All rights reserved. Other than downloading one copy for personal enjoyment, no part of this story may be reproduced or transmitted by any means, except for reviews, without the written permission of the author. As in real life, the sexual themes unfold gradually and are kept to a realistic level.
This story contains descriptions of consensual sexual contact between males, adult and minor. As such it is homoerotic, designed for the entertainment of mature adults. If you are not of legal age to read such material, or if the subject matter would create irresolvable personal moral dilemmas, please exit now.
Note: I would like to thank Matthew for his unwavering support and editing skills while I write this story. Matthew has been sharing his talents by posting another great story. Look in adult/youth for a story about Jason and Roman.
Comments on the story are appreciated and may be addressed to the author, Dwight Wilson, at adm2780@yahoo.com
Chapter One-hundred Six: New Horizons
"Mmmmmmmppphhh . . .mmmmppphhh . . . Oh, gaaahd, yessss," Clay's whimpers and moans of pleasure were barely audible, even to Thad who was busy licking his lover's neck and, occasionally, sticking the tip of his tongue in his boy's ear.
"Don't stop," Thad pleaded as he tried to concentrate on tasting Clay's sweet sweat, but also enjoyed feeling Clay roll his ready to burst balls in Clay's hand.
The two boys, known to be lovers to all at New Horizons, had quietly moved away from the crowd preparing for the days festivities. They were at the log by the creek, where all the boys liked to go for some privacy and boy fun. Thad led Clay to their favorite spot. The two boys sat on the ground, facing each other. Thad's right leg was over Clay's left; Clay's right leg over Thad's left. The boys wrapped their feet behind the other's back until the soles of their feet touched.
The boys thought this position was great for prolonged fun. When their dicks got hard and the tips touched, their rods would jerk, bounce and rub against each other, sending waves of delight through both boys. The rule was that neither boy could touch his, or the other's, definitive boy part. Their hands could be used to fondle the other's balls, pinch or tease nipples, tickle a rose-bud, or just roam and delight in the feel of the other's body. This time, though, Thad had not brought them here for prolonged sex.
Thad had expressed his concerns to Clay several times during the few days the boys had together at Clay's home. Thad had watched his young cousin, whom he had promised to care for. Jack gravitated more and more towards Mary, Clay's mom. Jack was only eight years old and not only needed, but craved, a mother's love. Thad knew that Clay had told his mom about the relationship between Thad and Jack. Thad also believed that the only reason Clay's mom had asked him to go home with them, was for Jack.
Thad repeated his concerns to Clay. Clay tried to argue, but it was no use. Thad had made up his mind that he would tell Jack to accept a home with Clay's mom, if it was offered to him. Both boys already knew that Mary was going to talk to Daniel about taking permanent custody of Jack. Clay begged his lover not to think this way, but it was no use. Finally, Clay knew that he would not be able to change Thad's mind. Thad would stay at New Horizons.
"Nooooooo," Clay whined as tears began to roll down his cheeks.
Thad leaned in and kissed away Clay's tears, savoring their youthful saltiness. Thad also wanted to cry; his heart was breaking. Deep down, somewhere inside, he was crying and suddenly feeling all alone, again.
"Hey, sweet cheeks, stop the crying. You're gonna get me going if you keep this up. Rather than cry, let's spend some time making a good memory. I wanna taste you and feel you again."
Thad didn't wait for an answer, he couldn't. To hide his own feelings of despair, he locked Clay's arms behind his back and pulled him in; the two boys shared a passionate kiss. Thad pressed his tongue into Clay, suddenly withdrawing and sucking Clay's tongue into his mouth. Thad sucked on his lover's tongue and then began chewing on it, gently . . . . , lovingly. Clay began to whimper; Thad smiled to himself. Thad knew that Clay liked to be the submissive and he determined to give his lover whatever he wanted.
Their boy parts reacted immediately. Still holding Clay's wrists in the small of his back, Thad held Clay steady while he ground his boy parts into Clay's. Clay took a sharp breath and tried to cry out, but the sound was muffled by their kiss. When Thad chose to sit still, he broke the kiss, looked at his lover and smiled. Clay had to close his eyes to keep from crying again. Thad placed a light kiss on each eyelid.
