"You guys should skinny dip!" Millie's words slurred out of her mouth a bit louder than I would have hoped for. If any other spring-goers were in the area, they would have heard her; and there was no more room in the water.

I felt cramped. I wasn't claustrophobic, nor did I mind speaking to strangers or making small-talk. But in the darkness, in the middle of nowhere, in a global pandemic... I disliked the turn the situation was taking.

The group of guys—in their thirties, from what I understood—had been there for no longer than fifteen minutes before Millie started teasing them. Before the skinny dip comment, she'd made it clear some of us were in the nude, garnering the attention of two of the dudes in particular. One of them—the one who'd settled into Millie's old spot with his back to the fields—said nothing. But the others began to make bets on how big everyone's boobs were.

In normal times, I would have laughed. I'd join in, debate on how big their penises were, maybe even let them feel me up for the sake of their little size contest. But since the previous year, I'd grown more and more shy about my body. I'd lost interest in the dirty humor I once enjoyed, and grew uncomfortable when anyone got overly flirtatious.

So squeezed between my horny friend and my high one, facing three guys that I couldn't see the faces of, I tensed.

"What's in it for us?" asked one of the guys, swimming closer, his outline showing a messy man-bun.

Millie splashed him as she giggled. "You'll feel good. Trust me, being in here naked is nice."

"Oh, I believe it," he said, splashing her back.

I gagged as I imagined them playing footsie under the water. They were only a few feet away from each other, and I had no doubt they would soon get closer.

"I mean, if everyone else is game, might as well." The Middle guy—I called him that because he wasn't quiet, but not as outspoken as Man-bun boy—stood up, slid his shorts down, and dragged them out of the water. "Done."

Man-bun did the same, and tossed his boxers onto the platform. They sloshed as they hit the wood, and knocked one of our White Claws into the water. Millie and him reached for it at the same time, then proceeded to play tug-of-war, until he conceded.

"What about you, darling?" he said, inching closer to me. He had a faint whiff of cologne mixed with dirt and sweat, and I wrinkled my nostrils. "When I flashed my light around earlier, you were the only one wearing something. A cute little coral shirt, yeah?"

I nearly choked. "Not a shirt, but yes."

He got into my space, his knees pushing against mine. I recoiled, but that didn't seem to stop him. "Want me to help you take it off? Since we're all supposed to be in the nude, and all."

I raised my hand, prepared to slap him; but Jenny luckily dashed between us. "Rose won't be removing any clothing, so leave her alone." Her voice was ethereal and a bit zoned-out, but I sensed her pushing Man-bun away, to my relief.

"Thank you," I whispered to her as she returned to her spot.

"I may be out of it, but no one messes with my girl," she said, likely meaning to whisper, but too intoxicated to control her volume.

"Whatever." Man-bun grunted and I caught him grabbing Millie by the arm and yanking her into his lap as he sat on the opposite end of the spring. "Five out of six, huh?"

I glanced in the direction of Quiet-guy, who I hadn't seen move a muscle since he'd slipped into the water. To my surprise, he perked up, and I soon heard his slopping swim trunks squish onto the bank. "Done."

That was the first time I'd heard him speak since they arrived, and still I couldn't figure him out.

Middle-dude flurried over and stopped next to Jenny. "Sorry about him," he said, jamming a thumb at Aaron in the distance. He then lifted what appeared to be a beer can, trying to toast with us. "I don't think he's seen a group of girls in a while."

Man-bun retorted something in a gruff tone, but Millie's giggles overruled him.

Jenny and I jammed our cans against Middle-dude's and chugged.

He and Jenny proceeded to debate scientific jargon that was lost on me, so I leaned back and gaped up at the stars.

I wasn't sure how long I zoned out, oblivious to the flirtation and sexual advances around me, but when I came to, all I heard was the word boobs.

"Seriously, yours are wonderful," said Middle guy—he had a specific tone that implied he was always smiling, or possibly high on drugs.

And the one he addressed was none other than Jenny, who I knew for a fact was high. "Thank you," she said, not as responsive nor as interested.

He drifted in front of me. "What about you? Do you have boobs?"

Man-bun chortled from somewhere up ahead—I deciphered his familiar chunk of hair, and assumed Millie was next to him. If not on top of him.

"Obviously," I said, instinctively grabbing at my chest in an attempt to cover myself up.

Middle guy trudged closer, and I imagined him licking his lips and wiggling his eyebrows. "Can I get proof? I swear I'll leave you alone after that. Your friends let me touch theirs."

"It's true," echoed Millie, her voice coming from where I'd anticipated she was—with Man-bun.

"Yeah, I did," said Jenny, taking a sip of her drink. "Just get it over with."

I didn't want to get it over with; I didn't want any of them near me. They were strangers, rowdy boys with urges I had no desire to indulge in.

And yet a tiny voice in my head told me Jenny was right—if I gave him a few seconds of fondling, he'd get over it.

So I did. With a groan and as my eyes soared skywards and I gritted my teeth, I let Middle guy squeeze my breasts. Once, twice, three times—then I pulled away and readjusted my top. "Okay, that's enough."

I swam backwards, disoriented, unsure which side of the springs I'd ended up in, until I jammed into what felt like a knee.

