Serenity's Romance: The Silent Abby Collection

By Michael A. Burt

In the wilderness of the Rocky Mountains, a group of friends trek to discover the beauty of nature. Serenity allows people from all over the world to experience nature in complete splendor. Hiking in the woods with provisions in their packs, these friends discover the troubled past of one in their group. Lil takes a special interest in Alex, but their time together only grows short.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Michael A. Burt
• Release date: Jul 17, 2012
• ISBN: 9781476101637

Michael A. Burt

Last year I started writing submissions for the Creepy Podcast, and they accepted quite a few of them. I decided to publish these stories in volumes, but as I continued to write, the stories began to get longer than the word capacity for the podcast. Most of the stories in Volume II are longer than they appear in the podcast. All of Volume III will be longer than what is on the podcast.

Book preview

Serenity’s Romance

By

Michael A. Burt.

SMASHWORDS EDITION

. . . . .

PUBLISHED BY:

Michael A. Burt at Smashwords

Serenity’s Romance

Copyright © 2012 Michael A. Burt

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.

Adult Reading Material

Table Of Contents

Road Trip

Preparation

Day One

Day Two

Day Three

Day Four

Day Five

Day Six

Day Seven

Day Eight

Going Home

Three Months Later

SERENITY’S ROMANCE

ROAD TRIP

No one ever realizes how long a drive really is until they’re right in the middle of it. From San Antonio, Texas to the southern Rocky Mountains in New Mexico really isn’t that far, in theory. For some reason the drivers deemed it necessary to camp at a state park over night simply because it was the last chance for a drink before the ordeal. There’s no alcohol on the trail after all.

Serenity, a high adventure resort where people go to backpack in the Rocky Mountains for a set period of time. That’s what this group is going for, and everyone has their reasons. John Carter decided to go so he and his wife Brittany could rekindle some of the lost magic from when they got married at eighteen. Only four years and they already need to rekindle? What did they use for firewood, newspapers?

Sarah made the decision to go for her love of the out doors, and to prove to her boyfriend Ricky that she could do this just as good as he could. Ricky teased her about his experiences in the Boy Scouts because Sarah thought herself a tomboy. Ricky told her so many of the things he did back in the old days and she swore she could do the same things when she was that age. Unfortunately, her father was too protective to let her do things like that much. Sure she’s been camping and done some backpacking, along with canoeing, but nothing as strenuous as what lay in store for them. A bet, that’s one of the reasons why they’re going, and the chance to have outdoor sex. Why pass up something like that?

Ryan wasn’t forced to go, hell he jumped at the opportunity, mainly because his girlfriend Becka was getting on his nerves. Something about not being romantic enough and he should learn a few things from his friend Alex. Alex of which is the kind of guy who gets labeled as a hopeless romantic, the kind of guy that is friends with all the girls, but never gets any of them to date him. All the ideas he has for when he has a girl makes the ones taken feel like their boyfriends don’t appreciate them. Ryan can’t help, but thank Alex for this. Not only was Ryan planning on going through this adventure, he decided to bring Alex in on it as sort of payback. Becka didn’t really push Ryan to go, while she stays behind, until she found out Alex was going. Her last words to him weren’t I love you or anything like that. No, far from it. She told him to come back a little more like Alex or she was going to leave Ryan for him. Not that Ryan or Alex want that to happen, it’s not the first time Alex’s heard one of his friend’s girlfriends make such a threat. ‘Damn my luck’ seems to be Alex’s motto. Funny how women only want him when they’re already involved with someone else.

Kevin grew up like Ricky did, but he took his youth more to heart than Ricky. He loved going on camping trips more than anyone in this group of ten. His father took him hunting, fishing, canoeing, backpacking, and everything else that most people think of as male bonding. When he did have a girlfriend he would do similar things with her, but found the company of a woman more comforting than any male he knew. Since his girlfriend left him for someone more into city life he takes nothing for granted. He’s one of those sensitive guys that isn’t afraid to cry, but he’s also a know-it-all. His defense is that some women like that. HA!

