Date: Sat, 13 Mar 2004 23:23:42 EST From: Bwstories8@aol.com Subject: The Castaway Hotel-book7 chapter 5 Legal Notice: The following story contains descriptions of graphic sexual acts. The story is a work of fiction and has no basis in reality. Don't read this story if: **You're not 18 or over, **If it is illegal to read this type of material where you live, **Or if you don't want to read about gay/bi people in love or having sex. The author retains copyright to this story. Placing this story on a website or reproducing this story for distribution without the author's permission is a violation of that copyright. Legal action will be taken against violators. I wish to extend my thank you to Emoe57 for his editorial assistance with this chapter, and Art, the real Vinnie and John for their additional input on each chapter. E-mail responses to the stories, story suggestions, or other 'constructive' comments or advice may be sent to: bwstories8@aol.com. * * * * * * * * Although the boys in these stories have unprotected sex, I strongly urge all of you out there to be smart and protect yourselves from various sexually transmitted diseases by using condoms when having intercourse. * * * * * * * * The Castaway Hotel-Book 7-by BW (Young-Friends). Copyright 2003 by billwstories Chapter 5 - Our vacation draws to a close. August 2003 The second week of our camping trip started out with a beautiful sunny day, compared to the violent storm we endured two days previous. We loaded up in our canoes and paddled to the far end of the lake we were on, and then we had to tackle a portage of over 200 yards. Actually the boys did very well navigating it, though Jake and I found the passage a little rougher. You see, the portage started by going straight up a hill, with about a thirty-degree angle of ascent, and I could have sworn that hill went on for at least one hundred and fifty yards of that portage. By the time we reached the top of that grade, not only were we breathing hard, but our arms and legs were aching from the exertion - the legs from walking up that hill and the arms from carrying the canoe over our heads as we went. The boys actually seemed a little concerned about us as we stopped to take a brief break, and they even offered to carry our canoe and packs for the remainder of the portage. After thanking them for their concern and explaining to them we'd be fine, they didn't push the issue further. However, we could tell they were watching us more closely now, seeing if they could pick up any signs of distress in either of us. We continued onward, until we reached the next lake, and then we placed our canoes in the water and set off again, this time at a more leisurely pace. About halfway across the lake, our pace seemed to quicken, but I'm not sure how or why it happened. Possibly it was due to the fact that some of the boys got impatient and wanted to hurry or that the adrenaline flow had just got them going faster, but soon we reached the other end of the lake and were pulling our canoes out of the water once more. The boys decided this would be a good time to take a lunch break, though I think it had more to do with wanting to give Jake and me time to rest up, before we took on another portage. We kept the meal quick and simple, to try to make up a little time. We were already a little behind schedule, because of having to stay put on that island for so long during the storm, so as soon as we finished, we grabbed our gear and continued our overland journey. This portage was fairly short, only about seventy-five yards in length, but again much of it was uphill. The boys had offered to carry Jake's and my load, though once again we declined their offer by explaining that we didn't belong out here if we couldn't carry our own weight. They weren't happy with our response, but they didn't argue the point further. The next lake was quite long, so it took us a while to get from one end to the other, but when we finally reached the far shore, we decided this was a good place to make camp. We wasted no time in finding a good spot, unpacking our gear, and setting up our tents, and then the boys thought it would be a great time for a swim. In fact we all agreed on that, and we thought it would also be a great time to bathe as well, because we were all hot and sweaty from the day's exertion. We broke out the bars of ivory soap, stripped down, and raced back toward the lake. Of course I had scanned the area first, making sure I couldn't see any others about, but I don't think I could have held the boys back anyway, as they were intent on this idea. Once we were all in the lake, we passed the soap around, as I urged them to clean up first, and then the boys began their horseplay. Jake and I figured we'd be immune to being included in the action, seeing the boys had thought we had a rough enough time conquering the portages, but we were wrong once more. Of course it was Ricky and some of his cohorts who