A New Life for Jordan ch 36

A New Life for Jordan

By: Rob Warr

Chapter 36

Lee Lee Lee

"Hey, you awake?" Lee said nudging Jordy gently.

"No," Jordy growled, burying his head under his pillow, "go away. I'm tired."

"Aww...come on, we're going fishing today, remember?"

"Ugh, damn Seth for suggesting that. Why do we have to go so early anyway?"

"I dunno, Seth says the fish are hungry in the morning or something."

"Ugh, okay, okay, I'm getting up," Jordy finally agreed, then throwing back the covers, he revealed he was packing some major morning wood.

"Whoa, is that morning wood, or are you just glad to see me?" Lee teased.

"You know how it is?" Jordy said grinning, but he couldn't help but blush a little.

"I'll let you go take care of that and meet you in the kitchen, okay?" Lee said, hopping up.

He was already fully dressed and Jordy wondered how he'd managed that without waking him. Swinging his legs over the side of the bed, he sat for a moment, yawning and stretching his fine fit body, and Lee couldn't help but stare.

"Damn dude, your body is sure a lot more cut than it used to be."

"Huh? Oh...thanks, all that hard work and exercise," Jordy said grinning.

"Sexercise did you say?" Lee joked.

"That too. Man, I gotta go pee bad, I'll meet you in the kitchen."

"Yeah," Lee said, backing out of the room after taking one last look at Jordy, "see ya in a bit."

Jordy shook his head as he stood and headed to the bathroom. What is his deal? he wondered, thinking about the way Lee was looking at him. Had the water turned him queer too? he laughed. As he stood draining his bladder at the toilet the door suddenly burst open and he almost hosed down the wall as he turned to see who the intruder was.

"Oh, it's you butt-munch. You nearly caused me to piss all over the floor."

"I knew it was you, Lee told me you'd be in here. Scoot over, gotta go too," Seth said, sidling up beside Jordy, freeing his dick, then letting go with a golden stream, "Ahhh, that feels good."

While Seth was finishing up, Jordy washed his hands and face, wiping the sleep from his eyes, then brushing his teeth. Seth soon joined him at the sink and hip butted him aside so he could wash his hands.

"Heyyy," Jordy groused, "quit being so pushy."

"You love it, you know you do," Seth chuckled as he grabbed Jordy from behind and pressed himself against his underwear clad butt.

"Mmm...that feels nice, wish we had time..."

"We will, later, but right now the fish are calling us."

"Lee sure seems pumped about it," Jordy said as he rinsed his toothbrush and stuck it back in the holder.

"Yeah, for a city boy he sure seems to be fitting in nicely here in the sticks."

"Well, he's always been more athletic than me, and I guess he likes the fresh air and sunshine."

"Too bad he can't stay..." Seth said eying Jordy in the mirror.

Jordy stared back at Seth's reflection in the mirror and smiled, "You two seem to be getting along just fine now. So...I guess you're not worried anymore."

"Nope, he's everything you said he was...and more. I like him just fine. It's almost like I've known him forever. I guess cause you talked about him so much and showed me his pics and stuff."'

"Do I need to worry about you and Lee dumping me in the lake and running off together?" Jordy joked.

"No way, I might like Lee, maybe even love him just a little, but I'm in love with you. There's a big difference. You know, because I love you so much, Lee could have been a real ass, and I'd still have put up with him, just for you. I'd do anything for you, I hope you know that."

"That's sweet," Jordy said turning around to face Seth now, then putting his arms around him and pulling him in for a kiss.

"Mmm," that was nice," Seth sighed when they broke for air, "that's one of the things I really love about you, you're a great kisser."

"Yeah, so are you," Jordy sighed, "But now it's time to get dressed and go play with the fishies."

"Yeah, k...need any help getting dressed," Seth said hopefully.

"Nope, I'd never get dressed if you were there. Go see what Lee is up to, and I'll meet you in the kitchen in a bit."

"Okay, if you say so," Seth said giving his BF a kiss on the cheek, "laterzzz."

Jordy dressed quickly, old denim jeans, a light colored tee, then slipped on white ankle length socks and a pair of his old athletic shoes. He grabbed a ball cap and looked around, wondering what else he might need, then fished his little Swiss Army knife out of the drawer and placed it in his pocket.

He found Seth and Lee at the dining table eating oatmeal and cinnamon rolls that his mom had baked the day before, using Mrs. Cramer's recipe. His mom was on the back porch attending to her laundry and his dad was already in the camp office.

"Oatmeal on the stove," Seth advised him, "these cinnamon rolls are the bomb," he said grabbing another one.

"Hey, save me at least one," Jordy teased, "Pig boy."

"Oink, oink, oink," Seth grunted, causing Lee to laugh.

"Oh, there you are," Mrs. Kelly said stepping in from the back porch, "I see you found your breakfast."

"Yeah, thanks mom," Jordy said sliding into his seat beside Seth and grabbing a cinnamon roll.

"So, you're going fishing today," Mrs. Kelly chuckled, "who'd have ever thought you two boys from Chicago would ever do anything as crude as that."

"I like it Mrs. K," Lee assured her, "I'm not crazy about cleaning them, but catching them is fun. I like it best when we catch and release though."

"I agree," Jordy said, "but Seth likes to eat them raw, right there on the lake," he teased.

"Like a seal?" Mrs. K laughed.

"A big fat seal," Jordy said poking Seth in his slender ribs.

"Hey, I'm not fat, I'm just big boned," Seth said, imitating Cartman from the cartoon South Park.

Lee snorted and Jordy laughed, more at Lee's reaction than Seth's joke. It was nice having his two best friends here together and getting along so well. But as Seth had stated earlier, it was too bad Lee couldn't stay longer.

Eventually, the three finished their breakfast, and after rinsing their bowls and glasses, they placed them in the dishwasher and headed out. The 4-wheeler was out front already, loaded with their fishing gear, and Jordy thanked Seth for taking care of that little detail.

"I'll ride in back," Jordy volunteered, "Seth can drive, Lee behind him. And...no grabbing his junk," he teased.

"Aww...spoilsport," Seth groused.

"Later, if you're lucky," Jordy giggled.

Soon they were off and headed toward the bridge at the far end of camp. Seth got as close to the lake as he could before finally parking the ATV in a small clearing and climbing off. Between the three of them they distributed the fishing gear and a jug of ice water and walked the short distance to the lake.