Lora, Lisa, and Lil are a trio not to be taken likely. They grew up together, family friends with Ryan and Kevin. These women are fearsome predators in the game of relationships, though Lil didn’t play as much as the other two. She’s the kinda woman that wants one man while Lora wants more than her fair share. Lisa isn’t nearly as bad as Lora, but she has her moments. If there’s one thing that these three can agree on it’s that you have to live life for you and no one else. So every once in a while they get away for a few weeks and do something that doesn’t involve men. This time, however, they put together this group and decided to do something outdoors for the two weeks. They know everyone that’s going, except for one person. Alex.

For that matter the only person that actually knows Alex is Ryan, and that’s because Alex’s father is Ryan’s godfather, or at least was. Alex was vouched for by Ryan and no one had any complaints about him coming along. One of the things that Ryan says about Alex is that he works too hard and doesn’t get out enough. This being true he practically dragged him away from his office to come out here. After a few beers and enough nagging Ryan convinced him the American outdoors was just the thing he needed to recharge for not having a vacation in four years. There’s such a thing as working yourself into an early grave, Ryan told him, words that he took to heart too.

The open road. An American past time the road trip is. With John driving one car and Lil driving the other they are only hours away from their destination.

Hey Lisa, Lil says, Alex doesn’t talk much does he?

Not that I’ve noticed. Lisa looks behind her, in the third row Alex sits by himself looking out the window listening to his MP3 player. Ryan says he’s not big on talking with new people at first, but he’ll come around.

And he will. Ryan adds as he leans on the backrests of the two front seats.

I hope so or this might be awkward.

What, that there’s someone in the group that doesn’t talk? Lora comments as she leans next to Ryan. I just think he’s going for the strong silent type.

Lora, he says with a smile, he is the strong silent type. You’ll see.

I think I already do.

Lora, Lisa pipes in, what is the purpose of these trips that we take?

To do something not involving men, Lora answers as if it’s a no-brainer, but still missing the point.

Isn’t that kind of hard considering there are five men and five women? Ryan asks. This is the first he’s heard about their no men trips.

That’s not what she means, Lil explains about their trips from the past six years.

Let me get this straight, you three drive yourselves so man crazy that you have to take a vacation away from them?

You make it sound like we’re vipers fighting other snakes for a rat. Lil comments.

Good analogy, and yes, that’s what I’m saying. Ryan’s a little surprised at Lil. He’s not used to her understanding him so easily. That maybe partly due to Becka always misunderstanding him. He’s almost convinced she does it on purpose sometimes.

It’s not like that.

This whole time Alex sits in the back, watching the view half-heartedly. He’s too enveloped in his music and memories to know there’s other people around. Good memories, bad ones, ones that he never thought he’d think about or even care to think about. His mother, sisters, brother. All of his family and friends that he doesn’t talk to anymore passing through his mind. None of them even know where he is. Would they care? he wonders. The real question is, does he care?

In the other car Brittany and John talk while Ricky, Kevin and Sarah watch a movie.

Are you saying that our marriage has reached that point already?

Brittany just shakes her head, John, what do you think?

I honestly didn’t think we’d reached that point. Leave it to the man not to see the magic’s gone.

She looks in the review mirror, Just look at those two John. He does, Kevin’s the only one really watching the movie. Ricky and Sarah are more into each other than anything else. When was the last time we did anything like that?

It wasn’t that long ago, he recalls. The day was marked on his calendar so he wouldn’t forget. Even went out of his way to pick up some flowers and a jeweled gift.

Almost three months.

It was our anniversary. He figured he would’ve gotten major points for not only remembering, but getting her diamonds too.

What, we need a special occasion like that to get us worked up. What happened to all the passion?

We still have it. John can’t remember ever losing it. Then again, he doesn’t actively pay attention to these things. When John leaves the office, his mind doesn’t always follow.

That’s what you say, but I’m not so sure. Brittany doesn’t sound happy about it.

