Chapter 10B – The Choosing – Voting - Saturday July 15, 1995 (a full Moon)

Written by Charles Well <charles.well@yandex.com> and Sarge AKA Aldric <pietar_the_fearless@yahoo.com>

(C) 2018)

The original Kids of Indian Spring (KOIS) story by Jonas Henley can be found here: https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/young-friends/kids-of-indian-spring/

and if you wish to read Jonas Henley's account of the 1968 Mackey Choosing Ceremony, look here:

https://www.nifty.org/nifty/gay/young-friends/mackey-tails/

This story is about sex between boys and is therefore a total fantasy. It was written by an adult for the entertainment of other adults. No children or animals were either involved or harmed in the writing of this story. Please leave now if you are not supposed to be here.

Writing the continuing saga of the Kids of Indian Spring has become a real community effort. My co-author on this chapter was Sarge AKA Aldric. His ideas, drafting, hard work, and constant support in too many areas to mention made this chapter possible. A special thanks also goes to Mike for help with editing and proofreading.

Please consider a donation to Nifty for allowing us to have this resource to share our stories. To donate go here: http://donate.nifty.org/donate.html

Comments or suggestions may be directed to either of the authors mentioned above. We welcome feedback from readers. It's the only payment we receive for many hours of hard work.

Character List

General background:

There are two categories of kids living in Indian Spring, on the edge of a large city in Ohio. One group is the Mackeys, and those that are part of that extended clan through family and blood connections. They were the original European inhabitants of the region dating back to 1832. As a result of generations of isolation, self-reliance, and often living on the wrong side of the law, the family developed many unique traditions and rules that governed the everyday lives of their youngsters. That group includes Sandy Jacobs and his brothers, Kevin Mackey and his brothers, all the deep and very deep Mackeys like Tolley, Seth, or Chris Corbin. The second category is kids that are not part of the Mackey family, but happen to live in Indian Spring. That would be kids like Kelley and Ethan Tucker, the Cormacks, Nathan Carlin, Cal Brewer, Casey Harris etc. They are called "Near Springers" and are generally not bound by regulations affecting Mackey youth, but may find themselves caught up in the "old traditions" in certain circumstances.

In order of appearance, the major characters are:

Sandy Jacobs (13 years, 5 months) (Full name Alexander Corbin Jacobs, which only his mother ever uses). A dirty blond boy who looked like he belonged in a country baseball commercial and was now at the point where you could tell he had once been very cute, was now simply good looking, and moving quite easily toward handsome. Oldest of four brothers in the Jacobs family. Main protagonist in my story (the reason why it's called The Sandy Jacobs Story). Part of the extended Mackey clan.

Kevin Michael Mackey (13) Good-looking. He has dark brown hair, as thick as you could make very slightly curly hair yet still have it look dreamily soft. Part of the extended Mackey clan. One of the two Mackey community bottoms selected in the 1994 Choosing Ceremony. He is gay and confident in his sexuality.

Tanner Mackey (13) Middle son of Frankie Mackey. Brother of Spencer Mackey (15) and Cooper Mackey (12). Second Community bottom from 1994 with Kevin.

Tim Hardin (14) brother of Paul Hardin, Mackey Junior Council member. Tim is part of the extended Mackey clan and was Community bottom from 1993 with Harry Mackey.

Brad Jacobs (12 years, 1 month) aka Bradley. Dirty blond like his 3 brothers. Part of the extended Mackey clan. On this year's Mackey Choosing List.

Stephen (Stevie) Jacobs (11) Dirty blond hair like all his brothers – Sandy (13), Brad (12), and Chass (10). He has a light sprinkling of freckles across his nose and cheeks. Exploring being openly gay for the first time. Part of the extended Mackey clan.

Chase (Chass) Colton Jacobs (10) Just turned 10. Brother to Sandy (13), Brad (12) and Stevie (11) Jacobs. Part of the extended Mackey clan.

Ethan Tucker (10 years 7 months) Younger brother of Kelley Tucker (12). Exploring being openly gay for the first time. A non-Mackey from Indian Spring.

Jared Tilton (10) son of Cynthia Mackey who married Mark Tilton. He has one sister Belle Tilton (13). Part of the extended Mackey clan.

Boys on the Choosing List

1. Theodore Oliver (Tolley) Mackey – 12 years, 1 month. Son of Amos, grandson of Seth. Very deep Mackey clan. His siblings are: Hayden (15) Member of Junior Council, and Hinton (13y 5m).

2. Seth Mackey - 12 years, 5 months. Son of Hollis, grandson of Jacob. Very deep Mackey clan. He is an only child.

3. Sean Mackey - 12 years, 4 months. Son of Jebediah, grandson of Seth. Very deep Mackey clan. His siblings are: Jason (17) Member of Junior Council, and Kevin (13) Community bottom 1994.

4. Cooper Mackey - 12 years, 2 months. Son of Frankie, grandson of Michael. Deep Mackey clan. His siblings are: Spencer (15) and Tanner (13) Community bottom 1994.

5. Dean Mackey - 12 years, 11 months. Son of Austin & Esther Mackey, grandson of Seth. Very deep Mackey clan. His siblings are: Dorothy (Dot) (18), Fairlane (14), and Hunter (11)

6. Chris Corbin, 10th Kinset - 12 years, 1 month. Son of Jack, grandson of Joshua, great grandson of Christopher Corbin and Katherine Mackey. Lives in Bartlett (The 10^th Kinset covers Mackey living outside Indian Spring). His siblings are Michael (14) and Harry (11)

7. Joey Mackey - 12 years, 6 months. Son of Camden, grandson of Tyler, great grandson of Clarence. Not as religious as Clarence's other descendants. His only sibling is Boyd (14)

8. Gabriel Mackey - 12 years, 9 months. Son of Gordon, grandson of Colin. He is an only child.

9. Bradley Jacobs - 12 years, 1 month. Son of Sam Jacobs, grandson of Porter, great, grandson of Gloria Mackey and Prescott Jacobs. His siblings are: Sandy (13) the bottom's bottom 1995, Stevie (11) and Chase (10)

10. Malcolm McEwen - 12 years, 3 months Son of Michael McEwen and Natalie Anderson, great-grandson of Horace Mackey. He is an only child.

11. Judge Mackey - 12 years, 10 months. Son of Phil Mackey, grandson of Randall. His siblings are: Joshua (14), Ruth (10), and Samuel (8)

12. Jeff Garvin - 12 years, 6 months. Son of Therese Mackey and Corey Gavin, grandson of Prentiss Mackey. His siblings are: Chase (13), Jeff (11), and Tilton (10)

13. Mitchell Garvin - 12 years, 2 months. Son of Emily Mackey and Chris Garvin, grandson of James Mackey V. His siblings are: Keaton (22), Whitby (20), and Rosemary (13)

14. Kelley Tucker - 12 years, 6 months. Son of Halford Tucker, grandson of Calvin Tucker. His siblings are: Ethan (10), Ashton (9). Kelley is a Near Springer, not directly descended from the Mackey family. He is on the Choosing List because of the Dawson Exclusion.

16. Stephen Carrigan - 12 years, 11 months. Son of Alice Mackey and James Carrigan, grandson of Randall Mackey. His siblings are: Andrew (11); and Lydia (8)

17. Albert (Bert) Mackey - 12 years, 2 months. Son of Foster, grandson of Gerald Mackey. His siblings are: Gerald (13), Sam (11), and Vince (10)

18. Quentin Mackey - 12 years, 4 months. Son of Dong-Yul Mackey who was the adopted son of Prentiss Mackey. His siblings are: Flint (14), and Kai (13)

19. Matthew Mackey - 12 years, 5 months. Son of Christian Mackey, grandson of Harrison. His only sibling is Timothy (Tim) (10).

20. Cal (Calvin) Brewer (12) Eldest son of Jonathan Brewer and brother of Ben Brewer (10). A Near Springer. The Brewer family have been long term residents of Indian Spring, but are not directly related to the Mackeys by blood.

Please see the mackey-family-tree.pdf for a complete list of the boys and other characters listed in this chapter.

