The brown haired girl looked back at Zak with wide eyed amazement.
She wore a plain light blue sundress, its thin fabric clinging to her sweaty body. Her legs were bare, feet in battered blue sneakers but no socks. Her hair style was about the same as his, a short black curly afro, but her skin was the light tan of one outdoors rather than the brown of Africa. She wore glasses, lenses large and round on her oval face, resting on a small cute nose. In her hands, a walking stick almost as tall as her, and just as thin.
Zak could not decide if he should run towards her, or away, if this meeting was a sin or a blessing. It was his fault either way, of course. Zak was the one who decided to explore. The one who did not turn back when he felt himself leave the land given to them by the Lady. He was in the real world, now, and...
Fuck. He was naked.
He had his own walking stick, like hers just a dead branch with all the smaller stuff stripped off. It was only about shoulder height on his almost five foot tall frame. She looked to be about as tall as his staff, and maybe about his age. Putting his hands on top of the stick as he leaned forward, Zak smiled what he hoped was a non-threatening smile.
"Obviously, I did not expect to see anyone."
His voice seemed to startle her. She looked around quickly, eyes returning to him as if her life depended on knowing where he was. He tried again.
"My name's Zak. I won't hurt you. What's your name?"
He could see her bite her lower lip.
"Where are you from?" Her voice was a bit high pitched. Not what he was expecting, but then he really didn't know what people without a New York accent sounded like. He jerked his head towards the path behind him.
"I came from that way."
The girl had taken two steps back before Zak even noticed. Her staff was held up like a sword, the tip drooping as she tried to keep the heavy end up.
"There?" Her voice got even higher. "You came from there?!"
Her expression was... fear.
Why was there fear? There was nothing to fear on their plot of land. Nobody could fear the Lady. Unconsciously, he took a step forward.
"What..."
She turned and ran.
Zak was not stupid enough to follow. Almost, but not quite. What first stopped him was not knowing what was ahead. The thought that she could be leading him into danger, or that he could easily get lost. Only after a moment's reflection did Zak realize what a naked black teen chasing a young white girl though the woods might look like. Hell, any racial combination would not be looked on well. Moving to a nearby rock, he sat.
What, exactly, had happened?
She had been...
Well, beautiful. Yes. Not the point, but perhaps the only real reason this encounter should mean something. A beautiful girl had been standing not ten feet away.
For the first time since entering the realm of The Lady, Zak felt a stirring between his legs.
****
Zak felt the return of Wisdom's presence as he crossed the invisible boundary between her land and reality. Peace filled him, pushing out all worry and doubt. The Lady was here. Nothing else mattered.
He paused, examining what, exactly, marked the border. On the surface there was nothing. The forest all looked the same. As he stared, though, Zak could detect a slight shimmer in the air. Not much. Only when the sun hit it just so, and only when you had reality to compare it to. Interesting.
Everything about this place was interesting, at least to him. One reason he had started exploring. The city, for all its vastness, had been confining. Oppressive. His own natural inclination to stay at his sister's side, and her loving protectiveness, kept him to areas well known and safe. Here... here, he felt free. Free to wander. Free to, not take risks, but to not worry. He now had confidence in himself.
Thus, his rest day wanderings.
You could not truly have a day of rest, not with chores that must be done. Zak had no idea what the heck that whole Sabbath thing was about. No, every day, rain or shine, he had to get the eggs and milk the goats. Tom fished, sometimes with Zak joining him. Krissy cooked, turned the milk into cheese with Alice. Still, there was work that COULD be delayed. Tom had decided every Saturday would be a day of rest. No work on the cabin, no work in the field, apart from picking any food needed for the meals. Just the four of them resting, doing what they wanted. Having fun.
That fun, more and more, involved his sister and Alice playing with Tom. Zak watched, sometimes, mostly because of the unusual positions Krissy would get into. Her slightly swollen belly and floppy boobs would stick out this way and that, amusing him. She had just started to shed some of her excess weight when she began showing, also adding to his amusement. It was as if her baby was sucking her fat in to create itself. But, he knew his family needed time with just the three of them together. Zak was not unwelcome, certainly, but neither was that his place.
The forest, that was where he belonged.
****
The others were not fucking as Zak entered the cabin clearing.
The teen stopped, surprised, as he saw Tom pull back on the long rope. It traveled up to the top of a tripod of wooden poles, through some wooden pulleys, and down around a small log hanging in the air. The two girls were up on a wooden platform running next to the cabin wall, maneuvering the log into place. Zak frowned.
"I thought we weren't working today."
"We're not," Tom grunted. Zak ran over, putting his own hands on the rope just behind Tom's. Their bodies pressed together, muscles straining under sweaty skin.
"What the hell is this, then?"
"This," Tom said, the two males letting some slack go as Alice motioned with her hand, "is doing what the women are in the mood to do, so they don't get pissed."
