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 ï>¿University Adventures byThanksForAllTheFishÂ(C)

   Chapter Seven -- Payback

   *how would you feel about a weekend camping?*

   A few minutes later and Holly's phone buzzed.

   *omg that would be so fun!*

   Haha excellent, thought Holly, now she could put her plan into action...

   *****

   'I'm knackered.'

   Two weeks later Charlie and Holly were over halfway through their hike,
trekking through a dense evergreen forest in the heart of the countryside.
They'd set off from home early that morning and arrived at the campsite a
couple of hours prior, where they'd quickly set up their tent next to the
parked car.  The site they'd chosen was pretty basic, it had one large
communal building which included some showers and a small shop, but mostly
the visitors were left to their own devices.  They'd driven to one of the
far corners but there were still quite a few other tents around them and
they waved hello to their neighbours as they unpacked.  Charlie couldn't
afford to take too much time off away from her home office and so they were
just there for one night, packing in as much time as they could walking and
enjoying the fresh air, free from their phones and computer screens, before
they headed back the next evening.  So after they loaded their bags with
some picnic things they set off on their first route, a sixteen mile hike
through a winding valley which would eventually loop back to where they
started.  They were now three hours in, all their food had been eaten and
Charlie was tired.

   'Maybe we slightly overestimated ourselves on this one.' Holly was also
starting to flag, both girls were in good shape but after weeks of sitting
with a laptop all day this amount of exercise was definitely taking its
toll.  'Only an hour left though, just don't give up.'

   'I'm giving up.' Charlie unslung her small rucksack from her shoulder
and slid theatrically to the ground, resting against a tree trunk.  'Go on
without me.'

   Holly sat down next to her and offered her a bottle of water, which she
turned down.

   'No thanks, I'll be fine in a minute.  Just need to rest for a while.'

   'Yeah no problem.' There was still plenty of daylight, thought Holly, as
she lay back and looked up into the canopy above, they were in no rush. 
And there were worse places to take a break, all around them were chirping
birds flitting between the tall branches which were themselves filtering
the warm autumnal sunshine down onto the moss and dirt covered path below.
It was very pretty, and the two friends spent a pleasant ten minutes
quietly enjoying their peaceful surroundings.

   'Right come on lazy, let's finish this off.' Holly got up and tugged her
friend to her feet, and with their energy slightly replenished they
continued on their way.  'So according to this,' Holly studied her map, she
was the designated navigator and so far hadn't got them too lost, 'there
should be a ford up here, over the creek, and then after that it's just
fields all the way back.' However, as they approached the supposedly small
and easy to cross stream they could hear the alarmingly loud sound of
rushing water.  'Umm...' They finally reached the edge of the forest and
stepped out into the open, where the path continued down a shallow bank and
they could see where it continued on the other side.  The only problem was
that they were faced not with a gentle stream, but instead a deep and fast
flowing river.

   'Sorry, you said we're meant to walk through that?' Charlie dropped her
bag again and sighed, looking exasperatedly at Holly.  'It's way too deep.'

   'It's just a small crossing on the map...  I guess it must be flooded?
Maybe they had a storm recently.'

   'I suppose, it wouldn't be a popular route otherwise if this is what
it's normally like.  What do we do then, is there a bridge further down? 
Or further up?'

   Holly had a look.  'Yes.'

   'Great, let's go to that.'

   'But it's over two miles the wrong way, and then we'd still have to walk
up the other side again.'

   Charlie groaned.  'And is there any short cut back the way we came? 
Retrace our footsteps for a bit?'

   'No...  no we'd just have to redo the whole walk.'

   'Which has already taken over three hours.'

   'Yeah.'

   'We are not doing that.'

   Holly had another look to see if there was any other way through, then
Charlie had a go too, and they both concluded that the only way over the
water was to go to the bridge downstream, which would add another hour at
least to their journey.

   Charlie was not happy.  'Why did we choose camping as our way of
relaxing?  Why not a spa weekend?  I could be getting a massage right now
or chilling by a pool, not getting blisters in the middle of nowhere,
looking forward to a night of sleeping on the rock hard ground, in a
freezing tent.'

   Holly ignored her friend, who was definitely a city girl at heart, and
walked to the edge of the stream to inspect it.

   'Well the little wooden bridge ford thing is still there, just
submerged. We could still walk over it.'

   'Holly it's in a river.'

   'Yeah but it's not so deep that it goes over our heads, is it.  If it
just comes up our legs a bit so what, we'll just take off our shoes and
carry them over.  I'll check.'

   'Ok, if you don't mind getting soggy feet.'

   Charlie sat on the grass as she watched Holly pull off her walking boots
and socks, then walk tentatively into the water.

