Date: Fri, 11 Jun 2004 22:48:29 -0500 From: Rhaven Subject: Path of Angels Chapter Two This story contains Man/Boy situations. This is a work of pure fiction, words on a page, nothing more than fictional fancy. If you like this story please check out www.rhavenlore.com for more. The Path of Angels By RHAVEN CHAPTER TWO The boys had more energy that I could muster up in a year. They swam, splashed, wrestled and floated until I was exhausted from just watching. Dr. Coyer had long since succumbed to slumber, snoring loudly her lips flapping with each breath. My mind replayed all that the woman had told me about the boys. It felt like a dream, a dream that I didn't expect to have or deserve. I had already imagined the boys inhabiting my cabin, lazily sprawled around the living room watching movies. What kind of fool was I? Even if that came true, they wouldn't need me around, it would be the movie they came to see. I was in the process of drowning in my melancholy when I saw Sandy jogging over to me. I quickly grabbed his towel and handed it him. "Having fun?" I asked stupidly, I had just watched him play for over an hour in the lake, of course he was having fun. "Yeah, I love the water." He said sitting so close to me, our hips rubbed together. "I should have been a pirate." I mumbled lazily, watching Jaron dance crazily across the shallows. He stopped, waved at me and continued the jiggling dance. "Jaron likes you." Sandy said, I smiled but made no reply. I was caught in the vision of the nude boy's ballet; he appeared to be dancing just for me. It took me a second to realize Sandy had grabbed my hand. The blonde hair boy was examining my hand with great concentration. "We call Jaron a waterfall." Sandy moved my hand over, so that he could inspect it more closely. "All his thoughts just flow out of his mouth before he realizes it. Most people at Promise House think he's crazy." I nod as if I could understand the motivation of a free spirit. Sandy continued holding my hand as he gestured with a head movement to Rudy. "Rudy thinks you're another shrink, here to research us crazies." "A shrink. you mean a psychiatrist?" I yelped as if stung by a bee. "Yeah, he thinks Dr. Coyer hired you to keep an eye on us. Don't worry about it." Sandy said with a reassuring smile. "Rudy thinks everyone is a spy. It took Rudy forever to trust me and the guys. Plus, Rudy is shy, but once he gets to know you, he can talk your leg off. He likes to draw too." It suddenly occurred to me, that Sandy was introducing the boys to me. Letting me into their society, by explaining their quirks. "Edwin and Edgar." Sandy continued. ". Are very nice, but never ever try to split them up. I'm not sure they could survive apart. They can be mischievous, they're called Double Trouble for good reason." I nodded again, wondering why Sandy felt the need to tell me all this. "What about you Sandy, what are you like?" I asked, deciding I might as well get all the information I could from the boy. Sandy released my hand and sighed. "I'm nothing." He said flatly. "I don't believe that, what things do you like to do other than swimming?" Sandy laid back and stared up into the sky. "I dream a lot, so I kind of like writing stories, but I'll never be good enough to write a real book." "Just keep writing, being a writer is a wonderful profession. I would have loved to be an author." I confessed, I've always believed that it was a short step between artist and author. After all, an artist created a story on his canvas, to become a writer only meant for me to transform my strokes of the brush into words, I'd just never figured out how to start. "Do you write fantasy or science fiction?" I asked leaning back, resting on my elbow, watching Sandy's small chest rise slowly and delicately with each breathe. It was hard to imagine Sandy as being a problem child. I hated to say emotionally disturb, it seemed a cruel description. "I just write about stuff in my life. I don't know enough to write about anything else." I was about to tell Sandy that was okay to write about what you know when Jaron surprised me. The nude boy almost fell on top of me, landing between my legs. "Mr. Caruso, aren't you going to swim?" Jaron asked cocking his head to the side. "I guess I will. Are you coming Sandy?" I asked looking down at the boy. "Not right now." He said with a yawn. "Okay Jaron, let's go swimming." I must have shocked the boy, by remembering his name. He cheered and grabbed my hand. I was quickly pulled into the water and attacked. Jaron jumped on my back before I could react. I was just gaining my balance when I spotted the twins advancing. I flung Jaron off me and dived under the water. In a brilliant maneuver, even if I do say so myself, I grabbed the twins by darting between them and knocking them off their feet. I only had a second to refill my lungs with air before Jaron dived at me again, joined now by the twins. "You're going to get it now!" One of the twins yelled and attacked me. I wish I could tell who was who with the twins. One twin was dangling from my right arm, while the other hugged my waist, Jaron was once again climbing on me, his nudity pressed against my back. I barely had time to savor Jaron's contact, when one of the twins managed to trip me. Then the attack worsened, I