The Long Walk Home

[iwanttowrite]

This will probably be a short story, but I wanted to share it anyways.

It happened during my senior year of high school. I don’t remember much about that day, just that everything started to go wrong during gym class. It was my last class of the day. We were all outside running laps around the football field and the teacher had decided to be generous to us. Any students who could finish running eight laps around the field were allowed to leave class early. I was eager to get out of class as soon as possible. Even though I wasn’t the most athletic student, I was still pretty fit. And thanks to a sudden growth spurt the previous year, I was also much taller than most of my peers and had fairly long legs. I could run those eight laps with plenty of time to spare.

But I wasn’t really dressed properly enough for the occasion. That growth spurt didn’t just make me taller. It made me considerably bigger in certain areas. I had to replace quite a bit of my wardrobe, and that included sports bras. But considering how expensive clothes can be, I tried holding onto some of my old stuff for as long as possible. And the bra I happened to be wearing that day was just a bit too small. It managed to hold together up until the last two laps. That’s when the band had snapped, and I could feel the sudden lack of support.

I came to a dead stop. My friends noticed that something was wrong, and we walked off to the side to try and assess the damage. The hooks had been torn from the band and were unsalvageable. I wasn’t too upset. It was an old bra. But I did not like the idea of being braless for the rest of the school day, even if the day was nearly over. I ended up walking those last two laps. The teacher didn’t mind. They understood the situation. I was just happy that my shirt was large enough to obscure the fact that I wasn’t wearing a bra anymore.

Getting dressed in the locker room was a bit more awkward, but it wasn’t a big deal. I was a little concerned about how I’d look wearing my normal clothes. But luckily my sweater seemed to obscure my chest pretty well. I wasn’t exactly the type of girl who liked to show off much skin anyways. Even though I was fully covered, I still wanted to get home. I boarded the bus idling at the schools entrance along with my friends and waited for us to depart. Then it would be a short walk to my house, I could get dressed, and then my friends and I could all head out to the mall and do some necessary shopping.

At least, that was the plan. But before the bus departed, I could start to feel an uncomfortable sensation building up inside my bladder. Could I hold it? Probably. But the bus wasn’t scheduled to leave for another five minutes, and I thought I could be quick enough. So I got off the bus, went to the bathroom, took care of business, and stepped back outside just in time to see the bus doors close as it began to pull away from the school. I tried to run after it but gave up pretty quickly. I could see my friends looking back at me from the rear seats as the bus drove further and further away.

Now, this wasn’t the first time I’d missed the bus. At least I didn’t live too far away from the school. And because my friends rode the bus, I wouldn’t have to worry about losing any of my things. But I really wasn’t happy about walking home alone, without my keys or my phone, or my bra. So I decided to try and take a short cut. There’s a large patch of woodland between the school and my neighborhood. Several acres of uneven terrain full of trees and foliage with a creek running through it. I was discouraged from walking through those woods when I was younger, but if I wanted to get home as quickly as possible then cutting through those woods would be my best option.

As I walked across the field behind the school and approached the edge of the woods, I encountered my first hurdle. It was an eight foot tall chainlink fence. I had forgotten that the school built this fence in order to keep students from wandering into the woods, and even though it was a minor inconvenience I still had to figure out how to get around it. The most straightforward solution was to just climb over it. That wound up being a mistake. While I didn’t have any trouble climbing up the chainlink, I hit a snag as I attempted to get my legs over the top of the fence. Literally. My jeans had gotten caught on the metal. I didn’t realize until I tried to climb down and wound up losing my balance. They were an old pair of jeans, faded and partially ripped. They ripped a lot more when I fell off the fence.

Fortunately, I didn’t get hurt. But the damage to my pants was severe. I was basically missing a whole leg, from ankle to hip, leaving half of my ass exposed along with the rest of my bare leg. The only reason my pants were staying up was because the waistband miraculously hadn’t torn. But they were unsalvageable. Practically useless, just like my bra. I was still hoping to hold onto them until I got home. Walking around with half a pair of pants was preferable to walking around with no pants at all. But that didn’t last very long. While my waistband was mostly intact, the button fastening them was barely holding on. After a few steps I could feel what was left of my pants fall around my ankles.

I kicked off my shredded jeans in frustration. I had barely even begun walking home and somehow lost even more of my clothes. I had no choice but to continue walking through the woods now. While I could have tolerated walking through the suburbs without a bra, I was absolutely not doing so without pants. So, I started walking. It wasn’t easy. There wasn’t trail or a footpath that I could follow. I just had to navigate through patches of underbrush and try to avoid tripping on any rocks or roots. I also had to be mindful of any branches or brambles that my sweater could potentially get snagged on. I absolutely need it to stay intact when I got out of the woods. It was the only coverage I had, not only to keep my breasts from noticeably bouncing around but also to marginally cover my buttocks. The sweater was just long enough to avoid having my underwear on display. It would still be obvious that I wasn’t wearing any pants, but at a passing glance, maybe people wouldn’t notice.