Today the lake was calm, but there was a slight breeze blowing across it which helped to keep the temperature lower as long as they stayed in the shade. Fortunately, there were plenty of shade trees in this spot, and that was one reason Seth had chosen it. The other reason was: that it was seldom used by other fishermen because of it's location.

Tony and his dad knew of it's location however, and usually fished there when they didn't go out on their boat. It had been awhile though since the two had come fishing, partly because Tony now had a girlfriend that kept him busy.

After fanning out about six feet apart, the boys set their lines and sat back on the grassy bank and talked softly as they waited for someone to get a bite. Seth was first to get a nibble, but whatever it was managed to take the bait and get away without setting the hook.

As Seth put fresh bait on his hook, Jordy cried out, jumped up and began fighting with something on his line.

"It feels big, but you never can tell," Jordy said from past experience. Sometimes even the smallest fish put up a big fight to stay alive.

"Take it slow, don't let it break your line. Just wear it out," Seth advised.

"I know, I know," Jordy said, reeling in just a little line.

It took a few minutes, but finally Jordy had the fish close enough for them to identify, and they were surprised to see that it was a decent sized catfish.

"Oh god, a catfish. I hate those things," Jordy moaned, "they can barb you when you're taking them off the hook."

"Not if you know how to do it," Seth assured him, "here, I'll take him off the hook."

Once Seth had the fish on the stringer, he held it up for the other two boys to see, and Jordy snapped a pic with his phone. Lee took one as well, and with the caption, Jordy just caught this, he sent it to his folks. He wasn't sure what time it was in Europe, but he figured they'd see it eventually.

Seth was next to land a fish, also a catfish, slightly larger than Jordy's.

"Well guys, if we can catch one more we'll have dinner ," Seth joked.

"Or we could just throw them back and have pizza," Jordy smirked.

"We'll see...if we catch a decent amount we'll clean them and cook them, if not, we'll throw them back. That okay guys?"

Lee was fine with whatever the other two decided, but he was anxious to catch a fish of his own, whether he got to keep it or not.

Fortunately, he was next. "Wow, it feels big," Lee said excitedly.

"Maybe it's a shark," Seth teased, "Arrrrgghh...ships ahoy, they're sharks in them thar waters."

"Chips ahoy, did you say?" Jordy teased, "Mmm...cookies."

"Seriously guys, it's big...whatever it is," Lee said sounding worried now.

"Just take it slow," Seth advised, coming over to stand by Lee.

Lee nodded and did as he was told as Seth gave him minute by minute instructions. Soon the fish was in sight in the water, and Seth let out a war hoop.

"What a great day for catfish," he effused, "that one's even bigger than ours."

Seth held the fish up for Lee so he could snap a picture of it, then added it to the stringer and placed the fish back in the water.

"We gotta keep em now," Seth said, "that's too much good food to put back."

"Okay, but you gotta clean them," Jordy said shaking his head.

"No problem pansy," Seth chuckled.

"Not a pansy, just don't like guts, that's all."

"Except when you're putting your dick in my guts," Seth teased.

Lee erupted in laughter then, "That sounds gross."

"It is, I prefer to say we make love," Jordy said sticking his tongue out at Seth.

"You can put that tongue in the same hole," Seth giggled.

"Maybe later," Jordy agreed, feeling a little excited now.

They fished for another hour or so with no luck, then while Seth was behind a tree relieving himself, Jordy hooked a decent sized bass and had it hauled in by the time Seth returned.

"Good job Jordo," Seth praised, "dinner is fish...yeah!"

"Who's gonna cook it?" Lee wondered.

"Oh, I can cook it, or daddyo might help, especially if we share."

"We can share as long as we have something else to go with it," Jordy decided.

"Well, let's fish a little while longer and see what we come up with. There are lots more fish out there to be caught," Seth said, baiting his hook and casting his line once again.

Almost immediately Seth got a bite, and moments later he was reeling in another nice bass.

"Lee, you must be good luck," Seth said as he slipped the fish on the stringer, "if we keep this up we can feed the whole camp," he laughed.

They didn't exactly catch enough fish to feed the whole camp, but Jordy caught another nice catfish, and Lee another bass before the day was done. Happy and proud, they packed up their tackle, and with Lee holding the stringer of fish at arms length beside the ATV, they headed toward Seth's cabin.

Though Jordy was squeamish when it came to cleaning the fish, Lee took to it easily and was a great help. Jordy reluctantly did his part by stacking the filleted sections in a container Seth had brought out, and in no time they had the fish ready for cooking.

Mack, Mark, and Jerry pulled up out front just as the boys were going in the back door and they proudly displayed their catch.

"Man, you guys been busy. Are you gonna share that?" Mack said in awe.

"Sure daddyo, there's enough for all of us. How about you use your famous fish batter recipe and cook them for us?"

"Okay, but we'll need something else to go with them. Mark can make some of his potato salad and I'll make some hush puppies. We have a few hours till dinner time, but if you guys are hungry you can fix a sandwich or something.

The boys hadn't realized they were hungry till Mack had mentioned it, and Seth led the way to the kitchen. After finding a lid for the container of fish, Seth stowed it in the fridge, then washed up before digging out stuff for sandwiches.

"Baloney and cheese okay?" Seth said, his head still in the fridge.

"Sure, if you got mustard," Lee agreed.

"BBQ sauce for me," Jordy added, "and fry it."

"Picky little gourmet," Seth chuckled.

Seth wound up frying six slices of bologna, then slipping a slice of American cheese between two of them, he laid it on bread, and continued till he'd made three sandwiches. Jerry sat at the table with them while the three ate their sandwiches and chips, but he confessed he wasn't hungry because he and his two dads had gone out to eat while shopping in Pryor.

"Did you buy anything neat?" Jordy wondered.

"Nah, not really. Mostly just looked. Dad bought a new pair of jeans though."

"Are you going to Carl's tonight?"

"Nah, he and his family are out of town this week...in Muskogee."

"So, cool, so you can hang with us?" Jordy said smiling warmly.

"Yeah, if you guys want," Jerry said looking shy.

"Hells yeah," Seth said enthusiastically, "Orgy time."

"Seth," Jordy scolded, "Mack and Mark might hear you, silly."

"And...?" Seth said grinning.

"You're impossible."

"Impossibly sexy," Seth chuckled.

"That too," Jordy agreed.

"What are we really gonna do tonight?" Jerry asked then.