   'It's cold.'

   'Fantastic.'

   'I'll keep going.' Holly took another step in, feeling with her toes to
see how deep the water was before she moved forwards.  The cold mud and
sediment oozed around her skin but she persevered, and was soon a third of
the way across with the water rising above her knees and lapping just below
the bottom of her shorts.  'Honestly it's not that bad Charlie, I think we
can -- shit!' Holly had taken one more stride towards the opposite bank and
suddenly there was nothing beneath her foot, she just stepped straight off
a small step.  She pitched forward and landed awkwardly, almost losing her
balance entirely, but just managed to save herself.

   'Hahaha, not too bad you were saying?'

   'Oh...  my god.' Holly looked down at herself in dismay.  She was now in
the middle of the river, which was of course it's deepest point.  Moments
before the water level had been at her upper thigh, but now it was around
her waist, just high enough to reach the hem of her waterproof jacket. 
'Are you kidding me man.' Her lower half was now soaked through and already
getting cold, and she looked forlornly down through the clear blue water at
her goosebump covered legs.

   'Well you're already most of the way there Holls, you might as well
carry on.' Despite her amusement Charlie was actually right, and so with
much more care this time Holly waded across until she felt the ground
sloping higher again, then trudged up the bank as her shorts dripped with
every step.  The bedraggled figure turned to look glumly back at Charlie,
who was still laughing.

   'That looked awful, hilarious but awful.  Are you freezing?'

   'Of course I am, I didn't think it would be that steep.' Holly checked
behind her briefly but they hadn't encountered another hiker for hours, so
she stepped out of her sodden shorts and wrung them out onto the grass. 
'My underwear is soaked too, gross.' She paused then looked back at Charlie
and frowned.  'Look away.' She hooked her panties down and also squeezed
them as dry as they would go, as Charlie began to snicker even harder than
before.

   'This is surviving in the wilderness taken to the extreme.'

   'Shut up.  Anyway at least I'm here, what are you going to do?' Holly
undignifiedly tugged her clothes back up to her hips and fidgeted
uncomfortably at the dampness.

   'Good point...  it's a bit too far to chuck the bags isn't it?'

   'Yeah, if they land short they'll just float away.'

   'Ok, I guess I'll have to carry your shoes too.'

   'Sorry but yeah, I'm not going back across.'

   'Ok.  Well then I know what I have to do...' Charlie copied Holly by
taking off her boots and stuffing her socks into them, then smiled shyly at
her friend.  'And I don't want soggy clothes like you, so...'

   'Oh my god Charlie.' This time it was Holly's turn to laugh and cover
her mouth in shock as she watched her companion unbutton her shorts and
then quickly yank them down, along with her panties, leaving her standing
completely bottomless in front of the stream.  'You look so stupid!'

   'I don't have a choice do I?' The now blushing Charlie shouldered both
bags onto her back, pinned the two pairs of footwear against her side and
used her remaining hand to hold the clothes, holding them bashfully in
front of her crotch as she tiptoed to the water's edge.  'Fuck it is cold.'

   Holly watched with great interest as Charlie gingerly stepped forwards,
even more tentatively than she had.  'So it's pretty flat until about
there, then it goes down gently for a bit...'

   'Ok...  oh wow, oh wowww...' Charlie's face contorted with a mixture of
pleasure and pain as the cold water rose past her groin.  'That hits the
spot.'

   'Grossss.  Ok now careful, this is where the drop off is.' With Holly's
guidance Charlie managed to edge up to the ledge and then gracelessly lower
herself down and onto the flat base of the river.  'Nice!  Now just get to
me.'

   'Holly this feeling is so intense, honestly.' Charlie was the taller of
the two and so she was able to keep all the gear she was holding high
enough to stay dry.  However, as she passed the halfway point one of the
bags on her back began to slip.  'Shit, Holly this one's going to fall.'
She tried to lean over to one side to keep the angle as shallow as
possible, but the strap over her shoulder continued to slowly slide across.
'Holly!'

   There was nothing she could do though, and Holly watched with alarm as
the bag fell off, the strap still hooked under her arm.  It fell into the
water and the sudden shift in weight distribution caught Charlie off guard
and she had to take a large step to the side to try and keep her balance.

   'Shit!' The overcompensation caused the other bag to also come loose and
splash down behind her, immediately starting to pull away with the
direction of the current.

   'Charlie our shoes!' One of the boots was now threatening to spill out
from under her arm, and Charlie twisted as she tried to use her other arm
to pin it back in against her.  But now the combination of the bags tugging
at her arms and the strong current became too much, and with a shriek she
finally stumbled and lost her footing on the slippery mud, falling
backwards into the water with one arm stretched out to break her fall.