You’re wanting a divorce aren’t you?

What? The question catches her completely off guard. No I don’t. It’s just that I miss the way you used to look at me. Remember when we were first married, it was all sex and fun. The last time we had sex was our fucking anniversary.

Are you saying you want more sex in our lives? And here he was worried he was the only one that was supposed to want it more.

No, not just that.

Then what?

I…I… the words leave her along with the convection, I love you as much as when we were in high school John, but I just feel like the passion left us too early.

And you think this trip is going to take care of that?

I’m hoping so. She’s praying on it. Divorce never entered her mind, but somewhere it was coming to the surface. Only a matter of time.

Kevin was half listening to the movie and half listening to the married couple’s conversation. What’s a marriage without passion for some so young? They sound like they’re in their fifties, not twenties. I don’t think you can have love without passion. God, I’m hungry. That’s one of the things about Kevin that most women can’t stand. He changes subjects without letting anyone know he’s doing it. One minute he’s talking about some oil spill that’s got seals covered in black crud and the next he’s saying something about liquid latex. What the hell’s up with that? many would wonder.

While Kevin thinks about random subjects Ricky and Sarah are trying to see who can suck the other’s face harder. They’ve been like this for the six months they’ve been dating. It seems that the passion that Brittany and John lost found a new home in this couple. They’ve got enough passion for at least three couples, including themselves, to have fun for years. For some people the concept of sex, sex, and more sex gets tired because there’s no real emotion to go with it. These two think of the sex, sex, and more sex as a way to express themselves in their art of passion. While some would agree, porn producers would make a killing on some of the things they do in the name of passion.

Alex continues to look out his window as Brittany’s SUV pulls up next to them. He gathers that the married couple are discussing their loss of passion. It’s the only thing they’ve talked about since meeting them. He sees Sarah and Ricky are trying to suck the other’s face off. It makes him think of someone he knew years ago. The girl that got away, and the events that followed. One way or another, unless he’s at work, his mind wonders to the same damn place. There’s no avoiding it that doesn’t involve a bottle of whiskey and cigarettes, aside from work. Ryan thinks he works too much, but that’s far from it. If anything Alex doesn’t work enough, or drink enough to drown it all away. He never was a big drinker to begin with. A bottle lasts him a month in most cases.

While Ryan tries to understand just why this trio of women are on this trip, hell they mostly put it together, his cell phone continues to vibrate. It has been for the past ten minutes.

What’s that sound? Lora asks as she hears the low buzzing sound. Did I leave the batteries in that damn thing? She goes digging in her purse.

No, it’s my cell, Ryan says as he pulls it out of his pocket, but let’s come back to that. She just gives him a big smile. Ryan knows exactly what she was talking about. Hey Becka.

Hey sweetheart. Why haven’t you called?

Maybe because you told me not to call until I’ve become more like Alex. he says with that ‘duh, you stupid bitch’, sound in his voice. It’s times like this that Ryan can’t understand why he’s with her at all.

And have you? She asks dryly, as if she knows the answer is no.

Bye. Before she can say anything more he closes the phone and removes the battery.

What was that about? Lora asks, curiosity getting the better of her.

Becka’s just being Becka again.

What’d you mean about becoming more like Alex? Lisa can’t help, but ask. It’s not every day you hear someone say something like that to their girlfriend.

Alex has this uncanny habit of making everyone’s girlfriend want their boyfriend to be more like him. There’s a slight bitterness to his voice. He doesn’t resent Alex for being the way he is. He just hates how affected his girlfriend is about it sometimes.

How’s that? Lil’s the one to ask.

Why don’t you ask him Lil? Ryan poses the challenge.

Why can’t you just tell us? She’s not rising to bait.

He smiles at her. Because I think it would be more amusing to see you find out for yourself.

Lora pipes in, That would be kinda hard considering he hasn’t said more than two words to anyone since we left home.

Ryan asks, Did any of you think to talk to him first? That causes a collective response of silence. No one thought to do it. That’s what I thought.