began the commotion, as a couple of them leapt on Jake's and my back, trying to dunk us, and then some of the other boys tried to retaliate on our behalf. That led to an all out battle, with people trying to dunk some or save others, but it was all being done in fun. I was glad all of the boys happened to be strong swimmers and I didn't have to worry about them while this was going on, because I didn't have time to watch what was happening to anyone else. As soon as I shed one body off my back, by bucking that person back into the water or flipping him over my shoulder, another attack would commence. I noticed a few of the boys were taking it easy and not attacking me, mostly the older ones, probably because they were concerned I might overexert myself, but the younger ones kept coming like an advancing army. By the time this ended, we were all exhausted and ready for a respite from this activity. The fantastic part was that no one got angry or tried to hurt anyone else, because to the boys it was just a way to release some energy and a means to bond with the rest of the family. If you got targeted in on what happened during these episodes, you could pretty well conclude the attacker loved the person he attacked enough to feel comfortable doing such things with them. It was just like with the teasing and practical jokes that the boys were so fond of. Everyone seemed to target those whom they felt closest too, because they knew they wouldn't take it the wrong way. If they did the same thing to someone they were upset with or didn't get along with, it would most likely have led into a battle, with each boy trying to get the upper hand over the other. This way, it generally stayed fun and was an enjoyable experience when it happened. Seeing everyone was getting exhausted, we crawled out of the lake, probably looking like something from an early Darwinian sketch showing the primitive life forms crawling out from the primordial ooze. We were all naked, somewhat exhausted, and merely dragging ourselves back to shore, and it would have been one shocking sight for anyone who had chanced upon us at that moment. Forttunately that did not happen, and we moved back to our gear, some of us throwing on clothes, while the rest preferred to remain as they were. Jake and I began to get things ready for dinner, while the boys gathered up stones to use to ring the campfire and wood to burn in it. Before long we had a fire going and dinner was being prepared. The boys were quite relaxed this evening, although I could see Andrew was still missing his newest friend, but everything went smoothly. After dinner we made an even bigger fire, but it was basically for aesthetic purposes. We didn't need the light, as the moon was pretty bright, and we didn't need the heat, because it was a fairly warm evening, but it did have a nice effect. Primarily it was just used as a backdrop to sit around and tell stories, but we made sure it was totally out before we went to sleep. That night I could hear some grunting and moaning coming from the various tents, as the boys used the time to relieve some more of their sexual tension, but I knew there was nothing to be concerned about. Even Jake and I got to spend a little quality time together, although I found Andrew cuddled up against me halfway through the night. I guess he either missed his new friend, or felt uncomfortable with the more developed boys now, but I wasn't sure which it was this time. I would talk to him in the morning and see if there was anything more I might be able to do to help reassure him. I hoped this was only because he was lonely or need a fatherly touch, as his preoccupation with his slowness in reaching puberty was rapidly approaching the point of becoming an unhealthy obsession for him. The next morning I wasn't feeling very well when Jake started to get ready to take some of the boys out to go fishing, so I bowed out this time. I wasn't sure if it was due to worrying about Andrew and not sleeping well after I discovered him next to me, or whether I might actually be coming down with something. Whatever it was, I thought it best to rest up a bit more, until hopefully it passed. Jake understood and agreed to take the fishermen out alone this morning, but he would have a couple of the older boys use their own canoes, to give them a chance to gain a little confidence on their own. This meant that Jake would be alone in the one canoe this time, but he didn't seem to feel that would be a problem. Having gained his reassurance, I stayed where I was and cuddled up with Andrew. It was about a half hour later when I heard a commotion outside, so I got up and went out to see what was going on. The second I went through the tent flap I noticed a canoe floating upside down and someone splashing around in the water. Focusing on the individual in the water, I soon discovered it was Jake, and realized somehow he had capsized his canoe. The two other canoes where