"Look, Now There Are Knickers !"

" I knew this would happen. I told you it was too dangerous. Didn't I tell you it was too dangerous ?"

"Oh yeah, like you're so bloody clever. So clever you ended up with your bare ass sticking out of the wall on Ingram's course !"

"Well now we're both bare assed again !" Debbi and Carol were treading water in the middle of the lake and arguing. "This isn't getting us anywhere and I'm getting bloody cold" announced Carol, setting out for the shore, since there did not appear to be any hand holds to climb back onto the jetty that they had so recently leapt from, in an altogether different frame of mind.

"Ow, ow, ow !" They gingerly stepped out onto the pebble strewn shore. They looked around hopefully in case the girls had left anything for them to wear but no such luck. Goose pimples began to appear, as they became uncomfortably aware of the chill breeze nipping at their naked bodies and of their unwanted exposure. It was still only April after all. "What are we going to do ?" asked Carol. "What can we do ? Just make our way back to the camp and let them have their joke. Even if they've hidden our clothes, we've still got all our other stuff in the tent."

Carol remained fuming. She was still so much less accustomed to being on the receiving end in such a situation. "I'll kill her. I swear to God, I'll kill her" she cursed. "It's karma" said Debbi. "After all, it's only what we planned to do to her" she reasoned. "Yeah, but look how many times she's already got one over on you. If you believe in karma, there's one hell of a payback due !"

"Yeah, well I don't believe in it really" muttered Debbi resignedly. They set off down the trail. " Ow, oh, ooh, bloody twigs ! They could at least have left our shoes !" The two naked women were making slow progress, eyes downcast to avoid too many sharp objects. Pausing, Carol happened to look up. Festooned on the branches of a tree just ahead were their knickers, waving gaily in the breeze. "Look" she gestured. "That'll be something at least. I wonder if the rest of our clothes will be scattered a bit further along ?" But before this happy thought could take hold and either of them could make a move to retrieve their underwear, they heard a voice ring out, disconcertingly close at hand. "This way boys !" Boys ? Boys ! The two startled nudies looked around frantically and dove headfirst into the nearest ditch !

"Now there are knickers sir !" They heard the laughing cries from a group of boy scouts on a nature hike with their leader. "OK boys, no need to get so excited. Just scoop them up and keep them with those other clothes we've found in case we find out who they belong to" the troop leader instructed them. "Maybe there are ladies around with no clothes on ?" suggested one of the scouts. "Now that's not very likely now is it boys ? Come on along. This way !"

Debbi and Carol looked at each other in their makeshift hiding place. Fortunately, the scouts were headed towards the lake and not thinking of carrying out a search of the area. The two women waited long enough to be certain that the boys had gone and then climbed out of the ditch in an even more bedraggled state, with burrs and leaves in their hair and sticking to their bodies. "Shit, shit, shit !" exclaimed Debbi. "Yeah, well all we can do now is keep going in case they come back" said Carol practically, their trust in the fact that they were at least alone in the woods profoundly shaken !