The fire was already raging when Billy Todd decided to toss on another palette. Blazing embers rose into the cool evening air - tendrils of fiery light dancing toward a cloudless, darkening sky where the night’s first star was making its appearance.

“Happy Spring Equinox, everybody!”

I was unsure who shouted the salutation, but the entire crowd cheered in approval, raising their glasses toward the indifferent mountain peaks covered in winter’s snow.

Three days earlier, I was enjoying a bourbon and water at Digger’s bar when Billy sat down on the barstool next to me and gave me a friendly slap on the back.

“Are you coming out to Escape Point for the equinox party on Saturday?”

“Who’s going to be there?”

Billy pulled a Marlboro Red cigarette from his ear and lit it. “C’mon, Nick. Mandy moved out-of-town six months ago.”

“That’s not why I’m asking,” I said, frustrated. “I don’t want to be the creepy guy in his fifties at a party filled with kids in their twenties.”

Billy rolled his eyes, “Dude, I’m thirty-two!”

“I still have twenty years on you.”

“Look man, I’m your friend,” Billy said, putting his hand on my shoulder. “Mandy’s been out of your life for over a year. She moved out-of-town back in September! You gotta get back on the horse or you really are going to get old.”

“I’ll think about it.”

Billy removed his hand from my shoulder and took a long drag on his Marlboro. “Alright, Nick. Look, man, for what it’s worth, I miss Mandy too. But she did you wrong. What better time to get a fresh start than at a spring equinox party in middle-of-nowhere Alaska?”

I knew what Billy meant. Seasonal workers start rolling into town around the end of February. They’re mostly younger college kids trying to make some money or society dropouts hoping for some thrills and adventure in the Last Frontier. In other words, the equinox party was all about hooking up.

Feeling a hand on my back, I turned to see Billy standing above me with a beer in one hand and a hatchet in the other. “Good to see you, buddy,” he said, leaning down close enough to whisper in my ear, “See anything you like?”

“This beer I'm drinking.”

Billy reached into his coat pocket, pulled out a small jar of brown liquid, and shoved it into my free hand.

“Fresh starts, buddy.”

As Billy walked away, I opened the jar. Assuming it was homemade moonshine, I drank it like a shot and chased it with what was left of my beer.

Most of the partygoers moved down to the beach to watch the moon rise over Halcyon Peak. A few ventured into the woods to smoke a joint. Sitting alone by the fire, my mind wandered two years back in time.

Mandy was walking in the front door of our house after a day working at the local bank. She was one of the few women in town required to dress like a professional, which meant she wore stockings, heels, and all sorts of other things that make a woman stand out in a small Alaskan town.

Earlier that day, a small bird had flown into our living room window. When I went outside to check on it, it was lying on the ground twitching. Not wanting a cat or another bird to get it, I ran inside the house looking for something I could use to keep the bird safe while trying to revive it.

Our bedroom closet was full of Mandy’s empty shoeboxes. I took one out of the stack, lined it with tissue paper, went outside, and collected the bird. After an hour or so, the bird sat upright and accepted some water to drink but it still didn’t look quite right.

By the time Mandy was walking in the door, the small bird was eating pieces of bread from my hand. Mandy sat down next to me and put her arm around me while I told her the story.

“You’re a good man,” she said before getting up to change clothes.

Some months later I would find out that Mandy’s affair started a few days before I rescued the little bird.

As the last of the sun’s light faded from view, moonlight bathed the mountains in an eerie glow. The revelers on the beach became nothing more than silhouettes against the sparkling waters of the fjord. Meanwhile, the campfire settled into a slow burn, cracking and popping as the flames of time turned living wood into ash.

Attempting to stand, I wondered why I felt dizzy after only drinking a few beers. Then I remembered the moonshine and decided to take a walk. Doing my best to avoid anyone and everyone, I stumbled toward the beach, away from where the crowd had gathered. It was low tide. Delicate shells crunching beneath my feet reminded me of breaking glass.

My eyes quickly adjusted. The moonlight was bright enough to see by, even though it cast a dull light that illuminated the entire backdrop in a blue-gray hue. I heard the grunt of a sea lion in the distance. Then I looked up at the moon and watched it dissolve into a spiral vortex of sound and color.

Feeling a bit nauseous, I sat down on a nearby log that had washed up on the beach.

I thought to myself, What the hell did Billy put in that moonshine?

Closing my eyes, I concentrated on calming my nerves until every thought and feeling was nothing more than a burning ember rising toward the sky only to disappear into the cool night air.

“Mind if I join you?”

