The Wild, Part Seven

Michelle woke up to the call of nature. Samantha was snuggled against her, and she was reluctant to get up, but the pressure on her bladder was insistent. Careful not to wake up Samantha, she slipped out of bed.

The fire had died down overnight, and the cabin was chilly, so Michelle took a second to put a couple of sticks on the fire. She glanced at her clothes on the floor, then decided against getting dressed. She’d only be outside for a minute, then she’d be right back in Samantha’s arms.

Snagging the toilet paper, she headed outside to find herself a tree to lean against. It was still early morning, and she shivered as the cool air outside the cabin found her naked body. As goosebumps broke out on her arms and legs, she regretted not taking the time to get dressed.

“I just need to pee,” Michelle said, out loud as she stepped to the side of the cabin to do her business. She bent her knees and put her back to a tree, sighing with relief as the pressure on her bladder was released.

There was a snap of a twig to her left and Michelle’s head snapped in that direction. Her heart beating faster, she called, “Blue?”

Her answer came in the form of a noise that was part grunt and part growl and Michelle knew it wasn’t Blue. Her heart sank as she recognized the vocalization. It was noise she hoped never to hear in person and definitely not less than twenty feet away.

Oh God, a bear, Michelle said, suddenly glad her bladder was already empty. Her fear was confirmed as massive grizzly bear poked its head around the back of the cabin. As their eyes met across the distance of fifteen feet or so, Michelle froze in panic.

The bear just stared at her a long moment, as if surprised to see this naked bit of snack still leaning against the tree.

“Shit,” Michelle said, under her breath as she straightened up.

Her movement seemed to anger the bear, and it made a noise that would surely haunt Michelle’s dreams the rest of her life. Assuming, of course, she lived long enough to have another dream. The bear roared at her, saliva flying from its gaping mouth.
Michelle froze, again, afraid any more movements would bring the bear’s wrath down upon her. Without moving her head, she looked around. She couldn’t see anything around her that would do any good if the bear attacked.

Painfully aware that she was naked and completely defenseless, Michelle wished she had taken the time to get dressed. She knew it was kind of an inane thought- what would a pair of jeans and a shirt do against the wicked looking teeth and claws on the bear. Still, being naked made her feel utterly helpless.

“Babe, are you out here?” Samantha called coming around the side of the house. Michelle’s stomach dropped as she saw the girl. The situation had just gotten infinitely worse.
Samantha had at least had the presence of mind to grab her spear. Michelle wished she had her bow, even though she doubted it had enough draw strength to do any real damage against the bear’s hide.

“Get out of here!” Michelle said, her voice low and shaky with fear. Her stomach sank even lower as she saw the girl didn’t hear her.

“What?” Samantha called, coming closer.

The bear turned its massive head in Samantha’s direction, bellowed at her. Samantha jerked and stared at the beast. She turned and ran back the way she came. Michelle watched in horror as the bear bounded after her, moving impossibly fast for a creature so big. Samantha slipped on the wet grass as she tried to make the turn at the corner of the house. She didn’t go down, but she lost enough momentum that the bear caught up with her.

Michelle screamed as the bear swatted Samantha, sent her flying like a rag doll. Made stupid by fear of the girl being hurt, Michelle ran toward the bear. Startled, the bear backed off, then reared up in a display of aggression. Michelle ignored it, going to where Samantha lay crumpled on the ground. She almost fainted when she saw blood on Samantha’s hip and abdomen. The girl wasn’t moving, just sprawled there in a crumpled mess of limbs.

The bear bellowed at her and Michelle jerked. She had almost forgotten about the bear. Shaking off the horror of seeing her girlfriend on the ground, Michelle looked at the grizzly. She could see in its eyes that this ordeal was far from over. Spotting the spear Samantha had dropped, Michelle scooped it up. She circled away from Samantha, hoping to draw the bear’s attention away from the girl. She was both relieved and terrified as the animal’s eyes tracked her.

Great plan, Michelle, she thought, sarcastically, you have its undivided attention.

Michelle didn’t know what good the spear would be against the bear, but it was all she had. Holding the spear low, she figured if she had to use it she’d be jabbing it upwards. She held her ground, wanting to run but knowing it would only incite the grizzly to attack. Even when the bear edged closer, she didn’t move.

Making that grunting-growling noise, again, the bear charged. It covered ground so fast that Michelle barely had time to react. She thrust the spear forward, got lucky and hit the bear in the face. She doubted she did a lot of damage, but it was enough for the bear’s attack to falter. It cried out in pain and jerked back in shock. Surprise became anger, and the bear reared up and roared at her.

Michelle’s nerve broke, and she took a step backward. Her foot slipped into a depression in the ground, and she cried out as she lost her footing. Like a damsel in horror movie, she fell at the worst possible moment, exposing herself to the bear. Seeing her vulnerable on her back, the bear pounced on her.

Adrenaline was an amazing thing. Michelle managed to roll aside just in time, the bear’s full weight crashing down where she had just been. She scrambled backward as the bear took a swing at her. Its claws passed close enough that she felt it’s fur brush against her skin. The bear roared at her as she continued to half crab-walk, half slide away. It reared up again, preparing for a fatal strike.

A flurry of barks and growls from the porch drew the bear’s attention. Michelle looked past the bear and saw Blue with her ears laid back and her hackles raised. The wolf challenged the bear, which infuriated it. Still on its hind legs, the bear issued its own challenge to Blue.

Fumbling in the tall grass, Michelle found the spear. Distracted by Blue, the bear had forgotten about Michelle temporarily. Sitting up, she rammed it as hard as she could into the bear’s chest. The spear bit into its hide and the bear let out a startled cry of pain. On its hind legs, the bear stumbled back a few steps. Michelle saw blood on the tip of her spear.
The animal looked at her with pure rage in its eyes, and Michelle knew what it was about to do. Time seemed to slow down, and she had time to think, had just enough to remember a documentary she had seen about primitive hunting.

She jammed the butt of the spear into the earth, braced it at an angle with her body and prayed the documentary hadn’t been full of shit. The bear pounced on her in a rage at being hurt, just like she had known it would. She aimed the tip of the spear at its heart and closed her eyes. If her death was coming, she didn’t want to see it. The spear jerked out of her hands as the animal’s full weight slammed into it. Her eyes sprang open, and she saw the bear’s rage turn to panic as it’s momentum pushed the spear deep into its chest. It yelped in pain as it slipped down the spear. Michelle scrambled out of the way before it landed on her.

