The Kingston House

The Kingston House 3 and 4

* * * * *
This work is intended for ADULTS ONLY. It may contain depictions of sexual activity involving minors. If you are not of a legal age in your locality to view such material or if such material does not appeal to you, do not read further, and do not save this story.
* * * * *

Chapter Three: The Dinner

1

Molly barged into her brothers’ room, startling both boys for a second time in the afternoon.

“Haven’t you heard of knocking.” Ian said. He sat up from laying down on the top bunk. Daniel was reading a book on the bottom bunk. When his sister entered the room, he moved the book to cover his groin.

“I just learned something.” She said. “I was in the bathroom, And I was talking to this boy in the shower.”

Both boys immediately lost interested and diverted their attention away from their sister.

“Spying on cute boys in the bathroom sis?” Ian said.

“I wasn’t spying, we were talking.”

“Sure.” Ian joked.

“Seriously, I only saw his butt.” Ian rolled his eyes. “I didn’t even look, but I saw something.” She continued.

“We don’t need to hear about you seeing some dude's ass.”

“You might want to. I learned about a rule that will affect you.”

The boys perked up again, both sitting up a little higher in their beds.

“CJ, that's his name, said he got a mark. But it looks like he got whipped on his butt for breaking a rule.” She said

“Wait, are you serious?” Daniel replied, “He got whipped for breaking a rule?”

“He wouldn’t tell me for sure what happened, but yea, I think he did.”

“Dad didn’t say anything about a list of rules. Did he?” Ian asked. His siblings shook their heads while trying to remember, digging deep into the old memory bank, if such a topic came up in conversation. “What rule did he break?”

Molly’s face blushed, hear heartbeat increased from from both fear and teenage hormones. “He got a boner.” She said, her voice quieted a bit.

“A boner?” Daniel said “Well, what do they expect when you throw a bunch of naked people together. Especially a bunch of teenagers.” He chuckled at his own comment. Ian seemed a bit more worried, but also puzzled that such a natural function would warrant being whipped. “Where did it happen?” He asked.

“I’m not sure, he didn’t really want to talk about it. And I felt awkward watching him shower.”

“Sure you did.” Daniel laughed.

“I think we should ask dad about this.” Ian said, now grabbing his crotch in his hands even tighter and more protective. The other two nodded.

2

Molly asked her father if he knew about the rules that evening. He handed her a piece of white printed paper for her and her siblings to review, learn and obey. As she headed back to their room, she gazed the paper her dad had handed her. It read:

Kingston House Rules (Under 18)

All children under the age of 18 need to remain upstairs after 10pm. No exceptions.
All children need to participate in cooking, cleaning and other household chores on a rotational duty.
The door to the basement MUST remain locked at all times. IF the door appears unlocked, or open. Close it, find an adult, and make them aware the basement door needs to be locked.
No electronic devices inside the house
All clothing needs to remain in storage and cannot be worn on the property
You must obey all adults.
Boys are refrained from having an erection, this includes public and private settings. Please report immediately if you see a boy with an erection. Repeat offenders will be corrected.
There will be no masturbation or sexual activity of any kind – this includes, but not limited to, kissing, touching, petting, oral or penetration.
Breaking of any rules listed above will result in punishment as an adult see’s fit.

3

The dinner bell rang at 8pm, as a wooden spoon clanged against a pot in the kitchen. The clang echoed through the whole house, up the stairs, and could be heard from Ian and Daniel’s bedroom. The boys peaked out their bedroom door, looking both ways before leaving their bedroom. This was the first time either of them had left their bedroom since losing their clothes. Ian glanced to the ground and noticed the bins had been removed. He wondered if his father had moved them or if Roger took them. It didn’t really matter, except Ian would feel a sense of unease knowing some naked old dude had their clothing. Ian walked to his sister’s room, knocked at the door, and after several seconds of no response he poked his head in. He opened her door and noticed the room was empty.

“Guess she’s already downstairs.” Ian said.