"Damned straight," Krissy said. "I figured... lower it a bit more... that the three of us could do these smaller pieces. If you had been here, the four of us would be doing this."
That made him feel a bit better. They weren't excluding him.
"OK," Alice said, "slowly drop it."
Zak let the rope slip. The log, part of the pantry, lowered the last inch, dropping onto its appointed place. The design of the cabin had changed, once they began actually placing logs. It was now "T" shaped, limiting the length of any one side to something they could deal with. The rear, next to the rock face fourth wall, now had the pantry and root cellar jutting to the right side, while the left had the end bedroom extended outward from the body of the cabin. Once you factored in windows and doors, most of the logs were a very manageable size.
"Another one down!" Krissy raised her arms in victory. Debris from the wood lay on her bare front, giving the top of her breasts and the curve of her swelling belly an extra emphasis. "Another day or two, and we'll just have the roof to do!"
"Yup." Tom leaned back, the older man's spine cracking. His hand went to Zak's shoulder. "Thanks for the help. Your sister is trying to kill me."
"Revenge for knocking me up." The dark haired girl dropped to the ground, walking over to them. She pressed herself against Tom, her body molding to his. "Want to take a swim, get cleaned up?"
Zak sighed. He was glad the two were happy together. Glad his sister now had someone. But...
A soft yet callused hand rested itself on his shoulder. Alice, belly protruding a bit more on her thinner frame, turned him to face her, hugging the younger teen. Zak smiled. He had gained a sister. He had lost nothing.
"Find anything fun?" she asked. He shook his head, feeling content as their bodies pressed together.
"Naw... I just walked."
****
It was raining the next time Zak ventured outside Eden.
Not much. A light drizzle, falling through the green canopy above. It felt good on his skin, cooling the warm summer day. Another difference between here and the city. There, rain was something to flee. Here, it was a joy to be experienced.
Sometimes. That thunderstorm of a couple days ago had been frightening.
Zak had left the three of them inside the almost finished cabin. The roof was up, maybe even water proof. Alice had said they were going to spend the afternoon "checking" for leaks. Right. He had left them with a laugh, one returned with no embarrassment. His sister's hand had been fondling Tom's dick as Zak went through the door-less doorway.
Consciously, there had been no destination in his mind. Zak had just grabbed his walking staff, picking a path at random. That it had been the same one he had taken the week before was chance. That the time of day was the same, roughly, was also pure coincidence. The boy walked through the rain with no thoughts beyond the moment.
The rain changed as he stepped past the boundary. The drops seemed sharper. Their impact on his skin more irritating. Not enough for him to consider turning back, or finding clothing. He just had to adjust, that's all. After a few minutes he was fine.
The ground became muddier. The squishy feeling on his bare feet was interesting, pleasurable even. Now and then it would take a bit of extra effort to lift one out, but that itself was a bit of a game. The staff was useful at those moments, providing leverage. After a while, Zak began to search for rocks and drier ground to use as his path. A new game.
****
He saw her at a distance, red umbrella shining like a beacon through the rain. The girl sat on the same rock he had used, bare feet just off the ground. She wore a pink t-shirt with some kind of grinning cat, blue jean shorts that were VERY short. Green flip flops lay on the rock next to her.
Zak had forgotten about the girl. How had he forgotten about her? He looked down at himself. He was still nude, obviously. If he had known he'd be seeing her again, he would have grabbed shorts to put on. He did have clothing, after all, for when they went into town to buy things. That was getting rarer and rarer, as the money became less and less. Alice had suggested maybe selling some of the cheese, or even vegetables once they had everything harvested and knew how much they'd have to last the winter. Not that they would really need money much as time went on...
He shook his head. Focus. He had to focus on what to do. Should he approach the girl? Or stay away? And why was she here? She had fled, yet here she was. Almost as if she was waiting. Waiting... for him?
His body began moving forward as soon as that thought crossed his mind. The girl's head swung towards him. His brown body was probably harder to see in the forest than her colorful outfit. Zak saw her stare at him for a moment. Awkwardly, she shifted the umbrella to her other hand, moving quickly to slip her shoes back on her feet. Zak paused, her long bare legs causing his breath to catch. His dick, too, noticed them, stiffening. The stranger now stood before her rock seat, umbrella over her head. Her other hand held the same walking staff as before, un-noticed by him leaning up against the rock.
"Hello," he said. His voice, again, seemed to startle her. Her body did not seem poised to flee, though. Not quite yet.
"Hi."
"I'm Zak."
He took a few steps closer, getting a better look at her. He stopped as soon as her body seemed to draw back. As before, he planted his staff in the ground before him, leaning on it. Zak smiled.
"What's your name?"
"Lilith."
There was a hesitation before she spoke, but give her name she did. Lilith. Zak spoke the name to himself. It sounded...
"Why are you here?" Her voice cut through his thoughts. Zak considered a moment, shrugging.
"I'm just exploring. Today's a rest day, so after the morning chores I'm free to do what I want."
