Chapter 3: Carrie

Upon waking up, the first thing I noticed was that my head ached. The second thing I noticed was that my ankle was pulsing with sharp, annoying pain. It felt as though it was inflamed and when I tried to move it, something stopped it.

I panicked.

I had no idea why I was afraid, or what had happened to put me in this position, but I knew that the last thing I remembered was being terrified.

Don’t open your eyes… I thought to myself as I tried to clarify the reason. My heart was thumping hard in my chest and my head was aching.

Carefully, trying to act as though I was still asleep, I tried to move my arms. There didn’t seem to be anything inhibiting them. I tried to move my other leg. It too wasn’t barred in any way.

I took a deep breath and opened one eye. I braved a look at myself, to find that I was in a bed.

With a bout of fear overcoming me, I quickly shut my eyes again, though I still couldn’t figure out what it was that was making me so scared.

It was obvious that something wasn’t right. I knew that there was a reason I should be cautious, but I still couldn’t pinpoint what it was. I couldn’t remember what happened, but I was certain that I wasn’t where I was supposed to be.

Yet, something told me that was probably a good thing.

I tried to remember what had happened the night, or even a few days before waking up here but thinking hurt my head more, so I gave up.

I was still so tired…

I yawned and settled deeper into what I presumed was a pillow, clearing my mind so that I could settle back into slumber.

While I didn’t particularly want to sleep, since part of me continued to warn that I was in danger, I was still so tired that I convinced myself that if I was in danger, I should probably pretend to be asleep anyway. My current position didn’t seem to be drawing any danger too me, and at least while I as sleeping, I wasn’t in pain.

I must have drifted off again eventually, because I went through a similar experience when I woke up again.

While I still couldn’t remember anything about what had happened or why I was here, my headache had receded slightly and the throbbing in my ankle had settled.

For the first time, I chanced a look around at my actual surroundings. Immediately, I noticed that there was a fire crackling in an old stone fireplace, which was the only source of heat and light.

I continued to glance around and quickly determined that I was in a one-room fishing cabin. It looked old but secure and strangely comforting.

However, I felt my heart skip a beat when my eyes focused on a rocking chair, sitting in the corner, facing the fire, with a silhouette of a man clearly visible.

“Who are you? What do you want?” I demanded, without thinking it through all that much, which seemed to stir the man, who was previously paying little attention to me.

“Oh,” he answered quickly, his head turning and his eyes settling on me, “You’re awake. Good.”

I couldn’t see his face, but his voice was completely unfamiliar.

“What happened? Why am I here?” I asked, losing my resolve slightly as I became aware of the fact that I might not want to know the answer to any of these questions.

“It’s okay,” he offered in a gruff, yet kind voice, “You’re safe. Nothing happened. I was able to get there in time,” he assured but didn’t go into detail.

Nevertheless, flashes of the horrible attack started to ebb their way into my consciousness. I remembered the guide, I remembered being chased, drugged, unable to move and finally…

I gulped and squeezed my eyes shut with the intention of forcing out the awful memories, horrified about what I finally remembered.

I suddenly felt sick to my stomach and trapped, so I tried to move.

“Stop, don’t…” The man insisted quickly, motioning toward my ankle, “You shouldn’t put any weight on it.”

The sound of his voice, rather than his actual warning was what brought me to a halt as my eyes drew down to my ankle. For the first time, I noticed that a makeshift splint masterfully secured it.

I wasn’t quite sure what to think at that point. In a way, I was pleased to see that this man had taken such good care of me. Yet, I was distrustful. This man didn’t have to do anything for me. He didn’t have to save me, and he certainly didn’t have to patch me up like he did.

Considering recent events, even though I couldn’t recall it all with certainty, I was sure that I never wanted to be put in that situation again. Therefore, I knew I needed to be more cautious, which led me to wonder if the man had his own secret agenda.

It seemed strange to me that he just happened upon me, at the time of the attack and was a goodhearted enough individual to involve himself the way that he had.

I was usually someone who saw the best in people but right now, feeling utterly betrayed by my own instincts, it was hard for me to consider trusting anyone; even myself.

So, I quickly decided that I wasn’t going to be trusting this strange mountain man, until I had a good reason to.

“As soon as that heals, I’ll take you to a ranger’s office and get you some help. Okay? Unfortunately, it’s about a day’s walk and you need to give yourself some time to heal or you’ll never make it.”

I frowned, only half listening to the handsome, rugged stranger. The more I thought and the more he talked, the more overwhelmed and nervous I became. The more aware of my surroundings I became, the more the severity of the situation struck me and thus, the more fearful I was.

Although, I wasn’t afraid of the man, even though I knew I probably should be. After all, up here in the mountains, he could do whatever he wanted with me and no one would know until it was far too late.