Being young teens, hormones raged and need overtook emotion. Clay pulled his hands free and reached for Thad's nipples. He pinched and twisted his lover's nipples, causing the boy to gasp and whimper with excitement. Thad placed a hand in the small of Clay's back, held him firmly and pushed back on the boy's shoulders. Thad then bent down and sucked Clay's left nipple into his mouth. He sucked as hard as he could before he began to chew on the sensitive boy part. Clay cried out and began to thrust his hips towards Thad.
Thad removed his arm from the small of Clay's back and reached for his silky scrotum. As he massaged the sac, the contents seemed to burn into his palm. Thad tilted his head to nibble on Clay's ear; Clay tilted his head and bit into Thad's neck. Clay sucked as hard as he could, knowing he was branding his lover.
Lost in their passion, neither boy was aware that they were not alone. Daniel had walked out to 'the log', as the boys called the area, fairly certain he would find Clay and Thad there. Daniel was not alone. As they approached the boys and saw them caught up in the heat of passion and pure raw sex, they stopped. Daniel looked at his companion who held a finger up signaling for them to wait. Daniel then felt the slight tug on his arm, signaling him to back up.
"Daniel, leave them. If we walk in now, they'll be too embarrassed. Let's give them a few minutes of privacy to finish, then we can approach them."
Two teens, caught in the raw emotions of sex. Their bodies glistened with a light coating of sweat. Neither boy could get enough of the other. Their hands roamed over the other's body, pulling, caressing, massaging, fondling. In a world of their own, the only sounds being their own whimpers and groans of pure passion. In time, nature demanded release. No matter how hard either boy fought to wait, to stretch the time, to milk just a little more heat from the moment, the boys knew they would have to let their bodies have their own way. After a few minutes, the boys, again locked in a passionate kiss, began to hump into one another. A sharp cry from one, and then the other, coupled with the jerking convulsions of their young bodies, signaled that their bodies had finally achieved the release demanded.
Clay and Thad fell into one another's arms. Both boys panted, almost gasping for breath. Thad's arm shook, Clay's was too tired. Clay began to recover his normal breathing first and pulled Thad into him; he held his lover, refusing to let him go. Daniel and his companion stepped forward. They stood to the side where only Thad could see them. The boy opened his eyes.
"Are you boys okay?" Daniel asked.
The boys, surprised at the sound of someone's voice, particularly Daniel's, jumped and turned to look at him. What they saw left them almost speechless. Clay finally remembered to inhale and then gulped.
"MOM!" Clay cried out in shock. "What're you doin' out here? I mean . . .well, we . . .uh . . ya see, well . . .it's like . . . .uhhh . . . I mean, how long you been here?"
"Clay," Mary kneeled down and placed a loving hand on each cheek of her naked son. "Right here for only a few seconds, but standing back to give you some privacy, well, let's say that I could probably testify that both of you are very passionate boys."
"MO-OM! NO WAY!" Clay cried out. "I mean, you didn't . . .you didn't . . . .uh-uh. Oh gahd!" Clay's tone dropped to one of embarrassed recognition of the truth.
"Clay, let me tell you a secret. Mama isn't nearly as naïve as you and your brother like to think I am. I have a fair working knowledge of sex and the human body. I also know a lot about the emotions that go with certain acts. Don't be upset. What I just saw was two young boys expressing some very deep feelings for one another. Don't ever be ashamed of that. If I embarrassed you, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do that. What I saw was not just sex; it was pure love. It was beautiful."
"Really?" Clay asked, almost surprised. "I mean, you're not mad with me, or us, or nothin'?"
"No, there's no reason to be mad with you, or us, or nothin'." Mary smiled at her son. "Clay, I've known about you engaging in sex for a long time. I'm well aware that Marich is curious and that you have made him hold back and take it slow. Being curious about sex, and enjoying the pleasures your body can give you, are very natural things. However, we will have some discussions about it a little later, just not now."
Mary looked over at Thad and saw the boy staring down at the ground, lost. Mary placed a finger under his chin and lifted it.
"Now, we do need to talk, all of us. First, I would suggest that the two of you go jump in the river over there and get cleaned up. Okay?"
