Part 7 Escape!
Morning - Celia awoke with a start. Where was she? Her heart was racing; she had been having the most extraordinary dream. She had been in the unusual situation of being chased by a unicorn, of all things, along a lonely beach; it had been gaining on her but then it wasn't a unicorn but a man, a naked man running but he still had the unicorn's horn in place of his penis.
Her breathing slowed; it had been just a dream but then it came to her, seeing lovely Natasha's head on the pillow beside her, that she was trapped, abducted to a beach house by the old man and his accomplices and the unicorn's horn and erect man were just so symbolic of Natasha and her predicament. There had been six erections the night before - how many penes might there be for her today?
She recalled the old man had said it was the last day of the 'holiday' - ha, some holiday, and then they would go home. Did he really mean that: were they going to be released? Was it all nearly over? But he had also mentioned a few visitors, 'some old friends' in for morning coffee and something to nibble. Celia had no illusion what the 'something' to nibble would be. How many 'old friends?' She was sure it would be an ordeal.
Breakfast seemed no different from the other days. In a way nice to sit in the sunshine with the sea across the sand and eat the cereals and fruit provided but, despite the chattiness of the old man, Natasha and she were worried. What was in store for them?
"You can have a little run down the beach and a swim if you like before our visitors arrive.
"How many will be coming?"
Celia saw the two minders glance at each other and smile. She knew with a sinking feeling a lot would be coming and, no doubt, 'coming' in or around Natasha and herself. It had been a silly word to use.
But it was good to get out of the house, good to run hand in hand with her friend down to the sea. Nice to stand talking, feeling a little away from the old man's influence, to talk of escape and reporting them all to the police; talking of what they would do together after it all was over, back at the university. Very together, was Celia's hope.
The sea was so calm, like the proverbial millpond.
Walking towards them along the margin between sea and sand was an old be-whiskered man, clearly a man of the sea He was seemingly beachcombing. Old faded blue jeans, dark salt stained blue cap and even a blue knitted jersey which, Celia thought, was perhaps an over precaution as the day was warming nicely. The girls watched him as he came closer, They were not surprised to see his interest change from the flotsam and jetsam along the beach to them.
"Hello," they said.
"Good mornin', fine mornin', fine mornin' indeed." His eyes darted from their faces downwards and then back again. His eyes under big eyebrows seemed to be squinting, at their edges a mass of wrinkles radiated betraying years of staring across the sea but the eyes were noticeably liquid and seemed to sparkle in the sun. Through his beard his lips were smiling and friendly. "About to take a dip? You seem dressed or," a bit of a wheeze of a laugh," undressed for it."
"We. we haven't swimming things. You see we're being held..."
"Well, I'm not saying I'm against the council's idea of a naturalists' beach..."
"Naturist," said Celia automatically.
"Ah, maybe, it's not as if I've not swum... didn't have swimmin' trunks with me half the time on board ship. Remember once we was anchored off this island in the South Seas waiting for... let's say a rendezvous and we went ashore in a rowin' boat much like the one yonder, to takes a look and stretch our legs and we all went swimmin' naked as you are now. Course we was all men."
Celia wondered about that. All men cooped up on a ship. She wondered whether the naked swimming had become rather 'frolicsome." A strange sight.
"Another time I was, let me recall..."
It was true, Celia thought, these old sea dogs did like to yarn.
"I was crewin' this yacht and the owner, millionaire and more you know, liked out o' port to dispense with clothes. He'd asked if I minded and course I'd said 'no.' Needed the work and I'd seen who his guests were and they were young and female. What I hadn't expected was he wanted us crew naked as well. Well, for the young lads that would ha' been decorative, perhaps, but I couldn't see the young ladies thinkin' much of an old grey like me sailin' the ship and climbin' the riggin,' such as it was, with me old tackle swingin' but..." Again the wheezing laugh. "Let's say I was not excluded from their shenanigans."
It was all rather a confidence about the old man's past. Celia rather suspected he was not just yarning but particularly enjoying trying to shock them. Such tales were hardly going to do that after their weekend's experiences!
"Well, best be gettin' on."
The girls watched the old man walking away towards an old rowing boat. They looked at each other and shook their heads. What a strange old boy!
