Date: Mon, 21 Nov 2011 12:17:51 +0000
From: jkeele777@yahoo.com
Subject: Shadow & Light, chapter 4

WHILE SOME OF THE EVENTS DESCRIBED IN THIS STORY ARE FICTIONALIZED, SO I
CAN RETAIN WHAT'S LEFT OF MY SANITY, MANY OF THE EVENTS HERE ACTUALLY
HAPPENED AS DESCRIBED. YOU SHOULD KNOW BEFORE YOU CONTINUE THAT THIS STORY
CONTAINS GRAPHIC ACCOUNTS OF CHILD ABUSE AND VIOLENCE, AS WELL AS DRUG USE
BY TEENAGERS. IF YOU ARE EASILY OFFENDED OR THIS KIND OF MATERIAL IS
ILLEGAL FOR YOU TO READ, PLEASE STOP NOW. IF YOU ARE, OR KNOW OF A CHILD IN
A SIMILAR SITUATION, DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! CALL THE POLICE. CALL SOCIAL
SERVICES. DO ANYTHING, BUT DO SOMETHING!

Chapter 4

	Thursday, August 15th, 1991. That was the day I was finally
released from the hospital. As I rode down the elevators, I started to
panic a little bit. Ben must have sensed it, because he had his hands on my
shoulders instead of the handles of the chair.

 He gave a gentle squeeze and said "Everything will be ok, buddy. We're
going to take good care of you. Greg can't wait to meet you. He's been
moving all his stuff into the spare bedroom and getting your bed and all
your stuff set up for you. We're putting you in my room - in your own bed,
of course."

I couldn't say anything, once again. These people were constantly rendering
me speechless.

Joe noticed, and said "You'll see, kiddo, things are going to be better for
you now. I've already got you registered in school. I'm pretty impressed
with your transcripts, and they're starting you in tenth grade, so you'll
be in the same class as Ben. You've already had visitors at the house. Cody
and Kevin, I think were their names. They're very worried about you.
There's also some stuff we need to talk about when we get home, as far as
your house and belongings go. Your mom's attorney is meeting us at the
house at eleven this morning. I won't say a whole lot about it, but it
appears that you have some decisions to make about a few things."

On the way back to the Forster house, Ben sat in the back seat with me. We
didn't say much, but he could tell I was nervous, and he held my hand the
entire way home. Since most of my broken bones had healed while I slept, I
was no longer in casts, but I still had a brace on my right arm, and my
ribs were still very sore. I found that unless I moved a little bit every
few minutes, my whole right side started to cramp up. When we finally got
into Lewisville, it was almost nine in the morning. I knew that Joe had
said we were meeting an attorney at eleven, but I was starving. "Joe," I
asked, "do you think we could stop and get something to eat?"

"Sure thing, kiddo," he replied. "What did you have in mind? You guys want
breakfast or burgers?"

	"Burgers!" Ben and I said in unison. Joe just laughed and pulled
into a burger joint.

	After we ate, we headed back through my old neighborhood, with Joe
being careful to take the long way around, so I wouldn't have to look at my
parent's house. As soon as Joe hit the button for the garage door to open,
a boy that I assumed had to be Greg came bounding out of the house. He
looked just like Ben and Joe. There was definitely no mistaking that these
men were related!

 When I finally managed to get out of the car, Greg jumped up and hugged
me. "I'm so glad you're finally here!" he exclaimed. "I got your bed and
everything all set up for you, and we went to your old house and got all
your clothes and your TV and stuff yesterday. I hope I got it all the way
you wanted it!"

I couldn't help but laugh. This kid was going to be a handful! I shook his
hand and said "thanks, Greg, for getting everything set up for me. I'm not
sure if I could have gone back over there yet. I'm sure whatever you have
done will be great. Now, the only question I have is, where's the bathroom?
I really gotta pee!"

Greg burst out laughing and grabbed my good hand. "Come on, man, I'll show
you. Then I'll show you around before your appointment."

As he led me into the house, I couldn't help but notice how warm and
inviting their house was. It was clean, and everything looked like it was
in its place, but you could tell immediately that there was a lot of love
in this house. As I relieved myself, I noticed there was a picture on the
bathroom counter of Ben and Greg with a small, frail looking woman. This
must have been Jo. After meeting her husband and both of her sons, I could
not help but feel slightly sad that I had missed out on meeting this
obviously extraordinary woman. After I washed up, when I opened the door,
Greg was waiting to continue my tour.