Daniel followed his brother down the stairs; each step slowly increasing the tension in their muscles. Ian’s stomach filled with acid and although he hadn’t eaten since lunch, felt as though he wouldn’t be able to force down food. His leg’s felt like they didn’t belong to him, numb and weak. He kept both his hands around his balls with each step. Daniel stayed close. Sounds of laughter and talking could be heard from the other room. Ian recognized his parent’s voices in the distant.

A sweet aroma filled the air. It almost reminded him of his grandmother’s homemade tomato soup he had when he was younger. Ian had a nostalgic feeling in his mind at the smell. His pace quickened, and his stomach rumbled. The boys stood in the doorway to the dining room. The room was filled with people, young and old. Twin 3-year-old boys raced around the table, screaming with joy and excitement. The table was long, almost like a picnic table but could easily seat 20 people. It almost resembled a tree split in half, wooden, like right out of the forest.

“Sit anywhere boys.” Roger yelled from the other side of the room. He was talking to Darren and Linda brown. The adults were drinking a beverage out of wooden cups. The three adults lifted their cups and smiled. Ian had never seen his parents naked before, and quickly turned away from the sight in repulsion. He looked to his brother as his brother took a seat in the middle of the room.

Molly, now naked, carried a big pot, steaming and bubbling to the dinner table. “You cook now?” Daniel asked, smiling. His sister hated to cook. Every time their mother tried to teach her, the occasion would end in a screaming match. Molly was a picky eater, only enjoying a few select items. A typical health nut. She knew what she liked and kept to it.

“I’m just helping set the table.” She said coming dangerously close to her brother’s heads as she placed the pot on the table. CJ carried another bowl filled with vegetables to the table.

“Just helping CJ?” Ian replied.

“I Think she has a little crush” Daniel added

“Shut up guys, he’s right there.”

The two boys laughed. Ian took a glimpse at CJ out of the corner of his eye. Both Daniel and Ian tried to limit their gazes to mere glimpse and peeks and avoid as much nudity as possible. From the quick flash, Ian understood why his sister had a crush on CJ. Daniel’s elbow jutted into his brother’s ribcage. “Check her out” Daniel said. Ian glanced up from the table and noticed a girl their age approach their position. No, not girl, a young woman. She seemed young, energetic, but her body was developed and in full bloom. Her chest, pumped far out, inviting stares. She walked up to the brother’s, rubbing her hand across their backs as she passed them.

“You boys must be new?”

“Yea, we just moved here. I’m ...” Ian paused, momentarily forgetting his name. He peered up, avoiding staring at her breasts. He tried to keep focused on her face. She smiled, effortlessly.

“I’m Daniel and this is my brother Ian.” Daniel jumped in, unafraid to glance up and down her body.

“I’m Megan.” She introduced herself. “That’s CJ over there.” She pointed to him. “He’s my younger brother. My older brother Tyler is in the kitchen cooking.”

“Nice to meet you” Ian awkwardly raised his hand. She laughed, ignoring the invitation to shake hands; “Mind if I sit here?” She asked.

Ian shook his head. “No, go ahead.”

She took a seat next to Ian at the corner of the rectangular table, as he was now sandwiched in at the table between his brother and Megan. As she sat down, Ian pulled his seat closed to the table and raised both legs, in hopes of preventing Megan from taking peaks. He inhaled through his nose; as her scent filled his nostrils. She smelt clean, and warm. A tingling sensation buzzed through his body as he took another deep breath. His gaze wandered back to the table in front of him.

“Dude talk to her.” Daniel whispered into his brother’s ear. “She’s hot.”

Ian tried to push his brother’s face away. He looked back at Megan and tried to formulate a sentence, a coherent thought, something to say, but his ability to form sentences seemed to vanish from his mind. He signed and glanced back down at the plate sitting on the table in front of him.

“I think we can get started.” Roger said. A flood of people took seats at the table. The children sat at one end of the table. Across from Megan were her brothers CJ and Tyler Sinclair. Except for the blond hair and blue eyes, they shared no other features. You wouldn’t be able to even tell they were brothers. Next to Tyler sat Jared Green, whom they met earlier. The twin 3-year-old boys sat between Jared and their parents. Roger sat at the head of the table. Linda and Darren Brown sat next to Molly.