Mary stood and took a step backward. The boys looked at one another, smiled and then jumped up and ran for the river.
"Three minutes and I'll expect you back here," Mary called after the boys.
"Mary, if I could have had a camera with me, the looks on their faces when they saw you was priceless."
"I know, and I was trying not to frighten them. Clay's father did enough of that. Daniel, I can't say that I like it, but after Clay was on the streets, I knew that he had become sexually active. He was active before his father threw him out. No, I promised myself that I would try to be realistic and support my boys." Mary took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I guess acknowledging their activities will have to be part of that. Lord help me and give me the strength." Both Mary and Daniel laughed.
When the boys returned, all evidence of their recent activity was cleaned away. The boys were dripping wet, their nipples, and other parts, drawn tight from the cold water in the river. Mary and Daniel sat on the log. Clay leaned over to his mother and kissed her on the cheek. He whispered in her ear that he loved her. Mary patted her son on the cheek and gave him a motherly smile as she motioned for both boys to sit in front of them so they could talk.
"Boys, I think we all need to talk. I asked Daniel to help me find the two of you. When I did that, I didn't realize that . . . . well, you know. If I embarrassed either of you, I'm sorry." Mary paused a moment while both boys looked first, at one another, and then the ground as they blushed. "I think that the three of us need to acknowledge that what you boys were doing, it wasn't the first time for either of you, and won't be the last. So, let's let that subject drop and move on to some things more important.
"Clay, Marich has told me what you've said about your father leaving and how you thought it was your fault that Marich doesn't have a father at home. That's not true. The reason your father reacted the way he did when you told him you might be gay was that he had been having gay sex and trying to hide it from all of us." Clay looked at his mom, stunned.
"But, Mom . . . how did you . . .I mean . .."
"He left his computer on one night and I saw the site. He was making reservations for a place called The Dungeon. I didn't know what it really was. It was obvious from the site that it was a sex club and there were boys there." Mary had to take a deep breath before continuing. "When I investigated further, I found out it was one of those places where they had rough sex, and even whipped or tortured the prostitute. In your father's case, the prostitute was a boy your age." Mary had to stop to maintain her composure.
"Mom?" Clay whispered, not knowing what to say or do. "Why . . . I mean, why did he . . . he was having gay sex, but he beat me and threw me out for doing the same thing." Clay looked back and forth between his mother and Daniel.
"Clay," Daniel intervened. "Sometimes people do things that they feel is wrong, but they can't help it for some reason. Your father was having gay sex, but it wasn't normal type sex. He was torturing boys. My guess is he reacted towards you like he did because he was filled with guilt. It wouldn't surprise me to learn that maybe he was substituting the boy prostitute for you or your brother. At least, he had enough control not to torture his sons."
"Clay, the important thing is that I learned about this just before you and your father argued," Mary continued. "I didn't know what to think. I was frightened. I was frightened for you, for Marich, for myself, and mostly, I was frightened of him. If he could torture a child time and time again, what was he really capable of? When I realized what he had done to you, I went looking for you. I knew that I was going to divorce him. When I couldn't find you, my fury turned to hatred.
"When I got you back, I don't think you knew that I slept outside your bedroom door every night. I was scared of losing you and didn't know what to do.
"Now, it's important for you to know that your father's leaving was not your fault. Right now, you have a brother at home that needs you. That's what you need to remember, and know that your family loves you. Marich and I don't care about your sexuality."
"Mom, what about the boy? What happened to him?"
"I don't know, son." They all looked at Daniel.
"Understand that the only boys we've been able to free so far are those that were denied due process rights." Daniel understood, and shared, the boys' concerns. "I don't know what happened to the boy, but I will ask the attorneys to look into it. I promise that we will do all we can to help him. Okay?"
"Thad, I understand that you were planning on encouraging Jack to go with Clay and me if we asked him to be part of our family."
"Yes, ma'am," Thad almost whispered as he looked down. "He needs a mom, bad, and I don't wanna be in the way."
"Thad, I asked Jack to be part of our family before we left to come here; before you had a chance to talk to him. I called Daniel last night and asked him to prepare papers; the official papers were signed before we arrived here. I asked him to prepare two sets of papers. Now, Daniel had to make the final decision for Jack. You are old enough to make your own choice. Before you make that choice, I think there's something you need to remember. I asked you to come home with us, to come home with Clay. I knew about the relationship between you and my son, and I was willing to accept it. All this happened before I knew about Jack.
