Lost in the Woods

Chapter 1 - Hiking In

My plan was to hike into a mountain wilderness area I knew and camp for two weeks. I'd planned to spend my, much needed, vacation relaxing and fishing at a lake high in the middle of the area. I knew no cell phones could reach me there and that the lake had been recently stocked with trout. They did the stocking by air using water tankers like the ones used to fight forest fires. It was quite a sight. I'd been privileged to watch it once. The plane looked huge floating almost silently, just above the treetops, growing by the second. Then the release and a blob of water was floating in the air below the plane. The whole mass of water and fish hit the lake surface like one huge bomb. There was an impressive splash and the plane was gone in a roar climbing and turning away from the ridge to the south. I was surprised when no dead fish floated to the surface of the choppy water. The memory made me smile.

My pack was heavy. Even with freeze dried trail foods made for backpacking, it took a lot for a two week stay. I planned on eating a lot of trout to supplement what I carried on my back. Still I was looking forward to two weeks of getting up with the sun and going to bed with the moon shining down. Two weeks of quiet to recharge my batteries.

I was soaking up the serenity of the woods as I hiked up the trail. There were a few fluffy white clouds floating in a deep blue sky. A nice cool breeze flowed thru the trees, the only sound was the quiet whisper of the wind in the tall pine trees. The sense of being alone was wonderful.

It had taken me about an hour more than I thought to leave an itinerary for my two weeks with the Rangers at the station. That was an important part of my backpacking routine. The delay was caused by their computers being down. I almost chuckled. As a systems administrator I fully understood the quirks of computer systems. I finally got underway about ten in the morning.

Just after noon, when I was about two-thirds of the way to the lake, I stopped to eat a sandwich I'd picked up before leaving the city. I was about to hoist my pack when I thought I heard a plaintive voice calling.

I shouted, "Hello! Anyone there?"

I was greeted by silence so I tried again. "Hello!"

This time I heard a faint answer. "Help!"

I shouted, "Keep talking so I can find you" Are you above the trail or below it?"

"Below. Please help me. I can hear the creek below me."

"Keep talking. I'm getting closer"

I was a bit surprised when, finally, I was able to recognize the voice was feminine. She was hoarse but she kept talking to me. Instead of continued pleas for help she told me that her foot was injured then she started talking about what a nice warm day it was and how cold it was at night.

It didn't take long to locate her, just up the trail from where I ate there was a steep dropoff to the creek. She was down off the edge. It looked like she'd slipped and fallen about thirty feet. She was leaning against a tree and didn't look too much the worse for wear.

I carefully worked my way down to her and handed her my canteen of water. She drained the entire thing and then shivered. I asked, "How long have you been down here?"

She smiled a wan smile, "About a day and a half. I was stupid and kept walking after it got dark. I walked over the edge and did some serious damage to my foot. I managed to scoot over to this tree so I didn't fall any further. Thank you. I was so thirsty." She handed back my empty canteen.

"I'll try to get you back up to the trail and then go back for help."

She gasp, "No! I can't be found! I can't go back." She was really panicked. Tears were leaking from her eyes as she plead with me.

The only way to calm her was to agree not to take her back down to town. Once she calmed down, I offered her a handkerchief to wipe the tears from her cheeks.

She handed my handkerchief back and asked, "How are you going to get me back up to the trail? I can't climb. Every time I put any weight on my foot I almost black out."

"I'm going to put you on my back and carry you. It shouldn't be too hard then we'll figure out what we need to do to get you up to the lake. How does that sound?"

"It sounds good. Do you really think you can do it?"

I said. "Sure. Now which is your hurt foot?"

She pointed to her left foot. I noticed she had cheap tennis shoes on with no ankle support at all. Definitely not good for hiking in the woods. Looking at her foot I could see her ankle was badly swollen and had the dark black and purplish bruises that come with a bad sprain. I just hoped it wasn't broken. I checked her over for other injuries then gently got her situated on my back. I guessed she was about five foot three and weighed in at a little over a hundred pounds. It wasn't quite double what the pack I'd been carrying weighed.