Having a sharpened stick in its chest took the fight out of the bear. It got unsteadily to its feet, looked like it meant to run away, but only took a couple of steps before falling again. It seemed disoriented, couldn’t stand. The bear was wheezing, and Michelle thought the spear had pierced its lung.

Blue darted in and tore the bear’s throat out in a savage twist of her head. The bear was already dying- Blue had just shown it mercy, hastened its death.

“Samantha?” Michelle said, her voice barely a whisper. On wobbly legs, Michelle walked over to her girlfriend. The world blurred as she started to cry. Sinking to her knees, she found her voice and said, “Samantha! Babe, answer me.”

“Jesus,” Samantha said, in pain, “I feel like I got hit by a truck.”

A startled laugh escaped Michelle, and she hugged the girl. She heard Samantha cry out in pain, let go of her. Concerned, Michelle met Samantha’s eyes.

“I think it broke my rib,” Samantha said, wincing, “ribs, maybe.”

“You are bleeding,” Michelle said, sick to her stomach.

“It scratched me, is all,” Samantha said, managing a smile for Michelle, “it bitch slapped me.”

“Um, let’s get you inside and see how bad it is,” Michelle said.

“The bear? Is it dead?” Samantha asked, hissing in pain as she turned to look at the fallen animal.

“Yeah,” Michelle said.

With a smile, Samantha said, “You are officially a bad ass. You killed a bear with a stick.”

Laughing, Michelle kissed her, said, “God, it’s good to hear you making jokes.”

“I’m a little banged up, but I’ll live,” Samantha said, wincing.

“I might be a bad ass, but you are one tough broad,” Michelle said, making Samantha laugh.

The laughter made Samantha’s face pinch in pain, and she said, “Don’t make me laugh.”

Michelle helped Samantha to her feet. Samantha didn’t need assistance getting back to the house, but she was very careful not to move from the waist up. Michelle knew her girlfriend was in a good deal of pain and she wanted to kill the bear all over, again.

Blue walked beside Samantha, mewling miserably. Samantha took the time to stoop and scratch her behind the ears, even though it clearly hurt to do so. Blue looked at Michelle, her eyes full of concern. Michelle already loved the wolf, but that look made her love Blue even more.

“She’s going to be okay, Blue,” Michelle said.

They made it inside, and Samantha sat gingerly on the unused bed. Michelle got some water on to boil so that she could sterilize one of the unused sheets. Now that she wasn’t in panic mode, the cuts on Samantha’s side didn’t look as bad as before. Still, she needed to clean them out really good. An infection could be deadly all the way out here.

Michelle knelt in front of Samantha, met her eyes then hesitated. Sighing, she said, “Babe… I need to see if your ribs are broken. It’s… It’s going to suck.”

Samantha nodded, chewing on her lip. She lifted her arm and held her breath. Michelle looked at the skin on her rib cage already starting to discolor, and she almost couldn’t do it. She knew her examination was going to hurt Samantha like hell.

“It’s okay,” Samantha said, smiling at her, “just do it.”

Nodding, Michelle probed the girl’s ribs as gently as she could. The ribs felt intact to her untrained fingers. She thought they were probably just bruised, or cracked at worst. Samantha would be in plenty of pain but should be able to get around some in a couple of days.

“Not broken, then,” Samantha said, not waiting for Michelle’s prognosis.

“I don’t think so, no,” Michelle said.

“Still hurts like crazy,” Samantha said, grimacing.

Michelle smiled at her, said, “You got swatted by a grizzly bear. It’s supposed to hurt.”

Samantha started to laugh, then regretted it, “Shit!”

“Sorry. Didn’t mean to make you laugh,” Michelle said.

“They say laughter is the best medicine,” Samantha said, shaking her head, “but not with a bruised rib.”

Laughing, Michelle kissed her, then got up to cut the sheet into bandages. When the water started to bubble, she put the ribbons of cotton into the water, held them down with a wooden spoon they had found. When they stayed under on their own, she set the spoon aside and pulled the little first aid kit out of Samantha’s bag. Opening it, she saw a small aerosol bottle of antiseptic along with a tube of antibiotic ointment. Nothing fancy but probably enough to keep Samantha’s wounds from getting infected.

She let the strips of sheet go for a couple of minutes, then fished them out. She hung most of them up to dry. Hot fingering one of them, she knelt in front of Samantha, again. Meeting her girlfriend’s eyes, she said, “This is going to sting like hell.”

Samantha nodded, gritting her teeth. Michelle offered the girl her free hand, and Samantha took it gratefully. Samantha hissed through her teeth as Michelle started cleaning the gashes on her side. Blood started flowing again as Michelle disturbed the wounds, but not too bad. None of the cuts looked bad enough to need stitches.
For two girls who had just survived a grizzly attack, they were in pretty good shape, Michelle decided.

As Michelle applied the antiseptic spray on the wounds, Samantha asked, “Why was the bear so close to the camp?”

Michelle thought about it then wanted to kick herself. She hadn’t buried the dried fish they threw out or the bits of boar guts Blue hadn’t wanted. She had forgotten, and Samantha had paid the price. Meeting the girl’s eyes, she said, “I didn’t bury the fish and boar scraps.”

“Oh,” Samantha said, then frowned, “I thought you were just paranoid at our last camp when you buried the rabbit fur and bones.”

“Not paranoid enough this time,” Michelle said, talking Samantha’s hand, “I’m sorry, Love.”

Samantha kissed her, said, “Hush up with that sorry nonsense. It was just bad luck. We’ve been lucky so far, so I guess we were due for a bump in the road.”

“This bump could have been avoided,” Michelle said, then sighed, “I think we’ve been getting a little too comfortable, let our guard down.”

“The bear was a reminder, huh?” Samantha said, reading Michelle’s mind.

“Something like that,” Michelle said, kissing her, “we need to be more careful.”

“Okay,” Samantha said, standing up.

“Where are you going?” Michelle asked.

“To pee,” Samantha said, then grinned at Michelle, “you’d think I’d have taken care of that when the bear was chasing me, but I still have to go.”

————————————–

Sitting on the porch step, Michelle was staring at the dead bear. She needed to do something about it before it could attract more scavengers. The problem was, it was huge, easily five or six times bigger than her. It was just her guess, but she figured it was around six hundred pounds of muscle, fat, and fur. Doing anything with the carcass would be a chore, especially since she couldn’t expect much help from a banged up Samantha.
Samantha appeared in the doorway of the cabin, her hand on her bruised side. Michelle glanced back at her, said, “I’m trying to psych myself up for it.”