   'Charlie!'

   'Fuck...' She got back to her feet in an instant, her hair now wet too
as she had been briefly completely engulfed.  'Oh for fuck's sake...' She
held the shoes tightly to her chest as the two bags floated in the water by
her side, thankfully still tethered to her.  However, she hadn't managed to
keep hold of everything...

   'Oh no...' Holly looked on wide eyed as the pair watched Charlie's
clothes flow swiftly away from them downstream, now totally lost forever.
With no need to worry about staying dry anymore Charlie stormed towards the
shore, dragging her cargo with her.  'Well thank god you managed to save
the shoes Charlie, in the grand scheme of things they were more important-'

   'Save it.' The semi naked hiker reached the shore and stepped up onto
the bank, water streaking sown her bare bottom half.  'Look at me.'

   Holly tried her best to hold in a laugh but the second they made eye
contact it was hopeless, and soon tears were streaming down her cheeks.

   'And I thought I fucked that up!  Oh my god I wish I'd filmed that,
Charlie you should see your face.'

   'Ahhh my top is waterlogged!' Ignoring her Charlie shrugged off her
jacket and then looked down despairingly at her woolly jumper which was
indeed soaked through.  'I hate the countryside, so much.' She peeled the
top over her head and stood there now only in her bra, a broken woman. 
'How has this gone so badly so quickly?  Is it even sunny enough to dry
these things?'

   Holly looked up at the sky, it was a bright day but not warm by any
means, if anything it felt like there might be some drizzle on the way. 
'We could try, like lay them out on the grass for a bit, but I think it's
only going to get more overcast.  And to avoid freezing we should probably
start walking quickly to generate some heat.'

   Charlie was standing covering herself with her bundled up jumper,
looking fairly tragic.  'Urgh, fine.  I guess my legs will air dry a bit at
least.' The girls wrung out their socks and pulled on their damp boots,
grimacing as they did so.  Their jackets were both the lightweight water
resistant type and so after a quick shake they were the warmest and driest
things they had to wear.

   'Probably best to just wear your coat, the wet fleece will probably only
make you colder overtime, you can't get enough water out of it.' Holly
said, now extra pleased that she'd managed to keep her top half out of the
stream.

   'Shit, you're right.' Charlie reluctantly stuffed her jumper away, then
unhooked her bra too and stood completely nude, hunched over her bag as she
packed it.  'Ok let's get going, before my nipples fall off.' She finally
put on and zipped up her jacket, stuffing her hands in her pockets and then
stalking off along the trail, her body shivering with the cold.  Holly felt
bad, she was wearing an entire outfit more than her friend and even she was
struggling to warm up.  She had to half jog to catch up, her feet
squelching in her boots as she did so, and then settled into a brisk walk,
watching her friend's bare arse swaying along in front of her.  Holly's
legs began to thaw out over the course of the next half hour as Charlie
maintained an impressive pace, any earlier signs of fatigue having
magically disappeared.  The mostly flat fields they were navigating now
made for easy walking, and the only hurdles were the stiles they had to
climb over every now and then, where Charlie would make Holly go first so
she didn't get a gynaecological view from behind.  They were nearing the
home stretch and were starting to perk up when Charlie, who was still in
front, suddenly gasped and dropped to one knee, grabbing Holly's arm and
forcing her down next to her.

   'What?'

   'There's a couple coming down the other way, on the foot path!'

   'Oh, shit.  Umm, what do we do?'

   'Give me your coat!' Charlie almost ripped it off Holly's frame and
frantically fiddled with one of the arms which was now inside out.  Holly
squinted along the trail and sure enough she could see two small heads just
appearing over the slight crest ahead of them.

   'Hurry Charlie.'

   'What do you think I'm doing?' Finally the jacket was unfurled and
Charlie wrapped it around her hips, tying the arms behind her waist so that
the back of the coat fell down in front of her, forming a makeshift skirt.
Well, half a skirt.

   'Oh yeah, that looks perfectly natural.'

   'You have any better ideas?' Holly guessed not, Charlie's jumper would
take longer to get out and even then it was probably better to have a dry
jacket to wrap around yourself than a wet fleece.

   'Ok, sure.' They both stood up and walked side by side towards the
newcomers, Charlie acutely aware of the breeze playing across her butt. 
'Just play it cool, nod hello and keep going.'

   'Of course.' The friends tried to act naturally as the distance between
the four hikers continued to narrow, and soon they could see it was a
middle aged man and women, probably married, who were approaching them.

   'Afternoon!  Lovely day isn't it.' The woman called out cheerily to them
and the girls smiled back, Charlie nervously so.

