Treehugger

Paul led Veronica out to the edge in the moonlight, as clouds streamed across the sky. At times they seemed luminescent as they hid the moon from view. The small lake was agitated by the breeze, and waves splashing up against the pilings. Some of the houses around the lake were visible because of the odd outside light still on, or due to drapes that were too shear to prevent indoor lights from shining out.

Veronica reached down into the black water. "It's warm."

"It's too small to stay cold this late into summer. There are fish, birds, turtles, frogs, you name it. During the day it's quite active with wildlife, and most of my neighbours have some arrangement so it's only used for swimming. I've never seen any type of watercraft on it except for the MacKenzie's row boat."

"Hmm," was her response, as the two of them stared out across the water.

"So how were you born, then?" he asked to break the silence.

"I told you."

"No. I mean, the tree spirit."

"I was awoken when the oak was very young. There was an elf, an elf woman. She was passing through the area. She told me some time later that the men of the region were engaged in a war, where great numbers of them were being hurt and killed. She sensed me deep within the young oak. She whispered to me. I heard her call and I awoke. She stayed around for a few years, teaching me some things. Then, she left and I've never met anyone like her since."

"I see," he answered, not quite understanding what she had just told him. "What about the other trees around here? Do they all have tree spirits?"

Veronica blinked at him. "I don't really know. I haven't sensed any, but they could be - submerged, deep down. That's a really good question, Paul."

"And what about Veronica? You said she willingly let you posses her. Is she still deep inside that body, watching everything you do?" The question had been in the back of his mind.

"I don't possess her body, Paul." Veronica dipped her hand into the lake again. "It's more like a merging of souls or spirits. The other two are here, but dormant. I can access them, but even that's not perfect because I actually am a separate individual. Because they're dormant they don't actually experience everything I do, but they will retain memories of it later. Does that make any sense?"

"It does. And I don't want to play devil's advocate, but she willingly let you take over her body once. How do you know she still feels the same way? Maybe she's been scared by some of the things that are going on and wants you out."

"I talked with her, yesterday actually." She glanced at Paul to gauge his reaction. "Or perhaps I should say I gave both of them the chance to end this existence and they chose to continue it, at least until the tree is saved or cut down. They are both fully aware of my actions to date, my intended actions over the next few days, and they are both one hundred per cent behind me."

"So the tree gets saved and you return to your oak and Veronica goes her way, and everyone is happy?"

She turned away from him. "You don't understand do you? The tree spirit returns to her oak. Veronica returns to her life. I cease to exist." His gasp caused her to whirl around. She grabbed his arms. "You have to understand! If the tree gets cut down it's far worse. If the tree dies, then the tree spirit dies. Veronica goes on with her life, and I still cease to exist."

Paul spoke very calmly. "Can't the tree spirit just go into another tree?"

"Damage to the tree hurts the tree spirit. She just knows that the destruction of the oak means her death. It's not something I can rationalize. It's just a fact."

"And whatever happens, you'll die," he stated, cringing at the thought. "You're just a temporary - personality?"

Veronica folded her arms across her chest. "If it makes it easier for you to think that, then yes."

"That's not what I mean," he said, trying to sooth her as he put his hands upon her shoulders. "You're real and I want you to be around for as long as possible. But I do want to face reality. If that means knowing that you're going to - to die soon, then I have to face that." He knew that on some level of consciousness he believed everything she had just told him.

"Let's go for a swim."

"Okay," Paul said, disconcerted at the change in conversation. "I've got swim trunks somewhere in the house. I think I can find you an extra set, and you can borrow one of my t-shirts for a top or would you prefer to just wear your bra as a bikini top?"

Veronica reached over her shoulders, pulling her hair aside with one hand and opening the zipper with the other. Then she reached down to her skirt and lifted the dress up and off of her. She raised her eyebrows at Paul.

"Well, I suppose we can swim in our underwear..."

Veronica reached around behind herself and unhooked her bra, dropping it to the dock on top of her dress. She bent over and pushed her panties to the wood, then kicked them over to the rest of her clothes. Her skin shone silver in the ephemeral moonlight. As she turned to dive into the water clouds obscured the moon and everything went black.