CJ lifted the lid off a pot of vegetable stew, as everyone passed him their bowls. CJ filled each bowl with a murky color of stew. The food smelt better than it looked thankfully. A large pan of vegetables was passed from person to person.

“Only veggies?” Daniel asked. Silence fell across the room as all eyes gazed towards Daniel. He glanced around confused.

“We don’t eat animals here.” CJ said calmly, though it seemed like he was restraining himself from yelling at Daniel.

“Sorry I didn’t know.” Daniel replied, peaking at his brother while making himself sharing in his seat.

The last of the evening sun poked through the dining room windows as it prepared to set over the Kingston farm. Roger walked around the room, lighting candles as he passed. For the first time, Ian and Daniel felt calm and relaxed. Dinner, to their surprise, tasted fresh and full of flavor. They had eaten vegetables for over a decade, but they tasted stale and bland by comparison. The natural light amplified by warm burning candles created a gentle and delicate light.

During the course of dinner, as the room darkened with the setting sun, Megan slid her hand under the table. Her wandering hand landed on the inside of Ian’s knee. Ian bolted up in his seat and glanced to his right. Megan continued eating her soup and carrying on casual conversation with her brothers across the table. Ian glanced across the table and to his brother, wondering if anyone else noticed his fidgety behavior. Even his brother sitting to his left seemed more interested with his dinner and joking with Molly. He decided to ignore Megan’s hand and took another spoonful of veggie soup. As he brought the spoon closer to his mouth, Megan’s hand moved a bit higher up his leg, stopping mid-thigh.

Ian’s penis began filling with blood and sensation. He could feel it rise slightly. Her hand brought warmth to his leg. Nerves and hormones collided in a mental tug of war. He glanced back at Megan, hoping to make eye contact, but she continued chewing and laughing. He looked down and saw his penis rise slightly, and remembered not only the rule, but the fact that his parents and sister were only feet away. A few small children sat at the same table as him. A sense of fear and worry filled his mind, wondering if he too would receive a mark for his partial erection. What happens if someone noticed? What happens if his brother notices?

Her hand crept slowly up his inner thigh, only a few inches away from his groin. Ian continued eating. A part of him hoped her hand would reach his penis, give him a hand job under the table and call it a night. His rational part of his brain; however, wanted her hand to stop and leave him alone. He had never been fond of being touched by other people, even his brother and sister. He tried closing his legs together, pulling his body away from Megan. She scooted over in her seat, casually without drawing attention. Her hand inched closer.

“You’re awfully quiet” Daniel said, turning his attention to his brother.

Ian shrugged, taking another scoop of soup into his mouth. He flinched in his chair.

“You ok?”

“I’m fine” Ian said. His whole body seems fidgety, his movements rapid. Daniel noticed he kept looking over at Megan and then back to his soup.

“You’re into her, aren’t you?” Daniel whispered.

“No, not at all.” Ian said, his voice pitch raised.

“I can tell you are” Daniel continued, his gaze still above the table. Ian’s body again moved as if he had turrets. “Are you sure you are ok?”

Ian closed his eyes slightly, his voice raising in pitch, his breathing shallow. “Yea, I am good” Ian replied.

Ian’s penis was now fully erect and pointing straight up, against his stomach. Ian leaned closer into the table to conceal the erection from everyone, especially his brother. Megan’s hand had teased the boy, carefully grazing and touching the penis on a few occasions. She then used her pointer finger, and slowly pressed against the base of his penis. She then subtly removed her hand from the boy’s lap and left Ian and his erection alone.

4

Roger sat at the head of the long wooden table. Pieces of his meal stuck to his beard like a collage of vegetables. His hands dripped with stew as he wiped his face and let out an audible belch. Roger pushed back his seat, stood up and walked into the kitchen. A few minutes later he returned with a chalice, old and the color of rust. He returned to his seat and raised the chalice to the air. Almost everyone became quiet, silent, watching Roger’s actions intently. It took the Brown family a few seconds to notice the silence. They too watched Roger, slightly confused.

