Down the stone path he ran. Jasper didn't know exactly where he was heading. He just wanted to get away. His feet felt heavy as he dragged them along under him. Jasper could not remember the last time he had run this fast. He didn't even know why he was running, or even what he was running from.
A half thought had entered his mind. Maybe he could somehow get back to the city. Hitch a lift maybe? Jasper looks down the beaten track he had been running down for the past 10 minutes. He hadn't seen a single vehicle during that time. Maybe hitch hiking wasn't as plausible as he'd have hoped.
Jasper momentarily stops running to catch a breath. He leans forward, resting his palms just above his knees. He begins to cough. His lungs feel overstretched, underused. Then in the distance, he hears the sound of an engine. Maybe his prayers would be answered. Jasper could catch a ride back to the city.
He once again stands upright, about to flag down the passing vehicle, when he recognises the dark green paintwork. Jasper had seen it earlier that day, parked outside of the farmhouse. His uncle's four by four.
Jasper quickly takes a step back from the dirty road to surround himself with the nearby woodland. Ducking behind a thick fallen tree trunk, Jasper patiently waits and covertly watches the four by four drive past at a reasonably slow pace. His uncle was clearly looking for him.
Jasper hears the diesel engine quieten down as it fades into the distance. He now turns around, his back leaning against the rather uncomfortable trunk, positively leaving a mark across the back of his plain white tee. He thinks best to wait a few more minutes before carrying on with whatever he thought he was planning.
Jasper rests the back of his head against the log, looking up to the sky, replaying the disagreement with his uncle again in his head. Maybe Jasper did overreact just a little, but that man? There was something about his uncle that Jasper didn't like.
He didn't want to admit it to himself, but Jasper felt a little scared of him. He didn't really know what would have happened if Jim had made it to the top of the stairs. That scenario was a scary thought in itself, but what put the fear into Jasper the most, was the thing he really did not want to admit. Jasper was like his uncle. More than he'd care to mention. This thought filled Jasper with dread. Did he frighten people? What would he be capable of? Was his own mother scared of him?
Jasper closes his eyes, in order to clear his mind of his disturbing thoughts. His senses hone in on his surroundings. The sound of a few birds singing in the branches of the trees, the sound of the light breeze blowing through the branches, the smell of the woody freshness of the outdoors. He can also hear the noise of running water.
Jasper opens his eyes and pushes himself back up to standing, five minutes must have passed by now. He brushes off the back of his tee the best he can with his fingers. His hands are grimey and Jasper thinks he should seek out the source of water in order to clean himself up a little.
He lets his ears guide him to the water source and can soon see a river, flowing at a steady pace, not too fast. Jasper heads forward to approach the waters edge, when something, or to be more precise, someone stops him in his tracks.
He hasn't seen Jasper. Jasper hurriedly steps behind a nearby tree and grips onto the lumpy bark, covertly peering around the tree trunk.
The young man stood on a rather large embedded stone near the edge of the water. He is bare foot, wearing only a beige pair of cargo shorts. His frame is tall and slim, his skin emits a golden glow. He looks toned, but not over defined. A mop of dark brown messy hair sits atop his head, obscuring his eyes slightly, but Jasper can just about see the side of his mouth from his position. A tongue poking through parted lips every so often as if he is focusing on something. Jasper then draws his attention to what the young man is holding. A fishing rod. The man is fishing.
Jasper stays hidden, just watching with interest as the line on the man's fishing rod begins to tighten. The words "Yes...come on!" Leaving his mouth, in a very deep tone. His tongue now sticks out even more in concentration. Then, 'ping' the line snaps, causing the man to lose his balance slightly on the stone, arms circling backwards to try and keep him still, but he still ends up falling from the rock and sitting on the ground, rod leaving his hand and falling with him.
Jasper watches as the man lifts his hands up to examine his palms. Blood is evident on them as he rubs across the palm with his other thumb.
Jasper wonders if he should step forward, ask if the man is ok? He wasn't even completely sure why he was even hiding behind a tree 'spying' in the first place. He is about to step out from behind the trunk when the man suddenly gets to standing and without any warning, pulls down his cargo shorts with both hands, letting them fall to the ground, before he steps out of them.
Jasper instantly becomes routed to the spot, as he finds his eyes widening at the sight of a bare bottom facing him, just a few meters away. The man was not supporting any underwear.
He slowly walks towards the water's edge and begins to wade in. Jasper gazes on, mouth slightly open as he sees the man's smooth backside slowly become obscured by the gentleness of the running water, before the man leans forward and dives in, hiding him completely from Jasper's view, only to resurface a few seconds later with wet hair, which he pushes back over his head,
Jasper hadn't up until this point realised how awe struck he felt. He didn't think he could recall the last time he had seen something which had taken his breath away like this. He thought back to the many beautiful girls he had had the pleasure of seeing naked, but for some reason, they didn't make Jasper feel the way he was feeling right now! That feeling of excitement, of the unknown.
Jasper's heart felt like it was beating outside of his chest. His mouth was dripping with saliva. He's pretty sure that if someone had tried to converse with him, he wouldn't have been able to string a sentence together.
Jasper continues to watch the man play around on his own in the river. Splashing thin air and washing himself of his dirt and blood stained hands. He finds himself chuckling at the display, as if the man had an invisible friend. His smile soon drops though when the man turns to face the dry bank and slowly heads back.
He gulps down hard, feeling a lump in his throat, he shrinks a little further behind the tree because Jasper is not ready for this. He's not ready to see the front of this man completely naked.