Date: Mon, 30 Dec 2002 19:36:08 -0600 From: Rhaven Subject: Avery's World Chapter Three This story contains strong language and sexual content between boy/boy and boy/man. http://www.rhavensreply.com/home/rhavensreply.com Avery's World CHAPTER TWO BY RHAVEN2002 Avery didn't know what time it was. He awoke and for a brief moment was confused and disoriented. It was a strange feeling waking up in a new room and a new bed. He looked over to the window and could see the hint of sunrise. Morning was blooming on a new day. He slipped out of bed and walked over to Eric's room. The wood floors were freezing to his bare feet, which made his tiptoeing more difficult. The man was asleep. Avery stood at the doorway and watched Eric's chest slowly rise, with each relaxing breath. He could have stayed there forever, watching his father sleep. However, eventually and hesitantly he returned to his own bed. Avery climbed back into the fluffy bed, he didn't know why he had to check Eric's room, but he was glad he did. It was a wonderful feeling to know he wasn't alone in the house. So often Avery would awaken from a nightmare and realize that there was no one to comfort him. That wouldn't happen here, Eric would hold him and tell him that everything would be all right. That had to be the best feeling in the world, he never wanted to be alone again. Avery opened his eyes to the sparkle of sunlight; he had fallen back to sleep. He quickly jumped out of bed and raced across the hallway. Eric's room was dark and empty. Avery grabbed his overalls and ran downstairs. He wasn't sure what he was doing, he didn't think Eric would leave without him. But waking up and not seeing him in bed, scared him. He hopped down the stairs as he pulled on his overalls. His hands were shaking, not to mention that his lip throbbed with each step he took. There was a noise ahead of him from the kitchen. He took off running. "Eric!" Avery blurted out and he skidded to a stop across the tiled kitchen floor. "Good morning Avery." Eric said with a questioning look. "Do you like eggs, I'm fixing scrabbled eggs. You want some." "That's fine." Avery said blushing. He took a sit at the table and shook his head. Running around like an idiot, panicking for no reason, he was sure that Eric thought he was crazy. "Did you sleep well?" Eric asked as he placed the plate of eggs in front of Avery. "Yes, I slept great." "Let me see that lip of yours." Eric gently pushed up Avery's chin and looked closely at his swollen lip. "Not too bad, going to be swollen for a while though. Does it hurt?" "It's okay. Eggs are good." Avery smiled and shoveled in another mouth load of the eggs. He wasn't lying, the eggs were good. It had been a very long time since he actually ate breakfast. It felt nice and he wouldn't mind doing this every day. "Well, thank you very much. Its years of practice and I've always enjoyed cooking for others." Eric laughed. "How's the bruise?" Eric pointed to his own chest and it took Avery a few seconds to figure out what he meant. "Oh, that's okay too. It hurts but not real bad." To prove his point, Avery unbuckled the strap of his overalls to show Eric. "See, it's not that bad looking now." Eric ran a finger over the button size bruise. "I'll put a little more medication on it later." Eric sat down and started on his plate of eggs. "Avery, is King going to keep bugging you?" "King King." Avery corrected. He set his fork down and stared at his empty plate. "Has King King, been giving you a hard time for a while?" "He hates me." Avery finally said. He was ashamed, he should be able to defend himself, and he was after all an alien. "He won't stop." Eric stood up and paced around the kitchen. He seemed upset. "I really hate bullies. I... I, just don't understand... I mean, I wish..." Avery had to smile, he guessed that Eric was trying to act like a father. And was having a difficult time with it. "You're not use to having kids around are you?" Avery said joining the man pacing. "No I guess I'm not. To be honest, I'm not use to being around anyone." Eric stopped pacing and placed his hand on Avery's shoulders. "I know we haven't known each other long. However, I want you to know that if King King gives you any more trouble... I would like to think... that maybe, if he tried to... I mean, I'm here..." Seeing that Eric couldn't finish, Avery wrapped his arms around the mans waist and hugged him. Avery wanted him to know that he understood. Eric hesitated for a moment and then hugged Avery back. "You go watch TV, I have a few things to do." Eric said breaking the hug. "Okay!" Avery hesitated, he could have hugged the man all day. The hug felt just like the warm bath that he had taken last night. He was so happy that Eric was in his life. Avery ran