Note: This story was dynamically reformatted for online reading convenience.
 
 ï>¿The Keys by OutdoorCat

   The Keys Ch.  09

   Lydia must get back to the park without her clothes.

   Lydia felt a sudden wave of nausea and lightheadedness.  She braced
herself with one hand on the brick wall, the other balled in a fist holding
her five keys against her bare stomach.  Feeling a surge of anguish and
disbelief work its way up to her throat, she wondered if she might really
get sick right then then and there.  Bending down to check everywhere a
second time, Lydia again found nothing.

   My backpack, my clothes.  My phone!  It's all gone!  Even my shoes and
my hat.  Where did they go?!

   Scenarios began flooding into her mind about her things being stolen. 
Could someone have followed her there?  Or maybe someone just randomly
stumbled upon it?  She might eventually be able to find the whoever picked
up her backpack if she used her phone locator app at home, but then she
would have to explain to someone eventually why the phone was in a backpack
in an alley miles away from her house in the middle of the night.  She
could say that she lost it at the gym, but would Jen back her story up?

   Then Lydia noticed something about the dumpster that was different.  It
was empty!  She bit her lip in contemplation of that fact and it occurred
to her what must have happened.

   That garbage truck that passed the street on my way into the gym... 
Could it have picked up the trash at this dumpster and taken everything
next to it with it?

   The thought of it was almost more than Lydia could bear and she looked
back down the alley to the street biting her lip with an expression of
concern and indecision on her face.  She did not even know where the local
garbage trucks took the garbage that they collected.  Her backpack could be
anywhere right now.  There was just one thing left to do.  She was naked,
holding five keys, in the middle of town and the only hope of escaping her
predicament was to run back to the park, get her house key, and take the
trail back home.

   She looked up and down the dark alley, glancing one more time around her
bare feet for any sign that she had overlooked her shoes at least.  No such
luck.  It was just her in the alley and literally nothing else.  With much
reluctance and no small measure of fear, she took her first steps away from
the dumpster and down the alley.  No amount of wishing for clothes would
make any appear and the more she stood around waiting for it to happen the
more likely it was that she would be seen.

   The stars were barely visible from the light pollution of the town, so
Lydia was not sure if it was getting brighter yet or if it was just her
imagination.  Sticking to back alleys, she took the longer way around the
town square to bypass it completely.  Without the failsafe dress that had
been in her backpack, she found herself suddenly less willing to take
risks. She knew that she would not be able to take the long way every time
though.  She had to get home sooner rather than later at this hour.

   Lydia alternated between jogging down dark back alleys and sprinting
across streets.  This became surprisingly routine to Lydia as she made her
way toward the library.  Although there were no close encounters, she had
spotted at least three cars sharing the road much farther down from her. 
She tried not to think about it too much but each one highlighted the fact
that more and more people would be waking up soon.  Lydia could not afford
to waste any time if she wanted to remain unseen.

   The library came into view which presented a challenge that had not
seemed so terrible the first time she was here.  She would need to cover
about two hundred feet between crossing the road, the green, and a small
section of the parking lot before she could get to the side of the library
and pass behind it.  Checking every direction first, she used her grip on
the building's corner to launch herself forward.  Nothing was coming yet,
and she intended to keep it that way.

   Lydia had to stumble and walk awkwardly across the green due to stepping
on acorns hidden amongst the grass.  She stopped once after a particularly
sharp one but kept going since her feet did not seem to be injured
significantly.  Stepping off the curb that separated the green from the
parking lot, she trotted the rest of the way to the library's wall and
huddled behind it.  First, she checked to make sure that no one had seen
her or was following her.  Then, she double checked more carefully that her
foot was okay from its mishap.

   I really need to watch my step, no matter how dark it is.  Just one
wrong move and I'm limping home, and at that pace there's no way I will
make it in time to avoid getting seen.

   She was sure that this would not be the last time that she wished she
could have at least kept her shoes.  Her feet were already starting to hurt
from the constant pounding against concrete and asphalt.  Glass, thorns, or
any other such hazard would ruin any chance of remaining hidden while she
was naked in the middle of town.  Lydia imagined needing to limp into a
store naked for help or resorting to hitchhiking to the hospital which
would leave only one hand for cover.  The thought of getting discovered
that way was even more unbearable now than when she had left her house
earlier that morning.  Perhaps because, now, it was a legitimate
possibility.

