Hidden in Plain Sight

[7] The Best Way Out is Always Through

As Lauren approached the clearing, closed her eyes, letting her other sense to take over, her feet guiding her to the familiar and welcoming place. The shuffling of the leaves and the soft howl of the wind. This place was a whole other world, and she loved it. As far as she was concerned, only her and her best friend knew of this place. The two had made a pact long ago that they would only take someone there if they could trust them with their lives, and not just some bum that they may have picked up from the club. So far, it’s only been the two of them.

“Goodness gracious, I cannot believe this is still here.” Lauren whispered as she approached a tree with a familiar looking carving. ‘MaLoz’, it said.

“Wow, how embarrassing. Who came up with that lame ship name? What about Lozey? Or Mazen? It’s like amazin’ but it’s just Mazen. Oh gosh I’m talking to myself. I’m going insane. I need to stop this madness before it becomes a habit and I go off the chain.”

As she stepped into the clearing, Lauren took a deep breath, inhaling complete and utter freshness that cleared her body and soul. The lake nearby had water as clear as the sky on a good day running through it, and Lauren remembered the first time she swam in it.

***

“Loz, no one’s around! This place is super separated from our world that we’re practically in another dimension. Nobody’s gonna pop out of nowhere, I promise,” Macey’s hands made a gesture that resembled some sort of animal jumping out from what she guessed were bushes,

“If I’m wrong and somebody does jump out from behind the bushes, I will be your personal slave for a week, seriously. Plus, if you’re worried about me seeing your junk, don’t worry, because I’ve seen your lady bits before.”

Lauren looked around her before facing her best friend, her left eyebrow raised in suspicion. ‘Slave for a week? Not too shabby.’ She thought as she pondered over the last part of her sentence.

“We have gym together remember? Or have you forgotten that we’ve been in the same gym class since the start of the year, which, might I remind you, was two months ago?”

Macey’s face morphed into the look she makes when she feels she’s stating the obvious. More often than not, this wasn’t the case, and this time was not exempt from that.

“We. Shower. Naked. In. The. Locker. Rooms.”

A blank expression overtook Lauren’s face, still not getting where Macey was going with this, despite her careful enunciation of each word.

“I’ve seen you naked Lauren! And don’t even say I’m a perve because everyone does it. Don’t deny it. You’ve seen my junk too, and I don’t give a shit. Now can we please just go skinny dipping?” Macey whined, practically begging at this point.

A thin silence surrounded the air before Lauren responded,

“You know it’s fucking freezing right?”

“I know, now let’s go!”

The two raced each other to the water, shedding the clothes that still clung their bodies. Their screams filled their surroundings as their toes were bit by ice cold teeth.

***

Lauren looked around hesitantly as she scanned her surroundings of any intruders, as she had in the memory. After all these years, she still felt extremely unsure about hanging out here, always thinking about scenarios that included knives, men with face masks and a getaway car. Scenarios that aren’t for the faint-hearted and certainly scenarios that Lauren did not want coming true. Ever.