Synopsis

~~After~~ Two people wait for the cancelled ferry, one a man with a car towing a caravan, the other a girl on foot looking for solitude to get over a traumatic experience. The man offers the girl a bed for the night with ‘no strings attached’.

Cancelled Ferry

by obohobo

Warnings

Please take note!

The text in this story contains erotic material and is expressly written for adults only.

MF ~~bg NC. Spanking~~Rom

If you are underage or offended by such material, or if viewing this file is illegal in your locality, then leave, close or delete this file-story now.

This is a work of fiction, any resemblance to persons living, dead or otherwise is purely coincidental. The ideas and thoughts that follow are pure fantasies. In real life, at the very least they would be unpleasant and probably illegal. Fantasies are like that; daydreams where we can contemplate and imagine the sensations without suffering or inflicting the pain, despair or humiliation.

The wait

With some surprise at being the only vehicle there, Ken parked his Suberu 4x4 on the landing stage for the Caulderwater Ferry. He stretched and yawned. ~~Having~~ After ~~driven~~ driving ~~about~~over ~~180~~ 150 miles towing a small caravan, that kept his speed down, ~~and~~ with the last twenty ~~were~~ even slower along a B class road, he was glad to arrive and relax for a hour before the crossing and the final leg of his journey. Now he just wanted to get aboard the ferry that would take him to Quaithwaite where her could get a meal before continuing for the last ~~forty~~ fifteen miles to the Beacons Caravan Park, high in the hills above the lake. He Having stayed there ~~probably~~ three or four times a year for several years, he~~and~~ knew the area well.

“There’s still an hour before the ferry is due and mid April is not part of the tourist season, so maybe there’s not much traffic, usually there’s a queue of cars waiting whatever time of year it is.” He climbed out of the car and walked to the public toilet, the only building on the quayside. “Looks like they refurbished it over the winter and they’ve replaced the plank seat in the shelter.” The brick building had a recessed front wall with a good overhang where passengers could ~~shelter~~ sit in inclement weather while waiting for the ferry but no one sheltered there that day. He walked to the Mens end and with a sinking feeling, saw the notice protected in a plastic covering, taped to the ferry timetable board.

CAULDERWATER FERRY

Due to a mechanical problem

the ferry service is suspended

until 8 a.m. tomorrow (Sunday)

My apologies for any inconvenience

The Ferrymaster

For further information Tel: 01234 456 789

Silently he cursed and then weighed up his options. “To go the long way round the lake means travelling most of the way back along the B road to the main road and then a long loop around the ~~top~~ north end of Caulderwater, back along the other side on small narrow roads to Quaithwaite and then on to the campsite. Not worth the effort and it will be dark long before I get there. I’ll set the caravan here for the night. Not the same conveniences as the campsite but at least there’s toilet facilities and water. I’ve enough basic food even if I cannot make a proper dinner. Good job I ate lunch in Welldringham.”

*****

“Looks like the ferry isn’t in yet, but there’s a car waiting so it shouldn’t be long, not if it is to leave at five,” Sue Canham remarked as she helped her friend from the car and took the girl’s rucksack from the boot, “I’ve got to dash if I’m to make it to my aunt’s before seven, that tailback on the M6 lost us a lot of time but we got here before the ferry. See you at the end of the week and try to regain some of your spirit. She gave the girl a hug, and sped off back along the country road.

Kathryn shouldered her rucksack and headed for the shelter but halted when she saw Ken standing and waiting for her. He and she were the only ones around. For a few moments, fright took over and she stopped, looked around for her friend but the car had disappeared from sight. “Get a grip of yourself,” she told herself remembering Sue’s words, “Not all men are like that Ben Marshall.”

“You’ll have a long wait, I’m afraid.” Ken showed her the notice. Warily she stood alongside him and read it several times and tried not to cry. “Can you phone your friend to come back and pick you up?” Sue shook her head and headed for the Ladies.

