the area were gnarled and crooked or unsubstantial enough to work for her idea. She eventually found two that would work and carried them back to her marker. With that done, she walked back to the dead animal. She was upwind of it this time, almost walked right by it.\u00a0 Taking a deep breath, she picked off a hand full of the squirming larvae. They felt weird and disgusting in her hand, but she kept her fingers closed.<\/p>\n She was just straightening up when she heard something rustling off to her right. She froze, her heart racing in her breast.\u00a0 The sound was getting closer in a hurry, and she started to panic. Then Samantha came into view, the shiny blanket tucked under her arm.\u00a0 Seeing Michelle, she changed course and walked over to her.<\/p>\n \u201cDefinitely not useless,\u201d Michelle said, smiling at her.<\/p>\n \u201cThanks,\u201d Samantha said, pleased.<\/p>\n \u201cCome on,\u201d she said, nodding over her shoulder, \u201clet\u2019s catch some fish.\u201d<\/p>\n They made it back to Michelle\u2019s marker, and she quickly explained her idea. Samantha seemed to get it right away, which surprised her.<\/p>\n \u201cYou want to make a makeshift seining net,\u201d Samantha said, making Michelle blink at her dumbly. Laughing, the cheerleader said, \u201cNow, that look is priceless.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ve got to tell me how you know what a seining net is,\u201d Michelle said, still staring at her.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve seen my dad and older brother use one a couple of times,\u201d Samantha said, grinning at her.<\/p>\n \u201cPerfect,\u201d Michelle said, nodding her appreciation, \u201cthen here is my idea: we sink the blanket in the water, use a couple of rocks to hold it down. I dump the squirmers in the water as bait. When Mr. Fishy comes in for a snack, we jerk the net up and hopefully have dinner.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI like it,\u201d Samantha said.<\/p>\n Michelle talked Samantha through wrapping the blanket around the long, straight sticks she had found, fashioning their \u2018net\u2019. They stood on either side of the little creek, then lowered the net into the water. Like she thought it would, the blanket floated, and they had to put a bunch of little rocks on it to make it sink to the bottom. They let it sit untouched for a while until the fish got used to it, then Michelle dumped the maggots into the water.\u00a0 Like magic, a half dozen fish appeared.<\/p>\n Getting Samantha\u2019s attention she held up three fingers. The girl nodded then silently counted down with Michelle. When they made it to one, they jerked the blanket out of the water. Samantha passed her end of the net to Michelle, andMichelle turned to the bank before the squirming fish could flop back into the water. She moved a ways from the water then dropped to her knees with the makeshift net. Opening it, she saw four trout, ten to twelve inches long each.\u00a0 With a rock, she quickly dispatched them.<\/p>\n \u201cAwesome,\u201d Samantha said, kneeling beside her.<\/p>\n \u201cCave Betty catch food,\u201d Michelle said, grinning at the girl, \u201clet\u2019s get these back to camp. I\u2019m starving.\u201d<\/p>\n Michelle felt buoyed on the trip back to camp. They had fish to cook, water to drink, a place to get out of the rain. While it still wasn\u2019t optimal, they were in better shape than when they first drug their little raft to shore.<\/p>\n The fire had died down in their absence, and Michelle took a few minutes to build it back up before reaching for the multitool.\u00a0 She pulled the first fish in front of her, then opened the knife edge.\u00a0 She noticed Samantha watching her with interest.<\/p>\n \u201cDo you know what you are doing?\u201d the girl asked.<\/p>\n \u201cMostly,\u201d Michelle said, looking down at the fish, \u201cI figure I\u2019ll cut the head off and pull the guts out.”<\/p>\n \u201cHere,\u201d Samantha said, holding out her hand, \u201clet me.\u201d<\/p>\n Michelle looked at her a long moment, then shrugged and handed her the multitool. She watched with interest as the girl used the blade to scrape quickly away the scales, then cut the head off the fish.\u00a0 She ran the knife along the belly to the tail then removed the guts. She did it so efficiently that Michelle was impressed.<\/p>\n Samantha saw her watching, said, \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNothing,\u201d Michelle said, grinning at her, \u201cI\u2019ve never seen anyone gut a fish in heels and a mini skirt before.