felt small fingers dig into my swimming suit and tug. The twins were trying to rid me of my clothing. "Oh so you want to play dirty!" I declared and snatched one of the twins. I had his swimming suit around his ankles before the other twin had time to react. All three boys, two nude or near nude leaping at me. The foray lasted until both twins surrendered, begging for their swimming suit back, which I held high into the air in triumph. In that moment, I was allowed to forget my age, to forget my troubles and defeating thoughts. Wrestling with the boys was the best medicine I'd had in a year. "Mr. Caruso.Mr. Caruso. Mr. Caruso.Mr. Caruso." Jaron said jumping and waving, as if he was about to burst. "Yes, Jaron?" "Do you know how to do Rocket Launcher?" He asked still fidgeting with excitement. The twins repeated 'rocket launcher' as if it was a magical word. "What is that?" I asked warily. "You need to squat down and hold out your hands." Jaron began to explain. "I put my feet in your hands and you launch me into the air!" "Oh rocket launcher." I nodded and squatted down until the water was lapping at my chin. Jaron instantly climbed into my hands, his bare butt thrust into my face. I straightened my knees and pulled the boy up, throwing him high into the air. I became a living amusement ride. Edgar, Edwin and Jaron taking their turn on the Daniel Rocket Launcher ride. After several minutes, I noticed Rudy, standing alone in the shallows. "Rudy, you want to take a turn?" I yelled over to him. The boy turned to me, tears streaking his terror filled face. I motioned for the three boys to stop and waded my way to Rudy. "What's wrong Rudy?" The red hair boy pulled his foot out of the water. "I'm bleeding." He whined, the tears bursting as he saw the blood oozing from his big toe. "Oh man!" I cringed and examined the wound. It wasn't a serious cut, but it was enough to upset Rudy. "We should put a Band-Aid on that." I said keeping my face solemn feeling the boy's pain. "What is going on?" Dr. Coyer asked coughing herself out of slumber, as I helped the hobbling boy onto the beach. "Cut toe. nothing to worry about. I'll take Rudy to the cabin and doctor it up." I patted Rudy on the shoulder and noticed the boy's second problem, glowing red-sunburned skin. I cringed again at the sight of Rudy's back. "Do you need any help?" Dr. Coyer grunted as she stood. "I'll help, no one else needs to leave." Sandy said quickly, talking so maturely it was hard to see him as a boy. "Sandy's right, we'll do fine." I turned my attention to Rudy. "Can I carry you?" "Please." Rudy nodded. I picked him up and held him as if he was a baby. "Let's go." Sandy led the way as we climbed back up the hill to my cabin. "You know you've got a good sunburn there." I informed Rudy; he nodded again, still in the middle of stiffing back his tears. "I may have something back in the cabin for that." I said, after all Kathy had stocked the place with everything, why not something for a sunburn. Sandy opened the door for me and I headed for my bathroom. I carefully laid the boy across the bathroom counter and moved his foot into the sink. "I'll need to clean it off first before I put a Band-Aid on." I said, letting Rudy know exactly was I was doing. He remained silent as I ran cold water over the cut. Sandy rested against me, keeping tabs on me, like a concerned big brother. I examined the cut and smiled. Whatever Rudy had stepped on, had barely broken the skin. I opened the medicine cabinet and retrieved a large Band-Aid. "Mr. Caruso, do you have a towel I can use." Sandy asked me, apparently assured I wasn't going to hurt Rudy. "Over there, can you grab one for Rudy and me too?" I pointed to the wooden doors behind me. With the Band-Aid in place, Rudy tested the security by wiggling his toes. "Feel better?" I asked rubbing Rudy's foot, I was tempted to kiss his toe, that is what my mother would have done. A kiss and say 'all better', but I hated to be so forward with the shy boy. "Much better, thank you Mr. Caruso." Rudy finally smiled. "You guys can call me Daniel or Dan or Danny. Now let's see what we can do about that sunburn." I dug into the medicine cabinet again. I needed to do something special for Kathy, the woman was a miracle. I pulled out a bottle labeled SunCure Lotion and read the back. "This is supposed to help with sunburns; all you have to do is rub over the exposed skin." "Cool, I think maybe my shoulders are sunburned too." Sandy said. I turned to give the boy a quick smile and gasped from embarrassment. Sandy had pulled off his speedo and was drying himself with the towel. I regained my composure quickly and handed a towel to Rudy. "You need to dry off too, Rudy." "I'm dry Daniel; you can put that stuff on my shoulders now." Sandy informed me. He had wrapped his towel around his waist now and stood readied. I hadn't intended on actually applying the lotion on the boys but I wasn't going to argue. I squeezed a healthy amount into my palm and started rubbing it across Sandy's non-sunburned shoulders. I wasn' t sure why Sandy thought he had burned, there wasn't a hint of redness in his skin. But I didn't complain. "Could you put some on my back too?" Sandy asked and turned around. I glanced over at Rudy, also naked now and dabbing his skin delicately with