Todd And The Live Oak

A thirty something man looks to overcome his lifelong fear of heights and deep water by conquering them at an isolated resort.

TODD AND THE LIVE OAK

 

Todd was on his way to a resort but not for relaxion. Rather it was to conquer his two greatest fears, heights, and deep water. Ever since he was a kid Todd had been plagued by these mostly rational fears. But now in his mid-thirties he wanted to overcome them, and what better way to do so by meeting them head on.

 

But finding the resort had been a frustrating ordeal. Todd was sure he had followed the directions closely. But once he got near, he found himself somehow missing turns or having to double back. A woman from work with strange tattoos named Hannah, had overheard him talking about conquering his fears. She was the one who strongly recommended, almost insisted on this resort. She was also the one who gave him the directions.

 

The further out Todd drove the lonelier the roads became; it had been miles since he last seen a house. With even the trees encroaching on the asphalt in some places. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky and the bright glaring sun made it even more difficult to look for signs or landmarks.  Finally, Todd spotted a clearing off the road. Thinking it may be the way he made a hard right.  

 

The road was now just dirt and gravel. Tree branches seemed to lurch at his car as they hung over the road, almost as if they were trying to strike it. Dense foliage brushed against his vehicle as he slowly meandered on. Todd looked up in his rearview mirror and saw nothing but clouds of dust. The road became even worse as it was now filled with unavoidable potholes.

 

Now driving at almost a crawl, Todd was sure he went the wrong way. But finally, the road opened to a vast parking lot. He quickly pulled into a spot and parked, eager to get out of the car. There were only a few other vehicles present. But it was late morning on a weekday and Todd thought little of it.

 

Finally, stepping out of his car Todd was immediately hit with a wave of humidity.  How did it get so hot so fast he wondered. Looking straight ahead the lake instantly came into view. Todd headed right towards it, his flip-flops sliding and crunching under the loose gravel laden ground. But something else grabbed his attention as he drew closer.

 

It was a gigantic live oak tree. It must have been almost 100 feet in height and boasted an impossibly massive crown that spread well beyond 100 feet. The Spanish moss that graced its branches hung like curtains that gently swayed in the breeze. Todd figured the beautiful tree was likely hundreds of years old. He walked closer, its mighty branches offering bountiful shade.

 

And that was when Todd noticed something else. There was an elaborate craving in the trunk of the tree. It depicted a well-endowed nude woman with long thick dark hair standing waist deep in the lake. The artistry of the craving was exquisite. Todd also noticed that the woman’s body was adorned with strange symbols. Funnily enough, they looked familiar to him. But he couldn’t quite remember where he saw them before.

 

Todd peered over at the lake from under the shade of the tree. Its blue water shimmered invitingly in the sunlight. He walked up to the shore and took in a panoramic view of the lake. It was quiet and peaceful and almost completely unspoiled. With only a few boat docks dipping into its waters.

 

Todd looked down at the water lapping at the shore, threatening to wash over his feet. He dared to dip his foot into the lake and immediately jerked it back, the water was cold! Now is likely not the best time to test his fear of deep water, especially with no one around. Even more so because Todd’s swimming skills were somewhat limited.

 

Instead, Todd decided to conquer his fear of heights first. He started up the steep path to the bungee platform. It had gotten even more hot and humid as the sweat leaked down his back. As he continued up the steep path the shrill noise of cicadas filled the air and the bright stung his eyes as it shone through the trees.

 

Todd thought he heard someone talking as he accidentally veered off the main path. He was right, he almost walked into a small group of women sitting in a circle chanting some sort of mantra. Embarrassed, he apologized for his intrusion, but they barely seemed to notice much less care. Only one woman opened her eyes. She briefly smiled at Todd in a coy manner before returning to her near zen like state of concentration.

