Date: Tue, 10 Aug 2021 12:17:53 +0000
From: Wes Leigh <weston.leigh@protonmail.com>
Subject: The Gift of Stolen Time, Chapter 12 (Gay Adult/Youth)

THE GIFT OF STOLEN TIME

By Wes Leigh



This is a work of fiction intended solely for the entertainment of my
readers.  Any resemblance to real people or places is purely
coincidental.

This story is the property of the author and is protected by copyright
laws.  The author retains all rights. No reproductions are allowed
without the author's consent.

If you enjoy this story, please support the Nifty archives today with a
thoughtful donation.



Chapter Twelve

Glasgow, Scotland, January 2064



Lucas sat in a rental car, staring at the rearview mirror.  The gray hair
was beginning to return.  It was mostly a pale brownish blonde on the
top, but the blonde was definitely turning silver on the sides, and he
knew his beard would be peppered with gray if he stopped shaving.  His
eyes, green as ever, were not as bright as they had been in his youth.
His skin, though still unblemished, wasn't as tight and wrinkles were
beginning to appear again around his eyes.  He was getting older, and
there was no stopping it now.  It had been years since he'd used the
time stealer, and the slow advance of time was beginning to show.
 Considering that he was now 102 years old, he looked amazing.  A man in
his early 50's perhaps, distinguished, respectable, educated, refined.
Aging gracefully.

Lucas saw a trio of schoolboys coming up the sidewalk behind the car.
Rosy cheeks, bright eyed, laughing and jostling one another.  School
uniforms more or less still intact, although ties were pulled akimbo and
shirts were untucked.  They were what they appeared, energetic young men
on their way home from school, happy to be free from educational
shackles.  Boys.  Such cute boys.

Glancing down, Lucas saw the time stealer, dull and nearly lifeless,
resting on his wrist.  The gems were severely pock-marked, cracked, and
muted.  The red gem was pale and ruddy, the blue a lackluster misty
gray.  He touched them.  Caressed them.  Felt their skeletal faces and
cherished them for their faithful service through the centuries.  He
pressed down hard on the ruddy red gem and then the misty blue.  Energy
flowed through his hand between the gems.  The time field wrapped his
body in its isolating bubble.   Time froze.

Lucas pushed the car door open and climbed out.  He walked around the
front of the car and up onto the sidewalk.  The schoolboys were
motionless before him, the one in the middle telling a story, the one on
the left poking the talking boy's shoulder, the one on the right with an
arm casually draped around the neck of the middle lad.  Such incredibly
adorable boys.

Lucas approached the lad on the left.  He had golden blonde hair and
endearing blue-gray eyes that sparkled in the sunlight and rosy red
cheeks that puffed out as he laughed.  Lucas touched the lad on his
cheek, stroking the soft skin and feeling the beginning of a light fuzz
there.   Lucas ran his fingertip across the fuzz, delighting in the way
it tickled him.  The hairs seemed to respond to his touch, standing on
end slightly.  What a sweet and delightful lad!

Turning to the boy in the middle, Lucas saw an older, more physically
developed lad.  His muscles were thick, full, bulging.  He gave off a
slightly musky odor, making Lucas think he was well into puberty, a young
man on his way to adulthood.  His hair was a ruddy brown with auburn
highlights.  His eyes were almost as green as Lucas' own.  His cheeks
and upper lip were smooth from shaving, completely hairless.  His bright
red lips were pursed in mid-conversation, and there was the faintest
twinkle in his eye from whatever tale he told.

The boy on the right was as tall as the other two, but much thinner and
child-like.  His face showed no sign of hair, not even a light fuzz
beginning.  His raven black locks flopped in front of slightly slanted
eyes, disclosing his Asian heritage, and he playfully hugged the middle
boy from the side.  His attention was on the muscular lad, whether
because of the story or a not-so-secret crush, Lucas couldn't tell.  But
what was obvious was that the Asian lad was infatuated with the
auburn-haired young man.

Lucas reached into his pocket, pulling out the last of the euros he had
left on him.  He wouldn't have any need for it because he would be
returning to the U.S. later that day, so he divided the money up and
stuffed a little into the pants pocket of each of the young men.  One by
one, he kissed them on the cheek, wishing them well.  Turning away from
temptation, he climbed back into his car, closed the door, and started
time flowing again.  The boys continued on, oblivious to what had just
happened, laughing and enjoying each other's company.

Lucas glanced down at the time stealer.  The gems were faded, almost
colorless, almost dead.

***

Lucas left the rental car in a small parking garage just down the street
from the Research Institute.  He set off walking up the street, stopping
at the security gate where a confused guard asked him his business.
Lucas showed his identification, adding that it was such a beautiful day
that he simply felt like walking instead of driving.

The guard seemed to accept this explanation, having to deal with
eccentric researchers all the time.  The guard checked his terminal and
found Lucas Roberts was due to meet with Director Ahmad at 4:00 p.m.  Mr.
Roberts might be unconventional, but he was also obviously a very
important, unconventional person.  He gave Lucas a visitor's badge and
pointed the way up the hill, across the grassy verge, to the
administrative building.

Thanking him, Lucas strolled up the hill, whistling an aimless tune as he
walked.

Inside the administrative building, a pleasant young lady greeted him at
the receptionist's desk, took his name, and called Director Ahmad's
office.