Let the fun begin

The 1995 Choosing Ceremony had got off to a good start. Everything had gone like clockwork and Sheldon was pleased he had spent the many hours he did in his preparation work. He allowed the audience several minutes to examine the list of names of the potential bottoms, the opening negative votes, and the early checkmarks that had been posted on the bulletin-board. Then he continued.

"This next part of the Choosing Ceremony is where I introduce you to the potential bottoms and initial votes are registered. But a reminder of the rules. Being one of the first voters on any kid often brings a benefit. We look to the list of names on each 12-year-old's back to decide who gets checkmarks owed. There are exceptions, of course. And for the lucky boys who do end up as one of the chosen four, those early signatories can be given the onerous task of breaking in our new bottoms. But, as I hope you all know, for the first 6 months of community service, the top must be no more than 12 months older. That's the guideline we'll follow today. And of course, remember, boys 12 or under who have not been through a Choosing Ceremony, or have the official Council exemption, are generally banned from using the bottoms. There are exceptions to that rule for younger boys when access has been sanctioned by the full committee, and those affected will be notified. So, 10s and 11s, unless you get some fun today, you'll be mostly out of luck until it's your turn to bend over the benches here."

There were a lot of laughs and a few disappointed faces on the younger boys in the audience.

"Should you have any questions about using the bottoms without permission, a good person to ask would be our new bottom's bottom – Sandy Jacobs."

Hinton, sitting next to him, started pushing Sandy to his feet. But the 13-year-old was sick of playing coy, and this time, he stood proudly, waved at the audience and took a bow.

Everyone broke out laughing when he pointed his right index finger back at his rear end and made in out movements. It took Sheldon almost 2 minutes to bring the audience under control before he could continue.

"I will announce each boy's age in years and months, and please take that into account if you're hoping for "break-in rights." I'll remind you of the other rules applicable to the bottoms at a later time. For now, any concerns or questions?"

Sheldon looked around at the audience, but nobody raised their hand. So, he went on.

"Before we get to the introductions, I thought we would start the day off with a little fun. I've asked each of the boys here to name someone they really don't want to have sexual contact with. Now we're going to see if they meant it. I've already given seven boys checkmarks, and I will ask one of you to randomly draw a name to see which of them will entertain us first."

The crowd cheered loudly at this new variation on the old checkmark theme.

Sheldon shuffled the seven pieces of paper he had in his hands, and then asked a kid in the front row to select one. He read the name.

Stephen Carrigan Gives a Blowjob

"Stephen Carrigan, you said you'd most hate having anything to do sexually with your cousin Bryce." Sheldon looked to the crowd and saw the boy in the stands. Bryce was the son of Nathan Mackey and brother to 10-year-old Oak, one of Chase Jacobs' best friends. "I'll give you a choice. You can ask me to call Bryce down here and you will offer to give him a blowjob. If you do that, I promise to ban him from any more contact with you today whether you get picked as a bottom or not. Alternatively, you blow two other boys, of my choice, to work off that checkmark you have."

Sheldon paused, seeing the look of disgust on Stephen's face. But the kid was trapped and there was no easy choice. He knew any boy in the audience under 16 was eligible to receive checkmark penalties from the guys on the line. The two-year age difference rule only applied to fucking. He guessed Sheldon would pick two huge-cocked 15-year-olds with loads of cum. His alternatives were to blow one 13-year-old he hated, or suck off two bigger guys that would fill his mouth with gallons of seed. And he would need to drink it all. Do-overs were mandated for missing the smallest drop. This day was definitely not going well so far. But he reasoned that getting a promise that Bryce would be banned from further contact with him was worth it. He'd been told that checkmarks were the bread and butter of the ceremony. And just because Sheldon had said "If you ask me to call him..." it didn't mean that he could refuse. There would be consequences if he tried.

"Call him up," he said.

"Bryce, come on down. Your cousin wants to taste your cock," Shelden said, playing to the audience. "And Stephen, don't forget the rules. No spitting or gagging. You need to swallow every drop of cum produced or a repeat can be demanded. Practice makes perfect, they say."

Bryce was all smiles as he came down from the benches. "I'll make him a better offer," the thirteen-year-old said. "Let me fuck him and even if he gets selected, I promise I won't screw him again this year."

Sheldon was about to refuse the offer when Stephen did it for him. "I called him up here for a blowjob. Not to make deals."

Sheldon just shrugged and most of the audience laughed, but the show had started, making everyone happy. Bryce was a little disappointed that his proposal had been rejected out of hand, but he lowered his jeans and boxers all the way to his ankles, and pushed his already 4 and-three-quarter inch erect cock towards his cousin's face.

But it was clear from the get-go Stephen had had very little experience giving head. As a result, Bryce took control. After all, he had taught his younger brother, Oak, everything he knew about cock-sucking and the kid was an expert now. He was also very much aware the guys in the stands were expecting a show. What he didn't know was that Stephen was not as innocent as he pretended. His relationship with the Near-Springer De La Cruz brothers was something he kept a secret.

"Kiss it," Bryce ordered in a loud voice. Stephen leaned forward and did so.

"That `a boy. You always wanted to do this, didn't you? Now lick my balls. Put them in your mouth and twirl them around with your tongue."

Stephen did. At first, the saltiness of the sweaty balls numbed his tongue, but as he continued to swirl the older boy's testes and spit began to flow, he could taste again. As he breathed, he inhaled Bryce's musky scent through his small patch of black curly pubic hair.

"That's enough," Bryce said, and Stephen moved his mouth away. A hair had gotten stuck between his teeth, and Bryce winced as it was pulled out by the root. "Hey, cousin, when you suck my cock, keep your teeth off it, understand?"

"Yes, sir," Stephen said, his mind numb.

"Now lick my cock, starting at the bottom. Go up to the top. That's right." The older boy was harder now than he had ever been. Making his cousin do this in front of all his friends and relatives – more than 150 boys – was the biggest turn-on in his life. Better even than having Oak suck him off. By now his kid-brother was far more experienced than Stephen would probably ever be, but it was the public nature of the event that was turning him on this much.

Stephen licked his way from the nest of hair to the helmet head. "Lick around the head some. Lick back down and up a few times. Kiss it again. Lick my balls some, too. No hands! It's called a blow-job `cause you use your mouth, you stupid cock-sucker."

Stephen complied with the orders. It was better than just lying across the bench. Now he had something to do, something to concentrate on. Something to take his mind off the overwhelming fact that he was naked, his asshole exposed in front of everyone he knew.

Bryce let him work for a while, appreciating the way that Stephen was putting himself into it. He was learning fast. "That's good. Now put your mouth over the tip. Don't let your teeth touch me!"

Stephen complied. "Move your tongue on it. No, don't take your mouth off it! Keep it in your mouth and stroke it with your tongue. Get the under-side too. Suck a little." The barrage of commands kept Stephen focused on his work. "Put your hands on my sides near my butt. Lower. Now pull me into your mouth."

The cock slowly disappeared into Stephen's mouth as he pulled the older boy into him. He noticed, as if from a distance, as the head of it moved across the roof of his mouth, toward his throat. "Keep your tongue moving," Bryce ordered.

"Suck a little harder. Oh, that's good. You're a natural cocksucker, Stephen, a natural." Bryce knew this was a lie, but he'd been through the Choosing last year and knew it was all part of the show. First blow-job of the day. He'd had to give 4 last year, and he wasn't exactly overwhelmed with sympathy for Stephen.

They paused for a minute. About half of the cock was inside the boy's mouth; the rest would fit. Bryce was pretty average for a 13-year-old. Besides, his brother Oak now had no problems swallowing the whole thing and he was only 10.

"You need to take more in?" Bryce yelled. Stephen managed to swallow another inch and then shook his head around the cock that filled his face.

"Okay, that's enough. Maybe later I'll get a chance to teach you to take it down your throat. For now, start moving your head up and down on it."

Stephen was keen to get this done. There was no point in delaying. They would make him do this until Bryce shot. He knew, even without looking up, every eye at Old Knot would be fixed on his mouth, his face, and Bryce's dick going in and out. He set up a very good rhythm, moving up and down, sucking hard then more softly, and savoring every inch with his tongue.

"Excellent," Bryce gasped. Overcome by lust, he grabbed Stephen's head and began to move it up and down on himself. "Yeah, you love my cock in your mouth, don't you? Oh, bitch, you love it, yeah, suck me hard. Suck out that cum."