\u201d<\/p>\n Laughing, Samantha said, \u201cIt\u2019s a first for me, too.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s kind of hot,\u201d Michelle said.<\/p>\n \u201cFish guts do it for you, huh?\u201d<\/p>\n Michelle laughed long and hard at that line.<\/p>\n Samantha winked at her, then started cleaning the next fish.\u00a0 When it was done, she found a couple of straight sticks in their pile of firewood. Propping them against the spit Michelle had made, she put the prepared fish on them, so they dangled precariously over the fire. With that done, she quickly finished the other two fish.<\/p>\n \u201cHow long do you think these will take to cook?\u201d Michelle asked, her mouth starting to water.<\/p>\n \u201cAbout thirty minutes,\u201d Samantha said. When Michelle groaned, she added, \u201cYeah. Forever.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m going to gather some more firewood. I can\u2019t be sitting here when they start smelling good,\u201d Michelle said, getting up and dusting off her backside. She only took a few steps before stopping and turning back to Samantha, \u201cGood job with the fish, by the way. I would have made a mess of them.\u201d<\/p>\n Samantha seemed amused by the offhanded compliment, and Michelle waved her hand dismissively. It had been awkwardly delivered, but she had felt it needed to be said.\u00a0 The girl was turning out to be full of surprises, most of them useful to their survival.<\/p>\n Who would have thunk it<\/em>, she thought, heading away from camp.<\/p>\n She chose to head south because they had already tried east and west. As she walked, she kept an eye out for firewood and edible plants or anything else that could be useful to them.\u00a0 She spotted a bunch of dead limbs nestled under a thick pine tree, the boughs keeping them dry.\u00a0 She fixed the spot in her mind, intending to grab them on the way back.<\/p>\n She walked for another ten minutes, then was about to turn back when something a little ways ahead caught her attention. She had almost missed it because it was partially hidden behind some trees. Getting closer, she saw it was indeed a massive rock formation.\u00a0 She walked around it, hoping it might provide a place to make a more substantial habitat. On the backside, she found a place where the rock jutted out, forming an overhang. Peering into the void, she saw it provided protection on three sides as well as a roof over their head.\u00a0 She crawled in and looked for evidence that this was an animal\u2019s den, but she didn\u2019t see any sign.<\/p>\n Excited, she ran back to camp, forgetting all about the firewood she had found. Samantha had the fish pulled back from the fire and was poking it with the knife to test its doneness.\u00a0 She saw Michelle coming and smiled at her. She held one of the fish out to her.<\/p>\n \u201cReady?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d Samantha said, blowing on her own to cool it.<\/p>\n \u201cI found something,\u201d Michelle said, sitting down beside her.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOur new camp,\u201d she said, grinning.<\/p>\n \u201cReally,\u201d Samantha said, raising her eyebrows.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah. Let\u2019s eat, then I\u2019ll show you.\u201d<\/p>\n The fish was delicious, the best she had ever eaten. It probably had a lot to do with the fact she hadn\u2019t eaten in almost three days, but she couldn\u2019t stop making these little noises of enjoyment. She ate it all until the only thing left was the skin and the spine and some fins.<\/p>\n \u201cGod, that was so good,\u201d Samantha said, looking down at her own little pile of inedibles.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, it was,\u201d Michelle said, grinning at her, \u201cmy compliments to the chef.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCareful,\u201d Samantha said, laughing, \u201cthat\u2019s two compliments in less than an hour.\u201d<\/p>\n Michelle said, \u201cI guess you are growing on me.\u201d<\/p>\n Samantha gave her a surprised look, then smiled at her. Michelle smiled back, surprised herself. The general disdain for the girl had worn off, and she found she kind of liked her.\u00a0 Being thrown together like this, she has had a chance to actually get to know her and realized her impression of Samantha had been a little skewed.