rapidly moving toward him, as the boys went to his rescue, and then one of them broke away to retrieve our canoe, which was caught in the current and steadily moving away from them. We almost ended up losing that canoe, but our quick thinking boys prevented that from happening, and now the other canoe was bringing Jake ashore, so I could find out exactly what had happened. "Damn, I lost my knife and a pair of glasses," Jake complained, as he came walking toward me. "Are you all right??? And what happened out there?" I asked him, concerned. I was fishing and enjoying the morning, when I noticed a snake in the canoe and it was slithering toward me. I tried to flip it out with the paddle, but I only succeeded in flipping it on me, and then I panicked and accidentally rolled the canoe in the process." The boys were struggling to suppress giggles at this point, though you could hear a few stifled chuckles and some other throaty noises coming from those trying to hold back their laughter. Hearing this, Jake began to turn red from embarrassment. "Did any of you get my fishing pole?" he asked, trying to deflect attention away from what had happened, by asking about his gear. We looked at the boys and they all shrugged or shook their heads in response. "Damn, that means I lost that too!" Now Jake seemed even more upset about what had happened. "Why don't some of you boys go out and see if you might be able to find it," I advised them, not holding out much hope they would. My primary intent was to get some of them away from here, to relieve some of Jake's discomfort, so he could begin to relax and calm down. "That won't do any good," he said looking at me. "Maybe not, but it won't do any harm either," I advised. "Let them try and see what they might be able to turn up." "It won't work out like you hope," he offered, discouragingly, "and if we're lucky, they won't lose anything else. I screwed up, and that's what it cost me for doing so." I tried to console him, but he seemed to want to be left alone at the moment, so I respected his feelings and moved away from him. Not completely away, but far enough to give him his own space and let him work things out for himself. When I saw he seemed to be in control of his emotions and not taking it so badly, I went out to see if the boys had found anything. A little while later they came back to shore, and I could tell by the looks on their faces they hadn't been successful. With nothing left to do, I decided to fix breakfast and then we'd discuss our next move. The boys were also disappointed that they had little to offer in the way of fish for breakfast, so they decided to go out try their luck for another half hour. I thought that would be fine, so I told them to go ahead, but I also advised them to be very careful. While they were out tying to be useful, I kept the others busy taking down our camp and packing up, while I fixed something to fill their stomachs. Soon Jake came out to assist me, seemingly having come to terms with what had happened earlier. While we were finishing preparing the meal, our fisherman came back in, whooping and hollering. Obviously that meant they had managed to catch a few more fish to add to what they had caught earlier, but we had another surprise when they came closer. Not only had they caught a few more fish for breakfast, but one of the boys had accidentally hooked Jake's fishing pole in the process and reeled it back into their canoe. Now they were walking toward Jake, his fishing rod held triumphantly out before them, and Jake just glowed when he saw it. "How did you find it?" he asked, surprised. "I decided to fish about where you had been," Pat began, "and seeing it wasn't too far from shore, the water level was fairly shallow. Well, my canoe started drifting a little, but it wasn't a problem yet, so I just continued fishing, until I felt my line snag something. I wasn't sure what it was, so I gave the line a yank and began to reel in whatever was hooked to the other end. As I pulled my line out of the water, I discovered my hook had somehow gone through one of the eyelets on your fishing pole, where the fishing line goes through. I just took up the rest of my line, and your rod just came with it." "I don't care how you did it, but thanks. That was the rod and reel my dad gave me when I graduated high school, and that's why I was so upset about losing it. I can't tell you how grateful I am to have it back now." All the fishermen were beaming now, pleased that they had been able to help Jake recover his prized possession, but none more than Pat, the one who had just hooked his biggest prize of all. Jake actually had tears streaming down his cheeks, from the relief he felt from having that cherished memento back in his hands. I think we all know how devastating it can be to lose something with that much sentimental value, but it often even more emotional when you discover you hadn't really lost it at all. Well, that's