"I know that I can't really replace your real mother, no one can, but I'll try my best. I promise to love you just as much as if you were my own."
Thad looked at the person he wanted so desperately to call Mom. He couldn't answer her because of the emotions welling up inside. He couldn't hold back the tears. Mary reached out to the boy, for that is what he was, just a frightened boy who wanted to be loved. She held him while he cried.
"I think I'll take this as a yes," Mary joked as she held the boy, naked and now as innocent with his feelings as the day he was born.
Mary looked down at her son who was also crying quietly at this point. When Thad calmed down, she allowed him to slide from her arms and sit with Clay.
"Now that we have that settled, there's a couple of other things we still need to discuss. First, I want Jack to remain as innocent as possible for as long as possible. I will acknowledge that while I may not necessarily condone it, I know that it will happen, one day he will become curious about his body. The two of you have already been exposed to the pleasures of sexual activity, and you won't stop. I'll only ask that you be as discreet as possible. That means discretion around not only Jack, but also, Marich. I know that he's already into puberty and curious, but let him learn at his own pace. One thing both of you need to keep in mind is that the walls inside our home are not all sound proof." The boys looked at her curiously and then the light went on. Both boys smiled in recognition of the message as their complexions turned a new shade of crimson.
"Second, your schooling. Both of you have been home schooled. Thad, your records show you are more than up to grade level; same for you, Clay. When we return home, both of you will be attending school with other children your age."
"Mo-om! No way. Do you know how they'll ride us 'cause of what we've been through?"
"I think I have a pretty good idea. However, hiding and running from the truth is not going to handle the situation. Neither of you has anything to be ashamed of and I'll expect both of you to walk into that school with your heads high. Remember, most of those other kids probably couldn't survive what you boys have been through.
"Lastly, I don't expect either of you to be perfect. My father always said that if you showed him a perfect kid he'd show you a kid that either had a very dull life or was a fantastic liar. You do something wrong, you will be punished. Since I know the two of you will want to share a room, your punishment will be to separate you and you'll have to wear clothes all of the time until the punishment is over, including pajamas."
"Mom!" Clay cried out in mock shock. "That's almost too cruel."
Both boys started laughing as they rose to give their mom a hug. Mary walked back towards camp with a boy on either side of her. Daniel watched them walk away. He smiled at the site of Mary walking between two boys totally oblivious to the fact that they were naked. He wished he could see this scene more often. As they walked the boys and Mary continued to talk, but Daniel couldn't understand what was being said; their body language said it all.
Clay said something to his mother that caused all three to laugh. Mary popped both boys on the butt, causing them to jump and wiggle their butts. When they stopped wiggling their butts, each boy reached back and tried to brush away the little sting. The boys ran ahead, giggling as only teenagers can do. Mary stopped and turned back toward Daniel so they could walk back together.
"Senator, excuse me, Senator," Elizabeth placed her hand on the man's arm to stop him from walking away. "Senator, I'm Elizabeth Risler with FLTV. We're broadcasting live through all of our sister stations in the state. Would you care to stop a moment and say something to your constituents?"
The senator was Senator Conrad whose home town represented many wealthy businessmen, including David Arnold and his family. He really didn't want to say anything to anyone, nor did he want anyone to know that he was at New Horizons. The senator was well aware that many of his wealthier constituents had boy slaves and had made a lot of money dealing in boy slaves. The senator turned to face Elizabeth with a well practiced, fake smile.
"Elizabeth, don't you know that a good politician never turns down the opportunity to be seen in public?" The senator asked with a waxed smile.
"It's not often we get to see so many representatives of our state in one place outside of Tallahassee," Elizabeth commented. "Are you here to show your support for the New Horizons program?" Elizabeth deliberately put the senator on the spot.
"Well, I think it would be more accurate to say that I am here to view for myself what Daniel has done. You know that the program was approved for only a year and will be voted on again in the next legislative session."