A few minutes later, the lift doors opened and a diminutive woman in a
spotless laboratory smock stepped out.  She smiled, recognizing Lucas
immediately.  "It is good to finally meet you in person, Mr. Roberts.
Welcome to the Johan Erickson Research Institute."  Her hair was pulled
back into a tight bun.  Glasses perched on the tip of her nose.  If her
vision needed correcting, Lucas wondered why she was depending on
old-fashioned eyewear, when laser surgery was so readily and
inexpensively available.  She did have her quirks, but Lucas would never
say a word about it, for he was secretly delighted to have Dr. Aleah
Ahmad running the Research Institute.  She was, without a doubt, one of
the brightest minds in physics and a respected expert on relativistic
mechanics, even if she did insist on wearing archaic eyeglasses.

Lucas took her hand and greeted her warmly.  "Pleased to make your
acquaintance, Dr. Ahmad.  Thank you for hosting my visit today."

"You have been one of our most generous and faithful supporters, Mr.
Roberts," she replied.  "We are pleased to make time for you, today or
any day.  If you'll follow me, my department heads are eager to meet
you."

She led Lucas down a hall and into a conference room filled with
scientists, some in smocks, some in dress shirts and ties, all standing
around, quietly talking.  When Dr. Ahmad entered the room, the
conversations stopped and they turned, trying to hide the fact that they
were all staring with undisguised curiosity at the mysterious Lucas
Roberts, chairman of the Global Research Initiative, one of the major
funders of their studies.  How could they not be curious?  Over the
years, the man had personally signed dozens of grants to the Institute
totaling over 200 million euros.  Naturally, they all hoped to impress
their generous benefactor.  What could they do to please him?

Lucas could see the unasked question in their eyes.  What would they
think if he gave them the simple, unadulterated truth?  He stifled the
urge to chuckle and followed Dr. Ahmad around the room.  Introductions
were made.  Hands were shaken.  Names were given and promptly forgotten.
Dr. Ahmad gestured towards seats at the head of the table.  "If you'll
be seated, we'll begin.  Now ... I believe the best place to start would
be our mission.  Sixty years ago, a group of physicists led by Dr. Johan
Erickson established this research institute with the goal of not only
learning how time travel works, but also producing a working time
machine, farfetched as that may sound."

Lucas shrugged.  "It doesn't sound farfetched at all, Dr. Ahmad.  It
sounds practical.  Your founders had great foresight."

Dr. Ahmad bowed her head humbly.  "Too often, researchers seem to get
lost in the thrill of discovering new knowledge.  Our founders made it
clear that knowledge must have an end goal in mind, specifically:
enabling a person to travel through time.  That being said, today we plan
to show you both the progress we've made on the theory of time travel
and also the measures we have taken to make it possible for a person to
expediently create a time warp."

Dr. Ahmad introduced the first presenter, an ancient, thin, wizened man
in a laboratory coat two sizes too large for his bony frame.  Dr. Jason
Musa, an immigrant to the United States from Nigeria, educated at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, was an imminent geologist, an
expert on rare earth metals.  He spent thirty minutes explaining the
unique time-warping properties of two rare-earth metals in particular:
yttrium and praseodymium.   Pictures of the silvery metals were displayed
on a large viewscreen.  Lucas tuned out the man's droning voice and
studied the pictures, lost in thought.

Dr. Ahmad noticed Lucas staring off into space, thanked Dr. Musa, and
asked him to take a seat.

The next presenter was Stuart Macintosh, an expert on refining and
processing rare metals.  "The key to a working time machine is to
control the way the time-warping energies are combined.  We have elected
to do this with synthetic gems."  Macintosh displayed an image of a
man-made gemstone, ruby-red in color, the end product of hours of
meticulous manipulation of matter.  It was a jewel more precious than any
found in nature, for it was imbedded with yttrium and capable of
releasing time-warping energies.  Next to the red gem was a sparkling
blue stone, similarly manufactured, but infused with praseodymium
instead.  They were--to use a simple analogy--the time manipulation
equivalents to matter/antimatter in the electromagnetic realm.

Lucas stopped Macintosh to ask a question.  "How many of these have you
manufactured so far?"

"Two of each," Macintosh answered.  "The process is extremely
complicated and fraught with difficulty.  There are fourteen steps in the
manufacturing sequence in which slight variations in conditions can
derail the procedure and ruin the product.  It has taken us fifteen
months to produce what we have so far, and it may prove difficult, if not
impossible, to make any more."

"Why is that?" Lucas asked.

Stuart Macintosh glanced at Dr. Ahmad, who nodded her head slightly.  He
swallowed and replied, "We are encountering difficulties in obtaining
some of the materials required.  There is civil war in one of the areas
where most of the yttrium is found.  Procuring more may be difficult for
the foreseeable future."

Lucas nodded, satisfied with the answer.

Dr. Ahmad turned to a nearby scientist and motioned for him to stand.
"Next we will hear from Dr. Aaron Neville-Smythe, a relativistic
theorist.  He will explain how we believe time travel will work, in
theory."

Neville-Smythe was short, stoop-shouldered, and near-sighted, but his
voice was precise as he began his presentation.  "A time warp will occur
when the energies in yttrium and praseodymium are combined.  The key, of
course, is to control how those energies are merged.

"There is only one thing needed to create a time warp.  You must simply
bring the two gems together.  They will exchange the energies bound up
inside their crystalline lattice and set off a time warp.

"The strength of the time warp will depend on the type of connection.

"One way to make the connection is to simply press the gems directly
together.  This will create a temporary but powerful field--which we have
nicknamed a time maelstrom--a wormhole that will travel rapidly backwards
in time until the gems have exchanged all their internal energy and burnt
out.

"A much less dramatic way to connect the gems together will be to place
something between the gems that will attenuate the connection, much like
placing a resistor in an electrical circuit to reduce the flow of
electrons from source to load.  An attenuated connection will,
theoretically, simply freeze time or create a mild time warp in which
time reverses slightly."

