The Stranger in the woods
1
Emma Pinkerton never married. Not because she didn't want to or had no interest in forming long-lasting relationships, over the years she had had quite a few short affairs but nothing seemed to come of them, there was no fire between her and anyone else and at fifty-two Emma was resigned to the fact that she may never find the right person to spend her life with. There were some regrets at not finding the right man apart from companionship and closeness, Emma always wanted children - her maternal instinct was still very strong and she would watch children playing in the park or sitting in a cafe with their parents, making lots of mess with complete innocence - a loving family unit which she always felt was missing from her life.
But that said Emma liked living alone, it gave her freedom and autonomy - she was able to cook what she wanted as well as come and go as she pleased. Life was good with no ties. Although being her own personal chef meant she was heavier than she liked, she wasn't round but voluptuous in every way and as she had been told by many people - a very attractive woman with curves in all the right places - the curves were just bigger than she wanted.
Emma was always prepared on the off-chance that the right man would come along, with drawers full of feminine underwear and perfumes filling her bathroom cabinet. Every now and then when she was feeling sexually charged and usually after she had shaved and scraped all the hairs from her body, she would stand in front of her full-length mirror trying on her unused expensive underwear as a reminder to herself that she was a woman that men would find beautiful. The evening usually ended with her multi-speed lover, taking her from climax to climax, buzzing gently on her clit and slipping inside for other sensual delights.
Occasionally Emma's sexual urges were satisfied when a ballet was shown on BBC2, not that she enjoyed ballet but she really liked to watch the male dancers stretching and leaping. Something about their muscular thighs and perfectly round bulges did something to her in a primal way, although this was a complete secret, she could never tell anyone else about her 'ballet porn'. A couple of years back she saw a ballet on TV called Spartacus, not really knowing anything about the ballet she was glued to the screen, the main dancer spent most of the time wearing a leather loincloth and nothing else - ballet tights were lovely but a dancer without them - yes please she mused.
Emma fell asleep that evening massaging and caressing herself, fantasising about that hard-bodied dancer seducing her; her hands running over those taut arms and chest, the feel of his soft leather garment pressing against her body, her fingers exploring and making him naked...oh my God, Emma came over and over as her imagination took it to new heights.
As for Emma's work, it took her nowhere at all apart from the odd trip into London for a briefing, being a freelance illustrator for Dorling Kindersley and also being extremely good at what she did meant Emma could work from home, a small idyllic cottage she had lived in for over ten years with an acre of wooded land surrounding it, nestling in the heart of Oxfordshire. Life was good, but also quite lonely sometimes.
But Emma's life was about to change.
2
One of the loveliest things Emma felt about her home was the large wooded area surrounding her cottage - it was all hers, so much inspiration for illustrations. She would take her sketchbook and some pens out and sit, lost in her own world. She would sketch wildlife and plants to use at a later date - her friends asked why she didn't take photos with her phone but that just seemed far too instant and anyway, you only really see things when you look properly and drawing made that happen.
On this particular evening, while walking through the woods Emma saw something ahead in a clearing, for a moment a stream of fear ran through her - a person standing looking at her but not moving. As she moved cautiously closer she saw it was a young man. 'Hello, can I help you? This is my garden, are you lost? 'There was no answer, he just looked calmly but blankly at her. The young man was dressed oddly too, Emma thought he must be a college student on his way to a party. He was wearing what looked like a white knee length toga made of cotton tied at the waist with a shiny black sash and leggings made of what looked like plastic or rubber - definitely a student thing, Emma thought. She repeated her question again but with no answer.
Emma stood looking at the young man and was struck by how beautiful he was, slim body and limbs but with a dancer's look about them (oh, those dancer's again) - there was a look of strength in them but without the defined muscles. His arms were bare from the shoulders so Emma could see he must be about eighteen - twenty at the most. His skin was milky white and unblemished, his face smooth with full lips and a mop of light brown hair, and those eyes were of a striking green she had never seen before.
He did look a bit lost and something about him looked a bit well, simple. Emma thought this was a cruel joke to play on a fellow student, dressing him up and leaving him in the woods to freeze, although it wasn't really that cold. 'Are you alright? Let's get you indoors to warm up.' Emma said. Again, there was no reply, the young man stood and looked around at the trees calmly. 'I'm Emma, are you okay - can I call someone for you?' There was still that blank expression on his face and again he didn't answer, Emma was a bit shocked when the young man took her hand as a child would and smiled. 'Oh, right...erm, let's get you inside then.' She smiled nervously and led him back to the cottage.