"Well, can you give some idea of your overall impression thus far?" Elizabeth was disappointed the senator was able to slip around her question. "Have you seen anything disappointing thus far?"
"No, I haven't. Of course, I've only been here a short while. I will say that the boys appear to be very courteous. Now, if you will excuse me, I must continue with my observations."
Elizabeth was disappointed in her first interview, but did not let it discourage her. She knew the senator would be edited out during a commercial. Elizabeth spotted another senator, one she knew supported the program.
"Senator Tomlinson, may we have a moment of your time?"
"Certainly, I'm always available to the media and the public." Elizabeth recognized the pitch, and the smile. She couldn't help but wonder how every politician managed to have the same smile.
"Thompson and his group have done quite a job with these boys, don't you think?" Elizabeth knew it was a rhetorical question.
"You know, I've heard people criticize Daniel and his people for making these kids go nude all the time. Why, where I live, you can drive down the street and see naked boys running around all over the place, playing, laughing, and having fun. Most of these boys I've seen here are just doing the same thing.
"I met a Father Andrew around here a while ago. He told me that the pope even said there wasn't nothin' bad about being nude. He said according to the pope the only evil was in the minds of the people that thought it was evil. Think about it and it makes sense, lots a sense."
Elizabeth laughed inwardly as she listened to Senator Tomlinson. He was a natural politician with a God-given talent to be a wind bag.
"Will you be participating in any of today's activities?" Elizabeth asked.
"Oh yeah. All of us reached into a hat and pulled our assignments. I'm going to be one of the politicians the boys get to try and drop in the water tank throwing baseballs. Didn't I just see you talking to Conrad?" The senator didn't wait for Elizabeth to answer. "I heard he drew the mud wrestling duty. Fits him, too." The senator walked off, laughing.
Elizabeth also laughed. She didn't really laugh at the joke or the fact that Senator Conrad had mud wrestling duty, but how brazen the senators were with bashing one another.
Daniel and Mary walked through the courtyard. The festivities were just beginning to get under way. It was obvious that many of the boys wanted to get started. Daniel wasn't surprised when he looked over at the mud wrestling area. Danny, Ian and Brian were standing at the very edge of the pit, hoping someone would either tell them to get in or push them in.
Also at the edge of the pit were Clay and Thad. Thad was squatting and had his hands on Jack's shoulders, talking to the young boy. Daniel and Mary watched them for a minute and knew that whatever Thad was saying pleased Jack. Jack jumped at Thad, wrapping his arms around the older boy's neck in a giant bear hug. When Thad pulled the boy back, he said something to his young cousin as he looked around the courtyard. When he spotted Daniel and Mary, Thad pointed to them and Jack ran towards them.
"Whoa, slow down, little man," Daniel laughed.
Jack came to a quick stop and began to fidget. He poked the palm of his hand with the ends of the fingers on his other hand. He would turn and point back towards Thad and Clay while he tried to tell Daniel and Mary something. Daniel and Mary could only guess at what the boy said because they couldn't understand him when he turned away. Finally, Mary placed a hand on each of the boy's shoulders to keep him from turning and fidgeting so much.
"Jack, we can't understand you when you keep turning away from us. What are you trying to say to us?"
"Well, Thad . . .he, uummm, he said . ." and Jack tried to turn and point again, but Mary held him, she couldn't help but laugh a little. "He said that it was okay now for me to call you mom." Jack stopped fidgeting and looked at Mary expectantly.
"Would you like to call me mom?" Jack nodded enthusiastically and smiled. "That's good, because I think I like that, too."
"Thad said you're gonna be his mom, too?" It was easy to see the excitement in the boy's eyes.
"That's right, I'm going to be his mom, too. And, do you know what your new mom would like to see her boy do right now?" Jack looked up, waiting to be told so he could hurry up and please her.
"Your new mom would like to see her boys have fun. Do you see where Clay and Thad are standing?" Jack nodded as he looked over his shoulder. "Well, I think it would be very funny if you could sneak up behind them and push them into the mud pit; don't you?"
Jack's grin immediately became filled with mischief as he ran off to sneak up on the other boys. Daniel and Mary could see that both boys had spotted Jack and were waiting on him. When Jack put a hand on each of the older boys' backs and tried to push them, they grabbed him and tossed him in the mud pit. The older boys never let go Jack, but made sure he landed safely. Jack's screams of delight could be heard as Daniel and Mary turned to continue walking through the courtyard.