Lucas stopped the presentation and asked, "For this second type of time
warp, what are you planning to use as the attenuated connection?"

Dr. Neville-Smythe replied, "One of the goals of our research is to
enable a person to use the gems to travel through time, so the gems have
been designed to use a human--" he seemed embarrassed to admit this--
"as the attenuating connection."

Dr. Ahmad interrupted at this point.  "I know this may sound peculiar,
Mr. Roberts, but you should understand that this is part of our mission
to create a practical, simple method of manipulating time.  The
rare-earth gems provide the means; but we must manufacture them in such a
way that they usable by a human test subject."

Lucas nodded.  "Very sensible.  How do you keep the gems from connecting
inadvertently?"

Dr. Ahmad deferred back to Stuart Macintosh, who called up one of his
earlier photos.  "This is one of the final stages in the manufacturing
process.  The gems are being coated with an insulating gel.  The gel
prevents unintentional contact between the gems, such as might occur if
they were accidentally bumped together or submerged in water.  This
protective layer can only be penetrated by prolonged pressure.  For
example, one could push the gems together and hold them firmly in contact
with one another, which will initiate a time maelstrom, the wormhole Dr.
Neville-Smythe described earlier.  Or, a person can press a finger
against one, starting with the yttrium stone for example, and hold
pressure on its face.  The insulating film will pull away, allowing full
contact with the gem's surface.  If the test subject then does the same
with the praseodymium gem, the test subject's own hand will make the
necessary connection.  The time gems will exchange a minute amount of
their energies and create a mild warp in which time is merely suspended.
To end the time warp, the test subject will press the gems in the reverse
order, praseodymium first, then yttrium."

Lucas raised one finger.  "Just to clarify, these gems sound ...
hazardous.  If simply touching them can set off a time warp ..."

Stuart shook his head.  "A brief touch is insufficient.  The insulating
gel will not retract until pressure has been applied for several
seconds.  Dr. Neville-Smythe's calculations have predicted it will take
at least two seconds for the time warp to establish.  At any point, the
test subject can release pressure, breaking the connection between the
gems and cancelling the time warp.  The connection must be solid and firm
and maintained for several seconds; otherwise, nothing will happen."

"Understood," Lucas replied. "How will you prevent other forms of
connection?  Could something else--I don't know--such as placing both
gems on a table, make the necessary link?"

Stuart shook his head.  "No.  The insulating gel will not allow it.  It
will not move aside unless firm and constant pressure is applied.
Placing them on the same surface would not activate the field, even if
the surface is metallic.  In fact, the time warping energies will not
pass through certain metals, such as gold and silver.  They are, in
effect, time warp insulators."

Lucas nodded and turned to Dr. Ahmad.  "Very impressive work.  I take it
then that you will soon be testing actual time warps?"

Dr. Ahmad frowned and tapped the table nervously with one finger.  "We
aren't quite ready to take that step.  The time gems are fully
functional, but we want to understand better the nature of time travel
first."

Lucas raised his eyebrows.  "What more is there to understand?"

"Years ago, one of our researchers, Sir Robert Doyle, studied the effect
time warps will have on the one initiating them.  He was particularly
concerned about something he called time immunity." Dr. Ahmad glanced
around the room, apparently looking for support from her staff, but they
were all politely looking away.  "Sir Doyle speculated that a person who
created time warps would build up residual time fields within his or her
own body.  He believed that this time traveler would eventually become
immune to the time field and be unable to create any additional time
warps."

Lucas frowned slightly.  "That doesn't sound like a serious problem.
If your test subject becomes immune to time, find another.  I'm sure
there are many who would jump at the chance."

"It is more worrisome than that," Dr. Ahmad grudgingly admitted.  "Sir
Doyle believed that a person who becomes immune to time fields will also
suffer severe reactions to time itself."

"Such as?"

"He speculated that a person with time immunity would begin dying
quickly, living for no more than 10 years, and enduring great pain as the
effect of the accumulated time warps rapidly took their toll on the test
subject's body."  Dr. Ahmad laughed nervously.  "Sir Doyle couldn't
explain why he had such a frightening expectation for time travelers, but
I'm certain you can see why we are extremely cautious in our approach to
testing our time gems."

"I understand," Lucas said with a nod, feeling cold shudders running
down his back.  "How many times can someone create a time warp before
immunity develops?"

"We don't know," she admitted.  "It could be a dozen times or a
million.  We're still researching that."

Lucas sighed and bowed his head, realizing that Sir Robert Doyle must
have known Johan, or at least known about Johan, for that was indeed how
he had died.  A victim of time immunity.

Dr. Ahmad saw the sorrow in Lucas' eyes and misinterpreted it as
disappointment.  "We are making good progress, Mr. Roberts.  We expect
to be testing time warps within the year."

Lucas looked up and forced himself to smile.  "Your researchers
certainly have been thorough.  Very commendable, and it sounds as if you
are on the brink of a great discovery.  The time gems you have
manufactured so far ... I wonder ... would it be possible for me to see
them?"

"Certainly, Mr. Roberts.  We keep them in a secure vault in the
manufacturing facility.  We'll escort you there now."

***

Lucas looked with anticipation upon the jewels that held the power to
manipulate time, the gems he had waited an extended lifetime to finally
behold.  Two red jewels infused with yttrium.  Two blue infused with
praseodymium.  All four resting on a silver tray.  So this is what the
gems in the time stealer must have looked like originally, before their
faces had been eaten away with cracks and pockmarks.  Most impressive.