"This is the living room, obviously," he said, still leading me by the
hand. "And through here is the kitchen. We keep it pretty well stocked, but
if you want anything, there's a list on the cork board. Just add whatever
you want to it, and we shop on Sundays. You saw the garage." As we walked
back through the living room, he said "Dad's bedroom is on the other side
of the house from us. And down the hall here, you and Benny's room is on
the right, and mine is on the left. The other door there is an office,
where we do all our homework and stuff."

"Wow, Greg," I said. "Thanks for the tour! Now, since you have my bed and
stuff set up, you think it would be OK if I lay down for a little while?
I'm still kind of tired."

As it happened, my nap would have to wait. The attorney showed up a little
early, and Joe was showing him in as I was headed to the garage to get my
stuff out of the car.

"You must be Jeremy," he said, holding out his hand. "I'm Jim Carter, and I
have a few things to go over with you, if you feel you're up to it."

"Well, Jim," I said slowly, "even if I'm not, I guess we need to get this
over with. I don't know what you could possibly have to tell me, though.
Tom had other kids, and I have an older brother out there somewhere that I
guess would be more entitled to anything they left. And I'm honestly not
sure that I want anything that came from either of them. But, let's get
down to it, I guess."

Jim looked at me for a moment, and said "I have to say, you are a
remarkable young man. If I had been through half of what I've been told
you've dealt with, I think I'd be in a rubber room," he laughed. First,
there is the matter of the life insurance. Between your mother and Tom,
there is just over a hundred thousand dollars in an escrow account in your
name. Tom's children from his previous marriages have already been given
their share, and as for your brother, well, we have his name and contact
information if you want it, but there were no provisions in the wills for
him." He paused for another second, and continued. "The house is yours,
free and clear. They had insurance to pay it off in the event of their
deaths, and in your mothers will, it was left to you. Now, should you
decide to sell it," he paused again, "and I completely understand if you
do, then you will be responsible for removing all the personal property
that remains. Your grandparents and your mother's siblings have all said
that they would help with that part if you need them, but they are
reluctant to come back to Texas. Tom's family has agreed to just stay out
of the whole process and let you decide if and when you want to talk to
them."

Without noticing that Greg was still in the room, I blurted out "Fuck
them. All of them. They knew what he was doing to me for eight years, and
they never once stood up for me. Not one of them ever told the cops, or the
social workers, what they saw or heard in that fucking house. And they were
all asked, many times. This is not the first time he put me in the
hospital, you know. They gave up the right to speak to me the second the
signed the guardianship papers for Joe." With that, I broke down a little
bit, and then saw that Greg was sitting on the chair next to me, with his
mouth hanging open. "Greg, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to talk like that with
you here. I forgot that you were in the room." When he ran out of the room,
I thought he was crying.

When he found Joe, I heard him say "Daddy, why would someone do that? How
can someone hurt their own family that way?"

Of course, I felt terrible. I turned back to Jim, and said "Look, Jim, I
understand I'll have to clean out the house, but I am definitely selling
it. I don't ever want to set foot in that place again. I don't think I
can." Let me know what needs to be done so I can get rid of it, and move
on, if I can."

He simply stared for a moment, and replied, "I thought you might feel that
way, son. I've already had the title transferred to your name, and I have a
realtor that will take care of the sale for you. We just need to get you up
the whatever bank you decide to use, so we can transfer the insurance money
to your account, and then I will let you and Joe decide what to do about
the personal effects still in the house."

Fourteen signatures later, and Jim was gone. When I finally sat back on the
sofa, Greg poked his head around the corner, and asked me "Are you ok?"

I smiled at him, patted the cushion next to me, and said "I'm not right
now, shortstack, but I will be soon. I promise. I'm sorry you had to hear
that, and I'm sorry it upset you."

He smiled at me again and answered, "I'm NOT short! I'm just not as tall as
Benny or Dad yet. And Benny said the "f" word all the time before you got
here. I've never seen him so mad. I just don't understand why your Dad
would be so mean to you."

"Well, little buddy," I answered, "he wasn't my real Dad, and he never
liked me very much. I never knew why, and I guess now I never will. You and
Ben are very lucky to have Joe. You're what, eleven?" I asked.

"Yep, I'll be twelve in February." He answered proudly.

"Well, buddy," I continued, "by the time I was your age, I had already been
in the hospital a few times, and had already had several broken bones. I'm
glad you don't know what that's like. I hope you never have to find out,
but I don't think you have to worry about it. Your Dad is a stand up guy."

