I grew up in Cripple Creek, a small town in the mountains of east Tennessee. It was settled after the Revolutionary War and supported the only gristmill in the area. The mill included a dry goods store and trading post, which met most of the farmers' needs. They would trade produce or stock while their grain was being milled and bagged for sale. This was commerce in our town until Slim and Jim Parker opened Parker Brothers Drive-in Theater and provided the teenagers an alternative to the park for their nightly activities.

The town was named after the creek that worked the mill. The creek is not very wide or deep, although there are pools large enough for swimming and fishing. The millpond, which became the town park after the mill closed, is a favorite site for picnics and ballgames during the summer and afternoon walks in the winter. The teenagers use it for other activities at night. It's my belief that the town population would have died out years ago if it weren't for that park and later the drive-in.

There are several differing opinions of how the creek received its name. The most popular of these attributed the name to a soldier returning from the battle of Kings Mountain who survived the war unhurt only to be shot by a trigger-happy hunter and maimed for life as he crossed the creek.

The town hasn't produced any famous or important people, however old Josh McBride once had a bear rip a huge hole in his smoke house and carry off a shank of meat he was curing. He got his picture in the paper after he hunted it down and killed it. If you see old Josh, ask him about it. He loves to tell the story. The bear grows bigger and meaner every time and by now is probably 2500 lbs. of slashing claws and biting teeth that he killed with his bare hands.

Cripple Creek has sent many of it boys to fight in the nations wars. There is usually a sendoff celebration and all the notable town leaders are there to shake their hands and wish them luck. The town would celebrate their return home if any of them ever came back alive. I mean, they didn't all get killed they just didn't want come back. The dead ones probably wouldn't have come back either if given a choice. As you can see, heroes are hard to find in Cripple Creek

If you are interested in attending church, you have two choices, the Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church or the Calvary Baptist Church. The membership varies depending on which families are getting along and which ones aren't. Everyone I know claims membership in one of these except for Ben Townsend over on Butler's Ridge. He believes aliens visited him from space and that proves God doesn't exist. It seems he saw a strange vehicle fly over his farm and a bright light directed into his field. The next morning his favorite cow was missing.

When the parson asked him why he was missing church, he explained it like this, "well, I figure God says He lives out there in space as does them alien folks. It's either them alien fellers or the Almighty, I haint never seen God." Some things defy understanding, but it does make sense if you don't think about it too long.

I mentioned earlier that I grew up in Cripple Creek, actually my family lives outside of town. You follow the creek up Blackbird Gap about five miles to the end of the road then walk a trail back into the woods to our house. You could drive back if you had a truck with good clearance, but most people don't, so they walk. The truth is most people don't come at all unless they have business with my father.

If there is a dark side to Cripple Creek it's probably my family. The McCain's have lived in Blackbird Gap since old Elijah McCain crossed the Shenandoah Mountains and followed the Cumberland down into what was North Carolina and claimed 3000 acres of craggy mountain land that included most of Blackbird Gap. The family has endured 200 years of famine, pestilence, war, and the Depression without having to give up one square foot of property. This was no small task, and morals were likely set-aside on many occasions to accomplish it.

From the very beginning if there was a fight, swindle, or even an argument a McCain was usually somewhere involved. Our reputation as troublemakers grew as the years passed, then in the late 1950's it received a giant boost when my uncle Samuel McCain decided to travel to California. He didn't own a car so he "borrowed" one at gunpoint and set out, leaving a trail of terror in his wake. In Missouri he ditched the car and tried to "borrow" another. This time the owner resisted and he killed 3 people and a dog. Yes, he actually shot the man's dog. He was eventually captured in California after a gun battle where 2 troupers were killed and 1 injured. After the trial and appeals process he was put to death in the gas chamber. I still remember the body being delivered to my father in the middle of the night and buried without ceremony in the back corner of the family cemetery before sun-up.

The town folk followed the story faithfully to the end. Uncle Sam soundly squelched any positive feelings the Cripple Creek residents had concerning us. I have actually watched children being pulled into their homes when my father walked through town. My Dad amused by the fear we caused. He said it kept people out of the gap and away from his business. Officially my family raises cattle, but my father subsidizes that income by making and distributing moonshine.

I am the youngest child in my family and the only one living at home. My older brothers left Blackbird Gap as soon as they could find a way. The Army offered them a road to freedom and they took it. When their enlistment was over, Tommy settled in Knoxville and Mitch in Atlanta. When Mitch joined the Army he broke all ties with the family. My sister married one of the Colson boys over in Walnut Cove when she was 15. Walter is nice enough fellow, but I'm glad he lives on the other side of the county.

