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. Comments on the story are appreciated and may be addressed to the author, Dwight Wilson, at adm2780@yahoo.com
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: Once again, I would like to thank Colin for his support and efforts at editing and correcting my errors. His suggestions and comments have been a significant contribution to the development of this story.
Chapter Twenty-Five: New Horizons
When Daniel closed the door to Sean's room, he went and sat in Mikey's room. He understood that Sean had been riding an emotional roller coaster with his emotions being played and bounced around like a rubber ball. There was the unexplained loss of his home and parents, then the loss of his brother who represented his only remaining security and tie to a happy past. An unknown illness that wouldn't allow him to escape capture and potentially a life of slavery. Daniel knew Elizabeth would give Sean the one thing that he never could, the one thing that could give Sean some stability for the current crisis ^Ö a mother's love.
As Daniel sat watching Mikey, he recalled memories of a period in another life time; that horrendous weekend when his father barged into his room and caught him kneeling, naked, in front of his best friend David. He was holding David's penis, about to return the favor of a first blow job. They were just boys experimenting with this new thing called sex but his father went totally berserk calling him a fag and other vile names while he beat his son with a strop. Daniel cried out how sorry he was and didn't mean to do anything bad over and over again. The cries fell on deaf ears.
Having made sure the strop landed over every inch of his twelve year old son's body, he threw his son over is shoulder and continued to pound the boy's butt while he carried him down to the basement. His father tied him to a pole and left him naked, cold and scared in the dark with neither food nor water. He left the basement only when the authorities came to take him to the slave auction, on the day of his thirteenth birthday.
Relief from the pain came only with the touch of his mother's loving hand. He remembered his mother screaming that she would not allow her son to go hungry. She had sat on the floor cradling her naked baby in her arms, whispering soothing sounds and rubbing his back. He remembered the cool wash cloth and her tender touch. It was a Mother's love that provided relief from his torment
Daniel remembered the next time he saw his mother; his new master brought her to him. Her touch and words helped bring him back to reality.
Daniel felt a hand on his shoulder and heard someone calling his name. The sound was low and soft with no panic or urgency. His shoulder shook and Daniel looked up at Elizabeth's face. When he looked at her he realized tears had been running down his face. He realized he had been reliving the nightmare and took a deep breath to regain his composure. The doctor's had told him the nightmare would never completely go away. The best he could hope for was the ability to cope.
As he recovered Daniel realized that Danny was curled up in his lap in a fetal position, sucking his thumb. This wasn't good. The boy was already scared over Sean and seeing Daniel's tears didn't help; he needed security, warmth and love. Daniel looked to Elizabeth.
"Is Sean resting peacefully now?"
"Yes," Elizabeth replied, "he's fine now. I gave him a warm bath and we talked for a while. Then I rubbed him down using talcum powder. No boy can say no to that or avoid relaxing. He'll sleep for a while."
"Good," said Daniel, "I'll be right back."
Daniel picked Danny up and whispered in his ear. Danny nodded his head and wrapped his arms tightly around his protector's neck as Daniel carried him into Sean's room.
"Danny, you can stay with Sean, but you have to stay still and don't play with any of the wires. Can you do that?" Danny nodded his head. Daniel removed the boy's clothes and pulled the covers back. Sean heard them and knew what was happening although he never opened his eyes. He slid over a little to give Danny room. After he laid the boy down, Daniel pulled the covers up over the two boys and tucked the sides in. After giving each boy a light kiss on the forehead, he raised the side rail to keep Danny from falling out of the bed. Leaving as quietly as he could he heard Sean say.
"Gonna rest with me little man?"
Daniel watched as Danny draped an arm and a leg over his mentor and laid his head on Sean's chest. At least the thumb didn't return to his mouth. Both boys quickly slipped off to sleep.
Daniel returned to Mikey's room and looked at Elizabeth. "Can't wait to see the nurse's reaction when she walks into that room and finds two naked boys in that bed."
