Written by Sarge AKA Aldric <pietar_the_fearless@yahoo.com>
(C) 2019
This story is based on the story "Kids of Indian Spring" (KOIS) by Jonas Henley. It is still available at the Nifty Archive, in the `Young Friends' section, and creates an imaginary community in semi-rural America. What Jonas Henley created was a culturally rich world populated by realistic teen and preteen boys that lead stimulating and attention-grabbing lives. Unfortunately, the series was never completed. Charles Well took on the task to add to the story and tried to continue it under the original name, but Nifty would not allow him to do that, so his title is based on the name of the main character in his story, Sandy Jacobs (SJ).
KOIS can be found at: https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/young-friends/kids-of-indian-spring/
SJ can be found at: https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/young-friends/sandy-jacobs/
List of Characters added in this Chapter
Dennis Brewer: 12 years, 0 months. He is a cousin of Cal Brewer. He lives in Sweetwater, but he and Ethan met over the holidays at a pool party at the Brewer house. Like Ethan, Dennis is gay, and the two became boy friends. Dennis lives in Sweetwater, the town to the west of Indian Spring.
Jason McCoy: 12 years, 11 months. A boy who Kelly's best friend, Nathan (Nate) Carlin, met in school. They shared the same interest in the shower room after gym and each realized the other was gay and became good friends. Jason also lives in Sweetwater.
Nathan Carlin: 12 years, 8 months. Kelly Tucker's best friend.
Kelly woke up to the feel of his bed bouncing up and down. He opened his eyes, knowing what he would see. It was Ashton, his legs spread to either side of his belly, jumping up and down.
"Hey, you're finally awake," the boy said as he stopped bouncing. He climbed over Kelly and got back on the floor. "Get up, we're going to Grandma's house and I don't want to be late in case mom and dad say I can go to the pool with you guys."
Kelly looked at his clock. "Ashton, it isn't even six in the morning yet. And she isn't your grandmother, she just likes to be called Grandma Corbin."
"Please, please, please? Can't we just get an early start?"
"Seth won't like being woken at this time of day," Kelly warned. "Go get dressed for a hike, and then we'll have breakfast." His brother literally ran out of the room.
Kelly dressed in the dark and headed for the kitchen. He couldn't cook nearly as well as his mom, but he could make scrambled eggs and toast. He told Ashton that they couldn't leave until he finished all that was on his plate. Then he left a note for his mom so she would know where he was and headed for Seth's house. He wasn't looking forward to the reaction he might get from his friend. Or more likely, his friend's father.
Only when they got to the house, he could see that lights were on. He knocked quietly and Mr. Mackey answered.
"I'm sorry for the early hour, but my brother just couldn't wait. Is there any chance that Seth is up?"
Mr. Mackey stepped aside and let Kelly see behind him. There at the table, eating his breakfast, was Seth. He did look grumpy.
"Your brother called," Mr. Mackey said. "Fortunately, I was already up."
"Ashton, that was wrong. You don't call people this early in the morning. Apologize to Mr. Mackey or we're going home."
"But what about Grandma ..."
"She can wait. Apologize this minute. What you did was rude."
"I'm sorry Mr. Mackey. I want to go to the water park with Kelly so I need to get my business done early. I won't do it again."
"Your brother is correct; it was very rude. And if it had woken my wife I would have called and woken your parents. She works late and doesn't need to be up this early." He looked from Ashton to Kelly. "I don't suppose you boys had anything to eat, come on in."
"Kelly made scrambled eggs. They were running and I didn't like them, but he made me eat them all."
"Well, I've got a fresh batch just coming off the stove for Seth. But there's enough for three. Sit down, both of you."
"Your brother's a turd," Seth said by way of a greeting. "I don't get up this early even on a school day."
Kelly shot a warning glance at his brother to not complain about being called a turd. Unlike the eggs he had made, the ones Mr. Mackey served tasted better and were firmer. He ate a second breakfast and when Ashton was done, he told him to thank Mr. Mackey.
"I gotta go and get dressed," Seth said. He rose and headed back to his room.
"What brings you up north this early?" Mr. Mackey asked.
"Grandma Corbin wants to see him for some reason," Kelly said, pointing to his brother. "I have no idea what for." He turned and looked at Ashton and added, "But he'd best be on his very best behavior and be polite to her."
"I will," Ashton said, getting the meaning.
Seth said that the smoke coming from the chimney meant she was up. But he left it up to Kelly to knock. It was answered almost immediately.
"Good morning to you all," she said politely. "Kelly, you and Seth wait outside. I want to speak to Ashton alone."
"No Grandma Corbin," Kelly said. "Don't take it wrong, I know you do not mean him any harm, but there are things he shouldn't be talking about."
"It's okay Kelly," Ashton said. "It's okay to share with the right people. Aunt Elizabeth said so. Ian told me."
"I'm proud of you for standing up to me for your brother. But what I have to say to him is for him alone. Please wait outside." She held the door open for Ashton, who walked in. Then she waited to see what Kelly would do.
He was torn between what he saw as his duty to protect Ashton, and his respect and trust of Grandma Corbin. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Seth motioning him outside.
"Okay," he said. He wanted to say something profound, something to be remembered, but all that came out was that one word. As he turned, the door was closed.