<\/p>\n \u201cCome on, let\u2019s check out what I found,\u201d Michelle said, standing up.<\/p>\n Michelle led Samantha to the rock formation she had found.<\/p>\n \u201cA cave,\u201d Samantha said, hunkering down to look inside, \u201cnot exactly the Four Seasons.\u201d<\/p>\n Michelle laughed and said, \u201cWe can make it more comfortable later but right now it is protection from the rain and wind on three sides, and it is in running distance of the lake.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIs that important?\u201d Samantha asked, looking at her.<\/p>\n Grinning, Michelle said, \u201cYeah, if you want to get rescued.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat is your plan for making it more comfortable?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI was thinking wall to wall carpeting and some drapes,\u201d Michelle said, grinning at her, “maybe a couch and a big screen TV.”<\/p>\n \u201cSmart ass,\u201d Samantha said, laughing.<\/p>\n \u201cI was thinking about making a platform to get us off the ground, pile some leaves on it for padding,\u201d she said, looking around the cave, \u201cmaybe make some makeshift walls to close up some of this opening. Should be cozy.\u201d<\/p>\n Samantha looked around the cave, nodding as she saw the potential. Finally, she grinned at Michelle and said, \u201cHome sweet home.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWant to find us some straight sticks, maybe four feet long and kind of skinny?\u201d Michelle asked.<\/p>\n \u201cI can do that,\u201d Samantha said.<\/p>\n While the girl went off to gather the sticks, she thought about the best way to make a platform. She looked around for inspiration, spotted two logs of about the same thickness, maybe three inches in diameter and straight as a telephone pole.\u00a0 She pulled them until they were side by side, an idea starting to form in her head. Laying a few sticks across the two logs, she thought it could work. With the saw blade on the multitool, she hacked both logs in half, creating four logs about five feet long. It took forever with the sad little blade. Samantha had returned twice with armfuls of sticks by the time she finished sawing both logs. She drug them into the cave, positioned them about a foot and a half apart. That done, she started poking through the sticks Samantha had gathered. She was looking for a bunch of them about the same diameter, started cutting them down to size. Her shoulder was burning before she was even halfway done.<\/p>\n Samantha came back, and Michelle said, \u201cHelp.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s up?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCan you keep cutting these sticks to this length?\u201d she asked, holding up one of the sticks she had already cut.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d she said, taking the tool from Michelle.<\/p>\n Leaving Samantha to her work, Michelle started working on the walls for the front of the cave.\u00a0 She stood a bunch of the sticks up, then weaved some of the thinner, more flexible sticks through them in a very loose weave. With that done, she leaned her makeshift lattice at an angle against the opening of the cave. Satisfied, she started one for the other side.<\/p>\n \u201cHow many of these lengths do you need?\u201d Samantha asked, rolling her shoulder and wincing.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can start laying them out on the logs I put in the cave,\u201d Michelle said, looking at the pile of lengths next to Samantha, \u201cwe can leave some space between them and still be pretty comfortable, I think.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOkay,\u201d Samantha said, pushing the sticks into the cave.<\/p>\n Michelle watched her for a second, then finished her other lattice panel. She leaned this one against the opening like the first, cutting the space down to a two-foot window. Enough to let the smoke from a fire out, she thought.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you think?\u201d Samantha asked, moving out of the way so Michelle could see what she had done. She had laid out the lengths of stick on the logs with about an inch between them. She had enough to do the entire platform.<\/p>\n \u201cLooks fine,\u201d Michelle said, crawling into the cave, \u201cthe ultimate test is to sit on it. Want to do the honors?