Surrounded by milling scientists, under the vigilant eyes of three burly
security guards, Lucas watched Dr. Ahmad proudly lift the silver tray
that held the time jewels and turn to present it to Lucas for closer
inspection.  Lucas leaned forward, smiled, and tugged up the sleeve on
his right wrist, exposing the time stealer.  As his hand slid down to
touch the gems, Dr. Ahmad peeked through her glasses at the time stealer
and her eyes opened wide in surprise, noticing a fraction of a second too
late the similarity between the gems in the tray and the gems in his
wristband.  Lucas positioned his thumb and finger on the time stealer and
pressed down.  In seconds, the energies swelled around his body, freezing
time.  He glanced up and saw apprehension and concern in Dr. Ahmad's
eyes.  Lucas chuckled and said, "Very clever, Dr. Ahmad, but you are a
tad bit late in understanding the true purpose of my visit."  Lucas
reached over and took the gems off the tray.  He dropped the red gems in
his left pocket, the blue in his right.  He patted the unmoving Dr. Ahmad
on the shoulder, and said, "Thank you.  You've dedicated your life to
this endeavor, and now you must continue on without the fruit of your
labor.  I have a greater need for it, so I am stealing these, the most
precious gems I've ever pinched, and putting them to the use for which
they were always intended."  Lucas paused, then added, "Actually, I
can't steal what belongs to me.  I've certainly paid for them many
times over.  Good day, everyone."

He saluted the frozen scientists jauntily, wove his way between them and
through the vault doors, then left the building and walked down the hill
to the security guard's station.  He waved goodbye to the frozen guard
and headed down the street.  Entering the parking garage where he'd left
his rental car, Lucas slid behind the wheel and pressed the wristband
gems and felt time slipping back into motion.  He lifted his arm and
looked at the time stealer.  The gems were gray and lifeless, exhausted
and finally dead.

No matter.  He had what he had come for.

He drove out of the parking garage and headed for a private airport where
an executive jet waited to transport him as quickly as possible across
the Atlantic Ocean to another private airport in St. Cloud, Minnesota.

While the jet flew to its destination, Lucas pulled out the silver
wristband he had crafted years and years ago in Milan, Italy, in Fernanda
Brambilla's workshop.  He placed the wristband on the table in front of
him.  Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out one of the yttrium gems and
placed it in an empty mount in the wristband.  Using a pair of jeweler's
pliers, he carefully bent the silver mounting brackets down against the
sides of the gem, locking it in place.  He slid his hand into his other
pocket and removed one of the praseodymium gems, dropping it into the
other socket.  With a quick twist of the mounting brackets, a new time
stealer was crafted.

He held it up next to the original time stealer and compared them.  They
looked identical, except for the dull and lifeless gems in one and the
immaculate gems in the other.  Perhaps he should refer to the new one as
Time Stealer Version 2.0, he thought, chuckling softly.

Two gems in place.  Two left to be used.

He patted his pockets and felt the remaining time gems still nestled
safely away.

He tilted back his seat and shut his eyes, relaxing for the remainder of
his journey.

***

A few miles outside of St. Cloud, Minnesota, Lucas stood in a prairie.
Tufted grasses reached just past his knees, waving in the light breeze of
a warm Spring day.  He wore a backpack, containing several heavy bags of
gold coins and his journals.  On one wrist, he wore Time Stealer Version
2.0.  On the other wrist, he wore the original time stealer, now burned
out and useless, purely for sentimental reasons.  In one hand, he held
the remaining red gem.  Similarly, the last blue gem he held in his other
hand.

He took a deep breath.  There was no way to know what would happen next.
He knew that and recognized it as a tremendously risky action, on his
part.  Would it work?  Would he even survive?

He didn't have to do this--he had Time Stealer Version 2.0.  There were
still places overseas he could go.  He could turn time backward and grow
young again, living for centuries longer.  And when those gems burned
out, he had two spares.  He could create a third time stealer ...

Or ... he could risk everything for the greatest treasure of all.

He had to be honest with himself.  This could be another foolish dream on
his part, searching for an intangible prize he would never find.  He had
no guarantee that it would work in the way he hoped, and yet ... all the
signs were there.  All the hints Johan had shared with him pointed to
this moment.  Every clue he'd uncovered over the years, each paper he'd
studied and analyzed, gave him confidence that it would work.  But most
importantly, every inclination of his heart begged him to attempt it, no
matter the risk.

What was it Johan had said to him at the end?  "I will see you in the
twinkle of an eye."

In the twinkle of an eye ...

How long is a twinkle, he asked himself?

Is it longer than a blink?  Shorter than a glance?  Or does it span a
lifetime?

With a chuckle, he deliberately blinked his eyes once as he brought his
hands together and pressed the gems face to face ...

... and all hell broke loose.

Sparks leapt from one gem to the other.  Waves of rippling energy rolled
over his body and swirled around him.  The swelling energy field was
familiar.  It was the same as what he'd felt whenever he'd used the
time stealer, but magnified hundreds of times greater than he'd ever
experienced before.  His heart hammered in his chest.  He tried to
breathe but couldn't pull air into his lungs.  His body tensed up and
every muscle cramped in a body-wide spasm.  All around him, time didn't
freeze.  It sped up.  Day became night became day.  Faster and faster
until the outside world was a blur of gray light.  He sensed Spring
becoming Winter becoming Fall and then Summer, and soon the passage of
the seasons became a blur of tepid temperatures fluttering around him.
His heart finally slowed, his muscles relaxed, and his lungs sucked in a
frantic breath of air.  He stared down at the two gems he held in his
hands and saw white sparks flashing from one stone to the other as they
mingled their energies and devoured one another. The lightning exchange
became so intense he had to look away for a moment, and unexpectedly, as
suddenly as it began, the time maelstrom collapsed.

