Date: Thu, 11 Mar 2004 07:54:24 -0500 From: My_Good_Boy_Jack@yahoo.com Subject: These Passions I Pray: Chapter 1: Once Upon A Time.... With the exception of a personal copy, no copy of this manuscript may be published, copied, posted to another website, or otherwise distributed without express permission from the author. The contents of this story are fictional. Any resemblance of the characters to any other persons is strictly coincidental. This story does contain brief sexual encounters between consenting males. If this bothers you then please read no further. This story gets off to a slow start, don't read this with the intent of a "quick fix". This is an in depth story that has approx. 4 years behind it. In this time it has gone through many incarnations and is finnally ready to be tested by you the reader. All comments and suggestions are welcomed and should be sent to me @ My_Good_Boy_Jack@yahoo.com Now That The Prologue Is Over, Read on For Chapter one ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------ As I lye sleeping, warm amongst my bed, I couldn't help but strike a feeling that forever my life would be changed. A destiny yet unknownst to me, drama that would play out in tragedy. Then I was peaceful, for in fact I was only eleven years of age. I had no clue of the tortured existance i would learn to call normal. My eyes stirring now, make their way around the room. "Such a small room," I thought to myself. "Probally the smallest in the house." Quiet, it was more quiet than usual, I feared for lonliness. "Where were the voices so familiar to me?" The Blankets existing above my body were now removed and i layed there in my warm pajama bottoms. My eyes now shifting to the window and outside of the house. I noticed automobiles, more than usual though my parents vehicle was not present, and curiosity struck me in a frightening way. My eyes were frozen now and it was at this time that I knew that my parents had died. I couldn't cry, in fact I couldn't do much. I was silent for the next four hours until it was brought to my attention by way of a close neighbor that I would be living with my father's brother and his wife. Mon Oncle et Ma Tante I gess. I had never met them before, but they were all I had left for family, and I would embrace them as I had my parents. I grabbed only a suitcase full of my possessions. Everything else of mine, my parents, and even our house would be auctioned off at Mon Oncle's benefits, to pay off his past debts. They picked me up at the house. The last time i ever saw my last memories of my parents. The day my heart hardened, the day i felt I would be alone forever. In the car with Mon Oncle and Ma Tante was a young boy who looked to be around my age. I wasn't aware of any cousins, but indeed here he was. I thought for a minute that i might not be as lonely as i had originally thought. But I was dead wrong. My cousin looked at me as a burden. Taking his parents away from his attention. They also looked at me as a burden. Not being as wealthy as my parents had been, and plagued by debts upon depts, they had very little means to provide for the son they already had. I don't believe they had even seen my parents since well before I was born, and now here they were, obligated to raise me as their own. I had spent the past eleven years of my life living in a small town located right outside of paris. What I had had for friends, and everything that was familiar to me was located there. Now here we were, boarding a train to Britange, right on the coastline of France, bordering the mighty Atlantic. All new people and surroundings only proved to make me further homesick. Having to learn to adapt to the rules set by Mon Oncle would also prove to be a difficult chore. Being summer still, my cousin and I were not yet attending school, so we were to do chores around the house. Luckily the house was quite small and when we were through, we would have all the time too ourselves. Not that that was much better. Often times my cousin would tell me how I was unwanted, and that I was nothing except a burden, descended upon his family. When I was reduced to tears, he would explain to his parents that i randomly broke out into these "fits" as he called them. Who was I too say different? They wouldn't believe me, even if i had pleaded with them. What seemed like an eternity, was, in actuality, only two weeks. Then we were off to the local school house where we would register to attend. Although new faces did not seem appealing, the thought of school work, like i had had back home, comforted me. And I could just remain introverted. My cousin seemed to be quite popular, so when he began to poke fun at me, so did everyone else. Often times i ended up crying my afternoons away. I tried to focus on school work instead, however my life was a living misery, and my body and mind were rapidly deteriorating. For being only eleven years of age, I had been through quite a bit of emotional trauma. I was being forced to grow up quicker than all the other boys my age and I prayed for the return of my childhood. At night I lye in the bed parallel to my cousin's. He would