   Lydia stepped lightly along the narrow strip of grass that separated the
library from the dense growth of bushes and trees.  The branches reached
outward as if longing to trespass every corner of her helplessly exposed
body while she passed by.  The prospect of a million spindly fingers
caressing her most intimate parts with no way to stop it made her hate the
trees even more, especially because, despite herself, the idea still
excited her a little.  Nevertheless, at this point she was tired and just
wanted to be home.  The refreshed feeling from taking her shower at the gym
was fading quickly.

   The ladder that she used to enter the library earlier was still where
she had left it.  By then, the timer had expired and the library lights
were turned off.  It was dark behind the library which was preferable to
Lydia.  She figured that she could have saved a minute or two by simply
running in front of the library, but the risk of darting naked in front of
such a public building had not felt worth it.  Lydia reached the opposite
end of the library anyway with just a few minor scratches for her trouble.

   Just two more blocks and she would be out of the center of town.  From
behind a bush, she hesitated to cross the street toward the next alley. 
Her doubts were vindicated as a car turned a corner two blocks down and
started toward Lydia's position.  She waited, hoping that the bush would
cover her sufficiently.  As the car approached, the headlights cast an
illumination over everything in the street before it.  The light even
pieced the veil of the foliage and Lydia could see her body as clear as she
would in the daytime.

   Could he see me behind this bush???

   Her rational side said no, and she tried to picture what the driver was
probably seeing.  Even if the driver was looking right at her hiding spot
as the car passed, the driver probably would not see her through the
branches and leaves.  That was even if he was paying attention to anything
except the road.  However, her frightened side overwhelmed her.  She
pressed herself down upon the grass curled up in a ball with her face
sticking out.  The car passed without giving any indication of having
noticed the naked girl in the bushes.  She watched as it disappeared from
view and saw that no other cars seemed to be coming.

   Lydia stood up and ran across the street, making it halfway across
before seeing brake lights flash red to her right.  The car had stopped
while she was still fully visible in the street.  Lydia sprinted to the
alley and hid behind the corner to watch what the car would do.

   It was just stopped at the stop sign!

   Lydia sighed in relief and turned to navigate two more alleys and street
crossings.  She had finally made it to the edge of town where the gas
station with the convenience store was.  Bouncing on her feet, she weighed
whether she should run for the side wall right then or wait.  Lydia looked
down the street and saw a car approaching from three blocks down.  Was it
the same one?  Lydia squinted her eyes to see better.

   No, this one is different.

   She decided to wait for it to pass but it slowed down as it reached the
gas station and turned in.  It was a sporty red car with a bumper sticker
that read "13.1" which referred to a half marathon.  Lydia cursed this
really inconvenient timing.  She knew it was getting closer to dawn, but
who would be getting gas when it was still so early in the morning?

   The car parked next to one of the gas pumps and the driver opened the
door.  The woman who emerged stood about 5'6" tall and had dirty blonde
hair tied up in a ponytail.  With black skin-tight shorts and a neon pink
sports bra, she looked ready to go for a run.  The woman's aqua-blue eyes
flashed in Lydia's direction, but Lydia was still well hidden in her alley.
In that moment, a spark of recognition struck Lydia.  Even at that
distance, there was no mistaking that the woman was Jen, the gym manager
and Lydia's friend.

   Lydia's bit both her lips and sucked in air through her nose in
realization.  Yet another person she knew might see her unadorned body any
moment.  She watched Jen walk into the convenience store and decided to
take her chances.  Being seen was unlikely by Lydia's estimation, and she
needed to start taking some risks if she was going to get out of town in
time for more people to start waking up.  As quickly and safely as
possible, Lydia entered the street and ran toward the side of the
convenience store.

   Just in time, Lydia removed herself from sight as Jen exited the
convenience store and walked back to her car.  This time, the athletic
25-year-old woman carried a cup of coffee in one hand and held phone in the
other.

