Hey guys, here's a new story for you! I hope you enjoy it. I decided to write this one for Literotica's Summer Lovin' contest. This one has a slow start, but things will heat up. I haven't written in past tense for awhile, so please let me know if you spot any tense changes. Comments and feedback are always appreciated! I read every single one. Also, please let me know if you spot any mistakes. Errors bug me, and I make sure to upload revised editions whenever I find any. To anyone reading Birthday Pool Party, don't worry! I'm still working on the series, and am very close to finishing it. I just wanted to write this one off. Please note that this story is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to any real person is purely coincidental. As always, this is a world without STI's, and everyone involved in sexual activity is at least eighteen years old.
-Witty
One final note: I am an amateur writer, but I am trying to get better every day. I like my characters to have personalities, to be different. So many stories are just multiple females who are all copies of each other, only differing in hair color and cup size. It isn't easy to make each character unique, and I know I don't often succeed. That said, I had an idea for a very interesting female character. So, let this be a warning; you might not like this story if you want your women to always be agreeable and easy going. A friend said it best: some guys hate it if their sex objects have a personality that isn't just submissive sex kitten. If that is you, you might want to give this one a pass.
~Saturday, June 07th~
I had woken up before dawn almost every day of my life since I was a child. Even when I was away at college I woke up early on weekends. My college friends thought I was completely insane, but I was used to it. I was a creature of habit. I always had been.
Most days, my alarm would wake me up. As a kid, I had a regular alarm clock, but I eventually switched to a cell phone. Even in northwest Maine we had cell coverage almost everywhere. Of course, I would occasionally be woken up even earlier by a large tongue slobbering all over my face.
"Brady, stop!" I mumbled as I tried in vain to push away the large face.
My thirteen year old yellow lab kept licking my face, barking softly. I realized he probably had to go out, which meant I would have to drag myself out of bed. With a sigh, I pushed the blanket off of my body and sat up in the king size bed I shared with the Labrador.
"You couldn't wait another half hour?" I asked Brady as I scratched his mostly-gray muzzle.
Brady's only response was to wag his tail and look at me eagerly. Shaking my head, I grabbed the framed photo off my bedside table, gazing at it for several seconds like I did every morning. Placing the picture back on the table, I sighed and got to my feet.
My excited dog could not sit still as I hunted around for clothes. He didn't care, but I was not taking him out while only wearing boxer briefs. Putting on pants and a shirt took longer than it should have since I just had to play with Brady a little.
I loved that dog so much. I was twenty-six, meaning Brady had been in my life for half of it. I remembered my sister and me opening the box on Christmas morning with a picture of a beautiful yellow puppy. My baby sister had cried when we first met him.
We had both taken care of him, and he loved all of us. Still, Brady had been especially attached to me. He refused to eat when I went away to college. Well, mostly. My mom had figured out that he would eat cheeseburgers from the local fast food place. Mom made sure to get the burger without pickles, because she was sure the pickles would upset Brady's stomach.
"Okay, okay, we're going!" I laughed as Brady playfully barked at me to hurry up.
Brady was all I had left. As great a companion as he was, it was still pretty depressing. He almost seemed to understand when I told him they weren't coming anymore. He moped around for a few weeks. Even though he was sad, Brady was like all dogs; he could tell something was wrong, and he did everything he could to comfort me.
Yawning loudly, I followed Brady through the large cabin that we shared. I didn't bother putting him on the sky line since I knew he would stay with me when I let him out. He quickly ran to his favorite bushes to do his business before strolling through the trees, panting happily. It was hot, even this early; the joys of a New England summer.
Summer didn't officially start for almost two weeks, but no one had told the weather. Mosquito bites were already an issue all throughout the day, and humid weather made me sweat. I was pretty used to it, but I knew some tourists would be miserable.
It was a very woodsy area, but we still had a decent sized backyard. I threw a toy for Brady, and we played together for about half an hour so he could get some exercise. He was very well-behaved, and he didn't try to run down the hill to get to the dock. It was quite impressive, especially with how much labs loved water.
Most of the area was shrouded in semi-darkness. With almost no light pollution, I was able to see the moon and some stars. The northern lights weren't visible at that time, but there was still a spectacular view of the Milky Way.
Looking out over Moosehead Lake, I saw the morning fog rolling in and partially obscuring the small wooden dock I rebuilt with Dad five years ago. Dad. I sighed. I wished I could just pick up the phone and talk to him again.
No one was on the lake this early, and I could see a few bass jump out of the water to catch bugs. Brady was walking around about ten feet away from me, sniffing everything he could and peeing on the occasional tree. He would always come back to me, though. Always.