Through the window of his van, Ken saw her emerge twenty minutes later and sit on the seat and her red eyes showed she’d been crying. Ken made mugs of tea and a couple of cheese sandwiches each, even cutting them cornerwise like many women preferred and added a slice of cake to the plates. To his amazement, when he placed them on the seat next to her and sat down too, she immediately moved as far end as the shelter allowed. “Hey,” he smiled and tried to diffuse her alarm, “I’m no serial killer or a rapist, just a guy who’s stuck here for the night, like you seem to be. At least I have a place to sleep and I’m able to make a hot drink and have some basic food that I can share. I’m Ken Bristow.”

Still wary and a little frightened she murmured, “Kathryn Lambert. Thank you, but please, you don’t need to go to any trouble on my account. I’ll be okay.” Although he tried to engage her in conversation, she almost didn’t acknowledge his presence and only repeated her “Thank you,” when he collected the plates and mugs.

By seven o’clock the twilight began to fade into darkness but in the orange glow of the one streetlight, Ken saw her huddled in the corner of the shelter and tried to approach her again. “Kathryn, there’s a spare bed in the van and you’re welcome to use it with no strings. You’ll freeze out here and even inside the loo it will get pretty damn cold. A sharp frost is forecast for tonight. You won’t be harmed or molested in any way if you take the bed and at least you will be relatively warm.” She shook her head, no. “Think about it and while I’m having a wash and use the loo, go and have a look inside the caravan. The bed you’ll have is covered with my coat and stuff at the moment, but I’ll quickly move that out of the way. You might also like to note the number plate of my car and phone it your friend and say you’ll phone her again in the morning to say you’re okay. You’ll be in a far worse state if you stay outside all night.” Kathryn did take his car number but didn’t go inside the caravan in case he trapped her in there.

Worried about the girl, Ken turned in early. Without being hooked up to mains power, he used battery operated LED lighting but couldn’t use the small TV he’d installed or the heater but heating a kettle on the gas ring raised the inside temperature of the well insulated van. On his last visit to the toilet, he saw the huddled, shivering form of Kathryn and without approaching closely, repeated his offer of a bed, but didn’t receive a reply. “I can’t force her in here but I wish I could convince her that I mean her no harm. Wonder why she’s so afraid? It’s not as though she’s a teenager, more like mid or late-twenties, almost my age.” He tried to sleep but his thoughts kept his mind active.

“Tap, tap, tap.” Ken switched his bedside LED on, noted his watch read 10:28 and, dressed in his pyjamas with thermal vest and long-johns underneath, went to the door. “Come in Kathryn. I cleared the bed just in case. Dump your rucksack in the corner and let me put the stove on and make you a hot drink. That will help warm you up and the heat from the stove will warm this place up a bit. Take your coat and boots off and wrap the duvet around you and soon you’ll warm up. Without electricity, I can’t use the fan heater.”

The hot chocolate did help, and while they sat opposite bunks, each surreptitiously studied the other but without her saying more than polite words of thanks. Ken reassured her again of her safety but, because of the cold, she only took her outer clothes off before crawling into the bed and pulling the blankets and duvet over her.

“I wonder why she’s so scared? Must have had a traumatic experience, fairly recently I would guess. She’s attractive enough, medium height much like me, brown shoulder length hair, round face with brown eyes, slightly stocky build and fair size tits from what I saw of them before she pulled the duvet around her. Strange woman. Hasn’t smiled once. Am I so frightening? I know it must be scary to have to sleep in a room with a strange man, but she’s taking it to extremes.” Ken tossed the little he knew about the woman around in his mind before finally falling asleep.

Kathryn’s mind too whirled at the little she knew of Ken. “He seems genuine enough in trying to help me but is it all a ploy to get into my knickers like Ben bloody Marshall? I guess he’s a bit older than me but not much and has a nice car so he’s probably got a good job. Better than mine at the call centre. He’s presentable looking and about my height and slim with it. Not a Mr. Universe but who wants one of those. So far, he’s not even made a pass at me. Her mind then harked back to the trauma of her last boyfriend and she cried softly, not wanting to wake Ken. Eventually she too, drifted into a light sleep.