“I would like to offer a toast to the new family and their first meal at the Kingston estate. We have a tradition here at the end of every meal we pass the cup in a moment of peace, family and love.” Roger took a sip from the chalice before passing it down the line, starting across from the Brown family. Each person, including the twin three-year-old boys, took sips from the chalice as it passed down from person to person. The cup crossed the table, as Megan grabbed the cup.

Ian raised the chalice up to his face, smelling the liquid inside. The liquid was almost odorless, with a hint of sweet tanginess. “What is it?” he asked.

“Oh, it’s an old family recipe, go on. Drink it.” Roger said.

Ian would have refused had he not witnessed three your old boys taking a gulp from the same chalice. He took a small sip. The liquid teased his tongue. It lacked taste, but the strange liquid was not water. The liquid was thick, slightly metallic. He passed the cup to his brother.

A few minutes later, a warmth surged through Ian’s body. His muscles loosened and relaxed against the table. His mind became clear and empty of thought. He felt in control and comfortable for the first time in the house had arrived at the Kingston House. He leaned back in his chair, no longer hungry and listened to the dull conversation around the table. The three year old boys no longer screamed and laughed, but instead feel quiet and sleepy..

Ian’s erection slowly faded. Like the infant boys at the table, he too felt tired and ready for bed. Once everyone had finished the meal, Megan and her brothers stood up and began clearing the table. He missed the warmth and touch sensation on his leg but felt relieved no one at the table had noticed. For a short time, he thought he would receive a mark. He wondered who had the duty of administering the mark. Maybe Roger? Ian and his siblings wandered back upstairs after dinner.

Ian and Daniel stayed in their room with the door shut for most of the evening. Ian felt disconnected from his body, strangely at peace but also a dreamish high. Though he never did drugs or smoked, he did not quite know what it meant to be high, but he imaged the sensation was similar to how he felt. Ian decided not to let his younger brother know that Megan felt him up at dinner. Time crawled by. Neither boy had a watch and their phone batteries had died long ago. They could only guess at the time, but figured it was after 10pm. Daniel decided to brush his teeth and prepare for bed. Ian had a strong urge to visit Megan before bed but decided against it.

Daniel walked down the hallway carrying his toothbrush and a small towel over his shoulder. The hallway, lit only by a single candle, illuminated the long corridor with eerie shadow. The stairwell to the first floor was completely dark and even after his eyes adjusted to the dim light, he could not see beyond the first few steps. He passed by his parents’ room and decided to knock on their door. He wanted to say goodnight, like he usually did. A habit that’s been with him since he was a little boy.

There was no response from the other side of the door, and after a second, slightly louder knock, he assumed his parents had already fallen asleep. He turned down the hall, towards the bathroom when a strange whisper, more like a humming, came from the first floor. He instantly turned back to the stairs, cupping his ear to the darkness. Voices, whispers in the dark, echoed from the first floor. It did not sound like chatter or talking. The whispers where in unison, together, almost like a choir singing in whisper. A deep rumble, almost thunderous, voice spoke in a chant like incantation, like a priest at mass, or like a witch casting a spell. Daniel decided to take a step down the stairs, yearning to make out distinguishable words. As his foot came down on the step, the floorboard creaked, loud like an alarm clock alerting the adults someone was coming down the stairs after 10. The whispers stopped dead cold. Daniel decided it was not worth knowing what was happening below. He retracted his foot and hurried to the bathroom in panic.

Chapter Four: The Ritual

1

Daniel rushed into his bed room. Ian turned his head from the bottom bunk bed. Daniels breath was shallow and fast. His eyes seemed glazed and tucked back into his head. He peered out into the dark hallway, looking both ways before closing the door silently shut.

“What is wrong with you?” Ian asked

“Creepy shit going on out there.”

“What do you mean?”

Daniel shook his head and shrugged. He walked over to the bed; “I’m going to bed.”

“Already?” Ian sat up from his bed, stood up and walked to the door.

“Where are you going?”

“To the bathroom.”

“Be careful, something's not right out there.”

“Go to bed.” Ian said dismissively, before opening the door and heading into the dark hallway.

