Hidden Cove, Hidden Intentions

"I don't think we're allowed out here," Oscar grumbled as he tip-toed through the overgrown path. "Did you see those signs? It looked like a bunch of warnings..."

"Ah, you worry too much, bud!" Ron grinned. "I did some research before the trip, and this place cropped up! It's off-the-radar, untouched by the masses." As they stumbled down the rocky path, they stepped into the secluded cove of Tānetanga and they both gaped. "See? Paradise! And look, there are other people here. So much for warnings."

Oscar looked at the other people, subconsciously noting a heavy presence of men. It was a pretty looking beach, but he would still rather be at the large beach where everyone else was, where the ice cream truck was, and that super-cool inflatable slide floating just off shore. But he rarely got to spend time with his dad. He was surprised his mom even let them go on vacation, just the two of them. She always complained about him. How he's always late on child support, he only shows up when he needs something, that he's a charlatan, whatever that was. So to allowed them to go all the way to New Zealand must mean that she trusts him for once.

As he walked down toward the beach, Oscar felt a tingle in his feet. The familiar warmth of the sun-baked sand spread across his soles. Except he was wearing flip-flops and standing in the shade. When he did step out into the sun, the intensity increased until it spread throughout his body. He'd never felt such a curious warmth. It was like he was wrapped in a particularly uncomfortable sweater. 

Ron shook out his fold-up chair and draped it with a beach towel, before collapsing into the seat with a sigh. While Oscar had only brought a towel with him, which he carefully spread out on the sand. He could still feel that warmth. Even stripped down to his swimming trunks, it left him feeling sticky.

"Dad, I feel weird..."

"It's all that sugar you had before we left."

"No, it's something else... I don't like it here, can we go?"

"What? We just got here! At least give it a chance!" Ron looked up and pointed to the ocean. "Hey, there's another kid here. Why don't you go play with him?"

"Him?" Oscar asked, squinting at the figure. "He has to be, like, five years older than me. He won't want anything to do with me."

"You won't know until you go and ask, champ. Now go! Have fun!"

Ron gave him a little shove, and shooed him away. Oscar stomp-kicked his way through the sand with a scowl. His dad never listened to him. He was too busy with his weird conspiracy podcasts and get rich quick schemes that never seemed to work. Not that it stopped him from being drawn to every MLM or snake oil salesman imaginable. But he couldn't let that bother him now. Knowing his dad, he'd probably get bored after ten minutes and they'll stroll back to the hotel.

As he approached the teenager, Oscar couldn't help but notice that he looked more intimidating the closer he got. He looked even bigger and taller than he did from a distance. And with the trail of hair under his belly button, and the signs of scruff under his lip and on his chin, he looked even older. This guy had to be almost double his own age. His dad was totally wrong, a teen like him wouldn't give him the time of day!

But as he prepared to walk away, the guy noticed him, and waved him over! He looked around, but he was the only person in his line of sight. Even then, he pointed to himself, and the guy nodded enthusiastically. Dejected, he trod carefully along the baked sand.

"I knew I couldn't be the only minor on the beach! Although saying that, it's hard to tell who arrived old and who became old, you know?"

"Miner? I'm a kid..."

"Har har, save the dad jokes for later! You've got a long ways to go before then!" He stuck out a hand. "Julian."

"Oscar..." He grumbled as he shook his hand. He had a strong grip. A long way for what?"

"As if you don't know!" Julian declared boistrously. 

Oscar gave him a nervous glance. Did the guy always have stubble on his cheeks? Or that small smattering of hairs across his broad chest? If he wasn't mistaken, he had to be in college. Or even out of college. How did he even mistake him for a teenager?

"So what brings you here? 

"Huh? I'm on vacation..."

"Yeah nah, bro. Why'd you come to Tānetanga? A desire for independence? Looking for work? Just eager to skip school and start a new life?"

What was this guy on about? Why else would he be at a beach? But that was the least of his worries. Didn't the guy just have stubble? It was a full blown beard at this point. And he definitely had more body hair, it swept across his chest and down his stomach like a rug. But Oscar didn't want to pry. Maybe body hair just grew like that. It did in the cartoons he watched. Much like how he seemed brawnier than before, as if he'd blown on his thumb and inflated previously non-existent muscle. But as he couldn't make sense of it, Oscar instead thought over the man's question and replied, "Uh, my dad brought me?"

"Not heard that one before!" Julian cackled as he stroked his bristly chin, clearly getting some sort of pleasure out of the experience. "As for me, I always wanted to visit, but could never find an opportunity. Then I heard rumblings that they wanted to restrict access to the beach, and I reckoned I'd have to go for it! I nicked some cash from my dad's wallet, left a note, and hopped a bus to the nearest town."

"Aha..." Oscar was getting more confused. Did this guy still live at home with his parents? He looked old enough to have his own place. And the way he was talking, it sounded like he was still under their rule? Maybe things were just different in New Zealand... "Won't your parents be mad?"

