by P. Z. Walker
"Two?"
Mike laughed. "Yeah. Men and women. We don't have more kinds, so two." His silly explanation made her laugh, and they chatted along, making the last stretch to the Five Oaks pass quickly. There they stood then, as Sheila watched the five trees. "The blue fire is still there," she reported to Mike. "I see more details in it now. There are swirls in it, like when you stir a spoonful of strawberry jam through yoghurt." Mike didn't laugh at her comparison, he seemed to understand it was difficult for her to explain what only she could see. "I'm going closer to it, Mike."
"Sure. I'm coming with you, and when I think you're getting in trouble I'm pulling you out, Sheils."
She nodded and put her bag and sandals down. Slowly they walked to the trees, Sheila with her hands stretched out. The heat was building up fast as she came closer to the bizarre, blue barrier that went from massive trunk to massive trunk. At the point where she could hardly bear the heat she closed her eyes, ready to step back. She knew she was sweating terribly as the heat from the blue fire hit her in waves. With her eyes closed, the intensity of the colour was less, but with a shock she realised that she could now also hear it. It crackled. She stepped back, opening her eyes and turning away from the Five Oaks.
"You okay, Sheils?" Mike had an arm ready to put around her, and was surprised to hear what she said about the crackling. "Sounds like electricity," he said. "That can crackle too, like you hear with Tesla coils."
Sheila had no idea what those were but she was pleased Mike sort of understood what she said. "And it's so incredibly hot, Mike. I don't understand how it can be so hot without burning the trees!"
Mike made her sit down and walked to the trees. With no problem he stepped into the small circle, as if the hot barrier wasn't there. He came back and sat down with her. "I feel nothing. Maybe if you switch off your special eyes and try again?"
She nodded, did her little trick and the barrier was there no more. Carefully she got up and walked to the trees. Nothing happened. No crackle, no heat and no swirls anywhere. Like Mike, she could freely move among the trees. "I don't get it, Mike," she said as she turned towards him and walked back. "It's all gone." She sat down with him and made the colours return. "And now it's all there again. I have an idea."
"What?"
"Wait. I'm going to try something." Sheila got up and walked as close to the barrier as she could without feeling a burn. She took off the shirt and tossed that back at Mike. The heat was far less now, as if the fabric of the top was a collector for it, so she took off her shorts and tossed those too. Only in her bikini there was still a very warm sensation, but far less than dressed. She moved closer to the barrier and sensed how her breasts started glowing. "This can't be real," she muttered to herself as she stepped back to where the sensation was bearable. Then she started walking around the barrier, while Mike walked up to her and followed where she went.
"What do you see, hear or feel, little sister?" His voice and the way he kept calling her little sister made her smile.
"I'm trying to make sense of the patterns, but they move too fast. Some seem to be random, useless. Some are changing slower, showing outlines of something like trees or something."
"And why did you strip down to your undies?" Mike asked.
"Without the clothes the heat is much less. And it's a bikini."
"Right." He nodded. "Does that mean you only feel the heat where you're dressed? In that case I get why you stepped back just now."
Sheila turned towards him, her cheeks very red. Instinctively she covered her breasts with her hands, even when they were safely hidden in the bikini top. "They're none of your business!"
"Calm down, Sheils," he said in a pacifying tone. "You're very jumpy about that, I understand. No worries, okay? Do what you feel safe with." He nodded at his own words and went back to sit where he'd laid down her shirt and shorts. "Remember, when you've seen two, you've seen 'm all."
"Thank you," she said, barely loud enough for him to hear it. She wondered if he now was referring to her two breasts, or just the two genders like before. As she turned to the barrier it occurred to her that since they'd started their way up here, she'd not even noticed his nakedness. Buying herself time she walked around the crackling, sizzling barrier another time while she thought about that new-found awareness. Was that the trick to this nudist thing? Not even noticing that the others are naked? It sounded impossible as she thought it, yet it had happened to her just now. Then she saw something in a blue pane of the barrier that made her thoughts jump. She stepped back and clapped her hands over her mouth as she yelped. Mike was with her in six long strides and this time he threw an arm around her.