"Daniel," Elizabeth said quietly, "I saw your face when I walked in. I'm guessing you were remembering part of your past experiences; some pleasant and some not so pleasant. Will you share some with me for the piece I'm putting together?"
Daniel looked over to see the others were sleeping and then answered in a very low voice. "Elizabeth, I can try, but I'm not sure your readers would be very interested. Part of my past isn't very nice."
"Daniel, please, let me be the judge of that."
"Rick? It's Paul. Yeah, I've got five boys with me, the other three are in Orlando. Do we have beds ready for this group? ------ Yeah, I can give you a breakdown by age. Let's see, they are sixteen, fifteen, fourteen, thirteen, twelve, ten and two are eight years old. We have a mix of family in this group. The fifteen, twelve and one eight year old are all brothers. The fourteen year old and the other eight year old are cousins. The thirteen and ten year olds are brothers. Yeah, that's right, the ten year old is the one that got hurt. Daniel kept his brother there so the boy could see a familiar face when he wakes up. Brad, Sean's brother, is also with Daniel."
"If you see Kevin and maybe TJ around, how about asking them to come over to the office when I get there.-----Yeah, they can show the new boys around. I should be there in about twenty minutes. Good, thanks Rick. Oh, any idea who knows how to cut hair?"
The boys riding with Paul heard his side of the conversation, but didn't really pay attention until that last question. As the oldest boy present, the other boys looked to Timmy to express their concerns.
"Uh, Mr. Paul? Excuse me, sir. We didn't mean to listen, but didn't you just say somethin' 'bout cutting hair? Captain Jackson said we wouldn't get our hair cut."
"You're Timmy, right?" Paul responded, and continued when the boy nodded. "Timmy, I think Captain Jackson meant you wouldn't be getting your hair cut at the police station. The only kind of haircut they give is a slave cut. No, I wasn't talking about any of you getting a slave cut, unless you want your hair like that."
"No, sir," responded Timmy without hesitating, "none of us wants that."
"Fellas, you can relax. What I was talking about is getting it cut or trimmed so it's neat and easy to keep. Understand, all the boys at Fort Ogden had gotten slave cuts shortly before we got them, so their hair is short. If you leave yours too long that will identify you as not part of the group. We just thought we'd get it cut so you didn't stick out too much. Know what I mean?"
"I think we do, Mr. Paul. Thing is, our hair is something that said to everybody we wasn't slaves. No slave could have hair as long as ours."
"I understand. The thing we want you to understand is that you are not slaves. For right now if you want to leave it a little long, we won't say no. However, we do expect you to keep your hair neat and clean. What I see in the mirror says all of you could do with a trim. If you want more off later, we'll deal with it then. Does that work for everyone?"
"Yes, sir. Mr. Paul, we don't mean to be causin' nobody trouble."
"You're not causin' anyone any kind of trouble boys. I know this is new to you and all of you are a little nervous. Including yourselves, and your friends still with Mr. Daniel, we will have ninety-five boys here. I think you'll find that everyone gets along just fine. It's not perfect, but if you ever start wondering if this was the right thing to do, just think of the alternative. I'm sure this is a little different than what you are accustomed to. Mr. Daniel told you what the boys do here, but sometimes hearing and seeing it are two different things."
"Guys, looking in my mirror I can see all of you have removed at least your shirts and that's fine. I know that Louis removed everything before I even got the engine running. Just out of curiosity, does anyone have anything on?"
"Mr. Paul, Mr. Daniel said all the boys run free, so^Å^Å"
"So, everyone is sitting free at the moment?"
"No sir, not me." Timmy answered.
"What's wrong, Timmy. You got something to be ashamed of?"
"No sir" a blushing Timmy answered.
As Paul pulled into New Horizons, Louis exclaimed, "HOLY SHIT! Look at that, Mr. Dan'l was right, they're all jay birdin'!"
It wasn't so much what Louis said as the way he said it that had everyone in the van laughing. As they laughed Timmy decided not to be the odd man and removed his shorts. Paul now had five naked boys to unload.
