Maya and Sydney wander into the woods ... or: watching four people fuck (Maya and Sydney's perspective)

[NOTE: This chapter happens in parallel with perspectives from Abbie, Jake, Kei, and Aguri.]

Having caught her breath, Maya ventured down a bit of a path between the trees. "Come on, Syd, let's see what's down here!"

Sydney had begun to feel the effects of the champagne, but did her best to catch up to Maya. Neither young woman was really suited to a walk in the woods at this particular time -- in part, for their shoes; in part, for the ****; and in part, because neither of them was the type that ever went hiking in the first place.

"Where does this path go?" Sydney called out.

"Beats me," said Maya. "There's probably some kind of hiking team for the club. Rich people are weird."

"Yup," Sydney agreed.

Maya stopped by a tree. "What if we get lost?" She lowered her voice and played it a bit more spooky. "What if we get lost and never find our way back?" She smirked and cackled.

Sydney laughed. "Stop!" She turned more serious. "No, actually stop. I might get scared."

"Oh, nothing to be scared of," said Maya. "Here, take my hand."

Sydney looked around. "It's a little scary, isn't it?"

Maya shrugged. "It's the middle of the day. And I can still see the club back there." She pointed in the direction they had come.

Sydney squinted and looked back, but was not convinced. "I can't."

"Well, I'll just have to take extra special care of you, won't I?" said Maya with a smile.

Sydney gripped Maya's hand a little tighter, their fingers interlaced.

"Oh wow," Sydney said, looking off to the side. "There's like this sunny spot in the middle of those trees over there. See?" She pointed.

Maya looked. Through patterns of sunlight, there was a swath of the forest, just off the path, that seemed to have it's own special illumination. Maya started heading off the path to get closer, pulling Sydney with her.

"Oh -- no, we should stay on the path. Right?" Sydney said.

"Ah, come on." Maya pulled her again. Sydney reluctantly followed her, and soon they arrived at the sunny spot they had seen.

Sydney looked up at the sky. "Just a weird arrangement of trees. This one little spot gets sun."

Maya didn't respond. She was looking at something else.

"What is it?" Sydney asked.

"Shh ..." Maya whispered. "Look over there."

Sydney looked ahead. She saw what looked like a little cottage behind some trees a ways ahead of them. "The little house?"

"Yeah," Maya replied. "Let's get a little closer."

The two women continued through the trees, weaving between branches and stepping over fallen logs, but didn't return to the path. They got a little closer to the house when Maya put her arm out to stop Sydney from taking another step.

"Wait!" she hissed. "I think I see ... people?"

Sydney peeked around Maya's right shoulder. Sure enough, behind the house there was a sort of backyard patio area, and Sydney saw at least one -- no, at least two people there.

"It's probably their house?" Sydney asked. "We shouldn't trespass."

Maya scoffed. "I don't think it's a normal house. It's too small. And not on a road or anything." She watched the backyard a bit more, and then turned back to Sydney with wide eyes. "Oh my god!" She turned back to watch. "Are those people doing ... what I think they're doing?"

"What? What do you think they're doing?" Sydney asked.

They took another few slow and careful steps closer. With each step, they could see a bit more of the scene unfolding behind the house.

"Holy shit!" whispered Maya quietly. "They're having sex!"

Sydney leaned forward to see as much as she could without making another step or sound. She saw what looked like two people -- a woman with red hair leaning over a bench, and a dark-haired man behind her. And Maya was right, they were having sex.

"I don't know that I've ever seen people just ... fucking ... in the woods ..." Sydney struggled to put a sentence together.

Maya bit her lip and kept watching. "He's really giving it to her."

Sydney giggled. "Have you ever seen people fuck before? I mean, besides like just watching yourself?"

Maya turned back. "Nope. First time for me."

"Me too."

They kept watching. The red-haired woman turned to say something to her partner, and in that moment, Sydney was terrified they'd be seen -- but fortunately, no.

Maya leaned her head to one side. "Syd ..." she said. "I think there's ... more than two people there."

Sydney took two small steps to the left, walking behind Maya, and peered through the trees. She gasped. "You're right ... there are ... I think four people?"

Maya nodded. Staring ahead, they now took note of a second couple on the bench. A dark-haired woman and another man, lighter skinned and lighter haired, behind her.

"That's ... two couples banging in the woods." Maya chuckled to herself. "It's like that thing where once you hear a word for the first time, you start hearing it everywhere."

Sydney smirked. "Yeah, except it's strangers fucking in the outdoors. See it once, you start to see it everywhere."

"If we stay long enough, maybe more people will appear."

"Oh my god, it's like woodland creatures in some fairy village." Sydney's mood was lightening up more, and she was feeling more relaxed.

"Quiet!" Maya warned. "What if they hear us?"

Sydney got immediately quiet, but kept watching intently. "But who are they?" she asked. "I mean, where did they come from? Why are they out here in the middle of the woods having, like, an orgy in their backyard like this?"

Maya nodded. "It's pretty fucking sweet, if you ask me." She paused, and then slowly continued. "Kinda turning me on, if I'm being honest."

Sydney was quiet. It was turning her on too, but she wasn't as comfortable as Maya announcing that fact. Still, she squeezed her hand on Maya's shoulder a little harder, and even if Sydney hadn't said it out loud, Maya felt confident that they were on the same page.