Chapter 1

DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the movies in the Cabin Fever franchise, nor any of the characters in it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

The vacation was going great and it was only half over!

Paul was loving these days, this week of blissful serenity out in the remote woods of North Carolina. He was loving them more than he’d ever expected he would. Actually, he’d originally suspected that a week out in the boondocks with nothing to do but drink beer would get incredibly boring incredibly fast. But he couldn’t account for the immense sense of release he felt in throwing off all the stresses of exams and studying. In fact, just being away from the general crowded busyness of college and the city was a rejuvenating experience.

But by far the best part of the vacation was that he got to spend so much time with Karen. Strictly speaking, they weren’t alone, of course. But with Jeff and Marcy sneaking off to fuck ten times a day, and with Bert frequently wandering off into the woods to amuse himself with his own juvenile antics (one of his favorite activities was shooting at squirrels with a hunting rifle), Paul essentially had Karen all to himself in these beautiful, romantic woods.

Sweet Karen: the gorgeous flaxen-haired angel whom he’d secretly doted on since their first days together in junior high. Even after all these years, the warmth in her eyes and the sweetness of her smile still made him melt. She was a wonderful friend: so warm and caring and fun and supportive. In fact she was so wonderful that mere friendship wasn’t enough for Paul. He wanted to be closer to her; he wanted to be her boyfriend.

That was his grand ambition for this vacation: to consummate a serious relationship with the love of his life, before the hustle and bustle of post-college life swept them apart forever.

It wasn’t about the sex, not much anyway. In his mind, it was more about using sex as a stepping stone to the next level. Paul was not stupid and he knew that having sex with someone didn’t mean marriage and happily-ever-after; especially not in the 21st century. But Karen and Paul already really enjoyed each other’s company. So if he and Karen shared a really wonderful moment together, that might be the push she needed to fall seriously in love with him.

That being said, the prospect of screwing Karen, even just as a one night stand, was an electrifying thought. She was a very sexy woman.

Her face was fair and so beautiful, especially when she let her shiny blonde hair loose to frame it. Some might’ve even said it had an innocent character to it, though in truth Karen was as worldly as most young women her age.

The rest of her body was just as attractive. However, unlike her BFF Marcy, Karen didn’t make a habit of showing hers off. Sometimes the dowdy, loose clothing she wore belied the fine figure beneath. But when she stripped down to her swimwear, she proved to be a very well-proportioned young woman.

Her ample breasts - Paul would guess generous ‘B’, or perhaps even ‘C’ cups – crowned an enticing hourglass waist and broad hips. Her flawless, slender legs had a way of looking deceptively long, so much so that they made it easy to forget that Karen stood at a mere 5 feet tall.

With all the years Paul’s doting eyes had spent gazing upon Karen, it was inevitable that his eager adolescent loins would become just as obsessed with her as his heart. Beneath his love roiled a powerful sea of suppressed lust. At times, Paul had to admit to himself that he just wanted to have a hot, messy screw with his gorgeous friend, regardless of whether or not they would ever be a couple.

Love, or just a one night stand with his dream girl. Either way, Paul had a good feeling about this night. Over the past four days, he had felt himself and Karen growing closer and closer. Their banter was more playful; Karen’s manner was more flirtatious.

A couple nights previous, a wandering camper, who called himself ‘Grimm’, had spent some time with the group. He brought with him his large and very angry dog, Dr. Mambo, and every time the dog started barking menacingly, Karen cozied up to Paul for protection, much to Paul’s delight.

Today, they had enjoyed a leisurely stroll through the picturesque woods alone together, and Karen had laughed at virtually every lame joke Paul had made.

He could feel it. Karen was more into him now than ever. He was so close to sealing the deal. Tonight would be the night!

The weather had been clear all day and was unusually balmy for this time of fall, so the group had decided to spend the evening on the lake edge about a 10-minute walk from their cabin. They all pitched in to carry the bare essentials out, including Paul’s boombox and enough beer to kill an elephant.

The girls donned their swimsuits: Marcy in a spaghetti-string yellow bikini with white trim that left nothing to the imagination, while Karen wore a somewhat more modest black bikini. The boys all stripped down to their shorts.

Before they got in the water, though, Jeff realized that they would need wood for their campfire. They all ventured back into the woods to help collect it, but Jeff, Bert and Marcy soon lost interest in the errand and went off to frolic in the lake, leaving Paul and Karen to build up a decent stockpile by themselves. Not that either of them minded.

Shortly after joining the frivolity, Karen discovered a pink rubber ball, a toy that some preschooler on vacation probably lost during the summer, half-buried in the sand. A game of wading dodgeball ensued, with plenty of laughter to go with it.

When the sun sank beneath the horizon, the group started their campfire and fired up their amalgamated collection of CDs. But the fun continued in the water for some time.

Only the dimmest glow of dusky purple lingered in the sky when the group collectively decided to get out of the water and start on dinner. The boys, especially Bert and Jeff, were quick to get the night’s drinking underway, while Marcy got to work cooking their dinner and Karen helped by unpacking the bowls and utensils. Marcy had prepared their dinner, chili, earlier in the cabin. All she needed to do now was cook it over the campfire.

Dinner itself went off without any major hitches. Paul accidentally spilled his serving, but there was plenty left in the pot.

But after dinner, somewhere around the second or third round of beers, Paul started sensing trouble on the horizon. Bert was being just a little too boisterous and a little too friendly with Marcy. He was taking every opportunity he had to make physical contact with her. They were brief, seemingly innocent gestures, but it was abundantly clear that they made Marcy extremely uncomfortable.

Their relationship had always been confrontational. Clearly there was some kind of history between them and Paul had often wondered what it was. There was no mystery about why Marcy disliked Bert; he was painfully immature and had a tendency to be an obnoxious asshole. But Bert’s attitude towards Marcy was more telling. He’d address her as “you slut” with only the slightest provocation and it seemed every word he spoke to her, even at the best of times, was venomous.

Paul had begun to suspect that once upon a time Marcy had actually fucked Bert, but then refused to give him another taste, much to his frustration. Then again, it may have been just the opposite. Marcy was well known to have had countless partners during her college years, and perhaps Bert was just ticked off that he hadn’t been one of them.

Either way, Paul began to realize that the pieces were all in place for a perfect storm to brew between them tonight:

Bert, an unabashed playboy, had spent the last 4 days in close quarters with a couple of drop-dead gorgeous women, neither of whom were available. Their swimsuits had been showing plenty of skin, and even Marcy’s tight sweaters would’ve lit a fire in his nuts. Not to mention all the noise she and Jeff had been making throughout the vacation. By now, Bert was probably feeling the strain of having all that stimulation, but no release.