Patrick Murry

Sex In The Sticks

Chapter 1

"Are they still back there?"

"Think so. I saw something moving down that ridge a few minutes ago. Looks like they might be gaining on us a little."

"Maybe l take the Big Horn cutoff – it's less than a mile up the trail. We'll see what happens after that."

Gina Bellardi did not join in this conversation between her two companions, though she listened closely enough. She could not decide whether Pam and Ellen wanted the boys behind them to catch up with them or not. She knew her own mind well enough: she had come into the national forest for two weeks of backpacking and mountaineering and she would have been perfectly happy if they had seen no boys at all during the entire trip. They had been on the trail for only two days and already both Pam and Ellen were acting suspiciously like a pair of horny spinsters.

"They'll probably turn off and go up to Big Horn," Pam said as they toiled along the rough trail. "That's where most of the hikers go."

"Hey, you remember that waterfall and pool about a half-mile beyond the cutoff?" Ellen asked. "I'm already thinking about that – when we get there I'm going to strip and stay in there for about an hour!"

"Yeah, I remember it," Pam replied. "And I'm up for that too. How about you, Gina? Ready for a dip? It'll be great after heaving and sweating for two days."

"I think that would be beautiful," Gina said, trying to put the boys out of her mind.

"Say, what's wrong with you?" Ellen asked, lagging back a moment to fall into step beside Gina. "You've been quiet as a mouse all day. Still shook up over that Willie?"

"No, I don't think so," Gina replied. "Or maybe it's that, I'm not really sure. I know that I've been having trouble all morning – this is a rough trail. And I'm carrying the tent today, don't forget."