what Jake was experiencing right now. He was so happy he began to hug everyone near him, and the boys happily hugged him back, realizing his extreme sense of relief. After this little celebration had ended, Jake cleaned the fish and then I cooked them over the campfire, and soon we were all partaking of a more enjoyable breakfast than it otherwise might have been. Once the meal was finished, we loaded up our gear and made our way across the portage to the next lake. This portage was a medium length portage, but it was flatter than most of the others had been lately. We made our way over it quite easily, and then we got back in our canoes and began paddling along this new lake. Along the way, one of the boys saw a couple of moose drinking along the far shoreline and managed to silently draw everyone's attention to them. They were quite impressive creatures, but I'm glad they weren't any closer than they were, because they looked as if they could be formidable adversaries, if they were angered or provoked. We continued on, looking for more signs of wildlife as we went, but most of all we were just enjoying the magnificent scenery. We found it incredible that we seemed to be all alone in the midst of all this beauty, and it was no wonder the early pioneers were so eager to explore this pristine wilderness and make this land their own, no matter how great the hardships. The rest of the day passed quickly, as we moved from one small lake to another, and the only break we took was for lunch. As it got later in the day and the sun began to make its descent toward the horizon, I decided it was time to call a halt to our progress and directed everyone to head in to shore to set up camp. As we got closer to the shoreline, we noticed another canoe pulled onto the shore, and then we saw a tent hidden by some trees. I was about to signal the boys to keep going, when I saw a guy waving to us from near the tent. I waved back, letting him know I'd seen him, but now he was motioning us to come join him. I didn't want to be rude, so we continued toward the shore, but I was cautiously approaching this meeting. "Howdy, guys," the man shouted out as we touched the shore. He had walked down to greet us. "There's plenty a space for y'all to set your camp up here," he added. I looked the guy over, and although I hate to make snap decisions about a person, I did not have a good feeling about him. He looked rough and crude and I didn't like the way he was eyeing some of my boys, but before I had a chance to speak, a second guy came out of the tent, and I suppose he did so to see who his friend was talking to. He looked downright mean, and now I certain we didn't want to stop here. "Sorry, we weren't planning to set up camp yet," I told him. "It's just that some of the boys needed to relieve themselves, so we were coming ashore for that purpose. I don't want to mess up the area near you, so we'll just move farther down the lake." "Don't be silly," he countered. "My buddy and I have been pissing and crapping in these here woods for a few weeks now. You can't do any more harm than we have." "That may be true, but there's only two of you. Adding this much more might leave an aroma you wouldn't want, or be sufficient to attract other creatures to this area." "Hell, y'all don't worry about no damn critters. We'll take care of anything that gets too close to us." I knew before he got the words out of his mouth that it was probably true, but I didn't like the looks, sound, or feel of these two. "Just the same we'll give you a break. There's plenty of open space out here so we don't have to do our business so close to other campers." I thought that would end the conversation. "Well, why don't yuh just set up your camp here then. Butch and I would like the company." I knew we couldn't do this, but now I had to find a way out gracefully. There was just something about this pair that made me uneasy, so I wanted to put as much distance between them and us as we could. "That's a very generous offer, but we're already behind our schedule, due to that storm a few days ago. We have to make up some time or we'd have taken up your generous offer. Thanks anyway, but we have to get moving. This was just going to be a rest stop for us." "Hell, man, by the time y'all get much farther, the sun will be down and you'll have to set up camp in the dark. Come on, just pitch your stuff here for the night." "Thanks anyway, but we need to keep moving." I signaled the boys to push off and we started paddling down the lake. A couple of times I glanced back, waving once as the guy still stood along the lake watching us, but I wanted to make sure we weren't being followed. After we got a few hundred yards away from their camp, Jake paddled his canoe up beside mine so we could speak. "What was with those guys?" he wanted to know. "I'm not sure, but I just didn't like the looks of them. I thought it best we keep moving." "Oh, I agree totally. Looking