   "Yeah, and I think I need a new sports bra.  I ordered a C but I think
this one came preshrunk.  It's ridiculous how women's clothing works. 
Anyway, I'll be there soon.  I just need to fill up my car and then I'm on
my way."

   Lydia retreated from the parking lot and walked around the backside of
the convenience store.  It occurred to her that she might be able to get
out of her situation if she just called out to Jen.  Sure, she would have
to answer awkward questions.  Not to mention stay naked in front of her new
friend for at least a half hour before she could get home.  But would Jen
keep her secret?  Was it worth calling out to avoid being caught by someone
else?

   She reached the other side of the building and, from behind the wall,
saw that Jen was still at the gas pump on her phone.  Lydia could swear
that Jen's eyes were glancing her way, but she knew she was being paranoid.

   "Yeah, so, guess what else happened.  I had this person come into the
gym the other day and..."

   Lydia listened for several grueling minutes, going back and forth about
whether to cry out to her friend to not drive away.  She desperately wanted
to but at the same time could not bring herself to do it.  She would be
giving herself over to the humiliation of getting escorted home naked by
her friend.  She would never live it down.

   "Okay, I'm about to go.  I'll see you in a few minutes.  By the way,
have you heard about the naked person running around town?"

   Lydia stood paralyzed, rooted on the spot.  Her eyes widened and she
wondered if she had heard that correctly.

   "Yeah, Eric, my cop friend, texted me about it," Jen continued,
"Apparently there's this naked girl that the police are looking for that's
been running around town all night for some reason.  Could you imagine?...
Yeah...  Yeah...  Oh, I hope so too!  I hope she gets caught.  It would be
hilarious.  Everyone seems to know everybody around here and I've noticed
since moving here how quickly word tends to spread in this small town.  I
could see it becoming a local story or something."

   The sound of Jen laughing echoed in the depths of Lydia's soul.  There
was no way she would be calling out now.  Not when Jen would probably
record her being stranded naked, feebly covering her most private parts,
and then likely send the video to the local news and everyone in her
contacts.  Lydia had been on the verge of calling out, ready for this
nightmare to be over.  Ready to do whatever Jen wanted, hoping that she
would just help her and would keep her secret.  Her lip quivered and tears
started forming in her eyes.  She wanted to cry.

   "Alright, I'm really going now.  See you in a few."

   Jen removed the nozzle from her car and placed it back on the pump.  She
got back in her car and slowly rolled off the lot.  Lydia watched her
opportunity to get out of her mess, perhaps her last one, speed off into
the night.  Still, in some small way, Lydia was glad that she had crossed
paths with Jen.

   Now I know that I've been seen, but who saw me?  Worse, I've been
reported to the police and they're out there looking for me!  I need to get
out of town NOW!

   Lydia ran from her hiding spot when the area was clear and quiet again.
She treaded down the path that led to the railroad crossing.  It was quiet
there, so she passed over the rails without incident.  The rocks by the
tracks made her slow down and walk like she was treading over coals.  She
waved her arms all about to prevent herself from falling over.  Once she
got past the tracks, she hurried toward the string of single-story
buildings on the far side.  She was out in the open for perhaps two
minutes, but it felt like an hour.

   More cars passed as Lydia worked her way through the streets on the edge
of town.  Due to the absence of back alleys to conceal her better, she
frequently hid behind fences, signs, tables, trees, and other obstructions
when she needed to.  Before long, she reached the sprawling open field
behind Trace and Avers.  On impulse, she checked her palm to make sure that
all five keys were still there.  She hoped that the field was not as bright
to drivers passing by as it was to her under the moonlight.  She shivered
and rubbed her arms for warmth.

   From behind a tall wooden fence, she crossed the street and entered the
field.  There was nowhere to hide.  The ankle-high grass was not even tall
enough to lay down in to conceal her.  She jogged as quickly as she dared,
not wanting to step on anything hidden in the turf.  Further into the
field, she saw cars traversing the streets that ran along the perimeter of
the field, and not just the headlights.  It was starting to get bright
enough to make out the entire car which, to Lydia, meant that the drivers
would be able to just make out her shape too even if they might not see
that she was naked.  It was her worst-case scenario for this part of her
run.  All she could do was hope that she was too far into the darkness to
see clearly, or that the cars were too focused on the road to even notice
her.