into the living room and clicked on the television. He frowned at the television set; he had no idea how to work the stupid thing. He cautiously picked up the remote control and looked over the odd thing with a thousand buttons. "How do you run this thing?" He yelled towards the kitchen. After a few instructions from Eric, he had mastered the remote. Avery stretched out across the couch flipping through the channels. There were so many choices, that Avery couldn't decide what to watch. He finally picked something called the X-Files. Avery really enjoyed the show, there were several times when he almost jumped off the couch in fright. He wondered if Eric knew of this show. Avery stood up and looked around. Where had Eric gone? He looked in the kitchen, nothing, he checked upstairs and found no one. At the other end of the living room was a hallway he hadn't been in. Could Eric be down there? As he walked down the dark corridor, he spotted a door; a blinking light seeping out from under the door, flashed out across the floor. Avery realized it was the room the flashing room. The room he had first seen Eric. Across from that were the strange alien objects. The room closed, but he knew in time; Eric would show him the items. He was tempted to peek, but resisted. "Eric?" Avery said, as he slowly opened the door. "Avery?" Eric jumped up from the floor and switched off the light. "What can I do for you. Is everything okay?" "Everything is fine. I... I was just wondering..." Avery looked around the bare room. "You were wondering what I was doing in this room with a strobe light. Well, I haven't lost my mind, if that was what you were thinking." Avery smiled foolishly. "Come in and sit next to me." Eric sat back down on the floor. He waited until Avery was comfortable next to him before continuing. "In a person's life, there are moments of true happiness, hidden between times of sadness." Eric began, the light flashing madly again. "This is how I find that happiness again." Avery watched as Eric closed his eyes. "I don't understand." Avery finally confessed, after minutes passed of looking at Eric and the light, back to Eric. The man smiled. "Do you know what meditation is Avery?" He nodded that he did. "I meditate here, I've been having... problems. And this helps me deal with them." "How?" Avery asked. Eric smiled and shook his head. "I imagine that happy moment in my life and revisit it. It helps take way all those bad feelings and makes me well again." Seeing Avery was still confused, Eric tried to explain more. "Close your eyes. Think of the happiness moment in your life." Eric waited a moment. "Got one?" "Yeah." Avery said, eyes closed and grinning. "Now think of nothing else. Dig up all the details you can from that moment. The smells, the emotions, think of what you heard and felt." Avery fell into his mind, that moment came alive again. He felt whole again, in that dream. It was like living inside a photograph and it felt wonderful. "Wow." Avery said. "But don't you..." he paused, think of how to ask this question. " ...Talk to others in here?" "Others? Well, sometimes I talk to those in my mind's eye, if that's what you mean." Avery wrinkled his nose. That didn't sound right, did Eric mean he had an eye inside him brain? How did that help him talk to the other aliens? "Okay, I think we have had enough." Eric said getting up on his feet. "Besides, I need to change clothes, I'm taking your mother to Kayville for lunch." "You're what?" Avery couldn't believe his ears, his parents were going to travel to the next town and eat. It had begun, first lunch and then next God knows what. One thing he did know, this would be the last time he would get to spend with Eric. His mother would take possession of Eric, rekindle whatever kind of relationship they had and Avery... well Avery would just sit in his roost and fade away. Avery sat on the couch and waited for Eric to return from upstairs. It was just like his mother to destroy any chance for fun or happiness. "I'm ready." Eric said coming down the stairs, dressed in a nice shirt and pants. He looked at his watch and fumbled for his keys in his pocket. "Jobeth said she'd be ready by now. Time to go home Avery." He couldn't believe how cruel Eric was being. Maybe he had been mistaken, maybe Eric didn't return for him, but for his mother. His life had been nothing but a joke. Eric hadn't known of his birth, it only made sense that Eric returned to Earth looking for his mother and no one else. Eric did try to carry one a conversation in the car, but Avery wasn't in the mood to pretend everything was all right. In fact, he wasn't in the mood to look at Eric. It hurt too much, he wanted to forget what the man looked like and forget that he had ever met him. "You