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUm, yeah,\u201d Samantha said, carefully getting on the platform. She sat Indian style, grinning, \u201cIf we pile up some leaves on this, I think it\u2019ll be okay.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe leftover lanyard,\u201d Michelle said, pulling it from her pocket, \u201cI think if we unweave it, we should have enough to secure the sticks to the logs. It’ll keep them from moving.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cVery cool,\u201d Samantha said, nodding.<\/p>\n \u201cBut that can wait,\u201d Michelle said, looking outside, \u201cI want to get the firewood moved here and the makeshift walls finished\u2026 The fire going. Basically, I want to be moved in before the sun goes down.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll start moving camp,\u201d Samantha said, getting off the platform.<\/p>\n \u201cPerfect. I\u2019ll start gathering pine boughs to finish the walls on the front of the cave,\u201d Michelle said.<\/p>\n While Samantha headed back to the old camp, she started breaking branches off the nearby pine trees and weaving them into the lattice she had created.\u00a0 A couple of layers and she had most of the holes closed in the weave.\u00a0 It didn\u2019t have to be perfect, just help hold in the heat and keep out the cold.<\/p>\n Samantha came back with their water bag and the fish, the contents of the emergency kit and a couple of the bigger sticks they had gathered for firewood.\u00a0 Michelle went back with her on the return trip and, together, they hauled most of the remaining firewood to the new camp. They made one last trip, and Michelle lit one of the logs on fire like a torch to transport the fire back to the cave.<\/p>\n The daylight was slipping away fast, but they had everything they needed to settle in. Michelle built up a small fire around the makeshift torch, then built a fire pit to contain it. The spit was reassembled, and water put on to boil.\u00a0 Before the light could fail altogether, they gathered a big pile of leaves just outside the cave.<\/p>\n With rock on three sides and the walls Michelle had built on the front of the cave, it didn\u2019t take a lot of fire to keep the place toasty, even as the temperature fell with the setting sun.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a lot better than last night,\u201d Samantha said, smiling.<\/p>\n \u201cWe keep improving our lot,\u201d Michelle said, returning it, \u201cthat\u2019s rule number one of survival. Never stop trying to make your situation better.\u201d<\/p>\n Samantha put the fish on to cook, and Michelle started unbraiding the cord from the boat. It was slow, tedious work, but she didn\u2019t have anything better to do. She was just finishing the last little bit when the fish were ready.<\/p>\n After they had eaten, they started lashing the sticks to the log using the cordage as sparingly as possible. The platform came together fairly quickly. When Michelle stretched out on it, it was fairly comfortable. They piled leaves on top, then covered it with the space blank to form a mattress, of sorts.<\/p>\n Crawling onto their new bed, Michelle sighed. It was way more comfortable than sleeping on the ground. Samantha joined her, and they grinned at each other.<\/p>\n \u201cMuch, much better,\u201d Samantha said.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m going to sleep like a baby, tonight,\u201d Michelle said.<\/p>\n They lay like that for a while, just enjoying a moment of comfort in an otherwise uncomfortable situation.<\/p>\n Out of the blue, Samantha said, \u201cYou know, I always envied you at school.\u201d<\/p>\n Surprised, she said,\u00a0 \u201cMe?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYou were always\u2026 You. Do you know what I mean? You never pretended to be anyone else to fit in.\u00a0 It\u2019s exhausting, trying to be the \u2018preppy cheerleader\u2019.\u00a0 That and you were\u2026 Out. Always being on guard, making sure I wasn\u2019t giving myself away.\u00a0 The rumors only made it harder.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLife isn\u2019t much better on the other side of the closet door,\u201d Michelle said, thinking about the downright viciousness of kids their age.<\/p>\n \u201cI think I\u2019d rather be made fun of then keep pretending,\u201d Samantha said, sighing heavily.<\/p>\n Michelle looked at her for a long moment, then grinned at her and said, \u201cWhen we make it back, you should just let your freak flag fly. If they are truly your friends, they\u2019ll accept it. If not, there is usually room at my table in the lunchroom.