Chapter 1

Gravel crunched under my tires as I turned off the paved road down a narrow passage through the thick trees and other foliage. I hated driving on gravel roads, not least of all because, having grown up in the suburbs, gravel roads made me wonder if I was really were I was supposed to be or if I had gotten lost. My phone had long since lost reception and without GPS to rely on I had to double check the printed directions I brought with me to make sure I had the right turn off. This seemed like the place though, so I drove on through the gravel. I hated being bounced around haphazardly and couldn’t help but wonder if imminent engine failure was upon me every time a stray rock pinged off the underside of my car. My usual discomfort over this was only amplified by the claustrophobia of having the trees so close to me on either side, threatening to smack my windshield, scratch the paint, and rip away my side mirrors. At least the car was a rental.

Somehow, though, I made it through unscathed and the narrow gravel road leading through the trees became a short gravel driveway that ended just off to the side of a quaint, Victorian style house with a wraparound porch. Behind the house, a lake with glistening water stretched out for what seemed like forever. Although I couldn’t see it at that moment, I knew from the pictures on the rental site that a small, covered patio in the rear of the house led right up the water, with one portion of it jutting out over the lake to serve as a small, private dock.

This would be my sanctuary for the next week.

I threw the car into park and eagerly leaped out, my joints popping and protesting after sitting in the car for so long. I stretched, the motion and the knowledge that I was now officially on vacation loosening tension that had settled into my muscles and joints so deeply that I had almost forgotten what the absence of that tension felt like. That sensation of relaxation, however, reminded me that my joints and muscles were not the only parts of me protesting their treatment over the last few hours. The 64 ounces of soda that had once filled the plastic cup sitting in my car…no, jug would be the more appropriate term…was now filling my bladder and begging to be let out. Looking at my luggage in the backseat, I spent a moment internally debating whether I should start bringing them into the house now or come back for them, but the decision was quickly made for me as alarm bells starting ringing in my head and I instinctively pressed my thighs together.

Maybe it was the sudden shift from tense to relaxed, maybe it was the knowledge that my much-needed bathroom break was almost upon me, maybe it was something else, but I had suddenly gone from needing to pee pretty badly to needing to pee right that second, and having an accident seemed like an inauspicious start to my vacation.

Barely remember to slam the car door shut behind me, I dashed up the stops of the porch and to the front door, mindful of the way each step sent a jolt straight to my poor, abused bladder. My heart hit the ground when the doorknob refused to budge under my grip: locked. An image flashed through my mind of me pissing myself right here on the porch and for a moment I was sure it was a vision of my future, right up until I remember the email I had received from the landlord promising that I would find the key above the door frame. Moaning slightly, I stretched one arm upward, then stretched my whole body and lifted myself onto the balls of my feet in order to be tall enough to reach above the door frame. Between trying to stretch myself out and simultaneously clenching my muscles tightly enough to avoid an accident, I felt like I was about to snap. Frantically feeling along the top of the door frame, I breathed a sigh of relief when my fingers finally brushed an object that could only be a key.

My moment of relief was short lived, however, as the alarm bells in my head started ringing harder and faster. I could practically feel the floodgates beginning to weaken and crack and knew that any second they would burst. I was trembling and slightly bent over with one hand clutching my crotch as I fought to get the key in the hole. Finally, finally, the door swung open.

Thankfully, blessedly even, there was a bathroom near the front entrance, its door left wide open as if to announce its presence. Still, I had hobbled the last few feet of my journey, every shaky step threatening to finally jar loose the contents of my bladder. My bladder quailed and begged for release as I stood in front of the toilet trying to undo the buttons of my shorts, panic causing me to fumble around, and I almost just gave up as a sharp spike of pain shot through my lower stomach causing me to start dribbling into my panties, but I refused to let my struggle be in vain. At last, the button came loose and ripped my short down and practically threw myself on the toilet, the floodgates bursting at least even before I was seated.

“Fuck me,” I muttered, feeling vaguely like a slowly deflating balloon. Even once I was done peeing, which seemed to take a small eternity, I just sat there for a moment, my bladder feeling distended and still aching slightly. The panic that had filled me only moments ago had drained away with the contents of my bladder and I was left feeling overwhelming relief, albeit with an undercurrent of embarrassment at how close of a call it had been. Not to mention no small amount of happiness at the fact that no one had been here to see my undignified entrance.

When I was finally done basking the glow of relief, I took a moment to inspect my clothes. As expected, my panties were damp, but my denim shorts were untouched. Not wanting to just leave my damp panties on the floor of the bathroom and now having any other option, I pulled them and my shorts up, grimacing slightly at how noticeable the dampness was against my skin, and resolved to change as soon as I got my luggage in the house.

Walking out the front door of the lake house, I was surprised, startled even, to see to women walking the yard towards me. One was wearing a yellow, floral print sundress, the other a loose, flowing black skirt that went down to her ankles and a white, loose-fitting t-shirt. When they saw me, they both raised their hands in a wave that I tentatively returned.

“Hi,” I called out as I descended the stairs, “Can I help you?” I asked, trying to keep my voice level. It wasn’t that I felt like I had reason to be afraid, exactly, but I was unnerved by their sudden appearance at what was supposed to be a fairly isolated lake house.

“The better question is can we help you!” The one the sundress excitedly exclaimed with a slight giggle.

“We’re the landlords,” the second explained, “we were going to come out to get the house ready for you and welcome you, but it looks like you got here before us. I’m Madison, by the way, this is Sabrina, nice to meet you.” She held out her hand and I took it; her handshake was perhaps a little too firm.