   Lydia reached the edge of the retention pond where Trace and Avers
loomed over her once more.  The lights were still on in the building and
she found that she could see into the second-floor windows.  The cleaners
appeared to be gone and there was no sign of either the security guard or
anyone else.  She skirted the pond and passed the spot where she had laid
her backpack and shoes earlier, both of which she now sorely missed.  The
dewy grass was kinder to her feet than the pavement, but she still wanted
nothing more than to rest her aching feet.

   Doing so, however, would require her to sit down in the field.  If she
did that, then she might be tempted to lay down too.  In her current state,
exhausted from constant excitement, frequent fright, and from simply
walking the several miles that she had done so far, Lydia was afraid she
might fall asleep where she lay.  She imagined with much anxiety the
prospect of waking up mid-morning, sunshine all round her, and sitting up
to stretch her arms high before realizing that she was naked in the back
part of her workplace at the edge of town.  The would be no escaping a
humiliating public display of her body if that happened.

   No, I can't rest yet.  I have to get home!

   Lydia kept her distance from Trace and Avers to ensure that no one could
see her from the windows even if someone just happened to be looking.  She
ran across the street and down it away from the white, box-like building.
Then Lydia passed the flower shop and breakfast cafÃ(C) that she had spent
a few minutes in front of on her way into town.  The clock in the cafÃ(C)
read 5:34am.

   Oh, thank heavens.  Some good news.

   She had taken her time getting back across town to avoid taking risks
and moved more slowly to protect her bare feet.  Lydia was acutely aware
that she was getting back later than she had planned to, but it was not as
late as she had thought.  She knew that there was just under one hour until
sunrise and spending the past hour in complete undress had not softened the
sensation of nudity for her.  She continued down the barren streets past
the mechanic's shop.  Just one more street to go.  Making sure that the way
was clear, she crossed the street and jogged along the sidewalk next to the
tree line.  One block ahead, the trees parted into the S-shaped curve of
road that led into the park.  Without waiting, she turned the corner and,
for what felt like the first time in an eternity, felt the relief of having
no streetlights glittering down upon her naked skin.

   Like last time, she stayed between the trees and the two-rail wood fence
that separated her from the street.  There would be no cover upon entering
the park but she did not believe that it would be a problem.  After all,
who would be there so early?  Lydia was about to discover.

   She passed the welcome sign that marked the entrance to the park and
stopped so suddenly that she fell backwards onto the ground.

   Oh, no!  People!

   Lydia scrambled herself to her feet and hid behind one of the posts that
held up the sign.  The post offered pitiful concealment though, as Lydia
could be plainly seen from behind it.  Realizing this, she crossed the road
to her left and found a broad tree to hide behind.  It did not completely
block her from sight but it was all that she could do.

   Looking into the park, Lydia spotted three cars in the parking lot to
her right.  In the park center, the light from the pavilion revealed five
people gathered about the picnic tables.  Two men, and three women.  Lydia
gulped quietly but discovered her throat to be dry.  In a defeated slump,
she leaned her chest against the tree and clung to it wistfully.

   She was so close to her house key.  She might even be able to sneak her
way around the outside of the park to get to the box that it was locked in.
However, Lydia could be standing right over it and it would do her no good
because she only had five of the six keys.  The final key was hidden under
the picnic table where a group of runners sat chatting with one another,
and they seemed in no hurry to move on.



   The Keys Ch.  10

   Lydia needs her house key before she can finally go home.

   The sky showed more signs that the darkness of night was steadily giving
way to the dawn.  The group of runners was still standing amidst the picnic
tables casually passing their time.  Lydia could hear scattered
conversation from her hiding place in the trees.  There was nothing to
suggest that they were either leaving for a run soon or just taking their
time cooling down from one they just finished.  All she could do was hide
in the shroud surrounding her tree like an obscured nude silhouette.  The
prospect of just walking up naked without a word and taking the key under
the picnic table was growing perversely more attractive as the seconds
ticked by.