continue letting me know how worthless and unwanted I was. He did this until he grew tired and fell fast asleep. I however remained awake for many hours, praying for a release. For someone to love me, someone who could take me away from reality. School itself wasn't bad. Teachers were nice, and I enjoyed the challenge presented to me by schoolwork. However I wanted to socialize. I guess everyone my age wants a social life, so why couldn't I have one? One day after school, after straying away from my cousin who headed straight home every day, I ended up in a local park. It was nice being there, like an escape, just being by myself. A lot of the school kids would be here, but fortunately they were actually enjoying themselves thusly not needing to pick on me. This park didn't actually contain any forms of amusement, but rather it was mainly a field placed by an old brook, with trees and flowers preasent. It was a nice setting, and large enough so i could still be alone amongst other people. It was also a place where animals liked being. The birds and smaller animals were quite prevelant, wich made this seem even more serene. Sitting down across the way from me was a young girl of my age whom looked vaguely familiar. I knew I must have known her from school. She was probally just as elusive there as I was, so i decided to take a risk. As I walked over to her, she kept her nose in a book, she must have been pretty smart to read the level of reading she apparently was reading for her age. She didn't look up once. "Ummmm Hello," I managed to mumble. "Oh hey, your the new kid?" She questioned. "Yeah, my name is Luc," I answered. "Mine is Orane, wanna sit down?" She replied. "I'm waiting for my boyfriend to get here." I sat down beside her, and she finnaly released her eyes from the book she was reading. "Wow you must read pretty good?" I asked her. "Yeah, well there isn't much else to do." She replied. "Besides, Papa says that nothing equals an education." "So were waiting for your boyfriend?" I questioned. "Who is your boyfriend?" "His name is Julien," she replied. "I'm often with him at school, and yeah he should be here soon and then were going elsewhere to hang out." "Oh, do you think he will mind me being here?" I inquired. "Of course not," she said confused. "Your just like us, an outcast." I got the next twenty minutes or so to get to know this girl called Orane. Magnificent she was. Everything my aesthetics told me was beautiful was found in Orane. Long flowing soft hair, the same colour as the sand found on the beaches, pale skin with a tint of rose colouring and beautiful pale eyes. Even more, our souls spoke to each other in a way I had never felt. "My parents died back home," I told her. "Dead, and so I'm here with Mon Oncle and Ma Tante," I continued. " Oh...Im sorry." It was all she could rummage. After not long a figure appeared down the distance. His presence bold enough to attract both mine and Orane's attention. And when I looked at Orane, smiles over rode any other expression on her face, I knew then that this was Julien. His skin was much darker than either Orane's or mine, a beautiful olive colouring and his hair a pure black. This was all in place if not for the oddity wich struck his face in the form of two brillaintly blue eyes gazing back and forth at me and then Orane, and then back. "Hi, your new here?" Julien as an offering of friendship. "His parents died Julien," Orane now spoke up, "so he will be part of our family from now on, he has no other friends and is forced to live with his evil Oncle and Tante," she chuckled. "Cool by me," Juliens cool eyes frozen in mine. "Whats your name then? He asked. "Ummm..." His gaze held me where I couldn't speak and he knew it. He turned his glance too Orane now who had a look of cluelessness on her face. At this point I managed to blurt it out. "Luc, ahhh Luc is my name Julien." His glance shot back at me, and now his cool eyes filled me with warmth for some reason. "Ok Luc, your officially our brother now." Julien said in his way I would soon come to know as a way only Julien could put it. "Yeah," Orane said, "your not the only one with a messed up family..." Julien cut her off, "Yeah we both hate our families too..." "So now were each other's family," Orane took back over. "Forever." Julien finished smiling at Orane. "Ok, lets head out," Orane said all the meanwhile packing her book into her small blueish coloured school bag. The duo turned trio decided to promptly continue forth through the length of the park. Luc fit in nicely, and for the first time in several months, felt at home. After walking for almost half of an hour, the out stretch of the forest arose before them. "Where are we going?" Luc questioned looking on into the daunting forest. "The best place in the world!" Julien replied the way a child would. "Nice and secluded," he continued on. Although this seemed odd, Luc seemed to trust the couple, and continued on without a single care. Not far into the forest, but deffinately out of the way beyond most eleven years olds interest, came upon a small prairie wich housed several small trees that tamed in comparison