Part 1: NOW...
The rain came down steadily that night. It had been coming down in heavy sheets almost two hours before. That's when it had caused the most damage. It had turned the cottage roads into obstacle courses with pools of water and large branches and debris strewn across the gravel and asphalt. Wise travellers would have avoided trying to push through such a torrent. But there would always be a few who had "no choice" or a "good reason" to challenge the elements. Some make it through just fine.
Some don't.
The old blue cube van had been pushed back just barely across the road's shoulder. It was only a few feet away from a water-filled sink hole that had formed during the storm, cutting off the secluded stretch of old country road for the evening. The grill of the van had branches and leaves sticking out of it, evidence of a challenge fought and lost to the aforementioned pool it was now looking at.
Inside the van, two people sat across from each other in the rear cargo area, staring at one another. Her name was Lena Kim, 22 year old senior trying to get home after aborting a trip to a cottage with a friend. His name was Marko Alves, 26 year old contractor also heading in the same direction coming from the same cottage. The van belonged to someone he sometimes considered a friend, a lot of the time he just considered him to be an obnoxious prick.
Lena and Marko had met at the cottage just earlier that afternoon but hadn't really spoken to one another that much while they were there. Somehow they ended up in the van driving for about an hour and a half before the storm had killed it. They'd been sitting in the unusually decorated interior of the van's cargo area, a couple of battery operated lights illuminating the compartment, for about an hour, the smell of alcohol lightly pervading the air. So really, they had known each other for maybe about 3 hours.
But the silence between them was thick now. Marko had a tight lipped smile on his rugged deep olive-skinned face. He focused his green eyes on Lena sitting on the floor across from him. She returned his gaze, but she didn't have a smile. Her long, smooth-featured face was very stoic. Her small, but full-shaped lips were just slightly pursed. But it was her dark eyes, angled with a smooth lid often associated with the "Oriental" look, that might have revealed what she was thinking as they watched the man seated across from her.
Marko cocked his head slightly, raised an eyebrow to her and broke the silence. "So?" he simply said.
Her lips seemed to tighten as she drew a deep breath. She said nothing.
For Marko, he took that as a signal to start moving slowly towards her. His eyes never left hers as he leaned forward and reached his hand out and touched the toes of her outstretched foot. Lena's eyes moved to his hand. She watched quietly as he proceeded to run his hand from her toes, across the top of her foot and then slowly up her smooth-shaved shin. He stopped at her knee. Her eyes were still on his hand but she didn't move, didn't protest. His smile deepened.
He slid his hand under her knee gently caressing the soft skin beneath it. He thought he felt her tremble ever so slightly. Then his warm hand slid up and out along her outer thigh. He shifted on his knees moving closer to her as he did.
Lena watched the man's hand as it rolled over her leg and then touched the tender flesh of her inner thigh. His hand was rough. It moved very slowly, deliberately upward towards her crotch. Her breathing intensified. She stole a quick glance up at Marko, saw that his eyes and his pleased smile was fixed on her, before returning her gaze to the hand, ever moving upward. It stopped at the bottom lip of her shorts.
Still there was no response from her. Marko moved in closer now, his body, his face almost next to hers. His fingers slid underneath the leg of her shorts, pushing the material higher up her tanned, sensitive thigh. Her mouth slipped open now. He heard her breathing, watched her chest rise. She started to twist her hips ever so slightly.
But still no protest.
His fingers touched the outline of the crotch of her panties, flicked at it, lifting it up but going no further. The material was so soft, so fine.
Now she looked at him, realized his face was an inch from hers. She gulped softly. Blood rushed to her cheeks.
"You can tell me to stop if you want." His voice was dry and husky as he said, "Go through or go back. Your choice."
Her brows angled down sharply. How had she gotten herself into this position with this guy?
************
Part 2: 8 HOURS BEFORE NOW...
Lena stepped out from the passenger side of the VW Beetle, pulling out her school bag. The look of concern on her face was noticeable only to her apparently as the driver, her friend Donna, stood on the other side of the vehicle with a very pleased look of her own.
"Thank God! Fresh air!" Donna declared running her hands through her short bobbed red hair. Then she stretched her arms out, soaking in the atmosphere of the cottage.
Lena was less enthused. "Why are there so many cars here?" she asked. Her voice was grim.
"Look at the trees! They're huge!" Donna went on, "The lake! Oh my god! The lake is sooo nice!"
"Why are there so many cars here?" Lena repeated. There were about 10 cars crammed into the clearing around the cottage.
"Well," Donna said, "I guess they belong to them."