Ian glanced around the hallway, the candle that sat on a corner table had nearly burned all the wax. A small flicker from the wick danced and bowed. A breeze from a nearby open window almost extinguished the small flame. An instinctual fear of the dark crept throughout his body. He sensed a person in the dark shadows watching him from afar. He took a small step forward, towards the bathroom. The warm and relaxed sensation that was present after dinner, seemed a distant memory. For the first time in many years, Ian felt afraid. A kid in a bad dream. A person in the shadows watched Ian stroll down the hallway, staring at each step. As Ian moved off into the shadows, the person turned around and into the darkness.

Ian entered the bathroom, one of the few rooms with an electrical system. He imagined a generator powered some of the building, though none of the rooms had any power outlets, or at least none that he had seen. He thought they probably had the generator to heat the water and the kitchen. He figured ideals or not, no one would want to shower in ice cold water. Although the bathroom had one light, the bulb did not generate that much lighting. The bathroom was still dark and calm.

Jared stood at one of the sinks, brushing his teeth. The water, a small flow, splashed into the sink. Jared turned and nodded, and suddenly, the fear and insecurity disappeared. Ian returned a friendly smile and walked over to the sink.

“It’s a little eerie out there in the dark isn’t it?” Ian asked

Jared chuckled a bit; “Scare you walking in the darkness?”

“A little bit.”

“You’ll get used to it.”

“My brother freaked out.”

“I felt the same way at first. But you get used to the silence and darkness.”

The door to the bathroom opened, Ian turned his head and watched Megan enter the bathroom. She smiled at the boys, but her smile seemed insincere, almost predatory like. She took a took a step to Ian, who instantly moved both his hands down to his balls, cupping them once more in safety. The feeling of being prey, hunted in the wild, returned. He suddenly felt naked. He had been without clothing for nearly half the day, had dinner with strangers including Megan, but in this moment, he felt naked. He knew what it meant. More than his skin showing, it was a mental state of fear, a mix of embarrassment and unprotected. Megan’s smile, her apparent display of lust, her desire to tease and taunt caused his body to feel exposed in ways he never experienced. Although Jared kept his hands above the sink, his body language suggested he too sensed the danger. He turned his back slightly to her, protecting himself from unwanted gazes.

She took a step closer to the boys, flaunting her body, hoping the boys would look. Jared spit out the mint toothpaste from his mouth, skipping the rinse, and rushed out of the room past Megan. She walked up to the sink and began washing her face. Ian went to the urinal next to the sinks, trying to pee as fast as possible. His bladder became shy, and he stood there awkwardly waiting for just a few drops. Megan glanced out of the corner of her eye at Ian, occasionally catching a glimpse of his penis. Unlike most bathrooms, there was no wall between the two urinals nor a wall between the urinals and sink, leaving a clear view for all who wished it. She peaked over again; “Having trouble going?” she asked.

“Can’t I get a little privacy?” Ian responded.

“Not in this house. You have nothing to be ashamed about.”

Ian noticed her gaze aimed right for his penis. He turned quickly, trying to use his back as a shield. “Do you have to keep looking?”

She raised her eyebrows and smiled. “Give me a good look at it and I’ll stop peaking.”

Ian no longer felt the need to urinate. He habitually shook his penis and flushed the toilet. He cupped his balls again with his hands as he turned to leave the bathroom.

“Aren’t you forgetting to wash your hands?” She asked as he passed by the sink.

“Nothing even came out. Why would I need to wash my hands?” He continued on his way out.

As he strolled down the hallway, a faint murmur, a voice spoke. He glanced around, wondering if Jared had called out to him, or even Megan from the bathroom. He took a step forward, closer to his room and closer to the stairway. The quiet voice, turned into multiple voices, almost ghostly, unreal. The noise bounced around the hallway. Ian looked around, unable to distinguish if the voices were behind him, or downstairs. “Megan is that you?” He asked, staring into the darkness. A bang, like cinder blocks smashed together rang from the first floor. Ian’s heart pounded, his body shaking from the freight. He took a step downstairs and stopped, listening similar to his brother. The sound of the voices increased. A bluish tint of the light emitted from the dining room, almost like a candle behind blue glass. He another step down the stairs, suddenly causing the voices to silent and the light to extinguish.