"Maybe. But there's nothing they can do about it. By the time I head home, I might even be as old as they are!"

"What do you mean?"

"Isn't it obvious? The power of Tānetanga Beach, bro!" Julian flexed an arm with gusto, flashing a boistrous smile as his bicep bulged into existence. But when he saw Oscar back away from him with a weird look on his face, his grin dropped. "Hold on, you do know what Tānetanga's about, right?"

"No, I told you. My dad just brought me here..."

"Holy shit, I thought everyone knew..." Julian dropped down to one knee and stared him in the face. "This beach turns everyone who steps foot on it into a man. Like, literally turns boys into adults. Women into guys. It's magic, bro!"

"What?" Oscar gave him a curious look. "You can't be serious." This guy couldn't be serious. And yet, somehow it made sense...

 

"Straight up, I was 14 before I arrived. Now look at me, I'm huge!" Julian declared with vigor. "Check me out! Oh man, I'm so hairy right now, it's unreal. And look at these beauties!" He jiggled his globular pecs. "I bet they're bigger than some women! I'm packing some major heat downstairs too." He reached down to his junk to cop a feel, until he noticed Oscar had backed away even further, only to trip back onto the sand. "I don't know why you're surprised. I've literally been changing the whole time we've been talking. You didn't notice?"

"I just thought..." Oscar's voice shook. "Maybe it was a trick. Or my memory was playing up... Oh my god, you got all big and hairy and I just..."

"Woah, hey, hey! No worries, bro." Julian reached out to comfort him, only for Oscar to slap his hand away.

"Don't touch me!" He snapped. "I don't want your magic cooties! I gotta get away before I end up like you!"

"Not to make your day worse, but I'd say it's already too late." Julian reached out a hand to help him to his feet, before giving him a look-down. "You're catching up to me in height. Your voice keeps cracking. Not to mention the peach fuzz under your nose."

Oscar reached up to his face, and brushed a finger against his lip, his heart sank. He had bristles! He stared at the newly formed man with fear, only to realise they were practically equal in height. Or was he shorter? Oh man, now he was definitely the taller one! He was looking down on him! He groaned as he could now feel himself getting larger, panicked as more bristles emerged under his palm, and began to spread across his entire body. All the while, his fellow companion watched on with intrigue.

He couldn't stand this feeling any longer. He abandoned the man who was goading him on. Julian shouted after him, "Don't just gap it, bro. You gotta embrace it! You're becoming a man, whether you like it or not!" 

That much was true. It seemed that Oscar's changes were happening faster than his new acquaintance's. As if the beach could sense his reluctance, and tightened its grip on him before he could escape. More and more hair seemed to crop up across his body, as his slim figure grew increasingly burlier and well-built. There was no denying it, the beach had accomplished what it set out to do. And Oscar had an inkling that his dad knew more than he let on. He stomped up the slope towards the dozing man in his fold-up deckchair, fury blazing in his eyes.

Ron was enjoying the sun's ray when he heard a quiet growl in the distance. "Dad?" A rough voice called out. The shifting of sand as muddled footsteps came ever closer. "DAD!" The voice barked, even louder. A sly smirk crossed his lips. He sat up in his deckchair, and lowered his sunglasses as a figure stumbled into view. A tall man with a lean build covered with bountiful body hair as if compensating for the lack of it up top. He scratched at his face, frowning as he came into contact with his salt & pepper beard. His  voice wavered as he spoke. "Dad, I know this is hard to believe but-"

"Hey there, champ!" He interrupted. He jumped up from his chair and cheered, "Look at you! All that muscle and fur, looking like a real man!"

Oscar jumped back, his eyes glimmering with betrayal. "How did you... You knew this would happen, didn't you?"

"Of course, this is Tānetanga Beach! Everyone knows what happens here. It's the man-maker!"

"You really did bring me here on purpose..." Oscar stumbled and fell to the ground, 

"Don't be so dramatic, you should be thanking me. Isn't it every kid's dream to be an adult? Plus, you're older than me! Or at least, you look it. But a dye job and a good toupee would do you wonders."

"What are you-"

"Hey, bro!" A voice called out, and Oscar swung his head back with a groan as Julian bounced towards him. Of course he followed him... "I wanted to make sure you were alright. Woah, is this your old man? I say that, we're both probably the same age now, and you're even older than that! Isn't that just crazy? You're older than your old man" Julian cackled with glee before turning to Ron and adding, "Sorry, I'm rambling. I'm buzzing that this whole thing worked! I'm a man now! It's fucking mint, bro!"

Ron simply nodded his head."You must be the kid down by the water that I saw earlier." He turned to Oscar and asked, "Why can't you be like him, huh? He gets it!"

Oscar gave his dad an incredulous look. "Because he made the choice to come here! You didn't even give that, you just brought us here with no explanation. And now I'm old..."