\u201d<\/p>\n Samantha gave her a warm smile, said, \u201cI might take you up on that.\u201d<\/p>\n Michelle thought she had a nice smile, always had.\u00a0 Even when she was pissed off about being saddled with the whole project by herself, she thought the girl had a lovely smile. For the most part, it pissed her off even more that she was kind of attracted to Samantha.<\/p>\n Now, lying side by side with Samantha, she didn\u2019t even have the hostility to dampen her attraction to the girl.\u00a0 Even rumpled and disheveled, she looked beautiful. For the first time, she noticed their platform wasn\u2019t particularly wide. The closeness of the girl was only making it worse.<\/p>\n She looked away from Samantha before she could see something in her eyes. Staring up at the rock ceiling, she tried to shift her thoughts away from Samantha. She wasn\u2019t very successful, her thoughts kept wanting to turn back to the girl. She wondered what it would be like to kiss her.<\/p>\n Samantha put a hand on her cheek, turning her face toward her. Michelle blinked at her in surprise, and then Samantha kissed her. For a second, she thought she was still daydreaming about the kiss, but she wasn\u2019t. Samantha was really kissing her, and she kissed her back.<\/p>\n Pulling back, Samantha asked, \u201cWas that okay? I thought I saw-\u201d<\/p>\n Michelle didn\u2019t let her finish, kissed her, again. It lingered, this time, drew out until both girls were breathing heavy. When their lips finally parted, Samantha was grinning at Michelle.<\/p>\n Smiling back, Michelle said, \u201cSo, that just happened.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d Samantha said, with a nervous laugh.<\/p>\n Meeting her eyes, Michelle asked, \u201cIs it going to happen again?\u201d<\/p>\n Grinning, Samantha kissed her, again. The space between them evaporated, and suddenly their bodies were molded together. The kiss deepened further, and Michelle let her hand slip up Samantha\u2019s arm and into her hair.\u00a0 Samantha responded, her own hands roaming over Michelle\u2019s back.<\/p>\n Michelle let her hand slip from Samantha\u2019s hair, over her shoulder and onto one of her small breasts.\u00a0 She waited for the girl to balk, to pull away from the touch, but she just moaned into Michelle\u2019s kiss. Gently kneading it, she drew another moan from Samantha. The girl pulled back from the kiss to look at Michelle, her eyes flashing. She gave Michelle a playful smile as she started unbuttoning her shirt. Half sitting up, she shrugged out of the shirt. She bit her lip nervously as Michelle drank her. Seeing the smile tugging at Michelle\u2019s lips, Samantha undid the clasps on her bra.<\/p>\n Her heart was racing in her breast, and Michelle could hardly believe this was happening. Her hand slipped up Samantha\u2019s flank and onto her bare breast. The girl sighed at her touch, moved against her.\u00a0 Michelle could almost feel the girl\u2019s excitement as it thrummed through her like electricity and it sparked her own.<\/p>\n When Samantha\u2019s fingers started playing with the hem of her shirt, Michelle lifted her arms over her head so she could remove it. As she fumbled with the clasps to her bra, Samantha kissed, her tongue caressing Michelle\u2019s. Then she had her bra off, and Samantha\u2019s hands found her bare breasts. She moaned as Samantha\u2019s palms drug across her stiffening nipples, shivering as the sensation worked through her.<\/p>\n As passion welled between them, they couldn\u2019t stop kissing and touching, eager hands exploring the other\u2019s young body. Michelle felt a little dizzy with need, couldn\u2019t get enough of the girl.<\/p>\n When Samantha\u2019s fingers started fumbling with the button of her jeans, she realized this was getting real in a hurry.\u00a0 The zipper was run down, and the front of her pants hung open.\u00a0 She was a little jittery with nervous excitement. She giggled as Samantha hooked her thumbs in her waistband. Biting her lip, she lifted her backside off the platform, let the girl work the jeans down her long legs.\u00a0 She ran her hand through her hair, then bit her knuckle as Samantha removed first one shoe, then the other and finally her jeans. In just her panties, she shivered as the girl looked her up and down.\u00a0 She shivered again as Samantha smiled at her, but for a whole other reason.