"Shall we swim," asked Natasha.
"It's his boat," said Celia.
And it seemed the rowing boat was indeed his as he was pulling it down to the sea. As one the girls moved towards it.
"Oh, could we have a ride?"
"In me boat? Well, yes, yes if you like." He pulled it into the sea and stood holding it with his legs in the water. "Hop in."
The boat rocked as Natasha and then Celia got in. The old seaman pushed it a little further into the water and then with surprising agility for his age heaved himself in over the gunwale.
"Now girls you sits in the sternsheets - aft."
They settled themselves as the old boy fitted the oars into the rowlocks and sat down on the centre thwart and began to row, pulling the boat out into the sea.
Celia looked at Natasha, Natasha looked at Celia - surely they had escaped. Looking behind them and on the shore they could see the minders and the old man come out of the beach house and look towards them but, it seemed, there was nothing they could do. No other boat on the shore. No fast motor boat to catch them. They looked wonderfully impotent. Celia smiled to herself - she liked that idea.
The old seaman paused in his rowing, "How long a trip would you like, Miss?" He said as he pulled off his old blue pullover.
"Oh no!" Celia looked round at the man, "we don't want a round trip."
The man was looking a little downwards and certainly not back to the shore. Celia realised her leg were not exactly closed and he was, unsurprisingly, appraising her sex. She closed her legs tightly.
Celia wanted to tell the man about what had been happening but when she opened her mouth it wouldn't come out and probably, she thought, left her looking a bit fish like with her mouth open and silently closing. It was the old man's influence.
"Could... could we go to the harbour."
"The fishin' harbour?"
"Mmmm."
"Suppose so, but you're not dressed for shoppin' or much else 'sides... never mind."
The old seaman looked puzzled but after a bit he pulled to the left and brought the boat around parallel to the shore. His rowing was steady and fine.
They rowed on in silence for a time. Celia looked to the shore but there was no sign of Mr Levinson or the minders. She watched the water slipping past the boat and then looked more closely at the rowing boat itself. It was surprisingly tidy and there were various ropes so neatly coiled or tied that she had to comment. The old man became quite animated at their interest and talked about knots and rope work for quite a time. The old seaman certainly knew his trade.
"Hot work. Not that I'm not used to it, m'dears."
He unbuttoned his shirt and the girls could see he was sweating freely. If anything his rowing became a little stronger. Perhaps, thought, Celia it was a man thing - showing off to the girls. Certainly he was strong and from what she could see under his shirt he was more muscle than fat. When he removed his shirt Celia could see her appraisal was more than accurate, his arms bulged with strength and many a young man would have envied his torso if not the grey hairs and evidence of past misuse - not a few scars.
What rather surprised Celia and Natasha as well - Celia could see the surprise on her face. Was when the old seaman paused and started to undo his jeans.
"Seein' as you are all naked like, I don't see why I shouldn't join you. Better purchase on the thwart with naked buttocks, you know, less constricting and cooler. Give you somethin' to look at as well!" Again the wheezing laugh, "ha, some't to look at!"
In a way the girls did not know where to look. They had seen enough naked men, enough of men's tackle that weekend to last, well, a whole year at least, but there right before their eyes, was the old seaman naked but for his cap with his frog like penis and balls lying on his open thighs as he pulled on the oars. It kept catching the girls' eyes as it flopped from first one thigh, then to the other as the boat moved. Flip, flop, flip, flop. It was not little either. There was no hint of erection about it: it was just big when small, so to speak.
"About half way to the harbour. Why the harbour?"
Celia swallowed. Were they far enough from the old man's influence to speak?
"We've been kidnapped you see and..."
It all started to come out, their tongues seemed loosened, and they were telling the old seaman about their capture and what had happened to them. He shook his head and made tut-tutting noises.
But as they talked, as they described something of their experience both could see the old seaman was not unmoved. He might have been verbally sympathetic, probably was in reality in his mind sympathetic but the other part of him was finding the descriptions exciting - in a sexual way. The girls could not miss his penis sitting up and starting to look around.
"White slavers you think? Why I remember..."
"No, no, they said, the old man, Mr Levinson, said he was releasing us... releasing us today."
"And you believed him?"