It was an early September afternoon. The sky was cloudless, and it was still quite warm. I had traveled to a nearby state park for a hike in the woods. It looked like a beautiful day to enjoy nature.
As I walked through the woods on a well-traveled trail, I felt relaxed. I absorbed the fresh smell of the woods and the peaceful sound of birds in the trees. The leaves had not started to change color yet, and the varying shades of green made me feel part of the living forest.
I knew these woods well, having grown up very close to the park. I spent a lot of time here, exploring and hiking. As I continued down the beaten path that thousands of tourists trampled every year, I found what I was looking for. Between the trees and through the brush was a faint path most people wouldn't notice. It was little more that a deer trail, but I had walked along it many times.
I hiked along this path for quite some time, over hills, through valleys, across streams. I wound my way through the brush, remembering which way to turn at each fork. Finally, I reached my destination.
In the clearing I had entered, I heard the gentle flow of the water over smooth stones. Across the stream, a huge tree had fallen many years ago, forming a natural bridge. The tree trunk was at least six foot in diameter, and bald of its bark. The exposed wood was bleached blond by the sun.
I climbed on top of the tree trunk and walked halfway across its span. I looked down and saw where I had carved my initials as a boy. Sitting on the dead tree I scanned my surroundings. No cars or buses, no buildings, highways or mini malls. No people. Just pure, unadulterated nature.
"Are you going to be there long, because you're in my way," said a voice from behind, startling me.
I spun around, looking for the source of the voice. I couldn't find it at first.
"I said, are you going to be long, because you're in my way," a woman's voice repeated.
I spotted her. At the edge of the clearing, she sat beneath a tree. I could see she was wearing a short yellow cotton summer dress. Her reddish brown hair was pulled pulled back in a pony tail. I jumped down from the tree and walked towards her.
"I'm sorry, I didn't realize..." I started.
"It's just that I'm drawing that dead tree, and you're blocking my view," she explained.
She did, in fact, have a tablet of paper propped up on her knees. Her tan legs were slightly parted and I could see a bit of her white panties sticking out.
"Do you mind if I take a look?" I asked.
"No, not at all," she said.
I walked around behind her and stood over her looking down. She was working on a charcoal sketch of the fallen tree and the stream below. It was really quite good. From my vantage point I could also see directly down her dress. Her shapely breasts looked just a bit big on her slender frame. They were as tan as her legs, and quite perky, even without the benefit of a bra.
"Wow, that's really beautiful," I remarked. "I'd pay good money for that."
She looked up at me. "Really?" she asked. "You think it's good?"
"Absolutely. I've been coming here for a long time. This is my favorite place in the world. I come here for a little peace and tranquility."
"I like it here, too," she said. "It's so calming. I can't stand living in the city. "
I took a seat in front of her, where I could see her panties peaking at me. "What else do you have in there?" I asked.
She shrugged and handed me her tablet. "Oh, not much. Just a few sketches."
I paged through her drawings, admiring her work. She worked in several different media; pen, pencil, charcoal. All her drawings were nature scenes. There were trees, flowers, animals, leaves, all of them very good. She was really quite talented.
As I looked at page after page of nature drawings, I ran across something unexpected. There were several pages of nudes. They weren't just nudes; they were erotic nudes, almost pornographic. Men and women's bodies entwined together in passion. After closely examining them, I handed her book back to her.
"Those are fantastic," I told her. "You really have an eye for nature."
She smiled and glanced down. "Thank you."
"I was serious. I'd really like to buy your drawing of that old dead tree," I said.
She looked at me with her brown eyes. "Oh, I can't take money for my drawings. That's not right."
"Well what, then? What can I trade you? I'd like to put that drawing up in my home. I feel so relaxed and happy here. Maybe your drawing can help me feel like this even in the city."
"Well, I suppose we could work out a deal," she said.
"Anything. I'll do anything for it," I said.
"Well," she started, "you could model for me."
"What… like those nudes you drew?" I asked.
She nodded her head without making eye contact.
"I don't know about that," I said. "I'm a little shy about that."
She looked up. "You said you'd do anything. Besides, no one will see you."
She was right. In all the time I had been coming here, I had never seen another soul this deep in the woods.