It was night.  A half-moon was shining above amongst twinkling stars.
The air was cool.  The prairie grasses were taller and dryer, hinting at
the end of summer.  The gems he held in his hands were dull and empty,
lifeless, having given their essences to birth the wormhole in time.

He felt his clothing sagging on his body, and when he looked down, he
realized he was half as tall as he had been.  And that wasn't all.  He
threw the dead gems to the ground and stared at his hands.  They were
small, delicate, the hands of a boy, not a man.  He checked his chest,
his arms, his thighs.  He'd lost the heavy musculature of a man and now
had the smaller body of a boy.  He pulled the sagging pants and underwear
away from his waist and glanced down to see an adolescent cock with a
smattering of hairs just beginning to come in.

Just down the hill from where he stood, he saw moonlight reflecting off a
small pond.  He held his pants up to keep them from tripping him and ran
stumbling down the hill.  Falling to his knees, he looked into the pond,
seeing his face reflected back.  He began laughing uncontrollably.  He
took in deep, shuddering breaths but couldn't stop the laughter.
Grabbing handfuls of water, he splashed his face and finally ended the
frenetic laughter.  He looked back into the pond and waited for the
waters to stop rippling.  His reflection emerged once again.  He appeared
to be twelve years old.

Okay.  It had worked.  Years had drained from his life, a natural
side-effect of time travel.  He was twelve again.  The next question to
ask was ... how old is the rest of the world?

The following day, after a few carefully worded enquiries, he would learn
the answer.  It was September 20th, 1911.

***

St. Cloud, Minnesota, early 20th century

Lucas adjusted the suspenders so they didn't hike the pants up quite so
much.  Wearing this type of clothing took some getting used to.  The
fabric was scratchier, for one thing.  And the suspenders always seemed
to tug the pants up into his groin.  He'd thought suspenders would be
fun to wear for a change, but he had just about decided to go back to the
mercantile and buy a belt instead.

That would have to wait.  He had an important meeting today, and he
wanted to impress someone, even if it meant putting up with uncomfortable
clothing.

At the moment, Lucas was waiting underneath an enormous oak tree, sitting
in the comforting shade.  School had let out about half an hour ago, so
it wouldn't be long now.

Two girls walked by, glancing curiously at Lucas as they went along.

A group of older boys passed, laughing and jostling, completely ignoring
Lucas.

Then Lucas saw him.  Walking alone.  Staring at the ground and kicking
pebbles.  The boy had platinum blonde hair, almost pure white in the
afternoon sun.  He looked to be about Lucas' age, well ... Lucas' age at
the moment, which is to say 12 years old or thereabouts.

When the boy was just about to pass the oak tree, Lucas spoke.
"Hello."

The boy stopped, startled.  "Oh!  I didn't see you there," he said,
gazing at Lucas with brilliant blue eyes.

"I didn't mean to scare you," Lucas said, pushing up to his feet.
Lucas walked forward and held out his hand.  "I'm Lucas."

The boy reached out.  When their hands touched, both boys felt their
hearts leap in their chests.  The boy gasped, looked down at their
clasped hands, then looked back at Lucas.  "Hello, Lucas," he said,
"I'm Pietr.  Pietr Erickson.  My first name is Johan, but no one ever
calls me Johan."

Lucas smiled happily.  "I like Johan.  It's a beautiful name, and you
are a handsome boy.  Do you mind if I call you Johan."

Johan ducked his head, grinning bashfully.  "I don't mind."

"Very well.  That is what I will call you from now on ... Johan."

Johan smiled shyly and asked, "Do you live near here, Lucas?"

"Yes.  In this house."

"Really?  This house has been for sale for ages.  Pa said they're
asking far too much for it."

"It was expensive, but gold makes a transaction surprisingly
convenient.  I just moved in today.  I'll be starting school tomorrow."

Johan nodded, accepting Lucas' explanation, though he did wonder about
the strange, brown-haired boy who had such an odd way of talking.  "I
live in the white house at the end of this street."

Lucas knew that, having checked a few public records in the last week,
but he simply smiled and said, "I hope we can become good friends."

Johan grinned.  "I would like that."

***

From that day, Johan met Lucas at the oak tree on the way to school, and
they continued on together.  They sat side by side in class, played games
with one another during recess, ate lunch together--sharing whatever they
happened to have brought that day--and kept each other company walking
home after school.  Rather than parting at the oak tree and going their
separate ways, they played at Lucas' house or wandered around the
neighborhood throwing rocks at trees or pestering Johan's mother out of
a snack.

Johan's family quickly warmed up to Lucas, accepting him as a second
son.  Johan's mother had suffered an injury during childbirth, making
her unable to bear another child after Johan.  She had always dreamed of
a big family, but now accepted that it was not to be.  Instead, she had a
second son in Lucas, who never left Johan's side, it seemed.  They
became closer than brothers, and Johan's parents welcomed it.  Johan had
been so shy for too long, struggling to make friends ever since they'd
moved to Minnesota, and now he'd blossomed in the light of Lucas'
loving friendship.  It was a blessing, indeed.

As for Lucas' family, there was only him and his grandfather, Lucas had
explained.  His grandpa was frequently busy and often out-of-town, or so
Lucas said.  Johan found it odd that Grandpa never seemed to be around
whenever Johan came over to play.  Johan also found it strange that a
12-year-old boy would be trusted to be alone while his grandfather was
away, but then again, Lucas often seemed much older than 12.

All that aside, the two boys quickly became what can only be described as
the best of best friends.  They were inseparable.  Everywhere they went,
their arms were draped across each other's shoulders.  They could share
a simple glance and know what the other was thinking.  When one farted,
they both fell down laughing.  When one was bullied at school, the other
flew instantly to his defense.  They shared food.  They shared clothes.
They shared life.