"Oh, I don't know," Jordy said looking at the others.

"Hey, I have an idea," Seth said perking up, "why don't we go camping?"

"Camping, seriously?" Jordy said, but he didn't hate the idea. In fact, the more he thought about it the better it sounded.

"Maybe someplace close, like your backyard," Seth said then, "no need to rough it. It's just a way to get away from the rents and still have the comforts of home."

"Yeah, that does sound fun. What do you two guys think about that?" Jordy said turning to Jerry and Lee.

"Hey, I'm cool with anything," Lee said, "I camped out when I was in Scouts and it was pretty cool."

"Yeah, that sounds fine with me," Jerry said excitedly.

"Good, we can go set everything up while we're waiting for the fish fry, then after dinner we can head to the tent."

"Is it a big tent?" Lee wondered.

"Big enough for four, you'll see. Let's finish up our dog sandwiches and then let's roll."

After briefing Mack and Mark about their plans, which were met with enthusiastic approval, the boys grabbed the tent and other items from the storage shed and loaded them in the ATV.

While Seth and Lee rode down to Jordy's on the ATV, Jordy and Jerry walked the short distance and caught up on each other's lives as they did so.

"You and Carl still good?"

"Yep, hey...remember that Billy kid we met at the park?"

"Yeah," Jordy said grinning, thinking about all the fun they'd had that day.

"Well, Carl knows him and his family. When I told Carl what happened he said he knew Billy was like that cause they'd messed around once. So...guess what? he called Billy and invited him over."

"No way, did he come?" Jordy asked, laughing at the double meaning of the word.

"Yep, and we messed around some. Carl's folks were gone and it was just us three. Even Ricky was gone...thank Heavens. That kid is too horny as it is."

"Wow, what did you all do?"

"Oh, just sucked and stuff...no butt stuff. His dick is too big for us," Jerry laughed.

"Yeah, he's hung like a pony. Man, I wish we could get him to come out here sometime..."

"He probably would, if he had a way to get here," Jerry said nodding.

"Hmm...I'll have to think of a way to get him here then."

They'd arrived at Jordy's by then and began helping Seth and Lee carry the tent and things to the backyard. Mrs. Kelly was sitting on the back door step when they came around the corner and she greeted them, surprising the four boys.

"Oh, hi mom. We're gonna camp out in the backyard tonight, is that okay?"

"Well, I guess so. I can't think of any safer place since your dad installed the bear detectors," she teased.

"Yeah, more like raccoon detectors," Jordy laughed.

"Are you boys staying for dinner, or cooking out?" she teased.

"Well, to be honest, we're having a fish fry at Seth's. See, we caught a bunch of fish and Mack is gonna fry it and Mark is making potato salad..."

"Oh, that sounds wonderful. Hmm...I wonder if your father would like to take me out for dinner then..." she said almost to herself, "I mean, if you boys will be all right here. Mark and Mack are there if you need anything..."

"We'll be fine mom," Jordy assured her, "go on. Go ask dad. I bet he'll say yes."

"I think I will. Well, boys...if you need anything...just let us know before we leave."

"Thanks mom, we have everything."

"Yeah, thanks Mrs. K," Lee said grinning.

"At first I was afraid that my mom might feel left out, since we didn't invite them to the fish fry, but she didn't care at all. She sees this as a chance to get dad alone," Jordy laughed.

"All right!" Lee said, "Mr. K might get lucky tonight."

"Ugh, shut up. I'll have nightmares," Jordy moaned, but truthfully he was glad his mom and dad still got it on.

"Come on lazy bums, let's get this tent set up," Seth said, refraining from making his usual snarky comments about Jordy's folks' sex life.

**************************************

The fish fry was a big success, and since the weather was so nice, the six males ate outside on the picnic table, with lawn chairs drug up at each end to accommodate the two dads.

"Daddyo, you gotta give me your secret recipe for fish batter before you croak," Seth teased.

"Oh, planning on getting rid of me soon, son?" Mack teased, "but don't worry...it's written down in your mom's old recipe book. It was actually her who found it, and first used it," he said looking a little sad at mentioning his dead wife.

"Aww...dad, you know I want you around a long time. I was just joking, but I really do want the recipe, maybe next time I can help you prepare the fish and stuff."

"Sure," Mack said grabbing another piece of fish, "eat up guys, left over fish isn't all that great."

"It makes good fish tacos," Mark reminded him.

"Yeah, that's true...if there's any left, then that's what we'll have tomorrow night, maybe with some rice and beans..."

"Ffftt," Seth made a farting noise, then laughed, "beans and rice...ahhhh."

The boys laughed, and the men smiled, farting was still funny even when you got older.

The boys offered to help clean up, but the two dads assured them they could handle it, and soon the four were headed to Jordy's backyard. It was just starting to get dark by then and Seth suggested they build a fire in the metal fire pit Mr. Kelly had installed earlier in the Spring. It stood on legs and had a grill over it and could actually be used for cooking, but the Kellys used it mostly for ambiance, and to help keep the bugs away.

"I brought marshmallows," Seth said as he added kindling to the short pieces of fire wood he'd just laid in the fire pit."

"And...I brought chocolate and graham crackers," Jordy said grinning, "S'mores time."

"Yay!" Jerry said excitedly, then he wilted, "but not yet. I'm too full of fish."

"Later then," Jordy said grabbing a lawn chair and pulling it up to the fire.

Soon, all four boys had a chair, and as the fire burned slowly, they sat back and relaxed and watched the shadows of the flickering flames. Sometimes if one looked deep enough and stared long enough into the flames, you could see shapes, dragons, people, animals, places, and if your mind was in the wrong place: Satan himself.

All four boys were quieter than usual as they did their own personal introspection and enjoyed the sanctity of the moment and each other's company. They were a little tired from the day's activities and a bit lethargic after the fish feast, but nowhere near ready to call it a night. No, all they needed was to recharge their batteries and they'd be ready to rock and roll all night.

Seth finally broke the silence by beginning one of his trademark horror stories, this one supposedly something that happened nearby. As they listened, the boy finally made the s'mores they'd been too full to eat earlier, but soon they became engrossed in the story and forgot about their stomachs.

"It was in the 1940s, way back before there were cell phones, and computers, and the cars were dopey looking..."

"I think they were cool looking..." Jordy chuckled.

