Annie and Roxana

Welcome Roxana! And welcome to Roxana’s friend. Doubly welcome, both of you! The tall young men stood impassive and unsmiling as they spoke these words. The couple continued to approach until they were near enough to feel the youths’ sweet breath upon their faces.

“We wish to impregnate the bold maidens who dare intrude upon our sacred isle. After this you must both return to your homes and never trouble us again. Surrender those naked and wholesome bodies to us or never leave this isle again!”

The two trembling girls laid down their willing young virgin bodies on the mossy ground and the shadow of the two strong youths blotted out the sky from their sight. After a heavenly interval, their lovers withdrew and once again stood above them in the same attitude as before.

“Go in peace, gentle pair. Take our blessings back to the world with you!”

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The two friends put their clothes back on after swimming back to the shore. Both were far too overcome by what had taken place on that lake island to be able to speak a word to each other!. They embraced again, once they had finished dressing and made back for the house.

Lady Foxcroft was looking very anxious until she saw the two come into sight and then she merely looked very angry.

“Where on earth have you two girls been all day? My God, Roxana, we’ve been worried absolutely sick about you both! And your hair, girls! Surely to goodness you haven’t been swimming in this weather! You must be absolutely barking mad, the pair of you! And I thought Annie was such a sensible girl! Any way, you’re safe! That’s what matters! Dinner will soon be ready. At least you both know how to be in time for the really important things in life!

Dinner was an enjoyable meal for Annie. Both of Roxana’s brothers and Lord Foxcroft were charming to her and quite put her at her ease. In time, even Lady Foxcroft lost her ill humour and the conversation became animated and enjoyable for all.

The evening was occupied by a mixture of desultory talk and watching the television, until the two girls made their excuses at around midnight and went up to bed together, their arms round each others’ shoulders.

Lord Foxcroft looked at their departing forms and turned to his wife.

“Annie is just as Roxy always said, my dear. Such a down to earth and sensible girl. What a mercy those two became friends. Just what our little darling needed to steady her!”

Lady Foxcroft nodded absently. She was not so sure, all of a sudden. In the morning she would have a talk to Annie!

As luck would have it, Annie was the first to come downstairs early next day and Lady Foxcroft was waiting for her.

“Where on Earth did you two get to for such a long time yesterday, my dear? We were all frantic with worry. You went out half dressed in that awful cold and were away for hours. Where did you get to?

“We swam over to the island in the lake” Annie knew this was a stupid thing to say, remembering what had happened there! It couldn’t have happened! She had examined herself before going to bed and she was still very much a virgin!

Lady Foxcroft looked furious. The she seemed to be striving to keep calm. Finally she smiled and motioned to Annie to be seated.

“Roxana was such a funny girl when she was little. She lived utterly in her own fantasy world and it got quite out of hand so that we became very frightened for her. She simply had no idea of boundaries between reality and her imaginary world. That’s why we sent her away to school. We wanted some sane influences brought to bear on her! When she started writing home about you, we were so relieved that she had a friend with her head screwed on the right way! That’s why I was so annoyed at your going along with Roxana’s silly fantasies last night.

“She grew out of all her others, but that ridiculous island nonsense never quite left her mind! I can’t say how frightened I was just now when you mentioned it. There is NO island in that lake, Annie. You must have both managed to swim right across. Let’s face it! In that fog, how would you have known!”

Annie mumbled some words to the effect that, of course, they must have swum right across. Then Roxana came down and the two friends kissed each other good morning.

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Breakfast was over and the friends were alone, walking down to the lake again. The fog had quite gone and Annie could see that there was, indeed, no island in the lake. They must have crossed it and swum all the way back. How, though? It was a bloody long way in those temperatures!

“Did we really swim to a non-existent lake, Roxana? I remember it all so well.”

Roxana angrily asked her friend what nonsense she thought she was talking - and then winked and grinned at her!

They clasped each other in their arms more fiercely and with more utter abandoned and joyous love than ever before. Annie remembered Roxana’s words on the Cross-Channel ferry, when she had said they were as close as any two people could ever hope to be and Roxana had replied “I hope so, my sweet, but we shall have to wait and see.”

These two supremely lucky people HAD waited and HAD seen. They were indeed so close that no two other people could ever be closer.

When you enter another person’s dream and it is so amazingly real. That really is getting close to someone!