And one special night, when Lucas was sleeping at Johan's, they shared
even more.

It began as a quiet moment late in the evening.  The two boys were
stripped down to their cotton under pants, lying on top of the blankets
because it was an unusually warm night.  They were on their backs,
staring at the ceiling, enjoying the warm contact of their naked
shoulders.

Lucas rolled onto his side and threw his arm carelessly across Johan's
chest, hugging him tight.  "You are more than my best friend, you
know," Lucas whispered.

Johan smiled as he stared at the ceiling.  He reached up and gripped
Lucas' forearm where it rested upon his chest.  He turned his head to
look Lucas in the eye and whispered back, "Yes, I know."

"Do you know what we are?" Lucas asked.

Johan nodded.  "I think I do."

Lucas smiled and rested his head on Johan's shoulder, closing his eyes.
"I love hugging you like this."

"I love it, too."

"Not everyone would understand how you and I feel.  They would think
there's something wrong with it."

"I know," Johan admitted.  "It scares me sometimes.  I don't want
anyone to think I'm doing something wrong."

Lucas turned his head slightly so he could look Johan in the eyes.  "Do
YOU think it's wrong?"

Johan frowned.  "To love you?"

Lucas nodded.

Johan stopped frowning and turned his head to kiss Lucas on the mouth,
softly.  "I don't care whether it is or it isn't.  I just know how I
feel and that I love being with you, Lucas."

Lucas pulled Johan closer and slid his hand down onto Johan's stomach,
caressing the velvety smooth skin there.  Johan sighed, so Lucas slipped
his hand lower, touching the drawstring holding the cotton underpants in
place.  He slid his fingers down Johan's belly and underneath the
waistband of the pants.  Johan said nothing, so Lucas pushed his fingers
inside Johan's pants and felt soft, wiry hair.  Lower still and his
fingers brushed against the base of Johan's dick, now beginning to swell
and thicken.  Lucas slid his hand even lower and took the now hard shaft
into his grasp, gently fondling his future lover.

Johan closed his eyes and whimpered.  Lucas' hand was so warm and soft
gripping him down there.  He'd had funny dreams about Lucas for several
nights now, and amazingly, his dreams were coming true.  His cock was
sticking up, hard and throbbing now.  Lucas was stroking him, making
delicious shivers run up and down his body.  Johan tugged at the
drawstring on his under pants, working it loose enough to slide them off
one hip.  Lucas released his cock and pulled the other side of his pants,
sliding them lower and exposing Johan's cock to the warm night air.

Lucas sat up and looked down at Johan, a tear of joy in his eyes.  This
was a moment he'd waited decades for.  He bent down over Johan and
kissed his throbbing cock.  Here.  There.  Nibbling at the skin.
Playfully licking.  He pointed Johan's cock straight up at the ceiling
and placed his mouth over it, sliding down slowly.  He sucked Johan in,
playing with the thin, hard shaft, teasing the tip with his tongue.  He
pulled off and gently kissed Johan's hairless balls, suckling first one
then the other.  He returned to Johan's cock, swirling his tongue around
and beneath the small tube of foreskin, making Johan moan.  Lucas licked
his lips and slid halfway down Johan's cock, bobbing quickly, making
Johan arch his back and cry out.  Within seconds, Johan stretched and
released three short bursts of liquid that were honey on Lucas' tongue.
He drank it down and fell back beside Johan, content.

"That was ... wonderful," Johan whispered.

"I've been waiting for so long to do that," Lucas said.  And suddenly,
he felt the emotions in his heart welling up uncontrollably.  It was
true.  He had waited for years to see Johan again, and now that they were
together, Lucas was afraid he wouldn't be able to control himself.  He
felt panic seizing his heart.  He pushed away from Johan and sat up,
turning his back on Johan.  He scooted to the edge of the bed and sat
there, his face in his hands.  Lucas felt his heart pounding and his eyes
flooding with tears.  He gasped for breath.  He'd wanted this to be a
simple night of gentle exploration, getting to know Johan and teaching
Johan to love him in return, but he was afraid once he started that he'd
demand so much more.  His love for Johan was overwhelming him, pushing
him to leap past a simple kiss and devour this boy who was the one he
loved beyond life itself.  He couldn't do that, not to this innocent,
naive 12-year-old boy.

Johan was baffled.  What was wrong with Lucas?  It made no sense at all,
but Lucas was hard to understand on his best days.  That mattered not one
bit to Johan, because Johan loved Lucas and he had decided weeks ago that
he was going to stick by him no matter what.  So Johan sat up on his
knees and slipped over behind Lucas.  He wrapped his arms around his
friend and pulled him into the tightest hug he could manage, resting his
chin on Lucas' neck and whispering in Lucas' ear, "Lucas Dean Roberts,
this is your best friend for life, Johan Pietr Erickson.  I do not know
what is making you cry.  I do not know why you are so upset.  But I am
going to hug you like this until you stop crying and tell me what is
wrong.  And you had better tell me the truth, because I will know if you
don't.  You can't lie to me.  If you try, I will stick my tongue in
your ear and lick your brains."

Lucas gasped, tried not to laugh, but failed.

Johan began laughing too.  But he held onto Lucas, squeezing him even
tighter.  "Tell me what's wrong, Lucas.  Please."

Lucas turned in Johan's arms and said, "It will be hard for you to
understand."

Johan shrugged.  "There is nothing you can say that I won't
understand.  We're friends.  I trust you, and you should trust me."