“That is a lot of bear,” Samantha said, coming over to where Michelle sat. Very gingerly, she lowered herself to Michelle’s side. Putting her head on Michelle’s shoulder, she said “Could you take some photos of it before you… Do whatever you are going to do to it?”

“Yeah,” Michelle said, smiling at her, “no one would believe us if we don’t have photographic evidence.”

“Or a bear skin rug,” Samantha said, jokingly.

It had been a joke, but it got Michelle to thinking. What a memento it would be, having the bearskin. Chewing on her lip, she looked at the hulking animal, trying to decide if the effort was worth the reward.

“What are you thinking about?” Samantha asked, looking at her.

“Your bear skin rug idea,” Michelle said, smiling at her.

“I was just joking,” Samantha said.

“I know,” Michelle said, kissing her, “I think I’m going to do it, anyway. It’ll give me something to do while you recover.”

 

“Do you know how?” Samantha asked.

“Yes,” Michelle said, then changed her mind, “in theory, yes. My dad showed me how to tan a raccoon hide once.”

Smiling at her, Samantha said, “That’s a really big raccoon.”

Michelle laughed and said, “Tell me about it. I’m not even sure how I’m going to get it on its back to skin it.”

“I can help a little,” Samantha said, then added when Michelle gave her a dubious look, “I said a little.”

“Let me think about it for a little bit; maybe I can come up with something,” Michelle said, giving Samantha a kiss, “I don’t want you to hurt yourself.”

“Okay,” Samantha said, then sat up a little straighter, “there is a come-along out back. I don’t know what kind of shape it is in, though.”

“Really?” Michelle asked, hopeful. Blinking in surprise, Michelle asked, “You know what a come-along is?”

“All cheerleaders do,” Samantha said, with a straight face.

“Really?” Michelle asked, unsure if the girl was messing with her or not.

“No, not really,” Samantha said, laughing.

“I can’t believe I fell for that,” Michelle said, shaking her head.

“It’s near the smoker, on one of the skinning racks,” Samantha said, carefully getting to her feet, “I’m going to warm up some of the boar meat.”

“Sounds good,” Michelle said.

“Do me a favor?”

“Anything,” Michelle said.

“Keep Blue with you,” Samantha said, looking pointedly at the bear.

Laughing, Michelle said, “Got it.”

Michelle watched the girl disappear inside, then said to the wolf, “You heard her. You are with me, Blue.”

Blue got to her feet and followed Michelle around the house to the back. Michelle was glad the wolf was there as she looked for the come-along. She found it right where Samantha said it was, getting excited when she saw it was a heavy duty rope model. There were a couple of coils of rope, as well, but they didn’t seem very usable. Still, Michelle figured the owner’s of the cabin had kept rope and come-along back here for the same reason she needed it- to hoist game up.

She wondered if they had ever hoisted a grizzly with it.

Looking at it closer, she saw that Mother Nature had not been kind to the come-along. The ratcheting mechanism was rusted, nearly seized. She rubbed some spit in the gears, hoping a little lubrication would loosen it. Working the handle a few times, she sighed with relief when its motions smoothed out. It still was a bit hard to work the handle back and forth, but it was better. She hoped it would continue to loosen up as she used it.

With the come-along in hand, she walked back around to the front of the house. Standing next to the bear, she looked for the closest tree with a limb that might take the bear’s weight. It was about twenty feet away, and the branch was another fifteen feet in the air. She was trying to do the math in her head to see if she had enough rope.

A little sheepishly, Michelle realized her math teacher was right- she did need to know geometry, after all. When she made it out of here, she would owe Mrs. Davis an apology.
She didn’t think she had enough rope to get the bear in the tree in one pass. She’d have to winch the bear closer to the tree, first. Leaving the come-along next to the bear, she went inside to grab the rope. Samantha had the boar on to cook, and Michelle’s mouth started watering at the delicious aromas coming out of the pan her girlfriend was stirring.

“Another couple minutes and it’ll be ready,” Samantha said.

“Okay,” Michelle said, forgetting about the rope as she went to Samantha’s side. Putting her arm around the girl’s waist, she looked in the pot. Her stomach gurgled as she inhaled deeply.

Samantha smiled at her, said, “Smells delicious, doesn’t it? I think this is some of the belly meat.”

“Smells like bacon,” Michelle said.

“I know, right,” Samantha said, pulling the pot off the stove, “I think this is ready.”

Samantha put the pot on the little fold-up table, then sat carefully in one of the chairs. Michelle saw the girl grimace and wanted to do something. There wasn’t much she could do, though. Samantha just needed some time to recover. Michelle had to remind herself that a little discomfort was nothing compared to what could have happened. She felt a little sick to her stomach as she saw the bear swipe at her girlfriend, again.

“You aren’t eating,” Samantha said, meeting Michelle’s eyes.

“Um, yeah,” Michelle said, picking up her fork. Her hand was shaking so bad she had to put it back down.

Samantha took Michelle’s hand, squeezed it. She waited for Michelle to look up, said, “I’m fine.”

“I know,” Michelle said, swallowing hard, “it’s just… When the bear was chasing you… then you were on the ground and I- I… I thought you were dead.”

“I’m not, Baby,” Samantha said, squeezing her hand, “you saved me.”

Tears streaming down her cheek, Michelle leaned across the table to kiss the girl. She wiped her eyes as she pulled back, said, “Sorry. I guess what just happened really sank in.”

“It’s okay,” Samantha said, smiling at her.

Michelle took a deep breath, wiped her eyes again, then offered Samantha a sheepish smile. Samantha laughed at her embarrassment and leaned in for a kiss. It was a tender, loving kiss that made Michelle feel better. Pulling back, she met Samantha’s eyes, said, “I love you so much.”

There were tears in the corners of Samantha’s eyes as she said, “I love you, too.”

When Michelle picked up her fork again, her hand wasn’t shaking anymore.

———————————

Michelle cut a length of rope to secure the come-along to the tree. Looking from the bear to the limb, she wished she could do this in one pass, but she knew she didn’t have enough rope. Going to the bear, she secured one end of the rope to the animal’s hind legs. She double checked her knot, then headed back to the come-along. She fed the other end of the rope through the ratcheting mechanism of the come-along, pulled it snug.