The splash had Paul pulling his golf shirt over his head and pulling off first his jeans and then his underwear. The moon poked out from behind a grey cloud, revealing Veronica treading water and staring up at him as he stood on the dock preparing to dive in. Paul shook his head and then plunged into the water. When he came to the surface Veronica splashed his face.

"How about we swim out a ways?" she asked.

He used a finger and thumb to wipe water from his eyes. "Fine."

They both used a lazy breaststroke to make their way away from the dock. Paul slowed and looked around.

"We're about in the middle of the lake now."

Veronica paddled back to him. She could see the houses surrounding them at a distance. Paul's house, with the curtains not drawn over the glass doors, was easily identifiable. She looked up, and had the eerie sensation that she was moving sideways across the lake much faster than she should be able to swim.

"That's an optical illusion." She stared at him, not understanding what he had just said. He continued, "The clouds are racing across the sky. We're still in the centre of the lake, but without reference points our brains think that we're moving and the clouds are standing still."

A sly smile crossed her face. "I have a reference point."

"Where?"

He nearly jumped as he felt something brush his belly. Then he recognized it as her hand. She reached further down and wrapped her fingers around his penis. "Right there, Paul."

They treaded water, staring at each other for a few seconds. The breeze blew waves across their shoulders and necks.

"Well then I guess I'm a little luckier than you." He reached out and pulled her close. "It acts like a compass, too. It always points to the most beautiful woman."

A light brightened on the edge of the lake. They both turned in surprise, but Paul realized what was happening.

"We'd better get back to the dock. Come on." He pushed her hand away. The two swam back toward Paul's home, keeping an eye on the house where an outside light had just come on.

Just before they reached the dock the back door to that same house opened, and a man and woman walked outside. They were talking easily, if a little loudly, and each had a beer in one hand. The moon went back behind some clouds and everything went black on the lake.

Paul grabbed Veronica's hand and they floated the last few metres to the dock. "Keep quiet," he whispered. "They may not know we're here." The two slowly made their way closer and closer to shore, until at last they were crouched down in ankle-deep water with just their heads poking over his dock.

The other couple walked to the edge of the lake and began to chat quietly. The moonlight shone down again, and Paul and Veronica exchanged looks. The light shining out through the glass doors of Paul's home was very bright.

Suddenly a phone rang. The other couple argued briefly and then went towards their home. Paul grabbed Veronica's hand and the two dashed for his home, running as fast as they could. The glass door was thrown open, they hurried inside, and then Paul drew the drapes and hid them from anyone else who might be looking their way.

Their hearts were thumping in their chests. They glanced at each other and an uncontrollable laughter took over. After a minute the laughter diminished to chuckles, and then finally died out.

Paul noticed Veronica staring at his groin. The excitement of almost being caught, coupled with the rest of the events this evening, had induced an erection again. He surrendered to her curiosity and turned his own gaze upon her. Her hair was slicked back on her neck and shoulders. Her breasts were round, but too small to be drooping at her age. She wasn't fashion model thin, but Paul liked the look of the curve of her hip and he knew a round bottom was currently hidden from his view. There was a femaleness about her that was impossible for him to resist.

They drew towards each other, she as intoxicated with his shoulders as he was with her hips. Without conscious thought, they came together and put their arms about each other. Veronica closed her eyes and rubbed her cheek on his firm chest, while Paul enjoyed the feel of her soft flesh on his own bare skin. Her gentle touch and the way she seemed to melt into him made him well aware of both her willingness and her eagerness.

At first both were content to simply hug; they enjoyed the innocent sensuality, comfort and intimacy of their embrace. Their hands ran over naked skin and the pace of their heartbeats increased. The world seemed to shrink until all there was were the two of them.

Paul's hands went to her bottom and he pulled her hard against him. This was met by a satisfied, "hmm".

Veronica's hands came up to his throat, rose to his chin and then cheeks. She steadied his face as she raised herself on tiptoes to kiss first stubble and then his lips. Their arms wrapped around each other, pulled them together more tightly. The kiss became a second and then a third, but their lips never quite fully separated.