"Maybe some were, but this story isn't about cars exactly, it's about a boy and his bike. Submitted for the approval of the Bennett Falls Bunch: I give you, Deadman's Curve," Seth said, imitating the opening of Nickelodeon's Are you Afraid of the Dark.

The other three boys laughed softly but soon fell quiet as Seth began in a soft voice that caused goosebumps on the other boy's bodies.

"Bobby Williams had just got a new bike for his birthday, which was October 30. Yeah, one day before Halloween. Bobby had just turned 12, and back then I guess 12 was a big deal or something. Now that Bobby was 12, and now that he had his own bicycle, his folks pretty much gave him permission to ride anywhere in town.

Back then, Salina was even smaller than today, and there wasn't a big lake like now, just old Grand River and a steel trestle bridge over it. Highway 20 was a narrow two lane with no shoulders, and there was this really sharp curve just before the bridge, called Deadman's Curve.

Well, that sharp curve caused a lot of accidents over the years, but the worst one was the year before, when a car full of kids going to church camp missed the curve and crashed into a tree. There were six kids and an adult in the car and none of them survived..." Seth said in a solemn voice. He liked the effect his story was having on the others, and he couldn't help but smile when the three pulled their lawn chairs a little closer.

"Two of the boys were brothers, and the rest were kids from the neighborhood, and they were all from Pryor. The driver was the older brother of the two brothers, and he'd just got his license like a week before the accident."

"Is this for real?" Jerry said, sounding a little nervous.

"I swear, you can look it up if you want. I mean, the accident and all, the rest...well, you'll have to decide about that."

"Go on, go on," Jordy urged, this was a new one for him and he wanted to hear what happened.

"Well, I guess it was a pretty gruesome sight and some said the State Trooper and the ambulance guys puked their guts up when they saw the mangled bodies of the kids. The driver had a gear shift drove through his head and he was part of the steering wheel after the impact, and the other kids were all jumbled together like one big ball of yuck. It was so bad they couldn't even get them straightened out for the funerals and they had closed caskets."

"What's that?" Jerry wanted to know.

"It means the bodies are so bad that they don't want anyone to see them, so they close the caskets. Usually you can see the body at the funeral cause the mortician makes them look all pretty," Seth said, then looking sad suddenly, he added, "My mom looked just like she was sleeping. In fact, she looked better than she had while she was sick..."

"Yeah, mine too," Jerry said, also looking sad.

"Are you sure you want to finish this?" Jordy asked, gently laying a hand on Seth's shoulder.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, sure...it's just a silly story. Or is it?" he said regaining his composure.

"I'm all ears," Lee said, speaking up for the first time, "let us have it."

"Anyway, Bobby had an older brother, Mark, and that night of Bobby's birthday they were talking in the room they shared, and the subject of the wreck came up. Mark said one of his buddies' dad worked for the state transportation department, and that him and this other guy were sent out there after the accident to fix a sign that had been hit, and to put up some more signs warning about the curve.

He said they could still see the tire tracks that led off the road and across the field, and they decided to follow them. Eventually, they came to the tree that the car had slammed into and it was all scraped up and stuff, but I guess it was big enough that it didn't knock it down or anything.

The worst part was: that there was still blood on the grass and even some on the tree, and the two men felt sick just looking at it. Then, suddenly they heard this crying and they about freaked out. It wasn't just one person crying either. It was like a bunch of kids crying and begging for help, and they took one look at each other and hauled it back to the pickup and got the heck out of there.

They refused to go back, and eventually another crew was sent out to fix the signs, but they never went near the tree and didn't hear any voices. After the news of that got out, local kids would drive out there, usually at night, and walk down to the tree, but no one ever said they heard any crying or anything like the two men had. However, some of the kids said they felt some weird things when they were near the tree. Like being cold, or feeling really depressed and sad.

Eventually, the farmer who owned the land got tired of the trespassers and he fenced in the edge of the lot and put up signs to keep people out, and for a long time everyone sort of forgot about the place and the accident.

Bobby was sort of scared by the story his brother told him, but he wasn't the kind of kid who believed in ghosts or supernatural things. He believed in science, and believed there was a logical explanation for everything that happened.

Bobby had a best friend, Jess, and the next day he related the story his brother had told him to his pal, who just nodded and said he'd heard that story too. He said he thought the part about the adults was made up, and that the teenagers were probably just trying to impress some girls or something.

Bobby laughed and said they should just go see for themselves, but Jess just shrugged, inwardly hoping his pal was kidding. Maybe he didn't exactly believe the whole story, but he still thought it would be creepy to go there, knowing those kids died there.

Bobby kept talking about it the rest of that night, and by the time the two went to bed, Bobby had convinced Jess to go with him the following night, Halloween evening. The plan was to ride out to the spot around six o'clock, check it out, and be back in plenty of time to go trick-or-treating. Besides, Bobby told Jess, it would be a great way to break in his new bike.

Well, old Jess really wasn't into the plan all that much, but when Bobby accused him of being a chicken he soon gave in. After school that day, they met at Bobby's house and went over the plan one more time as they tried on their Halloween costumes. Jess's ghost costume was easy, a sheet with holes cut out for eyes and a mouth, and Bobby was going as a hobo, which was pretty easy too, smear a little dirt on your cheek and grab your knapsack on a stick," Seth chuckled.

"Since they were going trick-or-treating later, Bobby's mom fed them early, and afterwards, they grabbed their bikes and told her they were going for a ride. Now, Bobby's mom wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed," Seth said, causing the other boys to laugh, "so...she didn't really think anything was up. She just went back to her chores and forgot about the two.

The sun was just starting to sink in the west as they finally reached Deadman's Curve, but both boys had brought a flashlight just in case it got dark on them. Bobby led the way as they walked their bikes to the fence, which had NO TRESPASSING signs on it every few feet.

The fence wasn't any problem though. Heck, it wasn't even barbed wire, just a regular wire fence with wooden posts and the boys knew they could climb over it easily. Jess waited for Bobby to lead the way because he wasn't sure how he felt about all this. He was excited, but nervous too, but he really didn't think their were any ghosts. It was just creepy, that was all, he decided.

Bobby climbed over the fence first and waited for Jess, and by then it was starting to get dark. They turned on their flashlights and were surprised to see there were still faint car tracks in the ground, and as they followed them off into the darkness, even Bobby began to have second thoughts about coming here.

He kept quiet though, and so did Jess. Heck, they were both afraid to say anything at this point, and as they got closer and closer to the tree, they both felt like turning tail and running.