<\/p>\n Samantha leaned in and gave her a kiss as light as the brush of a butterfly\u2019s wings, then said, \u201cTake off your panties.\u201d<\/p>\n Michelle swallowed hard, watching as Samantha unzipped her skirt, then shimmied out of it. Michelle\u2019s hands were shaking as she hooked them in the waistband of her panties and she had to take a deep breath to bolster her courage before shucking them down her long legs and off. Naked, her eyes went to Samantha as she worked her own panties off her hips and down her legs.<\/p>\n Smiling at Michelle, Samantha said, \u201cI would never have guessed under the baggy clothes you wear you had such a great body.\u201d<\/p>\n Michelle laughed and gave her a look, then said, \u201cYou already knew what I looked like naked. I caught you peeking, remember.\u201d<\/p>\n Grinning, Samantha said, \u201cThat little stretch before you put your shirt back on\u2026 That was for my benefit, wasn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI was curious to see if you\u2019d look,\u201d Michelle said.<\/p>\n \u201cYou looked so hot standing there,\u201d Samantha said, meeting Michelle\u2019s eyes, \u201cthen you wouldn\u2019t look away as I got dressed….\u201d<\/p>\n Smiling, Michelle kissed her, again. Again, she could feel Samantha\u2019s eagerness in the way she kissed her back.\u00a0 Her own excitement grew, and she found herself responding.\u00a0 When Samantha\u2019s hand fell on her thigh, she hardly noticed it, she was so lost in the kiss. As it moved higher and onto her young sex, she gasped in surprise. Looking down, she saw Samantha\u2019s hand between her thighs, was a little hazy on how it had gotten there. She looked back up and saw the girl looking at her questioningly.<\/p>\n Things had gotten out of hand in a hurry, and she wasn\u2019t sure she was ready for this, yet.\u00a0 She was about to tell Samantha to slow down, maybe even stop, when the first moan slipped past her lips.\u00a0 The girl\u2019s fingers were massaging her bud, awakening wonderful sensations in her body.<\/p>\n I guess we can do this for a little bit more<\/em>, she thought, moaning. Instead of telling Samantha to stop, she kissed the girl.\u00a0 She had to choke down a nervous giggle, realizing she was giving Samantha consent. The girl\u2019s hand didn\u2019t move from between Michelle\u2019s thighs, kept up that maddeningly delicious torture.<\/p>\n As her hips began to move on their own, the thought of telling Samantha to stop slipped from her mind. Her body seemed to know what it wanted even if she wasn\u2019t sure. She decided to follow its lead until her mind could catch up.<\/p>\n A little hesitantly, at first, she let her own hands roam over Samantha\u2019s lean body. As the girl sighed and smiled at her, her touch became bolder.\u00a0 She thrilled to all the\u00a0smooth skin under her fingertips. Samantha was warm and soft, so lovely in the flickering light of the fire.<\/p>\n When the girl urged her onto her back, Michelle went without really thinking about what the girl had in mind. The hand between her thighs was making it hard to concentrate on anything other than the pleasure washing through her. It wasn\u2019t until Samantha moved between her spread legs and lowered her mouth to Michelle\u2019s girlhood that she figured out was happening. Propping up on her elbows, she stared wide-eyed as the girl teased her bud with her tongue. Samantha paused to grin at her before continuing. The hot, wet caress of her tongue forced a moan from Michelle\u2019s slack mouth.<\/p>\n Holy shit, she\u2019s going down on me<\/em>, Michelle thought, her mind reeling. Again, her body seemed to know what it wanted before her brain could process what was happening to her. Her hips began to undulate against Samantha\u2019s mouth, moving with a mind of their own. By the time she figured out she was okay with what was happening to her, her body was already going crazy.<\/p>\n This was unfamiliar territory for Michelle. She and Tara Channing had made it second base before stopping, but Samantha had already rounded third and wasn\u2019t slowing down.\u00a0 Judging by the skill with which Samantha teased moan after moan from her, the girl must be more experienced than she was. That brought a mental image of Samantha and Bianca making out to Michelle\u2019s mind, and it didn\u2019t stop with the girls just kissing.<\/p>\n I wonder how far she intends to go tonight<\/em>, Michelle wondered, then, and how far she expects me to go.