Ian had decided to rush back to his bedroom, that no matter what was happening below, it was not worth figuring out tonight, on his first night. As he approached his room, the whispers returned. He decided to continue to his room and fall asleep.

2

The door to the Brown boy’s bedroom opened later that night while Ian and Daniel were asleep. Two figures, people, dressed in brown monk robes walked over to the bunk beds were the boys slept, in a deep sleep. The figures movements were silent, slow like shadows. A hand reached out to the bottom bunk were Daniel lay still, on his back, and letting out an occasional snore. The hand, wearing a white glove quickly placed gag into the boy’s mouth and within seconds, the two shapes carried Daniel out of the bedroom and down the main stairway before he was able to let out a cry. Ian tossed and turned, but would not realize Daniel had been snatched, literally under his nose.

It took several moments before Daniel even knew he was being carried through dark narrow corridors and down into the basement of the Kingston house. His eyes were unable to adjust to the black of the rooms, and for most of his journey to the basement, he thought he was in the middle of some night terror or broke out into hysteria from some fever in the night.

The figures placed Daniel on a cold metallic table, his wrists and ankles were fastened to the table, as he was forced to lay spread eagle on the table. The gag covering his mouth prevented any noise escaping. He tried lifting his body from the table, which caused sharp chilling pain sensations throughout his body. He tried to pull against the restraints, but they were bolted to the table and made from a sturdy material.

Two blinding lights soon lit the small damp basement. The lights pointed straight at Daniel’s naked body were industrial quality, like the type working crews would use at night when performing street work. Daniel clenched his eyes shut, as the contrast in brightness pained his eyes. Rodger stepped out of the shadows in the back of the room and walked over to a stationary camera pointed at the 14-year-old boy. He positioned the camera, trying to find the optimum angle. Once satisfied, Rodger walked over to the boy.

Daniel tried opening his eyes, peering out between two almost shut eyelids. He made out a figure standing over him, scanning his naked body. He opened his eyes slightly more and could tell it was Rodger the head of the Kingston House. Daniel let out an inaudible moan. Rodger placed a hand on Daniels shoulder.

“Try not to make any noises. We placed a gag over your mouth.” Rodger spoke.

Daniel let out another moan, trying to escape the table with every ounce of energy his body could muster.

“Shh... it’s okay.” Rodger said. “Just try to relax.” Rodger extended his other arm and pointed to the camera. “You see, we have quit a captive audience tonight. Fresh blood always pulls in the views.”

Daniel lifted his head and took a glance over to where the camera was placed. He violently shook his body once more, as adrenaline poured into his muscles.

Rodger lifted a needle from the table. “Don’t worry Daniel, you won’t remember a thing. You will wake up in your bed tomorrow and you won’t remember anything at all. It won’t even seem like a dream; the memory will just be gone.” He brought the needle closer to Daniels body. Rodger moved his free hand, the hand he had placed on Daniels shoulder, and began dragging his hand down Daniel’s naked body – paying special attention to his nipples, and belly button, before continuing down Daniels abdomen. “Oh yes, the audience will be in for quite a show tonight indeed.” Rodger quickly fondled the boy’s penis, before injecting Daniel with the needle.

Daniel tried to scream out, straining his vocal chords, but only a light cry, a distant cry in the night was able to escape. A cry, that outside the basement could not be heard. His eyes began watering and fading in and out of consciousness. And soon, darkness overtook the boy. And hours later he would be returned to his bed, sound asleep and forgetting everything that happened to him that night.

3

The morning sunshine that poured through the window woke Molly up early, before the time she would normally awaken. She instinctively glanced at her night table, expecting to see an alarm clock, or her phone plugged in charging overnight. It took several minutes for her brain to comprehend that all her electronics had been confiscated. After several minutes basking in the early morning sun, which gazed right onto her bed, pillow side, she decided to get out of bed and take an early morning trip to the bathroom. She thought about grabbing a towel, and wrapping it around her body, still feeling exposed, but decided against the idea – she didn’t want to appear rude Afterall.

