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The night air in the north was crisp and fresh. Fireflies began to come out from hiding as the sun set behind the clouds. Summer was drawing to a close, and Paul and JC wanted to go exploring before it came to an end and the harsh winter arrived.
The duo were silent as they walked down the dirt road. They had never seen nature like this before. There were no people, no cars, no lights. City life was all they had known, where smog and streetlights obscured the air. Now, they could see the stars. This was their home now.
The dirt path abruptly came to a halt. Paul looked around, but all he could see in front of him was trees.
“Time to go home then, I guess. It's getting late, anyway.” Paul started to turn around but JC grabbed his arm.
“No! Let's explore!” Without letting go of Paul's arm, JC pranced into the forest. He dragged his brother through the trees, nimbly climbing over obstacles while Paul tripped over his feet.
The sound of frogs croaking caught JC's attention. He walked through the woods in the direction of the noise, fireflies illuminating his way. Suddenly, the trees gave way to reveal a sparkling blue lake. The stars and moon reflected on its surface. JC had never seen such a thing before. It was hard for him to believe such a beautiful place could exist.
“This is amazing!” he exclaimed, a huge grin on his face. “Can you believe this? Look at all the stars!” JC bent down to touch the surface of the water. It was pleasantly warm. He watched a frog jump from its perch on a rock and disappear into the deep water. “Let's go for a swim.”
“I'd rather not. I'm not the best swimmer.”
“What, they didn't teach you in training?” JC was required to learn how to swim before he was let onto the field. It was his favorite part of training. He loved to be in water.
“It's been a while.” Paul seemed embarrassed. “And plus, we don't have our swim trunks.”
“You think that's going to stop me?” JC took off his shoes and socks and placed them on the banks. He slid his shirt over his shoulders and unbuttoned his pants, leaving only his boxer briefs. With a running start, he jumped into the water. “Come on in, it's nice!”
Paul scuffed his feet. The water made him apprehensive, but he felt safe with JC there.
“Fine.” Paul removed his clothes in the same fashion as JC, but instead of diving into the water, he waded in slowly.
“Don't be such an old man,” JC teased as he splashed his brother. “C'mon!”
Paul took a deep breath in and dove under the water. His swimming skills were indeed rusty, but he managed to doggy paddle over to JC.
“Good job,” JC said in a mocking tone, “Now come get me!” JC plunged into the water and swam far out into the middle of the lake. He moved fast and with ease. Paul swore under his breath.
The two swam for hours. They barely had a chance to be alone together anymore. This was the first time in what seemed like ages, and they couldn't have picked a better place to share each others' company. They vowed to keep the lake secret – their own place to get away, have fun, and forget about the real world.