   'Isn't it!' Holly responded friendlily as were drawing level, both pairs
stepping slightly to their left to let each other pass.  'Just a heads up,
the river a couple of miles down has overflown, the ford is flooded.'

   'What?' The couple abruptly stopped and turned to face Holly, and
Charlie only just managed to spin to the side quickly enough to stop them
getting an eyeful.  'The one on the loop trail?'

   'Yeah,' Holly replied, realising her mistake.  'We did it but from the
other end, and we had to, umm, take a detour down to the bridge.  It took
an extra hour.'

   'Oh dear.' The man turned to look thoughtfully at his partner.  'We
probably won't have time to do all that before it gets really dark.  Shall
we head back darling, do one of the smaller routes then try this again
tomorrow?'

   'I think so, no sense risking it.  You girls must be exhausted then
after all that, and aren't you cold dear?  I couldn't be out here without a
coat on.'

   'No I'm fine, it's not that bad really.' Holly looked nervously to
Charlie who just stared back pleadingly.  'So are you guys local?' She
turned and continued up the trail with the woman by her side, who quickly
began chatting with her.  The man smiled at Charlie and moved to follow
them, and Charlie slotted in next to him, making sure to walk slightly
slower so that he would never be able to see the curve of her butt peeking
round the side of the flapping coat.  The two of them made polite small
talk too as they headed back to the campsite, and if the man, who's name
turned out to be Andrew, was at all confused by her appearance he didn't
act like it.

   As they approached the first stile he politely paused by the side of it.
'After you.'

   Charlie panicked.  'No after you, really, I insist.'

   Nonplussed, Andrew vaulted over and Charlie followed cautiously, retying
her knot after she felt it beginning to loosen.  She managed somehow to
keep herself from accidentally flashing Andrew for the next thirty minutes,
and when they arrived at a fork in the path his wife, Susan, announced that
they'd be parting ways as they went off along another trail.  'Lovely to
meet you both, we'll probably see you around the camp later.  Come and say
hi!' Holly waved them goodbye and they watched them go until they were
safely out of sight, then she immediately turned to apologise.

   'Charlie I'm so sorry, I didn't think-'

   'You complete idiot!'

   'I don't know why I said-'

   'Two miles Holly, two miles I had to walk next to a guy worrying that
this stupid coat was going to fall down around my ankles.'

   'I know, I think it was just a reflex, I was trying to be helpful-'

   'It doesn't matter anyway, just don't be so stupid ever again, or next
time I'll throw you in the river.' They walked the short distance back to
the row of hedges which marked the border of the campsite, and stopped at
the final gate that led into it.

   'How about I go in and get you some bottoms, just in case.'

   'That would be lovely, thanks.' Charlie lingered awkwardly with her back
to a tree as she waited for Holly to return, and when she did she slipped
on the shorts that were offered to her.  Finally covered again she followed
her friend into the site and they walked past a few campers lounging on
fold up chairs, cooking food on small gas stoves.  Back at their tent Holly
offered to get dinner going, to warm them up a bit.

   'Sure, you get the fire going and I'll have a shower, I think I'm still
at risk of hypothermia.  Holly got out one of those disposable miniature
barbeques and set it alite with a match as Charlie disappeared inside,
rummaging about a bit before remerging wrapped in a towel and clad in a
pair of flipflops.  Holly noticed her bare shoulders as she strolled off
towards the shower block.

   'Someone's getting used to only one item of clothing.'

   Charlie didn't respond, instead just lifting the back of her towel to
moon her friend briefly.  Holly chuckled at the sight then looked down and
swore as she realised the fire was already out.  After many failed attempts
she finally got it going again and got out some burgers from the cooler in
the car.  Once they were sizzling away she decided it was her turn to get
out of her damp things, so she unzipped the tent flap and began fishing
through her bags.  It wasn't a big tent, it only had one compartment with
room for two sleeping bags and not much else.  Holly decided to get changed
straight into her comfy pyjamas and then put her huge hooded overcoat on
top, so first she slid off her shorts and underwear and dried herself off
with a towel, then put on her pyjama bottoms.  Next she took off her shirt
and bra and was looking for her hoodie when the only flap separating her
from the outside world was unceremoniously ripped aside.

   'Charlie!' She cupped her boobs with her hands and hissed angrily.  'Get
inside!'

   'Seriously, after all I've been through and you're shy?' Charlie just
smirked and stooped down to join her inside, letting the flap fall back
down.  'I feel so much better now, thank god for civilised amenities like
hot water.' She let her towel fall and bunch around her waist as she too
searched for her nightwear, and soon both girls were back outside, sitting
comfortable with their hoods up and blankets wrapped around their knees.