The words were like a sudden jolt of electricity. It was a woman’s voice, unfamiliar, with a hint of a southern accent. After forcing my eyes to open, I did my best to focus on the feminine form that stood before me. The task proved difficult because the woman was surrounded by a radiant purple light that seemed to undulate and pulse.

Backlit by moonlight, her features were nothing more than faint outlines. She was barely five feet tall with a petite frame and celestial curves borne from the elemental forces of earth itself. For a moment, she took on the form of a nymph that had stumbled out of the woods only to encounter some strange man sitting alone in the dark.

Once again, I remembered the "moonshine."

Get a hold of yourself, Nick. You’re fucked up.

The moment of clarity brought me back to reality. Gesturing to the empty space next to me on the log, I said, “Not at all, go right ahead.”

After sitting down, the moonlight revealed the face of a young woman, maybe eighteen or nineteen years old.

“I’m Mara,” she said. “It’s so beautiful here. I just got in on the ferry today. Are you here for the summer?”

“Well, I am, but I also live here. My name is Nick”

“Oh my god! You’re the first local I’ve met. I’m from Tennessee. I came here with my friend Susie. She was here last summer and convinced me to tag along this summer.”

“What do you do back in Tennessee?”

“I graduated high school last year and I’m still trying to decide what I’m going to do with my life.”

It was a common story. Alaska has always been a place for wanderers. For some, it’s a place to disappear entirely.

Then I remembered Billy’s words to me by the fire… Fresh starts, buddy.

“So you’re looking for a fresh start,“ I said. “Me too.”

Meanwhile, I felt a wave of euphoria growing like a ball of energy in my belly. Before it hit, I felt as though I owed this young woman an explanation.

“Listen, Mara… Full disclosure… I drank some moonshine that I'm thinking wasn't moonshine, so if I say something...”

Mara cut me off, “I drank some too, which is why I wandered over to this end of the beach. I don’t like crowds.”

“Me either,” I said, strangely relieved. “But you may have more fun hanging out with them than an old man.”

Mara laughed as though I’d told the funniest joke in the world. I wasn’t sure if she was laughing at me or at what I said, but she was so cute and sexy that I started cracking up along with her.

“You’re not old!” Mara said, playfully shoving my shoulder.

“Well, thanks, but I’m pretty sure the moonshine has entirely clouded your cognitive abilities.”

Mara laughed again. “You’re funny. Do all Alaskan men have a good sense of humor?”

“I'm serious! You can’t see my face in this moonlight but I’m fifty-two years old!”

Without missing a beat, Mara said, “Nick, you can’t see numbers in the moonlight or the sunlight.”

Hearing the words made me feel good about myself. Then I realized that I hadn’t felt really good in a long time. I needed to move before dark thoughts could creep into my whirling mind.

“Well, in that case, would you like to take a walk with me?”

Mara jumped up without saying a word and reached out toward me with both hands. Taking them in mine, she pulled me up off the log and we walked further down the beach. The tide was swiftly rising. As the water spilled into the grooves and contours of the sand, it appeared as though it was alive and reaching for our feet.

Mara told me a story about leaving home to come to Alaska. How she threw a going-away party at her apartment and invited all of her friends. Only three showed up.

She added, “I was sad at first, but I realized that a person is probably lucky to have three good friends.”

A little further up the beach, I saw a strange-looking piece of seaweed in the sand. Thinking it was bull kelp, I reached down and picked it up. The seaweed came to life in my hand, writhing back and forth in an attempt to coil around my fingers. Then I realized it was an eel.

“Holy Jesus!” I exclaimed before throwing it out into the ocean.

Mara thought this was the funniest thing she had ever seen. She laughed so hard that she fell backward onto the wet ground, which made her laugh even harder.

Also laughing, I did my best to quickly help Mara up off the sandy beach. She wrapped her arms around my neck and said, “My butt’s wet.”

The top of Mara’s head only came up to my neck. She stared up at me, a little wobbly on her feet. I gently rested my hands on her hips to hold her steady. I could feel her heat radiating up onto my face.

The pale moonlight was strong enough to cast shadows but not powerful enough to reveal any colors other than pale blue, silvers, and grays. Yet somehow, Mara’s eyes glowed as though they were on fire.

Mara must have sensed my wonder, and asked, “What are you thinking?”

“Your eyes…” I said. “I swear I can see what color they are.”

“Tell me.”

“They’re hazel. Almost golden in color but the left one has more green than the right. They look like they’re on fire.” I paused. “And they’re beautiful.”

Saying the words sent another wave of euphoria through my body, which I realized was pressing against a woman’s body for the first time in more than a year.

“Your eyes are blue,” Mara said. “And injured. Like a little bird.”

The words were like a jolt.