Taking a deep breath, she worked the handle on the come-along. She groaned when she realized she had only moved the rope a couple of inches and the bear not at all. After working the handle back and forth with relative ease half a dozen times, it suddenly got a lot harder to crank. The bear finally moved, if just barely.

“This is going to suck,” Michelle said, rethinking the whole idea.

She glanced at the cabin, saw her girlfriend sitting on the front step with Blue. The girl saw her looking and waved. Waving back, Michelle made up her mind. She turned back to the come along and started cranking the handle back and forth.

Even with the temperature was in the low sixties, she was soon sweating from exertion. Still, the bear was closer to the tree and was getting near the point she thought it would be close enough to switch up her rope configuration.

Samantha appeared at her side, holding out the metal thermos. Smiling at her, Michelle took a long pull of cool water, sighing. It hit the spot, and she felt revitalized.

“You are all sweaty,” Samantha said.

“This is harder than I thought it would be,” Michelle said, then laughed, “and I thought it was going to be hard as hell.”

“You don’t have to do this for me,” Samantha said.

“We have to do something with the bear, anyway,” Michelle said, then grinned at the girl, “besides I was hoping to get lucky on a bearskin rug.”

Samantha favored her with a sexy smile and gave her a kiss before saying, “Well, you better get back to work, then.”

Her heart beating a little faster because of that smile, Michelle took one more drink from the thermos and handed it back to Samantha. With the promise of that smile as motivation, Michelle returned to ratcheting the come-along with renewed vigor, only stopping when she thought she had the bear close enough to loop the rope over the branch.

She removed the end from the come-along, tied a piece of wood to it for some weight, then flung the rope over the limb. Or more accurately, tried to. She missed her mark a half dozen times before she finally managed to get the rope where she needed it.

Feeding the rope back into the come-along, Michelle started cranking the handle, again. Her shoulders were already starting to burn, but she didn’t want to quit until she had the bear in the air. The thought of Samantha naked on their new bear skin rug was all the motivation she needed to keep working through the discomfort.

When the bear’s hind legs were off the ground, Michelle stopped and reconsidered her strategy. When the bear had reared up, it had been taller than her by more than a foot. If she waited until the bear was all the way off the ground, she wouldn’t be able to reach the fur on its back legs.

With some of its weight suspended in the air, Michelle was able to maneuver the bear onto its back. Looking at the now supine animal, she reconsidered dressing it in the ground instead of the air. She thought it might be easier to skin it like this, just hoisting it up a little at the end to remove the skin completely.

Michelle picked up the survival knife, then looked at the bear. She figured the technique should be the same for a raccoon and a grizzly, even if the scale of things was a bit bigger on the latter. Chewing on her lip, she figured she could cut from the chin to tail, down each leg, then around at the wrists and ankles.

“I guess they are called wrists on a bear,” Michelle said out loud, looking at the bear’s massive front paws.

Feeling eyes on her, Michelle looked around. She spotted Samantha standing on the porch, with her camera out. She was filming Michelle. Dropping the knife, Michelle walked over to her, said, “I already took a bunch of pictures.”

“I know,” Samantha said, kissing her, “just want a video of my girlfriend skinning a bear.”

Snorting, Michelle said, “Did you ever expect to say something like that with a straight face?”

Samantha laughed, then looked like she wished she hadn’t. Holding her side, she said, “Stop making me laugh.”

Michelle grinned at her, said, “Sorry.”

Leaving Samantha on the porch, Michelle walked back to the bear. She hesitated, not sure where to begin. Trying to skin the bear seemed like a daunting task, especially since she needed to do it in a hurry. She wanted to get what she could off the bear, then figure out how to dispose of the carcass before it could draw more trouble their way. She’d like to get all of that done before nightfall, but she thought that was a pretty tall order.

She decided to start at the bear’s already torn throat, slipping her fingers into the wound to lift the skin away from the muscle. Part of her wished she could keep the head and claws attached, but she knew these would be problem areas. They were the hardest parts to skin and tan, required a lot of work to get them supple. She decided to take the easy route, instead and just skin the torso and legs of the bear.

It turned out, trying to skin a bear was the exact opposite of skinning a rabbit. As easy as the rabbit had been, the bear fought her the whole way. She had to stretch the skin away from the muscle, cutting the white connective tissue as she went. It didn’t take long until she was sweating, again. She had to stop a couple of times and walk away for a minute as some of the tricky parts frustrated her nearly to tears.

The sun was past its highest point in the sky and starting its descent into darkness when she finally managed to free the pelt from all four legs and the torso save for a strip on its back that she couldn’t get to with the bear still on the ground.

With the come-along, she hoisted the bear up until only its head still touched the ground. She finished what she had started, completely liberating the pelt. It had been such a battle to get it off the bear, she let out a whoop of delight when it was finally done.

Samantha appeared in the doorway, saw the now naked bear. Coming over, she asked, “Are you done?”

Laughing sourly, Michelle said, “Not even close. I still have to flesh it, tan it, work the hell out of it to soften it up, then smoke it. There is still two or three more days of work left.”

“Oh,” Samantha said, then smiled at her, “maybe my ribs will be good enough by then that we can fool around on it.”

“Take your time recovering,” Michelle said, then laughed, “besides, I’m going to need a couple of days to regain my strength after this. My shoulders and back are on fire.”

“Well,” Samantha said, stepping close to kiss her, “I’ll rub you down tonight, when you are done. I’m probably not as good as you at back rubs, though.”

“I’m sure it’ll be heaven,” Michelle said, stealing another kiss, “but now… I’m going to clean this up a bit, then put it up for later. Do you feel up to starting to get some meat off this thing?”

“Um, I’ll try,” Samantha said, then asked, “Is bear good to eat?”

“Don’t know,” Michelle said, smiling, “I guess we are eating Smokey tonight.”

———————————–

Michelle stretched the pelt out on the cabin floor, fur side down. Using a flat stone with a bit of sharp edge she had found near the river, she began to scrap the bits of tissue and fat away from the skin. Ideally, she needed to remove everything so the skin would absorb her tanning solution. This had been a chore on the raccoon she had tanned, and the bearskin was easily ten-fifteen times the size.

She and Samantha had cut probably two hundred pounds of meat off the bear, loading down the smoker out back. There was still plenty of meat on the bear, but they had already exceeded the limits of what they could realistically carry with them when they left. Between the boar and the bear, they had enough to eat like kings while Samantha recovered and still have enough to stuff their backpack for the walk.

