a large cabin with giant tree trunks making up the
walls. It was two stories high and boasted a large deck with a
railing made out of smaller tree branches running along the edge.
There seemed to be a little restaurant on the far end of the first
floor and I would have guessed there to be no more than fifty
rooms.
Brendan jogged back to the car with a
piece of paper in his hand. He opened my door and bowed with a wave
of his hand. “Right this way,” he said. I followed him up the
outdoor stairway to a room at the end of the second floor. He used
the key to open the wooden door and then effortlessly lifted our
suitcases inside. The room was exactly what I would picture the
interior of a cabin to look like. Light wood planks that smelled
like cedar lined the walls and ceiling. A king sized four poster
bed encompassed most of the opened space, allowing just enough of a
footprint for two bedside tables and one dresser along the opposite
wall.
Brendan was already digging through
his large suitcase that he’d thrown on top of the bed. I, on the
other hand, kept staring at the bed realizing that this would be
the first night he and I ever spent alone together. Butterflies
twisted in my stomach at that thought. We had always been close,
but our relationship had not yet gone to the next and final step.
Would tonight be the night? Was I ready for this?
Brendan’s laugh startled me. “Come on.
Get changed. I have something I want to show you.”
“ Changed? What kind of
change? Where are we going?”
“ For a swim,” he replied
nonchalantly.
I looked back out the open door and
into the never-ending landscape of trees, rocks, and mountains.
“And just where are we supposed to go swimming?”
He unlocked a compartment hidden at
the bottom of his suitcase and pulled out his seal skin. Holding up
in the air he peeked around it and grinned at me. “It’s a
surprise.”
Pointing to his furry suit I asked,
“Aren’t people going to suspect something when they see a seal
swimming in the middle of Tennessee?”
“ Not when it’s dark. Now
come on, let’s go.”
I rolled my eyes and shrugged my
shoulders while closing the door behind me. Apparently Brendan had
a plan and I trusted him completely. I found my swim suit and robe,
even though both were completely unnecessary for me. But it helped
to keep up appearances should someone see us. It took me only a few
minutes into our hike before I wondered again what this plan was.
It was nearly dark at the hotel, but in these massive wooded lands,
nighttime has already settled in. I was not dressed, nor did I have
the proper shoes for the thirty minute adventure into the forest.
There was a beaten path, but it was covered in fresh mud and
puddles making it difficult to navigate. Especially in a pair of
sandals.
I was just about to ask how much
further, when Brendan suddenly stopped and sighed. My foot slipped
and I reached out to grab his shoulder before landing in a pile of
mud. When I looked up, I could see what he was staring at. In front
of us was a tranquil mountain lake surrounding by a sharp rock
cliff on one side and endless forests on the others. The pine tree
branches made an archway for us to pass through and the moon
highlighted the water’s surface like a mirror.
“ Wow,” I breathed. Brendan
grabbed my hand and we walked the remaining few steps to the edge
of the bank. Large pieces of rock were scattered along the beach
area and we carefully balanced on the mini boulders as we made our
way to the water. Without saying a word, we stripped out of our
clothes. I dove into the water to encourage my change while Brendan
became his seal. The cool water was more akin to our California
stomping grounds, but it was much calmer and clearer. Sharp rays of
moonlight danced around just under the surface and the depths of
the lake reflected back a dark abyss. There were very few animals
to see, but it didn’t matter. I had never been here before, so the
exploration alone
walls. It was two stories high and boasted a large deck with a
railing made out of smaller tree branches running along the edge.
There seemed to be a little restaurant on the far end of the first
floor and I would have guessed there to be no more than fifty
rooms.
Brendan jogged back to the car with a
piece of paper in his hand. He opened my door and bowed with a wave
of his hand. “Right this way,” he said. I followed him up the
outdoor stairway to a room at the end of the second floor. He used
the key to open the wooden door and then effortlessly lifted our
suitcases inside. The room was exactly what I would picture the
interior of a cabin to look like. Light wood planks that smelled
like cedar lined the walls and ceiling. A king sized four poster
bed encompassed most of the opened space, allowing just enough of a
footprint for two bedside tables and one dresser along the opposite
wall.
Brendan was already digging through
his large suitcase that he’d thrown on top of the bed. I, on the
other hand, kept staring at the bed realizing that this would be
the first night he and I ever spent alone together. Butterflies
twisted in my stomach at that thought. We had always been close,
but our relationship had not yet gone to the next and final step.
Would tonight be the night? Was I ready for this?
Brendan’s laugh startled me. “Come on.
Get changed. I have something I want to show you.”
“ Changed? What kind of
change? Where are we going?”
“ For a swim,” he replied
nonchalantly.
I looked back out the open door and
into the never-ending landscape of trees, rocks, and mountains.
“And just where are we supposed to go swimming?”
He unlocked a compartment hidden at
the bottom of his suitcase and pulled out his seal skin. Holding up
in the air he peeked around it and grinned at me. “It’s a
surprise.”
Pointing to his furry suit I asked,
“Aren’t people going to suspect something when they see a seal
swimming in the middle of Tennessee?”
“ Not when it’s dark. Now
come on, let’s go.”
I rolled my eyes and shrugged my
shoulders while closing the door behind me. Apparently Brendan had
a plan and I trusted him completely. I found my swim suit and robe,
even though both were completely unnecessary for me. But it helped
to keep up appearances should someone see us. It took me only a few
minutes into our hike before I wondered again what this plan was.
It was nearly dark at the hotel, but in these massive wooded lands,
nighttime has already settled in. I was not dressed, nor did I have
the proper shoes for the thirty minute adventure into the forest.
There was a beaten path, but it was covered in fresh mud and
puddles making it difficult to navigate. Especially in a pair of
sandals.
I was just about to ask how much
further, when Brendan suddenly stopped and sighed. My foot slipped
and I reached out to grab his shoulder before landing in a pile of
mud. When I looked up, I could see what he was staring at. In front
of us was a tranquil mountain lake surrounding by a sharp rock
cliff on one side and endless forests on the others. The pine tree
branches made an archway for us to pass through and the moon
highlighted the water’s surface like a mirror.
“ Wow,” I breathed. Brendan
grabbed my hand and we walked the remaining few steps to the edge
of the bank. Large pieces of rock were scattered along the beach
area and we carefully balanced on the mini boulders as we made our
way to the water. Without saying a word, we stripped out of our
clothes. I dove into the water to encourage my change while Brendan
became his seal. The cool water was more akin to our California
stomping grounds, but it was much calmer and clearer. Sharp rays of
moonlight danced around just under the surface and the depths of
the lake reflected back a dark abyss. There were very few animals
to see, but it didn’t matter. I had never been here before, so the
exploration alone
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