As she strolled down an empty hall, the candles had been since snuffed out, she noticed the door to her parents’ room ajar. She took a few steps towards the door, peering into the room through the opening and noticed the room was completely empty. The bed, neatly made, appeared like no one had slept in the room the previous night. Although her parents were early risers, she was surprised they would be up at the brink of dawn. Molly took a step back and let out a tiny gasp as she turned around and noticed Rodger standing over her.

“Oh, I’m sorry, didn’t mean to startle you.” The older man said. His eyes carried bags, as if he had been up all night. His face wrinkled and old and his eyes almost soulless looked down at her in a way that made her feel unsettled.

“It’s ok, I was just looking for my parents. Have you seen them?

“Oh, we sent your parents on a trip. We needed some supplies and they volunteered. They should be back later today.”

“Thank you.” Molly said, trying to peer around the rather large body, the Santa like body, of Rodger. “I’m just going to go to the bathroom.” She said, trying to shield her body from Rodgers gaze.

Rodger just stood there, silently, staring at the girl with interested. He smiled, not moving out of the way. Molly took a side-step and walked past Rodger, rapidly picking up her pace as she moved down the hallway. She didn’t look over her shoulder but could still feel Rodger’s gaze watching the backside of her body. She quickened, just short of a sprint, rushing into the bathroom and closing the door quickly behind her.

4

Ian climbed down the latter from his top bunk, and, once reaching the bottom, stretched out his arms as if preparing for a large embrace. Ian’s morning wood had already begun subsiding by the team he started his morning stretched, and like most morning, was unaware of his erect state. He glanced over at his brother, who still remained fast asleep. Ian leaned down, picking up a fallen pillow from the bed and tossed it over, hitting his brother on the face.

“Yo – get up!” Daniel remained frozen asleep. Puzzled, Ian took a step towards the bed, ready to nudge his brother awake. As he leaned over to wake his brother, the bedroom door creaked open.

“That Rodger guy creeps the shit out of me.” Molly said barging into the room.

“Good morning to you too.” Ian said turning to his sister. He glanced down at his sister’s breast, still feeling awkward about the nudity. He noticed his gaze traveling south, and quickly glanced back up to meet his sister’s eyes.

“Why isn’t Danny up yet?” Molly asked, peaking past her older brother.

“I was just about to wake him when...”

Molly interrupted Ian and rushed over to her younger brother’s side. “Oh God, why is he drenched in sweat?” She asked feeling the sheets on the bed. “These are soaked.”

“I don’t know.” Ian’s voice seemed less confident know as he picked his glasses off the nigh stand and kneeled down by his brother’s bead. Both siblings now concerned.

“Wake up!” Molly shouted.

“Danny, you okay?” Ian asked.

Daniel slowly awoke, still in an early morning fog and his mind felt as if he was waking up from a drug induced sleep. He opened his mouth and began speaking, incoherently. Gibberish spewed from his mouth for minutes. His mouth was dry, as if it had been baking in a desert sun for hours. He recognized his siblings, and the panicked look each had on their face, but did not have the brain power to react.

Minutes passed, and Daniel soon began to return from normal. Ian helped wipe the sweat from his brother’s body, while Molly handed him a glass of water. “Did you have a bad nightmare or something?” Ian asked

“I don’t even remember dreaming last night.” Daniel responded, sitting up from his bottom bunk. He reached for his head; “but my head is killing me.”

“Did you hit your head on something last night?” Molly asked.

“Not that I remember.” Daniel replied.

“Maybe you should take it easy, take a nice shower and just take things slow today.” Ian said.

“Yea – I think you are right.” Daniel said, on the verge of a memory, like when you have a word on the tip of your tongue but can’t quite say the word. He felt that way about the nightmare he had last night, like a bad dream, a true night terror. A feeling of impending doom. He knew something wasn’t quite right.

Daniel grabbed his towel, and headed for the bathroom, anticipating a nice cold shower to help his brain turn on. He thanked his brother and sister for their concern and then walked into the hallway. He turned the corner, to where the bathroom was located. He took a step towards the door, when a feeling of dizziness and confusion took over. He looked up and out into the hallway.