"Ashton, Kelly told me about your ability to smell magic. I don't want you to discuss your abilities; Kelly is right about that. So are you, but I think you are too young to understand what sharing can do. Instead, I just want you to describe as best you can what the thing under the bridge smelled like."
"You don't have any magic," he said.
"That is only partially true. I have wisdom, one of the truly great gifts. Please, try your best to describe what you smelled yesterday by the bridge."
He closed his eyes. How could he explain? "It isn't a smell like apple pie or candy. It's just something that I smelled on Kelly. And he and Ethan lied to me and told me there was no monster, but I knew better. When we were near the bridge, I could smell it again. A monster, but nobody else smelled anything. I don't know how to describe it better. It's like if you were blind, how could I explain colors to you?"
She didn't chide him, or ask him to try harder, or any of the other things that wouldn't work. She already knew he couldn't describe it. But she had heard from reliable sources that Kelly had been visited by the demon creature that she had heard of long ago. If it was the same smell, the people in Indian Spring were in danger.
"Ashton, do you know Duncan Cormack?"
"Yeah, sure, he's one of Ian's brothers."
"I want you to go to him and ask him to give you some protection for a few days. I will send for you again as soon as I know what to do. In the meantime, stay away from that smell."
"Yes ma'am," he responded.
"Please, call me Grandma Corbin."
"Sorry, I was taught okay, I will, Grandma Corbin." The sharp look she gave him when he started to tell her he was taught to refer to woman as ma'am made him change his mind. Her stare was frightening, and he was glad when she looked away.
"You will be safe; you don't need to be afraid. Duncan will know what to do."
"But what if it's after Kelly? Or my parents? What can I do to make it go away?"
"I don't think there is anything you can do, at least not now. I need to seek out some friends of mine who are more knowledgeable about things like this. I just needed to be sure that what you smelled was not just a dead animal or something harmless."
"I know what dead animals smell like," Ashton said. "Pheew, they stink. But I don't need my smell sense to smell that. Anyone can. I can smell things that other people can't."
"That's what I needed to confirm. Mind your brother. You may feel like he doesn't respect you because of your age, but it is out of concern for you. Think how he would feel if you got hurt, and he could have protected you but didn't."
"One more thing," she said. "Don't tell others what you want from Duncan. That is just between you and him."
"But Ian ..."
"Nobody. Just you and Duncan. There's a reason for it."
"Okay," Ashton said without any enthusiasm.
"Thank you for coming to see me."
She got up and opened the door. The moment the latch lifted, Kelly was on his feet and moving towards it so that by the time Ashton stepped out he was right there.
"It's cool, Kelly. She was going to stick me in the oven and cook me, but I'm too big for that now that I'm ten." He was happy to see that he got a smile from his brother. "Let's get back home, I want to go to the water park with you guys."
"What did Grandma Corbin want with you?" Kelly asked as they headed towards home.
"She just wanted to know about what I can smell," he said. "She seemed happy with what I told her. She doesn't have any abilities like you and I do. Did you know that?"
"No, I didn't. I kind of thought she had something. Is that all she wanted?"
"Yeah," Ashton said.
"You can tell me. In fact, you should tell me," Kelly said. "I know there was something else."
"She said not to tell anyone," Ashton said. "It isn't bad."
At least that part was true. Kelly decided to let it go.
"Can I give Ethan a blowjob?"
Seth, who had been quiet until now, began laughing. Kelly stopped walking.
"Ashton! First off, you're too young to even know what that means. And second, I don't decide things like that for Ethan."
"He said I could if you said it was okay. And I've already done stuff with Jack and Ian. And Mikey and Phillip Gaston."
"He only said that because he was sure I'd tell you no," Kelly said. "It isn't funny," he said glaring at Seth, who was still laughing so hard he could barely stand up.
"So can I?" Ashton asked.
"Ashton, there's something about Ethan you may not know," Kelly began.
"I know he likes boys, if that's what you mean."
"How do you know about that? Did he say something?"
"He doesn't need to. He just does. I can tell."
"This is so screwed up," Kelly said. "I'm going to tell you that I don't think you should. That's not permission, but it isn't a refusal either. How he reacts is up to him. If he says no, you leave it at that. Got it?"
"Yeah, but ..."
"No buts. If he tells you that you can't, that's it. You forget about it. And I'm positive that is what he is going to say."
"We'll see," Ashton said. "I think you're wrong. In fact, I'll bet you that you are wrong. If you are, you have to give me one."
One thing Kelly knew was never to bet against Ashton on the outcome of future events. He was never wrong.
***
When they got home, Ashton ran into the house ahead of Kelly. He got there just in time to hear his mom say that Ian and Jack were not allowed to go and that they both asked his brother to stay home with them.
"You can go if you want," their mom said. "Or, you can go to Ian's house and spend the night there. Jack will be there too."
Kelly expected it to be a tough decision; Ashton had made it perfectly clear how much he wanted to go to the indoor water park. But he didn't even hesitate.
"I'll stay with my friends," he said, with no trace of disappointment in his voice.
"Okay then, go and pack. You too Kelly. You already missed the bus, so I'll drive Ashton to the Cormacks and then take you to the waterpark. Ethan is on the bus."
Kelly went to his room and grabbed the few things he would need. He was almost done when his mom knocked and walked in.
"Kelly, there's something you need to know so that it doesn't surprise you. Ethan has a friend who is going to be there too. Dennis Brewer. They are more than just friends."