"Why didn't they? I would have," Jerry muttered.

"Me too," Jordy agreed, "In fact, I'd have never gone to begin with."

"Well, at this point, Bobby figured since he'd started all this stuff that he had to go on, but he made sure Jess was right beside him as they finally caught sight of a dark object in the field that they figured was the tree.

It was weird though, cause when they shined their flashlights that way the beam just disappeared like it was being absorbed or something. As long as they kept them pointed at the ground it was fine, but pointing them ahead was a no go."

"Anyone but me cold," Lee said shivering.

"It's just the ghosts," Seth chuckled.

"Shut up," Lee laughed, "Go on, finish so we can do something else."

"Scared?" Seth teased.

"No...no way," Lee said, "well...maybe a little," he grinned.

Seth chuckled again, "Well, eventually they made it to the spot, and as soon as they were close enough to make out that big old tree, shit began to happen. First the wind picked up and the air was like ice. Both boys only had on a light jacket and they were suddenly freezing. Then the voices began, whispering words they couldn't understand at first, then as they got louder they began to understand.

Help us! Help us! the voices said over and over. Then the worst thing of all happened. As Bobby and Jess stood there hugging themselves trying to keep warm, listening to the voices of seven dead boys, an opening suddenly appeared in the massive tree, and inside were the flickering flames of a huge fire. Both boys wanted to run away, but instead they found themselves being drawn to the tree and the opening as if by some magnetic force.

When they were finally close enough to see inside the opening, they both screamed out in horror as they saw what was inside. Inside were the six younger boys and the teenage boy, all naked, writhing around on a bed of fire, their screams of pain piercing the brains of Bobby and Jess.

Finally, the two boys were able to break free of the force that had pulled them in and they ran back to the fence, jumped over, and rode their bikes back to town as if the devil himself was chasing them. They were so freaked out that they didn't even go trick-or-treating that night, or ever again. Bobby sold his bike, and except for school he never left the house without one of his parents or his brother along. Jess and his folks moved shortly afterwards, and rumor had it that Jess had begged his folks to move and was so messed up that they finally agreed.

Neither boy ever told anyone about what had happened that night, not until years later when Bobby finally opened up to his brother, who didn't look at all surprised. His brother told him that he and one of his buddies had gone there shortly after the accident and something had happened to them too, but they never told anyone either. Mostly because he figured no one would believe him.

Over the years, other stories of encounters at the tree popped up, and Bobby would be reminded of his own experience. Years later, he finally reconnected with Jess, who had aged beyond his years, and when he'd tried to talk to him about what they'd seen, he went crazy and begged Bobby to stop.

Bobby and Jess's story, plus the stories of other kids who went out there got passed down over the years, and today the legend of Deadman's Curve is famous around these parts. Some people say on a clear night, when the wind is just right, you can hear those boys crying...and calling for help...Help us! Help us!' Seth said in a eerie other world voice."

Then looking straight into the fire he seemed to go into a trance, "Help me! Help me!" he said in a singsong voice, and when the other three boys were creeped out to the max, he suddenly jumped up and screamed, "Got Ya!" causing the other boys to laugh hysterically and pounce on him.

Later in the tent, the boys sat around in a circle and talked, each wondering what the night would bring. Jerry, was perhaps the least expectant of the four, having not been around the other three that much, and ignorant of the things they'd talked about and done in his absence.

Seth was perhaps the most expectant of the bunch, horny as always, and knowing that as long as Jordy okayed it anything was possible. Jordy was hopeful, but unsure if Lee was ready for anything as intense as a mini-orgy. With him and Seth it had been different, but now that Jerry was part of the equation as well, he wasn't sure how Lee would react.

Lee sat watching the other boys and wondering if they were as horny as he was. He'd made up his mind from the get go that whatever the others wanted to do, he'd be willing to participate. Well, maybe not the butt stuff, he reasoned, but the rest seemed fine, even if he wasn't gay. He'd begun to realize that sex had less to do with your sexuality than it did with your feelings. A person could like anyone, boy or girl, and sex with them could be fun and wicked no matter what sex they were. Not that he had any real experience with girls, but he was sure he wanted to eventually get with one, however for now, why not go with the flow and get what he could from this bunch of horny boys?

"I need to pee," Seth said suddenly, "you need to go too, right Jordy?"

"Uh...yeah," Jordy said taking the hint, "Be right back guys."

Once they were gone Jerry giggled, "Probably gonna hold it for each other."

Lee smiled, "I couldn't let anyone hold mine, I'd get too hard."

"Yeah, me too. Well, actually, Carl does it sometimes," he blushed, "but we trust each other and stuff."

"Hmm, what's that like? Having a boyfriend and all?"

"It's pretty cool. It's like having a best friend, I guess, only you got benefits too..."

"Like sex?"

"Yeah," Jerry said blushing, "and kissing, and snuggling and stuff. That's nice too."

"Yeah, I guess Seth and Jordy have all that stuff," Lee sighed, "they're really in love, aren't they."

"Oh yeah, even more than me and Carl, I think. They're like...soulmates or something."

"Yeah," Lee said, wondering if he and Jordy could have become that close if he'd stayed in Chicago. No, surely not, he mused, I'm not gay. I like girls.

Once outside, Seth really did need to pee, and parked beside a tree, he was letting loose as Jordy stood behind him.

"So...what do you think, is Lee up for some fun tonight?"

"I'd bet on it," Jordy replied, "but the question is: how do we start things rolling?"

"Hmm, maybe if you and me start getting all sexy he'll get the idea."

"Yeah, I was thinking though, maybe we need to get everyone naked first."

"Oh, good idea. How? Strip poker?" Seth laughed.

"Hangman," Jordy replied.

"Hangman? Oh, you mean loser loses his pants?" Seth chuckled.

"Or...for each letter he misses, he loses a piece of clothing."

"Hey, not bad. Think he'll go for it? I know Jerry will."

"I think so, if not, then we'll know he's not up for some fun, and we can forget about him and move on."

"Good idea, great thinking Jordo. Come on, let's see if Lee is ready to play with the big boys."

Lee chuckled when he heard Jordy's idea for a game, but as expected he accepted the rules, as did Jerry. Fortunately, Jordy had come prepared with a pad of paper and a pen. It was decided that since it was Jordy's idea he could go first, and the others would take turns guessing a letter of the name or phrase Jordy chose.

