The wind blew towards her, bringing the smell of forest along with a couple of pale, yellow leaves that landed behind her. Along with the coloured trees in the forest, the air had become somewhat sharper the last week – gone was the chocking heatwave of the late summer, and soon enough the mountain peaks would get the season’s first layer of snow. A smile formed on her lips as she brushed an auburn lock of hair behind her ear. Autumn would always be Sabine’s favourite time of year.
She hummed as she walked among giant trees, as old as the folksong itself – the words long forgotten. Not even her grandmother had known the lyrics when she had lulled her granddaughter to sleep all those years ago, but the melody kept coming back to Sabine every time she walked on this overgrown trail, which would bring her further and further into the depth of this old, untouched forest. It wouldn’t be long now before she found herself at the foot of the mountain where her secret spot would be waiting for her, as it did every year.
This trip had become the highlight of the season – hell, the full year, if Sabine had to be honest. Some of her closest friends tried every autumn to tag along, but this trip, and her way of celebrating her birthday by herself, was hers and hers alone.
Sabine ducked under a couple of low branches, as she hummed and strode over a moss-covered log in the middle of the trail. A clearing appeared before her, and a satisfied sigh came with an intense feeling of never wanting to go back to her everyday life – it was like coming home, after a long and strenuous journey. “I’ve missed you,” she whispered to the hot spring, waiting for her at the base of the mountain looming over the forest. The chilly air had made a mist form over the surface of the warm water, like an inviting, soft blanket.
The tent could wait, Sabine decided, as she let the backpack slide down from her shoulders and onto the mossy ground. She held back a childish giggle while stripping off her warm clothes and felt the cold breeze brush against her skin. It was a liberating feeling, knowing that no one would find this special place, so far away from civilisation. She bit her lip while smiling, as she carefully walked down the naturally formed steps of the rocks into the water. She sat down on one of them.
“Happy birthday to me,” Sabine sighed happily and closed her eyes, as she laid her head back against the mossy edge surrounding the spring. “I wish I could stay here forever.” She started humming again on the old melody while enjoying the warm water surrounding her naked body.
A sound made her stop and open her eyes again, staring across ripples and through the mist towards the trees. Nothing, it was perfectly quiet. Sabine shook her head and smiled sheepishly. I’m just paranoid, she thought, probably just a deer or … A chill went from her scalp, down her neck and back, while a grinding sound, like stone against stone, filled the air right behind her. Instinct made her throw herself forward and reach the other side of the spring, while looking panicked across her shoulder as she hurried to climb out of the water in case a boulder was on its way down the mountain, ready to crush her. Water trickled down her skin, as she crawled onto the moss, staring warily at the silent mountain – no boulder could be heard, nor seen. Everything was quiet.
A shiver went down her spine, as she realised it was too quiet. No birds, no breeze – the feeling of sitting in a bubble of vacuum and no passing time made her confused, while the adrenaline from the recent shock and scare made her laugh nervously. The mist over the hot spring had thickened and grown, making it difficult to see the other side where she had just been relaxing. Had she just imagined the sound, maybe fallen asleep for a brief moment?
Something made the mist swirl in front of her. Sabine held her breath as the mist uncovered a figure standing on the opposite side of the water, in front of a rift in the base of the mountain. It was as if the rock simply had parted and opened a tunnel into the solid mass of stone. For a moment, she thought it was a statue of a tall man staring back at her, with big muscles carved out of grey stone, with perfect precision and artistic care. A crown of roots and moss braided around his head kept the long, greenish hair away from his forehead. The stranger gave her a curious look, as he gently tilted his head to one side.
Get up! However, Sabine couldn’t find the will, nor the strength to do so. Sitting sideways on the ground, she stared back at the man, bewildered. What are you doing, you stupid woman, run away! Her body and mind felt a jolt of adrenalin, before going numb again as the man walked into the water, slowly working his way towards her. Her fingers dug down into the moss beneath her, as to keep her from collapsing.
It was as if it took him forever to reach the end of the spring, keeping his eyes fixated on her. Sabine didn’t try to cover herself from his gaze, and a shiver went through her, as she knew she didn’t even want to. Instead, she felt a heat rush through her while staring at his own naked body, as he waded towards her.
The man came to a stop, staring at her from the hot spring, water barely covering his waist. His eyes were the colour of autumn, a yellowish-orange like the trees behind her. The colour seemed to shimmer for every little movement, while his gaze traced the droplets running down her breasts, continuing down her body and disappearing between her closed thighs. Sabine shivered and briefly closed her eyes, as if it was his fingers tracing her features. When she opened them again she stared into those deep, hungry eyes of his, knowing she had the same stare.
A gentle touch against her leg made a soft, unwilling moan work its way between her lips. She bit down on her lower lip, as his hand stroked upwards on the outside of her thigh, careful and curious, as if he wondered if she was real. To Sabine’s surprise his hand was warm, his skin soft – nothing like cold stone, as she first had thought him to be made of. She lifted a shaking hand and traced his strong jawline with her fingertips, almost caressing the moss-coloured beard on his chin. His other hand took a hold of hers, pressing her palm against his cheek as he smelled her wrist and closed his eyes.
Sabine couldn’t stop herself from putting her other hand on his bare chest, leaning forward to do so. She could feel his strong and regular heartbeat pound against her palm. This otherworldly creature, this man, was standing right in front of her, holding her hand against his face, while his other hand rested on her thigh. He was like any other man and yet; far from it. He let go of her hand, but Sabine still cupped his face, unable to stop touching him. Their eyes locked, as he placed both his hands around her waist. Something moved in his gaze. A question? She barely noticed herself nodding, not knowing why or for what, but her body answered him as he pulled her closer to the edge of the hot spring - she straightened up and opened her legs, putting them on each side of him. The warm water closed itself around her legs, as she sat right in front of the stranger.
He leaned closer, putting a hand on her back. His breath fell on her breast. She gasped as his tongue slid over her erected nipple, making the skin tingle and wanting more. His grey lips continued downwards, as he pushed her body gradually down on the ground. Sabine held her breath and clasped her hands around his head, as he found his way down between her thighs.