Life in the mountains brings an early maturity and self-reliance that is necessary to survival. My father began teaching me to shoot as soon as I was big enough to safely hold a rifle. I could read the woods and track game as well as my father by the time I was 12. Keeping food on the table was part of my family responsibility and harvesting game was not only allowed, it was expected. The forest was my home and I spent most of my summers there.

I live for summers and the freedom to run the woods. Blackbird Gap is my playground and I know every rock and pebble. Cripple Creek runs through Blackbird Gap and one of my favorite places for swimming is the junction of Perkins Branch and Cripple Creek. There is a large secluded and undisturbed area of flat water that is about nine feet deep. The swimming hole has been a favorite for McCain children for generations. The only other children to use it were the Stewarts up Perkins Branch, but it's been a generation since any children lived there. Therefore, we had the swimming hole all to ourselves.

Our closest neighbors were Sam and Effie Stewart who owned a farm in Perkins Cove about five miles away. They were getting on in years and their only daughter, Gracie, married Randal Parker and moved to Knoxville before I was born. I met Gracie one time at church while she was visiting her parents, but that was years ago and I haven't seen her since.

The day I met Amy was hot and humid, one of those days where the sweat seems to stick to you like wet plastic. When I reached the top small rise that overlooked the creek I saw someone already in the water.

The path is steep and at the bottom you can see the swimming hole through the trees. I stopped and scanned the area. The creek looked deserted and I relaxed until I looked to the other side. There lying naked on a towel in the grass was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. She had auburn hair and an elfin face. Her skin was lightly tanned and seemed to glow in the noon sun.

While I watched she stood up and stretched. Her breasts were well shaped and proportionate to her body, high and firm in youthful bloom. She crossed her arms under her breasts and looked across the water with a far away stare. It looked like she was crying but I couldn't be sure. Watching her dress was fascinating and the most erotic experience of my entire life. When she was fully clothed she took a book from her pack and sat down on her towel to read.

"Isn't this a beautiful place to relax? I like it a lot." The sound of my voice startled her, but she met my gaze with a beautiful smile.

"Who are you", she inquired as she moved an errant strand of hair from her face as she waited for my reply.

"I live over on the other side of Blackbird Gap road," I pointed up the trail behind me. "How'd you find this place?"

She studied me for a few minutes before she answered. "I followed that stream over there." She pointed at Perkins Branch. "It runs across my grandfather's farm."

"Was Gracie your mother?" The shadow of intense pain clouded her face.

"Yes, she was my mother, but my parents were killed in a car accident last year, and I live with my grandparents now." Her voice caught like she was stifling a sob as she explained. "I'm sorry, I still miss them a lot. My name is Amy Parker, but you haven't told me who you are, although I suspect you're Jimmy McCain. Gramps said you were about my age and lived over this way."

"Yea, I'm Jimmy McCain. I'm going to go for a swim and cool off. If you have to leave I'll understand." I stripped down to my shorts and dived off the rock into the water and swam to the other side. To my amazement when I surfaced she was sitting under the tree reading a book. My being a McCain didn't seem to matter to her. I sat down beside her and we began to talk. Somehow, I knew inside that I had finally found a friend.

We talked about our lives, fears, dreams, and problems. We were comfortable with each other's company. Her laughter reminded me of music and her smile was electrifying and exciting. He green eyes sparkled and her hair glistened in the sunlight. She seemed captivated and I wasn't surprised when she reached over and took my hand and held it in hers. It felt good and I hoped she would never let go, but the sun stands still for no man and all too soon the sunlight began to fade.

She broke the silence "It's getting dark. I better start home."

The setting sun worried me. "You'll never get home before dark. Is there a trail for you to follow?"

"There isn't a trail, but the creek should be easy to follow," but her face betrayed her fear.

"Come on, I'll walk you home. I know the woods better than most." I reached over and helped her up. We started walking but she didn't let go of my hand. Amy's unexpected familiarity shortened the trip and sooner than I expected we were on the road within sight of the Stewart house.

Amy turned and faced me, "Thanks Jimmy, I had a great time today. I really do like you a lot. It's like I've known you forever. Will you be at the creek tomorrow?"

"I don't know. Sometimes I have to work with my dad on the farm. If I can get away I'll be there around noon." I looked into her beautiful eyes and I knew that somehow I would be there tomorrow and any other day she wanted.