As she scraped, Michelle tried to decide what to do with the rest of the bear. Other than the head, they had gotten everything they needed off of it. She had to figure out a way to dispose of the carcass before it started attracting more scavengers. The problem was, even missing a couple of hundred pounds, the bear still outweighed her by three hundred pounds or more. Moving it would be impossible without the come-along and, even then, a chore.

She thought about burying it, but that would require a giant hole. It would have to be deep enough for the carcass to be covered by at least a couple of feet of earth. Thinking about how much work making the in-ground bathtub had been- and she’d need an even bigger hole this time- with the little camp shovel, she decided against it.

“Have you figured out what to do about the bear?” Samantha asked, kneeling beside her. She was using a stone similar to Michelle’s on another section of the pelt.

“I’m thinking about burning it,” Michelle said.

“Won’t the smell attract animals?” Samantha asked.

“Probably,” Michelle said, sighing, “but I don’t see any better options. The bear is too big to move and too hard to bury. Hopefully, the fire won’t leave anything for the scavengers to pick over.”

“We’ll just have to be careful when we leave the cabin,” Samantha said.

“Yeah,” Michelle said.

Changing the subject, Samantha said, “So… After we get all the gunk off, what’s next.”

Michelle laughed, said, “The really disgusting part.”

“This isn’t the disgusting part?” Samantha asked.

“No,” Michelle said, smiling at her, “I have to figure out how to get Smokey’s brain out of his thick skull.”

“Why?” Samantha asked, pausing in her scraping to look wide-eyed at Michelle.

“Because I’m going to do something called a brain tan on this bad boy,” Michelle said.

“Brain tan?” Samantha asked.

“We don’t have the luxury of barrels and a month or so to make real leather, so we are going to do the next best thing,” Michelle said, wiping sweat from her brow, “most animals have enough tannin in their brains to tan their own hides.”

“Do I dare ask how that works?” Samantha asked, with a sour look on her face.

“I wouldn’t recommend it,” Michelle said.

Samantha looked at her for a long moment, then said, “Shit. Tell me.”

“You really want to know?” Michelle asked.

“I’m going to find out soon enough, anyway,” Samantha said.

“Alright,” Michelle said, sitting her scraper aside, “you take the gray matter and some water, mash it all together in a slurry. You rub down the pelt with the brain water, really work it into the skin, then let it set for a couple of days.”

“Really?” Samantha said, then shook her head, “who was the crazy person who figured that out?”

Michelle laughed, “I don’t know. It works though.”

“I mean, did he have some brains laying around?” Samantha asked, shaking her head, “let me rub these brains on this animal skin and see what happens?”

“You’ll have to ask my dad if he knows how it was discovered,” Michelle said, then gave Samantha a curious look, “why do you assume it was a man who figured it out?”

“Do you really think some woman decided to rub brain goop on an animal skin?” Samantha asked, dubiously.

“You’d be surprised how creative a woman can be when presented with a problem,” Michelle said.

“I know,” Samantha said, smiling at her, “I’ve seen you kill a bear with a stick and make a bathtub with a shovel. I’d say that’s pretty creative.”

Unable to resist, Michelle smiled at her girlfriend and said, “And look how creative you got with your Sharpie. I’ve only ever used them as a marker, but you…”

Samantha gave her a dirty look, said, “You are hilarious.”

“Too bad you are all banged up,” Michelle said, her smile turning playful, “we are going to have a lot of free time on our hands while you recover. We could put your Sharpie to good use.”

“I could probably still manage,” Samantha said.

Giving her girlfriend a dubious look, Michelle said, “I’ve seen what happens when you come…”

“I can live with a little pain if it means having an orgasm,” Samantha said, blushing when Michelle started laughing, “don’t judge me.”

“I’m not,” Michelle said, leaning in for a kiss, “we can try, if you think you are up for it.”
Samantha smiled at her, said, “We’ll just have to take it easy.”

“In that case,” Michelle said, stealing a kiss, “we need to finish this in a hurry.”

—————————————-

“You are gonna have to wash your hands, if you think you are touching me.”

Laughing, Michelle said, “It’s just a little brain matter.”

“I’m not a zombie, so brains don’t do it for me,” Samantha said, then looked at Blue lapping the leftover slurry out of the pan, “or I’m not a wolf, either. Really, Blue? You are going to eat that?”

The wolf looked up, tilted her head to one side hearing her name. She licked her chops clean, before burying her face back in the pan.

“Yeah, I guess you are,” Samantha said, making a face.

Michelle had just finished rubbing the tanning solutions into the last section of bear skin. Blue had been eyeballing the pan with interest the whole time Michelle was working. Since it was just brain and water, Michelle didn’t see any harm in letting the wolf have it. Must be good, the way the wolf was lapping it up.

Careful not to get any of the tanning solution on the fur itself, Michelle folded the skin up. She knew if any of it got on the fur, it would cause hair to slip. She hadn’t gone to all the trouble of skinning it to end up with bald spots on her rug. She folded it skin to skin, then fur to fur twice, until she had a manageable size bundle. Taking it inside, she found a spot where it wouldn’t be in the way. It’d take about two days for the slurry to be fully absorbed. She’d check it tomorrow, to see how dry it was. When it was about ninety percent dry, she’d start breaking the pelt to soften it up. If she let it dry completely, it would become rigid and unwieldy to work with.

For now, she was done with the fur. It was a good thing, because her muscles were aching from the strenuous work she had already put into it. She went to the tub, washed her hands. Rinsing out the tub, she filled up the pots in preparation for a bath. A hot soak in the tub was what she needed right now.

Seeing the pots on the stove, Samantha smiled at Michelle, asked, “Bath time?”

“Yeah,” Michelle said, laughing, “I need one, for sure. I smell like bear, smoke, and sweat. Not a good combination.”

“I didn’t want to say anything…” Samantha said, playfully.

Michelle laughed as she started stripping out of her clothes. Holding them up to her nose, she made a face, said, “God, it’s in my clothes.”

“After we get out, we’ll throw our clothes in… Do a little laundry,” Samantha said.

“That’s a good idea,” Michelle said, nodding.

She finished undressing, felt eyes on her. Glancing up, she found Samantha watching her. Michelle walked over to the girl, put her arm around her. Smiling, she said, “You better stop looking at me like that.”

“And if I don’t?” Samantha asked, coyly.

“Do you think your ribs are up to finding out?” Michelle asked.