Stephen was stung by the words, but he had other things on his mind, namely, breathing. He quickly learned to breathe on the upstroke. That became harder, however, when Bryce's speed increased. Still, the 12-year-old obediently continued to blow the teen cock.

Then suddenly, and without warning for Stephen, the older boy's cum was shooting into his throat. "Oh, yeah. Swallow it," Bryce ordered. "Swallow it all. Show all your cousins how you love it." Stephen swallowed, but it kept coming, he swallowed again, and again, trying to ignore the taste. It was disgusting! Thick, slightly fishy and very salty - like clam chowder, he decided, but not exactly.

As Stephen took in the last drops and cleaned the cock as he guessed he was expected to do, Bryce suddenly pulled out and then raised both arms above his head in triumph. The audience, which had gone deadly silent during the little show, suddenly erupted into wild and enthusiastic applause. The two boys had actually put on one amazing performance. Even Sheldon was speechless for several minutes. Then Bryce started dancing around the stage and he knew it was time to move on.

"Thank you, Bryce. I think we'll call that a success. Why don't you pull up your boxers and jeans and head back to your seat in the bleachers. Audience, please give these two first-rate performers another loud round of applause."

There was no hesitation. The crowd had definitely enjoyed the show. And this was only the first of many blow-jobs to be given today. And later there was the ass-fucking of the new bottoms. The cheering continued until well after Bryce had resumed his seat.

"Before I continue, let's hear from Stephen and what he thought of his first taste of cum." Sheldon uncapped the red sharpie used for checkmarks meaningfully.

"Stephen, please stand up and face the audience." When the totally mortified boy did, Sheldon continued.

"Am I correct in assuming that was indeed your first taste of cum?"

"Yes," said the all-over bright pink boy, hanging his head in shame, and sure he would die of embarrassment any second. It would be even worse if they knew he was lying.

"We can't hear you!" screamed Sheldon. "The boys in the back need to hear as well."

"Yes," yelled back Stephen defiantly. "My first time."

"Tell us what you thought of the taste?"

Stephen wanted to tell the truth. He hated it. But Sheldon stood there, sharpie poised at the ready and understood he was expected to play along with this sick show.

"It was kinda salty and thick like squishy jello, or maybe like clam chowder," he answered.

"Did you like it" Do you want more?" insisted Sheldon.

"It was okay" Stephen lied again. "I guess I can take more if I need to."

"Good answer," said Sheldon putting the pen back in his pocket. "But you don't get any more unless you earn more checkmarks. Get back over the bench for now." He waited a moment as Stephen quickly resumed his place.

The boys in the crowd clapped appreciatively. The older ones who had already been through a Choosing understood the difficulty Stephen would have had in giving his answers. Many of them had to answer similar questions in previous years. Indeed, Bryce himself got those exact same questions from Sheldon last year.

After more clapping, `well-dones', and `that `a boys, from the assembled Mackey, Sheldon continued with the ceremony.

"This is the point in the Choosing Ceremony when I introduce the boys on the line, for which voting will open shortly. However, before I do that, I have a question. How many of you can tell me about the Dawson Exclusion?"

Five or six hands went up. This was about what Sheldon had expected, so he proceeded to explain.

"It's too complicated to go into all the details, but it was formed back in 1968 by none other than Kelley Tucker's father, Mr. Hal Tucker. It provided a set of conditions where Near Springers can be included in our Choosing Ceremony."

First Votes

Kelley Tucker & Cal Brewer

"As I was saying before, as a direct result of the Dawson Exclusion rule, I would like to introduce Kelley Tucker and Cal Brewer, who you see bent over behind me. They entered Old Knot this morning as outsiders, but by the end of the ceremony today, they will both take up full Mackey community rights. Hopefully, there will be more Near Springers included in future years."

There was more wild applause from the crowd. It wasn't clear whether this was because of the introduction of the two boys, or the idea that more Near-Springers might be in the Choosing in the future. Still, it gave

Sheldon the opportunity to think about how he wanted to say the next part.

"This year, every member of the Council has promised to be completely neutral in the selection process for Kelley and Cal, and I won't mention them again myself. However, you are all free to put your John Hancock's on either boys' back and may the best boy win, or is it lose?

"And one more thing you need to know before voting. We have a special parent request from Cal Brewer's dad, that his son start the voting today with an additional 4 checkmarks. I don't know the details, but apparently Cal has been a very naughty boy at home. Parent requests are rare these days, but were more common back in my Dad's time. Anyway, the Council has accepted Mr. Brewer's plea for this special punishment for his son, so here we go."

Sheldon took out his red sharpie and drew 4 extra checkmarks next to the one already there.

"The unfortunate news for Cal is that he now has 5 checkmarks. As an outsider he may not appreciate what that means. Tolley, why don't you explain."

"If a guy gets 5 or more checkmarks, he gets fucked once for every checkmark. And it don't matter if he gets picked as a Bottom or not. If you got picked as Bottom and have five or more checkmarks, then you gotta serve two years minimum as a full Bottom, no exceptions. He also has to give the 5 checkmark blowjobs as well."

A very good answer, Tolley. Thank you," said Sheldon before continuing,

"And a guy with 5 checkmarks needs to be worrying seriously about the Magic Number. Not even I know what that is," he lied. "But Seth, why don't you tell poor Cal here, what happens if he reaches the Magic Number of checkmarks?"

"If you reach the Magic Number of checkmarks, you have to give the blow-jobs today but you also have to give that many blow jobs to every kid who signed your back. And the guy can demand them any time as long as just Mackeys are around watching and you have to give each guy all his blowjobs within one year."

"Another first-rate answer. Thanks, Seth."

Sheldon noticed Cal hang his head in despair. It was a terrible prospect to contemplate, but he had his orders from Raymond, who had them from Mr. Brewer. What Sheldon didn't know was that Cal and the Magic Number was a much toned-down version of what the father had originally demanded. As usual, Raymond, acting as the adult in the room, had placed some restrictions on the open-ended mouth and ass package Mr. Brewer had wanted. At worst, the boy would still be covered by the general Mackey safeguards on maximum daily use and the other protections strictly enforced by the Council. The kid would have a rough day today, and the six blow-jobs he'd owe each boy who signed his back would be a major burden over the next year. But other than that, he would be no worse off than any of the other bottoms selected. And Raymond pretty well knew for sure this boy, starting with such a major handicap before the first vote was even cast, would be a Mackey bottom before the end of the day.

A number of boys in the audience started to cheer. It was obvious to most that Cal Brewer was neck deep in the poo already. But Sheldon held up his hand for silence.

"Anyway, being completely neutral – remember it was Cal's Dad who insisted on the checkmarks, not the Council - I think both boys, Kelley and Cal, need a warm Mackey welcome to our community. The first kid to come up here to vote for either boy will get a free, no-obligation blow-job. I'm invoking the first and last vote privilege rule."

Sheldon planned to explain what that rule meant, but the rush of boys from the bleachers was beyond anything he'd expected. He was nearly knocked over in the mad rush as people ran to be the first to sign. He was aware that these two represented the extreme ends of the factions in the Mackey community. There were many families, particularly among the deep and very deep parts of the clan, led by Uncle Elijah, who hated Hal Tucker for his interference in community affairs. There was the proposed water park development that would make some people a lot of money if it went through. That included his own parents. This group would be happy to see Kelley bottomed as payback to his father. On the other hand, Mr. Tucker did have a large and very loyal base of supporters and they would be pushing for Cal Brewer to become a community bottom. They saw him responsible for activating the whole Dawson Exclusion issue that had been left dormant all these many years. Sheldon did wonder how many of the boys present today might actually vote according to the factions to which their parents belonged. Hard to tell. After all, both boys were stunning in different ways. It would be foolish to disregard the power of a hard cock to influence a teenage boy's mind. Especially in deciding which boy to fuck on a regular basis over the next two or three years.

In the end, Sheldon had no idea who got to him first. More than a dozen boys were demanding one of the five blue "general voting sharpies" he held in his hand.

"Get back, everyone!" the MC screamed. He knew he had to remain neutral. There was real danger that factional arguments might break out if he showed favor or disdain.