"I'll take care of it," Kelly said. Ethan had told him about a boy he met at the Brewer's pool party.
"That is what I wanted to talk to you about Kelly," his mom said softly. "Don't take care of it. That isn't your job, and if you try, it will backfire on you."
"But mom, he's too young to be doing that kind of stuff. And now Ashton is starting too."
"Kelly, your dad told you not to do stuff, and he specifically said to stop doing it with Casey. Did you stop?"
"No, but ..."
"No, you didn't. And neither will Ethan. Your father had a long talk with him last night. Give him some privacy, but don't try to control that kind of stuff. Keep him safe, keep him from dangerous people, but don't try to control his life. He loves you, but he's complained that you want him to live a life that you never followed."
"And look what almost happened to me," Kelly said.
"Kelly, I'm asking this of you. Don't try and stop it. They are friends, and the other boy's parents know that both of them are gay. We've talked, and they are just as uncomfortable with it as your dad and I are. But trying to stop him from having sex isn't going to work. It will just make him start doing everything behind your back and not telling you anything. Right now, he'll come to you if he needs help, but push him on this and that will end. Is that what you want?"
"No, but ..."
"Think about what you did when your father told you to stop. All the sneaking around you did. I am hoping that you'll watch over both of your brothers and do your best to keep them safe. But don't try to run their lives."
"Okay, I get it," Kelly said. "But not in the hotel room when I'm there."
"That's taken care of," she said. "You'll have adjoining rooms, not sharing the same one." She paused, and then continued.
"There is one more thing, and you're going to like this even less. Nathan's friend, Jason McCoy, is going too. Nate was hoping you wouldn't mind."
Nate had told him about the boy. His boyfriend. They were also both gay. This trip was going to be, well, strange. He gave some thought about not going, but then realized that without him there, Ethan probably wouldn't be allowed to go either. And Nate would fret that it was because of him. He'd work it out. Somehow.
***
Andrea and Kathy were seated separately on the bus, which had been Andrea's idea. She figured it would be best if Kelly didn't see them sitting together. But Kelly had never gotten on the bus, which was going to put a major dent in her plans. She and Kathy had even gone back to the clothing store and picked out one mini-skirt, just to see how he would react.
The other boys fell into three groups. One did everything they could to try and get to know Kathy (and to look at her shapely legs); one that just tried to look up her skirt by dropping coins or other objects near her, but a warning about the sensitivity of balls should a foot make contact with them chased them off; and the third, mostly the youngest boys, paid no attention to her at all. Andrea had been hoping that Kelly would be in that group, thus proving he was gay.
Casey and Kurt were sitting together, and the Springer kid introduced his new friend to all the kids he knew. They laughed and talked with other kids as the bus made its way to the park. At one point, Kurt looked back at his sister, who held up her camera for him to see. He understood her message complete his assignment or the pictures she had of him would be shown around. He knew the opportunity would come later.
David wasn't there, but he had shared his experience in the woods with Ian and Jack, and they in turn told Ashton when he arrived.
"So what does it mean?" he asked. "Is there a monster there?"
"David doesn't know," Ian answered. "He thinks we should stay away from it. Eventually, whatever it is will move on or make its presence known. Either way, if we stay clear of it we'll be okay."
"Is Duncan home?" Ashton asked.
"No, he went with James somewhere. Mackey business. What do you want to see him for?"
"Nothing," Ashton said.
"You're lying," accused Jack.
"You can detect lies?" Ashton asked. He knew his brother could.
"Yeah, absolutely. So tell the truth, why did you want to see Dunc?"
Ashton stared at him for a few seconds, wondering what to say. Then he saw Jack's lips form a slight smile.
"You're lying. You can't detect lies."
"Maybe not, but you still lied or you wouldn't have believed I could. Come on, no secrets. Why did you ask if Duncan is home?"
"I'm not supposed to tell you. Or anyone else either. I didn't even tell Kelly."
"Who told you not to?" Ian asked. "And it must be important if you won't tell us what you want from my brother."
Ashton thought back to the conversation. He'd been told not to tell anyone why he wanted to see Duncan, but she hadn't said anything about not telling them she said it.
"Grandma Corbin," he said. "I was at her cabin in the woods this morning. Kelly and Seth took me because she wanted to know about my smelling."
Ian held his nose and said, "Yeah, you do really stink." He and Jack laughed.
"Who's Grandma Corbin?" Jack asked after the joke had run its course.
"Cleveland's first wife," Ian said. "She's like about a hundred years old. That's all I know about her. Well, that and she lives in Deep Mackey territory."
"Who is Cleveland?" Ashton asked.
"He's one of James' kids from long ago." Ian saw that both of them were about to ask who James was. "One of the people who first moved into Indian Spring. James Mackey."
"I thought Thomas was the first," Jack said. "James was one of his kids."
"What do you know about the Mackeys? You don't even live here `cause your scared of the Choosings."
Ian and Jack heard David in their heads. "So are you Ian. And Jack is right, Thomas was the founding father. He had four sons, James, Alan, Charles, and Andrew. All the Mackeys are descended from one of them."
Jack proudly related what David had said to them.
"Anyway, enough ancient history. Why did Grandma Corbin tell you to see Duncan? We're friends, and we trust each other, right?"
Ashton didn't want to keep secrets from his friends. "She told me to tell him to protect me."