“I think we’ll be okay as long as we don’t get too carried away,” Samantha said, kissing her.

“How are they feeling? Your ribs?” Michelle asked.

“Sore,” Samantha said, smiling when Michelle rolled her eyes, “they are tender to the touch, but it doesn’t hurt to take a deep breath, anymore.”

Lifting Samantha’s shirt up, Michelle looked at the ugly bruise. She winced, sure that Samantha was downplaying her discomfort. She looked up, met Samantha’s eyes.

“Really,” Samantha said, laughing, “it’s fine. I’m even laughing without wanting to pee myself.”

“Tough broad,” Michelle said, smiling warmly at her.

Returning it with an affectionate one of her own, Samantha said, “Bad ass.”

“We make a pretty good team,” Michelle said.

Samantha wrapped her arms around Michelle’s neck, kissed her deeply, said, “Yes, we do.”

“Well, if you are feeling up to it…” Michelle said.

“I’m up for it,” Samantha said, then changed her mind, “after a bath, I’ll be up for it. You still smell a little funky.”

Laughing, Michelle let go of Samantha and went to check on the water heating on the stove. It was getting close to boiling, and she said, “Hurry up, water.”

Michelle walked to the door, poking her head out. The fire she had built under the bear was dying out, finally. She had cleared the grass around the bear, soaked the ground with water in a wide circle to keep the fire contained. Still, she was glad the fire was going out, because the tall grass was really dry, would take a spark. She’d sleep easier tonight knowing it was out.

She made a mental note to collect anything that was left of the bear and bury it in the morning.

Turning away from the door, she saw Samantha pouring the first pot of boiling water into the tub. She walked over and helped her girlfriend with the larger pot. They filled them back up, putting them on the stove.

While they heated up, Michelle helped Samantha out of her clothes. She carefully peeled the bandages off, was glad to see the scratches didn’t start bleeding, again. After their bath, she’d clean Samantha’s wounds, again, and put on some new bandages.

The water was finally hot, so they dumped it in the tub. Michelle sighed as she stepped in, the hot water welcoming her as she sat down. Samantha joined her, sitting in the hollow of her legs. Smiling, Michelle wrapped her arms around the girl.

“Do you have a bathtub at your house?” Samantha asked.

“Yeah,” Michelle said, then asked, “You?”

“No,” Samantha said, clearly smiling, “we’ll have to use yours then.”

Laughing, Michelle said, “I’m not sure my parents would go for that.”

“You can’t let a girl get used to this, then take it away,” Samantha said.

“We’ll figure out a way,” Michelle said, then laughed, “we are two creative girls, after all.”

“Okay,” Samantha said, satisfied.

They just soaked for a while, enjoying the warmth of the water and the closeness of their bodies. Eventually, Michelle urged Samantha to sit on the side of the tub and reached for the body wash. Pouring some in the palm of her hand, she worked it into a lather. Careful with Samantha’s ribs, Michelle washed the girl’s body, taking her time. She was a lot more thorough than good hygiene dictated and Samantha’s breathing had gotten a little funny by the time she was finished.

Her still soapy hand slipped between Samantha’s thighs and found her bud. With slippery fingers, she teased a moan from her girlfriend. As Samantha’s hips began to move on their own, Michelle looked up at her face. Either her ribs weren’t bothering her, or the pleasure was worth a little discomfort because Samantha’s face was pinched not in pain but enjoyment.

Still, she asked, “Is this okay?”

“Yeah,” Samantha moaned, thickly.

“Good,” Michelle said, removing her hand from between Samantha’s thighs, “you’ll be ready to go when we make it to bed.”

“Really?” Samantha said, a little frustrated, “you are going to get me going then leave me hanging?”

“I want you nice and horny for later,” Michelle said, kissing her.

“You are tease, is what you are,” Samantha said, easing into the water to rinse off the soap. She moved into Michelle’s arms, smiling at her, “you are going to have your hands full when I get you out of here.”

“You still owe me a back rub,” Michelle said.

“Is it your back you really want me to rub?” Samantha asked.

Laughing, Michelle said, “Wow.”

“Stand up,” Samantha said.

Michelle stood up so Samantha could soap her up. As Samantha’s hands glided over her body, Michelle understood why Samantha had looked so frustrated when Michelle had stopped. She was as ready to be finished with the bath as her girlfriend was. Still, she took a minute to wash her hair, getting the last of the bear and fire smells off of her.

As they got out of the tub to dry off, they kept looking at each other. There was some heat behind Samantha’s eyes, and Michelle was excited that the girl wanted her as much as she wanted Samantha. She wanted just to take the towel from Samantha and pull her down on the mattress in front of the fire. Catching a glimpse of the bruise on Samantha’s side, she reminded herself she needed to be gentle with the banged-up girl. Their lovemaking was usually intense, energetic but they’d have to rein it in this time.

When they had finished drying off, Samantha said, “Lie down on your stomach.”

“I was kidding about the back rub,” Michelle said.

“I know,” Samantha said, kissing her, “I’m going to give it to you, anyway.”

Shrugging, Michelle stretched out on her stomach on the mattress they had put on the floor next to the fire, smiling as Samantha straddled her lower back. Michelle sighed happily as Samantha’s capable fingers started working the tightness out of her shoulders. Michelle closed her eyes, letting Samantha work on her. Samantha’s thumbs and the heel of her palms found the tension in Michelle’s muscles, releasing it. As relaxed as she has been in a long time, Michelle felt herself starting to drift off to sleep.

Samantha leaned in and whispered, “You better not fall asleep on me. You want to be awake for where this is going.”

“Okay,” Michelle said, smiling. The promise in Samantha’s voice pushed back the sleepiness, and Michelle’s heart beat a little faster as she wondered what Samantha had in mind.

Samantha moved lower, working her thumbs up Michelle’s spine. She made these little circles all the way up to the base of Michelle’s neck, then back down. This move wasn’t in Michelle’s repertoire, but she intended to steal it as a sigh escaped her. The swirling pressure felt so good that Michelle thought she was melting.

“That’s nice,” she murmured.

Scooting backward, Samantha straddled her thighs, her fingers working the tired muscles in her lower back. A groan of discomfort became a sigh of relief as Samantha found a knot just above Michelle’s left buttock, releasing it.

Michelle laughed when Samantha’s hands slipped onto her backside, massaging them. Still laughing, she said, “That’s not my back.”

