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“Marcella in the Forest” by James Tate 🇺🇸 (8 Dec 19438 Jul 2015)
Marcella stood naked on the forest floor. I said, “What are you doing naked out here?” She said, “I thought you might like it.” “Well, of course I’ll like it, but somebody might catch us out here,” I said. “You know there’s never anybody out here,” she said. “I know, but there might be,” I said. “You’re just afraid of nature, aren’t you?” she said. “If I am, I didn’t know it,” I said. “Then why don’t you get naked too,” she said. “I could never get naked out here. It just doesn’t feel right,” I said. “Then I’m putting my clothes back on. It doesn’t make any sense for me to be standing naked all by myself,” she said. A hunter walked onto the scene just then. “What’s going on here?” he said. “She’s my wife,” I said. “I just wanted to feel close to nature,” Marcella said. “I almost shot you. I thought you were a deer,” he said. “I don’t look like a deer,” she said. “In the brush and all you do,” he said. “Honey, put your clothes on,” I said. “I forgot where I put them,” she said. “They’re somewhere around here,” I said. The hunter said, “Here they are, right at my feet.” She walked toward the hunter, glancing back at me. The hunter said, “Panties first, then the bra.” She followed his orders. Finally she was completely dressed. She thanked him for his help. He waved his around and said, “Go on, get out of here, before I decide to shoot you.” We started running. Marcella leapt over a lake that I fell in. Then I heard a shot, and another shot.