sure are being quiet?" Eric said and finally stopped his attempts for conversation. Avery didn't wait for the car to stop completely before he jumped out and ran for his front door. There was no surprise to see his mother open the door for him, all dressed up and painted like some whore. No cigarette in her hand, she wouldn't smoke until she knew it was all right with Eric. Mom was a player. "Avery." She said sweetly. But her smile vanished when he pushed passed her without a word. "What the hell is your problem?" She yelled back into the house. Then when spotting Eric walking to the house, Avery heard his mother say, "Kids, who can figure them out?" He was a big joke, to his mother, to Eric and to everyone in the town. He hated them all. Four hours later and a lot of cursing and pacing around the small house, Avery heard the car pull in to the driveway. He quickly raced to his room and jumped on the bed. He didn't want to give them the satisfaction of knowing he cared if they returned or not. "Thanks Eric. I had a great time." His mother said waving out the door. An unnatural smile painted on her face. Once the door closed, her tone chanced, as it often did with men she dated. "Jesus Christ!" she complained as she quickly lit a cigarette. "I barely have anytime to breathe before work." She stuck her head in Avery's room and huffed. "What are you doing in bed? Jesus, Avery I just can't figure you out. You're as moody as a prom queen!" "What's to figure out?" Avery said, sitting up in bed. He was mad and he didn't care if his mother hated him or not. He wasn't going to be silent on this subject. Eric was here for him, he had to be. It's all that Avery ever dreamed about. "There isn't anything to figure out. Did you two have a wonderful time?" Sarcasm coated his words. He wanted to be more crass but he always had trouble thinking when he was pissed. "I don't have time for this bullshit right now. I had to waste a day with your friend Eric. Hell, all he talked about was you. Never would have guessed he even remembered me." His mother walked into her room and started to change clothes. "You know Eric and I were pretty close years ago, go figure." "I know." Avery yelled back to his mother. Why was she tormenting him like this? "I guess you'll be seeing him a lot now?" "Do what?" She finished her cigarette and instantly lit another. "I don't think so, got money, but no brains. But you will." Jobeth came out of her room and grabbed her purse. "What... what do you mean I'll be seeing him a lot?" Avery said racing out of his room. "Oh, he's got some job for you to do, I told him you wouldn't mind. Now Avery..." She held up her hand as if in surrender. "I don't have time to fight with you on this. Eric promised to pay you and I think it would be good for you." Avery was stunned. He must have fallen asleep and this was all a dream. "What did you say?" Avery asked. "I don't have time for this right now. Tomorrow you start doing some odd jobs for Eric. You spend too much time by yourself, Avery. It'll be good for you. Too much time on your ass, going to make you a lazy shit for life." She looked at her watch and frowned. "Honey, I really have to go. Eric is expecting you before noon tomorrow. Don't screw this up, by pouting, okay?" Avery watched as his mother left the house and off to work. What was happening? Nothing ever worked out for Avery and now that it seemed that everything was going his way, he didn't know how to act. He found himself laying on his bed and crying. Avery must have fallen asleep, for when he woke up, it was getting dark outside. He was still exhausted, his chest hurt and his lip throbbed with a painful burning heat that shot searing jolts through his brain. He tried taking a hot shower, but it didn't have the same affect as Eric's bathtub. A wide smile bloomed across Avery's face. He would go to Eric's and tell him how bad he was feeling. This was a good plan. He didn't want to wait until tomorrow. He wanted to be with Eric now. Avery slipped on his overalls, ripped and torn didn't matter. It was all he had to wear or at least, all he wanted to wear. He ran out the door and up the street. Again he found himself at Hoffman's Field, he was cautious; he didn't want to be surprised by King King this time. He knew what King King would do to him. Finally, he made it to the house without an incident, the bully and his minions were no where in sight. However, he knew that it was only a matter of time before King King caught up with him. He didn't like thinking about that, not now, being here at Eric's house. Avery was about to run onto the porch when the front door opened. "I don't want to hear any more Eric. No more." Pearl Randell said storming out the door. "You are an embarrassment, moving