"Yeah nah, you're not that old, bro. The beach did a number on you, but the look suits you. Gizza good look." Julian circled him, stroking his beard with a smirk. "You look good! Tall, slim, slightly beefy, and lots of body hair. You're peak masculinity, like a man should be! It is a shame about the hair, but it happens. It seems most guys who come to the beach end up losing it. I was one of the lucky ones. Must be all that unbridled testosterone running through your veins."

"My hair?" Oscar reached up to his head, eyes widening as he felt the naked expanse of his bare scalp. "I'm bald!? Of course I'm bald! Great... Just FUCKING great! Whoop-de-FUCKING-doo," he hollered at the top of his lungs, kicking sand as he spun in a circle, throwing his arms in the air. "I'm a FUCKING man, just like you FUCKING wanted!"

"C'mon, pal," Ron sighed with a small shake of the head. "No need to make a scene, you're not a kid anymore."

"Oh, and why's that? Whose fucking fault is that!?" Oscar prodded his dad square in the chest, causing him to stumble back into his deck-chair with a grunt. "Why did you bring me here, huh? You knew this would happen, why did you fucking do it!?"

"To benefit you, honest!" He stared his son in the eyes, trying his best to appear sincere. "Listen, I was scrolling through Truth when I came across a thread talking about this beach. It had all these clips of men who claimed they were affected by it. So I did my own research, and it's a whole conspiracy the government's been covering up for centuries! Nobody's allowed to know about it. To keep it hidden, they pay off anyone affected. Big sums. I'm talking millions!"

Oscar groaned. Of all the conspiracy theories his dad got into, why did this one have to be real?

"So I figured we'd come along. You get turned into a man, gain all the privileges that bestows onto you, then we get a massive payday, baby! Honestly, you should be thanking me."

"Well you're right about one thing," Julian piped up. "The government's official policy is that the beach doesn't exist. It won't acknowledge it at all. Even the plans to close access are hidden away in a larger coastal safety bill that's getting some major opposition."

"See? It's a massive cover-up!"

"There is also a covert charity that helps to resettle any quote, unquote victims of the beach; the National Cause For Coastal-Induced Masculinity. It's not big money, but it's enough to cover rent for a month. Anyone could apply for it too. But the beach blew up on TikTok, became a victim of destination tourism, and now it's Kiwis only. Anyone not living here will get redirected to their own embassy where, if you're lucky, they'll update your passport for free. Maybe even provide you with employment when you get home. But the onus is on you for coming here in the first place."

"So, no money?"

"Not unless you can forge your identity on the fly. As for me, I'm gonna get a tidy sum to hopefully palate the 'rents when I get back home!"

"Ah well, you win some you lose some, huh sport?" He gave his son a pat on the back before pulling back with a grimace. "Oh, you really are a furry man, aren't you? Sweaty too. We're gonna have to get you a back wax before we go home! And a pair of clippers to trim the rest of that rug down to something more manageable. You'll have to learn how to shave your scalp too, there's got to be some tutorials you can watch."

 

"I don't believe this..." Oscar growled in a husky tone, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You've forced me into adulthood for some scam conspiracy that wasn't even true, and you're just cool with it? So not fussed that you're happy to tell me how to deal with my own body like you're not responsible? Apparently, I'm several years older than you now, yet you're still treating me like a child and hiding your criticism in unwanted advice! Mom was right about you, you're a no-good charleton."

"She said that? Who says charleton these days?"

 "You don't get it! I'm old because of you! I'm covered with all this nasty hair, I have this horrible deep, rough voice, I have wrinkles, and grey hairs, and, and I'm bald! Because of you!"

"Now son, I know you're upset but-"

"My name is Oscar!" The poor man bellowed. "You care so little about me, you don't even know my name!" He let out a guttoral scream that made everyone in the cove turn in his direction. Then he grabbed Julian by the arm and turned his back on his dad. "Come on, let's go find this embassy place you were talking about so I can get this sorted!"

"Woah," Julian said as he tried to shake the man's grip. But Oscar held on tight. "I don't even know where you're from, bro, let alone where your embassy is!"

"Then we're going to find it together, without my deadbeat fuckwit of a dad tagging along!"

Oscar tugged hard on Julian's wrist, dragging the sap along as he protested, "C'mon, take it easy there. Ow! We can't go in our togs, bro. At least, ungh, let me get a change of clothes!"

Ron watched as his son dragged the poor guy away from the beach, before settling back into his beach chair with a shrug. It really was a shame that all the info he found was outdated. He really needed the dosh to kickstart his latest endeavour after the Sharks turned him down. Pft, their loss. Maybe the embassy will give Oscar a well-paying job that he could skim a little off the top of. Why, he was the one who brought this opportunity to him, after all. As for the whole 'I hate you for making me an awesome, manly man' business, his son just needed to blow off some steam. He'll be back. He has to be, Ron was the one with the room key, after all.