   'You know what, I think they might be done.' They assembled their
burgers and clinked their cider bottles together, then sat munching
contentedly as they watched their fellow holiday goers enjoying their
dinners in the great outdoors.

   'Ok I'll give it to you Holls,' Charlie said, reaching for another
cider. 'This bit of camping I can get behind, this is nice.'

   'Told you.' Enjoy it while you can, thought Holly, if you thought today
was bad just wait until tomorrow, when you find out why we actually came
here...  Many drinks later and the girls were ready for bed.  Night had
fallen and only the red glow from the barbecue's coals faintly illuminated
them as they folded their chairs away and put them in the car boot. 
Charlie poured the dregs of her bottle onto the embers to fully extinguish
them and they sleepily climbed into the tent, zipping themselves in.  They
stuffed their coats into a corner and then slid into their sleeping bags
before falling asleep, Charlie spooning Holly for warmth as they quickly
drifted off.

   *****

   Holly was woken early by the call of the morning birds and she had to
force herself not to go back to sleep.  Instead she groggily sat up and
wiped her eyes, disturbing Charlie.

   'Mmm...  what time is it?'

   'Seven,' Holly yawned.  'Don't get up.' Charlie didn't need a second
invitation and she rolled back over, pulling her blanket over her head. 
Holly slipped on her trainers and stumbled into the sunlight, surprised to
see that there were already a few people up and about, heading off to the
showers with towels over their shoulder or perching outside their tents
brewing coffee on a stove.  Holly however had a different task to fulfil,
and she went to the car to put her plan into action.  Ten minutes later she
was done and she returned to lie back down next to her friend, who still
hadn't moved a muscle.

   After a lie in Holly woke a second time, and both girls got up and made
breakfast.  Once more they ate sitting in their chairs surveying the
campsite as it bustled with activity.

   'So are you down for the hill climb today?' Holly had her map on her lap
and had planned out their route for the afternoon.

   'How long was it again?' Charlie leant over to look.

   'So it's twenty miles, so more than yesterday.'

   'Mmm, ok...'

   'But you go up these hills here, to this secret lake-'

   'Before you suggest it I am not going skinny dipping in some lake, I've
had enough of water for one weekend.'

   'I wasn't going to, I just meant it's supposed to be really beautiful
there, and because it's so high up there's like a little waterfall, and
amazing views.'

   'Hmm, fine.  So what, hike there, eat lunch at this lake, hike back?'

   'Yeah, I think so.  Then if we have time when we get back we could go
visit the local village or something, but by then it will probably be time
to pack up and drive home.'

   'Ok cool, let's get ready.' Once again they got changed, one at a time
to avoid falling over each other, and after locking their valuables in the
car they put on their small backpacks and set off.  This route began in the
opposite direction to yesterday's, so first they had to walk the length of
the campsite to an exit on the other side.  The first mile was along the
country road that led to the small hamlet that Holly had mentioned earlier,
and then round the back of the parish church there was a small footpath
which wound up towards the hills.

   They passed one couple on the outskirts of the village, then one more on
the bridleway, but after that they were all alone.  It was a lot sunnier
than the day before and after a while both of their coats were wrapped
around their waists, voluntarily this time.  The countryside was as idyllic
as ever, and at one point they passed the same stream that had caused them
so much hassle previously, where Holly cheekily nudged Charlie towards the
water which caused a lot of swearing.  Five miles in and they went through
another thick forest, then once they were through they began the long climb
up hill, weaving along the rocky path as they ascended.  The incline had
them panting and they had to take several breaks to catch their breath.

   'I see now why it's a secret lake,' whinged Charlie, downing a bottle of
water.  'No one can over be bothered to come and see if it's real.'

   After over three hours in total they were finally trudging up the last
few meters of the trail, and to be fair the destination was worth the
effort.

   'Oh wow.' Almost hidden in an alcove around the side of the hill perched
a small natural lake, fed into by a natural spring at one end.  It looked
as if it had been carved perfectly out of the grey stones that formed its
borders, and on the far side it was trickling off the cliff face, forming a
modest waterfall.  'This is so cute.'

   'And look at the view.' Charlie walked over to the edge and looked down.
'Hey look, this must be the source of the stream.  Is that the village?'

   Holly joined her and together they surveyed the landscape that sprawled
out beneath them.  Indeed it was, you could see the woods they'd passed
through earlier, the miles of fields and then just visible in the far
distance were the points of some rooftops.  'Yeah I think so.  Damn, we
walked a long way.'

   'We really did.  So, food?' The girls got out their picnic and sat
facing the view as they ate.  Holly briefly dipped her toes in the lake but
soon put her shoes back on, even she was a bit done with getting wet now.
Once their lunch hit their stomachs they both settled down on the warm
rocks to rest, using their bags as pillows.  After half an hour Holly was
beginning to get restless, as she wondered if what she was about to do was
genius or suicide.  She decided only time would tell, so she rolled over
sideways to look at her friend.