Jordy already had an idea in mind, and as he counted out the spaces in his mind, he drew the dashes onto the paper.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _'_ _ _ _ _ _

"It's a place," Jordy said, as he passed the pad around for the other's to see his work.

"Hmm...something with an apostrophe, so...I'm gonna guess S," Seth said then.

"Yes," Jordy said taking the pad back and adding the letter to that blank, "Jerry, your turn."

"Umm...O," Jerry said squinting at the pad.

"Nope," Jordy said, lose that shirt."

"Okay," Jerry giggled, "it's hot in here anyway."

"Lee?"

"Hmm, T," he said, remembering that T was one of the most commonly used letters in the alphabet.

"No, stop your grinnin' and remove the linen," Jordy laughed.

"No problem," Lee said stripping off his Chicago Cubs tee shirt.

"Seth again."

This went on and on, and by the fourth round, Seth was down to just his underwear, while Jerry and Lee still had their underwear and one sock each.

"R," Jerry said wincing.

"Yes," Jordy said filling in the letter.

So far they had D _ A D_ A_'s C _ _ R_ _, and Jordy just knew at any minute one of them would solve the puzzle.

"E," Lee said staring at the pad.

"Yes," Jordy said, then filled in the two spots where E appeared.

Seth suddenly realized what the answer was, but he wanted the game to go on, so instead of guessing a correct letter he went with a crazy answer, "Z, there's gotta be a Z," he laughed.

"No! Oh, Seth, you really screwed the pooch this time. Off with those panties," Jordy teased.

"Okay, but if something pops up, don't blame me. These briefs are all that's containing the monster."

"We can handle it," Lee chuckled, "give us a show Seth, strut your stuff.

"Hard to do in this tent," Seth said, then getting up on his knees and slowly lowering his briefs to reveal he was semi-hard and growing by the moment. Then dancing around as best he could on his knees, he even managed to turn a little and give them a view of his perky butt.

Jordy felt his cock stir at the sight of his boyfriends soft round globes, and it was all he could do not to grab him and bury his face in that fabulous ass.

Jerry also had the answer, but like Seth he was reluctant to end the game, so he too guessed a wrong letter. However, instead of removing his one remaining sock, he fell onto his back and skinned off his briefs and tossed them at Jordy.

"Wow, you look really sexy with just one sock on," Jordy laughed.

"Thanks, I can take it off too, if you want."

"Soon," Jordy chuckled, "Lee, got the answer yet.

"Yes, but since the idea of this game is to get everyone naked, "I'll guess W," he said grinning.

"No, no W...off with that sock."

"Nope, I like my sock," Lee said as he too removed his underwear to reveal his semi-erect cock.

"Looks like Jordo is the only one with any clothes on," Seth said raising an eyebrow, "you guys wanna help me strip him?"

"Yeah!" both boys growled at once as the three pounced on Jordy, and in no time flat they had him naked.

Breathlessly all three boys lay back, and Lee chuckled, "If you wanted to get naked you could've just said so, but I have to admit, the game was fun. Deadman's Curve was the answer, by the way."

"I guess we could've just been honest with you," Jordy conceded, "but we figured if you didn't go along with the game that you weren't up for anything, so..."

"Well, I'm not sure exactly what you had in mind, but I'd say I'm pretty open to suggestions. My butt is still off limits, but my dick is begging for attention," Lee said blushing.

"I think that goes for all of us," Jordy said, "How about we pair up, then swap around for some good old fashioned dick sucking?"

"I'm in," Lee said, "Jerry, shall we start?"

"Uh huh," Jerry said blushing, but he was definitely excited at the prospect of servicing Lee. Even if Lee didn't do it back, he was looking forward to getting the other boy's gorgeous penis in his mouth.

"Oh...you're pretty good at that," Lee gasped as Jerry went to work.

"He's a professional dick sucker," Seth teased, "Heck, we all are. Want to see our licenses?"

"That's okay, I'll take your word for it," Lee hummed, "Oh...that's nice. Yeah, lick my balls," he added in a dreamlike voice.

Jerry stared up at Lee with his soft warm eyes and winked. He loved pleasing another boy like this, and Lee was just so, so sexy. He loved Carl, and sex with him was fun and passionate, but an opportunity like this only came along so often, and he sure wasn't going to pass it up. It helped that he had Carl's full approval to be with Jordy and Seth, and by proxy: Lee, even if he wasn't around. They'd talked about it before, and Jerry had agreed that Carl was free to have sex with other boys as well, even if that seldom happened. The boy from the park was one exception, and after that day that he and Carl had fooled around with him, Billy had been back to Carl's one other time, and he and Carl had sucked each other off in his room.

Meanwhile, Jordy and Seth were engaged in a leisurely 69, keeping the other two boys in their sight, and enjoying the little show Jerry was putting on. Both knew that Jerry was passionate about sucking dick, and they'd both been the recipient of his talents enough times to know exactly how good Lee was feeling about right now.

"We can do what they're doing," Lee said suddenly gazing into Jerry's eyes.

"That's okay," Jerry said, "I like to give it my full attention when I suck."

"Well, okay...if you're sure," Lee said. He was a little disappointed, but he soon got over it as Jerry ramped up his efforts, going deep on Lee's cock, causing him to moan appreciatively.

"Time to switch off," Jordy said after a few more minutes, "Jerry, you and Seth pair off, and Lee, come get with me."

"Oh, okay..." Jerry said, wishing he could have taken Lee all the way to paradise and reaped the tasty reward. But Seth tasted good too, and he soon got over his disappointment.

Jordy engaged Lee in the 69 he'd offered to share with Jerry and he was pleased to see that not only did Lee have no hesitation at going down on him, he really seemed to be enjoying himself. After a few minutes, Jordy let his hands roam over Lee's fine butt, and soon Lee began to mimic his actions. When Jordy released Lee's cock from his mouth and began bathing his balls with his tongue and mouth, Lee was quick to follow his lead.

Meanwhile, Seth had wasted no time getting Jerry onto his back, his legs lifted high as he rimmed his tight little starfish for all it was worth. Jerry moaned and pushed back desperately, eager to get more of Seth's tongue up his butt, and hopefully soon his hard dick. He loved getting fucked, maybe even more than sucking dick, and he guessed he was basically a bottom boy. Oh sure, he liked getting sucked, and he could fuck with the best of em, but he was happiest when he was pleasing the other boy.

"Are you gonna...?" Jerry asked in a dreamlike state now.

