The heavy gray clouds captured the light, and made it look like the world would suffocate. The heat backed that up, taking away every piece of cool earth and replacing it with ground that seared and tore at anything touching it. Only the water held reprieve.
Children were splashing and yelling exuberantly, as the skies bore down on the lake. Parents watching from the shore started gathering blankets, chairs and coolers as the wind picked up. The children were starting to be called back into the real world, parents hoping to stay ahead of the weather.
As the beach started to empty, I continued to watch a woman who must have come from a dream. Bright red hair, and a long toned body that glistened under the heat. She watched quietly as the man nearest her corralled kids back past her, and as the children gathered their bags she let them pass on back up to the campground.
The air was electric, with the storm quickly rolling down the valley, but she stayed, soaking in the quiet moments and the onerous temperatures. And, because she remained, so did I. Every inch of her body was glazed with oil and sweat. Her swim suit didn't leave much to imagine, but my mind was wild anyway, spinning endless scenes with her as the protagonist. The world shook with a long rolling thunderclap, and I saw her look past me into the dark skies headed in.
I stood and started walking toward the boardwalk that would take me up to the campground, and directly past her spot on the beach. As I approached her, the wind went cold in a savage gust. Her skin rippled with goosebumps from the change, and as I watched her flawless skin the lightening lit the sky around us. Thunder roared before the lightning even stopped, tearing apart the idylic picture of this goddess before me.
I quickly decided to talk to her, even if she's so far out of my league it hurts. "Want a hand getting up to camp?" The words were almost taken from me by the second gust of cold wind, and no sooner had they been said there was a second tremendous flash and cacophony of thunder. I reached out and took her hand, helping her up. As she stood, I could easily see the muscles flexing and moving her with an easy grace. Her skin though, was still obviously not happy with the cold air assaulting us. Grabbing the blanket she had been laying on, I wrapped her quickly and started walking with her towards shelter.
Now the wind was practically howling, so conversation was not the priority. As we crested the hill, across a wide field from the campground, a flash of lightening lit the field, making the childrens play structure glow blue. The smell of ozone was quickly washed away though, when the rain started. It rained so hard, the world was a gray blur, and the only sound was like static on a radio. More lightening bolts were brazenly pushing their way through the air, and the thunder no longer stopped. There was a cooking shelter close by, and I was leading this gorgeous creature toward it, hoping to find reprieve from the deluge.
We ducked inside, and the heat of the day still hung heavy inside. After the chilling rain and wind, the girl was obviously relieved by the warmth. As she relaxed her grip on the wet blanket, I could see that the cold was indeed affecting her. Her nipples stood out through the thin top, and goose bumps covered her entire body. Trying not to look at her chest again, I introduced myself. "Hey, thanks for the rescue. I'm Nikki"
"I really love storms..." she explained. "It's always been terrifying, but sooo much energy". As I listened, the noise outside never stopped. I opened a window blind, and she moved close beside me to look at the obscured playground. "There's no way I'm going through that."
I could smell the tanning oil on her skin. Her gray eyes matched the sky outside, and the lightening flashes reflected in them. As she watched the storm, I took the blanket off her shoulders and hung it on a hook, presumably to let it dry. As I moved back to the window, she had settled into the middle of the pane. I stepped close behind her and watched over her shoulder, waiting for a rebuke. Instead, I felt her back into me, pressing softly against me and not moving. I couldn't believe that it was intentional, but still she was pressed into my chest and holding fast.