The hallway went dark, as if a solar eclipse came and eliminated all the light in the world. He felt candles burning behind him, and he quickly turned around to see one small candle in the distance. The corridor felt like it did at nighttime. He ran over to the window and peered out the window, but all he could see was moonlight and stars shining in the distance. He took a step backwards in shock, but felt hands grab his body. One hand covered his mouth, and another reached around his throat. Another pair of hands grabbed his waist and lifted him to the ceiling. And then in a whisper, he could hear Rodger’s voice. “We had such a good viewing last night, we thought we could do it again tonight.”

Daniel tried to let out a scream but couldn’t.

“Yes. Over a thousand people paid to see you last night, and we are expecting that many again tonight.” And soon the figures carried Daniel off into the dark.

Daniel regained his vision minutes later, and once again he was on that metallic table, restrained at the wrists and ankles. His extremities were outstretched. Lights, camera, action – as Rodger pointed the camera once again at the naked boy. Rodger once again pick up a needle and walked towards the boy. And in his whisper of a voice, he spoke, almost like a clown, both amused and serious at the same time. “Don’t worry Daniel, you won’t remember a thing.” He brought the needle towards the boy’s abdomen and Daniel soon lost consciousness again. As he awoke in the morning, in a cold sweat, his body shot up and he let out a scream. Ian peered from the top bunk over to his younger brother.

“Are you ok?” Ian asked.

“Yea, I think I am.” Daniel gazed around the room, assessing his surroundings. “I think I just had a nightmare.” His breath was fast and shallow, and Ian whipped away sweat from his forehead. “Just a nightmare” He said again. The boys laid back down into their beds and drifted off into a light morning sleep.

5

It was the end of the school year and Daniel had just finished his last Cross country Meet of his freshman year of high school. The team entered the locker room as boys shed their sweaty running shorts to the ground and raced to the shower. Max Bean, the team coach, stood in the locker room with the team, jotting down notes on his clipboard. The school policy was to have at least one adult in the locker room, to supervise. He tried to stay out of the way, as naked boys rushed past him from every direction heading to the shower.

“Can you come here for a second?” Coach Bean asked, glancing over in Daniel’s direction.

Daniel looked up, and then gazed around and saw no one around him and determined the coach was indeed talking to him. Daniel was naked, his towel just out of reach. He was always last to the showers, he found it more stressful to start his shower as the other boys were finishing up. He walked over to the coach, still naked. Coach Bean smiled at the boy. As he approached his coach, he had wished he grabbed his towel and wrapped it around his waist. A regret that would soon turn into a mistake.

“You did very well today Danny, I am proud of you. You are beating your own times out there on the field.”

“Thank you” Daniel said as he began to turn around and escape the awkward situation.

“Oh, before you go, I think we should discuss putting you on a weight training program. I have some of the other boys on a program and it’s really helping them.”

“Okay, I’ll think about it” Daniel again tried to turn around and hit the showers.

“See, the big thing is we want to work on your abs and leg muscles.” The coach placed his hand on the boy’s shoulder and pulled him a bit closer. Nice and tight. The coach then kneeled to the ground and placed his hand on Daniel’s stomach. “See we need to develop your abs a bit.” Coach Bean smacked the boy’s stomach lightly. He then gazed down towards his legs. “And these are a bit underdeveloped” He glazed his hand down the boy’s leg.

“Okay” Daniel paused for a moment, wishing the coach would remove his hand. “I need to really hit the showers; my mom is going to be waiting for me.” Daniel turned around and headed to his towel.

As Daniel walked away, coach Bean gave a quick smack to the boy’s butt ‘a good job’ tap. “Keep up the good work” Coach Bean said as he watched the boy stroll to the showers.

Daniel stood in the showers and allowed the warm water drip down his head, body and onto the tile floor below. The boys around him joked and laughed and some even threw soap and shampoo onto each other’s bodies. But Daniel tuned out all the noise around him. The room in that moment was silent. He placed his head gently against the wall, closing his eyes and for a brief moment in time, escaped. When Daniel opened his eyes again, he was back in the Kingston house, back in reality. But this morning, he didn’t quite feel like himself. He felt lost, he felt empty he felt alone.

(End of File)