Julie was a country girl. She knew it. She was also the daughter of the local minister. That she also knew. "And you the Minister's daughter" was a common refrain whenever she got into mischief. Not that she ever had much chance to get into mischief.
But she was eighteen now. In a few weeks, college would begin for the year and she'd be moving to the city to attend. She had to stay with her Aunt and Uncle, but she'd be in the city. The city, where there were places to go and things to do and see.
As opposed to this place. You couldn't even call it a one horse town, because they didn't have any horses. The only place she got to go to this week was to old Johanson's place to pick up some magazines that he thought the minister might like. And a fair old smirk he'd given her when he'd passed them over. The man was decidedly creepy.
Instead of going home through the town, or what there was of it, Julie cut through the woods, ambling home, bored out of her skull. She was just approaching her back yard when things took a turn for the better. At least, they took a turn. For better or worse she'd decide later.
A young man was approaching from the other direction. He brightened slightly on seeing her.
"Hi," he said. "I'm Paul."
"Hi, yourself," Julie said softly. "I'm Julie. I haven't seen you around before?"
She let the question lie there. He could answer or not as he chose. He chose yes. A pretty girl and a chance to chat and ease his boredom for a while.
"My parents have rented a place up here for a couple of weeks. They reckon I deserve a holiday before I go back to college next month. I'd rather they'd picked a place on the beach."
"College? I start college next month as well. I'm looking forward to it. It's going to be a complete change to living here."
"You'll enjoy it. It's great. You actually live here? How come you haven't died of boredom, already?"
Julie found herself bridling slightly. OK, it wasn't much of a place but it was her home town. She didn't need some stranger running it down.
"Oh, we keep busy," she said airily. "We're not exactly out of touch with the city, you know. We get all the latest magazines delivered and we're right up with what's going on where news and our hobbies are concerned."
She gestured with the small stack of magazines that Mr Johanson had given her.
Paul reached out and took the magazines to glance through them.
"These for your hobbies, are they?" he asked casually.
"Not the gun ones," said Julie, remembering the Shotgun & Rifle magazine that had been on top of the stack. "The others are mine."
"Naturalism?" said Paul with a note of surprise in his voice. "You're into naturalism?"
"Why not?" asked Julie defensively. What was wrong with studying nature, after all?
"Oh, no reason. I just didn't think you were the type."
"Well, you thought wrong then," said Julie, taking the magazines back. "It wouldn't hurt you to try it sometimes."
Then she took her first look at the naturalist magazine that was now on top of the pile, showing a naked couple walking hand in hand through the woods. Facing the camera, of all things. She froze for a second. Bloody Johanson. You dirty old man. And sending them over for her father to give away? You evil and dirty old man. And oh god. What had she just claimed to do? Take naked walks?
"It's good healthy exercise," said Julie, deciding that she would not make a fool of herself by backing down. She'd stick to her guns and damn what he thought.
"You mean that you just get undressed and take a walk in the woods when you feel like it?" asked Paul.
"Not exactly," said Julie, with a little laugh. "Some of the town people would be shocked at the very idea. No, we have to get a little privacy. We go into the woods and undress in a little clearing further in. Then we go for our walks. We keep our shoes on," she added.
"When you say we?" asked Paul.
"Oh, a couple of my girlfriends sometimes come along. One of their brothers has been a couple of times, too."
I can lie with the best of them, thought Julie smugly. We're not such unsophisticated hicks as he thinks. Well, we probably are, but he doesn't have to know it.
"When did you last go for a naturalist walk," asked Paul.
"Oh, a couple of weeks back. The weather hasn't really been suitable."