FanStory.com - Orange Cleanse by Lea Tonin1

I cracked my eyes open and rubbed the sleep from them, I looked over at my phone at 5:05 AM. A little pink tongue flashed out and "Bloop!" was right on my eyeball!

My little dog...she needs to pee. Opening the door she shot out while I strolled onto the landing.

I gazed upward and noticed the night was still dancing with the day but the day always wins so I stood back and watched their Cha Cha.

My mind returns to the stewpot of memories. The child in me starts lining them up like a little Napolean. I know if I turn and look at my PC the cursor will blink and call on me again. Inside I drifted and made some coffee.

I did a temperature check and gauged how I was feeling physically and emotionally when I realized the large weight I carried wasn't so large anymore.

I finally found the avenue in which to combat all that was to be present in all that will be.

Splash...right on my forehead which then proceeded to run down my neck.

Well, seems I'd fallen asleep, and now it's beginning to rain. The fire had burned low and yet the empty can of Alpha Ghetti still sat alongside the other like two little sentinels.

I'm in rainforest country and in rainforest country, it rains. Mostly drizzle from October until May and that's the weather. That day was a little bit different.

I watched those black pregnant clouds roll in ready to give birth to a waterfall.

I pulled the two cans into a more open area along with my water jug. Just as the clouds began to open up, all those watery kids seemed to fall at once.

I always thought that if it's going to rain, do it right. Let it pour, never mind all that drizzle.

So this time it answered and pour it did.

I stood in the deluge letting the water run down my face into my hair and then soak my clothes.

It was so much better than being sticky and dirty. I'd been wearing the same shirt and pants for the last several days.

I was sure my pants could have stood up by themselves!

The cans filled up quickly with water so I poured them into my jug and set them back to fill again.

The downpour felt so good. I just kept running my hands over my face and threw my hair shaking my head occasionally. As fast as those downpours roll in, they fade just as quickly.

But it was enough. Enough to get some water and to feel a little bit cleaner.

Squish squish squish was the song of my shoes as they met the wet earth. I walked over to my tent hoping it was unscathed from that very intense and fast downpour. I looked inside and I could see that the seams and the corners of the tent were wet and it had soaked the edges of my sleeping bag all the way around.

There was nothing to do about it except try to get dry. In a world that's completely soaked and a fire pit full of water comes the challenging task of trying to dry out.

I went in search of some white Birch tree bark just as the sun peeked out from behind lighter clouds.

Birch tree bark is highly flammable and can be set off with a spark. I found a stand of white Birch trees about a 15-minute walk from my camp. I opted for the longer strip toward the bottom of the trunk. They seem to be the driest but still viable.

Walking back through the bush towards my campsite, I could see puddles of water pooling together collected from the deluge.

Those little ponds exposed their diamond bellies to the sun cheekily showing off their wares.

Returning to camp, I looked at the water-filled hollow I had created for my campfire and decided it was best to just fill in the hole and create a new hollow.

A couple of sticks and a flat piece of bark and I had a new hollow. I ripped off some labels from my Alpha Ghetti cans scrunched them up in my hands and threw a couple into the pit.

On top of that went my Birch bark, inside face pointing down. Out came my lighter, a small flame to the label. Within less than a minute, the Birch bark was engulfed in flames.

On top, some twigs and then slightly larger damp branches all burned well as Birch bark tended to stay burning for longer than your average piece of bark.

I spread out my sleeping bag on the branches of a nearby tree and pulled my little pup tent closer, but not too close, to the fire to dry out.

I was feeling very grateful that I had learned the skills I did from Army Cadets. I also knew how to fire a rifle, although I did not have one.

After a short amount of time, I could see my sleeping bag and my tent steaming in the sun and from the warmth of the fire. I knew it wouldn't take long and that I must pay close attention. Temperature is a pretty tough thing to control when having a fire. A couple of hours later, I was dry again alongside my tent and my sleeping bag. Mission accomplished.

I banged out the tin lid of another can of Alpha Ghetti then placed it on some hot coals.

Soon it was down the hatch. I used a little bit of water to splash some on my face and quickly wash my hands. I don't want to go to bed with orange sticky fingers.