“I know,” Samantha said, her hands moving onto Michelle’s thigh.

Smiling, Michelle realized this was more than just a back rub. Her legs weren’t tight like her back and shoulders had been, but she wasn’t about to tell the girl to stop. The feel of the girl’s hands as they worked the muscles on her thigh was starting to turn her on. If Samantha continued like this with the rest of her body, Michelle was going to be a horny mess by the time she was done.

I think that is what she has in mind, Michelle thought, sighing as Samantha’s hand slipped down to massage the inside of her thigh.

Samantha worked her way down one of Samantha’s legs, then started up the other. From her calf to her thigh, Samantha’s fingers dug deep into the muscle, finding tension Michelle didn’t even know she had. Maybe she had needed this part of the massage, after all.

“The bear did a number on you,” Samantha said.

“A little bit,” Michelle said, laughing.

“Well, roll over,” Samantha said, getting off of Michelle.

Hopefully, that means foreplay is over, Michelle thought.

Rolling onto her back, Michelle looked up at the girl expectantly. Samantha straddled her waist, leaning forward to massage Michelle’s neck and shoulders. Laughing, Michelle realized the massage wasn’t over, after all. Samantha smiled at her, leaned in for a kiss.
When Michelle tried to draw her into a deeper kiss, Samantha pulled back and smiled at her, said, “Not yet.”

“I’m as relaxed as I’ve been in a long while,” Michelle said, sitting up, “you can stop.”

Putting her hand on Michelle’s shoulder and pushing her back down, Samantha said, “Who said this is just for you?”

“I- well…” Michelle said, realizing this was as much foreplay for Samantha as it was her. Now that she could see the girl’s face, she could tell the girl was as turned on as she was by the massage. Would it be so bad to let the girl have her fun?

Samantha smiled as she saw Michelle understood. With just one kiss, Samantha resumed her massage. Slow and sensual, Samantha’s hands roamed over Michelle’s body, finding and releasing the tension in Michelle’s tired muscles. The kneading of Samantha’s fingers, the pressure of the heel of her palm, the caress of her hands as they glided over her body was a delicious torture, and Michelle wasn’t sure if she wanted the girl to hurry up or never stop. Her body was confused too, so relaxed she felt boneless, yet her heart was racing.
Samantha’s hands slid down Michelle’s stomach, finding her hip flexors. Michelle sighed as the girl massaged them with her thumbs. This was one of her spots. She was sure all girl’s had them, those places on her body that if someone kissed or touched…

Looking up, Michelle saw Samantha smiling. The girl knew what she was doing, knew that Michelle liked it when she did this. Michelle wasn’t surprised; the girl had already found all those little spots that drove Michelle crazy.

“I’m not sure I can handle much more of this,” Michelle said.

“Just a little more to go,” Samantha teased, laughing.

“You are done,” Michelle said, sitting up. She pulled the giggling girl off of her, nearly sent her tumbling off the mattress.

“Okay, okay,” Samantha said, smiling at her. The girl leaned in and kissed Michelle deeply, her hand slipping between Michelle’s thighs. Pulling back from the kiss, Samantha smiled playfully at her, asked, “Is this what you want?”

“Yeah,” Michelle moaned.

“Or maybe this?” Samantha asked, her fingers slipping into Michelle.

“That’s good, too,” Michelle said, her hips moving against Samantha’s hand eagerly.
Samantha’s massage had had her halfway there already, so the thrust of her fingers had her arching her back and moaning. It didn’t take long for her body to succumb to the pleasure sent through her each time Samantha’s fingers bit deep. Samantha kept it up, took her right to the edge of orgasmic bliss and toppled her over. Slowing but not stopping the thrust of her fingers, Samantha kept the lovely sensations alive in Michelle’s body, didn’t let them fade away so fast.

“You know, when you started picking on me about my Sharpie, I almost decided not to show you what I found,” Samantha said, easing her fingers out of Michelle.

Laughing, Michelle asked, “What did you find?”

“If you laugh, I’m not going to let you play with it,” Samantha said.

“Play with it?” Michelle asked, raising her eyebrows.

Samantha slid her hand under the pillow Michelle’s head rested, coming out with a chisel.

Frowning, Michelle looked from the woodworking tool to Samantha, hoping for enlightenment. Samantha reversed her grip on the tool, holding up the red rubber handle. At first, Michelle didn’t get it, then she thought about what Samantha had said about her Sharpie. Michelle started to laugh, then buttoned it up in a hurry. She wasn’t sure if Samantha was serious about letting her play with it if she laughed.

Looking at the tool’s handle, Michelle saw why Samantha thought it could work as an improvised sex toy. The handle was about four inches long, rounded off at the end and about three-quarters of an inch in diameter. Bigger than Samantha’s Sharpie but not scary big.

“Sweetie, you don’t know how where that’s thing has been,” Michelle said.

Grinning, Samantha said, “I’m way ahead of you. I boiled it earlier.”

“When did you do that?” Michelle asked, laughing.

“When you were working on the bear. I was looking for something that would help you. I found this instead,” Samantha said, running her hand over the handle, “it’s smooth, the seams worn down. The rubber is kind of soft, too.”

Michelle sat up to kiss Samantha, said, “Who’s the creative one now?”

“They say that need is the mother of all creation,” Samantha said.

“Did we ‘need’ this?” Michelle asked, amused.

“I guess need is a strong word,” Samantha said, then grinned, “but I knew what I wanted to do with it when I saw it.”

“Have you tried it, yet?” Michelle asked, taking it from the girl.

“No,” Samantha said, kissing her, “I wanted us to try it together.”

“You first, then,” Michelle said, urging the girl to stretch out on her back.

Samantha winced as she rolled onto her back and she laughed when Michelle gave her a look, “I’m okay, really.”

“Are you sure you are up for playing with your new toy?” Michelle asked.

“Yeah,” Samantha said, laughing, “as long as you don’t poke me in the ribs with it.”
Looking at the rubber handle, Michelle said, “This is a lot bigger than your Sharpie.”

“Um, yeah,” Samantha said, biting her lip, “be gentle.”

“Always,” Michelle said, moving between Samantha’s legs. She lowered her mouth to the girl’s bud, teased it with the flick of her tongue. As the girl’s hips began to move against her mouth, Michelle rolled her eyes up to meet Samantha’s eyes. There was no sign of pain in them, only pleasure.

