Cedric's not sure...

"I'm..."

"Are you gonna chicken, too?" Ethan arched his eyebrow. "That would count as quitting before I do."

Cedric hesitated. On one hand, he agreed with Adrian - the dare did seem to be rather disrespectful. On the other, it wasn't like anyone other than the six of them would know, and as long as the grave was untended...

"Alright, fine. I'll do it if you do it, too."

"... is that allowed?"

"Well, Keith and Ivan are already on the way out, so..." Cedric pointed at Ivan and Keith's retreating backs.

"Shouldn't it be Adrian coming up with the dare, then?"

"Nah, I'm good. You two can kiss the dead with your butts, I'm outta here the moment you guys are done."

"Never pegged you for the scaredy-cat type."

"I did my dare. Now quit stalling, I want to go home."

"Alright, alright," Ethan sighed. "Let's do... that one." He pointed out a grave with an unmarked headstone, and Cedric and Ethan headed to opposite sides of it.

"On the count of three?"

"Sure. One, two... three!"

No sooner had they made contact with the headstone than the sky flashed a brilliant white and roared its displeasure for the world to hear. The clouds above simultaneously decided to release their payloads, showering them all with icy water.

"Run!" several of them yelled. Cedric and Ethan hiked their shorts and boxers back up and raced after their friends.

The storm bore down upon the six of them fiercely! Huge droplets of water pelted them relentlessly as they retreated, and the wind blew from behind as if chasing them from the premises. Even the foliage was against them, as the trees shoved their branches into the boys' path.

"Help!" Ethan hollered. Cedric turned, and saw that Ethan was wrestling with a long, slender, vine-like branch that had caught upon his tee. The branch was covered in minuscule, thornlike growths that gripped the cotton ferociously, clinging onto it for dear life. Cedric hurried over to help Ethan, but the tee and the branch were inseparable.

"I can't... get it... loose!" Ethan shouted in frustration.

"AH!" Cedric yelled, as something whipped him across the back of his shoulders. He whirled around, but to his own consternation, he felt something restricting his movement as well.

"One of those things got your shirt, too!"

"Ditch the shirts!" The two boys hastily peeled off their tops and resumed their escape. But before long, Cedric felt his progress halted by a tug on his shorts. "FUCK!" he cried, causing Ethan to pause. "These things are fucking everywhere!"

"COME ON!" Ethan bellowed. "Get 'em off and run!" The wind was coming in sharp gusts now, and the sound of thunder crashed against their eardrums, getting louder by the minute. Cedric tangled with the plant for a few seconds, but his efforts were futile - the plant's grip on his clothes was far more powerful than the strongest Velcro he had ever experienced. Resigned, he stripped off his shorts and hurtled after Ethan.

Of course, it didn't take long before the last of his modesty was stolen by the greenery. Cedric could feel his manhood flopping against his thighs as he ran, and his shoes sent cold water splashing everywhere with every slap against the pavement. Under his breath, he cursed Ethan for dragging him into this mess.

"WE'RE NEARLY THERE, THE GATE'S UP AHEAD!" Ethan yelled. Cedric looked up and saw Ethan's pale rear - Ethan had clearly been reduced to a similar state of undress - and put on a burst of speed even as the cold, razor-edge of the wind struck his exposed back. He stumbled through the wrought-iron entrance and promptly tripped over Ethan, who had also fallen right after passing the cemetery gates. Cedric groaned as his forearms slammed into the ground, narrowly missing Ethan's chest.

To their astonishment, once over the threshold of the cemetery, they found that the storm quickly abated. The rain immediately lightened to a gentle shower before becoming a light drizzle, and the wind, too, no longer howled after them. Within seconds, the clouds had disappeared, and the stars finally reemerged.

"What the fuck?!" Cedric and Ethan stared at each other, bewildered and slightly frightened by the drastic change in the weather.

Just then, a beam of brilliant light blinded them, and they heard Ivan's clear tenor exclaim, "What the fuck are you guys doing?!"

"Why are you guys naked?!" Keith's voice joined in.

"AAAH!"

"GET OFF ME!"

Cedric scrambled to his feet, his hands swiftly positioned to cover his privates. Ethan did the same, both of them keeping their eyes averted from each other and from the light, which apparently came from the headlamps of George's car.

"TURN THAT FUCKING LIGHT OFF!" Cedric screeched, acutely aware of his nudity and shivering slightly from the cold. The light dimmed before returning the carpark to its natural darkness. Ivan stepped out of the car, quickly followed by George. Adrian and Keith exited their car, too. Cedric and Ethan glanced up and, to their horror and embarrassment, quickly noticed that everyone else was still completely clothed.

"Why on earth are you two naked and doing... whatever?" Ivan asked pointedly as he gestured, water still dripping from his dirty blond hair. "Is there something you want to tell us?"

"Fuck off," Cedric said emphatically, his gaze fixed on Ivan's shoes.

Next to him, Ethan glared at Ivan. "Some stupid plants with thorns got tangled in our clothes and we couldn't get rid of them," he said defiantly.

"And that explains what we just saw... how?"

"Tripped and fell out of the gates," Cedric elaborated.

"You sure?" Keith teased. "Certainly felt like we were interrupting an intimate moment."

"What's with the third degree?" Ethan challenged. "And could someone please help get us some clothes? It's kinda cold here."

"Sorry, guys," Adrian laughed. "I don't think any of us expected that we would be losing any clothes tonight. Enjoy the drive back!"

Cedric's eyes snapped up in horror. "My car keys! They were in my shorts!"

Ethan's own eyes widened. "You can't be thinking of going BACK IN FOR THEM?!"

"How the fuck else are we supposed to get back to dorm?! You room with ME, remember?!"

"Chill, guys, I have a solution," Adrian said. "The two of you can come crash at my place for the rest of the night. We'll come back and search for your stuff once the sun rises, okay?"

"What happens if someone finds our stuff first and steals the car?!"

Adrian snorted. "Really? You planning on staying here naked and wet for the next few hours?"