"Okay, okay, I didn't expect this," Sheldon said in a now calmer voice. "All of you, please step back and separate yourselves into two groups, one for Tucker and the second for Brewer."

The boys from the audience formed themselves into the two groups as ordered, with seven in one line and six in the other. 'Oh my!' Sheldon thought. That's a lot of votes. He smiled to himself knowing that Kelley Tucker and Cal Brewer were now the two top favorites for one of the four open spaces for the status of Mackey community bottom.

"Okay, here's what I'm going to do. Since I promised to remain neutral, I can't choose which of you gets to vote first. Instead, I'm going to let them choose one of you." That seemed to satisfy most of the boys in the two groups.

"Kelley and Cal, call up who you want to be the first to sign your backs."

Cal didn't need to do much thinking. His only consideration was to choose a boy who would put the least amount of cum down his throat. He voiced his choice right away and picked thirteen-year-old Brian Mackey, and hoped for the best. He knew the kid had just turned 13 a few weeks ago, and hoped he wasn't producing too much cum just yet. Brian, with his aggressive good looks, stepped up to the central square of benches and gladly took the blue sharpie from Sheldon and signed his name on Cal's back. Brian Mackey was a dark-haired ruffian with his own gypsy-like allure; he was arrogant enough to keep most people at bay, but decent to those who knew him. He had been in Cal's place this time 12 months ago and was very glad they only picked 2 bottoms that year. He came in fourth place in a very tight race and ended up with 4 checkmarks as well. His family were strong believers in the traditions and he knew his father, Jerry, had been one of the 3 bottoms picked in 1973. The old man spoke fondly of his experiences back then, but Brian and his two brothers always assumed the man was a bit `touched in the head.'

"Kelley, we're waiting," Sheldon said.

But Kelley wasn't listening. His mind was elsewhere. He wondered where Casey Harris had got to. Kelley didn't belong here; his father had told him so. But adults weren't welcome at the ceremony, and his Dad had spent hours preparing Casey to come and make the case for him. All he knew right then was that he wanted off this bench and away from here forever. The hell with trying to save Indian Spring. The hell with tradition. And to hell with the Mackeys. Let it all fall apart. He no longer cared. Or that was what he told himself just now. Where was Casey Harris?

Then Kelley remembered a conversation he had with his best friend, Nate Carlin. Was that only a few weeks ago now? He guessed it was. They'd been in Coolspring, at Chandler Clary's pool, and Kelley had made his friend leave with him. But as soon as they were away from the house, Nate pounced.

"Before you say anything, maybe you should take a break from trying to help other people, or run their lives, and just help yourself." Nate had said.

"I'm not trying to run your life, and Nate, there's nothing wrong with me."

"So, you're saying there's something wrong with me?"

"No, Nate, I didn't say that."

"Yeah, you did. Don't get me wrong, I don't believe it, but you can add it to all the other lies you're telling yourself."

"What? Lies? Nate, you're not making any sense."

"So, what about yourself, Tucker, can you lie to yourself? Does it only work if you can't see yourself, like in a mirror? I never understood how you did it, you know, see through the crap, but it doesn't seem to stop you from lying to yourself and about yourself."

A very angry Nate rode off on his bike in a huff as soon as this exchange had ended. But Kelley recalled that argument now. So why was he really here and what did he want to accomplish? Did he really not care about Indian Spring? Or was that a lie he told himself, too?

But before he could mentally work through these issues, Sheldon Redd was standing right next to him, threatening checkmarks if he didn't choose someone right then.

Kelley looked over the eager group of boys. Of all the kids in it, two stood out, for a reason Kelley couldn't figure out. Flint and Kai Dong-Yul. Why were they there? Did they really just want to be the first to vote for him? Or was there some political drive he didn't understand?

He pointed at Kai, the younger brother. "Kai," he said to Sheldon. "He gets the prize."

"Okay, finally," Sheldon said. He waited as Kai came and signed Kelley's back.

"Looks like you're the first to vote today, Brian," Sheldon said. "As has been done in the past, that comes with a special reward. We'll get to that in a minute, but first, let's allow the remaining boys to come up and sign, now that order doesn't matter."

Brian stepped aside as the others in his group progressed forward with blue pen in hand.

In the second group, Flint moved up to be the first to sign Kelley's back. Like their father, Flint and Kai Dong-Yul believed strongly in the Mackey traditions. They needed to belong and were proud to be Mackey. When their turns came, both had willingly attended Choosing Ceremonies, stripped-off when told, and bent over with all the other boys. They had no understanding of why any kid who was offered admission to the warm embrace of the Mackey community would resist such an advance. They had both welcomed it wholeheartedly. And unlike many of the other boys voting for Kelley Tucker, they were not concerned with family politics. Flint and Kai had discussed the Choosing together when the List first appeared at the Clubhouse. They were proud that Kelley Tucker would become a Mackey. He was a cool kid. They too had heard the rumors of the White Party spread by Darrell and Hiram, but both did believe the Mackey line that being a bottom was honorable. Kelley had already proved he could handle it well. He would make a perfect community bottom. Flint signed his name and passed the pen off to the next boy in the line.

Once both groups had registered their votes and returned to the stands, Sheldon turned to Brian, who waited to see what would happen next.

"As first voter, you have the right to a one-off blowjob from Cal, provided you do it now."

"Wait, that isn't fair," Cal yelled. "Kelley deserves that, not me. He was just stalling, making me pick first."

Sheldon walked over and put a checkmark on Cal's back which quieted him down. But he was still squirming as the almost thirteen-and-a-half-year-old approached.

Brian realized that Cal knew nothing of the traditions here, something that was important to him and his cousins. Seizing the moment, he said,

"Tell me why it is fair that you blow me now, but Kai doesn't get anything from Kelley."

"Because that's what Sheldon wants. He doesn't like me."

"You're acting like a Near-Springer, yet you claimed to be a Mackey," said Brian. "Sheldon may or may not like you, but it doesn't matter. He is staying neutral and following the rules. Again, tell me why this is fair?"

Cal started to rise only to hear the cap come off the pen. He dropped back down and was thankful that Sheldon didn't put another check on his back.

"I guess it's because that's the rules. I don't know the right answer."

"Stand up, Cal," Sheldon said. He turned and looked to see if it was a trap before rising.

"There are six boys here besides yourself who have at least one checkmark on their back. You can ask any one of them to help you with the answer, but if they do, you'll pay for that boy's checkmark at the end. You need to know the answer to Brian's question, but if he has to tell you than I'm going to go to the council and see what additional punishment can be awarded."

Cal looked at the six boys: Sean Mackey, Stephen Carrigan, Matty Mackey, Bert Mackey, and Jeff and Mitchel Gavin. He ignored Matty; from what he had overheard, the kid knew almost as little about these proceedings as he did. Bert looked too young to even be here. And from what he knew of Sean, he didn't think that boy would help him. He took a chance and went between Jeff and Mitchel, hoping that even though he only chose Jeff, that Mitchel might help too.

"Jeff, why is it fair that I have to give Brian a blow-job and Kelley doesn't do anything?"

"You need to understand the purpose of the ceremony. You're here to become a full Mackey. That means a lot. By the time you have completed every part of the ritual today, you will be part of that brotherhood. Every boy here will be sworn to protect you and help you in any way possible. These are traditions that go back over one hundred years. But you haven't realized that this isn't based on hatred but rather respect, something you're lacking. And if you don't change your attitude, this is going to be the longest and worst day of your life."

Cal returned to his spot at the bench.

"I'm sorry for disrespecting you and the ceremony, Brian. Now I think I understand. It is fair." He didn't believe it for one minute, but knew he had no choice but to play along. He already understood this would be the worst day of his life. He remembered what his father told Raymond Mackey. They would make him pay for his sins. He took one look at the four-and-a-half inch long dick sticking out from Brian's crotch and the small patch of pubic hair before getting into position. As the first blowjob he'd ever give, it could have been worse, he knew.

Cal was no stranger to cock-sucking. But his problem was, all his experience to date had been on the other side of this sexual act. He always joked with his friends in Scouts – that was when he had some – "it was better to give than to receive." But there was no way out of this now, so with a determined grimace he took Brian Mackey's quickly hardening cock into his mouth and whirled it around with his tongue. He recalled the orders given to Stephen Carrigan just a few minutes ago.