"Why are you naked?"
He saw her eyes drop down between his legs. He was mostly erect, teen manhood sticking out proudly. There was a small patch of black hair above it, sort of. The rest of him was still as smooth as a pre-teen. His body had a lot of work to do before it caught up with Tom in that regard. He shrugged again.
"We just tend to be, unless we go into town. There's nobody to see us out here, after all." He cocked his head at her. "Usually."
Lilith was blushing.
He didn't want to frighten her. From the set of her body, Lilith was staying only through force of will. She WANTED to flee, yet wanted to stay. Zak could understand that perfectly. He glanced around him. Another rock poked out of the earth to his left. Nodding to the girl, he moved over to it. He sat, facing her, staff placed on the grass beside him. Her eyes dropped down between his legs again, his dick now exposed even more. The rain falling on it felt incredibly good.
Hesitantly, Lilith sat back on her rock. The two teens stared at each other silently.
Zak could not see the color of her eyes. That was important, for some reason. He wanted to know. Wanted to be closer, to look into them. Wanted...
"You... live around here?"
Her question again was hesitant. Remembering her reaction the last time, he slowly nodded, expression serious.
"Yes. There's a gate in a fence by the side of the road, and we live beyond it. We're building a cabin." Part of him knew he shouldn't say too much. That the Lady was not ready for their home to be public knowledge. Later, maybe, in generations to come, when a Temple was built. So Tom's dreams had said. This couldn't hurt, though. This girl could not hurt them. "How about you? Do you live near here?"
Her head lowered.
"I'm now living with my Grandpa. He has a small place over there." She waved behind her. "He's strict. Grandpa wouldn't like me talking to you."
"Perfectly understandable," Zak said. She looked up again, a slight smile on her face. Zak felt himself blushing at that smile.
"No. I mean, well, yeah, he'd kill me for being with a naked boy. And a Black one? Forget it!" She giggled, hands clasping each other between her knees. This pressed breasts Zak had not noticed before together, their shape outlined against her shirt. His cock hardened more. "No. I mean, he wouldn't like it that you're from there. He told me to never go there. That it was bad. Evil."
"Evil?" The idea was ludicrous. The Lady? Evil? Only an evil person would think that! Zak immediately put her Grandfather into that category.
"Yeah," she nodded. "Silly, I know, but that's what he said. It was the first rule he gave me when I moved in. Never go there!"
"No evil," Zak said. "None that we've noticed, at least."
They were silent again.
"I can't stay that long," she said, finally. There was regret in her voice. "I have to get back and start dinner. Grandpa gets angry if I'm late with dinner."
Zak nodded in understanding.
"Sis does most of the cooking for us, although we help when she asks. I get the eggs, and milk the goats in the morning and evening."
"We have those too," she said, voice turning bitter. "I have to do most of the chores with them, too, milking and feeding. Grandpa... doesn't do much."
He wanted to ask why she was there. Why it sounded like she was a slave. That was too personal, though. To ask such questions would be to invite similar ones asked of himself, and Zak wasn't ready for that. He thought.
"If I came here earlier... would you be here?"
Her head dropped, feet swinging just off the ground. Her two flip flops hung down, barely on her bare feet.
"Maybe..."
"I like talking to you."
Her head shot up at that, eyes widening. Blue. Her eyes looked blue. A dark blue. Her head dropped again. It was if she wanted to hide behind her hair, thwarted by its short curls.
"I like you, too," Lilith whispered.
Zak decided to take a chance. He stood, leaving his staff on the ground. The rain lessening, he slowly walked towards the girl. Her head came back up, eyes startled. They were definitely blue, a dark blue behind those glasses. Hesitantly, she slid off the rock, standing, feet wiggling as she slipped fully into her flip flops. Her body was tense, as if ready to flee, or fight him off. Both hands gripped the handle of her umbrella.
"It's OK," he said, trying to put all the sincerity he could into his voice. "I just want to..." He stopped a few feet from her, holding out his hand. "...shake."
Lilith laughed. It was a sudden, honest laugh. Moving her umbrella to her left hand, she moved her right to meet his.
The first touch of her skin sent shivers through out his body. He saw her react as well. She was warm. Soft. Yet, her palm and fingers had the same calluses his hand did, newly formed by labor. He closed his hand around hers. It was smaller, yet he felt the strength. He wanted to both run away, and pull her against him. The same emotional tug of war played against Lilith's face.
Reluctantly, he let go, stepping back. The nerves of his hand still registered the feeling of her flesh.
"I'll be here again next week. The cabin is almost done, so I might have more free time once we're done with that."
"OK," she said. The girl was opening and closing her hand as it hung by her side. "I'll see you then."
Zak stayed where he was as she turned to walk away. He watched, her hips swinging back and forth slightly as her thin form made its way through the trees. Twice she looked back, each time with what he thought was a smile.
Then she was gone.