It was the year before Covid. We didn't know then, what these autumn months were. The last months of normality. The last chance to travel abroad or take a break at home. Mingling with friends and making new ones. We didn't know this then.

Lauren wasn't planning an autumn break. She was already saving towards a fortnight in Spain next summer, and that was something to look forward to.

Her best friend had another idea. Jules was going away. Nothing amazing, just a mid- week at a caravan holiday park. Right at the end of season. Probably freezing cold, but cheap as chips, so why not?

There were a group of them, mostly old friends from uni. Two caravans. Ended up as six lads and two girls. Well, it you think that sounds a great time for the girls, it really wasn't like that at all. They were all just mates, enjoying a drink and a laugh and most of all just catching up. It was fascinating to share their experiences, since they had all been in the "real world." There really wasn't any thought of romance in anyone's mind at all.

Then Jules' friend dropped out. Crisis at work. Couldn't get even a day off. There's the real world for you.

Jules' friend had already paid her share. So if Lauren fancied going, it needn't cost her at all. Well, it was an idea! Lauren immediately agreed, and was happy to put in the cost for herself. Jules friend could at least get her fifty pounds back! A quarter- share for a caravan in October wasn't much!

At a UK holiday site by the sea!

OK, it's not exactly "Le Cote de Azur."

There is something especially sad and forlorn about a holiday park at the end of season. The outdoor pool was closed. The sun loungers and plastic seats were all stacked away and stored under tarpaulin sheets. The water was drained, leaving the blue tiles looking faded and neglected. It is water, after all, which gives life. And gives a swimming pool life. And it was life itself, it seemed, that was gone for the winter.

Even the five a side pitches were closed. The boys were a bit put out by that. The brochure had promised five-a-side tournaments. They'd all brought their kit and had planned to raise a team.

Autumn leaves and bits of rubbish blew about. It was as if the whole place was hunkering down and waiting for spring. Not knowing that next spring, in one sense, was never going to come.

Lauren only knew Jules amongst them all, but they were a good bunch and everyone was welcoming. The boys were all in their early twenties. Late night drinking sessions and gaming were their thing.

Lauren liked having company, but at the same time she also enjoyed some space! She wandered off sometimes, walking along the beach, gazing out at the sea, while the boys went off to buy more beer.

It wasn't a bad holiday.

The boys congregated in one or other caravan until about three in the morning.

By that time Lauren was asleep.

First to bed and first up!

Lauren quite fancied a swim in the indoor pool, but none of the lads took her up on this. So the next day, she put her swimsuit on before she got dressed! She'd go for a swim today, even if she went by herself!

A poster appeared on the site.

"Mud Run Next Saturday!"

The holiday company were keen to increase footfall and revenue!

Seemed they'd arranged a "Mud Run" on the site, the day after Lauren's party were due to depart!

What's a Mud Run?

Lauren went on line, and she was fascinated by what she saw!

"Wow!" she thought, "I'd do that if we were still here!"

The pictures showed dozens of entrants struggling through muddy obstacles, their running gear obliterated by soaking wet filthy mud. They were sliding down a ramp into a mud pit, and crawling under ropes through more mud!

Lauren felt disappointed; this muddy fun was due to take place the day after they left!
What cruel luck! Not only could she have got probably the muddiest she had ever been in her life, but there would be loads of other people doing exactly the same!

Lauren was so taken with the thought; she couldn't stop herself from talking about it. One or two of the boys seemed quite interested, but Jules just said, "Yuck!"

It was Thursday. They were all due to go home tomorrow. Maybe she could come back next year, stay the week and enter herself!

Lauren wandered off. She'd find where the mud run was going to be, and get a better idea about it!

The playing field by the holiday park's hub was the starting point. There was a lot of work going on, rows of stakes being driven into the ground, a stage being constructed and areas being roped off.

A tractor was going back and forward, over little patches of ground, dragging an attachment which tore up the grass. Lauren could see three areas like this, each about ten metres square.
A fire hose was running, flooding this ground and then the tractor was churning it into mud!
So that was how they did it! These must be the mud pits which the runners would slide into and crawl through!