"Mary, I think you answered my question out there with the boys, but I want to be sure. You said that your former husband had made appointments to be with a particular boy that looked similar to your boys. Have you seen that boy here?"
"No, I haven't, and I have looked, Daniel. I admit that I asked myself why, but I was almost afraid of the answer."
"Just remember what we talked about out in the field with the boys. So far, we've only been able to release boys that were denied their rights. The down-side of that is that we have been able to identify boys who should have been released, but we haven't been able to locate all of them.
"Do you think you could pull up that site again and identify the boy? The law is that when a slave's picture is put out for public viewing, the slave number must appear below the picture. If the number is there, we might be able to run it against the missing boys."
"I haven't looked for it in a while, but I guess I can try."
Daniel and Mary entered his office and closed the door for privacy. Mary sat at Daniel's computer and typed in 'The Dungeon'.
"Good heavens, Daniel. I don't remember all these sites coming up when I looked on our home computer. In fact, now that I think about it, I didn't do this kind of search. The site was listed under favorites on the main screen."
"Well, just take your time and maybe something will look familiar."
As Mary surfed through the multiple sites, she noticed from the corner of her eye that a lot of people were entering New Horizons. The increased activity was too distracting. She looked out the window and realized that the people were heading to the administration building.
"Those people are all families that we have identified and located for some of the boys. We sent invitations to the families of boys that are deemed ready to be reunited with their own family. The boys don't know anything about it; we didn't want any of them getting excited and then having to endure another heartache if their particular family didn't come."
"How are you going to deal with them now? If they all walk outside, unexpected by the boys, I could see a lot of emotion and chaos," Mary commented.
"That's why we are keeping them here in the building. Paul will collect the invitations and talk with the adults. We'll then locate the boy and bring him in, if he wants to see his family. If the boy says no, then that'll be . . . ."
"Here!" Mary interrupted. "This is the site, I'm sure of it! There's a picture of the boy I was talking about."
Daniel became anxious, he wanted to greet the people they had invited, but he wanted to follow through with Mary. The big question was whether someone had deliberately concealed boys and failed to release slaves the court had determined to be illegally enslaved. Daniel knew he had no choice and began looking for one of his assistants.
"Larry, can you step in here, please?" Daniel called out through his intercom; he scanned the screen and then the site while he waited. Larry came in almost too quickly to suit Daniel.
"Larry, Mary may have found a site where they held back on some boys that should have been freed. How about checking their numbers against the list Ron Crawford gave us. Also, if there is a match, try to trace ownership of that business. I have to meet our guests."
The room grew quiet when Daniel entered. Everyone knew who he was and waited. The air was filled with excitement, fear and anticipation. All of the people were excited about getting their child back, but the excitement was tempered with a fear of how the children would react to their parents. Would they be happy to be going home and just cling to their parents? Would they resent what had happened and blame their parents?
"Ladies and gentlemen, I'm Daniel Thompson. Some of you received a letter signed by me, others received letters signed by various members of our staff. All of the letters say the same thing. The counselors have determined that some of the boys we have should be ready to be reunited with their families. Actually, the boys expressed a desire to return to their families. I should tell you that this is the first time we have ever attempted to reunite this many boys with their families at one time. Normally, we deal with one boy and one family at a time. We'll try to do that here today, but it will just be one boy and one family at a time back to back.
"Let me repeat what we said in the letter. None of the boys knows that any of you are here. We sent out more invitations than we had families respond. I'm sure you can understand our desire to not disappoint any boy by telling him what we are doing and then not having his family show up. We will take your information, go outside and locate the child. He will again be asked if he wants to return to his family. We anticipate all of them saying they do, but if a boy says no, then that is the final word. You will not be permitted to mingle outside with the boys or to confront any child that declines to see you. Do we all understand those rules and accept them?"
"If the child says no, are you saying that we can not even talk with him or look at him?"