Satisfied, Michelle pressed the red handle against Samantha’s vagina. She heard Samantha gasp as her body stretched to accept the improvised dildo. Michelle saw the girl’s eyes widen as it slipped deep into her slick core.

“Are you okay?” Michelle asked, not moving it.

“Yeah,” Samantha said, laughing nervously, “it’s bigger than I was expecting.”

“Too big?” Michelle asked.

“I don’t think so,” Samantha said, taking a deep breath, “try moving it.”

Michelle slowly pulled it back out some, then gently pushed it in, again. Samantha gasped again, her fingers digging into the mattress. Meeting her eyes, Michelle hesitated. Biting her lip, Samantha nodded. Taking it easy, Michelle started thrusting the handle into Samantha. Each time it slid deep, the girl moaned thickly. After a half dozen thrusts, Samantha’s body started pushing against the tool eagerly, taking it all the way down to the flared hand guard. As she got used to it being inside of her, Samantha seemed ready for more. Gradually, Michelle let her pace increase, listening to the noises her girlfriend was making. She took her cues from Samantha, thrusting faster and harder when the girl met her eyes.

“God, this feels so good,” Samantha said, her back arching off the mattress.
Michelle winced, ready for the girl’s bruised ribs to make themselves known, but if they bothered Samantha, she didn’t show it. Her face was pinched, but in pleasure, not pain and her moans were those of ecstasy, not discomfort.

She’ll probably feel that in a couple of minutes, Michelle thought, smiling, at least, I can keep her distracted until then.

As she continued to move the handle in and out of Samantha, Michelle let her free hand and her mouth explore her girlfriend. She was careful to avoid Samantha’s bruised side, but everything else was fair game. She understood what Samantha had meant about the massage not just being for her, because she explored Samantha’s lovely body as much for herself as she did for Samantha’s benefit.

She didn’t think Samantha minded her slightly selfish exploration, though. The girl writhed under the attention of Michelle’s hands and lips and tongue. The look in her eyes said it all, the excitement behind them.

Michelle saw her girlfriend’s eyes widen and smiled at her. The handle had been too much for her and Samantha was done in. One, two, three more thrusts of the tool and Samantha climaxed hard, shaking like she was being shocked.

Michelle smiled down at Samantha as she tried to pull herself back together. Samantha was out of breath and a little dazed as she smiled back at Michelle. Only as the haze of pleasure in her brain started to clear that she grimaced and put a hand to her battered ribs.
Seeing Michelle’s smile widen, Samantha blushed and said, “I guess I got carried away.”
“A little,” Michelle said, leaning forward to kiss the bruised ribs gently, then moved up to give Samantha a toe-curling kiss. Pulling back, she smiled warmly at the girl, asked, “Is that better?”

“Much,” Samantha said, kissing her, again.

“Now that you’ve had a chance to play with your new toy, what do you think?” Michelle asked, playfully.

“It’s our toy,” Samantha said, smiling, “and you are going to love it.”

“You think so?” Michelle said, her eyes flashing.

“Oh yeah,” Samantha said, putting her hand on Michelle’s shoulder, “switch places with me and I’ll show you.”

Michelle handed the tool to Samantha, then stretched out on her back. Propped up on her elbows, she watched as Samantha moved between her spread legs. From this angle, the red handle of the chisel looked a lot bigger. Chewing on her lip, Michelle knew Samantha seemed to like having it inside of her, but she was a little nervous. Samantha’s sharpie was one thing, but this was something else

Samantha saw her chewing on her lip, said, “Relax.”

“It looks bigger from this angle,” Michelle said, blushing when Samantha laughed, “well, it does.”

Samantha leaned in and gave her a heated kiss, said, “Trust me, Babe. It feels amazing.”

Michelle took a deep breath, nodded. Still propped up on her elbows, she watched as Samantha pressed the rounded off tip of the handle against the opening of her vagina. The rubber was still warm and slick from being inside of Samantha. There was a slight pressure, then Michelle gasped as her body accepted the handle. It slipped deep, filling her. It felt huge inside of her, but not uncomfortably so.

Meeting her eyes, Samantha asked, “Okay?”

With a nervous laugh, Michelle said, “It’s in, anyway.”

“Can I move it?” Samantha asked.

Michelle nodded, holding her breath in anticipation. Samantha pulled the handle most of the way out, then pushed it home, again. Michelle’s pent-up breath rushed out of her in a gasp. Her eyes wide, she laughed.

“Feels good, doesn’t it?” Samantha asked, with a knowing look.

“God yeah,” Michelle said.

Samantha slowly moved the handle in and out, making Michelle moan each time it moved deep inside of her. Samantha pushed down on the tool, and suddenly the rounded end of the handle was rubbing against Michelle’s g-spot each time. It had already felt amazing, but suddenly Michelle couldn’t control her body or her voice. Her hips pushed against the tool, taking it all the way to the handguard.

With a mind of its own, Michelle’s hand slipped down her stomach and between her thighs, to tease her bud. Samantha pushed it away, lowering her mouth to it instead. The hot caress of Samantha’s tongue across her bud and the red handle of the chisel rubbing deliciously inside of her made Michelle’s back arch, and her fingers tighten on the edges of the small mattress. It felt almost too good to bare.

“Holy shit,” Michelle with a laugh that was half a moan, “God, that feels so good!”
Samantha looked up at her and winked. Michelle saw the corners of Samantha’s mouth turn up in a knowing smile. Maybe even more than the dueling sensations of Samantha’s mouth on her bud and the tool inside of her wet pussy, that smile was the beginning of the end for Michelle. Her body was already at its limit, couldn’t take any more of the intense pleasure working through her each time the handle moved inside of her, and that smile was the tipping point. She felt herself starting to come.

“I’m going to come,” Michelle said, meeting Samantha’s eyes.

The girl had already known, the corners of her mouth turning up even more. Michelle lost it, then. Her whole body arched off the mattress as she came, only to fall back to it in a shuddering mess as her orgasm had its way with her. The climax left her breathless, her heart racing as she trembled all over. She could only look at her girlfriend, stunned by how intense it had been.

Laughing, Samantha crawled up to give her a kiss, said, “Told you you would like it.”

“Jesus,” Michelle said, shaking her head, “I’m glad you didn’t let me chicken out.”

“We might need to use the other mattress tonight,” Samantha said, grinning playfully, “you made a puddle on this one.”

Blushing, Michelle said, “You are wrong for that.”

“I’m just saying,” Samantha said, kissing her.

Continue to Part Eight

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