   'Charlie.'

   'Mmm.'

   'I've got a fun idea.  To make the walk back more exciting, since we've
already seen everything there is to see.'

   'Oh yeah?'

   'A game of chicken.'

   Charlie snorted.  'You know who you're challenging, right?  Whatever it
is, I'll win.'

   'Well that's part of the fun, who knows.'

   'What is it then, what's the game?'

   'So one rule, winner takes all.'

   'Yeah.'

   'See who can last the longest on the way back...'

   'Right...'

   'With no clothes on.'

   'What?' Charlie sat up on her elbows and frowned at Holly.  'Have you
gone mad?'

   'Come on, it will be fun!  Your walk back yesterday gave me the idea,'
she lied.  'So we've seen what, two other groups on the way here?  And
every time we've seen them from far enough away to cover up, if we needed
to, like yesterday.  So we put out things in the bags, walk back, then when
we see someone the person who waits longest to get dressed is the winner.'

   Charlie settled back down and shut her eyes.  'You have gone mad.'

   Holly got up and sat next to her friend, shaking her legs gently. 
'Charlie think, this time tomorrow we'll be back working from home, bored
out of our minds, wishing we were anywhere else.  Here we're free, it's a
beautiful day, and we have the chance to do something crazy and daring, and
it will be so fun!  You know it will, imagine how far we could get.'

   'Holly it's insane, you can't walk down a public footpath without any
clothes.'

   'You can if no one is around.'

   'But people are around!'

   'But that's the point of the game!'

   Charlie sighed.  'You know what, knock yourself out, play your stupid
game.  But play it by yourself.'

   Holly tutted and turned away, then played her trump card.  'Fine, if
you're too scared.'

   'Hey,' the response from Charlie was immediate.  'I am not scared, it's
just an absurd idea.'

   'I don't think so.  I'm up for it, but you're not, that's just the way
it is.'

   Charlie just waved her hand dismissively.  'Sure you are mate.  You're
all talk, it's a pointless argument, it's not happening.'

   'Oh really?' Holly grinned and stood up, swiftly taking off her t-shirt
and shorts and letting them drop to the floor, standing naked with her
hands on her hips in front of the slightly offput Charlie.

   'So, you playing?'

   'Nah, you're just bluffing.' Without a moment's hesitation Holly
stripped off her underwear and stood smiling down at her friend, arms held
out wide triumphantly, daring her to look.

   'What about now?'

   Charlie was lost for words.  Up until now it had been her who was the
main instigator in their exhibitionist adventures, but now Holly was
showing a level of mischief and boldness that even she was stunned by.  The
only thing that came close to matching her surprise was her completely
excessive level of competitiveness.  'So, are you still too scared, or do
you want to play?'

   'Fuck you.' Charlie's mouth responded as if detached from the rest of
her body, but deep down she knew she couldn't back down.  Holly watched
with satisfaction as her soon to be rival reached for the bottom of her
long sleeve top.  She knew that by appearing confident and in control she
should be able to manipulate Charlie into trying to beat her.  But in truth
she felt absolutely ridiculous and so very exposed, standing brazenly in
the nude in front of her, on top of a hill with the wind blowing across her
skin.  Charlie was less enthusiastically undressing but soon she too slid
off her panties and stood awkwardly rubbing her shoulder, resisting the
natural instinct to cover up.  'So...  now what?'

   'Ok so put your stuff in your bag.'

   'Ok...' Charlie tried to ignore her pounding heart as she stuffed her
clothes inside, hiding them away for god knows how long, until they came
across a stranger she guessed.  She looked over at Holly who had done the
same, and was zipping up the final pocket.  'Now?'

   'Great, now -- oh my god!' Holly looked past Charlie with a look of
abject horror, clamping her hands over her body as she dropped down hugging
herself.  Charlie didn't even turn to look, she just squealed and ran back
around the rocky outcrop, cowering down against the cliff and curling into
a ball.  It had been a ludicrous idea and already she'd been made to regret
it, they'd been caught immediately!

   But then Holly sauntered round the path, holding both the bags in one
hand and holding her tummy with the other as she laughed heartily.  'Ahhh I
knew you were still scared.  That was way too easy.'

   Charlie rose to her feet, furious that she'd been so convincingly
tricked.  'Oh yeah?  Well we'll see who's actually scared when it really
matters.' She was now determined to win, no matter how last minute she had
to leave it she would make sure Holly reached for her clothes before she
did.  'So, are you ready?  I am.'