"What's up, Sheila?"
She pointed at the area between the two closest trees. "I could swear I saw Josy in there!"
"You what?" Mike stared where she pointed, but obviously saw nothing.
"It wasn't long and it wasn't clear, but I am positive I saw her, Mike. Josy's in there!" Throwing caution in the wind, Sheila ran into the circle, ignoring the pain beneath the fabric of her bikini. It only lasted a moment. Inside the circle she looked round, but found only herself there, inside the barrier that from this side wasn't hot at all. The patterns remained though. She kneeled down and stared at the spot where she had seen Josy's outline. It had to be her, the skinny woman was unmistakable, but the shimmer had gone.
"Do you see her?" Mike asked, not moving from his spot. "Do you see Josems?"
"No..." Sheila got up and walked back through the barrier after switching off the colours to avoid the pain. "I'm sorry, her image is gone. Maybe I was wrong."
"You weren't." Mike sounded convinced. "Your reaction was real and pure, you saw her, little sister. Come." Again an arm around her shoulders, and she let him usher her to her clothes, where they sat down. "Here. Drink some water, you feel like you're on fire."
"I'm not, I'm fine." Still she drank from the flask he'd brought with him. "Thank you. I switched off the colours. I'm not sure if I can take seeing her again." Together they sat there in silence, until Sheila felt better.
"Want to go back down?" Mike simply asked.
"Yes." As they rose, Sheila looked at her clothes. She picked them up and held them in her hand. "I'm not putting them on yet," she declared, more for herself than for him. She took her bag and stuffed them in it. Then she looked at her sandals. "Without them it's easier to walk down?" she asked.
"Much easier."
She left her sandals off. Mike offered to carry them so the sand on them wouldn't mess with things in her bag. Slowly, as she wasn't used to walking barefoot, they started walking down.
"You had a serious scare up there, little sister."
"I did." After a short pause she gathered her courage. "Can I ask you something about being nude?"
"Anything. I answer what I can."
Sheila stopped walking. "Up there it suddenly hit me that for a while I didn't really notice you have no clothes on. I mean, I saw you, but somehow I didn't see your..."
Mike nodded silently.
"Is that how it works? That you know the others are nude but you don't care?" She knew she had asked that before but maybe now his answer made more sense.
"Care... wrong word. We're naked because we want to be. It feels good, free, unrestricted. I'm not nude to impress someone or to shock someone. I do this for me. Because it's liberating."
"So it's not to impress women with your... uhm... penis." Her cheeks flared up again.
"No. Why should I want to impress someone with that, it's not that impressive," he laughed. "And before you wonder, the ladies in the resort aren't out to impress others with their breasts or other assets. They too just enjoy to be free of clothes. You should try it, Sheils, maybe you'll like it."
"I did it once," she said. "I stood naked in front of the mirror. Didn't like it at all."
"Let me guess," said Mike, "you looked at the parts of you that you don't like."
She only nodded, cursing herself for slipping
that bit out.
"That's the wrong way, little sister. Don't judge your body. Just take it all off at home where you feel safe, and do what you usually do. And feel how liberating it is. Just try it a few times. At first it'll feel strange, that's why I say to try it a few times."
Sheila hesitated. "Okay. I will. Maybe."
"Good enough for me. Come, let's go down. I'll get you some iced tea."
Chapter 7.
Confident in her bikini and on her bare feet, Sheila followed Mike down the slope. The trip down was much easier than the first time, she noticed, probably because she was getting used to it. They walked along the path in the shadow of the trees, talking about their hobbies. To her surprise she learnt that Mike considered himself half a shaman. He told her about the shamanistic ideas and the shamanistic drum he owned. It sounded like quite an old one, and she had no idea how someone like him could get his hands on something like that. They emerged into the bright sunlight. Mike suggested to cross over the grass, to get to the office quicker.