I carefully worked my way back up the slope taking full advantage of small bushes or trees as hand holds. It only took a few minutes before we were sprawled on the trail catching our breath. I was thinking to myself, "

I'm really out of shape. Need to hit the gym more."

I retrieved my pack and took out some beef jerky and offered it to her.

She bit off a piece and moaned, "Oh God this tastes good."

I took my canteen and started back down the slope.

"Where are you going!" she asked. There was a panicked look on her face.

"I'm going back down to the stream to get more water. We're going to need it." I carefully worked my way down the slope to the stream and filled my canteen. I looked around for her pack but couldn't find anything. I climbed back up onto the trail wondering about the woman and how I was going to get her up to the lake.

I got back to where she was and she said, "Oh good I'm so thirsty" as she reached for the canteen.

I pulled it away from her. "It has to be purified first," I explained. I dropped a purification pill in the canteen. "It'll take at least half an hour."

She looked frightened again.

"I'm Seth, Seth McKenzie. We never introduced ourselves." I held out my hand.

She looked uncertain but reached up and shook my hand. "I'm Kim, Kimberly Maynard and you're a lifesaver."

"How do you happen to be out here Kim? I looked and can't find your pack or any supplies."

She hesitated.

I didn't say anything more to her I just sat and watched her.

After about ten uncomfortable minutes of silence, she started telling me her story. "Seth, I'm in trouble. If I go back Roger will find me and I'll be a whore until I die." She paused and looked me in the eyes. "I guess I should start at the beginning. I married Roger Maynard nine months ago. He was sweet and attentive while we dated and he gave me the ... things I craved. It was wonderful for the two weeks of our honeymoon. When we got back he started tying me up and inviting men to fuck me. He called them friends but I saw him getting paid." She paused again. "The first time it happened I was angry and blew up and yelled at him. Boy was that a mistake! He beat me. He didn't hit me in the face where it would show but he really beat me with his belt. When I was lying on the carpet and couldn't move he explained that I was the newest mare in his stable. That's what he called me, a mare! He tied me to the sofa and left. He returned with two other girls Sasha and Bernice. He explained that we would fuck and suck for him or else he'd beat us to death. Watching them I knew there was something wrong with them. I didn't realize what it was until he gave me what he called a happy pill. I swallowed it and in a few minutes my pains went away. I was in sort of a dream world. Everything he said seemed to be right. He ordered me lick the cum out of Bernice and Sasha. I felt it was wrong but I couldn't stop myself. ... I guess I could have stopped myself but I was afraid to say no to him so I did it. He had them strip and I could see that they had horrible whip marks on their backs too. I could only imagine what my back looked like. Roger said they liked being whipped and I'd learn to like it too. Then he stood me up and tied me to a door. He whipped me hard but I barely felt it. When he hit my pussy with the whip I came. I came harder than I've ever cum before. I don't know what happened next. I guess I blacked out. After that nights were a succession of johns, fucking the three of us pussy, ass and mouth. Sometimes we had to put on a show of eating the cum from the others. ... He made me a whore. I can't go back or he'll find me and enslave me again." She stopped talking. She had a faraway look and looked incredibly sad.

"That's terrible! So how did you get here?" I asked.

She was much less reluctant to talk now. The story poured out of her, like it was a relief to tell it. "Two months ago I got really scared, Sasha almost died from taking too many pills. I tried to stop taking the happy pills. I tried hard but I was hooked. I'd heard about coming off them slowly so I started biting the pills in half and washing the other half down the drain. Then I went to half of the half. I hurt a lot more but things were more normal, not so fuzzy. Two days ago Roger put us in the car in Medford and started driving. He told his partner, Lenny, that the cops were getting too close so we had to move. We were driving up the highway and Bernice kept complaining that she needed to piss. He didn't listen to her until she said she couldn't hold it any more and was going to piss on his fine leather seats. He pulled off on this side road and had us all get out and do our stuff. Bernice and Sasha were out of it as usual. I took the opportunity, while he and Lenny were talking, to take off up the trail. I was quite a ways off before they noticed. Roger took a couple of shots at me but he missed. He and Lenny chased after me but they're out of shape and quit running after a short while. I wasn't sure if they were still following me or not so I just kept going. It got too dark to see and I stepped off the trail, twisted my ankle and fell. Now you know everything. I thought I was going to die until I heard you singing." She stopped and looked at me.

