Prologue

I took a left, carefully easing the van onto the narrow sandy drive. Once I had gauged the firmness of the drive to be relatively stable, I drove ahead with more confidence into the shadowy tree tunnel that lead to my family's property. The potholes, ruts and washouts of the drive made the van bounce sharply; causing the sleeping head in the passenger seat to bounce off the window.

"Ow! Shit!" Said Laura, no longer sleeping as she put a hand to her temple.

"Welcome..." I intoned in an overdramatic voice with a sweep of my hand, "to Camp Atterberry! Ancestral land of the mighty Atterberry clan, going back three generations!"

"Finally! Thank God." Said Natalie from behind me. "My legs are starting to cramp back here."

"Yeah," agreed Ben's distinctly male voice from the other side "Plus I have had to fart for the last twenty minutes and don't know how much longer I can hold it."

"Faster!" Shrieked Mae's panicked voice from the middle. "Trust me, guys, that is NOT something you want to live through!"

We all laughed much harder than was necessary at this exchange. We were all a little stir crazy from three hours cramped in the car and a little giddy at having the week off from classes and our jobs. We were finally feeling free and letting off the last of our tension as we bounced along the winding drive.

As we pulled into the campsite, a small twinge of anxiety came over me. This little plan was my idea and I felt the responsibility to make sure everyone had a good time. Also this was my family's property and although I was completely allowed to use it just like the rest of the family, I was also responsible to make sure no damage came to anything if my friends got out of hand.

And the fact that only two of my guests were actual friends was also a concern. I didn't know Ben or Natalie too well. We were all students on spring break from The University of Wisconsin Green Bay. Well, all except Mae. She worked with me at the gas station and we had become pretty good friends. So when I decided to take a cheap spring beak getaway, I invited her and my roommate/best friend Laura to my family's land for a week of camping. To cut the cost even more, Mae brought her boyfriend Ben, and Laura brought her friend Natalie. We all crammed into my old Dodge Caravan with camping supplies, food, and booze and set off as soon as we were done with classes Friday afternoon.

Now we had just enough time to get the campsite ready and start a fire before dark. "Ok guys." I said, taking on an authoritative role as everyone stretched and walked around. "Set the tents up over there in that field by the lake. The outhouse is down that path over there, and all food stuff can go in that lock box by the shed so the bears and raccoons don't get it."

With some flippant comments about Bears being attracted to women on their periods, we unloaded the van and the roof rack and started setting up camp.

"Besides," Said Laura, "That's why we bought a man with us. To protect us from the savage beasts."

Mae scoffed, "Protect, huh? I think you mean scream the loudest to alert the rest of us."

"But what if he IS the savage beast?" Asked Natalie with a quirked eyebrow.

"Heeeey," said Ben with a drawling lisp, "this week, I am just one of the girls." He put one hand on this hip and the other in the air, limp-wristed. Clearly trying to imitate a stereotypical gay man. We all groaned or rolled our eyes. "Sorry, that was dumb." He said with a sheepish grin. "I couldn't help it. besides, I'm just a little nervous at being surrounded by so many sexy ladies."

We chuckled good naturedly as we finished setting up the two tents. A big one for Laura, Natalie, and me along with a slightly smaller one for Ben and Mae.

We continued setting up camp. I started a fire wile Laura and Natalie got all the food stowed away and Ben and Mae got the booze and table set up.

"This is perfect for beer pong or Flip cup!" Said Mae. "Anyone in?"

"That's not fair Mae, you know we are unbeatable." Said Ben as he grabbed her and pulled her close for a kiss. I Smiled. They were so cute. He was your typical Wisconsin farm boy. Tall, brown hair, wide grin and sweet nature. Still a little bit of a man-child, but we were in college so it was still ok. She was petite and third generation American in a Hmong family. She had a whip-crack sense of humor and took most things pretty lightly. They were really good together, so it didn't feel awkward to have one couple amongst the rest of us single ladies.

"I'll play flip cup." I said, "But you guys better be as good as you say, because I will slaughter you at this game!"

"I'm in too!" Said Laura. "But we don't have an even number of people."

"That's fine," said Natalie "I'll sit this one out. I can't drink beer that fast anyway or I get sick. I'll ref."

We played a couple rounds, but it started getting dark and we realized it's less fun with only two people per team. We lost interest in flip cup and started preparing dinner. We barbequed corn on the cob and brats, and ate potato salad. We ate sitting around the fire as we talked and laughed. Times like these made me feel like life was pretty perfect. Forget about student loans and late papers; eat brats around a campfire with good booze and good friends, and life is good!

Then someone mentioned a swim. I Laughed. "It might be warm for April, but I can tell you that lake is still freezing cold."

"Oh come on," Said Ben. "If we can't be in Florida, we can at least pretend, right?"

"If you jump off that dock," said Natalie "your junk is going to shrink right back up inside your body, never to be seen again."

"Well," said Laura, "That sounds like something I need to see!" She stood up and started walking toward the lake, beer in hand, as if it was all settled.

Ben and Mae jumped up and followed. Natalie and I looked at each other. We laughed and went after them.

The closer we got to the lake, the more clothes we saw on the ground so by the time we got to the lake, Ben was already jumping naked off the end of the dock. There was a huge splash and then his head popped up with a scream like a woman with a spider on her face. We all laughed hysterically, the alcohol making it all much funnier. Laura laughed so hard she doubled over, spilling her beer.

"Come on!" Mae said and grabbed Laura's hand and ran for the end of the dock. For a moment they were suspended in midair, their outlines visible against the moonlit surface of the water. Mae's silhouette small and taught while Laura's was round and heavy-chested. Their screams of delight and anticipation ceased as they hit the water and were submerged only to return at a higher pitch when they surfaced.