“I’m Claire,” I said as I shook Sabrina’s hand, suddenly feeling very silly over my apprehension and thankful that they hadn’t arrived before me, or even just a few minutes earlier than they had. “I just got here, really. Just needed to run and use the restroom before I started carrying my luggage in.” I felt myself blush at the unnecessary information.

“Well, great!” Madison said, “Let us help you with your bags and we can show you around the house.”

I started to protest, to tell them that wasn’t necessary, but they were already moving towards the car and seemed implacable. The whole reason I had rented this house and taken a week off from work was to be completely and blissfully by myself for a while, but they seemed nice enough, and I could play hostess for a few minutes.

Three people made quick work of my luggage despite how much I had brought with me: I was a habitual over-packer. Madison and Sabrina took me straight to the master bedroom and then gave me a quick tour of the house. It wasn’t a big house, but I didn’t need to be big, just comfortable and quiet.

“Let me make you some tea!” Sabrina politely demanded as we ended the tour in the kitchen. She was grabbing the kettle that was already on the stove before she even finished. “Madison and I have the nicest little garden and we grow herbs and flowers and all sorts of stuff and Madison makes just the absolute best herbal tea with the harvest and you must have some I promise it’s just fantastic for relaxing it’s very soothing.” She rattled on without breath or pause as she filled the kettle, put it on the stove, and produced a metal tin and filter bags from the cupboard. “We always make sure our guests have some of this tea on hand,” she explained, “it’s like I said there simply isn’t anything that relaxes you more sometimes I have terrible trouble getting to sleep but this tea always puts me out and I just get the best sleep you should definitely have some tonight before bed too I promise you’ll sleep like a baby.”

Sabrina was bright and cheerful and exhausting to listen to, but she was charming and endearing in her own way too.

While Sabrina made the tea and extolled its virtues and relaxing properties, Madison began wondering through the house, tidying and straightening things that didn’t need to be and opening all the curtains (to let the light in, she said). I tried to tell her it wasn’t necessary, but she would have none of it, insisting that I let her make sure the house was perfect and full of natural light, which, much like her tea, was supposed to be restorative and relaxing.

“Don’t mind her,” Sabrina said as she set a cup of tea in front of me, “she’s always like this she just wants to take care of everyone and always makes sure our guests have a very good stay she’s very maternal like that really but that’s why I love her one of the reasons anyway.”

I picked up my cup, the tea was dark but not quite opaque and had an almost purplish hue to it. “So are you two-”

“Mmhmm!” She interjected before I could finish, vigorously nodding her head with a mouth full of tea before swallowing and continuing, “For about 12 years now but we’ve only lived in this area for about 8 years we live in the house closest to this one but it’s still a good mile away in that direction we also rent out a few other houses around the lake it really is a lovely lake do you plan on going out on the lake while you’re here? Drink your tea sweetie!”

I did. I had no idea how true Sabrina’s claims about the tea’s properties were, but I had to admit it was delicious: sweet and fruity. “Probably not,” I said, taking another sip of my tea before setting it down, “really I’m just looking forward to a week of quiet relaxation and solitude. I’m hoping to get a lot of reading down. Honestly, work has been very stressful, and I just needed some time to unwind.” Maybe the tea really was relaxing; I wasn’t usually this talkative or open with strangers. Maybe that was why Sabrina’s tongue seemed so loose.

“What is it that you do?” Madison asked as she came back into the room, apparently having arranged the house to her satisfaction, and took a seat at the table.

“I work in a law firm,” I said simply, restraining myself from going in to details. “What about you two? Or are you just primarily landlords?”

“Well mostly we just take care of our rental properties,” Sabrina explained, “but Madison also keeps busy with her gardening and even does a little bit of carpentry right dear? She actually made this dining room set and really a lot of the furniture in the houses we rent I say she does a little bit of carpentry but she really is quite good.”

“And Sabrina does a lot of crafts and a couple days a week she goes to the daycare that’s in the town a few miles down the road to help out,” Madison added.

We chatted for a while longer, Sabrina and I drinking the entire pot of tea while we did. I found myself genuinely enjoying the company, despite having wanted to be alone just moments before. They seemed like very good people and, perhaps more importantly, they seemed like they just wanted to share a moment with me rather than wanting something from me, unlike most people I interacted with in my daily life. Maybe that was why I enjoyed their company so much. Or maybe the tea really was as relaxing as Sabrina had promised.

Either way, it was late afternoon by the time they went home. Promising to check in on me occasionally, they left me with phone numbers for and directions to anything I might need during my stay, as well as their own number and directions to their house, which they traded for a promise from me to let them know if there was anything they could do to make my stay more comfortable.

With them gone, I took myself on a second, self-guided tour of the house, just to familiarize myself with the place a little more, before unpacking some of my things. I hated living out of suitcases no matter how short my stay was, so I made sure to move all my clothes to the dresser and closet in the master bedroom. With that done, I ordered pizza from the one place in the nearby town that would deliver out here (I knew because Madison had made sure I had the phone numbers for all the local delivery restaurants). Despite having lost cell phone reception on the drive out here, I was surprised when I couldn’t make the call. I was forced to use the landline for the first time in a very long time. With dinner ordered, I went back to my room to change into pajamas, tossing my now practically useless phone on the nightstand. After that, I spent the evening lounging on the almost impossibly comfortable couch immersed in a book.