"I was singing? I never sing."

"Yeah, well you were. You were off key but you were definitely singing. Something about these being your mountains. You sounded wonderful. You sounded free and happy. For a second I thought you were an angel come to take me to heaven. Then I knew it couldn't be. I've been far too bad to go to heaven."

I chuckled, "Well I've never been mistaken for an angel before but I'm glad you heard me and that I heard you. Now we need to get you to the lake about a mile and a half up this trail."

"How are you going to get me up there. I can't even start to walk."

"I'm going to make a travois and try to pull you up on it." First I broke out the first aid kit and wrapped her ankle with an Ace bandage, when I felt it, her ankle was hot. Then I went into the woods and found two small fallen saplings. I pulled them out onto the trail and strapped together the travois. I put Kim on my sleeping bag and set my pack between her knees. I hefted the upper end and started to pull her up the trail.

Chapter 2 - Setting Up Camp

It was slow going but we made it to the lake about three hours after we started. I was exhausted and I still had to set up camp. The first thing I did was help Kim to the lake and put her foot in the cold water with strict instructions to leave it there until I came back. I didn't know if it was right to ice it but it was so hot I thought it couldn't hurt.

I set up the tent and then cleaned out the fire pit and started a fire. After several more chores, the camp was more or less set up. I took my fishing pole and sat beside Kim as I tried to catch a fish or two for supper. "So how's the foot feel?" I asked.

She shivered. "Frozen and the rest of me is following. It's worse than it was at night."

I put my jacket around her shoulders. "I know but this helps reduce the swelling. It also numbs the foot and makes it less painful."

We sat together for about another half hour while I caught two fish. I dried Kim's foot and rewrapped it. I helped her back to camp and sat her close to the fire before going back for the fish.

I was quiet while I cooked the fish in a shallow pan to encouraged Kim to talk.

She talked in small spurts, "I was a school teacher, second grade. I loved the kids, they're so cute at that age. ... I wonder what my parents think. I haven't called them since I got married. ... My reputation in town is ruined. Disappearing in the middle of the school year like that."

I mostly made encouraging noises as I listened, keeping my feelings to myself. "So you're from Medford," I asked?

"No, Forest Grove. We've moved several times since he made me a whore, about every two months."

I cooked some stew, from the freeze dried packets, in a small pot. When the fish was almost done I broke out my one concession to not being a serious backpacker; butter. I have a small cooler that holds a couple of pounds of butter and ice packets to keep it cool. I spread the butter over the fish and put some lemon salt on them just before I served them.

Kim took one bite and exclaimed. "Oh God this is so good! This is wonderful!"

I laughed, "It may have something to do with you not eating in two days."

"No!" She exclaimed. "This is fabulous! I'll admit that I'm starved but this is ambrosia! You're amazing!"

I blushed at her praise. "Really, I'm not. I like the way the fish taste cooked like this. ... I'm sorry but I'm bushed. I'm going to wash up and then go to bed."

She asked, "Where am I going to sleep. That tent's awfully small and you only have one sleeping bag."

"Kim, you're going to have to sleep with me in the bag. Otherwise one of us is going to have a cold miserable night. I really need a good night's rest and so do you. It'll also help warm you up."

She said, "That actually sounds really good... I hate to ask this but I need to take a... a shit..."

"Of course you do," I said. "Sorry I didn't ask earlier." I grabbed a roll of toilet paper and took her to the slit trench I'd dug. There were two logs with a gap between them that acted like a crude toilet seat. I helped her stand on her good foot and said, "Take your pants down."

"What! " Her face contorted into an angry scowl and got red, "You're just like Roger and all those other men!"

I patiently explained. "Kim, you can't stand on one leg. I'm not going to risk you getting hurt again. I've seen naked women before, I don't think you've got anything I haven't seen before... "

She looked at me and blushed. "I guess you're right. I've been a whore for nine months. I've been naked, in front of hundreds of men and more than a few women, I don't know why you'll make any difference ... Okay, can you help me?"

I held her shoulders and steadied her as she took her pants down. I looked her in the eyes instead of ogling her. When she got her pants down around her knees I sat her back on the logs. I must have looked quizzically at her.