The boys arrived. On their way to the shop! Now it seemed that all the boys were interested. They said they'd do the mud run too, if only they'd been booked here til Saturday! The fire hose was dragged into each pit in turn, quickly followed by the tractor again. Its huge tyres were sinking a little deeper into the mire, each time it passed. Then they started all over again.

They all wandered back to the caravan. You Tube, beer and conversation. Lauren kept looking out of the window. About four, the contractors left. The outline of the course was clearer now. It would be dark soon.

"Why don't you just go and dive into the mud?" Harry asked. Lauren was startled. How on earth did Harry know that she wanted to do that?

"Well, you've never stopped looking out there all afternoon!" Harry added. He had a peculiar way of speaking, in a slow drawl, as if thinking carefully about each word as he spoke.

Lauren realised that she actually had a great opportunity to play in the mud and get nice and filthy, that very evening! The fact that someone else had suggested it, kind of made it seem OK, she thought! I mean, she'd basically just been dared, by a third party, to get muddy! She was desperate to do just that and knew she had to seize this fantastic chance to get into that heaving mud bath fully clothed, and have the time of her life!

"I'm game!" Lauren replied quickly, before the conversation moved on to something else. She was emboldened by a little beer. "Let's all go and dive in the mud!"

Eveyone thought that was funny.

"Well," Harry replied very slowly and carefully, "I'm not sure about that really, but feel free if you want to!"

There was a strong murmur of approval. Videos were getting a bit boring.

"Yeah, go on Lauren! We dare you to go in the mud!"

Lauren felt a pang of excitement, was she really going to do this?

She blurted out "I dare, just you wait and see! Are you coming in the mud with me Jules?"

"No way! But I'm bringing my camera!"

"Right, let's go then" said Lauren, "I can't wait to squelch in the mud!" Jules looked at her in disbelief. "But surely you're not going in the mud in those clothes are you?" Lauren looked down at her outfit, shrugged, and with a smile said "yep!" She was wearing a bright emerald green shirt top and very dark blue skinny jeans. On her feet she had some very pretty sparkly ballet pump type shoes. She would often wear this type of shoe "barefoot" but as it was cold, she also had black socks on, the type with the heel and toe in a different, contrasting colour, in this case bright pink. She looked like the dictionary definition of sassy girl-next-door. Harry, in particular, was secretly really impressed that Lauren had the confidence to wear socks with that type of shoe. Some might consider it uncool, dorky even. But he thought there was something really nice, perhaps even a touch sexy, about the amount of sock that these shoes left exposed. He'd noticed the shoes popping off Lauren's feet very slightly as she walked, and liked the flash of the pink tips of her black socks. He was really pleased, and more than a little excited that she was not getting changed to get muddy! It appeared that she was happy to get her socks all muddy!

As the group headed back towards the churned up field, the ground seemed wetter underfoot and the fire hose cut a line in front of them. It led to the largest of the mud pits, where it gurgled slightly, coughing up little spurts of water onto the already saturated ground.

The pit was almost covered with water, sparkling with reflections from the distant lights. Clumps of earth punctuated the surface, with flat patches of thick, wet mud. Lauren surveyed the scene and felt a shiver of excitement about her forthcoming mud bath! She couldn't wait to get in and get all muddy! Her only concern was her new shoes. Perhaps she should take them off and get into the mud in her socks? Plus, looking at the huge expanse of ooze, she felt that it was highly likely her shoes would be sucked off by the mud and she would lose them. She imagined being up to her ankles in the mud and walking out of her shoes. She'd get really muddy socks. She didn't object to that concept, actually thinking it would be fun! Maybe she should just go in with socks on in the first place, and save the shoes? I mean, if her socks were going to get dunked in mud anyway, she might as well go for it shoeless! She made a decision.