"David wants to know "protect you from what?"" Jack asked. But Ashton was busy staring at Ian's face. "Oh shit," Jack said.
"What? What did I do?"
"Dude, my brother's protection is shielding," Ian whispered. "He can keep anyone from wanting to use you. He knew I wanted to do something to one of Kelly's friends and he protected him, and I couldn't even get a boner when I thought about him. But to get it, he has to fuck you."
"No way is that going to happen," Ashton said. "He's like almost fourteen, isn't he?"
"Yeah, and his dick is huge," Ian said. "Are you sure that's what the old lady told you?"
Ashton thought back. "She said, `Ask him to give you some protection for a few days,' and told me not to tell anyone."
"Maybe she doesn't know his gift," Jack said. "She can't know everything. Maybe she just wanted someone big around you."
"Then why Duncan? Why not Gerald, or James?" Ian asked. "They are both a lot older and bigger."
None of them had an answer for that question. After a few minutes of silence, David broke it and Jack told Ashton.
"David says we have some new neighbors. Two cousins of the Upshaw's have moved into the old Anderson house. He wants to go meet them."
The park was ready for the new arrivals, and had room assignments and permission from parents. The manager spoke to them as they got off the bus.
"This is what we call a `soft opening' - a trial run of the place. Please be careful, and try not to break things, especially arms and legs." There was silence. "That was a joke, but apparently not a very good one. You guys are here to see how well we handle guests and how well the stuff works. If you have a problem, please report it immediately to the hotel staff. And the outdoor part of the park is still in construction and is completely off-limits. Stay inside where it is warm and wonderful and have fun. Are there any questions?"
"Yeah," one boy asked. "When the outside part of the park opens, will you have a trial run for that too?"
"I honestly don't know the answer to that," the manager replied. "I suspect it will depend on how this works out. Any other questions?"
There were none, and keys were given out and the kids hurried to find their rooms and get to the pool. For the first time in years, Ethan felt uneasy without Kelly there to take care of things. He and Dennis followed Nate and his friend Jason. They were in the same room that Kelly would be in when he got there.
"Your dad paid for a suite," Nate said when they got to room 325. "It's bigger than the average room. Kelly and us will be in this room, and you and Dennis in the adjoining room. He opened the door in the side wall and found another door that was closed and locked with no key hole on this side.
"I guess you guys have to use your key. You're in 327. If you unlock this door, we'll be able to share. Get your suits on and we will head for the pool."
"Uh, we'll be down to the pool in a little while," Ethan said. He and Dennis had sat together on the bus and both decided it had been too long since they'd last seen each other. They wanted to fool around a bit first.
"Okay," Nate said after a short pause. He knew that Kelly was troubled with Ethan being sexually active, but decided that was Kelly's problem. He was worried enough how he and Jason could have time together with Kelly in the room. And then he realized, the two younger boys plan worked for him too. Kelly wouldn't be here until later.
***
In room 327, Ethan and Dennis both hurried to get undressed. They hadn't seen each other since the pool party at the Brewer house.
"There is one thing," Dennis said as he removed the last item of clothing. "My brother, and Cal, both warned me that rules for something called Choosings might change and told me not to let any Mackey up my ass. I guess that includes you."
Ethan was disappointed. He'd had so few opportunities for that. And Dennis was a Brewer, but he lived in Sweetwater, and Mackey rules didn't apply outside of Indian Spring. Kelly had said rule changes would be discussed, but the ones that he and Stevie Jacobs had written had not gotten a warm welcome from the Junior Council. Still, Dennis said "No," when pressed on the issue.
"We can do anything else you want, just not that. I can even fuck you; my cousin and brother didn't prohibit that. But not you screwing me. Sorry."
But the `sorry' hadn't sounded very sincere and Ethan was wondering if something else was up. He pushed all that to the back of his mind as he saw that Dennis was already naked and hard. He hurried to finish removing his own clothing.
Dennis was a year older, but his trip through puberty was progressing slowly. He had some dark curly hairs above his dick, and his ball sack hung a bit lower, but their dicks were both about the same. At just a bit over three and a half inches, Ethan had the slightly smaller one, but he was sure his friend was still shy of four inches when erect.
Dennis lay back on the bed. "Blow me," he said in a demanding voice. His dick was twitching, and looked so good that Ethan didn't even catch that he was being ordered to do it. He immediately got between the older boy's legs and started giving head.
***
Next door, in room 325, Nate and Jason McCoy were also both naked. Without a word being spoken, they lay side-by-side on the bed and aligned in opposite directions. They had seen each other naked three days a week in school after gym, and both struggled to not get boners. Now they were free to look, touch, and enjoy each other.
Nathan liked everything that he could see. Even though Jason's hair on his head was reddish-brown, his pubic hair was a deeper red. And it wrapped around his dick and had just started spreading to his balls. His four and a quarter inch dick twitched and hit his nose, and Nate took that as a message to stop gawking and start sucking.
Jason was just as attracted to the view he had. Nathan's dick was about the same length as his own, but not quite as thick. His friend's brown pubic hair hadn't spread as far as his, but the size of his balls showed he would soon be filling his mouth with his seed. He took it in, just as he felt Nate's lips lock around his cock.
Both boys worked together, trying their best to make them cum at the same time. It almost worked, but Jason was a heartbeat faster to start, although his cum lasted longer.