"Move your tongue on it. No, don't take your mouth off it! Keep it in your mouth and stroke it with your tongue. Get the under-side too. Suck a little."

Cal did all that and then took the now fully stiff penis into his mouth, as far as he could, and began a steady in-out bobbing motion with his head. Cal heard and felt Brian groaning softly and guessed he must be doing at least a reasonable job. He knew there was only one ending possible for this little show these two were giving to the Mackey youth of Indian Spring. Brian would do this til he shot in his mouth and he would swallow it all down and pretend he loved it. Then he recalled Kelley Tucker and the many other boys who had sucked him off over the last 12 months or so. It had never occurred to him before, but did they feel degraded and humiliated like he did now? He guessed they had. He really had been a prick and had to admit now he never went out of his way to make it easy for them. It was their job, their duty, their obligation, or their punishment. But now that role was his. "Shit, nothing to do but suck it up," he thought smiling to himself.

He sped up the in-out motions, reached up and grabbed Brian's nuts and began massaging them gently. He sucked and swirled his tongue around the cock-head and under the sensitive ridge several times before quickly restarting the suctioning on the penis and the in-out motions. Actually, it wasn't as bad as he'd imagined and it was quickly clear to even the most distant observer in the bleachers that Brian couldn't hold back much longer. And he didn't. He took a firm hold of Cal's head and, with an ear-piercing shriek, shot his current daily maximum load of cum for a newly minted 13-year-old into the suctioning mouth. He held the head in place as the pressure ceased, and was replaced by a gentle swirling tongue action back and forth. However, even that proved too much and after 30 seconds Brian had to pull out. The sensitivity was just too intense.

It was only then that the two boys heard the cheering. Both had been lost in their own little worlds of contrasting feelings and emotions. Brian looked down at the boy who had just given him such a fantastic blow-job and noticed a small sliver of spunk dribbling from the left side of Cal's mouth. He scraped it up with his finger and fed it to the boy, who dutifully swallowed and licked the inserted digit dry. This was always mandatory when leakages occurred and much appreciated by the noisy crowd. Years ago, boys on the line were just required to consume every drop outright. But this had been relaxed in recent years when the term "facial" came into the Mackey teen boy vernacular. They were still somewhat rare, but becoming more regular as some in the community extended their sexual repertoire.

The boys in the audience cheered even louder as Brian gave a thumbs-up and yelled out, "Fantastic! You guys gotta try it. This kid's a natural." He remembered his second cousin Harry (now 14) saying exactly the same thing about him last year. Well, it was all part of the show. But it really was a great blowjob and he quickly started hoping that Cal did fall foul of the Magic Number and had to give him more of these.

"Thank you, Brian for inducting our new Mackey here into the wonderful world of cock-sucking," said Sheldon.

"Other guys who wish to vote for either of our two very worthwhile Near-Springers can, when I open the stage for general voting. In the meantime, let's get to the meat and potatoes of the Choosing Ceremony – the Mackey asses available for your consideration. And I will start today with introducing the perfect boy to fill the role of community bottom."

Chris Corbin

Sheldon stepped up to the bent-over figure of Chris Corbin, and briefly consulted his notes.He was no longer constrained by the need to demonstrate neutrality and could use the power of position as MC to promote certain boys or virtually ignore others.

"Some of you may not know Chris here. He's the son of Jack and Katherine Corbin from Bartlett. Yes, that makes him a 10th Kinset Mackey – that part of the family who live outside of the Spring. The good news is Bartlett is only a twenty-minute bike ride away and thus I don't see access as an issue. He is one of the three from the 10^th we have on the line here today. And just a little reminder. We haven't had a bottom from the 10th Kinset for more than 12 years now. And this one would be perfect."

Sheldon grabbed the boy's ass cheeks and gave them a squeeze. He parted those luscious melons and showed the tight virgin hole within.

"Chris is 12 years, 1 month old. But what you notice first about this boy are the powerful pectoral, tricep and bicep muscles on one so young, in addition to the well-rounded gluteus maximus."

He gave the kid's ass a mild slap.

"That means `ass' for you guys who haven't taken 7^th grade Health Class as yet."

A huge laugh went up from the crowd.

Sheldon pulled and tugged on the various muscle groups to demonstrate what he meant for members of the audience unfamiliar with the medical terminology.

"You see, Chris is a gymnast. One of two we have for you today. He's won many prizes in that sport over the past few years. Imagine yourself experimenting with all 245 positions in the Karma Sutra, the Indian sex manual that came to prominence in the West in the late 1960s.This strong and flexible boy is definitely the one to allow your most erotic fantasies to come true."

"Do I have any takers ready to sign off on his back to be the first to fuck him? Raise your hands if you're willing to commit your signature right now, and I'll choose a boy from among you to be the first to take his virginity. And if he's chosen, you'll get him a guaranteed two years, no limits! And if he's not Chosen, though I don't see how that could happen, you'll get the first blowjob of the ones he'll owe!"

Sheldon noticed Chris Corbin's two brothers, Michael (14) and Harry (11), moving up towards the stage from the bleachers. He went over and had a quick word to each before returning to center stage, smiling broadly.

"Chris's brothers have both just told me they wish to apply their votes before any others in the audience. Step up boys."

A loud murmur shot around Old Knot as both Michael and Harry signed and wrote +2 (Brother) next to their names. Under the official rules, brothers could add 2 points on, or take one off a sibling. Over recent years, it had become more common for close family relatives to protect each other, but what Michael and Harry did was not without long precedent. The murmur quickly changed to a monstrous cheer.

"I am also told," said Sheldon continuing, "the boy's official sponsor, Bennett Mackey, has declined to exercise his vote just now."

"You ass-hole!" screamed the bent over Chris. That earned him a checkmark. Sheldon had no idea what deal the kid had struck with Bennett, but guessed the boy had been played, if not played with, by the thirteen-year-old Bartlett resident.

But Sheldon was all smiles, putting everyone in the audience at ease with this auction of Chris's ass. It wasn't quite as cruel as it might have otherwise sounded, as almost all the boys present had been in a similar literal position once; just perhaps without anyone rooting so enthusiastically that he get picked. Besides, checkmarks were always popular.

"Looking good back here, Chris," said Sheldon. He turned back to the crowd and asked, "How about someone outside the immediate family to help manage this newest, soon to be Mackey bottom?"

Sheldon saw his own two first cousins Junior and Pete coming up. Junior, whose given name was Lucas Redd Jr, was fourteen. Their dad and mom had all but given up on having kids when suddenly, and most unexpectedly, three years after Sheldon was born, Junior's mom got pregnant, and a year later it happened again.

"Hey, Junior," Sheldon greeted in amazement. He wore a cone-shaped child's birthday hat. "Shit, today's your birthday, I forgot that. Happy birthday!"

"Thanks," Junior said. "I'm not making a big deal of it, as you can see." He pulled the blue and red cone-shaped party hat up, stretching the elastic band that went under his chin and let it drop back down.

"Well, since it's your birthday, you ought to get something special," Sheldon said. He grabbed one of Chris Corbin's butt cheeks and squeezed it. "Don't you agree, Chris?"

Chris knew what was expected. This wasn't fair, but it happened at every choosing. "Happy birthday, Junior," he said. "I don't have much to give you. Maybe a blowjob?"

"Now Chris, you're in a bad spot there," Sheldon said. "You don't want to be accused of being cheap, do you? A single blowjob on his birthday? Is that the best you have to offer?"

Chris guessed that Sheldon didn't have the right to order anything, but he knew Sheldon controlled the checkmarks.

"Okay, how about five blowjobs, one a day," Chris said. "And a free one today, here and now."

"No, not now," Sheldon ordered. "When boys work off their checkmarks. I need to keep things moving along."

Junior laughed. "Sure, that'll be a great birthday present. Thanks, cousin," he said.

"Then I guess that I'll, uh, be seeing you in a few hours," said Chris, not sounding particularly enthusiastic.

Junior smiled and signed Chris's back. Then he handed the pen to his thirteen-year-old brother Pete, who wrote his name in block capital letters.