Paul sat in the office talking with the boys while he waited on Kevin and TJ. He decided to take this time to find out what Daniel may have or have not explained to them.
"Boys, did Mr. Daniel explain the Little Brother/Big Brother program to you?"
"Not really," responded Thad. "Or, if he did, we didn't pay that much attention. He was talkin' while we was tryin' to help Mikey. Not everything he said really sank in that good."
"Okay, let me give you a quick run down" Paul said. "You can understand that with this many boys and a small staff, we have to rely on you boys helping one another sometimes. A big part of caring for the younger boys is making sure they do what they are supposed to and get where they need to be. The other thing is to give them security and counseling sometimes."
"The Little Brother/Big Brother program means one of the younger boys aged ten and under find an older boy they want as a mentor. The mentor then is responsible for helping the younger boy. All of you saw Danny at the hospital. Sean is Danny's mentor and that's a lot of why Danny is upset now. Sean represents security and a loving person to Danny."
"Most likely Daniel will let Timmy, Alex and Louis stay as a team if that's what they want, the same with Thad and Jack. My guess is he'll encourage Mikey to latch on to an older boy, we like an age spread of about five or six years. If this happens, then Jimmy will have a chance to buddy up with someone. That will take pressure off him so he can be a kid again."
While Paul spoke to the boys Kevin and TJ came to the door. Paul saw them and motioned them in while he finished. With Kevin and TJ were their charges, Ben and Kyle. Paul introduced them and used the matching to demonstrate the Little Brother/Big Brother program. The three brothers preferred to stay as a unit, as did the two cousins. Rick made sleeping assignments based on this grouping.
"Guys, we like to keep mentors and their charges in the same dorm, but not necessarily together. One thing we encourage is that each of you has time for yourself. Kevin and TJ can answer most any questions you have and I'm sure you may feel more comfortable asking them some things. However, if at any time you have a question or want to talk, staff members are available twenty-four/seven. Right now, I'll let Kevin and TJ take you around and you all can talk. I'll see you again at supper."
Kevin noticed that while they were in the office one of the boys kept staring at his butt. He understood why but waited for the boy to ask the question. Kevin also guessed the boy was Louis, the independent one he heard about. Outside, Kevin led the group away from administration when he heard Louis try to whisper.
"Timmy. Timmy, look. He got a number on his butt."
"You, my little friend, must have learned to whisper in a saw mill." Kevin said as he suddenly turned and lowered himself to look Louis straight in the eye.
Louis was shocked and grabbed Timmy's waist, sliding behind the older boy for protection. The other boys laughed, except Jack who had no idea what Kevin meant.
Recognizing the shocked look, Kevin continued more gently to put the boy at ease. "Do you want to touch it? Go ahead, it's okay." Louis reached over and ran the tips of his fingers over the numbers.
"Do you know what that is?" Kevin asked. The boy shook his head, Kevin continued, "It's my slave identification number. When that was put on there I was no longer Kevin, sixteen year old boy. I was this number. A piece of meat for sale. Soon to be a whore at a boy brothel."
"You were a real slave?" an astonished Louis asked, unable to believe what he just heard.
"Almost. I was in the inspection room about to go on the auction block when the sale was delayed. That delay allowed Mr. Daniel to find me and get me out of there. We found out later it was actually Mr. Daniel that made the phone calls to delay the sale. He got two others out, too - Roger and Frank. They both have numbers like me. See how the color is a lot lighter on top than at the bottom? That's because Dr. Mike is treating it to remove it. The ink will be gone but the scar will always be on my butt and on my mind. I'll never forget that experience and hope you never see it. You won't as long as Mr. Daniel has anything to say about it."
"What happened then?" asked a curious Alex.
"Well, before we got back here we had to get TJ. He'd been taken away by one of the guards. The guard took him home to use him for his own pleasure." Responded Kevin.