"What does that mean?" he asked. "What is a stand up guy? Is that like a
comedian?"

I had to laugh at this, even though he was completely serious. "No, bud,
what I mean by that is that your Dad is a good guy. He does the right
thing, even if it isn't the easy thing to do, and he stands up for people
who can't help themselves. People like me."

He seemed to think about that for a minute, and said "OK, I'm going outside
to ride my bike now."

After he left to go play, I made my way down the hall to what was my new
room, I guess, and as I opened the door, Ben grabbed me and hugged me
tight. "I heard everything you just said to him." He said. "Thank you for
trying to explain all of this in a way that he would understand, and so
that he wouldn't be scared of something happening to him. He worries a lot
since Mom died. Now, if you still need to lie down for a while, this is
your bed on the left, and mine is on the right. Dad wants to talk to you
later about the house and stuff, but he can wait as long as you need. Do
you want me to stay with you until you fall asleep?"

I couldn't turn that down. "I would like that very much," I replied. "I'm
probably going to need help getting out of this shirt, anyway. I'm gonna
have to get some button downs until my ribs quit hurting so bad." As he
helped me undress, I couldn't help but get aroused. Here was this gorgeous
boy, the one I had wanted since I first saw him, helping me take my clothes
off! And he definitely noticed what a state he was putting me in! As I
lowered my jeans, my boxers betrayed me, and my cock sprang up like a
board, smacking my stomach. Ben, hot as he was, giggled.

"Been a while, huh, mister?" He laughed. "Well, after you get a nap and a
shower, we'll have dinner, and then if you want, we can just lay around
back here for a bit, unless you, uh, want to take care of that now." And
then he leaned in and kissed me. I'm not talking about a friendly kiss
here, either. I'm talking, toe curling, foot lifting, full on passionate
kiss here. I was dazed afterward, and had to sit down.

"Ben, it HAS been two months since I even jerked off, you know. I'm sure if
you find me a rag to clean up with, I can have this taken care of in just a
minute," I said, blushing furiously.

"No, sir," he said. "No boyfriend of mine is gonna have to rub one out by
himself if he doesn't want to. I'll go get something to clean up
with. Don't start without me!"

As he left the room, I couldn't help but notice the tent in his cargo
shorts. He was definitely carrying some cargo in there! It then occurred to
me that I had never seen Ben when he wasn't fully dressed. I had jerked off
a couple of times with my friends Cody and Kevin, but we had never touched
each other. I had never touched anyone except for myself in that way, and
now I had this beautiful green eyed boy running to get a cum rag! I
couldn't help but laugh, even though it hurt my side terribly. When Ben
came back into the room, I was still laughing hysterically, and soon had
him rolling around as well. As I tried to explain just what was so funny, I
grabbed him and pulled him onto the bed with me. As we curled up on the
bed, he gave me another one of those knock your lights out kisses, and I
snuggled up close to him. After we broke our kiss, I laid my head on his
chest, and before I knew it, I was being shaken awake! So much for first
times, huh!

"Jer," Ben said as he shook me, "wake up, buddy, it's time to eat. You've
been asleep about 6 hours!"

"What?" I said, slowly sitting up. "What time is it?"

"Dude, it's almost seven," was the reply.

"No shit? Wow, no wonder I'm so hungry. What time did we eat this morning,
like nine?"

"Yeah, man, it was pretty early," he said. "You slept through lunch. After
we eat, Dad wants to talk to you for a while, if you're up to it."

"I need a shower before I should be allowed anywhere that people are going
to be eating," I said. "I smell like hospital and cheeseburger."

"Yeah," he agreed, "it's not as sexy as you might think, either." I nailed
him in the back with a pillow as he ran out the room.

Fortunately, our room had its own attached bathroom, so I didn't have to go
far to find a shower. I was surprised when I walked in how much space there
was. They had gotten rid of the tub to make room for a stand up shower that
looked like it would hold three people. There were three shower heads in
the ceiling and multiple body sprays in the wall. I would have to remember
to ask about this later. As I dried myself off afterward, I almost had to
call for help. It hurt to bend over and dry my legs, and I was having a
hard time turning to dry my sides effectively. In the end, I gave up on
getting completely dry, pulled on some boxers and sweats, and found a
t-shirt that I could maneuver into in reasonable time. As I looked in the
mirror, I couldn't help but think about my scars and how terrible they
looked. As I turned off the lights, I sighed and headed down the hall to
join the Forster men for dinner.