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: I would like to thank Colin, John and Matthew for their continued support and patience while I try to write this story. Their support and efforts at editing and correcting my errors keep me focused. It is the emails and comments I receive from you, the readers, that encourage me to continue.
Chapter Eighty-Five: New Horizons
"You should have seen the look on little Paul's face when, standing in the middle of the hospital reception area, Danny dropped his cloth to show all his natural glory and declared himself to be 'bootiful'. Those poor kids didn't know how to react or what to do; I started laughing, picked Danny up and tossed him over my shoulder. When Danny started into his giggling fit, those poor kids just stood there and stared."
Daniel and his staff had gathered in Daniel's office for a staff meeting to discuss the two most recent groups of boys to become part of the New Horizons program. The agenda included a telephone conference with Arthur and Frank Dewey. The topic of discussion with Arthur was when some of the boys could be reunited with their families. The topic of discussion with Frank Dewey was filing a challenge in federal court to Florida's slavery laws. Specifically, challenging the enslavement of minors based on parental civil defaults and the classification of children as property.
"Mark, you and Kevin have been spending a lot of time working with the new boys. What's your take on how they're doing?"
"In the beginning, it was pretty much what we expected. They weren't sure how to react. They acted as though they wanted it to be true, but were afraid that it wasn't and they were waiting for the hurt. The biggest help, of course, came from the boys here. Kids will trust kids, not adults; not these kids anyway. The first to accept were the younger boys. Right now you can go outside and see them and it's as though nothing ever happened to them. They act like they're at summer camp. The biggest problem we've had with the young ones is sunburn."
"Daniel," Michael interjected, "if I can interrupt here, I've talked with the counselors and they've pretty well confirmed what Mark's saying. The younger boys seem to be more resilient and just accept things on a day to day basis. They don't worry so much about what's happened or what may happen; they function primarily in the present."
"Have the counselors expressed an opinion on why the boys do that? Could it be a defense mechanism of some sort?"
"They don't think so," Michael continued, "it's just their ages. The younger ones are accustomed to doing as they are told and worry only about what will happen to them today. There's no doubt that most of them have been used for sex and have admitted to the counselors that when they first did it, it hurt. A couple of them said they were told to learn to have fun with it and the men would make sure they enjoyed themselves. We haven't had any reports of sadistic treatment of the younger boys."
"Well, I guess we need to be thankful for that much." Daniel responded, then added, "How are they doing with their big brothers?"
"They're practically glued to them," Mark answered with a smile. "These kids seem to be so happy to have someone to talk to them and explain things to them and make sure they get good food and play. Play is a big item with them. I bet if you looked out in the pool right now half the boys in there are part of the last two groups, plus their big brothers. All of them said they were never allowed to play like they can here." Mark paused for a moment before continuing.
"We did see some negative reaction from them while we talked. The boys told them about getting tested and taking school lessons everyday and attending classes to make up for lost time. All of them had expressions like we had just popped the magic bubble." All of the men laughed at a kid's typical reaction to school.
"I don't ever recall hearing a kid jump for joy when they were told they had to go to school. Kids can usually think of more fun things to do," Jeff observed.
"Michael, have any of the counselors had the opportunity to meet with any of the newer boys."
"Not in any depth. They're still trying to finish up with the first group."
"Do you think a counselor can give us some idea of what time frame they think is sufficient to evaluate the boys? What I'm primarily interested in is setting a time frame to begin contacting the boys' families. Paul tells me that he thinks we have pretty good contact info for immediate and extended family members. As soon as the judge says it's okay to start reuniting the families, I'd like for us to be ready." As Daniel spoke, Paul began punching in Arthur's direct number. "I'm hoping Arthur can give us some kind of time line on the judge's orders during this call." Daniel concluded as he engaged the speakerphone.
After exchanging the expected greetings and pleasantries, during which Arthur let Daniel know that Frank Dewey was in his office, the men addressed the business at hand.
"Daniel, I'm not sure exactly when the judge will issue his final order. However, remember that he has already set the boys free. What we are looking for now is the portion of the order that may, or may not address compensation. He charged the state with returning a proposal for review. If I'm not mistaken on my calculations, they have ten days remaining to file the proposal, assuming they don't file for an extension."