Kathryn woke when a shaft of early morning sunlight flashed across her face. Ken sitting up in bed, pulled the curtain back a little to peer out at the white frost. “I’d better make a move before she wakes and I need to pee. Can’t help having a hard-on but that’ll go down before I get back.” He swung his legs to the floor and slipped his shoes on, wrapped his padded coat around his shoulders and picking up his toiletries, headed for the Mens.

Through slitted eyelids, Kathryn watched him, half alarmed at the protrusion in his trousers but knowing all men had this in the morning, she tried not to be unduly concerned. “I need to pee too and I’d better get dressed while he’s out of the way.” Their paths crossed as Ken returned and she noticed the tent in his pyjamas had disappeared.

“There’s no hot water,” Ken called as they passed, “If you want some, I’ll boil a kettle. I need to because I want to have a shave.”

“I’ll make do.” Ken noticed that before she entered the toilets, she took out her mobile phone and made a call and rightly assumed she’d told her friend where she’d spent the night.

Over a simple breakfast of toast and cereals, Ken again tried to get her to talk. “Kathryn, do they call you Kate or something shorter?”

“Kat.”

“Has the delay upset your plans for the day?”

“Yes, the hostel is only a few miles from the ferry terminal so I’ll walk around the area for a bit. Unfortunately it will affect the route for the rest of the week so I don’t know what I’ll do until I study the maps.” She packed her rucksack.

“Put it on the backseat of the car and if you sit with me, you’ll get across for free. They charge enough for a car and a caravan anyway.”

“I’m sorry Sir, but the engineer brought the wrong part yesterday but promised he’d be back today so we’d be ready for the Monday morning service. They’ve broadcast it on local radio but I ’spect you’re from out of the area.”

Kat looked close to tears when Ken informed her of the phone call and the ferrymaster’s message. “Damn, damn, damn,” she swore softly, “Just when I needed to get away from it all, this comes up and I can’t go anywhere.”

“Can I offer a suggestion? There’s a path to the south of here that goes over that shoulder,” Ken pointed to a gap between two hills, “To Boremanton. Only a village but it has a small supermarket which is probably open on a Sunday and a pub that does meals. It’s about seven miles and a nice walk through woodland and open moorland. If the distance isn’t too far for you and if you don’t mind my company, we could do that today. If we take light rucksacks we can bring some food that only needs heating on the gas ring for a meal tonight.”

At first she said, “I’ll just stay and walk around the lake here and let you walk on your own, like I expected to.”

“I’ll be pleased to have your company, Kat, and if you walk on your own you’ll only brood and become depressed over whatever it is that is troubling you. It’s a nice day and we can have a decent midday meal. Stay here and it’s sandwiches and cake again.”

Both enjoyed the walk and Ken noted it wasn’t the first walk she’d been on. She’d proper walking boots and strode along with an easy gait that easily kept pace with him. Returning tired and a little weary, Kat had to admit she’d enjoyed the day and her reticence began to fade, not that she mentioned the cause of it. He did learn she lived twenty miles from him and shared a flat with Sue Canham, the girl who brought her.

Friends at the camp site

The sound of heavy rain drumming the metal roof, woke them at 4 a.m. and later the local weather forecast predicted the rain to persist at least until Midday or even later, making driving tedious and walking impractical.

Another car arrived as they cleared away the breakfast things and readied the inside of the caravan for departure. Kat helped more than Ken expected. “Put your rucksack on the back seat of the car and sit inside while I wind up the legs of the van. No need for both of us to get wet.”

“So ’kay. I don’t mind helping. You helped me. Thanks.”

Ken insisted though and swiftly donned his wet weather gear and prepared the caravan for moving. “Typical April weather, one day gorgeous, the next wet, windy and cold,” he commented as he sat in the driver’s seat.

“What do you intend doing now?” They’d finished their ‘second breakfast’ at the café in Quaithwaite and sat looking at a map while drinking their tea, “You won’t walk far in this without getting soaked to the skin.”

“I could hang about here and visit the church or something until the rain stops and then walk the few miles to the hostel.”