back into this house. His house!" "Pearl please, you don't understand." Eric begged. "I understand enough. Adam Hoffman was a monster and you praise him like some kind of saint." Mrs. Randell turned quickly around to face Eric, her hand raised in a fist. "You have blocked out all the horror he caused you. Eric you are in denial. Do you think that breakdown you had was caused from nothing?" "Pearl, you don't understand. And I know there is no way you will ever understand. Adam wasn't a monster, not to me." Avery kept to the shadows; he didn't know what was going on or what the argument was about, but he hated Mrs. Randell more by the second. "Sell this house Eric. Sell it and go back home." Pearl Randell said heading for her car. "I'm not moving Pearl. I can't move, not now. I had to come here; you know what happened to me. I needed to get away and this is where I had to come. I need this place to remember who I am." Eric seemed on the verge of tears. He followed Mrs. Randell to her car and even opened the door for her. "You don't care that people are laughing at me do you? I am a respected member of this community. But everyday you remain in his house, that respect is diminished. Eric, the people of Haven trust me with their children. You are destroying that trust." Pearl slammed the door and drove away, leaving Eric abandoned in his yard. Avery watched as Eric slowly walked back to the house. His shoulders slumped and rubbing his forehead as if he was going to be sick. He waited until Eric was inside the house before coming out of the shadows. Adam Hoffman was the cause of all this pain. Mrs. Randell hated him, called him a monster for something he had done. It was all so confusing; Avery had no idea what to do. What did Mrs. Randell, the English teacher have in connection with Eric? All he knew was that Mrs. Randell didn't want Eric here and did her best to make him leave. For that, Avery hated Mrs. Randell; he hated her and everyone like her. After several minutes of standing in the yard thinking, Avery walked around to the side of the house. He wasn't surprised to see a flashing light coming from the plain room. He knew Eric would go to that room and that made Avery unhappy. An uncontrollable urge drew him to the window. He knew what he would see, Eric sitting in the floor, eyes closed and thinking of that special moment. But that was not what was happening. Eric wasn't sitting, he wasn't in his happy place. Eric was stomping around the room in a rage. Avery leaned closer to the window to hear. "Why? Why can't I be normal. What the fuck is wrong with me!" Eric was screaming, punching the air at unseen ghosts. This scared Avery more than anything he had ever witness or dreamed before. His body was shaking and his stomach lumped up. Seeing Eric this upset, because of some stupid old woman was maddening. And because Avery didn't understand the situation, meant he couldn't help the man. "God, why! Why can't I be normal? Why? I don't want to be like this anymore. I can't be like this anymore." Eric fell to his knees and cried. Avery sat down on the ground, his hands over his ears, to block out the sound of Eric's sobs. Eric had to be his father, for he had said the same things Avery had before. He had the same feelings, but that didn't make Avery feel any better. Avery sat there, tears running down his cheeks for what seemed hours. Finally, he walked back to the porch, and sat down in the one of the wicker chairs there. The chair was dusty and aging from lack of use, but Avery didn't care. He barely noticed as the wicker chair snapped in complaint of his added weight. In the horizon, he watched as faint flashes of lightening streaked across the sky. Even God was angry at the world. Thunder boomed, shaking ground and rattling the windows of Hoffman house. Avery jumped up from the chair and forced himself not to run. He had been asleep; thunder was a horrible way of waking up. Large drops of rain crashed to the ground, making the landscape fade as if only an illusion. A cool breeze caressed Avery and made him shiver. The storm was creeping overhead, an angry tantrum of black and gray. He sat back down in the chair and rubbed his eyes. He was exhausted, he didn't want to think anymore, he didn't want to hurt ever again. Why did living have to be so hard? Avery jumped again, as lightening struck rather close by. The rumble of the thunder shook his bones, like a tickle from the inside. "I hate storms." He said aloud. Behind him, he heard a squeak and realized the front door was open. Avery thought about hiding, he even thought about running off to the field. But that was just being stupid. Eric wouldn't mind him being there. "Avery?" Eric said, looking very surprised. "What on earth are you doing here?" "I'm