   'Sure, one more thing though.' Holly looked over the edge of the
waterfall, then in one sweeping motion she launched the bags up into the
air, watching them arc away down into the ravine below.  There was a pause,
then the sound of a loud splash as they hit the water and began to float
downstream.  'Right,' Holly dusted off her hands and smiled.  'Let's go!'

   Charlie moved to the side of the ledge and watched in shock as for the
second time in two days her clothes were suddenly taken from her, never to
be seen again.

   'Holly...' she whispered, her voice shaking.  'What did you just do...'

   *****

   Five minutes later and they were finally on the move.  It was safe to
say that Charlie was not best pleased with Holly's actions, and she took
quite some persuading to start the walk back to their tent.  However, after
her initial anger and panic she had come to realise that there was no
alternative, they had no other form of escape, and the sooner they got
going the sooner they'd make it home.

   'Come on slow poke.' This time it was Holly's turn to lead from the
front and she scampered down the hill, one arm holding her breasts as they
jiggled violently with each heavy footstep, and the other waving wildly to
her side as she struggled to keep her balance.  Charlie followed close
behind in a similar manner, quietly seething.

   'Do you even know the fucking way after this bit?  You threw the damn
map away too.'

   'Yeah yeah, I made sure I remembered it.'

   'And that was a nice jacket too, you're buying me a new one.'

   'I told you yes, I will replace everything.  I'm sorry, I didn't want to
lose all our stuff but I knew you wouldn't commit to this otherwise.'

   'Of course I wouldn't you psychopath, who on earth would voluntarily do
this?'

   'Oh come on though Charlie, it's an adventure!  And tell me, have you
ever felt more alive in your life than you do right now?' Holly was ignored
but she suspected she was right.  Over nine miles of nude hiking to get
back to their clothes?  In the countryside, in the middle of the day? 
There was nothing she'd rather be doing, and her body was responding to the
thrill, she felt incredible.  'Also is it just me or does wearing boots
make the rest of you feel even more naked?  Like a constant reminder that
you're not wearing anything else?  I sort of want to take them off too, to
get the complete experience, but these stones would destroy my feet.'

   'I think they just make us look even more ridiculous than we already
do.'

   'Rubbish, we look hot as hell.' A few hundred meters more down the hill
was a gate, and as Holly was about to spring over it she glanced ahead and
saw a group of people in the far distance, making their way up to them. 
'Umm, Charlie.'

   'What?'

   'Walkers.'

   'Shit.'

   Holly climbed down again and the pair looked around.  The small stone
wall that blocked their path wouldn't provide any cover, and the only
promising looking hiding place was a large fallen tree that lay to the side
of the trail.

   'I think we should hide behind that, if we make a run for it down the
hill they'll probably see us from behind, and then we might actually get
lost.'

   'Holly for god's sake, it's right next to the path.  They'll pass a few
meters away from us.'

   'You got any better ideas?' Charlie didn't, and so soon she was sitting
hugging her knees with her back to the tree as Holly knelt next to her,
peering over it to see when the hikers showed up.  'They must be going to
the lake too.'

   'The one you said no one else would be going to, so we wouldn't meet
anyone else.'

   'Shh.  They're here, get down.' The first member of the group had
reached the gate, and as they heard it creak under their weight Holly
ducked back hidden from sight, gesturing at Charlie to bow her head.  They
listened nervously as three more people climbed over the wall, then made
their way towards their position.  The quartet were chatting cheerfully,
and they could clearly make out their words.

   'So is this the last stretch?' A woman's voice.

   'Yes, not long to go now.  One moment guys, I've got a stone in my
shoe.'

   Holly's eyes flashed wide with alarm as one of the men's footsteps
approached their spot, and she unceremoniously shoved Charlie to the right,
making her lie down on her side to get her further away from view.  She
then had to lie awkwardly across her, trying to ignore the feeling of her
friend's hot naked skin against hers, as she pressed herself down into the
ground as much as she could.  Both their hearts stopped as the man sat down
on the tree trunk, causing it to shift slightly under him.

   'Quick water break guys?' Charlie groaned quietly as bags were unpacked
and bottles were passed about, and Holly risked one quick peek up above
them, and could see the back of a head.  They were less than a meter away
from him, this was insane.

   'There we go, got it.  Ok everyone, ready for the final push?' Finally
the group got up and moved away, and after counting to twenty Holly got up
Charlie and once again peered over the bark to watch them walking off up
the way they had come.

   'Ok, think we should wait until they're completely out of sight?'

   'Fuck that, this is already taking way too long.' Charlie burst out from
her cover and jogged over to the gate, leaping over it athletically in one
go.  Holly laughed at her bravado and followed suite, and they quickly ran
down the path out of sight just in case any of the others turned around for
any reason.