I don’t know exactly how long I was walking, but I knew I was getting closer to home when I heard the sound of running water. I was getting close to the creek. I was honestly excited to know that I was at least halfway through my journey and quickened my pace. I should have been more careful. I wound up getting caught on a few branches trying to find the creek, and while I was able to get free pretty easily my sweater had still become frayed in a few spots. I didn’t really care though. I was preoccupied with getting to the creek. It was only when I reached the edge of the water that I realized I’d come across another hurdle. The creek was fairly large. At least ten feet across and who knows how deep. How was I going to get across?

I hadn’t really thought of it before. There was a portion of the creek that ran through my backyard, but it was much narrower. There was no way I could see to reach the other side without wading through the water. And that wasn’t a viable option. I didn’t know how deep the creek was, and I wasn’t about to risk treading through waist high water. Worst case scenario, the current could knock me over. Best case scenario, I’d be walking through the woods in wet clothes. Neither sounds particularly appealing. I could just follow the creek up to my house and get across that way, but that would make the journey significantly longer. The creek doesn’t just wind through the woods but through multiple properties. Still, it wouldn’t hurt looking for a narrower portion of the creek to cross over. So I did. I followed the water further downstream until I could find a suitable place to cross.

It didn’t take very long to find what I was looking for. There was a tree that had partially fallen over and bridged the gap from one side of the creek to the other. It wasn’t perfect, actually it was rather precarious. The ground was sloped heavily on one side, which meant that the tree was pitched at a much steeper angle than I would have liked. Under normal circumstances I would have just kept walking. But these weren’t normal circumstances. I wanted to get home as fast as possible. So I carefully climbed onto the fallen log and slowly started to make my way across. And surprisingly, I was able to reach the other side without incident. Not once did I slip or lose my balance. All that was left was to take one last step onto solid ground and continue my trek through the woods. That didn’t happen. Instead, I stepped off the log and into a soft patch of mud, causing me to fall backwards into the creek.

Actually, it was a bit more complicated than that. I didn’t just fall into the water. No, as I fell I had managed to catch myself at the last second by grabbing hold of a tree branch. I thought it was a stroke of luck at first, but I quickly realized that my actions had just made my situation even worse. The sleeve of my sweater wound up getting entangled in the branches I was holding onto. I wasn’t sure how to get out of that situation. But I just made things worse when I tried to pull myself back upright. The added tension on my sweater caused the sleeve to tear almost completely off. I fell backwards, again, and landed directly into the creek.

The water was particularly deep. And cold. I guess I was lucky enough not to bash my head against any rocks. But my sweater was ruined. I didn’t just loose the sleeve, the whole garment had been torn open. It barely held together as I tried to stand upright and get out of the creek. I couldn’t believe it. Everything was going from bad to worse. My sweater was gone, leaving me completely topless in the middle of the wood in a pair of soaking wet shoes and underwear. I was fed up at this point. I was cold and wet and tired and on the verge of tears. I just wanted to go home. But there was no way I was walking out of the woods dressed like this. I took a minute to catch my breath and collect my thoughts. I decided to just get rid of my shoes. They were pretty old to begin with and at this point they were ruined. Then I started walking, following the creek downstream. I’d eventually find the spot where it cut through my backyard. It would take longer than I wanted, but at least I could get there unseen.

Had the circumstances been different, I think it would have been a rather pleasant walk. The trees provided ample shade and kept the wind from blowing too harshly. It was still cold, but not unbearably. I had my arms crossed to try and stay warm. And to cover my breasts as much as possible. I didn’t need them bouncing freely and reminding me just how exposed I was. I tried not to think about it. But I couldn’t help but wonder how everything went so wrong. I’d lost my sweater, my pants, my bra, nearly all of my clothes were destroyed in the span of an hour. I was beginning to regret giving up my shoes. But I couldn’t afford to dwell on it. I needed to focus on getting home. And I was beginning to get close. I could see houses in the distance, between the gaps in the trees. That’s when I stopped. Even though I was still technically in the woods, I’d be walking past other people’s backyards in order to get to mine. I was shaking. But I couldn’t stop now. I was almost home. I was able to convince myself that I wouldn’t be noticed as long as I kept my distance. As long as I was in the woods, it was unlikely that anyone would notice the half naked girl walking by their house.

As a precaution, I decided to walk alongside the opposite end of the creek. I was less likely to be spotted if I was deeper in the woods, and it’s not like I needed to worry about getting wet anymore. So I waded through the water and hugged the tree line along the bank of the creek, keeping my eyes open for any signs of people. I probably should have kept better eye on my surroundings. The foliage provided extra coverage but also presented additional hazards. And I didn’t realize until it was too late. When I felt a tug on my hips, a jolt went up my spine and my instinct was to turn around to see what caused it. I ended up jerking forward, and that was enough to cement my fate. My underwear had gotten caught on some brambles. Just a few thorns had snagged my waistband, but when I turned around I inadvertently caused it to tear. I could feel them slipping down my leg and around my ankle. And to think that, at this point, I thought the day couldn’t get any worse. It was bad enough trekking through the woods practically naked. But I had effectively made the transition from practically naked, to completely naked. I didn’t have a single stitch of clothing left. And I just couldn’t be bothered. I stopped caring. I didn’t cry or panic, I just kept on walking home, without a single ounce of care if anyone were to see me at this point. I marched forward, wanting desperately for this day to come to an end.

