Date: Mon, 30 Oct 2006 22:38:06 +0000 From: David Lee Subject: Tales from Bentonville, ch. 60 Tales from Bentonville, Chapter 60 By David Lee Warning: This story contains scenes of love and sexual interaction. Much of this involves males with other males. If the reading or possessing of such material as this is illegal in your country, state, province, county, municipality, etc., please leave this site immediately and do not proceed further. If you are under the legal age to read this, please do not do so. It is not my intention to offend anyone or to get you in trouble. The author retains all rights to this original story. Please do not publish without explicit authorization from me. Disclaimer: This story is completely fictional. Most of the places mentioned, and none of the characters exist in real life. Some may possess physical or personality characteristics of people I know or have known. But if you see yourself in this story, your imagination is better than mine! "Tales from Bentonville" is a romantic story centering on the lives of high school kids. Lovers of other ages may appear, but not normally in a cross-generational sense. References to sex with under-age kids may be made for the sake of the story line. However, I feel that child molestation is a crime and should not be glorified or tolerated. This is my fifth attempt at writing fiction. My other stories on Nifty include: "Zeke" (August 29, 2005), "Always and Forever" (March 25, 2004) under High School, "Brad and Alan's Canoe Trip" (April 23, 2004) under Camping, and "Jacob and Jacques" (May 30, 2004) under High School. Some characters from previous stories may have cameo roles in this one. However, you need not read them first. Our only reward for contributing to Nifty is your e-mails. Please write if you like the story. Please include the name of the story in the title of your e-mail. I get a lot of spam! Finally, thanks and hugs to Tim, Tom, and David S. who edit for me so that there are fewer mistakes! dlee169@hotmail.com Tales from Bentonville, Chapter 60 The middle of October saw uneven weather in Iowa. Some days were nearly like summer and others were gray and cold; foretelling of the winter that lay ahead. At least it was easier to practice for sports and marching band when you didn't have sweat pouring down your back. The boys at Greta's house were getting along like a close-knit family. Dustin was doing his best to make sure that he held up his end of household duties. Besides cleaning the upstairs bathroom, he vacuumed the carpet on the stairs and made sure that the bedroom that Dave and he shared was kept tidy. He washed their sheets at the end of the week and volunteered to do Dane and Colt's too. Part of his motivation for doing laundry was to keep Greta from seeing the semen stains that were difficult to prevent. When Greta caught Dustin vacuuming the stairs after dinner on Thursday, she told him to quit obsessing. She realized that being super-neat was his way of compensating for the chaos in his life, so she wasn't going to make him stop his actions completely unless she felt that he was carrying them to an extreme. "You have done more than your fair share of housework. It's time I got Dane and Colton shaped up," she laughed. "Save some work for them." "Ah, Grandma," Dane said in a whining voice. "Don't turn down slave labor when you can get it." "You and Colton can take on the role of indentured servants. Dustin needs the time to practice his lines." "Uh, did I disturb you with my maniacal laughter last night?" Dustin blushed. "No, dear, I thought it was appropriately spine-chilling." Dustin had auditioned for the part of Mephistopheles in the play about Faust that Bentonville High was producing for the end of October. The new director thought that it would be a nice thing to do around Halloween. Dustin had impressed him with his deep laugh and his ability to memorize lines quickly. Greta went back to her knitting while Dane dusted the stair rails and Dustin rehearsed his lines. She was enjoying the two new members of her extended family. She didn't find it a problem to increase the size of her favorite recipes to accommodate two more healthy appetites. Since she was retired and the boys were busy, she had taken on most of the cooking. There would be times when she would let them pitch in to make a meal if she happened to be running late from her part-time activities. Greta was far too young and energetic to simply sit in front of the TV and vegetate. She worked as a volunteer in the schools and also did some subbing. It wasn't for the money, although that was nice. It was more for the sake of feeling like she was contributing something to society. -------------------------------- On Friday night the boys rode the pep bus to the football game in the town of Barton, some distance away. They would have driven, but since it was going to be late and they had a cross-country meet the next day, they figured they might catch a nap on the way home. They felt like they needed to support the team in this away game even if it meant sacrificing a bit of sleep. After all, the coach was going the extra mile in sponsoring their club. It was fun to be on a bus that was full of other lively teens. Many of their friends had opted to do the same, so there was lots of camaraderie. It was all great except for one thing -- Paige had decided to ride the bus too. Since her driver's license had been suspended and her mother was keeping a close eye on her, Paige could neither drive nor go with one of her friends. In fact, her mother escorted her to the bus and insisted that she ride in front with the faculty chaperone. Paige was not happy, but figured that once she was at the game, she