   Whatever she was going to do, Lydia felt that she needed to do it soon.
She was still over a mile away from her house and, more importantly, her
clothes since she had lost her dress in town along with everything else
except her padlock keys.  More people were bound to visit the park as the
morning drew on.  In the time she spent standing behind the tree line of
the park, she had an opportunity to become intimately familiar with the
aches in her muscles and the soreness in her feet.  Not to mention the fact
that she had not eaten in hours, so she was beginning to get hungry.

   Ugh!  It's not fair!  When are they going to leave???

   She saw that one of the women was texting someone and then suddenly
pointed in Lydia's direction.  Lydia pulled her head back behind the tree,
afraid that she had been seen.  Lydia's rational side reasoned that the
woman was likely not pointing at her, but she was unwilling to bet against
the possibility.  Just then, her dark hiding spot was illuminated all at
once by oncoming headlights.  Lydia was so focused on the picnic tables
that she had not considered moving further into the trees away from the
road.  By the time she turned her head, the car had already passed.  It was
a sporty red car that Lydia recognized.

   Jen?!

   Lydia figured that it made sense to see her friend her in the park doing
a morning run with a group before she opened the gym.  She just hoped that
Jen had not seen her bent-over backside on the drive into the park.  Trying
to disturb as little of the crunchy undergrowth as possible, Lydia edged
further from the road just in case she was in danger of putting herself on
display for any other cars that might drive in.  She watched Jen park her
car, get out, and wave to the group.  There was nothing about her behavior
that suggested that she had seen a naked girl standing in the woods spying
on the picnic tables.

   "Hey guys!  Sorry I'm late.  I had to get some gas for the car.  Is
everyone here?" Jen called to the runners.

   "No!  Your boyfriend is missing, and we were waiting on you!" one of the
women shouted back.

   "Yeah, he's not going to make it today unfortunately," Jen explained in
a lower voice as she got closer, but still audible to Lydia.  "It's just us
so we can get going anytime.  I figure that it's close enough to six if you
want to start stretching."

   Six?  As in 6:00am?  I was hoping to be home by now...

   "That works for us," one of the men spoke up.  "Are we going to do a
loop or an out-and-back?"

   "How about..." Jen responded pensively, "How about we mix things up a
bit and do two out-and-backs.  I figure we can run a mile and a half one
way, double back, and then run a mile and a half the other way.  Then we
can double back to here and call it a morning.  Is everyone okay with six
miles?"

   There was a murmur of agreement among the group and Lydia felt
conflicting emotions about their plan.  The group was about to move off. 
This was good!  Whichever way they went, Lydia could retrieve the picnic
table key and finish her collection.  But what if the group ran down the
trail toward her house?  Lydia would either have to bike slowly behind them
and then move off-trail when they turn around, or just wait until they
double back so that the trail would be clear.  Waiting would cost her at
least half hour, and the sun will have risen by then.  Pedaling home in
nature's majesty, clothed only in sunlight, sounded delightful in theory.
However, Lydia knew it would be awful in practice as she would constantly
be looking out for other trail-goers.

   Conversely, the group could run the other way.  Lydia could get her
house key, bike the path home as quickly as she could, and hope to stay
ahead of the runners.  Waiting for them to finish their run and drive away
from the park was out of the question.  It would simply take too long.  She
could wait in the park bathrooms all day until the next night but that was
not viable either.  Lydia's hand unconsciously wandered to the smooth curve
of her vagina and massaged gently with her fingertips, as if to remind her
of the modesty that she needed to protect and how much her reputation was
at stake.  Lydia was not sure which awful alternative she preferred.  She
especially felt helpless knowing that she had no say in the matter.  Lydia
was startled back to attention when she heard a shout from inside the park.

   "Okay guys, it's well past six now.  Let's get going!" Jen called to the
group.

   The two men and four women jogged away from the picnic tables directly
toward the paved trail.  Since the trail cut through the park it was
impossible for Lydia to tell which way they would go.  Closer, closer, she
watched.  Finally, the group reached the trail and veered off to the right.

   Yes!