"I do trust you, but I don't know if I should tell you.  It's pretty
heavy stuff for someone so young."

"I'm not a child, Lucas."

Lucas sighed.  How true that was.  For both of them.

Johan deserved to know, and whether Lucas told him that night or in
twenty years, Lucas would one day have to tell Johan everything.  Would
it be fair to wait twenty years before telling him?  Would he feel
betrayed if Lucas delayed so long?  Would he feel ashamed that Lucas
didn't think he was mature enough to handle it?  Well ... there was no
point in dragging it out any longer.

Lucas turned and faced Johan.  He patted the bed next to him and waited
for Johan to sit down beside him.  They turned to face each other.  Lucas
took a deep breath and said, "I'm not twelve years old."

***

For the next hour, Lucas shared the story of his life as a time thief.
He told Johan everything.  He showed him the time stealer itself (version
2.0 or was it actually the only time stealer that had ever existed?) and
explained how it worked.  Johan wanted to believe Lucas, but the story
was so fantastic he found himself staring at Lucas in disbelief, so Lucas
took Johan's hand and pressed the time stealer gems.

With time frozen all around them, Lucas and Johan went for a nighttime
walk.  They found cats chasing each other across the front lawn, one
apparently running from a lost fight.  They passed late night lovers,
frozen in mid-kiss, on a doorstep two houses down the street.  They
discovered a policeman riding a horse, the horse's feet raised in
mid-step, the policeman cleaning his ear with one finger.  Johan laughed
when he saw this and hugged Lucas, telling him he finally believed
everything Lucas had been telling him.  They walked back to Johan's
house, climbed the stairs to his room, and looked out the window together
while Lucas unfroze time.  The light breeze began blowing again, and the
cats continued their yowling chase across the lawn.  Lucas told Johan
everything, about time moving backward for the one in the time bubble.
About the way the time stealer healed you and made you younger.  About
the research institute in Scotland that created the time gems and about
how Lucas took them and used two of them to make the time stealer and
used two others to create a wormhole through time.  He described the
wormhole that brought him all the way back from the year 2064 to 1911,
and in the process, made him younger again.  He was 12, in his body, but
over a century old in his soul.

Johan stared at Lucas for a long time, thinking about everything he'd
heard.  He put his hands on each side of Lucas' face and leaned forward,
staring into Lucas' eyes.  He studied Lucas for almost a minute, smiled
and said, "I believe you."

Lucas replied, "Good, because there's more."

"More?"

"Yes.  Johan ... I was born in 1962 in Tempe, Arizona.  In 1974, when I
was 12 years old, I was playing in my front yard when I met another boy
my age.  He had hair as white as the purest snow.  He had brilliant blue
eyes.  His name ... was Johan Pietr Erickson."

Johan blinked.  He blinked again and his eyes flew open wide.  "Was it
me?" he asked.

"Yes," Lucas said.  "It was you.  You waited for me to be born ... no,
that's not right ... you WILL wait for me to be born and you will use the
time stealer to stay young and you will cross the years to find me.  We
will spend years together, loving one another.  Then I will be alone,
missing you, until I am finally able to come backward in time, to find
you."

Johan looked down and mumbled, "That's ... incredible."

"I know.  Incredible, but true.  Do you still believe me?"

Johan nodded.  "Of course, I do.  You're my best friend ... for life.
I'll always believe you."  He stared hard into Lucas' eyes and said,
with an impish grin, "Your turn."

Lucas shook his head in confusion.  "My turn for what?"

Johan shoved Lucas down onto his back on the bed and began tugging at the
drawstring on Lucas' under pants.  "For this ..."

And that was how they became lovers for the first time.  Or was it the
first time, again?

***

It was the next Spring when Johan and Lucas had the first warning.

They were playing around with the time stealer, using it to play tricks
on bullies at school, when it stopped working.  Johan was confused.
Lucas was alarmed, but pretended it was no big deal.  He waited until
they were heading home after school and, for the first time ever, told
Johan there was something he needed to do, alone.  Johan shrugged his
acceptance and continued on down the street.  Lucas waited until Johan
was a short distance away.  Taking a deep breath, Lucas placed his
fingers carefully on the time stealer and pressed down on the gems.  The
insulating coating moved aside.  His flesh touched the face of the gems.
But nothing happened.  The energies didn't build up.  Time didn't
freeze.

Lucas' heart began thumping as he turned and ran after Johan, stopped
him, and said he needed Johan's help with something.  Lucas took off the
time stealer and put it on Johan's wrist.  He carefully reminded Johan
how the time stealer worked.  Red gem first, then blue gem.  Press down
hard.  Hold it for several seconds.  Wait for time to freeze.  To
unfreeze time, press blue first and then red.

Johan nodded his head to show he understood.

Lucas took Johan's hand firmly in his own and nodded for Johan to
start.  Johan touched the gems.  Nothing happened.  Johan looked up at
Lucas, perplexed.

Lucas gulped and nodded, released Johan's hand and stepped back.  "Now
try it," Lucas said.

Johan looked down at the time stealer and pressed down.  Johan's body
seemed to shift a few inches to the side and his face was now looking up
at Lucas with a wide grin.  "I did it!"  he exclaimed.  "It's working
now."

The blood drained from Lucas' face.  It was so unfair.  He'd spent
years waiting for the chance to travel through time to be reunited with
Johan.  And now, how was he going to tell Johan that Lucas' own body was
now immune to time warps?  How could he explain to the love of his life
that they would probably have only 10 more years together?  How could he
tell Johan that this 12-year-old body was never going to grow a day
older, but instead would begin dying quickly as the years began to take
their toll?

It was so FUCKING UNFAIR!