"That is exactly what I'm saying. I know that may sound cruel and unreasonable, but our concern is to protect the child. Think in terms of how the child may feel about what happened to him. I'm sure you can appreciate it if he feels what happened was cruel and unfair. Remember, what we are about to do is not for you, any of you; it is strictly for the boys. Are there any more questions or comments?" Daniel paused and scanned the crowd. He could see reluctant acceptance and understood.
"Okay. I wish we had the facilities so I could have each family in a separate room and bring all the boys in at one time; we just can't do it. When we locate the boy, and assuming he wants to see you, we will bring him into this building, but in another room. We will use our walkie-talkies to communicate and the appropriate family will be escorted to that room. You will be waiting when the boy walks in. A staff member will be with you at all times. After about ten minutes, the staff member will ask the child for the final time if he wants to go home or if he wants to stay. The child's answer is final. If he says stay, he will immediately be removed from the room. We will continue to work with the boy, he will be counseled, and hopefully ready to return home in the not too distant future.
"If the boy says he wants to return home with you, then he will be given the opportunity to say goodbye to his friends. We will ask you to remain in this building. We do not want those boys who want to go home, but whose families are not here to get them, to be hurt by seeing something they cannot have right now. We are aware that once two or three of the boys go out to say goodbye to their friends, word will spread among the boys about what's happening. We have staff outside that will handle the situations as they may arise.
"After a few minutes, the boy will be told that it's time to go. We will bring him back here and you will leave through a side door where the other boys cannot see you leave. Before you leave you will be asked to sign some papers. Part of those papers state that you agree to continue working with a counselor until such time as the counselor feels the child has fully adjusted. The time frames I'm giving you now may sound fast, but understand that we have a number of boys to deal with. We anticipate this taking most of the afternoon. Hopefully, if we ever face returning this many boys in one afternoon again, we will learn enough from this experience to make it easier on all concerned.
"If you do not think you can handle the emotional strain this will entail, please say so and do not enter the room with the boy. This will not be easy on him either. One additional word. If you are familiar with this facility, then you are aware that every boy here runs nude and that's how you will see them." Daniel waited a moment to observe his guests. Just before he was about to tell them the first boy would be brought in, a gentleman spoke up.
"Sounds appropriate," the man said. Daniel looked at him. He explained. "When our son first entered our lives he was naked and innocent. When he again enters our lives he will be naked. I only hope that we can somehow let him regain some of his innocence and enjoy what's left of his childhood."
"Amen," echoed through the room.
Daniel looked at the information cards. Twenty three families had responded to the invitations. That meant that nine families had elected not to come and take their child home. Daniel knew he couldn't think about those that didn't come, he could only wish the best for those that did show. After the first three boys were brought in, Daniel was comfortable that the system they had designed would work. He smiled to himself thinking that if there was a next time, they would need to remember to purchase several boxes of tissues.
The first boy was a nine year old. Paul escorted him in and you could see the death grip he had on Paul's hand. When the door to the room opened, he froze in place. Daniel could hear the mother call to her son. Daniel couldn't hear the words because they were so soft and blurred with emotions. After a brief moment the boy ran to his parents. They never put him down and he never removed his arms from around their necks.
The scene was repeated several times. Some of the boys were a little more reluctant than the first boy, but they all ended the same way. Daniel even watched as a fourteen year old was reunited with his dad. When he pushed his son back to look him up and down, as parents will sometimes do, the boy suddenly remembered that he was naked and tried to cover himself. His dad burst into laughter and tears. The boy realized how silly he was being and began to laugh, and cry, with him. He did take a few minutes to say goodbye to a couple of friends. They hugged and shared tears and promises to visit and stay in touch. The boy ran back to the building and everyone laughed as they saw the boy wiggle his butt at his friends just before stepping back into the building.
"Hey, guys," Tanner called out across the courtyard. "Is it true?"
"Is what true?" Thad responded while he and Clay tried to get the mud off themselves and off Jack.
"Word is you and . . .hey, how'd you guys get so messy?"
"We was playin' with Jack," Clay answered. "He tried ta push us into the mud pit so we grabbed him and pulled him in with us. Now, what's true?"
"Word's out that Thad and Jack're goin' home with you Clay."
"It's true," Thad answered. "Clay's mom is gonna be our foster mom." Thad and Clay noticed the forlorn look on their friends' faces. "But we'll be comin' back ta visit."