   Lydia jumped up and down in place, breasts bouncing along in her
jubilee. After thinking about it, Lydia knew this was the best possible
outcome.  She smiled through the trees at this glimmer of good luck among
her more recent misfortunes.  Lydia watched as they jogged out of the park,
down the trail, and out of sight.  She waited until the park was quiet once
more.  Lydia could no longer hear the thumping of runners plodding down the
trail.  This was it.  It was her one chance to get the last key.

   Lacking cover, or even backup clothes, Lydia placed her hands across her
chest and over her pelvis just in case the group doubled back unexpectedly.
She sprinted through the park nearly skidding to a halt on the grass before
the pavilion.  Lydia quickly laid herself flat on the bench of the middle
picnic table with her legs spread open, the chilly surface freezing against
her exposed back.  She felt entirely vulnerable in this demeaning position,
but her goal necessitated it.  The key was still under the table bound in
place by a piece of tape.  She internally rued the moment when, hours
before, she had decided to leave the key there for safe keeping.

   Not so safe after all, as it turns out.  Not for me, anyway.

   She picked at the key with both hands until the tape gave way.  Finally,
at long last, she held her sixth and final key in her right hand with the
other five keys in her left.  Lydia sat up and straddled the picnic table's
bench.  Her eyes darted toward the trail where the runners had departed. 
She found that the pavilion light did not prevent her from seeing out into
the park this time, unlike how it had earlier in the night.  It was yet
another sign that the full brightness of daytime was fast approaching.  She
rose from the bench, feeling a little lightheaded from standing too
quickly, and walked out of the pavilion toward the bathrooms.  Holding her
forehead, she did not bother to attempt covering her nudity or hurrying
along this time.

   Regaining clarity, she broke into a light jog and noticed something
amiss.  The light from inside the bathrooms still shone out over the quiet
area where the bike rack was located.  The only problem was that the
Lydia's bike was no longer there.

   Seriously?!  Why me???

   It was a small town full of what she believed to be honest people. 
Besides that, no one should have been at the park overnight.  She thought
that her bike would be safe there.  Lydia berated herself for not realizing
that she could have parked it in the woods next to her key box.  No one
would have stolen it if they could not find it in the first place.  She
threw her hands up in the air in frustration, knowing that she had no time
to dwell on the mishap.

   I guess any good luck I had has officially run out...

   Feeling sour but keen to be out of view again, Lydia stepped behind the
bathroom building and scanned the trees.  Finding her objective, she placed
her feet carefully and forded the underbrush.  A moment later, she was in
the confined clearing by the tree around which hung her bike lock.  Lydia
squatted down and, despite her present circumstances, felt a sense of
accomplishment for reuniting the scattered keys to their respective locks.

   The actual unlocking took longer than Lydia anticipated.  She had
neglected to label the keys according to the lock that they belonged to, so
she had to work her way around the outside of the box in a circle to match
each key to its lock.  One by one, however, the padlocks clicked open.  All
the while, Lydia could almost feel the presence of the running group like a
prickling upon her neck urging her to go faster.  She wondered how long it
would take them to reach their turn-around point.

   Finally, the last key entered the last lock and Lydia swung open the
box. Within, there was only the one key.  It was the one that she needed
most.  She picked up her house key and stared at it in her hands like it
was the most precious of her possessions.  She was not too far off either,
as it was literally her only possession at the moment.

   Lydia stood up and left the box behind.  She planned to drive to the
park and the library the next day to pick up everything she had left behind
in the night.  Out of habit, she tip-toed to the edge of the painted cinder
block wall of the bathroom building and peered out from behind it.  No one
was in the park to see her nakedness, so she sauntered into the light.  Not
pausing for a second, she proceeded to the asphalt that led into the
forest. Taking one last look at the park as she went, Lydia took to the
trail for her final walk home.

   Before long, the paved trail gave way to an earthen path complete with
the occasional rock and root.  On the way to the park, Lydia had the
benefit of her flats to safeguard her feet and her bike to ferry her along
with speed.  She had neither of these advantages this time.  Lydia did
appreciate the dim light that was filtering through the trees to help her
avoid hazards on the trail, but it was a double-edged sword because she
could also see far down the trail in either direction.  That meant that
others could too.