I had already been through one version of hell and somehow survived. It terrified me that I was potentially barreling straight for another, this time with a bum leg and a lingering exhaustion that was somewhat paralyzing.

My brain was still too fuzzy to comprehend why I was so tired, when all I really wanted to do was jump out of my skin.

I tried to focus on the man in front of me, answer him like a normal human being but I was lost for words.

I had so many questions, most of which, I was terrified to know the answer to, but I couldn’t form words anyway, considering my brain was still far too full. I was tired and felt sick to my stomach, besides the obvious disgust I felt toward my situation.

I wondered briefly if it would benefit me to throw up, but I figured that wouldn’t do much good. Likely, it would make me feel worse.

“Are you okay?” The man asked eventually, bringing me back from my thoughts.

“Yes,” I managed to croak, realizing for the first time how hoarse my voice sounded.

“You’re safe here,” the man assured, and while I wanted to believe him, I didn’t. I didn’t feel safe anywhere and part of me feared that I never would again.

I didn’t tell him that though. For the moment, he was being kind and I didn’t want to do anything to discourage that, at least until I could figure out a way to escape.

A pain shooting up my leg caused my resolve in that thought to dampen, but I tried not to become too discouraged.

The man didn’t seem bothered by my lack of response however. Instead, he got up and poured something into a mug that looked like it was carved from a tree. It was a small mug, which I was thankful for when he handed it to me. I figured, through my rattled, slightly irrational state that if he was giving me something that was going to hurt me, at least I wouldn’t take much.

After the events of the past few…hours, possibly days, I was happy with not only the option to choose my own fate but a quick vehicle through which the end would arrive.

I could fight him, or I could drink whatever this was. It wasn’t much of a choice, but it was something and so, I took it readily.

Downing the warm liquid, I was surprised to find it tasted like pine needles, with dark stalks following the tea-like substance that echoed this realization.

It didn’t taste good by any means and I made a face. It was earthy and tangy. I felt almost as though I was eating a pine tree air freshener.

When I locked eyes with the man, he didn’t react. He simply held out his hand for me to give him the mug back.

“This will help you sleep. It’s good for you,” he answered.

After getting over the initial taste of the tea, I felt a sense of warmth and a calming sensation surround me.

I didn’t want to settle in and succumb to sleep so quickly but the sensation that coursed through me lulled me into a stupor, at first. I felt my body, almost against my conscious will, turn over as much as my bum leg would allow, curl up and settle under the covers.

The bed I was lying in suddenly felt far more inviting. It surrounded me in a comforting manner, easing me into a slumber.

However, soon after closing my eyes, allowing myself to be carried away by the sleep that the tea had made a far more convincing option, my eyes snapped open and I felt renewed with energy.

In fact, in that moment, all the pain from my ordeal left me and I felt rejuvenated, as though I had slept for days.

The feeling was freeing and, to my surprise, amorous.

When I looked around for the man, whose name I realized I hadn’t even bothered to ask for, I was confused. I could’ve sworn he was sitting right there next to me but in the darkness of the cabin, I only felt a chill of emptiness when my good leg felt for him at the edge of the bed.

I must’ve slept longer than I thought… I concluded, wondering if the tea was more of a miracle than I had realized.

Eventually, my eyes adjusted to the darkness and I could see him, sitting in the chair I had first noticed him in, rocking back and forth by the now smoldering fire.

I wondered if he might be sleeping but a few slight movements caused me to think otherwise.

I felt a rush of excitement flooding through me at the sight of him. I was always attracted to the manly type, but this mysterious mountain man had an allure that was immediately and overwhelmingly tantalizing.

I wasn’t sure if it had to do with the fact that he likely saved my life, or simply that I had an innate need to relieve the stress of my ordeal, but it didn’t take me long to realize that I wanted this handsome stranger, more than I had ever wanted anyone.

I normally wasn’t like this, of course. Lust for lust’s sake was usually out of the question for me. It never appealed to me and I was usually extremely picky about my partners and the intimacies surrounding lovemaking. However, right here in this moment, all I wanted, was this man; whom I knew nothing about.

It was almost an animalistic drive that led me to get out of bed and saunter toward him.

I had made it halfway across the room before realizing that my ankle didn’t hurt at all. I stopped and momentarily contemplated the thought that the man was lying. Perhaps there wasn’t anything wrong with my ankle. Maybe he had only said that to keep me from leaving.

While that was a creepy thought, it didn’t bother me all that much, since in this moment, all I wanted to do was stay here with him.

When I looked back toward the man, he was now facing me. The shadow of the dying fire illuminated a portion of his face, revealing a grin.

Even in the dim light, the way his beam lit up his expression, causing it to be far less ominous, caused my stomach to churn with a bout of attraction.