"There's something else we need to consider, Daniel," Frank Dewey interjected, "the state will most likely, and I would bet that they will, file an appeal. Exactly what they would want to appeal is uncertain until they file. However, we think that, given that the judge freed the boys, plus the attitude of the governor and other state officials, there will be no appeal on the freedom issue. The appeal will have to do with compensation and probably ask the court for clarification of civil rights of minors. We haven't been able to find any cases or decisions addressing the extent of civil rights for minors directly."
"Gentlemen, I'll have to ask you to forgive me, but I'm just one of several guys sitting here trying to help a bunch of poor kids that I don't think should be here in the first place. Can you translate what you just said into layman's language that we can understand?" Daniel and his staff could hear the attorneys laugh.
"It means," Arthur tried to control his laughter but it came through in his tone of voice, "the boys are free, who knows what the state is willing to pay, the governor and his staff will be sure the boys stay free, and we're looking to the high court to order the state to rewrite the slavery laws to include felons only."
"Now, that's what I call a good summary and good attitude," Daniel replied, laughing.
"Seriously, Daniel," Frank added, "we are looking for this to go all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. Our argument is based on civil rights violations set forth in the Bill of Rights regarding a person being entitled to a trial before their peers and that no man can own another."
"Wouldn't that knock out slavery completely?" Paul asked.
"Not really. Remember, the civil rights pertain to individuals regarded as citizens with full rights to benefits, including protection, due all citizens. When a person becomes a convicted felon, they lose most of those rights. Think in terms that a felon loses the right to vote, which is considered almost sacred in our way of life; they also lose the right to bear arms, which is another of the constitutionally guaranteed rights. The original basis for the reintroduction of slavery was to address those individuals who had forfeited their citizenship rights and place them in a program where they receive constant supervision and contribute to their living costs.
"The underlying principals always addressed forfeiture of liberty from a criminal standpoint, never from a civil standpoint. Over a period of time the boundaries were pushed out so that civil cases fell into the mix. What we are trying to do now, is correct that situation. To correct what we consider to be a gross error, we need to go to federal court and get a ruling that the current system is unconstitutional and requires the state to amend its laws."
"Frank, do you have any opinion on what kind of opposition you'll encounter?"
"Most likely, it will be big business. I'm referring to the types of businesses that purchase debt and seize assets, principally children; the type of people you faced in your debates. By the way, I don't know if you are aware of the kind of benefit those debates had. They built what we call a ground-swell support. It started a little quietly, and then grew as people better understood your position. The interview you did with Elizabeth and the verse the boys wrote has been a big topic of conversation on our local shows."
"Daniel," Arthur interrupted, "I think all we can tell you now is to keep the boys in counseling and probably prepare a list of contacts for their families. If the judge wants to see what we are doing with the boys, that would give us something positive. Remember what the judge suggested in court regarding pushing the people, making them aware of what you are doing. Are you still planning on the college campus tour?"
"Yes. We start in Miami next Wednesday. We'll hit two campuses per day and come back here on Friday."
"If you are going to be in this afternoon, I'd like to call you later and discuss a couple of things."
"Regarding Jeremy?"
"Yes."
"Arthur, give me this afternoon to talk to him and I'll call you at home tonight."
The phone conference ended and Daniel realized they all needed a short break. It was just before lunch, so the meeting adjourned until after lunch.
Daniel walked outside, looked around, and saw that Mark had been correct; most of the kids in the pool were the new boys with their big brothers. There were a number of boys not playing in the pool. There were two groups gathered on the basketball courts. One group appeared to be into a game while the other group took turns shooting baskets from different points on the court. Jeremy and Brad were engaged in Jeremy's now favorite recreational activity, skateboarding. Daniel found a shady spot to sit down and watch the boys enjoy themselves.
"Daniel, did you ever think it would come to this?" Rick asked as he joined Daniel.
"Rick, I always hoped, but, quite honestly, I wasn't sure what would develop. I always wanted a place where the boys could feel secure and have a chance at just being kids. During the day I like to open the office window and, to me, the nicest sounds are the sounds of laughter and hollering from the boys having a good time."
"Yeah, I know what you mean. After all these months I still look at these kids and think back to what they looked like in that holding facility. That place was a pig sty, and that's just about how they treated the boys there. Now look at them; it's a whole new world."
The two men continued to sit and watch the boys. Daniel watched Jeremy more closely than the other boys. He understood much of what the boy had endured and believed he knew what the boy not only thought, but felt, about returning to a private family life. Keeping Jeremy at New Horizons was to keep the boy protected from the press and to allow him time to work out some of his demons. Daniel was now concerned that Jeremy may have become too comfortable at New Horizons and, rather than working through his problems, he had pushed them to the back of his mind and ignored them.