As the three of them laughed and splashed, Natalie and I sat on the end of the dock with our feet in the water. We squealed as they splashed us until Ben suddenly surfaced right in front of us. He grabbed our arms and pulled. My shriek was suddenly cut off as I hit the water. my chest constricted with the sudden shock of cold. the world seemed to turn to slow motion as I gyroscoped and headed for the surface. My head broke the surface with a shuddering cough.

"You prick!" I screamed. Natalie and I went after Ben who paddled away much faster without the drag of wet clothes on him. The five of us splashed and screamed until we were exhausted. Coming up to the shore like a little army of Aphrodites, we left the water and entered the moonlight. My skin pimpled up into goosebumps. Natalie and I started peeling off our sodden clothes while the others started putting their dry ones back on. I darted up to the tent, dropping my clothes outside the door in a heap. I just reached inside and grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around myself. Natalie came out of the tent in an oversized t-shirt.

We ran back to the fire that ben had stoked back into life. I flopped down in my camp chair, swaddled in my blanket, glaring at Ben.

"Well." I said to him, "Are you happy now? Does it feel like Florida?"

Ben looked around appraisingly. "Yes, actually." He replied with a grin. "My hair is wet and I am surrounded by scantily clad women." I looked around and noticed it was true. there was me in my blanket, Natalie in her t-shirt, Mae wore only her bra and boyshort panties, Laura in her panties and t-shirt clinging to her still wet body making it clear she had skipped the bra. And then there was ben in his boxer shorts.

Natalie snorted out in a sudden burst of laughter. "This is every guy's dream, right? Four half-wasted, half-naked women all to yourself." She grinned and waggled her eyebrows at him comically to make it clear she was teasing.

"Hey!" Ben said with half-feigned indignance. "Not EVERY guy is a pervert." He reached for Mae's Hand. "Some guys are happy with the woman they have." He kissed the hand he held. She smiled and leaned forward to kiss his face just next to his right eye. It was so fucking cute I barked a laugh because I didn't know what else to do with the little lump in my chest.

But Natalie was frowning. "I didn't say it was a perversion." She said seriously. "I said it was a fantasy. Too many people deny themselves their own fantasies because our stifling culture calls it 'perverse.' The truth is that every person has a fantasy that they squash down so deep they don't even want to admit it to themselves because society has got us so ashamed of ourselves and our passions that we can't let it out in healthy consentual ways." Her voice grew harder with each word until the end dripped with pure resentment. Everyone was quiet for a minute.

"Sorry Natalie," Said Ben. He was serious now too, honestly apologizing. "What I meant was, that wasn't my personal fantasy. Not all men are the same, just like all women are different." the last was a slight reproach for Natalie making general assumptions.

Natalie relaxed a little and smiled apologetically. "Sorry to be such a downer, but this is one thing I feel very strongly about. People are too quick to judge someone as sick or disgusting just because they are brave enough to share how they feel with someone.

"Besides," said Mae. "Not EVERYONE has a secret kink or whatever. Some people just like normal sex."

Laura sucked in a breath through her teeth. "I wouldn't use the word 'normal' in this case." She said before Natalie could take further offense. "When it comes to intimacy between two people, there is no normal. I think that is what she's trying to say."

"And," I said feeling the need to lighten the mood. "I'll bet the people who deny it the most are the ones who bury their desires the most." I looked at Mae pointedly, intending it as a joke.

"That's right." Said Natalie matter-of-factly. "The harder they deny it, the juicier I know their desires are."

Mae was starting to look like she was about to get defensive and so did Ben an her behalf.

"I know I've got some juicy fantasies." I said quickly to try to defuse the situation. "And when I drink, I overshare, so here's the deal: every night, after dinner and a sufficient number of drinks, one of us will share our deepest sexual fantasy. None of us will judge the others and we will leave this trip with a deeper and more profound understanding of each other and ourselves.. I stood up. "Thus I have decreed! Now, I am going to pee and then go to sleep I am exhausted."

Without another word, I did just that. I think everyone else felt the same because when I exited the outhouse the girls were waiting in line behind me and Ben was already unzipping his tent and crawling inside.

******************************

The next day when I rambled out of bed, Natalie and Laura were already up making breakfast. By the time I sat down to eat around the fire Ben and Mae had joined us and we were all genially chatting about our plans for the day.

Once breakfast was cleaned up, I dressed and brushed my teeth. Mae wanted me to teach her to play horseshoes. As we ambled to the beach, Natalie and Laura were taking the canoe out onto the lake and Ben was pulling down one of the Kayaks.

The day passed quickly but lazily as we did whatever we felt like when we felt like it. No classes or scheduled work, just freedom.

Finally the sun was falling below the tree line and we began preparing supper. I was starting to feel like everyone had forgotten the night before since no one had mentioned a word of it. A knot in my stomach I didn't realize was there loosened.

After finishing our burgers but still passing bags of potato chips around, Laura set down her beer and said, "Ok, so who's first?" She rubbed her hands together in anticipation.

"Oh." Said Mae, "Are we actually doing that?" I could see that no one had forgotten and each person had been awaiting the after dinner time with a different set of emotions.

"Yes, I think we should." Said Natalie. "Should we roll a die to see who goes first or something?" the panicked look on Mae's face made it clear what she thought of that idea.

"Is there anyone who wants to go first?" I asked quickly.

After a brief silence Laura said, "Yes, I do want to go first."

"Ok then," I said, "You tell yours tonight and then when you finish, pick someone for tomorrow night and we will go one at a time like that until we have all gone. OK?" I looked around and everyone seemed to agree so I turned to Laura, "Whenever you're ready."