could hook up with her usual crowd. She would find a way to get something to ease her stress. Someone would have a flask or some weed. Mike and Brent had staked out one of the rear seats and Cory and Dan had put their claim on the one across from it. When Dane and Colt came that direction, the younger boys were ready to give up their spot to the older ones. "It's okay for you to keep that one," Colt whispered. "You guys can probably hold hands back there. Dane and I share a room, and a bed, every night." The younger pair giggled as they imagined how nice that would be. Some guys had all the luck. When Paige noticed Dan and Cory in the back, she had to go there to make some snide comments about the fact that they were sitting together. "You guys are probably going to suck face all the way there and back," she said loudly. "I know you were each other's homecoming date." "Hey, leave them alone," Dane commanded. "Yeah, you have to stick up for your own kind because you probably have sex with Colt every night." Turning to Colt, Dane asked: "Did you have sex last night? I didn't." "You wouldn't know how to have sex with a girl," Paige insinuated. "Who knows?" Dane replied. "I'm certainly not going to have sex with a slut to find out!" Paige's backhand was stopped by Dane's arm. She winced in pain as one of her bruises came in contact with his forearm. "Mrs. Novak," she whimpered. "Dane called me a slut. I want you to do something about it." "I heard it all, Paige," the chaperone responded. "He said that he wouldn't have sex with a slut. He didn't mention your name, dear. I'm wondering how you jumped to that conclusion. Now, please return to your seat because we are about to pull out and I don't want you to fall and hurt yourself." The boys in the back grinned. -------------------------------- It was a great night for football, especially if you were a Bentonville fan. Once more, the gridders pulled off hard-fought victory. There were some college scouts in the stands who were impressed by both teams. However, Alex and Allen got the most attention. They were bound to get more scholarship offers from schools. The top sportscaster from Cosgrove was covering this game for the station. The footage for that night's high school action would be dominated by shots of Bentonville staging another upset. When the game was over, it was an excited group that boarded the pep bus for home. Mrs. Novak had told the kids to keep their same seats so that she could take attendance more easily. One boy was riding home with his parents, but all of the rest were there except for Paige. Mrs. Novak got on her cell to contact Paige's mother. "We are going to have to leave soon. What do you want me to do?" "Whatever do you mean? Paige called me a few minutes ago to say that she was on the bus. Have you checked everywhere?" "Yes, I have. If she isn't riding on the roof, she isn't on this bus." "Well, I'm not totally surprised. Please don't wait any longer; I'll deal with Paige!" -------------------------------- On the ride home, the kids soon settled down to sleep. Well at least most of them did. One boy in front was trying to get the kids to sing "Ninety-nine Bottles of Beer on the Wall," but the sponsor soon put a stop to that. In the back, Dane turned around to look behind the seat he shared with Colt. Mike and Brent were sharing a discreet kiss when they thought no one could see. Dane nudged Colt who turned around too. When the younger boys opened their eyes, they saw their friends grinning at them. "Best be careful," Colt warned. "Not everyone here would understand." Mike inclined his head toward Dan and Cory who were cuddled together. "I think that some would," he snickered. Colt stuffed his letter jacket against the window to act as a pillow. Then he pulled Dane over so that his head was resting on Colt's shoulder. The two fell asleep quickly. -------------------------------- The cross-county meet the following day went well for Bentonville too. The team didn't mop the floor with their opponents, but they did a respectable job. Their coach was well pleased with the outcome. In the locker room, he praised them for pulling together as a team. "You men have come from different schools that were used to competing against one another. I'm very proud of you for becoming a unified group so quickly. I know that running can sometimes seem like a solitary activity, but we are a group and each one of you is important to our team. I can hardly wait for track season in the spring to see how far we can go." The boys did all feel like they were part of something bigger than themselves. Each felt that he had made a contribution to the team's standing. -------------------------------- Dustin showered and dressed. Using some sport gel on his hair, he spiked it up into a cool, messy style. It looked pretty good on him. He hoped Dave would like it Then he called his father to tell him about the meet and to set a time to get some of his clothes. He could pack most of the stuff in Dave's car so that it would be safe from the weather. Gary thought that it would be best for Dustin to come before dinner because Mary was supposed to be out of the house. That might avoid an unpleasant confrontation. Neither of them realized that Mary was listening on the other phone. Dave did like the hair style. But then, he liked everything about his boyfriend. "It makes you look kind of devilish. You should see if it would be good for when you do the play." They discussed the meet and the upcoming theatrical event on their way to Dave's house. Both were happy to be seeing Dave's parents even thought they were pleased to be living at Greta's during the week. The guys were going to drop the pickup off at