They lay in the same position, neither saying a word. Both of them saw their partner's dick begin to harden again, and without needing to talk, they started a second session, hoping they could make it last longer.
Just as they both started to cum, this time simultaneously, they heard a key in the door and it opened.
Kelly didn't know what to do or say. His best friend had a mouth full of dick, as did Jason McCoy. He'd been introduced to Jason by Nate at school.
"In or out, but please close the door," Nate mumbled as he finished cleaning the last of Jason's cum from around the dick in his mouth.
It was a situation Kelly had never faced before. He had known for over a year that Nathan preferred, no his friend exclusively liked guys. But to see him and another boy naked and engaged in a sixty-nine was a situation he wasn't prepared for. He had no idea what to do except to enter and close the door. It wouldn't be good for someone else to pass in the hall and see them like that.
Nate sat up. "Kelly, you made it. Do you want to do something before we get started with what we came here for?"
The offer didn't excite nor disgust him. He'd had time to think about how he would handle it as his mom drove him here. In a car, she'd made much better time than the bus had taken.
"No, thanks," he said. "Nice to see you again Jason." He saw Jason blush and cover up.
"Look, I know about you, and I don't judge," Kelly said to him. "I'm a bit uncomfortable being present when you guys are doing stuff, but as long as you guys are okay, I'll be fine. Where's Ethan?"
"He's next door," Nathan said, pointing towards room 327. Just as he said it, there was a knock on the adjoining door between the rooms.
"Shit, I didn't expect company," Jason said. "Let me find my suit."
Kelly ignored him and opened the door between the rooms. His brother and Dennis were there, both in bathing suits.
"Kelly," Ethan said. "You made it. Get your suit on, we want to go to the pool." He and his friend entered.
Dennis immediately saw the two slightly older occupants of the room were naked. "Hey, are they, uh ..."
"They're just like us," Ethan said. "Except for Kelly. He's weird. He likes girls for some reason."
"Cool," Dennis said. But he couldn't take his eyes off of Jason's bare butt. "Maybe later we can, you know, share a bit."
"Why, we have each other," Ethan said. "We'll meet you guys at the pool." He headed for the door, and reached it before he noticed that Dennis hadn't moved.
Jason had found his suit and turned to put it on. Ethan noticed the bulge in Dennis' suit grow.
"Hey," he said to his friend as he patted the protuberance. "That's supposed to be for me."
"Yeah, sure," Dennis said, but he didn't take his eyes off of Jason until the boy pulled his suit up. "We can wait for just a second." He saw that Kelly was getting undressed, and Nathan was still naked but just pulling on his suit.
"You guys go," Kelly said as he stepped in front of Dennis. "We'll meet you there." He had spoken in a pleasant voice, but he had moved to block the kid's view of Nathan. He sensed something from Dennis that he didn't like. A deception, but not directed at him. He was hiding something from Ethan.
Ethan managed to get Dennis out the door.
"What the hell was that about?" he asked. "You and me, right? Leave them to enjoy each other."
"Yeah, sorry," Dennis said. He had enjoyed the blowjob he'd gotten, but Ethan was a year younger. And Dennis saw an opportunity to get in with boys who were not that much older than he was. He allowed Ethan to direct him to the elevator, wondering how he'd manage to hook up with Jason.
***
Casey and Kurt checked into their room, number 228. After spending a minute checking the place over, they selected their beds and got their suitcases open. Kurt remembered the conversation they'd had last night and how he thought that maybe the other boy had kind of admitted he was gay.
He looked across the room and saw Casey was quickly undressing, unconcerned that he was in the room and looking. He got a good look at the other boy's junk. This time it was in a well-lit room. They were just about equals down there. Somewhat less than four inches in length soft. But he knew it would grow at least an inch when hard. Casey's balls hung down a bit more than his perhaps, and the skin was more wrinkled, but again, the differences between them were minor.
Kurt felt his face heat up as he deliberately gave the other boy an opportunity to see him naked. He undressed slowly, and then took his time finding his suit in his luggage. He glanced at Casey, and thought that maybe, just maybe, the front of his suit protruded a bit more than before. He felt a familiar feeling in his own dick and quickly looked away and put his suit on before he became hard.
Towels in hand, the two boys left and headed for the elevator. Their sisters were both waiting for it, but none of them felt like talking so it was as if they were strangers.
When they reached the main floor, Casey held Kurt back for a second until the girls were a few steps ahead.
"I'm starving, I barely ate any breakfast this morning. Want to get a quick bite? It's on me."
Kurt followed as they went to the short-order restaurant area in the lobby. But they were turned away at the door by a man who said shirts and shoes were required. He pointed to a vending machine area and the boys went there.
They each got a cheese and egg sandwich wrapped in plastic with instructions for how to heat it up in the microwave.
"I just wanted to say something," Casey said as they opened their sandwiches after heating them. "I'm getting mixed feelings about you."
"Here it comes, he's going to admit it," Kurt said to himself.
"You keep telling me you aren't gay, but when we were changing you stared at my junk until I had my suit on, and then you stood there naked while you pretended to be searching for your own suit. Are you gay or not? I don't care either way, and if you are and want to keep it secret, I won't tell anyone. But I will point out a boy here who I know for a fact is gay."
"How do you know this other kid is gay? Have you done stuff with him too?"