They discussed a few alternatives before Ken brought up the one they both thought about but didn’t wish to voice it. “Please don’t take this the wrong way, Kat, but you could stay with me for another night and move on from the caravan site. You’d have to plan a different route but with the network of paths in the area, that should be feasible, and it would be with no strings attached, same as the last two nights.”

Kat sensed he wanted her to stay but made a token show of reluctance. Finally when in the supermarket they bought food to last the several days, she realised she intended to stay with him for the whole week. How did I let this happen?”“’’ve enjoyed it. I’’s not tried anything but I saw him peeping when I got out of bed. Could be a ploy but I don’t think so and if he does, I can scream and on a camp site there should be others close by to rescue me. Doubt if it will come to that. Actually I’m beginning to like him.”

Similar thoughts went through Ken’s mind as he drove along the quiet back road. “She seems nice enough now she’s beginning to open up towards me but I wonder what caused her fear in the first place. Who or what did she want to get away from? Something traumatic for a woman. Rape? Being dumped by a boy? Divorce? Possibly. No ring on her finger though. I thought I’d done with women after Denise dumped me five years ago but she only wanted what she could get and for the year we lived together, she spent more of my money than I did. Kat insisted on paying for her meal and paid a share of the food we bought in the supermarket. From what we bought, I think she half intends to stay the whole week. I won’t mind that even if there’s no sex. It will be nice to have her company. She knows I plan to go walking and photographing each day and after our trip to Boremanton yesterday, I expect she’ll want to accompany me. Not like Denise who never walked further than the post box.”

Ken finally broke the silence by asking, “Can you drive?”

“Oh, yes, I’ve had a license for five years but the clutch went on my car and I can’t afford a replacement yet. Really need to change the car. The old Ford Fiesta is on its last legs. How come you can afford a posh new car like this?” She almost bit her tongue after she blurted out the question. “Sorry, that’s none of my business.”

“No problem. I’m a financial adviser. I make money by using other people’s money. I work from home at the moment and can more or less take a holiday when I feel like it.”

Gradually the rain eased and patches of blue sky appeared. “Nearly there now and it looks like the weather is changing for the better.” Kat sat up and peered ahead to catch a glimpse of the site.

They’d hardly parked on the plot next to a larger and expensive looking caravan, when the two occupants, a couple in their late fifties, emerged and greeted them. “Hi Ken, so you finally made it with that toy van,” the man joked, “And you’ve brought a bird with you, that’s a first.”

“She’s a girl, dear, bird’s are those feathered things that fly about,” his wife chided and when Kat joined Ken outside, the woman introduced, “Hi, I’m Martha Goodman and this rude lump is my husband, Jack. Welcome to Beacons Caravan Park.”

Ken in turn introduced her and Martha invited her in for a cuppa while the men connected up the van. To their surprise she answered, “No, I ought to help and pull my weight so I know what to do and then I must find the loos.”

Fifteen minutes later, they all sat in the Goodman’s van, mugs of tea and a plate of chocolate biscuits before them, good humouredly teasing and joking about the lateness of their arrival. “How’d you meet with Kat?” Martha asked.

“I found her stranded at the quayside,” Ken replied.

“I hope she’s not a runaway or an illegal immigrant otherwise, as an ex policeman, I should have to turn you in,” Jack tried to look stern.

“So you’ve only known each other since Saturday?” Martha questioned.

“Yep, and if you give her much more of the third degree, she might run away tomorrow,” Ken laughed and felt relieved when Kat did too. For a time they sat while Martha and Jack tried to worm more of the story from them but in the end, Jack stood, “The sun’s out, let’s show her around the site and go to Wallis Falls, it should be running well again after the rain. You’ll need your boots on as it can be wet in places.”

<Hi Sue, Am at the Beacons Caravan Park near Borthford at the S end of Caulderwater. Met a nice couple and had lovely walk. May stay for the rest of the week. Kat> Kat pressed the send button.