<\/em><\/p>\n The thought was pushed out her head by the lovely things Samantha was doing to her.\u00a0 With the flat of her tongue, Samantha teased her bud until she had her writhing in pleasure. She had her fingers dug into the makeshift mattress as her body tried to escape the intense sensations washing through her. Her moans became sharper, little cries of enjoyment that mingled with the buzz of the insects and the other sounds of nature.<\/p>\n Tension entered her body, and she gasped. She recognized it from the times she had masturbated, knew that she was about to come. That Samantha was going to make her come.\u00a0 The tension gathered and gathered as the girl pushed her closer and closer to the edge.\u00a0 Her breath caught in her throat as her body strained toward release, only to explode from her as her body locked up. Her orgasm left her trembling and gasping for air, her body feeling as light as a feather.<\/p>\n Suddenly Samantha\u2019s face was hovering above hers, grinning down at her. Returning the smile, she pulled the girl down atop her, kissed her deeply.\u00a0 Samantha giggled as she kissed her back.<\/p>\n \u201cWow,\u201d Michelle said, when they finally broke the kiss.<\/p>\n Samantha gave her a weighing look, then said, \u201cI take it you and Tara didn\u2019t make it this far.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cUm, no,\u201d Michelle said, shyly.<\/p>\n \u201cThen you stopped before you got to all the good parts,\u201d Samantha said, grinning playfully at her.<\/p>\n Michelle swallowed hard, realizing Samantha wasn\u2019t ready to stay at third base. Michelle was still holding at second, and Samantha was looking at home.\u00a0 She had to admit the thought of going all the way with Samantha was intriguing. The girl was warm and soft as she lay atop her. Then there was that smile that promised there were indeed \u2018the good parts\u2019 still to come.<\/p>\n Reading Michelle\u2019s uncertainty in her eyes, Samantha\u2019s smile softened, and she said, \u201cHey, relax. I\u2019m not pressuring you into anything.\u201d<\/p>\n Michelle gave her an appreciative smile. A lot of her anxiety washed out of her and was replaced by a curious warmth for the girl.\u00a0 The mask the Samantha had worn at school had been removed, and Michelle realized she really like the girl underneath.<\/p>\n That unexpected burst of affection for Samantha made it easier for Michelle to make up her mind. She tightened her arms around the girl\u2019s neck, then rolled them, so she was on top. She grinned down at the girl and Samantha looked up at her expectantly. Michelle leaned in for a kiss, then moved lower to brush her lips against the graceful curve of Samantha\u2019s neck. Her collar bone.\u00a0 She heard Samantha\u2019s breathing quicken as she kept moving lower. Samantha moaned as Michelle kissed one straining nipple, teased it with her tongue. She rolled her eyes up at the girl when Samantha put a hand on the back of her head to hold her to her breast. She let her hand slip up Samantha\u2019s flank to cup the other breast. The girl moaned thickly, her body beginning to move beneath Michelle.<\/p>\n Eventually, Michelle moved lower, leaving a trail of kisses down the girl\u2019s taut belly. The taste of her salty skin was exciting, and she couldn\u2019t get enough of it. Down, down until she came to the junction of the girl\u2019s thighs.\u00a0 Michelle looked at the slight swell of Samantha\u2019s girlhood; the soft, pale folds blushed with her excitement; the faint thatch of hair just coming in. It looked harmless and kind of cute, and she wondered why she had been so intimidated by the thought of doing this.<\/p>\n She ran a hand up the inside of Samantha\u2019s thigh and used her fingers to tease the girl\u2019s bud.\u00a0 A shiver of nervous excitement worked through her at touching another girl this way. Samantha sighed, and her hips undulated against her hand, encouraging her.<\/p>\n Third base<\/em>, she thought, with a mental grin, I\u2019m playing with another girl\u2019s pussy<\/em>.<\/p>\n Michelle liked how Samantha\u2019s body moved at her touch, liked how her soft sighs became moans of pleasure.\u00a0 More than that, she liked the way the girl was looking at her, those bedroom eyes making her heart race.\u00a0 No one had ever looked at her like that, and she hoped Samantha would never stop.