"Oops," I flipped around and spotted a silhouette I didn't recognize. "Sorry, didn't realize you were there."

"No one ever does!" yelled one of the boys; I couldn't tell who was who anymore.

But the man near me, Quiet guy, chuckled; low in his throat and barely audible. "No worries. If you stick over here I guarantee they'll leave you alone."

I half expected Man-bun to spit out some comment, but he was a bit occupied—I heard the sucking sounds one made when drunkenly making out.

"Ew." I swished over to Quiet guy's side. "I'd rather stay far from that."

"I'm unfortunately used to it." As I nestled in a hard spot beside him, he reached out a hand to shake mine. "I'm Jay. Those other two assholes are Aaron," he motioned at Man-bun, "and Rob," he gestured at the blob that hovered near Jenny, still complimenting her boobs.

"I'm Rose." His skin was soft, despite the time spent in hot water; it should have been prunish and wrinkly, and yet his touch felt smooth.

"So, you heard of the local mysteries?" He leaned back and set his joined hands behind his head. "The disappearances?" He kept his voice low, not wanting to be overheard. I got the impression the other two liked to mock him.

"Not until today, actually." I wished I'd grabbed another drink before sitting next to him, as I feared I'd need more alcohol to broach this subject. "Millie's car had some issues and a trucker stopped to help us and... warned us. It was... weird."

"Sounds about right." As if reading my mind, he snatched something from the bank behind him and handed it to me—a cool can of what I imagined to be beer. "Drink?"

I managed to decipher the label—not a brew I was familiar with, but I figured why the heck not—and cracked the thing open. After a few sips, I concluded it was a pale ale, and I liked it. "Thanks."

"I've read a lot about this place, but most of the documents were hard to find." He lowered farther into the water, and his arm rubbed against mine; it was firm, muscular, and sent a few shivers down my spine.

I took a few more swigs and tried to get comfortable, though my limbs were tense, worried if I moved I'd touch something of his that I didn't want to. "So, you're into spooky stuff?"

"Um, my favorite show is Ghost Adventures," he said, and I could hear the smirk in his tone. "And mystery documentaries about anything occult or supernatural."

He wouldn't have any clue, but I smirked right back. "I love that show! Ghosts and the afterlife... fascinating."

We spent some time debating our favorite episodes, while Millie and Aaron continued their spit swapping in the background, and Rob tried to seduce a psychedelically inclined Jenny. And as I chortled at Rob's half-assed attempts, Jay nudged me, changing the subject of our conversation.

"So... why aren't you skinny-dipping?" He sat up straight. "I'm not asking to make fun of you, I'm genuinely curious. You're out here with friends, it's relaxing, you're drinking... what's stopping you?"

My chin dipped as I peered at the reflection of stars in the water. "I'm... not as daring as they are. Not as comfortable with... my body. And I'm not into all that sexual stuff."

"Ah," he opened another beer, "asexual?"

"How did you..." My eyes widened as I spun to him, pulling my knees to my chest. "I mean, yes, actually, but how did you know?"

"Well," he touched my shoulder, and though I should have flinched, should have scurried away, I didn't. His presence wasn't as toxic as Rob's or Aaron's, and he didn't get grabby or pushy. "Because I recognize your demeanor. No shame in it, at all. I'm a bit on that spectrum myself, and they bug me about it all the time."

"Bug you about what?" Rob appeared before us, startling me into removing myself from Jay's touch. "About all your stupid legends and the spooky shit you read about?"

Aaron's moan of annoyance erupted from the other side of the springs. "Or his insistence that us coming here was a bad omen and we shouldn't have left on this trip during a pandemic?"

Though a few feet separated us now, I sensed Jay stiffening, and noticed his outline perking up. "It is a bad omen, and there are spooky legends about this place. But it was two against one, so I didn't have much of a choice, did I?"

It was the first time I'd heard him raising his voice, or taking a stand against his immature friends.

"Where did you read about those?" Jenny popped into the discussion, shimmying to the middle of the spring where Rob had planted himself. "I did extensive research on this place, and have stayed here before a few weeks ago with Millie. Nothing happened There's nothing ominous about these springs." She sighed and tipped her head, dunking the back of her scalp into the water. "I did see off-putting shit in a rest-stop bathroom, but I think it was a prank, some kid looking for thrills.

I frowned; that went against what she'd told me while we were setting up the tents. Were the drugs in her system altering her thoughts that much?

"Yeah, there's no one around, Jay. This place is deserted." Rob grunted. "That shit is a myth, and no one believes in those stories."

I almost yelped out, I do, I do, but wasn't ready for the backlash that would bring. To side with Jay in this situation would single us both out, and I didn't want his friends to mock me, too.

As the troublemakers returned to their games of boob-touching and wooing, I slithered to Jay's side. "I believe you," I whispered, pressing a hand to his upper arm. "I don't trust this place and I don't feel safe."

Jay didn't move; I could barely feel him breathing. He'd opened up for a second with me, and his idiotic friends forced him to retreat back into his shell. The only person I might have bonded with that night—since Millie was busy and Jenny was lost in her drug-induced world—had returned to silence.

My heavy buzz vanished as my anxiety took hold of my mind and squeezed it until my temples throbbed. A hunch told me Jay had located scary stuff online; but I hoped he was wrong.

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