The boys looked in amazement at TJ, waiting for him to tell them what happened. "You don't want to know what all happened there. The bastard had a torture chamber he called a play room in his basement. Ever hear of a butterfly board? I hadn't until he put one on me. He whipped me some, too. Mr. Daniel came with the authorities and got me out. First, though, he had a few words with that guard then laid him out. I can't remember all of it. I do remember he carried me out of there. I can say that I was lucky. We all knew of guys that guard took out that never made it back. We don't know what happened to 'em."
"Shiiiiit." was all Louis or Alex could say as they stared in amazement.
Kevin continued to tell the boys about the facilities, letting them know they had just left the administration building that also housed the infirmary and computer rooms. The boys continued the tour, walking to the mess hall. Kevin explained how the meals were served and there was no such thing as any boy going hungry. Meals were served at regular times, but fruit was always available as a snack. As they entered Kevin called out for Barry.
"Mr. Barry? These are some of the new guys joining us. Mr. Paul asked us to show them around. Is it okay to walk in?"
"Oh," answered Barry, "I imagine we can do a little better than that. Have you guys eaten?"
"Yes sir," responded Timmy, "Mr. Paul got us lunch in Orlando before comin' here."
"Well, knowin' how boys like to eat that tells me you haven't had a snack today. Supper will be ready before long but how about an ice cream bar to hold you over?"
"See the guy over there with the floppy hat?" said Kevin, "That's Roger, he's one Mr. Dan'l rescued with me. If he'd turn around you'd see a bare butt with a number on it. He likes to cook and wants to be a chef some day. Mr. Barry is a certified chef and is his mentor."
After explaining the boys working in the mess hall were pulling their turns at kp duty and that every boy pulled that duty on a rotation, the group walked outside and headed towards the dorms. Timmy continued to act as spokesman for the new boys.
"Why does Mr. Daniel make everybody go naked? Are ya'll afraid to complain and ask for clothes?"
"Tim," responded TJ, "what makes you think he makes us go naked? Mr. Dan'l doesn't make us, he lets us. When we were picked up the authorities took our clothes. When we were shipped to the detention center we were given slave shorts and a tee. At the center those were taken except where they were rags and couldn't be used again. When Mr. Dan'l came to get us he found a group of naked boys, but it was worse. We were dirty naked. By that I mean we had dirt all over our bodies, but we had dirt on our spirits, too."
"All of us lived on the streets. We all had to do the same things to get money. We sold our bodies and whether we wanted to admit it or not, each time we entertained a john we lost something inside. Mr. Mark told me once that we didn't live on the streets, we existed. We lost our chance at bein' kids and had to grow up a lot faster than we should've. Each trick pushed us further away from where a kid should be and closer to just being."
"All the older guys in here know what it is to be fucked. Most of us had to give blow jobs. Some even let themselves be whipped or tortured in some way to get the money they needed. Tim, I'm willin' to bet you did things to earn money so your little brother could stay innocent. We all did. Do you remember how dirty you felt when the john left you? That's what we mean by a dirty spirit."
"When Mr. Dan'l came he didn't know we were naked and he didn't have clothes for us. He went out of his way to make us feel it was okay to be naked and not be ashamed. You should have seen us. They didn't let us take showers, claimed there was a water shortage. The food we ate was a slop made from slave chow mixed with water. It tasted like shit, but you ate it 'cause you were hungry."
"Mr. Dan'l changed that for us. The day after he got there when we got up for breakfast nobody really cared if they got anything or not, knowing it would be slop. We walked into the mess area and there was a whole line set up with real food just like we used to get at home. There's no way I can described how the guys' attitudes changed. Somebody treated us like humans, not animals."
"That day we did the Little Brother/Big Brother matches and took our pictures. Later, he said he had a surprise for us. We all had to take a hot shower and get clean. Man, you don't know what a treat a hot shower was to us, and to feel clean again. That was the first time Big Brothers, mentors, took responsibility for their charges and made sure they got clean. We walked in lookin' and feelin like unwanted trash. We walked out clean and feelin' good, kinda like we was getting' a new start. Anybody that had shorts or any clothes tossed them in the trash. We've been pretty much runnin' free ever since."