"Right, I've only had these shoes a week, they come off really easily so they'll almost certainly get lost in the mud, I'll take them off before I go in. Look after them for me will you?" Lauren bent down, deftly slipped her shoes off and handed them to Harry. He looked at her in disbelief as she stood there on the muddy grass in her socks. The bright pink tips of the black socks were suddenly the brightest thing anyone could see in the deepening gloom. Lauren's outfit was really given a visual lift by these impossibly cute socks! "What about your socks Lauren? They're really nice!" he said. Lauren giggled and replied "Why thank you, I'm glad you like my socks! I'm not going in there barefoot though. My socks might be nice, but they are going in the MUD!" She emphasised the word "mud" in a way that made everyone laugh. A kind of weird, pretend American accent. Muuuuuuuuddd! None of them could believe that she was actually going to do this, especially with no shoes on! Jules, particularly, was really concerned. "Lauren, it looks really deep and splodgy, you're going to get absolutely filthy! Your socks will be completely spoiled, and I agree with Harry, they're gorgeous! Don't you want wellies or something?" Lauren replied "Haha, I thought the whole point of playing in the mud was to get absolutely filthy! I WANT to get covered in mud, it'll be fun! Besides, my socks are already getting muddy from standing here with my shoes off, I might as well wear them into the real mud! I mean, look at my shoes (Harry held them up). They were hardly going to offer protection to my socks were they?" As if to confirm her decision Lauren giggled and squished her sassy socks around on the greasy, muddy grass making them pretty dirty before she'd even gone into the "proper" mud. Jules laughed awkwardly, and still looked quite concerned for the fate of Lauren's clothes and socks. Ever the practical one, she wondered if the site launderette was open to get Lauren cleaned up after her time in the mud.

"OK, let me do this, it's time to get down and dirty!" Lauren gingerly stepped, in her grubby black and pink socks, into the mud and squelched a few paces forward. She let out a little squeal and started to giggle. "Eew, this feels so weird with no shoes on!" she squeaked. Harry, still clutching Lauren's cute little ballet pumps, stared in wonderment as Lauren's black and pink socks disappeared into the thick, yet sloppy mud. It made loud, sucking noises as she walked. She wiggled her toes feeling the slimy mud through her thin socks. Her feet quickly felt cold and wet. Each time she paused, she sank slightly and the mud crept over her toes and insteps. The brightly coloured pink tips of her socks were quickly turning completely muddy! She tiptoed forward carefully. She was pleasantly surprised by how smooth and nice the freshly churned mud felt as she started to sink deeper, until with each step her whole sock and about four inches of her trouser leg were disappearing into the slime. Jules was watching in horror. She squealed "EEEWW, muddy socks!" Lauren thought to herself "I'm going to get more than muddy socks" and, with a theatrical yelp, she pretended to trip, and threw herself down onto her front with a massive squelchy splash, then rolled onto her back. The assembled group were in stitches at the filthy, but happy girl, as she wallowed in the mud. Whilst she was on her back she performed the obligatory "mud angel", writhing around in the deep slop, ensuring every part of her clothing was slathered in mud.

Jules laughed and peered at her viewing screen. "I can't wait to tag you in these on FaceBook" she shrieked. "Haha, tag away, I want the world to see me in my muddy heaven!" shouted Lauren from the middle of the huge mud pit.

She was absolutely loving wallowing in the mud. Her tummy tingled with excitement. She'd always dreamed of doing something like this, and now it was for real! She was so delighted that she'd been brave enough to keep her nice clothes on, that one thing, somehow, made the experience much more exciting! Sinking in the thick mud in one of her best "going out" pairs of socks had been a massive thrill! She was pleased that she'd taken her shoes off to feel the glutinous ooze through her socks and this fact appeared to have really shocked her friends! Mind you, it was so thick and wet, she knew for certain that she'd have lost her shoes anyway. As she laid there, wriggling and writhing like a pig in the slop, she imagined the pictures landing on social media, and wondered what her FaceBook friends would say about her taking a fully clothed mud bath. She imagined the notifications piling up as people saw the pictures of the usually immaculate girl completely covered in filthy mud. How exciting it would be! Somehow, the forthcoming humiliation thrilled her. She couldn't wait to see what people would say about her fun in the mud.

After about ten minutes of hammed-up wallowing, she slogged and squelched her way out of the mud and posed for lots of pictures, completely covered in shiny brown ooze! The group seemed slightly stunned that she'd actually gone through with it. Jules, in particular, couldn't stop talking about it and Lauren wondered if secretly she wanted to play in the mud too...........

This turned out to be very much the case, and it was just a few hours later that Jules lost her mud virginity in spectacular style!

To be continued............