A couple of hours passed and the dust rolled in to tickle my hair causing goose bumps over my arms so I put on my jacket. I heard in the distance some screaming, then yelling, laughter and loud music. All sounds of a party.

My curiosity began to outweigh my fear of who was out there so I walked towards the sounds just so I could see what was going on.

It took a while to get there because sound makes things seem closer than they are. I followed the sounds for sometime making the odd incorrect turn. The echoes bounced off of different trees which changed my direction. Eventually, though I could see a large bonfire through the tree's flickering light and the smell of burning wood. People dancing to the sounds of music, alcohol being consumed by all.

I crept closer, and set aside some smaller branches to get a better look. Peering out through the crowd and watching them have fun together made me feel lonely. Hell, I could feel lonely in the middle of a crowd.

One, especially drunk young man staggered towards my hiding spot and proceeded to pull out his wizzer for a pee. He saw me though, peeking out from behind the leaves when our eyes, met.

"Hey, man! Who the fuck is that!" I burst from the bush, made a quick 180 and ran down into the forest. Sounds of pursuit. I heard some of them crashing through the forest.

They were like demolition trucks on a city block rather than the silent padding of a wild animal. A quick decision saw me throwing myself into another batch of bushes, laying down in the mud and smearing all over my face and hands. Tough to see white skin when it's covered like that... Here I wait now in the cowering bushes for the sounds to fade and the green light to leave. No party for Bonzo tonight...fine by me.

I often wonder how I got through some of these things without suffering some sort of repercussion. But I suppose everyone deserves some good luck sometimes...

My turn to cook today and I believe that a fine meal is in order... A little magic to go into dinner, just like the little magic I'm receiving today.

Splash...right on my forehead which then proceeded to run down my neck.

Well, seems I'd fallen asleep, and now it's beginning to rain. The fire had burned low and yet the empty can of Alpha Ghetti still sat alongside the other like two little sentinels.

I'm in rainforest country and in rainforest country, it rains. Mostly drizzle from October until May and that's the weather. That day was a little bit different.

I watched those black pregnant clouds roll in ready to give birth to a waterfall.

I pulled the two cans into a more open area along with my water jug. Just as the clouds began to open up, all those watery kids seemed to fall at once.

I always thought that if it's going to rain, do it right. Let it pour, never mind all that drizzle.

So this time it answered and pour it did.

I stood in the deluge letting the water run down my face into my hair and then soak my clothes.

It was so much better than being sticky and dirty. I'd been wearing the same shirt and pants for the last several days.

I was sure my pants could have stood up by themselves!

The cans filled up quickly with water so I poured them into my jug and set them back to fill again.

The downpour felt so good. I just kept running my hands over my face and threw my hair shaking my head occasionally. As fast as those downpours roll in, they fade just as quickly.

But it was enough. Enough to get some water and to feel a little bit cleaner.

There was nothing to do about it except try to get dry. In a world that's completely soaked and a fire pit full of water comes the challenging task of trying to dry out.

I went in search of some white Birch tree bark just as the sun peeked out from behind lighter clouds.

Birch tree bark is highly flammable and can be set off with a spark. I found a stand of white Birch trees about a 15-minute walk from my camp. I opted for the longer strip toward the bottom of the trunk. They seem to be the driest but still viable.

Walking back through the bush towards my campsite, I could see puddles of water pooling together collected from the deluge.

Those little ponds exposed their diamond bellies to the sun cheekily showing off their wares.

Returning to camp, I looked at the water-filled hollow I had created for my campfire and decided it was best to just fill in the hole and create a new hollow.

A couple of sticks and a flat piece of bark and I had a new hollow. I ripped off some labels from my Alpha Ghetti cans scrunched them up in my hands and threw a couple into the pit.

On top of that went my Birch bark, inside face pointing down. Out came my lighter, a small flame to the label. Within less than a minute, the Birch bark was engulfed in flames.

On top, some twigs and then slightly larger damp branches all burned well as Birch bark tended to stay burning for longer than your average piece of bark.

I spread out my sleeping bag on the branches of a nearby tree and pulled my little pup tent closer, but not too close, to the fire to dry out.