<\/p>\n It might have been that look in Samantha\u2019s eyes that gave her the courage to slip her hand to one side and lower her mouth to the girl\u2019s bud.\u00a0 That first taste of her salty skin on her tongue and the musky scent of Samantha\u2019s excitement made Michelle feel a little dizzy, but she didn\u2019t want to stop. The slow roll of the girl\u2019s hips pushing her sex against Michelle\u2019s mouth turned her on because she knew Samantha was enjoying what she was doing to her. There was just something sexy about making someone else feel good.<\/p>\n Samantha stroked Michelle\u2019s hair lovingly, murmuring little breathy words of encouragement.\u00a0 Michelle listened to the changes in her cries until she learned what the girl liked. It wasn\u2019t long before Samantha\u2019s noises of enjoyment were filling the little cave they called home. Her body was writhing out of control, and it was becoming harder to keep her mouth to Samantha\u2019s thrashing body.<\/p>\n \u201cOh God,\u201d Samantha said, her words drawn out in a moan, \u201cthat feels so good.\u201d<\/p>\n Michelle\u2019s cheeks were wet, and her jaw was beginning to ache, but she sensed the girl was getting close. She could hear it in the urgency of her cries and see it in the tightening of her abdominal muscles. She wanted to make the girl come so bad, wanted to be a good lover.\u00a0 Samantha had made her feel so good and she wanted to return the favor. Had to.<\/p>\n With a cry that startled a bird outside the cave to flight, Samantha came hard, her whole body locking up. She was left trembling as the tension fled her young body. With a little out of breath laugh, she looked at Michelle and gave her a sated smile. She waved Michelle up and gave her a deep kiss.<\/p>\n \u201cAre you sure you\u2019ve never done this?\u201d Samantha asked, sighing happily.<\/p>\n \u201cPretty sure, yeah,\u201d Michelle said, smiling at the compliment. She stretched out on her back beside the girl, and Samantha snuggled against her flank.\u00a0 She smiled, thinking the girl liked to cuddle.<\/p>\n A few minutes passed, then she heard Samantha\u2019s breathing change. The girl had fallen asleep, her head on Michelle\u2019s shoulder.\u00a0 Michelle looked down at their naked bodies, thought about waking her up to get dressed, then decided not to. No one was around to catch them, anyway.<\/p>\n ————————————-<\/p>\n Michelle woke up first, smiling at the naked girl snuggled against her. Shaking her head, she couldn\u2019t believe last night actually happened. In less than a week, general animosity towards each other had turned to a budding friendship, then to a sexual relationship and all it took was a plane crash and nearly drowning in a lake to make it happen.<\/p>\n Stirring, Samantha opened her eyes and looked at Michelle. She smiled and squeezed Michelle a little tighter, laying her head back on Michelle\u2019s shoulder.<\/p>\n Feeling a little warm and fuzzy, Michelle stroked the girl\u2019s hair.\u00a0 She had been afraid that Samantha would regret what they had done in the morning, but the girl seemed content to hold onto her. Last night had been her first time being with a girl, and it would have stung a little if Samantha had pulled away.<\/p>\n \u201cI could stay here all day,\u201d Samantha said, smiling at Michelle.<\/p>\n \u201cThat would be nice,\u201d she said, then grinned, \u201cbut I need to pee.\u201d<\/p>\n Laughing, Samantha sat up. They got dressed, then answered the call of nature. That taken care of, they put a few sticks on the fire to keep it going, then walked to the lake for some water.\u00a0 It made her smile when Samantha took her hand. They kept stealing glances at each other, smiling.<\/p>\n As they passed the old camp, Michelle saw something that made her freeze, her heart thundering in her chest. Releasing Samantha\u2019s hand, she moved closer, hoping she was wrong. Her hands were shaking a bit as she saw the leftover parts of the fish were gone and that the camp had been fairly well trampled.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat is it?\u201d Samantha asked, looking anxiously at Michelle.<\/p>\n Looking up at her, Michelle said, \u201cPaw prints.\u201d<\/p>\n Continue to Part Two<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cWhat are you doing?\u201d Sighing, Michelle Michaels lowered her eyes from the heavens to the drowned rat of a girl who had addressed her.\u00a0 Her name was Samantha LaRose and seeing her look so miserable made Michelle not feel as … Continue reading