   The deep, velvet blue sky that had been speckled generously by
glittering stars was fading into the purple and orange of the dawn.  So few
stars now remained.  A growing symphony of birds was waking the forest with
a pleasant chirping.  Lydia could feel daytime approaching in everything
around her.  She had nearly a mile left to travel and she felt like she was
moving too slowly.  Lydia expected to hear the runners catch up to her at
any moment.  Amid the fatigue, exhaustion, and worry, the thought of being
overtaken by an entire group, including one person that she knew and talked
to regularly, motivated her to keep her going.

   For the most part, Lydia hugged her body to keep anyone that might
happen by from seeing all of her.  However, when she had to navigate a
particularly tricky web of roots, she held her arms up to give herself
balance.  The exposure during these moments made Lydia feel like she was on
display of all the world to see.  In the middle of one such root cluster,
she heard a jingling sound approaching from around the bend.  Through the
trees, she could see a figure approaching.

   Panic swarmed over her.  Lydia looked around to find the best likely
hiding spot.  There was a rock the size of a large coffee table just a few
feet off the trail.  She made for it and dove behind it, curling her legs
up to keep her toes from poking out the side.  It was a paltry hiding spot,
but it was the best that she could do.  She placed her hand over her mouth
to dampen the sound of her breathing.  Lydia laid on her side with her back
to the trail...  listening.

   It sounded like a man walking his dog on a leash.  Lydia inhaled quietly
and pinched her nose shut for good measure, determined to hold her breath
until they passed.  The dry leaves irritated her soft bare skin until she
was itchy and tickled all over.  Her muscles tightened and she prepared
herself to break into a run if the man discovered her, but the man and his
dog simply walked by never aware that Lydia was just a few feet away from
them huddled naked behind the rock.

   When the man had walked a sufficient distance, she sat up and stared
after him not noticing the leaf that had clung to her hair.  He was not
quite yet out of sight, but she wanted to keep moving so she returned to
the trail and hoped that he would not turn around until she was around the
bend.

   On more than one occasion, Lydia had misjudged a foothold and stepped
too hard on a tendril of a tree root.  It would make her stop momentarily
and bite back a yelp of pain, but she had to keep going.  She told herself
the same thing over and over as more of her body became visible by the
emerging sunlight.  She had to keep going.  Dawn had finally arrived, and
she was not yet in the safety of her house.

   Lydia wondered what she would think of this whole ordeal once it was
done.  As far as she knew, no one had identified her in her naked run
through town.

   Although I did overhear from Jen that I was spotted and the police were
looking for me.

   Lydia reflected on this with her arms spread wide for support on the
uncertain trail, grateful that the roots were growing sparser as she went.
She could not wait to write about her adventure in her diary that she kept
well hidden in her bedroom.  Lydia thought it would be fun to reminisce
about the particularly scary moments when she had been close to getting
caught by people.  She hated the fact that her bike was stolen and her
phone was lost but she was trying to stay optimistic about the fact that
these things had added an unexpected level of thrill to the experience. 
Lydia smiled.

   Thrills that might make other certain private experiences more
pleasurable when I think of them.

   "Um...  hello."

   Lydia had been lost in thought and focused on staring at the ground to
control her footing.  She had been so close to home that she had allowed
herself to become careless about checking the trail ahead.  She looked up
to see a man who appeared to be in his late twenties standing before her in
a running outfit.  He was about six feet tall, had light brown hair.  The
gaze of his handsome brown eyes swam all over Lydia's uncovered body.  His
expression was one of both surprise and wary amusement.  A smile slowly
formed across his face and settled into a smirk as he crossed his arms.

   Suddenly breathless and stunned, Lydia had not even dropped her arms. 
Instead, she stood before him with her eyes locked on his.  It finally
registered that she was showing him everything.  Boobs, pussy, her face,
and literally everything else.  For reasons that she would never
understand, her demeanor relaxed and she straightened herself up without
covering her body with her hands.

   "Um, are you okay?" the man asked cautiously.

   "Oh yeah, psh, yeah.  I'm good," Lydia said laughing amicably and waving
her hand as if there was nothing out of place in this insane situation. 
She decided to try to fake her way through this.  "Yeah, how are you this
morning?"