Veronica reached down and pushed his hardness between her legs. Both smiled at the promise-filled wetness on the head of his penis and between her legs. She tried to pull him down, to the floor. He resisted. She felt his gentle pressure as he began to slowly guide her across the room.

Suddenly, he grunted in pain and then broke the kiss and embrace.

"What's wrong?" she asked, concerned that she had rushed him.

"Coffee table," he replied through a clamped mouth. Then he smiled.

They embraced and kissed again, although this time both kept an eye open for furniture as they inched themselves to the bedroom door. There was a "thunk" just as Paul thought they had cleared the doorway. Veronica rubbed the back of her head.

"Sorry."

"Wasn't your fault. You didn't push me into it, Paul."

They embraced again. Paul was confident that nothing now lay between them and the queen-sized bed. Veronica sensed the increase in their speed across the floor and, full of trust, submitted herself to Paul's lead.

In anticipation of their arrival at the bed their hands went down, exploring what the other had to offer. Veronica was as gentle as Paul, worried that if she pulled too hard she might hurt him. Paul concentrated on trying to tease a higher level of arousal from her by passing his fingers over every curve and every fold. With their minds fully distracted they bumped into the side of the bed and fell over onto it. They both laughed out loud for a few seconds and then eagerly resumed their kissing and fondling.

Veronica's leg went over his thigh, inviting him closer. They shifted together, the head of his cock pushing up against the soft cleft in her flesh. Her hand released him, reached down to her own sex and spread the lips. A quick thrust from Paul and the head was in, evoking a gasp from her.

She tried to draw him in more deeply, shifting her hips and pulling on his bottom, but their positioning didn't suit this, laying side by side as they were. Paul placed his hand upon her shoulder and pushed her flat on her back. He raised himself from the bed to stand beside it, bringing a brief look of concern to her face. As she came to realize he was merely positioning himself she licked her lips, waiting for his next move. His fingers ran along the inside of her legs. She spread them obligingly. Paul bent over her and kissed one nipple after the other, and then reached down with his hand and guided himself into her.

Veronica took a deep breath in, as his length seemed to push deeper and deeper into her. It went on for far longer than she thought possible, and she wondered if the sensations she was being bombarded with were altering her sense of time. At last he stopped, and she felt entirely and satisfyingly filled.

Paul paused, having pushed his shaft into her right up to the base. His erection pulsed, possibly growing to an even larger size, and he felt her squeeze. He cupped her breasts with his hands, finding them firm and pleasantly hemispherical.

Veronica gave him an uncertain smile. "I remember her having sex once, long ago, and it wasn't a very good experience. I'm not certain how to do this properly, Paul. You'll have to let me know what to do so we do it right."

His brow furrowed. "There is no right way to do this. Each time it's an exploration of what you and your partner want." He pulled his hips back from her a little, withdrawing from her. Her eyes opened wide. Then he slowly pushed his way back in, savouring the feel of her. The sigh that came from her partly-opened mouth made him want to just thrust and thrust and thrust and then come inside of her. "If you want to try something, you try it."

"I like what you're doing way too much to interrupt. Keep going."

Paul withdrew again and then thrust in a little more quickly. This time her back arched a little and her eyes squeezed shut. Wrapping her legs around his thighs, she held him in place. Her breathing quickened and her breasts rose and fell under his hands. He tweaked her nipples but otherwise kept still as her breathing accelerated, until at last she let out what was half a squeal and half a moan.

"Oh, that was nice," she said very slowly, opening her eyes to look up at him.

"That was a little one, I think."

He withdrew and pushed in again, first gently and slowly and then faster and harder than he had earlier. He could feel the moistness inside of her coating him, lubricating her silk-like pussy. He leaned forward slightly, to get a better position and continued his thrusting.

With each push she gasped, her volume steadily increasing. She tried to reach out for his chest, but his arms prevented her. Then she grabbed for his arms. She squeezed his forearms and biceps, but found this less than satisfying and somewhere, in what was left of her conscious mind, she worried that she might scratch him or otherwise hurt him. Her hands dropped to the bed, where her fingers clenched the bed sheets.