the towel. "You're much nicer than Dr. Coyer." Rudy said stepping over to me and watching me cover Sandy's back with the lotion. "Thank you Rudy. How does that feel?" I asked Sandy. "Feels a lot better, thank you." "Your turn Rudy." The red head, still naked stepped forward. "May I get something to drink Daniel?" Sandy asked as I was squeezing the lotion into my hand. "Cokes are in the frig." I said grinning. Sandy returned the smile and left the bathroom. I knelt down on a knee and started spreading the lotion over Rudy's body. Unlike Sandy, this boy was red, from head to toe. I was half way down Rudy's stomach when I noticed abrasions across his waist. "What happened here?" Rudy puckered up his face and shrugged his shoulders. "Stupid Double Trouble. I couldn't get them to stop messing with me." I flashed back to the lake, the amusing vision of the twins trying to pull off Rudy's swimming suit. It never occurred to me that they could be hurting Rudy. The abrasions were worse than the cut on Rudy's toe; I knew they had to hurt, I hurt just looking at them. "I'm sorry Rudy. look, if anyone tries to hurt you again. you just tell me, okay?" The small boy smiled, it was such a smile only heaven has seen. I leaned down and kissed the sores, my chin brushing against his penis. "All better." I said and got a suffocating hug from the young boy. I let the hug last into I honestly couldn't breathe anymore. "All right, let me finish getting this lotion on you and then we can get a coke." Rudy giggled and released me. I coated his body in the SunCure lotion and then wrapped the towel around his waist. "Let's see what Sandy is doing." "Daniel." Rudy whispered. "I like you." "I like you too." I whispered back. We found Sandy in the kitchen, filling three glasses with Coke. "Thanks Sandy." I said taking the offered drink from the boy. I guess with all that was going on, I hadn't realized how thirsty I really was. I finished the drink in one gulp. This was so strange for me. I was enjoying myself, but who wouldn't. I was in the country, two boys standing next to me, wearing nothing but towels, with three other boys waiting on me at the lake. It really was paradise. "I have an idea, why don't we make sandwiches for everyone?" I suggested. "You don't have to do that." Sandy said sulking, as if I had insulted him somehow. "Well I think it's a cool idea." Rudy rested his head on my arm and patted me like a pet. "I really would love doing this." I said fluttering my eyes at Sandy. "Okay, if you really want to." Sandy said almost smiling. There was a lot going on inside Sandy's head, too much for me to follow. I couldn' t understand why fixing sandwiches would upset him, but it did. For whatever reason, Sandy didn't dwell on it, he help with the sandwiches, directing Rudy and I like a master chef. "Is everything all right. I got worried when you didn't return." Dr. Coyer, followed by the twins and Jaron (in his cut off jeans) paraded into the cabin. "Sorry about that, I decided to make everyone sandwiches." I said feeling stupid, of course Dr. Coyer would worry; I had dragged a bleeding boy off and not returned. It was very careless of me. "No problem, as long as everything is fine." Dr. Coyer said giving me a quick smile. "Sandwiches sound wonderful!" Sandy and Rudy passed out the sandwiches and potato chips, while I prepared drinks for the new arrivals. Rudy and Sandy slipped on their swimming suits again and we all headed out to my porch to enjoy the waning day's last spark of light. I sat down next to Dr. Coyer on my right and Sandy on my left. I was secretly pleased to see all the boys fighting for a seat next to me. Popularity is wonderful. I've experienced fame, I have followers and fans, all who crave to see my next painting. There are even ten websites devoted just to me, I know because I did a search on the internet. Call it conceit, but you'd do the same thing. However, to have someone want you, to sit near you, not your talent, is invigorating. I ate, listening to the boys share corny jokes that were older than I was. They giggled and spat coke as if the jokes were brilliant and I joined in. "I think we should let Mr. Caruso enjoy the rest of the day alone." Dr. Coyer stood, she looked worn and a bit sunburned herself. None of the boys argued with the woman's statement. I wasn't sure if it was out of fear or respect. "Well I've really enjoyed the day. it's been wonderful. I loved every moment." I couldn't stop, the more I talked the more I sounded like a hermit on his first meeting with another human. "I know the boys enjoyed themselves as well." Dr. Coyer shook my hand. "I'll see you all later." I said quickly to the boys as the lined up behind the woman. Each boy gave me a silent wave goodbye. But it was Sandy who held out his hand as if trying to touch me. I almost walked over to him, but Dr. Coyer had started the march to their cabin. I watched them disappear over the hill and into the woods, happy to see the boys tripping over themselves as they tried to walk and keep an eye on me. With them gone, the silence hit me. I had lost one of my senses, my sense of companionship. Actually, I had lost this sense a year ago and was given a taste today of what was gone. What a cruel joke life was, I was afraid I had seen the last of the boys.