"If you want," Seth said between licks of Jerry's tacky starfish.

"Yesss," Jerry hissed.

"Hey, you guys gonna fuck?" Jordy chuckled.

"Yeah, that okay?" Seth said looking up at his lover.

"As long as you save some for me," Jordy agreed.

"Not to worry, I'll last longer once I nail Jerry's ass," Seth chuckled.

"They're really gonna fuck?" Lee asked, coming up off of Jordy's dick to look over at the other two boys.

"Yeah, that okay?"

"Sure...I mean...yeah, it's hot really."

"You should try it," Jordy said suddenly, "I'm willing to let you fuck me if you want."

"I don't know, that's kind of serious...right?"

"It can be with the right person, but it can just be for fun too. Especially if you really like the person you're doing it with."

"I've never..."

"It's easy to learn," Jordy chuckled, "your body will know what to do."

"I'll have to think about it, okay?"

"Sure, just offering. It's totally up to you," Jordy said, then going back to the task at hand, or rather mouth.

Lee went back to work too, but all the while he was sucking and licking Jordy's magnificent dick he was thinking about his own dick and how good it would feel buried in Jordy's cute little butt. He could feel his dick throb just thinking about it, and as they say: his little head soon took charge of his decision making process.

"I guess we could try it," Lee said in a voice that was almost a whisper.

"Really, cool. But not now. First, I want to suck you off and taste you. That way when we do it later, you'll last longer," Jordy explained.

"Oh, okay," Lee said, a little disappointed, but he soon forgot that disappointment as Jordy went back to work, and soon he was nearing orgasm.

Meanwhile, Seth was fingering Jerry's hole with slick fingers and preparing him to enter. It didn't take long, and as Lee watched with interest, Seth pushed Jerry's legs higher and moved into position. He couldn't see Seth's dick from his position between Jordy's legs, but he knew the exact moment Seth entered Lee from the contented sigh that erupted from both boys' lips.

"Yeah..." Jerry hissed, "put it all in me...oh...oh...oh...yeah, so good."

"Damn, you're tighter than I remembered," Seth panted, "I may not last too long."

"They're fucking," Jordy said, as if Lee hadn't noticed, "Want to stop and watch them?"

"Sure," Lee said, his need for release forgotten for the moment.

"We can jerk off while we watch," Jordy suggested as they moved closer to the other two boys.

Taking up a place on either side of the two boys locked in love's embrace, they stroked their hard cocks as they watched the live porn show going on before them. Lee was fascinated by the sight of Seth's hard penis pistoning in and out of Jerry's hole, his butt cheeks quivering with each forward thrust.

Lee noted that Seth seemed to be taking his time, moving slowly, but plowing deeply with each forward thrust. He was amazed that Jerry's cock remained hard the whole time as well, a sure sign, he decided, that the bottom boy was enjoying being fucked. He was tempted to reach over and fondle Jerry's cock, but in the end decided to just watch and keep his hand on his own cock.

Leaning down suddenly, Seth engaged Jerry in a wet kiss and Jerry moaned softly. Seth didn't linger however and soon he was back at it, pounding Jerry a little faster now as his heat built. Moving his eyes from the action before him to Seth's fine strong looking back, Lee traced the lines to his cute muscular butt, which flexed with each forward stroke, then relaxed on the upward stroke. It was a beautiful butt, Lee decided, but he still thought Jordy's butt was nicer, and the thought of putting his penis in it was almost too much to think about. In fact, just thinking about it was causing his dick to spasm and jerk, and before he knew what was happening he was there at the threshold.

Crying out, he barely had time to move as his cock began to erupt, a long thick rope of cum spurting out and hitting Jerry on the chest. Moaning, Seth took one look at Lee's spurting cock and began to come as well, followed shortly by Jordy, who added his load to Jerry's chest as well. Seeing that it was okay to do so, Lee milked the rest of his cum onto Jerry, as did Jordy, and suddenly Jerry cried out adding his own load to his already cum soaked chest and stomach.

Slowly pulling out of Jerry, Seth managed to milk a few drops into the mix, adding his tasty boy pudding to Jerry's body.

"Man, what a mess," Seth chuckled, "Need some help there buddy?"

"It felt great," Jerry panted, "all of it, thanks guys."

"Seth, shall we clean up the mess now?" Jordy chuckled as he moved closer, then bending down and starting to lick the cum from Jerry's body.

"That tickles," Jerry giggled, but he didn't try to stop Jordy, and soon Seth joined in as well.

At first Lee just watched in wonder, unsure if he was ready for something as...intense as this, but eventually he moved closer and bent his head to allow his tongue to come into contact with one of Jerry's nipples, which was covered in a mixture of their cum. He'd tasted his own cum before, what boy hadn't? but mixed with the other boys cum it had taken on a definitely exotic flavor. It was pleasant enough though, he decided, and added his tongue to the task of cleaning Jerry up.

When they'd licked as much of the cum up as possible, Jordy produced a towel and lovingly cleaned Jerry up, then turned his attention to Seth, who was still dripping a bit. Once Seth was cleaned up, the four boys fell down on their sleeping bags and rested.

"Lee is gonna fuck me," Jordy said rolling onto his side to face Seth.

"Oh yeah, cool," Seth said enthusiastically, then to Lee, "you're gonna love Jordo's ass, but remember...it belongs to me."

"I won't do it if you say not to," Lee said looking worried.

"I didn't say I couldn't share. This is your first time, right?"

"Yeah, I'm kind of nervous."

"Don't worry, it's as easy as cherry pie," Seth chuckled, "Only Jordy's cherry is well used."

"Hey, I'm not a whore," Jordy said, slapping at Seth playfully.

"Not a whore, but experienced. We both are. I like that. Being a virgin is lame. No need for anyone to be a virgin these days."

"Anyone else hungry?" Jordy said then, "I brought some chips and cookies, and there's drinks in the cooler."

"I am," Jerry said, "but I really need to pee first, anyone else need to go? I don't want to go alone."

As it turned out, everyone needed to go, and this time they used the bathroom in the house. The house was quiet and the door to the master bedroom was closed, so they assumed Mr. and Mrs. Kelly were asleep, or at least busy. They were quiet as they took turns peeing and washing up, then slipped out the back door and returned to the tent.