Paul released her breasts to place his own hands on the bed on either side of her. He watched in fascination as her breasts swung away and then toward him in time with his thrusts. A sudden cry from her as she arched her back had him increase his pace. Sweat wet his back and the middle of his chest. The feel of her tight pussy pulling at him made him feel as if he could continue this all night.

Veronica's hands clenched and pulled at the sheets. She felt another orgasm rising within her, but one far better than the climax she'd had a few minutes earlier. She tried to grab at the feeling, to hold it and keep it still while it continued to grow, but this was beyond her. Her body was ignoring her commands and reacting entirely to the sensations that Paul was providing. She surrendered all mental control she had over the situation and felt, somewhere deep within her, the consciousnesses of two others awaken and silently scream out in ecstasy.

Paul was pumping into her at a frantic pace. Sweat dripped across his face. There was that desperate urge to orgasm, but it was just eluding him. At some point he had closed his eyes but he didn't remember when, nor did he have any idea how long he'd been making love to Veronica. It could have been five minutes or it could have been an hour. From the aching in his thighs and calves it felt like it may have been several hours.

There was a tingle in her fingers and toes. Heat shot through her limbs, coalesced in her abdomen, then coursed through her nervous system up into her head. The other two were there, feeling what she was. Veronica was and was not. There was an explosion deep within her womb and waves of pleasure washed through her. Her fingers ached and, regaining mental control, she forced herself to relax.

Paul wondered when he would cum. As wonderful a sensation as it was repeatedly thrusting into Veronica while listening to her climax, he desperately wanted to orgasm as well. He needed it, but it just wasn't happening. Then a drop of sweat rolled down the back of his balls. Everything came into focus. His hips thrust against Veronica very hard just as Paul sensed a release deep in his testicles. He kept pushing against her, keeping the head of his penis as deep inside of her as he could, as his cum spurted forth in rhythmic pulses.

Paul dropped his head and a couple of drops of sweat fell onto Veronica's breasts, to roll down between them and mingle with her own wetness. It was several minutes before either of them spoke.

"Thank you for sharing that with me, Paul."

He smiled back at her, as his unsteady legs threatened to collapse under him.

She reached up to his shoulders, a little unsteady, and pulled him down on top of her. She murmured happily and kissed his neck tenderly.

"I should say thank you," he said. "Thank you for everything, Veronica."

It was still night when Paul's return to the bedroom woke her. She lifted the sheet so he could climb back into bed more easily.

"Our clothes are gone, Ronny."

"What?"

"The wind must have blown them away. It picked up a bit once the storm hit. I can loan you something of mine when I take you home, but maybe we'd best leave early so your neighbours don't have any reason to gossip."

Paul fell into bed and lay on his back. His breathing slowed.

"I can understand why you're tired, Paul. Get some sleep. I'll make my own way home."

"Nah." He yawned expressively. "I'll take you home. Just let me know..."

Veronica smiled craftily and slipped from between the sheets. She walked around the bed and gave Paul a soft kiss. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Paul yawned as Veronica climbed into the truck and did up her seatbelt. "That was a dirty trick," he said with a smile. "You could have woken me up so I could see you safely home."

She shrugged in response. "I was perfectly safe."

"What did you wear?"

"Nothing. It was warm, and despite the wind the rain was very cleansing."

Paul shook his head and pulled out of her driveway and onto the secondary highway that led into town. "Human women don't walk around naked in the middle of the night."

"So you believe my story, then?" she asked with a big smile.

"As crazy as it is, I suppose I do." Paul yawned again. "I'm going to stop off at Timmy's before we get to the town hall. Do you want a coffee, or something?"

"I'll sip some of yours, if that's okay?"

A short time later Paul parked the truck in the municipal parking lot as Veronica finished his double-double. Councilman Pike was waiting for them at the front door to town hall. He approached them before they could leave the truck.

"Hello, folks!"

"Mornin'" they both called back to him.

"What's going on?" added Paul, noting that the friendliness of the lawyer's greeting wasn't matched by the expression on the man's face.