 

Feeling awkward, Todd cut through the dense undergrowth to make his way back to the main path. By the time he finally made it to the bungee platform he was beginning to breathe heavily, and his tank top was soaked with sweat. There was a small booth near the bungee jump, but there seemingly wasn’t anyone inside.

 

Todd walked up to the platform and looked down.  His fear of heights immediately hit him hard. The drop was over 800 feet! Unprepared for such a shock it almost caused him to lose his balance. Todd stepped back but continued to stare down the drop which gave way to the tranquil lake, which mockingly juxtaposed with his fear of heights.

 

“F**k that!” Todd said out loud. “F*****g forget it!” Turning hard oh his heel he began quickly walking back down the path. But just then a girl popped out from inside the booth. “Hi I’m Trish. Can I help you?” She asked in a sweet and friendly manner. “Oh, well I was going to jump. But I ummm, changed my mind.” Todd answered sheepishly.

 

Trish wasn’t wearing much, only a string tank top and a pair of dolphin shorts. She had strange tattoos on her body that were like Hannah’s from work.  They covered her shoulders and arms, but the most embellished tattoos were on her thighs. Todd thought of asking her about them, but it made feel kind of like a pervert for checking her out.

 

“Oh, that is too bad.” Trish said with a smile. “Because we are giving out a free PS5 Pro to the 500th jumper, which would be you.” Todd held up his hand, laughed and started walking away. “Yeah right.” He retorted. But Trish quickly stepped into and out of the booth and plopped a PS5 on a table next to the booth. Todd stopped dead in his tracks.

 

In disbelief he walked up to the booth and picked up the PS5 Pro. “Can I look inside?” Todd asked suspiciously. “Sure.” Trish replied politely. He carefully opened the box and examined the contents. It absolutely was a PS5 Pro. Not some cheap knock off, it was the real deal. Todd slid the console back into the box and set it down, he was in total awe.

 

Still in a state of disbelief, it was a moment before Todd spoke again. “So, all I have to do is make this bungee jump, and I get the PS5? No tricks, no strings attached, no bullshit?” He asked. “It will be all yours.”  Trish answered sweetly. Todd glanced nervously over at the bungee platform and then back at the PS5. Suddenly he was hit with a rush of bravado. “Well hook me up!” He shouted with gusto. Trish responded with a wry smile.

 

They then walked over to the bungee jump platform. Todd kicked off his flip flops and Trish carefully secured the bungee jump straps to his ankles. He stepped up to the edge of the platform with a confident swagger. However, the moment he looked down he was met with a sudden breeze that blew away his brazen conviction. “Ready?” Trish asked with enthusiasm. “Umm, well I…”  Replied Todd feebly as he continued to stare down fearfully.

 

“Go!” Shouted Trish as she gave him an unexpected hard shove off the platform! Sending Todd screaming, “You f*****g b***h!” as he fell. As he continued to fall, Todd experienced an intense adrenaline rush like never before. His heart was beating so rapidly it felt like it would burst out of his chest as the wind rushed against his body. The lake was coming up fast as Todd was now near the end of the fall.

 

Suddenly a nude woman sprang forth for the tranquil lake. She had long thick dark hair and her body was covered in those strange symbols; she looked exactly like the craving of the woman on the tree. But that was when Todd realized that she was gigantic! He screamed in horror as she opened wide. There was nothing Todd could do as he helplessly fell directly into her mouth.

 

Her mouth snapped shut like a trap. Her strong white teeth effortlessly snapping the bungee cord straps. With a hard flick of her tongue Todd was at the back of her mouth. She then swallowed him whole headfirst. The muscles of her throat squeezed him all the way down until he finally dropped into her stomach.

 

Several seconds later the shock and adrenaline rush from the exhilarating experience began to subside. Todd sat in her hot humid stomach while it began to slowly digest him alive. As Todd felt his tender flesh begin to tingle and burn, he wondered when he would get to play his PS5.

 

Meanwhile, back in the booth. Trish laughed out loud as she played the PS5.