Is this woman reading my mind?

The entire memory of the injured bird, and Mandy, came flashing back into my mind.

Mara sensed my shock and continued, “I was fifteen and on summer break, playing with my sister in the barn when we found an injured swallow on the ground. It was a male and its wing was damaged. The nest was nearby and the mother and babies were still in it. He probably got injured defending the nest from an owl or something.

“We took it inside and made a little nest for it in a shoebox. I named it Birdy B. We nursed it back to health but it couldn’t fly. The babies had grown up and left the nest but the mother hung around for some time, hoping the daddy would come back. Did you know that swallows mate for life? Anyway, she eventually left. The following spring, we took Birdy B outside for some fresh air and a miracle happened. He just up and started flying as though nothing had ever happened. Birdy B eventually found a new mate and started nesting in the barn again.

“Anyway, when I first picked up Birdy B off the ground, his eyes looked like your eyes.” Mara pulled away and grabbed my hand. “C’mon Nick, let’s keep walking.”

We came to a spot where the beach ended but we both agreed we weren’t ready to head back.

Pointing, I said, “There’s a trail that goes through the woods just over there.”

Mara immediately turned toward the woods, pulling me along by the hand. As the ambient sound of the ocean faded away, it was replaced by the sound of our breathing. After some confusion and more laughter, we found the trail. It was quite a bit darker in the woods, but shafts of moonlight fell between the trees, lighting the way.

“I want to be barefoot,” Mara said, which seemed like something an eighteen-year-old girl would say on their first day in Alaska. “C’mon, Nick, take off your shoes!”

Normally, I would have resisted but it was quite a bit warmer in the woods. I was also high on mushrooms and eager to continue my adventure with the beautiful young woman that appeared out of nowhere. We took off our shoes without sitting down and kept walking down the trail. Surprised, I had to admit that the ground felt good under my bare feet.

Mara pulled away from me, raised her arms into the air, and began to twirl. Her long hair swirled around her body as she called out into the night in a way that sounded like she was singing, “Oh my god, Nick, this is beautiful! Can you see it?”

Mara was surrounded by a kaleidoscope of swirling lights. If there were fireflies in Alaska, I would have sworn that’s what I saw. She laughed with joy, dancing with her starry entourage between beams of silver light.

Once again, Mara transformed into a nymph. A beautiful child of the forest.

“You belong here,” I said.

Without stopping Mara responded, “In the woods?”

“In Alaska.”

Mara stopped spinning and immediately fell over sideways onto the ground before bursting out into laughter. I laughed too. It occurred to me that I was having fun. An old memory of Mandy tried breaking into my mind but I found the strength to block it out.

Still laughing, Mara said, “I’m dizzy. I’m hot. And my ass is still wet.”

In what seemed like the blink of an eye, Mara stripped off all of her clothes and got back up on her feet. My eyes followed every curve and contour of her young body. She started walking toward me without the tiniest trace of inhibition. Her every movement, sublime.

Mara’s perky, firm breasts bounced ever-so-slightly with every step, her shapely hips swaying back and forth. Light penetrated the open space between the delicious curvature of her upper thighs.

Suddenly, I felt hot, but the fire was coming from inside my body. My cock responded to the signal from my eyes. The feeling of it straining against my pants seemed almost foreign to me, like randomly running into an old high school friend while on vacation.

Before I could fully process the sudden burst of electricity coursing through my body, Mara was standing directly in front of me. She was close enough that I could see a bead of sweat on her chest succumb to gravity and run down between her heaving breasts.

Mara sighed and said, “That’s better.”

Not knowing what to say, I blurted out, “You are a beautiful woman, Mara. Inside and out.”

Mara raised herself up on the tips of her toes and whispered into my ear, “Follow me.”

She turned and walked off the trail, into the woods. I followed a couple of steps behind, watching Mara’s long hair sway against the bare skin of her back.

It was even darker in the woods. Mara’s body appeared as little more than a sensuously moving shadow. The ground under my feet became soft and spongy and I knew we were walking on a patch of lichen.

Mara stopped and said, “Let’s sit down here.”

We sat down on the fertile ground, facing one another. I could barely make out Mara’s features but her eyes still glowed with their own light.

Mara broke the silence. “Take off your clothes, Nick.”

After fumbling with my shirt buttons for what seemed like ten minutes, which caused Mara to start laughing again, I managed to remove all of my clothes. Mara pressed her nude body into mine, face to face, straddling me with her legs. We wrapped our arms around each other in silence, Mara’s head resting on my shoulder.

Our intertwined bodies felt like unquenchable fire. Had we stayed in that position all night, I would have been content. Mara lifted her head until we were face-to-face, stared into my eyes, and said, “Do you want to kiss me?”