Jeremy's primary counselor was Father Andrew. Father Andrew and Father David visited New Horizons once or twice per month, depending on what their regular schedules and congregations allowed, to tend to the spiritual needs of the boys. However, Jeremy and Father Andrew developed a special bond between them that caused the father to visit more often. When he was unable to visit in person, he was known to call and check on Jeremy's well-being. Daniel and the Father had already discussed when Jeremy might be ready to venture back into the world as a member of a family and function within the real world; they concluded that Jeremy would have to make that choice for himself.
Daniel continued to watch the boys on their skateboards. Both boys were trying to perform a trick where they bounced off the board, using it as a spring board, to jump in the air. The board was supposed to follow the boys in the air and do a flip with the boys landing back on the board itself. Brad looked to be pretty good at performing the trick, while Jeremy was just learning. Daniel laughed to himself and waited for what he thought would be the inevitable.
"AGGHH! Oh, man! That did not feel good!" Jeremy exclaimed.
"Good one, Jer," Brad called out to his friend, "you bounce off the ground betterin' off that board!" Jeremy just looked at his friend and smiled while he showed Brad the finger. Jeremy heard Daniel laugh and turned towards the man. When Daniel patted the ground next to him, Jeremy walked over and squatted, sitting on his heals as only a younger person can.
"Are you alright?" Daniel asked.
"I'm good," Jeremy answered, "I'll pro'bly have a good purple spot, but that's the way it goes. I just can't get the timing right and Brad's enjoyin' it."
"Well, if you had seen yourself fall, you probably would have thought it was funny, too." Jeremy didn't answer, he just smiled.
"Jeremy, I wanted to ask you something. We're going on a quick tour of some college campuses over the next two or three weeks. We'll start in South Florida and work our way around the state. I'm going to take a different group of boys with me each week. Would you like to go next week?"
"If you want me to, I will. I'll do whatever I can ta help, Mr. Dan'l."
"I know you would, Jeremy. There was something else I had in mind with that trip, though. Do you remember the talk you and I had not long ago about you seeing your family again?"
"Would I have ta see 'em?" Jeremy didn't wait for Daniel to finish his thought. Jeremy knew where Daniel was going.
"No," Daniel responded, "I'll never tell you that you have to see them. However, I would appreciate it if you gave some thought to what you want to do with your life. I think you know what I'm talking about. You're free and we'd like for you to have as much input as possible into any decisions made that affect your future."
"We're talkin' 'bout me seein' my natural parents, aren't we?"
"Yes," Daniel answered simply, "If you don't think you're ready, then it won't happen. What I really want you to ask yourself is whether it's a matter that you aren't ready or you don't want to and are avoiding the issue."
Jeremy looked at Daniel and didn't say anything; he then looked at his friend on the skateboard, but didn't really see him.
"Daniel," Jeremy sounded serious and Daniel knew the boy was thinking about his natural parents, "when you met Ms. Linda the first time after you was freed, how'd you feel?" Daniel understood that Jeremy was feeling a mixture of emotions, just as he had.
"At first, excited; then, I started feeling a lot of different things. I remembered how scared I was when they took me and my parents didn't do anything to protect me. I also remembered how upset my mom was and remembered she begged them not to take me; it wasn't her fault. I was still scared, though. I didn't know then that my father was dead and I felt like I hated him. When they told me he was dead, that he'd taken his own life, I felt vindicated. In time, I felt nothing towards him; particularly after seeing my mom."
"Can I ask ya somethin' else?" Daniel waited for the question. "Why didn't you go back to your mom?" Daniel paused before answering the question. Was Jeremy asking to find out if his feelings were unusual, or searching for an excuse?
"My case was a little different than yours. Yes, we were both used as sex toys. My master was a sadistic individual who derived his greatest pleasure from inflicting emotional and physical pain, plus I wasn't in a brothel. I was in that position for well over a year when Dr. Thompson bought me. Poor man, I'm sure I gave him more than one gray hair. He tried to tell me I was free and I wouldn't accept it. I wouldn't even wear clothes unless he threatened me." Daniel paused to smile at the memories. "I was a mess; I didn't believe anything he told me. Why should I? My prior master did nothing but abuse me and accepting his lies pleased him.