Shortly after her phone buzzed. <You still with that man in his caravan Kat? Thought you wanted away from men? Sue>

Tuesday evening, after a long walk in the hills during the day, Ken suggested an early night because of tiredness. “We believe you, don’t we Martha?” Jack grinned and Kat looked downcast. All knew his inference but Kat and Ken knew the unlikelihood of that happening. Martha, sensing the sudden change of mood, glared at her husband.

Kat burst into tears when Ken turned his back to her to modestly put on his pyjamas. With the van plugged into main power, the electric fan heater kept the place cosy and warm and he’d no need to wear his thermals in bed. He turned in surprise and risked sitting on her bed. “Sorry, I didn’t expect to shock you,” he apologised.

“Oh no, it wasn’t you. It’s me. When Jack implied we’d be like rabbits in mating season, it brought back the reason for my going off alone. I didn’t intend telling you but we’ve got on so well together and you’ve helped me so much, that I feel that I ought to at least let you know why I’m reluctant to let you into my bed. I know you’ve guessed that something happened earlier and, yes, I was running away, at least for a short while. If when I finish the story, you want me to move on, say so and in the morning I’ll walk to some place where I can get a B&B until I can get back to the ferry and ask Sue to pick me up.”

“I’m sure that won’t be necessary. I like you Kat, I like you a lot and enjoy your company. Perhaps when you get what ever is troubling you off your chest and in the open, we can find a way around the problems, if they still exist.”

“My boyfriend raped me. Ben Marshall raped me. He wasn’t even a proper boyfriend and I only went out with him a few times but last weekend we had dinner at a nice restaurant and then a few drinks at a pub, none he would allow me to pay for. Fortunately we had a taxi home because he’d had too many drinks to drive but he wasn’t all that drunk and knew what he did. At my flat, he virtually forced his way in and though I struggled, he soon had me on top of the bed and my jeans down. Still I kicked but couldn’t get a good shot at him before I saw he’d taken his prick out. I kept telling him no, but he seemed to enjoy the fight I put up, and eventually he had his arm across my throat, preventing me from breathing. Almost passing out, I gave up and opened my legs when he ordered. He fucked me hard but came quickly. He bitched and blamed his short duration as my fault and said he’d do me again later. We heard Sue coming back with Nick, her boyfriend and he left.

Sue and Nick went into her room, as they often did at the weekend, so I didn’t tell her until next day, and then I only gave her an abridged account and didn’t tell her of the violence he used. I think she thought I’d been a prick-tease and got what I deserved and that my running away was an over-reaction but as I’d been miserable all week, she agreed to take me to the ferry so I could spend a week alone in the wild open moorland to sort myself out.”

Ken carefully pulled her close. “It won’t happen with me, Kat, believe me, I won’t rape you. I like and respect you too much for that. Please stay for the rest of the week and enjoy our time together. I’ve enjoyed your company and hope we can continue to stay together and see how things develop between us. Dry your eyes and get some sleep, I’ve another long walk planned for tomorrow.”

Assaulted

A hundred miles away, Nick, about to leave for home, opened the door to Sue’s flat to admit Ben Marshall. Sue showered after fucking Nick for most of the evening. “Hi Ben, Kat’s not here.”

“Know where she is?”

“Yeah, Sue wrote it down by the phone. Seems she’s shacked up in a caravan with some bloke she met. Ah, here’s the paper.” Ben noted the name of the site and its location and the pair left together.

*****

“That was a great day’s walk, Ken, even if I have mud up to my knees,” Kat laughed as she shucked her rucksack and went to open the caravan door forgetting she didn’t have a key. Turning, she was just in time to see Ben swing his arm and hit Ken’s head from behind. Ken went down, unconscious with blood streaming from a wound above his ear. “Ben!” she screamed, and as he advanced towards her, put her arms forward to try and protect herself. She needed have worried. Jack and Martha, seeing them arrive came out of their van to invite them in for tea and, seeing the situation, Jack immediately launched a head butt at Ben, knocking him over and went to restrain him but Ben, seeing his much larger opponent, slipped from Jack’s grasp and ran off.