Dave's house and go together to get Dustin's things, but Dave needed to run an errand for his mother. So, the boys exchanged keys so Dustin could have the car. It shouldn't take more than a few minutes to pack. There wasn't that much to take on this trip. Dustin could easily get that done by the time Dave was home. As Dustin pulled into the drive of his home, he noticed that the house looked gaunt and deserted. He would miss still living there, but he really had to get away from his mother for the time being. It was with mixed emotions that he unlocked the front door. He had no more than gotten inside when he was grabbed by two men who pulled him into the living room. There he was met by a strange sight. The Reverend Thomas was dressed in a white robe standing near a high, narrow table with three lighted candles on it. Also on the table was something that looked like a small steel cross welded on the end of an ice pick. The minister held a large black Bible with gold writing on it. Dustin was forced to sit in a wooded straight-backed chair. He was held in place by the two men who were evidently elders in the church his mother was attending. After a brief struggle, Dustin figured out that he was going to have to rely on his brain rather than his brawn to get out of this situation. As the minister began a kind of hypnotic chant, Dustin forced himself to relax and go limp. When he did so, the men holding him relaxed their grip. "You are under my command, Dustin," Reverend Thomas said. "You will do as I say. I am going to force the Devil out of you. It may hurt you physically, but it will save your eternal soul. Do you understand?" "Yes, I understand," Dustin replied in the kind of monotone voice that he thought someone under a spell might use. "Good! Men, you can stand back a little now. Dustin will not fight this. Mary, would you please open the window a crack so that the evil spirit can escape the house?" The elders and Mary did what was asked of them. The minister held the metal cross in the flame of the tallest candle. He told Dustin to remove his shirt and T-shirt. Dustin followed his orders while he planned what he would do. It was evident that the cross was going to be used as some kind of branding iron. While Dustin would not be ashamed to carry that symbol as a scar on his chest, he was certain that it would hurt like Hell. As Reverend Thomas moved the hot cross toward Dustin's body, Mary spoke up with fear in her voice. "You aren't going to burn my son, are you?" "If he is pure, the cross won't burn him. If he is of the Devil, it will forever sear the sign of our Lord on him. He will be saved either way." Reverend Thomas reheated the branding iron and moved forward. As he got near, Mary grabbed his arm which caused the hot object to come in contact with the man's other hand. There was the smell of burning flesh and a cry of agony from the minister. Dustin took the opportunity to jump up on the chair and let out a deep, evil laugh. "Come and touch me so that I may eat your souls," he cackled. "I am Mephistopheles, second in command to Beelzebub. You are now in my power." The two elders shrank back in fear, but Thomas kept his place while holding his wounded hand. Dustin got off the chair and reached toward the man with his right hand. He made a plucking motion at the man's chest and quickly put those fingers in his own mouth. "Now, I have swallowed your soul," he proclaimed loudly. "I will come for your body at the last stroke of midnight. But, Almighty God has made me promise that I will give you one chance to redeem yourself. If you had been pure, you would not have been harmed by the cross. You are wicked and must make yourself right before your maker. Your only chance is to follow these directions exactly. You will go to the church and strip yourself of all of your clothing including your shoes. You will prostrate yourself in front of the altar. After that, you must take the brass cross from the communion table and place it on your right shoulder. You will walk around the outside of the church seven times counter-clockwise. That will release your soul. Then you must place the cross on your left shoulder and go clockwise another seven times. That will plant your soul back in your miserable body." Dustin wondered if he had overplayed the part. It sounded so ridiculous when he said the words aloud that he could barely keep from laughing. He should probably run while he had them off-balance. "I won't do that!" the minister exclaimed. "Do as you please, mortal," Dustin smiled evilly as he stood upon the chair again. He liked the idea of towering over the scene. He was pretty sure that the low position of the candles in relation to his position on the chair caused them to cast a sinister light on his features and hair. "Do not be a fool, Bradford Thomas. Do you doubt my power?" Dustin had been watching the curtain blowing against a porcelain trinket that his mother had on a low table near the fireplace. He made some gestures in the air. Just as a gust of wind made the curtain stand out further, Dustin pointed in that direction. The figurine hit the hearth with a resounding crash and shattered into a hundred pieces. Everyone but Dustin jumped. The two elders ran for the door followed closely by the minister. They moved as if the very hounds of Hell were nipping at their heels. A moment later, Dave and Gary burst through the front door nearly colliding with the three men who were fleeing. "Babe, when you didn't come home, I got worried. What's going on?" Dave asked. "You won't believe this, but here goes." Beginning with the last part, Dustin related his story to his father and his boyfriend who were nearly in hysterics with laughter as