“Well, I see someone is feeling better,” he insisted, but didn’t seem alarmed in the least. If he was trying to hide something from me, he didn’t act like it.

“Yeah,” I answered, the word tumbling out of my mouth in an unorthodox fashion that made me feel stupid.

Yet, the man didn’t seem to mind.

“That’s great! We can head out in the morning, then.”

“Oh,” I answered, once again with my words sabotaging my intent.

“I mean, you don’t have to leave,” he insisted with a chuckle, “But if you stay up here, I bet people will start wondering where you got to.”

“Yeah, no. I know,” I answered, trying to recover but only seemed to dig myself deeper into the bumbling mass of unintelligent rambling, “I want to go home. It’s not that. I just think that…” I stopped to lower my eyelids suggestively and simper in a sensual manner, “I just thought I should thank you, that’s all.”

“You’re welcome,” he responded, either seeming not to notice my advancement, or not reciprocating.

“I was just thinking…” I tried again, stepping toward him, trying to catch the small spillage of light, so that he could better see my expression. “You’re up here all alone…It’s my guess you haven’t had a woman in a very long time…”

I stopped, hoping that he would give me input, but he silently watched me. I saw his eyes scour my body intimately, but he made no other movement. I tried to gather some intel from his eyes, but for as intently as he was taking in the sight of me, there was no reaction inherent within his gaze.

My heart was beating, and my body was throbbing. I hadn’t wanted anything before like I wanted this man right now. Something told me that rejection would hurt far worse than it should from a man I barely knew. However, if he rejected me, I wasn’t sure what I would do.

There was no cold shower that could mitigate the intensity of this yearning. At this point, it didn’t even seem like a conscious choice. I wanted to feel him inside of me. I needed him, not just a man, this man.

“You are the reason I’m not completely scarred for life, so, I thought maybe I could thank you.”

“That isn’t necessary. I didn’t do anything expecting you to feel indebted to me,” he replied, though his eyes continued to slowly run up and down my body, taking in each curve with far more appreciation now.

I was certain that he was interested, which helped my sense of nervousness and only exaggerated my need.

“I know that. That’s exactly why you deserve it. You don’t expect anything from me. You are a good person.”

“You don’t know that. I could be an even worse creep than the guy I took you away from.”

“You saved me from him,” I reminded, “You didn’t take me anywhere I didn’t want to go, and you didn’t do anything I didn’t want you to do.”

“Well, that’s great, but remember, I live deep in the mountains, away from civilization, in a cabin, with my dog. Are you sure you want to give yourself to someone with such a strange living arrangement?”

“I know what I’m getting into,” I argued, drawing closer to him, now reaching out to touch him. I passed my hand down the side of his face, gingerly, and grinned.

The man returned my seductive gaze as his expression morphed into a devilish sneer, “I’m not so sure about that.”

“Well, if you want, you can think of it as simply a thank you for saving me,” I replied, feeling my blood pumping as my heart thumped harder, the closer I got to him. I wanted to feel his warmth against me and I wanted to immerse myself in the luscious intent, by having his body so close to mine.

While this normally wasn’t like me, I didn’t care. All I knew at that moment was that I wanted him. I needed him, almost as though my very life depended on it.

I had never felt such an electrifying, intense urge in all my life. It was like an unknown force was guiding us together and neither of us had any say; not that I didn’t want him.

I wanted him more than I had ever wanted anyone.

All the thoughts and fears I had previously, dissipated when I was close to him. Past lovers, my past as a whole; the good and the bad, seemed to separate from my memory as though it was dropped into a chasm, which was steadily being refilled by lustful thoughts and animalistic urges.

He snickered but gave no response. He simply kept his deep, intense emerald eyes trained on mine, refusing to release me from his grasp.

My body yearned for him, thrusting forward, toward him, with a passionate, almost unstoppable fervor.

I watched as he turned toward me, his body open, welcoming me in, but he made no other advancement.

So, I sauntered toward him, undressing as I moved, until I was completely naked. I watched his eyes scour over me, drawing a line from my gaze, down to my chest, lingering at my bosom, before easing its way down to the valley of my inner womanliness.

His grin widened, and I took this as a chance to make my move. I eased toward him in one final thrust, pressing my lips against his mouth.

He groaned, turning his head to the side, as his strong hand rose up to grab my hair. Twisting it seductively in his fist, he pulled me in closer to him, as his tongue toyed with mine.

Our breath intertwined as the taste of him intoxicated me. I groaned, as his other hand rose to my breast and cupped it gingerly. He gave it a playful squeeze before he grasped my wrist and brought it to his chest.

I hadn’t noticed until now, but it was bare. My palm pressed against his warm skin and my fingers weaved through the curly hair that was sprinkled over his pectorals.