   An hour later and things were somehow going smoothly.  They were safely
off the hill and back into the forest where they'd agreed not to walk on
the main trail but parallel to it instead, as in the densely packed trees
it would be harder to see people as far in advance as before.  Charlie had
been slowly warming up to the situation, she hadn't admitted it yet but she
was ridiculously turned on by now too, and the friends giggled and shrieked
at every unexpected snap of a branch or call of a bird.  The going was
slightly tougher as they had to clamber over logs and rocks, forging their
own route through the woods, but they were still making decent progress.

   'So how long have you wanted to do something like this?' Charlie threw a
twig at Holly's butt playfully.

   'Oh I don't know, I guess since we started messing around?  Like doing
stuff in public at home is fun, but insanely risky.  I really wanted to go
somewhere quiet, and where we didn't know anyone.'

   'You don't think this is risky?'

   'Well yeah but ninety percent of the time not really, it's just us
walking through nature as god intended, which I've never done before, and
personally I think it feels lovely.'

   'But then why not just try out a naturist resort or something, or a nude
beach?'

   Holly grinned.  'Because those are full of wrinkly old men, and it
sounds bad but when everyone is naked then it's no fun.  People seeing my
body isn't the stimulating thing, people being shocked and judging me for
exposing my body is.  That's why this is so fun, we're the only nude ones
and it's not allowed!  That's the excitement, the danger of being caught.'

   Charlie rolled her eyes, but annoyingly she knew that she agreed with
every word.  They weren't nudists, despite appearances, they were thrill
seeking exhibitionists, adrenaline junkies, risk takers.  They were also
reaching the edge of the forest, and she was slowly starting to believe
that they could actually pull this off.  Or maybe not.

   'Ahh!' Charlie cried out in shock as a large black labrador burst out
from the bushes, leaping over the ferns and bounding straight towards her.
'No, shoo, shoo!' Normally she loved dogs and would happily offer a
friendly stroke, but right now this was not ideal.  'Get off!'
Unfortunately this was an incredibly sociable dog, and it pawed at her bare
leg whilst trying to lick her hand, slobbering everywhere.  'Eww, no.'

   'Sapphire!  Come back now, this way.' A woman's shrill voice came from
the direction of the path.

   'Charlie come on, what if she comes looking for it.' Holly looked on
incredulously at the ridiculous sight of her friend bent over trying to
shove the stupidly named animal away from her, whilst it kept begging for
attention.

   'It won't get off!' Charlie gave up and watched Sapphire begin to nibble
at her boot's laces, then began to panic as they heard it's owner begin to
stomp through the shrubbery towards them.

   'Charlie!'

   In a moment of inspiration she looked down at the ground and spied a
large stick, which she prised out of the dirt and then waved about the
dog's nose enthusiastically.  'Ready Sapphire, ready?' she whispered,
twirling it in the air.  'Go fetch!' She launched it into the air, back
towards the main trail, and thankfully the dog turned and shot after it,
barking with excitement.

   'Let's go!' Without looking back Holly led the way as they fled,
streaking through the trees until they reached the edge of the woods, and
picked up the footpath once more.  'I can't believe it was a dumb dog that
nearly got us caught!'

   'Good idea with the fetch thing though, I thought we would just have to
make a run for it.'

   'Man my heart is beating out of my chest!'

   'Haha, same...' There was an awkward moment as Holly instinctively
wanted to hug Charlie with relief, but given their current state there was
an unspoken agreement that it would be a bit weird to do so.  So instead
the girls just smiled as they stood facing each other, trying to keep their
eyes off each other's bodies.  Although they'd been without their clothes
for ages by now, they were nowhere near getting used to seeing each other
naked all the time.  'So, shall we keep going?'

   'Yeah.  Only what, three miles now until the church?'

   'Yep, and after that we're nearly home and dry.' Well, nearly home and
dry for one of us, thought Holly as she set off down the path once more. 
But for you Charlie, getting back to the campsite will just be the
beginning...

   'Holls?' Charlie snapped her out of her evil daydreaming.

   'Yeah?'

   'We have a problem.  A big one.' They'd reached the first of the big
fields, and Charlie was on her tiptoes looking over the hedge that bordered
it.  'Look.'

   'Fuck...' Holly could also see now, and stared in disbelief at her
friend who had already begun to nervously cover up her body again.  The
cause of her concern was obvious, laid out next to the path through the
meadow was a young couple stretched out on a blanket, napping in the
afternoon sun.  The naked girls shook their heads in despair as they stood
shivering next to the gate that they knew they would at some point have to
pass through.

   'What the hell do we do now?'


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