"Yeah," Clay added. "And Mom said she's still gonna be a big supporter of this place so I know we'll be comin' back ta see you guys. 'Course, that's assumin' that you guys had'n got foster parents, too."
"Yeah, well, guess we'll see. You guys hear what they're doin' in the office? You see 'em comin' out and getting' some of the guys?"
"We saw a couple. What's up?"
"A couple of the guys came back out here ta say goodbye. Seems there's a bunch 'o people in there. They're here to pick up their kids if the kid wants ta go with 'em."
"Yeah, one kid said there must be at least fifty people in there. But another kid said it was more like only thirty or so. But we noticed that when the kid went back inside, we didn't see 'im again. Tanner snuck around the side and saw 'em leavin' that way."
"Hey, I got a question," Tanner interrupted. "Is Clay's mom gonna let ya'll run around naked like here?"
"Some," Thad answered. "She said it was our choice 'round the house. When we go out we hafta wear clothes. It's just like everybody else."
"Almost like everybody else, ya mean," Clay volunteered. "She said we had ta go to school for our social skills. She also said she knew me and Thad would want ta share a room and . . ."
"Ha! I bet you two share more than just a room," One of their friends quipped, making all of them laugh.
"That's just it. She said if we got in any kinda trouble, we'd be punished."
"She gonna whip ya?"
"Uh-uh, worse. She said we'd have ta sleep in separate rooms and wear clothes all the time. Man, can you imagine havin' ta wear pajamas ta bed again?"
All the boys thought about it and laughed harder. No one could imagine having to wear clothes to sleep in again; that was baby stuff. As children often do, their attention quickly focused on something more entertaining.
"Hey, I hear they got some politician sittin' over the water tank. Let's go throw some baseballs and dunk 'im."
All the boys smiled that special mischievous smile only a teenager can have and ran off to pick on the politicians.
Daniel returned to his private office once he saw a few of the boys off. It was a bitter sweet feeling since he had shared many laughs with the boys and enjoyed seeing the looks on their faces, and the way the boys interacted with one another, when they accepted that they were now free. It always hurt to see someone you care about leave, but it felt good to see the tears of happiness on the boys and their families.
"Daniel, I think you were right," Larry announced when Daniel entered the office. "The number on the screen doesn't have enough digits to be a full number and we have no real way of knowing what digits were dropped. However, there is a sequence of over half the numbers that matches to our list. The boy also looks to be the right age and size to fit our description."
"That, and we found other boys listed on the site, Daniel," Mary announced. "We haven't had time to research all the numbers yet."
"Well, my instincts tell me that if they are willing to hide one, they are willing to hide several. Have you had the chance to research the owners?"
"Not yet. If you'd take over researching the numbers with Mary, I'll get started on another computer."
Daniel and Mary continued to try to cross reference numbers. There was no doubt that the owners had played with the assigned numbers. What was not clear was why. Daniel knew that it could have been because there was limited space for characters, but doubted it. The work was slow and tedious, but they did find two more potential hide-aways. The work was slowed by the number of times Daniel had to respond to his guests.
Almost half the families had seen their lost boy. Not one boy chose to stay, which pleased everyone. The boys ages ranged from around eight to mid-teens. Daniel could even hear some of the dads teasing their sons about having all over tans. Some of the boys didn't react with a lot of tears, but smiles and laughter. One of the boys teased his parents about having to move to a nudist camp because he now thought that clothes were a waste of money. Daniel could only laugh, knowing the parents would have their hands full and loving every moment.
"Daniel," Larry interrupted Daniel's thoughts. "You might want to see this. I have some of the background ownership. It's what we suspected, stacked entities. I think you may recognize some of the names."
Daniel looked at Larry's research; he did recognize some of the names. The question was how deep did this go? He needed to call Ron Wilson with the Dept. of Corrections. First, he wanted to talk to someone else.
"Larry, aren't Linda and Arthur here helping with the festivities?"
"Yes, in fact Arthur is helping with the baseball throw and Linda is doing cotton candy. Want me to get them for you?"
Daniel just nodded as he thought.
End Ch 106 To Be Continued
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