"It didn't take too long for me to understand that Dr. Thompson was not like my old master. He really cared about me and helped me. When he adopted me, he did it with my mom's consent. She consented because she knew that I wasn't the little boy she once had and it was the best thing for me."
"Do you think my mom and dad would do that for me?"
"I don't know, Jeremy. I do know this, what's most important is what you want and feel is best for you. You will grow up, you will be free, and you will need to be able to accept your past and move forward. The question then becomes, what does Jeremy want? I think you've pretty much figured it out, but you may not have reached the point of total acceptance because you are too concerned with hurting someone else. Only you know who that someone is; make sure it's not you."
"Can I tell you later? Do I have to decide now?"
"You take your time, son. We go south, that doesn't mean you have to commit to anyone. Understand?"
Jeremy turned and reached for Daniel. Daniel sat in the shade of the building, watching the other boys play, as he held a very frightened boy.
Sitting in rush hour traffic in West Palm Beach, driving a bus with twenty boys who needed to burn off some energy, Daniel realized there was one thing he did not miss by living in a rural area. Watching the other cars, he thought it was amusing that so many people could be so anxious to race one another to the next traffic light.
Having survived the rush hour traffic, Daniel was relieved as he pulled into Linda and Arthur's driveway. It was much easier to endure the insanity teens could create than it was the illogical rushing around of adults trying to out-duel each other to go no where. There were two adults happier than Daniel; Arthur and Linda had been anxiously awaiting the boys' arrival. As the boys stepped off the bus, Linda smiled and greeted each boy, until Jeremy stepped off the bus. Linda couldn't stop the tears from pooling as she held out her arms and Jeremy rushed to her. While Linda held Jeremy, Arthur stepped next to them, lifted Jeremy's chin, and the two exchanged loving smiles.
As the group entered the house, the first thing the boys commented on was the smell of something cooking. Linda had anticipated that the boys would be ready for a snack and had already set out a tray loaded with sliced fruit, cheeses and crackers. Fifteen minutes later, the tray was empty.
After a dinner of spare ribs, corn on the cob and potatoes, twenty boys with bulging stomachs were run outside to work off both energy and calories. They were informed they would sleep in the guest room, or the family room, or Arthur's study, or the guest house; their individual choices. The first six to the guest house stood guard over their positions to the amusement of the adults.
Most of the boys had retired for the evening when Arthur decided to take a swim. Jeremy watched through the window as Arthur approached the pool, removed his robe and dove into the pool. Jeremy smiled to himself, remembering the evenings he and Arthur had spent in the pool, skinny dipping. The two had spent some time swimming together at New Horizons, but never when it was just the two of them.
Jeremy walked outside and dove into the pool, joining his guardian. This was a special time for both of them to renew their bond. Neither said much to the other, they didn't need to. They swam a few lengths of the pool and Arthur sat on the bench built into the side of the pool. Jeremy joined Arthur, and the man pulled the boy into him and held him. Sitting quietly, Arthur gently rubbed Jeremy shoulders while Jeremy allowed himself to melt into Arthur's being.
Arthur and Jeremy sat quietly with Arthur rubbing the boy's shoulders; Jeremy relished the warmth and security. Arthur spoke with the boy, concerned that Jeremy know he was not under any pressure to choose the direction he wanted his life to take; he would always be loved and cared for. Jeremy knew that the safest choice for him would be to stay at New Horizons. He also knew that he missed having a family and being held. Lonely without being alone, and frightened, he knew what he really wanted; he just had to say so.
As the evening wore on, the time came for both Arthur and Jeremy to go to bed. Tomorrow would be a busy day for the boys and they needed to be up early; their whole week would follow the same pattern. Jeremy walked into Daniel's room, which was also his room. Danny lay in the bed with Daniel, sound asleep. Jeremy stood next to the bed looking at Daniel when, unexpectedly, Daniel lifted the sheets. Jeremy smiled and lay down, turning on his side to cuddle up to Daniel for warmth and security.
"Will you go with me?" Daniel knew what Jeremy was talking about.
"If you want. Do you want anyone else there?"
"No. I gotta do it, but . . . . I'm kinda scared."
"Jeremy, being a little scared or nervous is normal. Just be sure it's what you want."
"I am."
Jeremy had made the choice to try and move on.