The two of us went back inside, and Brady curled up on his bed while I made breakfast. I put my breakfast on a plate before filling Brady's water bowl and serving his morning meal. I winced when I watched him climb out of his bed; Brady was still very active, but you could definitely tell he was old when he tried to get up.
"Enjoy, big guy," I said to the ninety pound dog before sitting down to my own breakfast.
After eating and cleaning up, I went through my usual morning routine. I quickly showered and shaved, leaving the usual stubble for a beard on my chin and cheeks. I had brown hair and eyes, and I thought I was reasonably attractive. My outfit for the day was my usual shorts and a t-shirt. Then I sat with Brady in the enclosed back porch so I could read the news on my phone while watching the sun rise.
There wasn't much to read on my usual news sites, so I pocketed my phone and grabbed my book off the coffee table. I had always been a fan of science fiction and fantasy, and the second novel in the latest trilogy by L. Walsh was a great read. Halcyon Nights. With half the book done, I was sad about finishing, since I'd have to wait a year to get my hands on the last book. At least L. Walsh wrote fast.
I read a couple of chapters before I realized I'd been blankly staring at the same page for about twenty minutes. Despair threatened to overtake me. Setting down the book, I pinched the bridge of my nose as I let out a breath. I was really dreading tomorrow, and the only way I could get through was to remind myself that this would soon be over. I'd be free.
Three years. I spent the last three years trying to hold things together. The first few months were a blur, an abyss of endless misery where Abbott Trails only kept running thanks to our dedicated employees. I was worse than useless, almost never showing my face.
A few employees got together and convinced me that I needed to keep things going. I tried. I really tried. I went through the motions, I did my job. I did my job well; we were very profitable. We were the only remaining independent campground and ski lodge. The only one that wasn't gobbled up by a big corporation.
I just couldn't do it anymore. The daily reminders of everything I once had, everything I lost; it was too much. They would understand. I knew they would understand that I had no choice. A little more of me died every day, and I had reached my limit. Was it pathetic? Maybe. Probably, in fact.
"I guess I should try and be productive this morning, what do you think?" I asked Brady, scratching behind his ear.
When I was ready, I decided to do a quick tour of the campground. My cabin was on one side of the campground, allowing me some privacy. Glancing out over the lake, I admired the beautiful mountain in the distance before making my way to the public areas.
Abbott Trails was quite large, with numerous buildings, walking paths, and entrances to the lake. In addition to cabins people could rent out, we had a large area for parking RV's or pitching tents. There was also the main building, which functioned as a ski lodge during the winter season. There were rooms to rent out, and it was where guests came to sign in, or to speak with someone if they had a concern. Most people just called it the Lodge. We got both downhill and cross-country skiers, as well as the occasional snowboarder.
We also had quite a few activities for guests and campers alike. People could go canoeing or kayaking, there was even white water rafting at the nearby rivers. There were plenty of places to fish, and it was an easy drive to a nearby golf course. Those were just the beginning.
Then there was the wildlife. There were moose, foxes, beavers, wolves, and deer. We were in bear country, but they rarely caused any problems. In fact, the moose were far more dangerous than bears. Abbott Trails even had their own animals, including chickens for eggs. We had horses and rabbits as well. I had learned to ride a horse almost before I could walk.
"Hi, Tim!" the head groundskeeper called out from his riding mower.
"Morning, Austin!" I waved and smiled, walking over to him.
Austin Shepard was in his late fifties and has been a groundskeeper here since before I was born. He's a very kind man, and he was one of the ones who helped force me out of my cabin. It was so strange to be his supervisor; a man who once put a bandage on my knee when I fell out of a tree.
"How are you doing?" he asked kindly as he lifted his hat and wiped some sweat from his brow.
"I'm alright, how's your morning?" I replied.
"Living the dream," Austin nodded happily. "You ready for the campers?"
"Mostly," I answered. "I have to head into town today to buy some more life preservers and paddles for the kayaks. Then tomorrow I'm giving my usual welcome speech to the counselors."
"Easy weekend for you, then!" he laughed. "All your counselors have been campers here since they were in middle school. They know the place."
"They do, but some are barely eighteen and have never had any real responsibility," I explained. "Plus, it's good for them to know I'm here."
"True, true," Austin agreed. "Hard work will be good for them. And you need to get out of your head tomorrow. I haven't forgotten tomorrow is her birthday. We always made such a big deal about it."
"Yes, it is," I sighed. "I miss her. I just wish..."
"I know, so do I," he frowned. "This campground has been my entire life for over thirty years. It's been in your family for over a hundred. It's still home."
