The Eternal Dream
PART I
Andy stood before his bathroom mirror examining himself. He was a good looking kid, Shoulder length blonde hair framed his soft features, and his bangs hung down into his Ice Blue eyes. He had a small mouth and soft lips that always seemed to have a slightly sad smile. His 15 year old body was about 5'6" and slender. Soft, slightly tanned skin covered his Smoothly muscled form. He is exactly the kinda kid most girls his age go weak over... execpt for one small problem... Andy is Gay.
He sighed softly as he lifted up his hair to examie the bruise on his left temple. It took all the strength he had inside not to cry as he looked at the handiwork of the boy he always believed was his best friend. He had bruises on his stomach and sides from the fists of his former friend. He wondered where he had gone wrong in judging Scott....
Last night he had gone over to Scott's house to spend the night, and late in the evening, they had been sitting up in Scott's room talking. Andy was SO sure that Scott would support him when he told him he was gay, Scott had always been there for him in the past. But one look in Scott's eyes told him that it wasn't gonna happen that way. "Get out" was all he had to say, so Andy went home.
Today at School he was sure Scott would be more reasonable after a good night's sleep. He had simply walked up behind Scott who was chatting to their friend and put his hand on his shoulder.
"Hey bud, can I talk to you for a sec?" Andy had quietly said
Scott's response shocked everyone, he spun around driving his fist into Andy's left temple. Shocked from the blow to the temple, and the unexpected attack, Andy fell over. Scott piled on top of him and continued to rain blows into Andy's abdomen and kidney screaming "FUCKING FAGGOT! Don't you ever Fucking touch me again!"
Andy could do nothing more that lie there and cry, he couldn't bring himself to defend himself, or fight back... and now EVERYONE knew.
He quickly wiped away a tear that had snuck out while he remembered Earlier. After that Humiliating betrayal, Andy had run off from school and went home. He was hurt and confused. He had never done anything to Scott, and while he did love Scott, it was only as a friend. It seemed too weird to him to try to think of Scott in a romantic way. Now it just hurt to think about him at all.
Now he just had to think about what he was gonna tell his parent when they got home soon. They would want to know why he was home so early from school. And it would probably cause another fight. He didn't think he could tell them the truth, both of his Parent's being true Southern Baptists. They might very well kick him out or try to send him the one of the Churches "Treatment Programs". But then again, since all of his friends went to his church, they would find out soon anyway.
Andy gave up trying to think about it and just began to get dressed. He had just finished putting on his shirt when he heard the front door open. Within a few minutes he heard a Knock on his door.
"Andy, honey, are you in there?" His mom asked.
"yes Maam, I'm here." Andy said tiredly.
The door opened. His mother came if frowning. "Hon, what's wrong? why are you not in school?" Andy sighed and tears began running down his face. "Oh hon..." she quickly hugged him. Andy jerked back and winced. His mother pulled back and looked at Andy closely, she lifted his hair and looked into her son's tear stained eyes. Then she noticed the bruise. With a frown she lifted up her son's loose shirt and looked in shocked horror at the battered state of his body. "My God Andy, what happened to you!?"
Andy broke down and Sobbingly told his mother the whole story. He was gay, he had told Scott, Scott had turned on him, and everyone knew now. He looked up at his mother expecting to see disgust, and refulsion, but he saw Sadness and Disapointment.
"Oh Andy.. how could you do this to yourself? Don't you know how miserable you will be?"
Andy sobbed "I.... I can't help it mom, it's just how I am."
His mother sighed. "Well, you rest up and I will talk this over with your Father. Then I'm sure we can get the Church to help you. We will fix you hon, don't worry." She smiled slightly and pulled a lock of hair from his eyes. She kissed him on the cheek and then left the room.
Andy kept crying till he eventually fell asleep.
"ARE YOU TELLING ME MY SON'S A FAGGOT?!"
The sound of the yelling woke Andy with a start. Just as he thought, a fight. He creaped out of bed and into the hall. He sat on the top step of the Stairs that led into the living room and listend.
"I will not have a faggot in this house Annet!" His father yelled.
"Bill, you have to understand, Andy's Ill. Reverend Hammond said that Homosexuality is an illness. We have to help him. We need to call the reverend and get the Churches help."
"No way in hell I am gonna let the Reverend know my son's a fag. I don't want people thinking he got it from me."
"Dear, all the kids at Andy's school know, most of the children that know him go to our church. The reverend is Gonna find out. We have to talk to him first."
"That's It, I am not putting up with this, I am gonna go upstairs and Beat it out of him!"
"William James Nickles, you will not hurt that boy more than his best friend already has. If Scott couldn't beat it out of him, you aren't going to do any better."
Andy got up and fled to his room, ignoring the rest of the argument. He couldn't believe that they thought he was Sick, or Ill. They didn't understand, they didn't even care.
He wasn't gonna stay here any longer. Andy opened his closet and searched till he found his Camping pack. It had everything he would need to survive out in the woods. There were plenty of MRE's he picked up from the Army Surplus store, and even a pistol he had taken from his father's secret stash. He locked his door and grabbed the necklace Scott had given him for his last birthday. He turned his Stereo on and started a disk on a repeat loop so they would think he was here, then stuffed his favorite CD's in his pack along with his Portable player and was ready to go. He opened his window, and climbed out closing his window behind him. Andy shouldered his pack and headed out to the woods that led up to the Mountains and his favorite spot.
After an hour's walk, he reached his favorite spot. A little cliff that looked over the river at it's fastest point comming down off the mountain. Andy love the beauty and peace of this spot. No one ever came here cause people believed it haunted. There was a story of a gay couple that had committed suicide here in the 20's. It was said that the Ghosts of the two lovers haunted the cliffs and would push straight people to their deaths. Andy loved stories about spirits and magic. He first came here cause he hoped to see the ghosts, and later as he became aware of his own feelings tward other boys, he believed that the ghosts here always knew he was gay and that they watched over him.
Andy sat, listening to the river and watching as the sun moved toward setting behind the mountains. He wondered if his parents had stopped fighting long enogh to nitice he had left. Even if they had, after what his father said, he was sure they were more relieved than anything. He really didn't have anything to look forward to, and nothing to go back to.
Come to us......
Andy blinked.. he must be hearing things.. there was no one around, no one to whisper to him... no one but.
The Ghosts.
He thought for a moment, watching the sky turn blood red with the color of the sun. He had his answer. The sound of the river called to him, the Ghosts had given him the answer... all he had to do was follow them. Getting to his feet, Andy moved to the edge of the cliff and stared down at his future. Death.
Andy closed his eyes one last time and fell forward into oblivion.
PART II Preview....
"Are you ok?" The voice asked. Soft, soothing, Melodius...
'Wait... why am I hearing anything?' Andy thought.. 'where am I?' He felt a sharp pain in his head as somthing touched it.. 'I never thought being dead hurt.'
"You are lucky be alive" the voice said "The River of Dreams never gives up those who enter it's embrace."
Andy opened his eyes slowly... and squinted against the sunlight. 'Wow, how long have I been out?' He wondered....
"River of what?" he asked looking at the source of the voice... he Imediately choked.. it was HIM... it was SCOTT...
'That's odd' he thought.. 'why did I never notice that Scott's ears had points......'