sorry Eric." Avery said in a whisper, he didn't want to cry, but the tears were already sliding down his cheeks. He wanted to be strong for Eric; he hated himself for being so emotional. "It's all right sweetheart. Tell me what's wrong?" Eric knelt down and took Avery's hand in his. "What happened Avery?" "I'm okay, really. I'm... I'm just feeling sad." He didn't know how to tell Eric he was crying for him. Eric tried to smile, but looked away to the storm. The man sat down on the steps of the porch, breathing slowly as if he was fighting back the impulse to cry. The storm raged on, the rain flooded down like an enormous waterfall. The air was satiated with the smells of the storm, the sweet aroma of melancholy. "What makes you sad?" he asked Avery, still staring into the tempest, his back turned to the boy, hiding his grief. No one had ever bothered to ask Avery about his feelings. As far as he knew, no one until now, cared. Avery sat down next to Eric, neither of them looking at each other. "Sometimes I'm just sad for no reason. But sometimes, when I've been thinking a lot, I realize that I'm an alien and no one understands me." Avery peeked over to Eric, to see if he was listening. He didn't want to say anything that would upset Eric. "I don't mind being an alien, I just got tired of being alone. It's hard to be different from everyone else." "Loneliness is a cruel monster. The more you are alone, the more you need companionship and the more you desire solitude." Eric inhaled deeply; his body seemed to shudder from the act. "Madness is the brother to sadness." They sat there watching the storm, both deep in thought. Avery sat there and listened to the rain splatter on the water soaked ground. He could no longer take the silence. "Eric? What makes you sad?" Eric laughed, but it wasn't a cheerful one. "Everything." He finally said. Eric ran his fingers through Avery's hair and tried to smile. "Let's go to bed, I'm tired." Eric tucked Avery into his bed "Good night, sweetheart." He said with a kiss on Avery's forehead. It was a difficult task in falling asleep, although Avery was tired; his mind wouldn't allow sleep to come. He was worried about Eric, what if he hate being here on Earth so much, that he left without telling Avery. He tossed and flopped, the covers kicked to the floor. He wanted to sleep, he needed to sleep, but he couldn't shake the horrible images from his mind. Avery was sick of fighting to sleep; he jumped up fuming at himself. The only way he was going to get any sleep would be to see if Eric was still here. He sneaked across the hallway and looked into Eric's room. Eric was sitting up in bed and writing in a laptop computer. "Avery? Is... is something wrong?" Eric put down the laptop. "I was having trouble sleeping." Eric smiled, this time it was a comforting grin, full of love and caring. "Well, I guess you'll have to sleep with me. I was having troubles too." Eric patted the empty side of the bed. Avery giggled and leapt into the bed bouncing into Eric with enthusiasm. "Easy Nature boy! Eric said grabbing his laptop before it fell to the floor. "Nature boy?" Avery asked, hugging Eric's extra pillow. "What's that mean?" "It means..." Eric pulled the covers on top of Avery. "I think you were a nudist in another life." Eric popped open his laptop again. "Will it bother you if I continue working?" Avery looked at the small computer and frowned. "If it does, I can put it away." "No, it won't bother me. Um... what are you doing?" Avery asked trying to see what was on the laptop screen. "I'm writing a new novel. After all that is what I do." Eric shrugged his shoulders. "This one isn't the normal space and shoot 'em up one, I'm trying something different." Then he added. "It relaxes me to write." As if Avery need an explanation. "I draw." Avery said leaning closer to Eric, seeing if he could read a few lines from the monitor. "That's nice, I wish I had the talent to draw. Couldn't draw a stick figure to save my life." Avery smiled; he would have to draw something for Eric. He also thought it was cool that Eric was an author. He never imagined that aliens were so much like humans. He lay there and watched as Eric started typing again, the sound of his fingers hitting the keys was almost hypnotic. Avery's eyelids were growing heavy with exhaustion. He blinked, but still his vision grew hazy. "Eric." "Humm?" Eric said without looking up from the laptop. "Being a nudist isn't bad is it?" Eric smiled and ruffled Eric's hair. "No, sweetheart. Nudism is perfectly normal." Eric returned to his typing, he wore a smile that glowed. "I have a friend that goes to a Nature Resort every summer. It's a place where no one wears clothes. He once..." Eric stopped, and sighed Avery was fast asleep.