at that pair made my skin crawl." "Yeah, there was just something about them that unnerved me, and I wasn't about to have the boys stay anywhere near them. Let's make the next portage and make our way at least halfway down the next lake before we set up camp for tonight." "We're going to have to hurry then, or it will be dark before we get there." "I know, so let's pick up our pace." We managed to let the boys know we had to paddle harder, and we made our way to the end of that lake. We navigated the portage as quickly as we could, but there is only so fast you can go with all that gear and rough terrain. As we came out the other side, the light was rapidly fading, but I urged everyone to continue and pushed them on. We hopped back in our canoes and made our way down the lake, until I spotted a suitable campsite. We turned the canoes toward that spot and soon we pulling them safely inland and unloading our gear. "Man, those guys were creepy," Cole told me, as we moved to look for a place to pitch our tents. "Yeah, I didn't like their looks either." "Do you think they were escaped criminals or something like that?" Sammy asked. "Frankie had told us about jailhouse tattoos, and they both had some." "Really? I didn't notice that." "I did," Danny added. "Frankie told us about them one day when we were talking about what it would be like to have to work in a jail and he told us some of the things he heard about what types of things went on in there. My guess is, those guys must have been locked up at least once in their lives." "Could be," I responded, "but I thought it best to put some distance between us before we stopped for the night. Now let's hurry or it will be totally dark before we get everything organized." We split up into groups, with some of the boys setting up the tents, others gathering wood for a fire, and Jake and I getting things out to fix our meal. As soon as the first load of wood was delivered, Jake started the fire, and soon we whipping up something for dinner. "Dad, do you think we should tell somebody about those guys?" Kevin asked. "I really think someone should know they're out here." "Yeah, the might be escaped convicts or murderers," Graham added. "Well, I don't think they're that bad," I tried to reassure them, but we will either tell someone at the ranger station or we'll have our outfitters contact someone about them when we get back in. Pat, do me a favor and get our map and mark off the lake they were on and put an 'x' about where they were camped. Okay?" "Sure, Dad," he responded. When I looked up, I saw Dion and Trey down by the lake. "Hey, what are you two up to?" They walked back toward us. "We just wanted to make sure they weren't following us, is all." "Did you see them?" Andrew wanted to know. "No, no one is on the lake." I think we all breathed a sigh of relief hearing that. "Okay, guys, is everyone set up for the night?" I asked them, bringing them back to the present. They all told me they were. "Good, let's eat then." The talk throughout the meal and most of the rest of the evening was about those two guys we ran across earlier. The boys were convinced they were criminals, and I wasn't sure I'd disagree with that assessment, but I would feel easier once this night had passed. I felt fairly confident they hadn't followed us, as I kept glancing over my shoulder as we made our way off of that lake, and I made a couple more checks as we made our way over the portage. I also checked as we traveled along the lake we were currently on, and then Dion and Trey had done their own check after we came ashore. I think we were fairly safe now. That night seemed to be the longest we had spent on this trip. I don't think any of us got very much sleep, as we kept one eye and both ears open for any unusual movement or noises. We were probably blowing this incident way out of proportion, but I'd rather be safe than sorry, so I continued my vigilance. By the time the sun came up the next morning, we were all relieved, but still very tired. I suggested we could stay put a little longer and get some more rest, if the boys wanted to, but they said they would feel safer if we moved on, and maybe just make camp a little earlier this evening. I understood why they preferred to do it that way, as they wanted to get even more distance between us and those two guys, so I agreed and we hurriedly went about our chores to get ready to leave. Soon we had eaten our breakfast, loaded up our canoes, and we were on the move once again. We quickly made our way off that lake and onto the next, and we proceeded directly down that lake to the one after it, as the boys had opted to skip lunch and keep moving. Once we were on that next lake, the boys decided they were worn out and wanted to make camp, so we turned our canoes toward the shore and began to set up camp. It was only about three in the afternoon when we began to pitch our tents, but as soon as they were up, everyone