It meant that they walked past many nude people lazing in the sun. Some read books, some played cards or badminton and clearly had fun with that, and some people did absolutely nothing but enjoy the sunshine. Sheila grinned.
"What's the fun, care to share?"
Damn that man, she thought, he seemed to notice everything despite his sometimes sullen appearance. She explained how relaxed the people around them looked.
"That's 'cause they are, simple as that." He stopped walking. "And you may notice that none of them are up for winning beauty contests on TV."
Sheila flushed and could kick herself again for telling him about her mirror experiment. "I'm sorry, Mike, I didn't mean to-"
"No worries, little sister," he said as he patted her on the shoulder.
Before they could walk on, a voice from behind asked: "Hello Mike, who's your girlfriend?" They both turned and saw a lady approach them. She was in her late fifties, had short grey hair, and to Sheila's shock the woman only had one breast.
"Hi Winny. This is Sheila. She's a friend of Josy's."
"Oh no, poor girl." Before Sheila could blink, Winny had pulled her into a hug. "I'm so sorry to hear that. Isn't it strange that Josy disappeared? Is that why you're here?" The woman stepped back. "You must be. You're not accustomed to us, are you?"
"We were getting some iced tea, Winny, care to join us?" Mike asked.
"Why don't you run get some while I talk with Sheila for a while?" Winny suggested. "Unless you have to leave now," she added, looking at the young woman.
"I'm not in a real hurry," Sheila admitted, intrigued by this lady. Mike said he'd be back with something drinkable, and Winny ushered Sheila to a couple of large beach towels she'd spread out.
"Sit, make yourself as comfortable as you want," she invited Sheila as she lay down herself. Sheila sat down, cross-legged, her bag next to her. "Did you know Josy long?"
As Sheila talked about her friend, she felt very much at ease. Mike returned and joined in. After they had all talked about how they had met Josy and expressed their worries, Mike surprised Sheila by talking about Winny. "You see a powerful lady here, Sheils. Winny's our pride, our mascot." Sheila could only stare in wonder.
Winny laughed at Sheila's face. "He's a sweetie, but sometimes he doesn't know how to talk properly, Sheila. He means my breast." She pointed at the scar. "It was removed because of cancer."
"That's sad," Sheila offered. Never before had she been with someone who was so open about it, and not afraid to show it this way.
"It's not. I survived. The lack of one breast doesn't make me a lesser person, you know. It made me a stronger one. It sounds strange to many ears, but in a way I am proud of this scar. Of course I'd rather not have it, but no one can change what happened." Winny winked and sipped her cold lemon tea.
Sheila was totally lost for words. She was unprepared for this, the more as this happened after the very unnerving experience with the Five Oaks, where she'd seen a shimmer of Josy. She was still trying to understand that, and also why she was the only one who could see the colours. Luckily Mike did not bring that part up. It was difficult enough to cope with it without other people knowing about it, and trying to offer their well-meant but probably useless ideas about it. She'd find better support in her group, she was certain.
After finishing the drink, Sheila decided it was time to leave, but before she did, she activated the colours and looked at Winny. The woman had many of the colours around her that Sheila had learnt to associate with power and happiness, like yellow, green and a kind of gold, but also a little brown of sorrow. She wished Winny a good day, who in return wished her the same and told her to come again soon.
"You had to watch her , didn't you?" said Mike as they walked to her car. "With the colours."
"How do you know?" she gasped. She'd been certain no one had seen.
"I saw the little twitch with your fingers," he confessed. "She's strong, isn't she?"
"She is. But there is a sadness around her. Not much, but there is."
Mike nodded and told her that Winny's husband had passed away two years ago. "They were inseparable, loved each other like crazy. Winny had bunches of support from the people here." He nodded to his own words while his eyes became moist.
"You care about her a lot, don't you?" Sheila asked as she started putting her shorts on again.