"He wouldn't let us wear any underwear." She said, explaining her lack of panties. Once she was set I moved along the log a little way and sat down to do my business.

She smirked, "Well I can see you're not bashful."

I chuckled, staring at the ground. "It just seemed like a good chance to do some multitasking and not just stand here and ogle you. You're very pretty, you know."

It was getting dark but, out of the corner of my eye, I saw her blush.

"Thank you. I guess you're right about doing your business while I do mine. ... You know you really are a great guy. I guess that's why I got so upset. I don't want you to think of me as a slut. ... This is the first time in nine months I've felt safe."

We both finished and I helped her back to camp.

When I got her settled, the water over the fire was boiling. I scraped all the dirty dishes into the fire and dumped them in the water.

She gasp, "What are you doing! That's too hot to wash the dishes! You'll burn your hands!"

I laughed, "This is the army method. You simply boil all of the grease and food off the plates. You don't need soap or scrubbing. You watch them. I'll go get us bathing water."

"Are you serious! It's getting cold."

I turned, "I'll heat some water for us to wash in. You'll sleep much better and much warmer if you wash off all the dirt and grime."

"But I have nothing to wear but dirty clothes!"

"I'll loan you something to wear and tomorrow you can wash your clothes."

She didn't have anything else to say so I took two pots down to the lake and filled them. I sat one on the fire. By this time the pot with the dishes had boiled for about ten minutes so I took it off and drained the water. I gave her a dish towel and let her dry the dishes while I took the dish pot to the lake and cleaned it.

By the time she was finished I was back. I pulled a long sleeved tee-shirt and a pair of my underwear for her and a tee and some underwear for me from my pack. With the pot of water on the fire just starting to boil I took it off and poured half into the pot used to clean the dishes. Then used the cold water from the third pot to fill the two pots of hot water.

I handed her a wash rag and some biodegradable soap and the shirt. I stripped and started taking a sponge bath of my own. She watched me for a minute and stripped. Once she started washing, she seemed totally at ease being naked, which threw me after her objections at the slit trench. On the other hand I blushed frequently, wondering at what I was doing.

She must have seen my puzzlement. She said, "You've already seen me mostly naked at the toilet trough. I've been a whore and forced to be naked before a lot of men, none of them a tenth as nice as you. You don't make me feel dirty and like a cheap slut. ... You don't even look very much." She finished and pulled on the tee-shirt. It covered her to mid thigh. The shorts almost slipped off her, very nice, hips. The thought of holding those 36 inch hips had my fingers itching. I shook my head at the errant thought. She also had very nice legs.

I quickly turned away and finished my washing. When I finished dressing myself, I helped her into the tent and into the sleeping bag. I doused the campfire, cleaned and filled two pots with water and covered them, ready for the morning.

I crawled into the tent, she was right it was going to be tight. I settled myself on the end of the sleeping bag and pulled her foot into my lap. I unwrapped it and started probing. "Tell me where it hurts, okay."

We went thru about five minutes of "Ow" and "Oh God that hurts!" Despite everything I thought it looked better. I thought about my plan of sleeping with her and concluded it was probably wrong but I was dead tired. I said, "Kim, I'll sleep outside. It's not right to force you to sleep with me."

She looked at me, "Won't you be cold?"

"Yes," I said, "but I'll survive."

She said, "Please, ... please sleep with me. I won't be afraid if you're here."

"You're sure," I asked?

She gave me a warm smile. "Yes, I'm sure."

Fatigue overrode my better judgment. I put down my dirty clothes and slipped into the bag with her. It was tight but we mostly got the zipper closed. I faced out with my back to her to quell my urge to run my hands all over her.

Kim spooned with me and snuggled as close as she could. She cooed in my ear, "Oh you're so warm!"

I whispered back, "I thought you'd like this."

"And you don't!"

"Of course I do. I like being held by a beautiful women. I haven't had much experience but I like this a lot."

"Well I guess I can live with you thinking I'm pretty. ... You're right, you know. I feel a lot better and warmer, being clean. Is this a habit of yours, being right I mean?" She slipped an arm around my chest.