"Mr. Dan'l knew some of us still felt funny about runnin' around naked and tried to make us feel comfortable, like it was okay. When we left to come here he arranged a side trip to the beach for us. Some of the guys had never been to a beach."
"You mean you went to the beach naked?" asked an astonished Jack.
"Yeah, this was a special beach, it was clothing optional. Everybody there was just as naked as us. Mr. Barry surprised us with a picnic lunch. We were almost like normal people there, 'cept there was a lot of us. The only bad thing that happened was a few sunburns, specially around the butts." All the boys laughed at that.
They entered the dormitories and Kevin took over.
"Okay, guys, this is where we sleep. Your beds are down here. Mr. Rick has everybody together by age groups. Mentors stay in the same building as their charges. The private rooms you see in the corners are for staff. Showers and toilets are down at the end. Mr. Rick said he put your names on the beds so you wouldn't have trouble findin' them. There should be a package on your bed with toothbrush and stuff in it for each of you. Now, anybody interested in findin' the pool?"
"Yeah" the younger boys responded enthusiastically.
As the group proceeded to the recreational area, Timmy continued asking questions. "Kevin, listen, man, sorry for askin' so many questions. When Mr. Dan'l came to see us he let us ask whatever we wanted. With what happened to Mikey and all we just didn't think of that many questions. Now, there seems to be a zillion of 'em. We never seen or heard of anything like this."
"Listen,' Kevin responded, "don't worry about askin'. That's why Mr. Paul wanted us to walk you around. He said he figured you'd be more comfortable askin' us about some things instead of him. So ask away, this was all new to us, too. When you think we were already in a holdin' center, and my ass was about to go on the block, we didn't worry 'bout askin' questions. We jumped."
"Guess I can understand that, can't say I wouldn't do the same. 'Fact, know I would." Timmy asked more questions. "What's this cherub thing? We kinda heard he takes us places wearin' thongs and we gotta entertain more johns. What's that about and what's so different about that and bein' on the street."
Kevin began to get impatient with what he perceived to be a lack of appreciation for what Daniel had done for them. "Listen, you guys need to hear one thing and get it straight! Around here you only 'gotta' do three things: (1) respect the other guys the same as you want them to respect you; (2) don't lie to Mr. Dan'l or any other staff member. You lie and Mr. Dan'l thinks you're puttin' the rest of us in danger, then you will be up shit's creek with hell to pay; and (3) get your school work done. That last thing means asking for help if you need it. Four of the staff members are qualified to teach and if you need special tutoring, that's arranged too."
"The Cherubs," Kevin continued in a mellower tone, "that's all of us. You volunteer to entertain somebody when called on. Mr. Dan'l doesn't force anyone to be used for sex that's not willin'. All the older boys volunteered, that includes me. We all feel like we owe Mr. Dan'l and want to help anyway we can. If that means givin' head or getting' fucked once in a while, we do it with no complaints. So far, none of us has been stuck."
"Cherubs are divided into four levels. Level one is ages five to seven, somebody can hold 'em and scratch their butt, no more. Level two is ages eight to ten, they can be fondled. Level three is ages eleven to thirteen, they can be called on for head. Level four, that's all the older guys, we can be called on for head and fuckin'. Nobody can be called on for kinky stuff like spankin'. Level fours wear a butt plug so if we're called on, we get lubricated when the plug is removed. Levels two and three wear plugs so nobody can stick a finger or anything else where it shouldn't be. We all wear special necklaces with alarms."
"If we're called on, Mr. Mark escorts us to a special room. We go in and the door is closed, but not locked. So long as the john does only what is allowed, no problem. If he tries to play a game we squeeze the necklace setting off an alarm. Mr. Mark is standing outside the door and is in immediately to take care of us. TJ here got called on once. The guy tried playin' a game with him. When TJ set off the alarm Mr. Mark and two security guards took him down so fast he didn't know what was happenin'. Since you're new, Mr. Dan'l won't let you volunteer until the medical tests come back."