to their much older relatives wich made up the surrounding areas of the forest. On the largest tree, the weathered, worn names wich read, "Julien and Orane." Julien looked onwards towards Luc and then at the tree, obviously suggesting that he too enscribe his name. Julien carried a small pocket knife, a gift from his father, and pulled it out, handing it to Luc. Luc looked at him for a moment, taking it after the short pause with a friendly smile. He peeled back a small piece of the bark with encompassed the inner flesh of the tree, in an area near the other two names and began with the knife into the tree. The "L" first, and he made it large and took his time carving it deep. He now felt determined that his name would stick against those of his new family, and oddly enough, he felt that the endeavor would connect their three souls. He finished the other two letters more quickly than the first and stood back admiring how his name paired against Julien and Orane's. "There!" Julien exclaimed. "Now it's official," Orane continued looking at both boys. "We're officialy family," Luc ended, smiling a smile wich was shared amongst the trio. "Now hold out your hand," Julien to the both of them. Pulling his knife back into use, he made a small slice into his index finger. The other tow got the hint, and one at a time grabbed the knife and did the same. "Me and Orane were waiting to do this." Julien explained to Luc. "I think it's time now, that we officially all become blood family here, and now." The three of them placed their fingers together where trickles of blood from each of their fingers met. "Now officially in blood, I can call you brother." Julien said to Luc. "And in blood, I call you sister," he carried on, now looking at Orane. He pulled his finger away now, and at his motion they all placed their fingers amongst their tongues where they fed upon the very existence of their beloved soul connections. The evening was now beggining to set in, and the sun had met the horrizen causing that early evening darkness. At this promt of mother nature, Luc decided it be best if he started home. His Oncle didn't want him out past dark, and would have him punished if he returned home too late. "Ok I will see you guys at school tommorow." Luc said looking at the two of them with a warm feeling. "Yes, deffinately, we will look for you," Orane said. "Yeah and on your way home, be quick through the forest for it is home to a crazy old witch," Julien warned. Luc agreed to make haste and started on his way, glancing back at his new friends from time to time. When he was sure they were out of view, he sped up to a light jog, hoping to make better time. The sun was now completely set, and darkness had fallen. Luc began to panic now, and he wasn't sure if he had lost his way from the trail. Worried about what his Oncle might do to him now, being this late, he forgot all about Julien's warning. After pausing slightly, Luc started jogging again, speeding up faster now, running through the woods. Not being able to see his way, Luc tripped over the out growth of roots, spawned from an old tree, causing him to completely loose his footage. Blackness fell upon luc, with glimpses of blurred images. Motion, Luc was moving, although still lying on his shoulders, someone was dragging him through the forest. Luc blacked out again. When he managed too finnally come too, he saw the image of a beautiful girl no older than twenty. Startled, Luc ignored her hand wich was outstretched to his aid. He crawled backwards where he stumbled back to his feet, his legs slightly shaking, still not fully awake yet. "Wh...who are you?" Luc stuttered. "A friend whom you have yet to know," the woman replied back. "We share a common interest, although you are too young too understand." Luc now felt more clueless than startled. "I don't know you," he said. "Did you know my parents?" he then asked. "No Luc, fate has sealed our souls together in a story that has yet to play out." She smiled at him. "One day Luc, something will happen, you won't know where to turn. Look to yourself, and you will find me," she continued. "I will help you play out your part in whatever tragedy fate has destined for us." Luc closed his eyes. "how do you know my name anyways?" Luc asked. It was too late, he had blacked out once more. Later that evening he awoke in his bed. He later learned that his neighbors had found him in the park passed out. They brought him home, and his Oncle and Tante assumed that this was his way of dealing with hiis parent's death. He wasn't sure if what happened earlier was a dream or reality, but he figured he would keep it too himself. He felt a burning sensation coming from his hand and he remember Julien and Orane. He pulled his finger up too his vision and inspected his cut wich was now in the process of healing. he placed it back on his tongue wich relieved the pain, but even more it relieved the lonliness in his heart. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------- Again Any comments, questions or anything else are encouraged and should be sent to Me, the Author at My_Good_Boy_Jack@yahoo.com Thanx for Reading