Sheldon smirked a little, but then moved one space to the right before addressing the crowd.

Cooper Mackey

"Next we have Cooper Mackey. He's 12 years and 4 months old. Definitely one of the better-looking boys on the line this year and I can see many of you itching to get your grubby little hands on this magnificent example of preteen ass. Unfortunately, I suspect you might be out of luck this time. See, Cooper was escorted into Old Knot today by his brothers Spencer (15) and Tanner (13) who have both confirmed their intention of protecting the kid. As a current Mackey community bottom, Tanner's 10 points pretty much eliminate any chance of this rear-end being in play. I guess it's fair that there shouldn't be two bottoms from the same family. But a real pity! Clearly in this case at least, beauty is hereditary. I call on the brothers to cast their votes."

Spencer came up and wrote his name and a "-2 Sponsor." Then he handed the pen to Tanner.

The very popular thirteen-year-old Mackey bottom twirled the pen around in his right hand, while the crowd applauded. Many of the spectators had had the opportunity to sample his wares over the last 12 months and knew he'd always done his best to fulfill his community obligations. The more thoughtful members of the audience realized this was no easy task. He was not gay like Kevin, after all, and bottoms were always cut wide slack with the other guys. Tanner looked pensive, but silent, for almost a minute before addressing the cheering mob.

"I will protect my kid-brother, but I want him to sweat a little first. Payback for all the times he took digs at me when I went out on my community duty."

He handed the blue sharpie back to Sheldon, who just smirked again. He guessed he could understand that and he just shrugged towards the bleachers.

The crowd cheered wildly as he left the stage area.

"Tanner, please!" came a week sounding voice from the bent over Cooper.

"No talking, unless spoken to," said Sheldon as he went over and drew a checkmark on the boy's back.

Seth Mackey

"Next," the MC continued without losing a beat, "we have one of my personal favorites - Seth Mackey. Young Seth is 12 years and 5 months old. Some of you may not know him well. You see, Seth is one of the very deep Mackey and he tends to have only limited contact even with other family members, and almost no contact with non-Mackeys. But I urge you all to consider that creamy, alabaster skin, the slender body and the first signs of physical development. Oh, and let's not forget the most compelling feature – that magnificent round, firm bubble butt. Imagine yourself slipping into those heavenly globes on a regular basis. It could all be yours, gentlemen. Who will be the first to add their name?"

Jason Mackey (14) made a noisy exit from the top level of the right-hand bleachers and came down to sign. He was followed by his brother Frank (13). These two were the sons of Ike and Susan Mackey and also part of the very deep section of the clan.

"It's nothing personal, Seth. But I discussed it with Frankie. We both rather liked the idea of having a bottom living practically on our door-step. And as Sheldon says, you do have one hell of a cute ass."

He giggled, signed his name and gave the naked rear end a hard slap as he handed the sharpie to his younger brother.

"Shit, why did you do...?" yelled Seth. But before he could even finish the sentence Sheldon had given him a checkmark.

"Fuck!" Seth screamed, which just earned him another. He shut up after that.

But Sheldon had already moved on.

Sean Mackey

"I won't waste time with the next few boys. Even though all three are extremely worthy of your consideration, I fear the protection they have pretty much eliminates any chance of selection. First, we have Sean Mackey at 12 years and 4 months old. He's the youngest brother of Jason from the Council and our very popular and skilled community bottom from last year - Kevin."

A loud cheer went up from almost everyone in the audience. Even some of the older guys present had experienced somewhat illicit fun with Kevin over the past 12 months. Technically, use of official Mackey bottoms was limited to boys under 16, but Kevin had often felt less than constrained by such regulations. This had clearly added to his fame and good standing with the other boys. Very few in the crowd would risk upsetting that golden goose. Besides, Jason also had many supporters among those that mattered.

"The bad news is," Sheldon continued, "not only is he starting with minus points from last year, but both older boys in his family have their hearts set on protecting him. I'm pretty sure with that level of defense, the chances of Sean being one of the lucky 4 today are remote. A real pity, too. But we still have Kevin for another year. Anyway, let's hope Sean starts misbehaving. No checkmarks yet, but I'll be watching like a hawk."

He handed the blue sharpie over to Jason who wrote his name and a – 5 (Council member), and then to Kevin who added his name, and a -10 (bottom).

Sheldon just shrugged at the audience before continuing.

Brad Jacobs

"Next up is Brad Jacobs. He's 12 years and 1 month old and our second boy from the 10^th Kinset here today. As most of you probably know, his family moved back to the Spring about a month ago, and I guess they'll be transferred into the 6^th pretty soon. What you may not of heard however, is that Brad's older brother, Sandy, became the newest Mackey bottom just last Sunday night in a rather spectacular manner from what I hear. I didn't have the good fortune to witness the event myself, but we on the Council do have our little spies everywhere. Sandy, take a bow!"

Sandy Jacobs stood up from the table where he and Hinton Mackey were recording the votes. He definitely appeared embarrassed, but waved good-naturedly to the bleachers before moving towards the stage area.

Sheldon smiled. "It seems young Sandy has been a bit of a naughty boy and used several of the bottoms when he had no right to do so. However, he's now paying for his misdeeds in a `let the punishment fit the crime' manner. Unfortunately, his obligations are restricted. He can only be used by the other bottoms, but they do have full and unlimited access to both his mouth and ass. Oh, those lucky bottoms! Almost makes me wish I was one again."

The crowd laughed uproariously at Sheldon's dig at his own past.

By this stage, Sandy was standing next to the MC holding out his hand for the blue sharpie. When it was handed over, he signed his name and wrote -10 (bottom) on Bradley's back, and then passed it to Toby Sanders (13) who had joined him. The second boy wrote his name and -2 (Sponsor).

Malcolm McEwan

"Finally, in this little bunch, we have Malcolm McEwan at 12 years and 3 months."A definite hiss shot through the crowd at the mention of the name. Malcolm had a reputation as a bit of a bully, but with help from Kelley Tucker, he was now working hard to change people's opinion of him. The fact that his family history and current circumstances were only known to a limited number of people in the community also added to the mystery surrounding the kid. Council President Raymond Mackey (17) and Council member James Cormack (16) stepped forward, signed their names and wrote -7 (President) and -5 (C member), respectively.

Sheldon moved on without further comment.

Tolley Mackey

"The next boy to arrive at Old Knot this morning was the 12-year-old and one-month Tolley Mackey. He's a widely known and popular boy in our community, and I've heard rumors for months about schemes to have this one bottomed. We need to wait and see until all the votes are in, of course, but I suspect most of the secret machinations about young Theodore Oliver have come to naught. Like the three previous boys, he too appears to have family members keen to protect his perfectly fine little ass. I see his two older brothers, Hayden and Hinton coming towards me now and chafing at the bit. Let's see which way they vote."

Fifteen-year-old Hayden, who was on the Mackey Youth Council, took the blue sharpie from Sheldon and wrote his name and -5 (C member). Thirteen-year-old Hinton signed and wrote -1 (Brother).

"Okay, minus 6 is not a bad start in such a large field as this," said Sheldon waving his arm expansively over the bent-over boys on the line. However, I wouldn't write this one off just yet. Remember last year, Kevin started with the same number of negative points and ended up streets ahead in the final count. When I open the general voting after the introductions are done, you all get to exercise your franchise. And please vote for Tolley, if like me, you find a certain appeal to this rear end."

He squeezed the boy's buttocks before moving on.

Matthew Corbin (Matty)

"Now this next one is a very interesting case, indeed. Matthew Corbin is 12 years and 3 months old. He doesn't like to be called Matty, apparently. He's the only boy here not included on the official Choosing list. He came here today as a guest of his cousin. However, I suspect Eli Corbin, the little devil that he is, forgot to mention the role played by 12-year-olds at these Ceremonies."

The crowd laughed. The rumor of what had happened to the kid had obviously circulated already.

"But here he is. He's a Mackey and he's 12, and you get to vote for him. But there's a few things to bear in mind. Matthew's the third kid from the 10^th Kinset on the line. He's the son of Matthew Corbin Senior, but he lives in the city, and access will be an issue. Personally, I don't see much point in selecting a bottom you never get to fuck because he lives 50 miles away. That's your choice, of course. But he's got one checkmark already, and I'm pretty sure he's keen to get his mouth around some decent sized Mackey cock. Is that right, Matthew?"