Lena had already figured that all the people scattered on the dock by the lake and on the cottage porch and in the hot tub had something to do with the cars. That wasn't what she was asking.
"I thought it would just be 5 or 6 people from school. And girls only," Lena remarked.
Donna didn't hear her. The short, freckle faced young woman was scampering off towards the cottage. She met and hugged a blonde haired woman who had a can of beer in both of her hands. Arms crossed, Lena walked slowly towards them.
"Hey! Lena! You made it," the blonde said, "Welcome to Club Maureen!"
"Hey Maureen," Lena waved half-heartedly.
The blonde looked her over, "You've got to change your clothes, girl! It's so warm and perfect here!"
Donna had picked up Lena from a morning class. She wore full length black slacks and a button down blouse. It was a little warm and she felt a bit conspicuous. She intended to change at the cottage albeit what she brought was a bit more conservative than the bubble-gum pink bikini that the full-figured Maureen was sporting.
"Um, Maureen," Lena said, "What are all these people doing here?"
The blonde smirked and shrugged, "I guess word got out!"
Word got out about what? This was supposed to be a quiet girls' weekend Lena had thought. Actually she wasn't even supposed to be there. She didn't really know Maureen, she was Donna's friend. The only reason she came was at the request of Donna and she was already sceptical about how the weekend would turn out. Donna had broken up with her boyfriend, Tobin, a week ago and was still a bit of a mess. She had called Thursday night all blubbering and begging Lena to come with her to Maureen's cottage this weekend.
Lena went through her reasons for not coming. Donna countered. Lena had school work. Donna said she could do it at the cottage. Lena didn't like camping or rustic cottages. Donna insisted that the cottage was new with all amenities provided. Lena said she needed some peace and quiet, no distractions. Donna promised it'd just be a few people from school, all girls. Then Donna "please, please, pleased" her to death.
Inwardly, she should have known better. At best, this weekend would have been one long "Oprah" counselling session for Donna. On the 3 hour drive to the cottage, all Donna could do was bemoan her failures with Tobin. But Lena fell for the idea of relaxing by the lake or taking nature walks. She had to admit, she had been stressed for months now with school and other things. Her social life was shot. Once or twice while she holed up in her small apartment studying over the weekend, the dreaded "R" word came to mind. "Reclusive."
People were noticing it too and they all seemed bent on reminding her that she was "too everything" to be a shut in. She was too young. She was too pretty. She was too smart and personable. It was a waste for a person like her to be isolated. So before she started looking for a cat, she should do something about it.
Going to a quiet cottage and relaxing for the weekend, while still sneaking in a few study sessions, was a good way of "doing something about it".
So she was a little perturbed by "Club Maureen".
"Are all these people staying here?" Lena asked anxiously.
Maureen and Donna were downing their beers. The blonde swallowed and again shrugged, "I don't know. Maybe. Hey, its all good! The more the merrier! You want a drink?"
"Can we all fit?" Lena was incredulous. She looked at the cottage. It was big, but not that big,
Maureen was unfazed, "We have lots of room! People can share the bedrooms and we can spread out in the living room and game room..."
Lena's head spun from the porch to the dock. She was unconvinced and said, "There's like 20 people here." And guys, too.
Maureen was counting in her head, clicking off with her fingers. She smiled and said, "Actually 25."
Lena was about to say something else but a loud engine roared as a big, battered, blue van pulled up to the cottage "car park" and blared its horn.
The driver climbed out, a guy with brown spiked hair, and bellowed, "WOOOOOOOO! It's time to RUMMMMM-BLE!"
Another guy, dark tanned and short black wavy hair, came out of the passenger side looking a bit more subdued.
Make that 27 people.
Maureen and Donna squealed and charged at the driver. "Kirk!" they shouted in unison.
Lena sighed, fuming on the inside, and glared silently at the bouncing trio by the cars. She crossed her arms even more tightly.
Marko grabbed his bag from the back of the van and slung it over his shoulder. He didn't bother to join in on the revelry between Maureen, Donna and Kirk but he seemed to wince each time one of them shouted or screamed like a lunatic. He walked around the cars and then dropped his bag on the ground and pulled out a cigarette. He lit it and took a long, much needed drag. Blowing out the smoke, he squinted. 20 feet away, he saw a young woman just standing in the middle of the cottage grounds. She looked maybe Chinese or Korean. He'd say she looked attractive, almost exotic, but she had a stern face, her arms were crossed and she was dressed like a teacher. At first he thought she was staring at him but quickly realized her hard gaze went past him and was planted on the threesome by the van.