"Too? What the hell are you getting at?" Casey said angerly. "I told you about Jeremy to try and explain that I'm not gay. Are you accusing me of being like that?"
Kurt got up from the chair, his sandwich half eaten. "You've had sex with someone named Kelly Tucker, with Jeremy, and now you tell me you know for a fact that another boy is gay. What girls have you had sex with? None, I'll bet. And I think I know why."
Casey sat there stunned as the other boy walked off. He'd been sure the kid was gay, and only wanted it confirmed it. But somehow it had all backfired. The kid was convinced it was him who was gay. He finished his sandwich while he thought about what to do next. He didn't care what the kid thought, unless he started sharing his conclusions with other kids here.
Andrea paused at the entrance to the pool. It was already crowded and noisy, but no Kelly Tucker. Then two younger boys came in.
Once they passed, Andrea turned to Kathy.
"That's Ethan Tucker, one of Kelly's brothers. Go ask him if his brother is coming."
Kathy hurried over and asked.
"Uh, who are you?" Ethan asked suspiciously. He'd never seen the girl before and he pretty much knew everyone in Indian Spring as well as many of Kelly's friends from school who lived in Sweetwater.
"I just moved here, and I was told he's cute. Is he going to be here?"
"Oh, yeah, he's cute," Dennis said. "He's in his room changing. He should be here any minute now."
"Come on," Ethan said, pulling Dennis away from the strange girl. "Do you know her? Because I don't." It was clear her reference to Kelly being cute meant she must be the girl his mom had mentioned at dinner last night.
"Hey, she's got the hots for your brother," Dennis said. "Don't worry, she obviously knows him. What's the problem with telling her that he's on his way down?"
Ethan started to say something, but Dennis was distracted by the number of very cute boys wearing nothing but bathing suits in and by the pool. He didn't even realize that Ethan was still talking as he walked over to go and get better looks at them.
Ethan paused. Dennis had ignored him. And now he was in the pool flirting, FLIRTING, with Jeremy Cantrell. He saw his boyfriend's hand `accidently' touch Jeremy's butt. He knew that trick. It was how they had first met back at the Brewer Christmas pool party.
"Hey, what's wrong Ethan?" Kelly asked as he walked up to his brother. He turned to where he was looking and saw Dennis with Jeremy.
"Nothing," Ethan said, trying to hide the tears leaking out from his eyes. "Leave me alone." He turned and headed for the exit and back to the elevator. He was going to call mom and tell her to please come and get him. He was on the elevator when he realized that Dennis had the room key, not him.
Kelly was torn between following after his brother or giving him his space. He decided to confront the real issue and headed for the pool.
"Hi, you're Kelly Tucker, aren't you?" a cute girl in a bikini said to him as he was about to get into the water.
"I don't have time to talk to you now," he said as he walked past her.
"Hey, Brewer, what the hell is wrong with you," he said as he approached the two boys. It drew attention from other kids in the pool, attention that Kelly didn't want to have, but his anger had ruined the chance to keep this private.
"What the hell did you do or say to my brother?" he asked.
"Who the fuck are you?" Dennis asked. He turned, and immediately regretted what he had said. This was Ethan's brother. And he looked somehow intimidating even though he didn't look big or powerful. His cousin Cal had once warned him about Kelly, saying it was hard to get him angry, but once you do, you'd best get away from him as quickly as possible.
"Let's go and have a talk over there," Kelly said, pointing to one of the few empty spaces in the pool area.
"You go and talk all you want," Dennis said, trying to sound as menacing as he could. "Ethan and I will work things out, we don't need you interfering." He looked over Kelly's shoulder, trying to spot Ethan.
"If you're looking for my brother, he ran off. You said or did something to hurt him, and I think I know what. You don't fool me in the least. Now join me over there and we can talk in private, or we can take care of business here. But we are going to talk."
"Yeah, here in front of all your friends," Dennis said. "Scared of a fair fight?"
"Hey, stupid," Jeremy said from behind Dennis. "You do not want to fight with Tucker. Not here, or anywhere else. He will fight fair, I promise that. It won't matter if you don't, you won't win, and then both of you will get thrown out of here. If he says he wants to talk, that's what he wants. But do not make the mistake of attacking him. He doesn't need me or anyone else here to help him."
"Look, your brother is just jealous," Dennis said, choosing to talk for now. "He wanted me exclusively. But I ...," He paused and looked around. Other kids had moved closer and now he realized why Kelly wanted to talk away from here. "Okay, we'll talk. But if you think you can take me, I think you're in for a big surprise."
Kelly led the way. "You all but told everyone that you're gay," he began once the two of them were alone. "They all know my brother is. I thought you were his friend."
"I am. He gives great blowjobs; you should try him sometime." Dennis hoped that he could provoke Kelly into starting a fight. He wouldn't fight back, but would make sure the kid got himself kicked out and sent home.
"Ethan has already seen that you don't feel the same towards him as he does towards you. I'll make sure he understands that you are just using him for sexual relief. You should think about going home early." After his initial outburst, Kelly now had his anger under control.
He didn't wait for a response but instead turned and headed back towards the exit. He'd only gotten half way there when he saw Ethan returning.
"You okay?" he asked his brother. "I recommended that he go home."
"He has the key to the room," Ethan said. "He doesn't like me. He's more interested in Jeremy. I hope he does leave."