As the group approached the recreational area they saw that several boys were playing in the pool. Kevin looked at Alex, Louis and Jack and could see the anticipation. Kevin saved the boys the trouble of asking.
"You guys want to jump in and play some? Go ahead. Kyle, you and Ben want to stay here and play?" All the younger boys nodded and hollered their approval as they leaped into the pool.
Kevin, Timmy, Thad and TJ continued to walk towards the garden and orchard area, passing a group playing volleyball. Thad took his turn at asking questions.
"You said Mr. Dan'l won't let us volunteer until the medical tests come back. What's happenin' with that?"
TJ spoke before Thad's question was answered. "Look over to the right and just ahead. See anything movin' behind those bushes?"
The boys watched a moment and then replied, "Yeah, I think so. Why?"
"If I'm not mistakin'," TJ answered, "that's two of the little ones foolin' around. Most likely they're doin' the belly rub."
"The belly rub?" Thad asked.
"Yeah," Kyle responded, "they get stiff, then get on their knees close enough so their pricklet rubs against the other boy. They reach around and hold the other boy's butt to pull him in and hump to get their thrills." All four boys began laughing as they animated the imagined movements.
Standing next to the garden Kevin and TJ explained that it's intended to supplement the food that is brought in. The work is done by the boys working on a rotation. They also explained Daniel's hope to plant an ornamental shrub garden and have somebody teach the boys the art of making topiaries.
Thad found the courage to say what was on his mind. "Guys, you said it's okay for the little ones to get their thrills. What about us older guys? What's the rules for us?"
Kevin answered. "Didn't Mr. Dan'l give you the candy store talk, and the one about no exchange of body fluids till the tests come back?"
"Yeah," Thad responded, "but I'm not sure exactly what he was sayin'."
Kevin thought Thad had to be kidding or was real dense. "Simply stated, he was tellin' you he knows you've had sex, know the thrills it gives you, and he isn't stupid enough to think you're going to quit just because you're off the street. The other part he's telling you is we do everything here raw and he doesn't want any boy sharing problems with another boy. So, until your test results come back clear of std's all you can enjoy is a hand job. We all went through the same thing. If you're lucky, since there's only a couple of you to worry about, your results won't take as long as ours did."
"Listen," TJ added, "we're all guys here and we all have needs. We work to take care of one another. No one sits in judgment on anybody else. I'll admit I've had sex here. I've given and I've received, and I'm not ashamed of it. Some of us have somebody we kinda favor over others, but we don't get too close, that could mean trouble down the line that none of us needs. I've got somebody I favor, so does Kev, but I've been with others too."
TJ looked Thad straight tin the eye as he spoke. Thad had been half hard since they walked out of administration. TJ knew Thad was horny and wondered if Thad had seen how interested he was. TJ thought Thad was hot and wouldn't mind a little time with him. As they turned to walk back to the pool area Thad told the others to go ahead, he wanted to talk to TJ for a minute. TJ took this as a sign Thad was indeed interested in some action. Kevin and Timmy walked off giving one another that knowing glance.
"TJ," Thad began, "man, you're so fuckin' hot I thought I was gonna blow a load just walkin' behind ya lookin' at that nice ass of yours. If you don't wanna do nothin' I understand, but I'd sure like to have some time with ya now. You are one hot dude and I guess you can tell I'm kinda turned on right now."
TJ looked at Thad and just smiled. He'd wanted to be with the new boy since he laid eyes on him. He and Evan were considered an item but TJ was glad they had an understanding that they had a special relationship, but each could also be with another boy for sex if he wanted. Both recognized a difference between lust and passion. Tonight he would bottom for Evan. Now, he would enjoy this boy's lustful attention.