Slowly, my hand drew down his body, yearning to feel his true essence inside me. My fingertips slowly eased over the rippling muscles in his abdomen, leading to his lean, V-shaped oasis.

He pulled me close to him and I could feel him, unbridled and already fully aroused, pulsing against me. My hand grasped him, sending a shuddering sensation of euphoria coursing through my body.

I moaned, but the depth of his tongue and the intimacy of his mouth absorbed most of the sound.

As I stroked him, I felt my pelvis thrust toward him excitedly.

With his other hand still teasing my breast, he tugged them toward his chest and stroked the nipple against his visceral body, causing it to harden, which intensified their sensitivity.

Once he had ensured that the two buds were properly hardened, he broke free of my mouth and absorbed one nipple, then the other, ensuring that he paid equal attention to each. His tongue swirled around the swollen blossom, before flicking it and suckling on it, causing my body to quake with excitement.

“Oh!” I moaned, sliding down his chiseled chest, toward the pulsing, inviting member in my hand.

Once crouched between his legs, I consumed him, causing the man to groan and tilt his head back with pleasure.

My mouth stroked him, delving deeper with every movement, until I was able to take it completely into my mouth.

With each motion, I felt my body become more inclined to take him in the natural way. Yet, he seemed to be enjoying my foreplay, so I tried to keep it going for as long as possible.

After all, I was trying to thank him.

Each time I pulsed, he moaned, and his breath cut short. At one point, I felt his hands grasp tightly onto the arms of the rocking chair, so intensely, it creaked and shook, while he yelled out.

Soon after, he directed me back up and took my waist between his hands when I stood. He positioned me over him before nodding with intent, beaming widely.

I grinned as I grasped his shoulders and eased myself over his hardened, quaking member.

“Oh…Yes…” I thought, feeling my body quiver with need. I stroked overtop of it, allowing him to hit all the right spots, while my womanliness continued to moisten the apex between my legs. I groaned, feeling the stroke of his essence one more time, before thrusting myself on top of him.

Easing down his shaft, the tightness was welcomed, as I could feel every subtlety of his arousal.

Johnathan groaned as his hands spread against the small and middle of my back, before sliding down, around my nether regions, allowing him to get a firm hold on me.

I straddled his legs as he guided me up and down, helping to alleviate some of the effort and helping to speed up our motions.

He quivered inside of me as we moved as one, causing me to feel yell out in amazing torment.

My whole body felt fully exposed and intensely sensitive to his touch.

As our excitement continued to reach a climaxing level, I felt my body take a far more active role in pursuing an intense and mutual pinnacle.

Both Johnathan and I were breathing heavy, while I whined, unable to scream, due to the tenacious and powerful movement. However, neither one of us seemed to care, since we were quickly reaching toward our goal.

I was heaving, thrusting, feeling more empowered than I had ever felt before.

Johnathan was guiding me, while pushing up, delving deeper and deeper into me with every fast-paced blow.

My heart was beating so fast, from excitement and exertion that I feared it might explode. Yet, at that moment, there was nothing that could pull us away from the rising incentive that was rapidly approaching.

“Oh God…Johnathan…” I moaned, shutting my eyes tightly, as a barrage of fireworks seemed to explode behind my eyelids. “Yes…Yes…Keep going…Don’t stop…” I begged, feeling chills of passion rippling up and down my body, while his hands continued to hold me, guide me, until with one final prod, I he buried himself deep inside of me and groaned as I felt his love erupt.

The feel of his essence injecting inside of me inspired my own finality, which came after a few more powerful strokes.

After prowling at the edge of the euphoric sea, I was submerged entirely with one final, exasperating plunge.

I felt my nails dig into his shoulders as I pressed down, willing him to fill me as much as possible, while my ecstasy caused my body to quake all around him.

Meanwhile, I was transported to a sightless, soundless oasis, filled with nothing but a rush of positive, intoxicating emotion. I felt transported, possibly to another world, where nothing else mattered but this moment.

I felt completely free.

I wanted to stay in this moment forever, but eventually, I returned to my body and I felt the rush of emotions start to dissipate, flooding me, while my womanly cavern still erupted in pulses of the aftershock…

Within an instant, my eyes popped open and I heard the tail end of my obnoxious gasp. I looked around the cabin, placing my hand on my beating heart and trying to ignore the moistness between my legs.

I swallowed hard, with my womanliness still quivering from the intensity of the need I experienced. I tried to figure out exactly what happened and why I had such an intense reaction. I had no words to accurately express what my mind had concocted, apparently all on its own.

Part of me was embarrassed and horrified by the memory of the dream, but there was still another part of me that was extremely disappointed that it didn’t happen.