decided to take a nap before dinner. Soon all you could hear was the gentle even breathing of all my worn out campers and Jake's gentle snoring. Soon after that I drifted off too, and that's all I remember until Jake shook me awake. "Hey, come on. You can't sleep the night away. Don't you want to eat? The boys and I whipped up some dinner, and I thought you might want to fill your stomach and get up for a bit, before we turned in for the night." "Yeah, thanks. I guess I didn't get much sleep last night," I admitted, sheepishly. "There was just something about that pair that unsettled me, and I got up and walked around the area for most of the night." "I know. I either heard you, saw you, or discovered you weren't there when I woke up. I couple of times I heard noises and peeked out the tent flap to investigate, only to discover it was you moving about." "I'm sorry about that, but I felt safer knowing one of us was on the lookout." "What were you so concerned about," Jake persisted. "I'm not sure and I can't put a finger on it, but somehow I got the impression those guys were either waiting to rob, torture, or molest some unsuspecting campers. I didn't like the way the looked at us or the boys." "I didn't get that strong of an impression, but I knew I didn't trust them either. It's good to know that nothing happened and today we'll move even farther away from them. The boys have already been looking up and down the lake to see if there were any signs of canoes or other people, but there's been nothing so far. I think our imaginations were just working overtime." "I hope so, but I'll feel safer in a couple more days." "Come on, let's eat, and the we can spend some time with the boys, before we get some more rest. Tonight it will be my turn to walk guard duty." I looked at Jake and smiled, knowing he was trying to help share the load. "Tell you what. Tonight I'll split it with you. There's no reason either one of us should lose a whole night's sleep now." "Deal, but let's not say anything to the boys." "Agreed." We crawled out of our tent and made our way over to where they boys were watching of the food. They had been greedily eyes all the various items, as they were more than anxious to fill their empty bellies. While we ate, some of the boys mentioned they saw or heard me walking around the previous night, and I confessed was mostly to make me feel better, not just to protect them. "Doesn't matter why you did it," Pat added, "but it did help us sleep easier too, once we discovered it was you. We all talked about it while you were asleep. Thanks, Dad. It's nice to know you were so concerned." I just smiled at the boys, ate my meal, and then we talked about what was left of our trip. That night Jake and I split up the duty of staying awake, taking two-hour shifts, and the next morning we were ready to head out again. The rest of our camping trip passed quickly and uneventfully, and soon we were on the final leg of this outing. During that final day we spotted a ranger and flagged him down, giving him the information about the duo we had run into a few days before. He noted the location and then got on his walkie-talkie and called it in, and I heard the person on the other end say they would send a couple of rangers to check those men out. After that, he took my information, so he could notify us later about what they had discovered, and he thanked me for bringing it to his attention. He told me that although it was unlikely this would turn out to be anything out of the ordinary, he was glad that we were concerned enough about others to have reported such suspicious activity. After saying good-bye, we were on our way again. That afternoon, we finished that final leg of the trip, reached the outfitters, gave them back all their gear and canoes, got credit for our security deposit, and then we loaded onto the bus, which had returned and was waiting for us. As we boarded, the bus driver asked us how things had gone, and the boys were very enthusiastic in recounting some of the tales, but they also made sure to tell him about the two guys who had scared them, well all of us, so badly. The driver merely nodded and took it all in, and then we drove off for one final night in a motel, for tomorrow we'd be flying back home. * * * * * * * * If you have enjoyed reading this story, you will find other stories by me at 'BW's Rainbow Youth Connection,' at http://bwsryc.gayauthors.org/ You can also locate my stories by clicking on the Nifty author link and scrolling down to "BW". This will give you the links for everything I have posted there. I also love to hear from my readers and get their reaction to my stories. If you don't mind, please share whatever information you feel comfortable with, because it helps knowing my readers better when I decide what to write or how to gear it. Please email me at bwstories8@aol.com and let me know what you thought, so I can do even better in the future. Thanks, Bill.