"I think he likes you to do stuff to him. Let me know if you want me to meddle in your business further," Kelly said. "I'll move into your room if necessary."
"Let me try to handle it. This is going to sound stupid, but I still like him and maybe he'll change. But thanks for helping. Are you going to stick around?"
"Yeah, no problem. I'll watch, but stay out of it unless I really feel I need to step in or you signal or call to me."
"Thanks," Ethan said. "I mean that." He turned and headed for where Dennis was standing.
Ethan was almost there when Kelly sensed someone standing behind him. He turned and saw it was the girl in the bikini again.
"I'm sorry for being rude before. Yeah, I'm Kelly Tucker. And you are Kathy." It wasn't a question.
"Yeah, I guess I didn't hit it off too well with your mother," she said sheepishly. "I'm not used to how different people are here compared to where I'm from. Washington. The state, not the city. I lived my whole life in Seattle, and now we're moving to Sweetwater. But our house isn't ready yet."
"I don't think people are all that different, but I've never been to Washington. The state, not the city. But coming to my house and telling my mom I'm the cutest boy around and then lying to her about how you knew where I lived that's what put her off."
"Well, you are the cutest," Kathy said. "A girl I met named Stephanie told me you were looking for a girlfriend."
"Stephanie Kerns or Callas?" Kelly asked. He already knew what she had said was a lie. Now he wanted to know what she really was after.
Kathy had no idea. Andrea had told her to say that, but didn't give her a last name. She hoped that both of the names Kelly had given really existed.
"Kerns," she said. "Our age, a little shorter than you, but good looking. She told me she'd be with you except that by the time you got around to asking, she already had a boyfriend."
Kelly knew that the story was real, but Stephanie had never told her that. People in the Spring didn't share stuff like that with strangers. It took some time for people to get to know you here, and everyone was on guard with people they didn't know. Her description was good, but it would have matched over a dozen girls he knew from Indian Spring, or from school.
"What exactly is it you want from me?" he asked boldly, hoping that maybe just this once she'd answer a question honestly.
"This is awkward," she said. "I didn't mean for it to sound like that. I'm new here, I haven't even had my first day at the school yet. I was told you were, well, nice. Nice looking, which you are, and helpful. And I wouldn't mind if my first day at school was with you showing me around and introducing me to your friends."
It was a true enough statement, but Kelly sensed a deception. More of an evasion. She didn't want to give up something. But he'd tired of her game already.
"I am nice, but not to people who start out lying and then continue to be deceitful when answering questions. I hope you find someone else to help you out." Kelly started to walk away.
"Look, I don't know what I said that makes you think I'm not telling the truth. Can we start over again?" she asked. "Maybe somewhere away from all the noise and confusion."
He didn't want to stray far from Ethan, but he did want to know more about the girl. She was very cute, and the bikini gave him a lot of good things to look at. "The sauna," he said, pointing. "But I'd like it a lot more if you would start telling the truth."
It was a small sauna, and when they entered it was unoccupied. It either wasn't working or nobody had turned it on, because it was the same temperature inside as it was around the pool.
"Okay, tell me what you want from me," Kelly said.
"Just this." There was a latch on the inside of the door and she slid it over. Then she reached behind her and unfastened the top of her bikini and let the front hang down so that only her nipples were covered. "Join me, take your suit off," she said to him.
"What the hell is wrong with you," Kelly exploded. He got up and reached for the door. As he unlatched it, she reached out and grabbed at his crotch. He was hard.
"Let go of me. Whatever you were thinking of doing isn't going to happen. Not here, and not now." He opened the door and left, closing the door quickly behind him. The whole world had gone crazy.
Glen and Brent Upshaw had just moved in a few days ago. Their cousin, Stephen, lived to the left from their front door and across the street. The house was small, and had been in bad shape, but three weeks of work had made it livable again, although it was still small. Two bedrooms and one bathroom, a living room and a kitchen. And the smaller bedroom, the one the boys had to share, had one spot that never got warm.
David, Ian, Jack, and Ashton introduced themselves when Brent answered the door. Brent was about thirteen, his brother Glen a year older, and he answered Ashton's question about whether or not he had any younger brothers by saying, "No, Glen's enough. Besides, there isn't room for another kid."
"Me and Glen are still unboxing stuff," Brent said. "But you can come in if you want, we need a break anyway."
The boy's bedroom had several empty and a few un-opened boxes. They were taking up much of the space that wasn't already filled by the bunk beds. David, Ashton, and Ian felt a cold breeze as they entered, but Jack stopped just outside the door.
"Come on in, there's room, Ian said to his cousin, but then he saw the look of fear. Oddly enough, Jack had blocked their mind connection, something he virtually never did. His lips were moving, but he wasn't saying anything.
"What are you, what do you want with me," Jack said.
"At last, someone who can sense me," the apparition just inside the doorway to the bedroom said to him. "I mean you no harm. None to you or your friends."
Jack tried to reach out to Ian and David, but the spirit said, "I have temporarily blocked your connection to the other two boys. I did not realize at first that you are not a Cormack. Yet your ability is quite strong. I have been trapped here for so long, and I need you to do something to free me. And there is much about your friends that you need to understand."
Jack tried to back away, but found he couldn't move. His fear was growing. "Let me go," he pleaded.