   The man paused and continued to look Lydia up and down.  She was
beginning to grow uncomfortable.

   "Much better now, thanks.  But really, are you okay?" the man replied.

   "Yeah, I'm fine," said Lydia, feeling the farthest one can feel from
fine, "Just out enjoying the morning air."

   Lydia started to walk past him and he did not bar her way.  She could
feel her butt being admired and made no move to put a stop to it.  There
was not much she could do now anyway.  He had seen everything.

   "That's good to hear.  I mean, I was going to give you my shirt at least
but if you say you're fine..." he trailed off never seeing Lydia's grimace
at her latest missed opportunity for clothes.  "Say, I'm Chris.  What's
your name?"

   The man held out his hand, offering it to Lydia.

   "Jen," Lydia said without thinking, "My name's Jen."

   They shook hands and Chris nodded slowly.

   "That's nice to know.  Well...  um...  Jen, I've got to say that you
look fantastic.  I hope to see you out here again sometime," he added with
another playful smile.

   "Hmm", Lydia smiled coyly still holding his hand, "perhaps you will."

   Of course, she had no intention of showing her face in public for at
least a month after this, but she was not sure what to say.  She just
wanted to go.  They let go of each other's hands and Lydia turned once more
to walk down the path.  She resisted the urge to sprint away.  Her mind was
racing.  She could not believe that she just had a casual conversation with
a complete stranger, a cute guy no less, completely naked in the middle of
the woods.  She looked back to see that he was still admiring her body as
it moved lithely through the forest.  She kept watching him back until he
was too obscured by the trees to see anymore.

   It was at this point that she broke into a run.  She had no idea who
this Chris person was, if that was his real name.  He seemed nice but she
was not willing to give him a chance to catch up regardless.  The earthen
trail was much clearer here which enabled her to jump over roots and avoid
occasional stones and pebbles.  She was nearly there.  Nearly home.

   At last, she arrived at her own little trail which led to her back yard.
Lydia looked back the way she came and saw no one there.  Not Chris, not
the group of runners, and no one else new.  Sunshine now spread across the
highest reaches of the canopy above.  Morning had officially begun. 
Checking to make sure that her house key was still in hand, Lydia marched
off the trail and into the woods.  The smell of pine mixed with dew
enveloped her senses.

   Lydia hoisted herself over the fallen tree and continued past the large
rock.  The trees thinned out enough to reveal her neighborhood behind it.
Finally, she stepped out of the trees and toward her backyard fence.  The
door to the fence unlatched without effort and Lydia felt truly safe for
the first time in hours.  Although still naked, she was at least in her own
backyard again.  She walked over to the hose which hung off the back wall
and rinsed the accumulated dust, dirt, and filth from her feet.  With all
the gratitude she could muster, she saw no cuts or severe abrasions.

   Satisfied, she turned off the water and walked to her back door.  Her
hands were trembling as she fed the key into the lock.  Was it fear?  Was
it exhaustion?  Lydia did not know, and she was too tired to think much
about it.  The key clicked into place and the handle turned open.  Once
inside, Lydia sprawled herself onto the living room floor belly down.  She
turned herself over to lay with her arms and legs spread open.  It felt
like someone had turned up the gravity.

   Lydia knew that she could not simply stay there on the floor, so with
great effort she sat up and bent her chest over her lap.  She realized that
she was breathless.  She looked at the clock on her wall and saw that it
was a little past 7:15am.  It was much later than she had planned to get
back.  She had practiced cross-country hiking and long-distance running in
preparation for her adventure, but it had still been many miles covered. 
Half of it had been done barefoot, and all of it done naked.  There was not
really a way to practice that in advance.  Lydia crawled over to the sofa
and rolled herself on top of it.  The pillows felt like clouds from heaven.
The coolness of the leather-like material was like a healing salve upon her
bare skin.

   Her head spun from weariness.  She knew that she could not stay in the
living room for long.  Her parents might not get home for another few days,
but her sister might return home at any moment.



   Just a few minutes, then.

   Those were Lydia's last thoughts before she closed her eyes.  Just a few
minutes, and she drifted off to sleep.