Instead of answering, I brought my lips to hers and gently sucked on her lower lip before pulling it with my lips until it fell free. Mara grabbed the back of my head and pulled my mouth into hers. Our tongues began to dance as I ran my hands up and down Mara’s back. My lips found their way to her neck, causing her head to fall backward. Mara dug her fingernails into my back and purred.

I gently kissed my way to her earlobe and gently sucked it between my lips. Mara’s body began shaking. Bringing my hand to her face, I softly caressed her cheek while I whispered in her ear.

“You’re an incredible woman, Mara. Everything about you is perfect in every way.”

Her hands found my face, touching my lips with her fingertips as I spoke the words.

Shifting the weight of my body forward, Mara fell backward onto the soft ground. My eyes had adjusted to the darkness, and I paused to soak in the sight of her luscious body. Mara’s hair fell all around her face, intertwining with the lichen until she became part of the forest.

I whispered in her ear, “Your body is gorgeous,” which made her giggle with appreciation. My mouth found her neck. Mara ran her fingers through my hair. I kissed her chest, working my way around the curves of her breasts. When I arrived at her nipple, I barely touched it with the tip of my tongue. Then I gently pulled it with my lips as it hardened in response.

As my mouth journeyed toward Mara’s stomach and hips, I used my fingertips to delicately caress the sides of her body. Then I slid my body lower until my face was inches from Mara’s pussy. She spread her legs and propped her tiny feet on my shoulders. Her scent was earthy and clean, a combination of forest and sea.

I softly kissed her vulva with my lips and tongue. Mara’s toes curled against my shoulder. Her pussy was plump. Tenderly sucking her labia into my mouth caused her hips to involuntarily gyrate. Then I teased her clit, tapping it with the tip of my tongue until she growled like a feral animal.

Mara’s scent suddenly changed into pure sex. Driven by an uncontrollable urge to taste it, I buried my face in her spread pussy, pushing my tongue as far inside as it would go. It felt as though Mara was somehow pulling me deeper inside of her body, my tongue growing longer as it explored every crease and dimple of her succulent little flower.

Then her body began to shake. I steadied her hips with my hands. Mara grabbed a fistful of my hair and thrust her pussy firmly into my face. As she cried out into the night air, my mouth filled with her sweet creamy cum.

Once her orgasmic vibrations settled, Mara guided me upright once again straddled me. Then her hand was around my cock, guiding it. She locked her eyes on mine. They were almost green in the strange light of the forest - wild like the darkness of the night. I felt Mara’s wetness on the head of my cock as she rubbed it into her pussy. When it slipped inside of her, she took my hands in hers and slowly slid her hips forward until our bodies became one.

For a while, it seemed as though we were bathed in light. It felt as though Mara’s pussy was pulling my cock deeper inside of her body with every motion of her hips, somehow making it feel as though it was harder than it had ever been. Mara used our clenched hands for leverage, slowly undulating her lithe body to press her clit against my shaft.

As she quickened her pace, Mara’s young full breasts bounced hypnotically. Her lips parted and her eyes suddenly changed. For a moment it seemed as though she might burst into tears. Then she pressed her hips firmly into mine and her body stopped moving. As the muscles in her pussy clenched around my cock, her mouth fell open, and she tried to scream but was unable to make the sound.

Mara’s body shook violently as she came but she never once broke eye contact. Her orgasm seemed to last an eternity and it was one of the most incredible moments I’ve ever experienced.

When the waves of her pleasure finally broke, Mara let go of my hands and leaned her body into mine. Cupping my face with her hands, she said, “Cum in me, Nick.”

Without moving her body in any way, Mara massaged my cock with only her pussy while gently kissing me on the lips. It was tender, gentle, sensual, and incredibly erotic all at the same time.

The feeling made me lose all sense of time and place. Then I was floating above, watching Mara as she fully enveloped my body.

Her voice in my ear grounded me, “My pussy wants your cum, Nick. Please give it to me. I need it.”

For a split second, I didn’t think I could cum but then my cock spasmed and I felt myself explode in Mara’s tight little pussy.

“Yes!” she moaned in my ear, her pussy somehow clamping even tighter around my cock.

“More!”

As the full force of my orgasm overtook me, I felt my own cum fill Mara’s pussy and run down the inside of my thigh.

Mara pushed me backward and rested her head on my chest, leaving my cock inside of her. We remained that way for some time, laughing and talking under the trees until we started to get cold and decided to head back to the party.

For the first time in more than a year, I was genuinely happy.

There’s something to be said for fresh starts.