Amy leaned forward and kissed me lightly on the lips. If I died right then my life would have been complete. I walked home in a daze. She knew who I was and she still wanted to be my friend or even more. For the first time in memory, life was giving me a fair deal. The most beautiful girl in the world has given me a kiss.

At home my father and oldest brother Tommy were arguing over the phone. It had something to do with the land. I knew that there had been some men up from Knoxville a couple of times trying to get dad to sell out. I figured this fight was related to this and my brother's chronic need for money.

"Jimmy I need to talk to you" I heard my father shout as I headed up the stairs to my room. I returned to the living room and waited for my father to finish with my brother.

Dad hung up the phone and addressed me. "I want you to take the hay mower down to the meadows tomorrow and get the hay cut for me. Roy Allen and Rodger are making a run through Morristown and Johnson City and they won't get back in time to do it. I need it dried and baled by the weekend, so don't forget."

Dad looked like he was going to continue, "Is there anything else sir?" I asked.

"No, that's all for now," he started to say something more, and then changed his mind.

Mom stood gave me a hug and kiss. "Run on up to bed now and get your rest. Morning comes early you know."

That night I dreamed of Amy. I caressed her soft skin and silky hair. The vision of her nude body in the grass was a fantasy that any teenage boy would willingly enjoy. We walked hand in hand along the creek and swam together in the cool water and talk of things past and things to come. It was a wonderfully realistic dream. But it was only that, a dream.

I woke up the next morning with a hollow feeling in my chest and my first thought was of Amy. I was in love, head over heels, down to your toes in love. The very thought of her made my heart sing and my head spin, but I had work to do. Being in love was not a good reason to disappoint my dad.

By the time the sun came up, I was driving the old Massey Ferguson 165 in a mindless spiral. I hoped I would be finished with the 3 fields by early afternoon, but I doubted it. When you are riding a tractor it is easy to let your mind wander. I have observed that some of my best inspiration happens while I am engaged in boring farm work.

I recounted my father's statement the night before and realized he was working a whiskey still and I needed to be careful until I found where he had it hid. Roy Allen and Rodger were not the sharpest tools in the shed and more than capable of shooting the bosses son by accident. I also realized my father really was worried about something. After a while my thought turned to Amy and I happily mowed hay with a stupid smile on my face.

The sun was still high in the sky when I parked the tractor on the road and started down the trail to the swimming hole. I wasn't sure of the time, but I figured it was early afternoon. I think she was watching for me, because she was standing at the end of the trail and waved and gave me a huge smile as soon as I came into view.

"I was hoping you would show up. I'm dying to spend some time in the water with you." She bubbled after she kissed me on the cheek. Amy paused a minute and then continued. "I climbed up the ridge this morning and you can see the creek pretty well from up there. You saw me yesterday, didn't you?"

I thought about lying to her, but common sense told me that was a bad idea, so I said, "You have the most incredible body." I blushed as I said it and she laughed at my embarrassment.

"At first, I was upset but if it had been the other way around, I would have watched too." She whispered in a sultry voice.

I led her up to a rock ledge about six feet above the water. The water is deep enough here for diving and I stripped down to my shorts. Amy turned and faced me. She reached down and pulled her top over her head that funny way girls do and revealed her wonderfully perfect breasts. I was mesmerized but she wasn't finished. She hooked her thumbs in the waistband of her shorts and bent over pulling them down to her ankles and stepped out of them. She stood still for a moment before she executed an excellent dive into the cold water.

When Amy surfaced she called up to me. "It's your turn; you're not shy are you?"

I quickly shed my swim trunks and jumped into the water. She swam up behind me and wrapped her arms around me. Her soft breasts pushed into my back.

"I missed you last night." She purred in my ear. "I dreamed we made love on the grass right over there." She pointed to the area when she sunned herself the day before.

The feel of her wet skin against mine was almost more than I could stand as I turned around in her arms. Our lips met and the world and its troubles were forgotten. The kiss was deep and passionate leaving us gasping for air afterward.

"I intend to make my dream come true." She gave me a mischievous wink and swam to the bank. I watched her walk across the grass and marveled again at her innocent beauty. She picked up a blanket and spread it out and lay down seductively on her side. She motioned for me to join her and I gladly complied. Amy crawled on top of me and stared deep into my eyes. She shifted her hips slightly and I felt myself slide into her silky smoothness.

Time stopped and there was nothing except her and me. We were one, united and bonded to one another. Creatures truly in love with each other could only achieve the feelings we were sharing. Her nipples rubbed my chest as she leaned down to kiss me. I thought heaven had come down and touched me with its peaceful bliss.