"Fuck you!" yelled the twelve-year-old.

"See, what did I tell you?" said Sheldon as he drew another checkmark on the boy's back.

The audience laughed again. They all knew Matty was just digging his hole deeper.

"Anyone willing to gamble their vote to be the first to nut in Matty's little ass, should he get chosen? Sorry, I meant Matthew. Anyone?" said Sheldon hopefully.

When no one moved, he tried to sweeten the deal.

"What if I offer the first guaranteed blow-job as well?" he asked.

Again, no one raised their hand or came down.

Bert Mackey

"Moving on," Sheldon called out, "Next we have the very fine and quite compact and tight ass of Bert Mackey. Although he doesn't look it, he's 12 years and 2 weeks old and ...

Sheldon had no more than walked over towards Bert to introduce him to the audience when a disturbance caught his eye.

"Shit, not trouble," he said, mostly to himself as he looked around frantically to see the cause of the near riot. But it wasn't trouble. It was three eleven-year-old boys racing from the benches towards Bert. It took Sheldon a moment before he recognized them - Bert's own brother, Sam, and his first cousins, Alex and Gordon. Because of the big age difference, he didn't know them well, but he was good at putting names to faces.

"I win," Alex yelled as he touched Bert's left ass cheek moments before his cousin Gordon touched the right. Immediately behind them was Bert's own brother, Sam.

"I need the pen," Alex announced to all.

Sheldon was rarely caught off guard, but this succeeded in surprising him. He thought of yelling at these kids for rudeness and disturbing his prepared speech, but in the end decided to just go with the flow. The unexpected at a Choosing Ceremony always made for a memorable event.

He shrugged to the audience again and handed the pen to Alex, who signed his name and wrote "cousin +1."

"Sorry," Alex said to Bert. "Nothing against you, but I gotta protect myself for next year. Gordon and Sam, too. Besides, none of us have ever fucked or got sucked, and we're kinda looking forward to it after you get picked."

"Err, no need to write `cousin'," was all Sheldon could think to say.

Alex had passed the pen to Gordon who, in turn, handed it on to Sam.

Sheldon had recovered enough to ask,

"Sam, are you voting for or against your brother?"

Clearly, the 11-year-old was confused with the question, so Sheldon rephrased it.

"Do you want Bert to be a bottom, or do you want to protect him?"

"We want him as a bottom," came the response.

"Okay, write your name, then the word `brother', and then `plus 2'. You see brothers get 2 points if they vote that way. Cousins only get one."

Sam smiled at the other two boys, as if this was the best idea since sliced bread.

Sheldon looked up as Gerry, Bert Mackey's 13-year-old brother, was now also approaching the central stage area.

Bert moaned, but didn't complain. He'd heard enough in recent weeks to know how this worked.

"Are you here to protect him?" Sheldon asked Gerry as he stepped up.

"Well, that was the original plan. But then I heard what my cousins were doing, and I looked at Sam. I knew if he voted for a selected boy, he'd be a lot better off next year. I kind of joined in with my cousins. We're going to make sure Bert gets picked. But you're going to have a hell of a time figuring out which one gets to fuck him first," answered the older brother cheekily.

Gerald took the pen and signed his name and a +2 (Brother) next to it.

Sheldon was pleased. He knew that starting with +6 before the general voting even got underway put the boy in a precarious position. But he needed to keep the show moving.

As part of his extensive preparation work in advance of the Choosing Ceremony, Sheldon spent many hours finding out all he could about each boy on the line. No easy task with the 20 this year. But he managed to make his dossier on each complete as possible. That proved helpful now. He decided to give only brief introductions to the next few boys. He had neatly organized them all on one side of the square stage area.

Sheldon, of all people, understood what motivated the crowd on Choosing Day. Simply put – sex appeal. That meant good looks, trim bodies, bubble butts, striking physical features in terms of hair, eyes and skin tone, and often personality. Sometimes vendettas or personal grudges might play a part, as would family politics, as in the case of Cal Brewer, Kelley Tucker, or the Christian kid descended from Randall's line. But mostly, Sheldon knew, adolescent boys voted with their dicks. And the boys in the group he'd deal with next lacked something in one, or often several, of the sex appeal categories - too chunky, too ugly, excessively flat butted, and personalities that might lead to bullying, but not deeply held long-lasting feuds. Such boys would have simply been left off the list in prior years, and quickly forgotten by everyone. But here they were now, and had to be introduced. He looked up from his notes and addressed the audience.

Joey Mackey & Stephen Carrigan

"I see we are falling behind on our time table, so I will quickly introduce the next lot of boys for your selection pleasure. On the far side of the square on the right, we have Joey Mackey. He's 12 years and 6 months old. I understand his fourteen-year-old brother Boyd is acting as his sponsor and protector. Come on up, Boyd. Beside him is Stephen Carrigan (12 years, 11 months). We have already seen this young man in action this morning when he gave the blow-job to Bryce. I have to admit, not one of the best performances I've seen, but it was clearly enough to get his cousin off. I didn't hear any complaints from the boy being blown."

The crowd laughed loudly.

"His sponsor is Bo Havers (13). I also understand Stephen's 11-year-old brother, Andrew, also wants to add protection. Think carefully before you do that, Andrew. If you do, you'll lose the minus point you get next year for coming today, unless Stephen becomes one of the bottoms. Come on up, Bo. You too, Andrew, if you're sure."

Matthew Mackey & Quentin Dong-Yul Mackey

"Next to him is Matthew Mackey at 12 years and 3 months. I'm told Matthew doesn't have a sponsor and thus I welcome anyone to come up front here who wishes to be first to sign his back. In the next space we have Quentin Dong-Yul at 12 years and 7 months. Like Matthew, he appears to have no sponsor or protector. His two older brothers, who might have filled that role, have already voted for Kelley Tucker. I guess they figured it's better to vote for Kelley's ass than to protect their sibling's."

There was more laughter from the audience at this comment. But some in the crowd knew the Dong-Yul brothers had agreed years ago not to try and protect each other. All three of them had hoped one of them would be chosen one day. It was an idea they embraced proudly.

"Still, it leaves Quentin wide open, so to speak," said Sheldon. "Come on up to be the first to sign here."

He slapped the very flat butted boy hard across the backside.

Gabriel Mackey

"And last in this little group on this side of the square is Gabriel Mackey. He's 12 years and 9 months old and he too has no sponsor or protector. I know many of you have heard his family grumble about the Mackey traditions, but you may wish to think carefully before taking that out on Gabriel. He is here today without complaint, I heard."

For the next few minutes Sheldon dealt with several boys who came down from the bleachers. Boyd signed Joey's back with -1 (brother), Bo Havers protected Stephen with -2 (Sponsor). Interestingly, 11-year-old Andrew remained in the stands. And finally, fourteen-year-old Dexter Mackey came and signed Gabriel's back and announced to the crowd,

"Pretty sure Gabriel hasn't a chance in hell of being picked as one of the bottoms. Not unless we have a secret bunch of chubby chasers here I didn't know about."

Sheldon thought it was a rather mean thing to say. The boy was by no means obese, but he knew kids of this age could be cruel and often brutally frank went describing each other.

But the crowd hooted loudly. When they settled down, Dexter continued.

"I want Gabriel to carry this mark around on him, for a few weeks at least, to prove he's been through a Choosing. And maybe his parents might see it too and keep their traps shut about the traditions."

"Thanks, Dexter," said Sheldon. "A fine sentiment." He pointedly looked at his watch and continued.

Mitchel Garvin

"The last four boys I need to introduce are on the left-hand side of the square. First, we have Mitchel Garvin. You may know him better by his nickname, "Mouse." He's 12 years and 4 months old. He has two older brothers away at college, and according to my source, a real stunner of a sister. Is that right, Sandy?"

Everyone looked toward the vote counting trestle-table where Sandy Jacobs sat. He had turned bright red, said nothing, but flashed Sheldon the middle-finger.

"You may not be aware," Sheldon said, "that misbehavior from sponsors or protectors on Choosing Day means a penalty for the boy on the line."