Lucas turned and began quickly walking away.  He refused to look back
when Johan shouted his name.  He felt Johan grab his shoulder and pull at
him, but he yanked his shoulder out of Johan's grasp and began running.
Johan chased after him, but Lucas ran faster still, as though all the
demons of hell were chasing after him.

Johan suddenly appeared in front of Lucas, releasing the time stealer and
throwing his arms around Lucas, forcing him to stop.

"Whatever it is, you can tell me, Lucas," Johan said, his face now
inches away from Lucas'.  "We are best friends and lovers.  That will
never change, so you tell me what is going on, Lucas!  You tell me right
now!  You can't escape me, so don't even try.  I will chase you until
the end of time if I have to, and I will catch you.  Don't think I
won't!"

Lucas began sobbing as he fell into Johan's arms, making Johan burst
into tears too as they hugged.  Lucas pulled away and led Johan to the
oak tree in front of his house where they sat in the shade.  There, with
gasps and sobs, Lucas explained everything, from his immunity to time
warps to his impending death.  When he finished, they hugged and cried
again.

Johan was the first to stop crying.  He lifted Lucas' chin and turned
Lucas' face towards his own and said, "So I only have 10 years with you
... now.  But one day, I'll have many more years with you.  And in every
one of those years we have together, I don't want to waste one moment
with tears.  Lucas Dean Roberts, I love you.  I love you now and I'll
love you forever, so can we stop moaning about this and get back to doing
what we do best ... loving each other?"

It was in that moment that Lucas realized why he loved Johan so much and
why he had searched all his life to find him again.  As always, Johan had
the right of it.  Lucas nodded slowly and leaned forward to kiss Johan
gently on the lips.

***

It was a bittersweet decade, filled with tender love every chance they
could get, knowing that time was running out for them.

Lucas never did age, always appearing to be twelve, but his body was
wracked with the pains of an old, old man.  The doctors could do nothing
for him, except ease his suffering somewhat with morphine.  Oddly enough,
his mind was at peace.  He was ready to accept his fate, and he cherished
every moment he spent with Johan at his side.

Johan aged normally and was soon 22, handsome and broad-shouldered,
snow-white hair setting off his tanned skin and brilliant blue eyes.
Johan never mentioned what they both knew was coming.  Instead, he
cuddled Lucas and loved him and poured a lifetime of affection into each
day.

And so it was that one morning they found themselves sitting on the grass
watching ducks splashing in a pond.  They sat side by side, with Lucas
leaning his head against Johan's warm shoulder.  Johan's hand gently
gripped Lucas' knee, his thumb casually rubbing in a small circle.

Lucas sighed and asked, "Do you think you'll like living in Arizona?"

"Yes," Johan said, with a chuckle, "but only after you arrive."

Lucas smiled.  "I'm excited for you."

Johan took Lucas' hand and squeezed it gently.  "I'm excited too, my
love.  I can't wait to see you again."

Lucas handed Johan a journal.  "I made my final entry in it.  The others
are in my desk.  Do whatever you want with them."

"What should I do?"  Johan asked.

"I don't know.  Burn them.  Donate them to a library.  Turn them into a
book and share it with the world.  No one will believe a word of it."

They both laughed.

Lucas leaned over against Johan, who wrapped his smaller lover in his
arms and hugged him tight.  Lucas sighed with contentment and said, "We
will be separated only for a moment, Johan.  We'll be together again.
You'll see."  Lucas slid his fingers down to caress the gems of the
time stealer one final time, and he whispered, "Go, my love.  Grow
younger and older and younger again.  Discover all life has to offer.
Then come to me."

Lucas looked up at Johan.  Johan leaned down and kissed his lips.  Lucas
whispered, "I will see you in the twinkle of an eye."

***

My final journal entry ...

My name is Lucas Dean Roberts.  I am 12 years old, going on 112.  I was
born in 1962 in Tempe, Arizona.  I met Johan Pietr Erickson in 1974.  I
fell in love with him and cherished him for 41 years.  When he died in
2015, I travelled the world and found other loves, but none like his.  He
was the man who navigated time to find me, who waited for me, who lived
for me, and who died in my arms.  And, amazingly, I was given the
opportunity to travel through time to find him, to fall in love all over
again, to realize why he is my eternal love.

And now ... I have stolen my last second of time and must pay back the
debt I owe.  Thus, I escape the slavery of the years and flee for that
land that is never-ending.  I know when I arrive, I shall be reunited
once more with Johan.  And with my father and mother too.  I still
remember when Dad said, "The Word of God tells us, it is appointed unto
all men once to die."  Thank you for teaching me that, Dad.  I am very
close to my appointment, and I am not afraid to die.

I look forward to seeing you again, Dad.

Johan, this time, nothing, not even time itself, will ever separate us.



     Lucas Dean Roberts, Time Bandit

             September 18, 1962

                    July 29, 1922



End of THE GIFT OF STOLEN TIME, transcribed from a series of journals
discovered in a bookstore in St. Cloud, Minnesota.

Personal note from the transcriber:  Although it is impossible to
establish the veracity of the story told in these journals, I have been
able to find public records that mention some of the individuals in them,
including a Mr. Johan Pietr Erickson, who lived for several years in St.
Cloud, Minnesota, in the early part of the 20th century.  It is
interesting to note that the final entry in the journal is written in a
completely different style of handwriting from all the previous entries.
That entry documents the last days of Lucas Roberts and culminates with
this cryptic note:

     The exquisite gift of stolen time is to fully grasp the value of
each precious moment.

                                        --JPE

Whether this is Johan Erickson's inscription or not, I leave to the
judgment of the reader.  --WL