The schedule called for Daniel and the boys to arrive on campus between 10:30 and 10:45AM. Driving to Miami, Daniel smiled to himself as he remembered that his mother had prepared a breakfast casserole large enough to feed twenty boys, which meant she had prepared enough to feed thirty normal adults, plus Daniel and his staff. He had awakened that morning to the smell of the casseroles baking. There was nothing to beat the smell of eggs, sausages and bacon cooking, except the smell of freshly brewed coffee. As was typical, there were no worries about storing left-overs.
Daniel had made it a point to study both the city and campus maps before leaving West Palm. He knew he was making good time so long as someone didn't decide to run a red light or two cars racing to the next traffic signal didn't decide someone else's car needed some new curves. Cruising down Dixie Highway, the campus was easy to spot and so was his turn, thanks to the traffic signals. Turning into the campus, the boys were enthralled at the sites. Most of the boys had never seen a large university campus. There was a campus policeman just off the main highway who flagged Daniel and signaled for him to follow. The policemen guided Daniel to the end of a cul-de-sac where, it appeared, there was a carnival taking place.
There were tents set up, most preparing food, and a few tents set up with just tables inside. Daniel quickly looked around to find signs to identify all the activity. Some signs encouraged people to register to vote; others promoted petition signing. As Daniel stood by the bus door, a young man in casual dress approached.
"Mr. Thompson, Clark Reynolds. I'm, I guess, what you would call the director of all this. I'm actually the vice-president of the student body and it was the student government section that organized this rally. Thank you for coming."
"Clark, thank you for asking us, but, quite honestly, I'll have to admit that this isn't exactly what I expected. Your invitation said you wanted to hold a meeting to encourage the students to support the abolition of child slavery. I thought it might be something along the lines of a town meeting."
"Oh . . ., no, I'm sorry if we misled you in any way. There's already a lot of support for New Horizons here on campus. There isn't a week that goes by that there isn't an article in the student paper. Experience has taught us that if we want the students to back something, we give them loud music, free food, and something to rally around. They have the music, the food, the cause, and now, you and the boys, to rally around. We're in the middle of the student activities area and this has been promoted now for about six weeks. It's a drive to first, get unregistered students to register to vote and, then, ask them to sign the petitions that we'll be sending to the governor and all the members of the legislature. The petitions demand that the slavery laws be changed to include criminals only and that all children enslaved under existing laws be freed. As a law student, I've kept up with your recent court victories, but we know there's much more to be accomplished. In your appearances you've been asking for the people to voice their opinions to their legislators; that's what this is about."
Daniel looked around at the large number of students that had begun gathering in the area. A number of the students had spotted the bus and meandered near the bus with the boys still on board. Clark continued his explanation to Daniel.
"We have a platform stage assembled over near the lake where we will make announcements. I'll introduce you there. However, to begin the event we'd like for Danny to make the same announcement he makes whenever the Cherubs appear. There's a lot of excitement on this campus and admiration for what you've accomplished, Mr. Thompson. We thought it fitting to set the stage so the background will be both the lake and the law school. The students are really excited about meeting the Cherubs also. This afternoon, when you go to the other campus, it'll be the same type thing happening there."
"Clark, I haven't seen this much enthusiasm and energy directed towards anything since I was in college. Quite honestly, I'd forgotten how exhilarating it can be. Would you like to meet the boys now while I explain to them what's going on?"
Daniel and Clark boarded the bus for Daniel to let the boys know what they could expect. Clark told the boys they didn't need to worry about anything unless it was someone trying to feed them too much or, particularly with the little ones, hug them to death. He assured the boys they were highly regarded by the students and it was a privilege to have them visit. Daniel listened and observed Clark, knowing he was with a future politician or lawyer. Whatever path Clark chose, Daniel felt he was going to do well.
The boys got off the bus as Cherubs, wearing only their breechcloths and jewelry, to a resounding ovation. The welcome was so strong the boys were a little intimidated and Daniel had to direct them where to go. Students quickly gathered around the boys and could not do enough for them. The boys knew to act friendly and, after introductions, they were to move from tent to tent, talking with anyone that had questions or comments.
Assembled on the stage, Clark called for everyone to quiet down to a dull roar while they welcomed their special guests. On signal, the festivities were formally opened.
"Hi, I'm Danny 02780 and these are my friends and we're here to visit with you."
Danny ended with his trademark smile and tilt of the head.
End Chapter Eighty-Five To Be Continued
Comments welcome: contact Dwight Wilson at adm2780@yahoo.com