His police training coming to the fore, Jack took command. “Martha, phone the ambulance and the police. I’ll phone Dave Findley on the gate. Kat, don’t move him yet and don’t touch that rock he dropped.” Opening his mobile he dialled Findley who manned the entrance gate to the site. “Dave, there’ll a car with a single male driver coming through shortly. Hold it up if you can but make sure you get the number and the make and colour. The police will want him shortly but don’t put yourself at risk. He’s dangerous.”

Kat knelt at Ken’s side and cried at first and then let herself in the van with the key Ken dropped, and covered him with a duvet and found a tea towel to staunch the flow of blood. He still hadn’t woken when, twenty minutes later, the ambulance and police arrived at the fairly remote location. Martha comforted her while Jack relayed Dave’s description of Ben’s car and it’s number to the local police. They stopped him on the A965 and held him temporarily on a speeding charge.

Kat went in the ambnulance with Ken to the hospital in Caulderdale and after several hours learned he’d woken and, apart from a huge lump on his head and a severe headache, he appeared okay. They’d keep him in overnight at least.

An hour later, Jack and Martha arrived and told her of Ben’s arrest and said the police would want a statement from her. In fact they arrived at the hospital shortly after. At Kat’s request, Martha stayed with her while the police asked their questions and learned of her rape and the events leading to the attack.

The hospital released Ken on Friday morning but he felt too shaky to walk far and Kat drove his car, a little nervously at first on the small roads in a strange car, but her confidence grew with the miles. He’d given her the keys the previous afternoon when she visited with Jack and Martha and that morning Jack helped her uncouple it from the van and reassured her that she’d get on fine with it. With all the other problems flooding her brain, she missed her phone call to Sue and when she phoned back, Kat accused her of giving Ben her location. “I haven’t seen Ben for well over a week,” she replied stoutly. “Wait a bit, Nick might have and the paper with it on has been by the phone.” Seconds later she came back, “The paper is on the shelf but not tucked under the phone dock where I left it. Does it matter?”

“Only that my new boyfriend is in hospital and Ben might be charged with attempted murder! I’ll tell you the whole story when I get back. I have to go to see him now.”

Apart from a huge bruise and lump on the side of his head, Ken felt much better on Saturday and they went for a short walk. Not as far as either of them would have liked, but enough for that day. “Do you think you can get another day off on Monday? We missed so many days what with the ferry and the hospital and I would like to show you a few more places.” She asked Sue to tell the supervisor and explain she had to stay to help the police.

“Everyone knows about it, Kat. Ben’s arrest has been in the papers and on radio, so I doubt if it will be a problem.”

Martha and Jack left early on Sunday. “We’ll be in touch by email and I’ve no doubt that we’ll meet here in future and probably in court when Ben’s case comes to trial. So far they’ve only charged him with grievous bodily harm but they may well up the charge when the legal people get their hands into it. The stone made it an attack with an offensive weapon and the fact that he deliberately drove all this way, made it a premeditated attack. They could throw the book at him.”

Ken led the way along a pleasant but uphill track and it soon became evident that he wasn’t as fit as he thought. The continual thump of his boots on the ground, jarred his head and reluctantly they turned back. “I’m sorry Kat, it’s not been much of a holiday for you but we’ve had some nice times and perhaps you’d like to come back again later in the year,” he apologised when they sat in the van.

“In many ways it has been a far better holiday than I expected, certainly it’s a holiday I will remember always. I started out afraid and miserable and I will go home with a boyfriend. Really I ought to be the one who apologises. If it hadn’t been for me, you wouldn’t have a sore head.”

“It was worth it to have you.” Ken pulled her close and they kissed.

Later, after the lights had been put out, Kat crept out of her bed and slipped into his. “This is just to let you know that when you’re well enough, we’ll make love but for now, you’ll have to be content with a cuddle.”

Next day as she drove to the quayside at Quaithwaite, they both wondered what their lives would have been like if the ferry had been running a week earlier.

Finis

~~Ken Bristow; Kathryn Lambert~~

~~Caulderwater Ferry; Quaithwaite; Beacons Caravan Park~~