Isn’t that just fitting for the strong silent type? Make the woman come to you and start the conversation? Lora asks knowing full well it is.

It is, but I already told you that’s not what he’s doing. He comes off that way naturally because that’s what he is. There’s no act here ladies. Alex is the way he is for a very good reason. Ryan tells, sincerity comes off him like too much cologne.

And what is that reason? Lisa probes.

That’s for you to find out and tell me when you do.

You mean you don’t know? Lil inquires. It seems odd that his best friend doesn’t know.

Oh, I know, but only from another guy’s point of view. I’ve never gotten the perspective of a female about why he is the way he is.

Didn’t your girlfriend want you to be more like him though? Lora bluntly reminds him.

That doesn’t mean Becka understands him. Hell, she doesn’t even understand me let alone someone as complex as him.

What makes him so complex?

What makes anyone complex?

Do you always have to answer a question with another question?

Do you? Ryan says back. Lora lets out a sigh of frustration, Now you sound like Becka.

Don’t you know women hate it when you compare them to other women? Lisa tells Ryan.

Yeah, I know, but to not do so isn’t as fun as actually doing it. Don’t you know guys don’t give a shit when you compare them to other guys.

I’ve known a few guys that did. Lora says with a knowing smile.

I wasn’t talking about in bed Lora.

Oh. That sank in a little too late. Well, how do we know he’s not listening to us right now and just pretending not to be.

How many times do I have to tell you. He’s not pretending, he’s not acting. Alex has no reason to be listening in on our conversation so there for he wouldn’t.

How do you know that? Lora asks, not knowing when to quit.

Watch. Alex, hey Alex. Can you hear me man? No response. Told ya.

So if you know him so well why don’t you enlighten us?

It’s not my place. Besides, this is more fun. Ryan relaxes back into his seat with a smile.

PREPARATION

Less than seven hours later their trek for the next ten days has been picked and equipment has been taken care of. The only thing to do now is wait until tomorrow. Tonight is a camp wide fire ceremony in which the owner of Serenity and the staff will introduce themselves and perform skits. The route they decided on will take them all over the enormous property. Not to mention see some things that people don’t know exist. Nature at it’s finest.

Alex and Ryan sit in their tent in Tent City. Two cots inside along with the rest of their things, Are you going to talk to anyone besides me man? Ryan finally asks.

Come on Ryan. You knew it was going to be like this when you asked me to come with you. Alex lays on his cot as Ryan sits on his looking at him.

Look, we both know why you agreed to come. Put that aside and start socializing with them would ya? These people are going to be the only ones we’re going to see for the next ten days. You might as well say more than two words.

What could I possibly contribute to the conversation? Alex asks. It’s not the first time he’s asked Ryan a question of this nature.

Ryan’s getting short with him now. After having the same argument again one tends to not want to go through the long drawn out process of getting to the point. No beating around the bush anymore. If you would listen to the conversation once in a while instead of your music you might find something worth saying. Besides, everyone already thinks you’re not the social type. The drive took care of that.

And why would I want to disappoint them? He doesn’t even bother to look at Ryan. Alex just keeps laying there, hands behind his head, looking at the ceiling of the tent.

Alex, you don’t know these people…

You’re right, once again Alex takes the reins of the discussion. He usually does when it comes to these particular ones. Years of practice with his mother and father. I don’t know these people, I don’t know how to relate to them.

How do you relate to anyone?

I don’t really. Not that it’s the first time he’s realized that.

Look, they’re a talkative group. No one’s going to let you keep to your silence for long. They will poke and prod until you give in and start talking. Why not save everyone the trouble and just start before they get the chance?

Because…I… once again he’s lost for words. Not uncommon when you spend most of your life avoiding conversing with people outside of the office. I suck at talking to anyone.

Not me.

That’s because I knew you long before… he can’t even bring himself to finish the statement.

Come on Alex. That was a long time ago. Are you going to lay there and tell me you’re still going to let that control your life?

Isn’t that obvious by now?

Ryan’s frustration