It took a while, not as long as I’d expected but much longer than I hoped. I eventually started to recognize some of the houses I was passing by. When I spotted my backyard, I was ecstatic. I immediately ran across the creek, my heart racing, knowing that this nightmare was nearly over. When I stepped out of the woods I collapsed onto the lawn, the warm grass tickling my skin. It was a reminder of my situation, that I was still naked, but I was also home. I’d made it home, completely unseen, and could finally put this horrible day behind me. All I had to do was make my way inside through the back door. Luckily my parents were still at work, so I wouldn’t need to worry about any awkward conversations. I reached for the door and pushed it open.

But it didn’t budge. I tried again. But the door didn’t open. Of course it didn’t. It was locked. I’d gotten so caught up in the moment that I’d completely forgotten that we kept our back door locked. I felt like such an idiot. That’s when I remembered that I’d left all my stuff on the bus. I didn’t have any way to get inside. I’d have to wait in the backyard until my parents got home, and then somehow explain why their eighteen-year-old daughter was locked outside completely naked!

I sat on the ground in a huff, completely exhausted. Then a thought crossed my mind. We had a spare key. I wasn’t sure if it was still there, but we kept a spare key for our back door hidden somewhere on the front porch. If I could find it, then I’d be able to get inside. But that would require me to walk around to the front of the house. Naked. I weighed my options. Either I wait until my parents come home, or I try to find the key. At least I’d have a chance of getting inside unnoticed. So, I gathered up as much courage as possible, and approached the side gate separating the backyard from our front lawn.

“Where the hell is she?”

I stopped. I hid behind the gate and waited. Someone was on my front porch. I couldn’t see them, but I definitely heard someone. The voice was familiar.

“Do you think she got lost? She doesn’t normally walk home.”

It was my friends! My friends were waiting for me. They must have been waiting for me this whole time. I was so relieved. I called out to them, beckoning them towards the side gate. They were incredibly confused, asking me what had happened and why I was hiding in my backyard. I offered to explain everything after I got inside and asked them for my house key. They refused. Well, they didn’t outright refuse. But they didn’t understand why I wouldn’t just come around the gate and grab the keys myself. I tried to reason with them but they were adamant. I guess they’d been waiting for me to show up much longer than expected. I’m not sure if they had some suspicions about why I was hiding in my backyard, but it didn’t matter. Either I explain what happened, or they were leaving. They weren’t giving me a choice. So I carefully opened the gate and stepped forward, careful to keep one arm across my chest and another between my legs.

My friends had a variety of reactions. Mostly shocked. But they also seemed to find my situation humorous, and were trying to stifle their laughter. One of them even pulled out their phone and took my picture. I was mortified, but there wasn’t much I could do. They insisted that it was in jest and that no one would ever see it. I’m pretty sure she kept her word. But at that point, I’d given up trying to maintain my modesty. I dropped my hands to my side and walked around to the front porch to grab my things and get inside. I don’t think anyone else saw me. I explained to my friends everything that happened after I had missed the bus and had to walk home. How I tore my pants trying to climb the fence. How I ruined my sweater trying to cross the creek. How I lost my underwear when I was so close to home. They had a good laugh at my expense. I guess it is kind of funny when you think about it. Just one absurd accident after another.

So, that’s my story. The day I lost all my clothes during a very long walk home. It was honestly pretty embarrassing to recount all this, but it feels kinda cathartic to write it all down. I might have other embarrassing stories to share. Not all of them are as personal, but you might be surprised by what my friends and I could get up to.

And if you’re interested, I might be willing to share what happened after this story ended - consider it an epilogue.

[SixPathsKeyblader]

Good simple story. I enjoyed it. Poor girl lol. At least it didn't go as badly as it could have, and nobody except for her friends saw her.

[TovaG]

Good simple story. I enjoyed it. Poor girl lol. At least it didn't go as badly as it could have, and nobody except for her friends saw her.

Don't forget the picture that one of them took of her. Maybe their phone is set to automatically upload pictures to Facebook or some other server and it was seen by someone else who shared it with others at school.

[SixPathsKeyblader]

Good simple story. I enjoyed it. Poor girl lol. At least it didn't go as badly as it could have, and nobody except for her friends saw her.

Don't forget the picture that one of them took of her. Maybe their phone is set to automatically upload pictures to Facebook or some other server and it was seen by someone else who shared it with others at school.

True. Even if not, it's almost always a bad idea to have someone have nude photos of you on their phone, especially in these kinds of stories. That usually goes badly. Either way, I hope to see more from the OP.

[CinnabarSunset]

I would be interested to read that epilogue, and I think I'm not the only one!

[iwanttowrite]

I would be interested to read that epilogue, and I think I'm not the only one!

I’ll probably have to post it as a separate story.