"I love you, Jimmy, and I intend to marry you." She began to rock her hips as she said this to me.

I want to say I loved her too, but all that came out was a garbled moan that sounded like someone choking. I felt her muscles tighten and begin to spasm around me, and this action pushed me over the edge. Our orgasms left us spent and we slept peacefully snuggled together. When I woke up the sun was touching the top of ridge and I knew it was time to go. I woke her and we dressed. I asked Amy to meet me at the swimming hole the next day. I told her we would be doing some walking and to wear hiking shoes. She asked me if that was all she was allowed to wear.

I took her hand and looked into her eyes. "I love you too; I knew it as soon as I woke this morning. I was empty and alone and only thinking of you would make that feeling stop. And just so you know I intend to marry you too." She smiled at me happily and disappeared into the woods.

Dad was setting at the kitchen table when I walked into the house. He gestured for me to sit down with him. He handed me an envelope with some papers in it and had me sign the bottom of a post card addressed to the First Tennessee Bank in Knoxville.

"Inside that envelope is the documentation and key to a safety deposit box. If anything happens to me, you will need to go to Knoxville and take care of a few things for the family. The instructions and necessary papers are in the box. Put that envelope somewhere that only you can find. I don't want it in or near the house." He stood and walked out the back door, leaving me in stunned silence. Dad's face is hard to read, but a shadow of fear flickered behind his brave façade. Something was definitely wrong.

I took Amy up to the Indian cave the next afternoon. It's the headwaters for Cripple Creek. It was considered by the Native American's to be a place of mystical power. Water taken from the spring in the cave was considered to have healing power. The water flows out of the mouth of the cave and falls about 75 feet into a deep blue pool at the bottom. There isn't an apparent way to get to the cave and retrieve the water. However, the Indians knew a secret that I was going to share with Amy that afternoon. We climbed the ridge to Buzzard Point and sat down to rest at the overlook.

The mountainous region's natural raw beauty was relaxing and peaceful. Amy leaned to me and our lips met. We share a long sensuous kiss as I caressed her breast through the material of her shirt. She moaned in ecstasy when I slipped my hand under her shirt and massaged the soft flesh around her aroused nipple. Amy was wearing loose knit shorts and I easily slid my other hand under the elastic and into the moist warmth of her most private place. When her orgasm hit it was loud and intense. I helped her to stand up and we continued our journey.

I led her around a large bolder and we worked our way underneath Buzzard Point where we had been sitting. Amy and I walked to the back of the shallow overhang. We squeezed through a crack in the wall and were in a cavern about 40 feet square. I found the matches and candle I keep at the entrance and lit it. I led Amy down to the floor of the room and to a table in the corner where I lit a kerosene lamp. Amy looked around in amazement.

It was hard work but I had a table, four chairs, and even an old bed my mother discarded. I built a closet and some shelves for supplies I needed with lumber my dad gave me. Next to the closet was a footlocker that I kept a padlocked. I had a total of four lamps that flooded the cavern with warm yellow light.

"These pictures are very old." She said, referring to drawings of deer, wolves, and an assortment of other items and animals. Some were unidentifiable or unknown to me.

"Yes they are, I think the Indians did it when they lived here. There's a fire pit where they built their fires over there." I pointed to the stones.

I unlocked the footlocker and put the envelope my father gave me inside under my web gear. This was the safest place I knew and Amy was the only person that shared this secret with me. When I turned around Amy was sitting on the bed. I knew what she had in mind, but I want to show the rest of the cave.

"There's more I want to show you back here." I motioned for her to follow me. We walked through a short tunnel into a small room that looked like a dead end. I showed Amy the hole in the floor and helped her into the tube that angled sharply down about twenty feet. I followed her down into a room lit with sunlight. At one end water bubbled out of an opening in the wall and at the other end it plunged to the pool far below.

Amy walked to the mouth of the cave and looked down. "This place is so neat. I really appreciate you sharing with me."

We returned the upper room where Amy began to undress. She was soon standing over by the bed wearing only her panties.

"Do you have sheets for the bed?" She wasn't impressed with the condition of the mattress of the old bed.

I pointed at the closet, "you should find what you need in there."

She soon had the bed ready and she slowly undressed me. We made love slow and easy. We laughed and talked and explored our bodies together. Our feelings for one another grew to a new level. When we were exhausted and sated we rested peacefully and comfortably entwined.