"Everyone does. Those two were totally cool together." Mike didn't prevent his tears from falling. "We all loved them. Still do. So, when will you be back, little sister?"
"Next Saturday for sure. With a few of my witch group. I talked to Jenny and asked if that was okay." Mike nodded as she spoke, indicating that he was aware of that. "And maybe I can take an afternoon off and come again," she suddenly added even when she hadn't planned that at all.
"Just give me or my secretary a ring before, I'll be here to meet you then. If you want, that is."
"Kind of you, Mike. I appreciate that." She finished arranging her top. "Thank you. For everything."
Mike touched her cheek with a finger. "No sweats. You're a special one, little sister, and I have to take care of you."
"I am? You do?"
"Yup and yup. You find your way out?"
"No problem. I'm practically at home here," she grinned.
"Sure," he grinned back as he tugged at her shirt. He winked and walked off as she got in her car and headed out, back home.
*
Once in her apartment she quickly sent a mail to her friends about what she'd seen and experienced that day. She added that she wanted to go back some afternoon that week. Before sending the e-mail, she logged into the employee site of her work and checked the schedule for the week. Tuesday afternoon was slow, two of the three dentists were gone, so she registered her afternoon off then. They wouldn't need three assistants with only one dentist there. Sheila added to the mail that she had the Tuesday off for that and then sent off the e-mail. As it was time to have some dinner, she got that started, and while she waited there was the familiar beep that her computer had new e-mail messages for her. To her surprise there were three people responding to her mail already. Jeremy and Lizzy only had praise for her and wanted to know more, even when there was nothing more yet. Then there was a mail from Wendy, and reading that made Sheila almost fall from her chair: "Hey Sheila. I'm off Tuesday all day and would like to go with you. Would that be okay with you?" Wendy wanted to come along to the naturist place? Quickly she punched in a reply: "Sure, meet me here at 12:30 and we're off." Then she rushed to the kitchen to prevent her food from burning.
As she carried in the plate and switched on the TV, she suddenly remembered Mike's words. Practice. Sheesh, why did she have to think of that now, while her friend was missing? On the other hand, there was nothing she could do about Josy now. "Okay, I'll strike you a deal," she told herself. "Take something off after each bite. Or better two bites." Two bites later she kicked off a slipper, and then the next slipper. She noticed that t
wo bites wasn't much, but she wouldn't go back on the deal with herself. Her tank top went, then the shorts. Then the crucial moment arrived for her bikini top. "Damn, damn, damn," she muttered as she undid the knot and slipped the thing off. "Don't look at yourself. Don't judge yourself. Also, your food is getting cold," she reminded herself. Then the bikini bottom had to go, and there she sat, eating her food in the nude for the first time in her life. She couldn't believe she was doing this!
"When I get cold I'll put my things back on," she then declared. Sheila finished dinner, put away the dishes in the dishwasher and went back to the television which played one of her favourite shows. Then she watched the news, and only then a slight chill ran down her spine. She looked at the clock and saw she'd been nude for three hours, without noticing it. Quickly she rushed to the bedroom and slipped into something soft and warm. Relief spread through her, but another part of her was proud and also surprised that she'd actually done this.
The next morning Sheila had another wild idea. She took off her nightgown while still in bed and felt determined to go through her morning routine without clothes on. She wondered how long she'd manage, because the house now was a lot cooler than last evening. Bravely she shut her eyes as she pushed the covers away, ready to give up even after a few seconds. It was surprising that it was chilly for only a moment, and then her body seemed to adjust and all was fine. Still not convinced she got up and went to make coffee and then the secondary part of breakfast. Thus armed she moved to her computer to check mails and the news. The leather seat of the chair was an unpleasant surprise. For a moment she wondered if this was the end, but a towel fixed that problem. It amazed her that being naked in her house actually wasn't such a big deal once she got used to the idea a bit - and stayed away from mirrors. Most of the time she didn't even realise it unless she leaned against something cold. Such an odd way to start a Sunday, she grinned.