He went over and drew a checkmark on Brad Jacob's back. The audience laughed again.

"Err, I'm sorry," yelled Sandy. "It's not Brad's fault. Don't punish him for something I did."

"Well, that's the rules," said Sheldon with finality. But what almost no one in the audience knew was this little exchange had been set up days before. Sheldon had spoken to Sandy at the club house one afternoon and insisted that no boy with Brad's level of protection could get away scot-free from a Choosing. The deal was negotiated and Bradley informed. It would be his only checkmark, unless he misbehaved in his own right. There was a similar deal with Jason concerning Sean.

Sheldon continued.

"Mitchel's sponsor is his fourteen-year-old first cousin, Clay. Please come up and vote."

Clay was a well-known and popular boy in the Spring, but many of the younger lads in the audience were surprised when he wrote "Sponsor + 3." Officially recognized Sponsors could add 3 points or deduct 2. The fact Clay went positive was unexpected. But he explained.

"Mouse and I are both descendants of James V. We are strong supporters of the old traditions. My older brother, Tad, is secretary of the Junior Council, as you all know. We are proud to say every 12-year-old boy in our line has taken his place across the logs, or this new bench thing, as far back as anyone can remember. I don't think Mouse has much chance in this field today. There are so many worthy boys to vote for. But the descendants of James V never leave Old Knot with no points. Be proud, Mouse. You have three."

In national politics, this was what they would call a "publicity stunt." Within the family, it was just another one of those "Mackey things are not always as they seem." Clay, like his older brother, Tad, had political ambitions for a spot on the Council and he knew that supporting the traditions, especially on Choosing Day, was always a vote grabber. Secretly, Mouse had been told that if he did start racking up votes after Clay's move, Tad would step in with his – 5 Council protection points. In a normal year, with just 6 or 7 boys on the line, Mouse might have been at real risk. He was by no means unattractive. But both Tad and Clay had concluded this year, with this many real stunners on the line, their first cousin was safe.

Jeff Garvin

"Beside Mitchel is his cousin, Jeff Garvin. He's 12 years and 8 months old and doesn't have protection, either. The field is open there as well."

When nobody in the audience showed any interest in voting at the mention of Jeff's name, Sheldon went on around the square.

Judge Mackey

"Next we have Judge Mackey at 12 years and 10 months of age. I know we haven't seen a lot of the descendants of Randall since they got religion all those years ago, but here we are today."

The older boys in the audience who understood the reference booed and hissed. But many of the younger ones missed the joke.

"A real pity, in my humble opinion, if this is typical of what we missed. One of the finest examples of preteen ass I've seen for a long time. I know many of you here would be happy to plow away a few hours in here."

He slapped the boy's rear end hard.

"Judge does have some protection from a brother. Joshua, come here now and do your thing. However, I suspect, with a posterior of this quality, one minus point will be entirely inadequate. I will allow another few boys to sign as well."

After Joshua had given Judge one vote of protection, thirteen-year-old Chase Garvin practically knocked Sheldon to the ground as he raced up to sign the boy's back. He did so quickly and then glared at the two Koch brothers, Adrian (11) and Austin (13), who had come up from the slightly more distant newer bleachers. The two new boys exchanged dirty looks with Chase for being pipped at the post at the last minute. They correctly guessed that Judge's brother, Joshua, would vote to protect him and wouldn't be interested in the kid's ass. They'd been hoping for first rights. Next to sign was Carter Waldren (14) who just smiled at all three of them.

"Busting a virgin's cherry is not all it's cracked up to be, boys. Bottoms are like good wine," he lectured sagely. "They only get better with age, or more accurately, experience. "No, virgins are way over-rated." he went on. "Give me a kid, any day, who's done it a hundred times and knows what gives a guy pleasure. I'm happy to wait the required time for access to Judge's fine young ass. You really do look a wonderful sight from back here, Judge. A thing of beauty."

Poor Judge didn't know how to, or even whether he should, respond to any of this conversation. He just kept quiet. It was really embarrassing to be talked about this way, but he knew there was a deeper part of his psyche that was very pleased. For the last 12 months or so, he had been looking at his bottom in the bathroom mirror whenever he got the chance. His little 8-year-old brother, Sammy, caught him once, but he made the excuse of falling off his bike, and wanted to see if he had any bruises.

"No, nothing there," Sammy had said innocently.

But Judge really did believe that his "rear," as his Mom called it, was eye-catching. He loved looking at it in the mirror. But he always wondered whether other kids would think so, too. Now he had his answer. He would never admit it to anyone, but he was secretly proud of what they said. And he'd been sticking things up there for at least the last 6 months. Small things at first – a finger, a pen, an old toothbrush, a knife handle. But since the sleepover at the Jacobs house, the things he used got bigger and his need more urgent. A thick yellow marker, a test tube from the science lab at school, one of his Dad's screwdrivers, and just 3 days ago he had discovered the box of candles near the old fuse box in the basement. He had learned many things watching Sandy Jacobs getting fucked – the idea of lubricant was like an epiphany. He had used saliva before, but that dried quickly. Now he knew how boys had sex and he'd even done it to Chase in the treehouse.

Judge guessed the candle was slightly thinner than Kevin Mackey's cock. The first one he saw fuck Sandy. But it was way, way longer. He could easily take 7 inches in there. He'd measured it. It hurt the first few times, but it was okay now. However, what he really wanted to try...

Carter Waldren (14) slapped Judge's ass hard. "You gotta answer, Judge. Do you think you could take all of my six inches when they open up your ass for 14-year-olds in 6 months' time?"

"Do we have to wait 6 months?" Judge blurted out without thinking.

The boys in the stage area all burst out laughing.

"What did he say, Carter?" yelled one kid from the back of the bleachers.

He turned to the audience still grinning broadly and said, "I asked Judge if he thought he could take my six inches when they opened his ass for access to fourteen-year-olds in six months. His answer, "Do we have to wait that long?"

Many in the crowd started laughing their heads off. It was a popular response and raised Judge's standing with his Mackey cousins, who, up until this time, barely knew him. But it also ensured he got a lot more votes.

The descendants of Clarence had always kept themselves apart. They went to different schools, to city churches, and very much maintained their own social agenda. Although they all lived in the one small town of Indian Spring, they might go months without ever meeting. And Sheldon knew that nobody present at Old Knot that day in 1995 could ever remember a boy from that branch of the family being on the line before. Even Raymond had had to look it up in the archives. It appeared the last one was Holden Mackey in 1968. And reading between the lines, Raymond concluded that even that was a mistake. The kid, as he was then, hadn't been on the official list, but for some reason (not recorded) had just turned up on Choosing day and got chosen.

Sheldon, who had been watching this whole exchange with amusement, decided it was time to move on. He directed the boys around the stage to resume their seats and said,

Dean Mackey

"Finally, we have our very own Dean Mackey, known to us all. At 12 years and 11 months, Dean is the oldest boy on the line this year. You can see from his physical development, he's much better endowed than others here. If you like that sort of thing, this is the perfect bottom for you. Easily capable of taking the larger cocks with ease. I understand his own brothers Fairlane (15) and Hunter (11) are pushing for unrestricted access rights if he is chosen. I will leave that decision up to the full council, but for now, come up and let's see your John Hancocks."

The old-fashion term produced wild laughter around Old Knot. Some laughed at the archaic language. Others assumed the word meant something it didn't.

When Sheldon finished speaking, two boys made their way to the stage area. Fairlane and Hunter both signed Dean's back as brothers, making his score +4.

Scores after first votes

"That's the end of my introduction of the boys on the line in this record-breaking year. If anyone is still in doubt about the significance of this 1995 Choosing Ceremony, feast your eyes on the potential bottom boys you see before you. And remember a total of four of them will take up community service today. That decision is still to be made and will be determined by your votes."

"However, before I open the floor for general community voting, I ask our score-keepers to present their tally so far."

Raymond, the Council President, had joined Sandy and Hinton at the table. He asked a few questions no one else could hear, and finally scrawled his signature on the over-sized poster the boys had been working on. Then both Sandy and Hinton rushed over to the bulletin-board behind the stage area and pinned up the following details.

First-Voting Scores

To be continued...