TJ stepped up to Thad and gently gripping his upper arms pulled the boy to him for a sensual kiss. While they kissed they rubbed their bodies together and explored the other's body. In no time the heat of their desire was visible for anyone to see. Thad broke his lips from TJ's, kissing his way around the boy's face. Steadying TJ's head gently with one had, Thad began tonguing out his ear then gave him a tongue bath down his neck and pectorals, stopping to pay homage to those beautiful areola. After bathing the area thoroughly, Thad began to suck and nibble one tit, then the other, pinching the one not receiving attention from his hot tongue. TJ's guttural moans and the way he thrust his chest out signaled his delight and pleasure.
TJ stood in the orange grove with the warm sun bathing their bodies, lost in his own world of sexual desire and pleasure. This new boy was expertly bringing his entire being to life. As Thad reached his groin TJ gasped with pleasure as Thad swallowed his whole being in one gulp and began an expert sucking and pistoning motion. He felt the boy's finger searching for his treasure hole and spread his legs to give him access.
TJ placed his hands on the boy's shoulders to maintain his balance. Shockwaves of pleasure traveled through his whole being as the talented finger found TJ's prostate, applying a massaging motion in rhythm with the blow job. After enjoying these sensations for a few minutes and with his knees becoming weaker with each stroke, TJ sank to his knees in the arms of his new friend. Neither boy could sate their hunger for the other, kissing and licking their companion to an ever higher state of rapture. Remembering the rule for the new boys about not exchanging body fluids, the boys grabbed one another's butt and enthusiastically played the little one's belly rub game.
Kevin and Timmy proceeded to the pool to check on the boys. They continued to talk until Kevin stopped and turned to Timmy.
"Tim, I understand you having some apprehension at what's happening. You keep asking questions of 'why'. Why are we made to go naked? Why are we made to entertain johns? Why is this different? I've been to the gates of hell, and believe, me, you don't want to go there. I recognized very quickly that I was being offered a chance at a new life. That's what's being offered to you. Most of us figure our old lives died back at the detention center."
"You want to know why we are content to run free. The answer is simple, we are free. We are free of the fear of being captured and enslaved. We are free of having to constantly look over our shoulders. We are free of being hurt if we do entertain a john. We are free of having to do anything other than the three responsibilities I gave you while ago. No one tells us we have to entertain johns or be with anybody. We make those choices by volunteering. There's nobody here to sit in judgment on us. We don't ask why, we ask what. I am going to tell you why though."
"Another thing Mr. Dan'l did for us was to arrange for priests to come here at least once a month. They hear our confessions and communion. That first time, and every time since, they administer the Right of Absolution cleansing us of our sins. Some of the boys were worried about seeing a priest naked. This bishop wrote a letter saying we were god's children and they had no problem tending our needs in our purest form."
"What you are really asking is why would someone go to this trouble? Why are they willing to put forth the effort for me? Mr. Dan'l was once a slave. That's right. One day you'll see his back and how badly it's scarred. Those scars tell you the hell he went through. It's the memories of that hell that motivate him to try and save as many of us as he can. That's why we ask what."
"What can we do to help him help us and a lot of other kids like us? If the answer to that is for me to go out as a cherub and drop to my knees or lay on my back once in a while, I got no problem with that. I'll lay on my back and look at the john as he pumps me, I want him to see me lookin' and remember. While I do that Mr. Dan'l is convincing others a change needs to be made. I got no problem because I've found out there are a lot of people out there just like Mr. Dan'l that don't like the current system and are willing to help us."
"The staff here hates the current enslavement system, particularly as it applies to boys. They are doing everything they can to crack the existing system and we do everything we can to help. Hopefully, one day not too far from now kids won't have to worry about doing what we did to survive. Like I said, I've been to the gates of hell. If there's anything I can do to help, I'll do it. You'll like it here a whole lot more if you stop trying to analyze the place and just accept that there are some good people in this world."
End Ch Twenty-Five
To Be Continue; comments welcome; contact Dwight Wilson at adm2780@yahoo.com