"I will, but first you must hear me out. There is danger out there." The ghost-like thing pointed toward the far corner of the room. "Cormacks harmed it, causing it to suffer much damage. Damage it cannot easily heal. It wants to return home, but is bound here until someone dies. And it is angry. Angry enough to strike out. Not at a Cormack, it fears them. But a friend of the Cormacks, that person would be in danger."
"You mean Ashton," Jack said. He'd given up trying to escape or contact his friends. "We know, he's supposed to be getting protection from Duncan Cormack."
"Do it soon. The Korrigan is getting desperate, and she is not beyond causing death in order to achieve her purpose."
"Can you tell me more?"
"No. I also wish to move on. Please help me. In the bathroom, behind the baseboard next to the door, is a note that was intended for my husband, but he never found it. Get it, and take it to Michael McEwen. Tell him where you found it. Tell him this house is in disrepair and too small. That is all I ask of you."
In that moment, the spirit was gone, and only a cold feeling remained. David had hold of him, and was almost shouting his name.
"I'm, all right," he said. "I'm okay. I tried to call you, but she wouldn't let me."
"Who?" Ian asked.
"Can't you see her through me? Read my thoughts?"
"Hey guys," David said to Brent and Glen. "Sorry about all this. Jack hasn't been feeling well and we need to get him home. It was nice to meet you." He tried pushing his friend towards the door, but Jack resisted.
"I need to go to the bathroom," he said.
"Number 1 or number 2?" David asked through their private connection. "Because if its number 1 you can do that outside."
"I'm okay, I just need to use it for a few minutes," Jack said out loud. He broke free of David and hurried to the bathroom.
The baseboard was loose at the top, and Jack had a small penknife that he used. It took several tries before he was able to pry up a small folded piece of paper. He sat back on the toilet and read it.
"Michael. I am sorry for what I am about to do, but not doing it would hurt you and Malcolm more. I love you. As we once discussed, Hal Tucker will help you to keep your name hidden from any searches. You must leave this house and find another one. Please forgive me, and take care of our son. He has your name, not mine, for a reason. Don't despair, be strong for Malcolm. And always remember, Is binn b้al ina thost."
He joined his friends, who were gathered outside the bathroom waiting for him. After a quick goodbye to the two Upshaw boys, who were wondering what the hell was going on, they left quickly.
"Our connection, it was like it never existed," David said. "Ian and I were still connected, but not you. And there is nothing in your memory that I can see about what happened. Your body was there, but it was like your brain was gone; for a long time too. Like several minutes."
"There's a lot to tell you, but first I have to go to the McEwen house," Jack said as he headed south on Lower Spring Drive.
"Malcolm's not home, he's at the waterpark," Ashton said.
"I'm not going there to see Malcolm. I have to deliver a note to his father."
Jack filled them in with all he knew as they hurried to the house. He even let them read the note. "What's that stuff at the end?" David asked.
"I think its Gaelic. Irish," he said when he saw that the proper word had no meaning for them. I don't know what it means though."
"Malcolm isn't home," Mr. McEwen said when he answered the door. He swayed slightly from side-to-side.
"I know," Jack said. "I have something for you. But first, the old Anderson House, we were just there and the house needs a lot of repairs, but the family living there doesn't know how to do them."
"Why are you telling this to me?" Mr. McEwen asked. "I don't do that kind of work anymore."
"I found this behind a baseboard that was loose at the top," Jack said. "You're about the only Michael I know of in Lower Spring. I think it was meant for you." He handed the note. "Can you tell me what the Gaelic at the end means?"
The man read the note, his eyes changing focus several times as he read. His expression changed too.
"It says, "It is a sweet mouth that is quiet." It means the same as the American expression, "Silence is golden." I think you boys need to go now." He started to close the door, but then paused. "Thank you for this," he said. Then the door was closed and they heard the deadbolt thrown.
It was a letter from his wife, dead now for over twelve years. Killed by her own hand, to protect him and Malcolm. He had expected the note, and had looked for it, but assumed Elijah had found it during his search. She had long feared the Mackeys, and had discussed with him several times why the house was in her name and not his. And if something were to happen to her, he was to distance himself from her and move into another house owned under his name.
He knew the Old Anderson house well. After marrying Tabitha, he'd done all the repairs to it, made it a home instead of a house. It was no surprise it needed work; it had sat empty for a decade.
He considered her message. Be strong. He hadn't been. Malcolm had become cold and distant, and he hadn't tried. He'd hated lying to the boy all those years, and drink made it easier. He hadn't been strong. But now Malcolm knew the truth. Maybe it was time he tried.
Soge had sensed the boy early in the day. He'd followed game tracks, but hadn't paid enough attention and almost stumbled into her new hiding spot. He had been Scain's favorite. The Amadan had taken over the boy, causing him to damage to the sacred Mackey land, and she knew that killing him now might be enough to let her go home. But he had wised up just in time and backed out before she could plan an attack.
She was getting more and more frustrated. She decided she would not wait for fate to determine who she was to wail for. She had listened, and knew enough to have three potential targets. One was the boy named David, the one she almost had that morning. But a better one would be one called Malcolm. She hadn't seen him yet, but knew she could find him if she needed to. But the third one might be the easiest of all. A child really, and easily scared. A close friend of a Cormack made him an ideal target. She was already planning on how she could get close enough to the boy named Ashton to freeze him with her wail, and then take his spirit and use it to get home.