As they ate their snack and drank a soda, the boys talked about everything but sex. Lee had news from his folks, who were in Italy now, as well as some new pics to share. He still declared he was happier being at the campgrounds than with his folks, but Jordy couldn't help but wonder if he wasn't missing his folks just a little. Jordy was quite sure that if he was separated from his folks for any length of time he would miss them, but it would help having good friends around like Lee did.

"Are you ready to do this?" Jordy asked once they'd finished their snack and disposed of the trash.

"Uh, yeah...what do I do?"

"I'll coach him," Seth said taking charge, and Jerry, you can get Jordy ready."

"Yeah, okay," Jerry said enthusiastically. He loved rimming almost as much as sucking dick, and he was looking forward to tasting Jordy's ass again.

"Usually, the person doing the fucking does the rimming and stuff, but since you're new to this, we'll let Jerry do that. I'll help you get lubed up and into position. How do you want to do it, front to front, on your side, doggie style, front to back?"

"I...I don't know. What do you suggest?"

"I think doggie style would be good for the first time. Hey Jordy, what do you think, doggie stye?'

"Yeah, that's fine," Jordy said, "I want him to concentrate on his feelings and not worry about me, so yeah, that's good."

"Perfect, how's it coming Jerry?"

Eventually, Jordy was ready and into position on all fours, his cute ass exposed for Lee's use. Lee was nervous, maybe more nervous than he'd ever been before, and it didn't help that he had two other boys watching his every move. He tried not to think about that though, he knew he wasn't being graded, and that the two would be supportive, and he soon relaxed.

"You may have to move down a bit," Seth said laying a hand on Jordy's butt, "so he can get lined up."

"Just guide me where you want me," Jordy said looking back at Lee, "When you get it just right, just go ahead and push it in. Then wait a little bit before putting some more in, just take it slow, okay?"

"Yeah, I will," Lee said, nervous once again. What if he hurt Jordy? he worried, but surely he was used to this by now. He and Seth did it all the time, right? He'd watched them earlier and Jordy had seemed to really enjoy it.

"This is hot," Jerry said from his position on his knees, a foot or so away from the action.

"Yeah, seeing my boyfriend get nailed is super hot," Seth chuckled.

"You're still okay with this, right?" Lee said, just to be sure.

"Yes, go for it. Fuck my boyfriend. Fuck him deep," Seth said lustily.

"Okay, here goes," Lee said grabbing his hard cock and placing the head against Jordy's pucker.

He was momentarily surprised by the heat Jordy's hole was putting off, but it only added to his excitement as he steeled himself for what was about to happen. At long last he was going to lose his cherry, and it only seemed fitting that it would be with his oldest and dearest friend. Tears stung his eyes as he pushed against Jordy's hot tight hole, and he moaned lowly as the head popped through the outer ring.

"Oh, that's tight...so hot," he cooed.

"It feels good, push some more in," Jordy moaned.

Inch by inch Lee drove his dick home until at last his pubis came into contact with Jordy's smooth butt. He sighed contentedly, satisfied for the moment to remain buried in his best friend's hot tight tunnel, but eventually the need to move overtook him. Everyone had been right, he realized as his body automatically began to move, in the dance that's older than time itself.

There was no awkwardness now, no hesitation as his body took what it needed from the beautiful boy beneath him. Instinctively, his hands began to roam Jordy's body, feeling his strong back, the muscles rippling beneath the skin, his smooth taut butt cheeks, that seemed to quiver with excitement on each up stroke, and finally his muscled legs, with their downy almost invisible covering of hair.

"Oh God!" Lee called out then, tears still stinging his eyes, as his body experienced the most intense pleasure of his young life.

If this is what being gay is like then how can it be wrong? he wondered, completely caught up in the experience now. His body seemed to be on autopilot now as he drifted in and out of Jordy's hot tight hole, pulling him to him a little on each upstroke and pushing him away as he bottomed out.

Lee was glad he had came earlier, but his earlier orgasm didn't keep his body from screaming out it's need for release again, and it was all he could do not to come too soon. Several times he paused, buried deep inside Jordy and rested as his hands continued to roam his best friend's body, then he would resume his movement, each time bringing him closer and closer to release.

Eventually, there was no holding back any longer, and with one final thrust and a cry to the Heavens, Lee began to empty his balls into Jordy, spurt after spurt of hot creamy boy juice painting the walls of his intestines. The orgasm went on an on, actually multiple orgasms, each one causing Lee to quiver and shake as he moaned in ecstasy, but eventually it was over, and Lee came crashing back to earth.

"Oh...my...God..." Lee panted, "that was the most intense feeling of my life."

"I told you Jordy had a nice ass," Seth chuckled.

"That was nice," Jordy said raising his head and gazing back at Lee, and at Seth, "it feels like you came a bunch."

"Oh, sorry," Lee said pulling out slowly, leaving a snail trail of cum behind, "Oh, man...there's a lot."

"No problem," Seth said grabbing the towel and beginning to clean up.

"Wow, that was hot," Jerry said slapping Lee on the back, "maybe next time you can...um, do me."

"Oh, well...now that I'm not a virgin anymore, I guess I could do that," Lee chuckled.

"I hope so," Jerry said grinning seductively

"Right now I want Jordy to make mad passionate love to me," Seth said helping his BF to get situated, "You guys can rest, or watch, or whatever..."

"Cool," Jerry said looking excited.

Even after having come so hard in Jordy's ass, Lee found himself becoming aroused just watching the two boys go at it, and soon he was stroking himself without even being aware of it. Jerry was quick to notice Lee's arousal and kept giving him hungry looks, which eventually Lee acknowledged.

"Well, I guess if you want to," Lee said, knowing full well what Jerry had in mind.

"You don't have to rim me or anything, I'm ready to go," Jerry said eagerly.

"But, I want to do it face to face this time, is that okay?"

"Yesss, that's my favorite position," Jerry said excitedly.

"They're fucking," Seth chuckled as Jordy continued to pound his fine young ass.

"We've created another sex fiend," Jordy laughed, and suddenly the air was filled with the sounds and smells of two couples making love.

End Chapter 36

Next: Tragedy strikes

Thanks for all the kind emails I've received after the last chapter. I think I set a new record for emails received after my plea for feedback. I hope you enjoyed this new chapter, and I promise going forward to put more focus on the main characters.

Pray for the people of Ukraine and an end to this senseless WAR

Rob Warr

10-23-2022

Many thanks to my buddy Michael in NY for his invaluable help with editing, story ideas, and pics. But most of all: for his friendship and support.