he told about playing Mephistopheles. Dave had tears in his eyes and Gary sat pounding on the arm of the sofa. They would settle down for a moment and then Dustin would add another detail that set them off again. But the part about the branding iron brought a sudden quiet to the room. "He was going to do what?!" Gary exclaimed. "Shit!" Dave added in disbelief. "Mom stopped him. If she hadn't grabbed at him, I would never have had the chance to do my satanic routine. I would have just tried to run!" It was then that they realized Mary was standing quietly in the corner wearing a vacant stare. "Mary, are you okay?" Gary inquired. She did not speak, but only nodded. "Are the other children safe?" "They are at your sister's," she replied in a mechanical voice. It was evident that she was in a kind of shock and would likely need treatment. Gary eased his wife into a chair before calling the sheriff's office about the near-branding of his son. Then he called his sister to tell her that he would have to leave the kids with her for a few days. Dave called his mother to tell her that they would probably be late for dinner. She said that she was making stir-fry and would not start anything until she knew that they were on their way. It was a good thing that Dave had called because it took Sheriff Larkin the better part of an hour to come the fifteen miles from Bentonville. When he entered the house, he was apologetic. "Sorry, but I got an urgent call on the way. Deputy Anders is in the car watching our prisoner. I'll be quick about gathering the evidence and tagging it." The sheriff took some digital photos of the scene from several directions. He had Dustin sit in the chair for some of them. As he donned latex gloves to begin to put objects in his evidence bags, the sheriff explained why he had been detained. "We were on the way here when we got a call patched through from Granny Reynolds. You know how she keeps an eye on everything in town. Well, she said that there was a naked man walking around the church. To quote her, it was more like: `There's a stark naked man exposing himself by the church. At least I think it's a man. I used my binoculars and I can tell you that he's not half the man my late husband, Bob was - now THERE was a man.'" The boys rolled their eyes and giggled. That sounded like something the old girl would say. "The man in question is none other than that new minister. He has been babbling that we are going to make him lose his soul and that Dustin is the Devil incarnate. What do you know about that, young man?" Dustin told his story again, but it didn't seem as funny now. "I'm sorry that I drove him over the edge. Damn, I thought that any sane adult would know what a line of BS I was putting out." "You are not to blame son," the sheriff assured him. "The man was evidently nuts already. He has been ranting about evil so much that he was certain he had found Satan here in this little town. He was the sinful one for even threatening you with this thing," he said pointing to the branding iron/cross. When Sheriff Larkin left, Gary got some of Mary's things together and packed a suitcase to take her to Cosgrove General. They had a good psych ward where she could be treated. Hopefully, she would return to normal. "You guys had better go to Dave's to eat and come back later for Dustin's clothes. I will come by after I get Mom admitted so that I can tell you what's going on." Dave took Dustin home in the pickup and left his car. Dustin was in no condition, emotionally, to drive. Dave phoned his mom on the way so that they could eat soon. Dustin would feel better with a full stomach. The conversation around the table was subdued. Eventually, Dave got Dustin to tell his story again. Dustin was warming to the task as his blood-sugar rose again. He had Norma and Geoff Harrison laughing before it was over. When Gary arrived a few hours later, Norma insisted on heating up the leftovers for him while he told them about Mary's condition. He was surprised at how hungry he suddenly felt. Now that the stress of the day was easing, he also craved sleep. "I'm going to have to go home to bed. I hate being someone who eats and runs, but I'm beat." "We'll go with you, Mr. Fagan," Dave suggested. "We don't want you to be alone tonight." Gary was about to say that he would be okay by himself, but he saw that the offer came from the heart. And, the house would seem to empty if he were alone. "Thanks, Mr. David Harrison," he smiled. "But please call me `Pa' or something other than `mister.' If you are going to be my son-in-law, we have to find a less formal way to greet each other." "Uh, thanks Papa," Dave grinned. Dave drove Dustin back to his house after telling his parents that they would do their best to wake up in time for church. "After what Dustin's been through, I'm sure that God would understand if he needs to sleep in." Norma suggested. "After what I've been through, I'd kind of like to be in a sane Christian environment tomorrow," Dustin ventured. "I'll do my best to get around if this son of yours doesn't keep me up too long." Then, realizing how his words could be taken, he blushed all the way to Dave's car. -------------------------------- I want to thank everyone who wrote since the last posting, but I am going to wait until next time to list everyone. I don't want to take away from the following message. It is my sad duty to tell you that the young lady, Hali, did not survive the cancer that she was suffering from. Jason and Hali's parents want me to thank all of you who held her in your thoughts and prayers. He says that he is sure she is watching over us from above. Rest in peace, Hali. I hope we all meet someday in a better place. David