This following is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely a coincidence. No resemblance (s) of any actual person or character or act is intended. While there is no sexual contact in this story, please be aware of the rules in your community for reading this or other stories on Nifty. If reading such is illegal where you reside of you are not of legal age, please go no further.
This work of fiction is the property of the author, Sonny Malone and should not be reposted or reproduced without his permission. Email always welcome and should be addressed to rhyolite221@outlook.com
Copyright (c) 2017
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Uncle Rick's Rhyolite Ranch
Chapter 6
Erik found himself walking in a field of tall grain swaying in the breeze, searching for something; but what was it? He knew finding it was somehow critical. He pushed his way through the stalks of amber grain, determined to find what he searched for. Over the sound of the gentle wind came a faint whimper. Erik stopped to better listen for the sound. The only sound was the grain moving in the wind. He started making his way through the field again, walking slowly at first then faster. Once more, a bit louder, the whimper made its way to Erik over the wind. Erik came to an abrupt halt. This time he distinctly heard it and it was closer. Erik broke into a run towards the whimper until he could hear it without stopping. He knew he was close to whoever was making that sound. The whimper became sobbing. Erik felt compelled to call out and offer his help but no sounds came from his lips. He continued until he reached the source of the sobbing. There was nothing there but the surrounding acres of waving amber grain. Again he stopped and listened. Erik recognized the sound was a young boy crying. He knew it wasn't far away at all and yet he couldn't see anyone near him. He opened his eyes and sat up in his bed. It was all a dream but there was that sobbing. Erik turned to see Cody asleep in his bed, also dreaming and crying into his pillow.
Erik climbed out of bed and gently touched Cody on the shoulder. "Cody, wake up, buddy. "
Cody continued sobbing and Erik gently shook him and tried to wake him with a soft voice once again. "Cody, you're dreaming. Wake up."
Cody opened his eyes. Confused, he looked up at Erik and around the room. "Where are Daniel and Jason?"
"I think they are in their room. Why?"
Cody lay his head back down on the pillow and wiped his eyes.
"Are you okay, Cody?"
"I had a dream that someone took Jason away from Daniel. Are you sure they are in their room?"
"We can go see if you want."
"Yeah, I really need to know for sure. Um, thank you for waking me from that bad dream, Erik."
"You're welcome, Cody. I was worried about you."
Cody and Erik walked into the hall to see Daniel and Jason's door open. Cody looked in and saw the empty room. He gave an expression of panic until Daniel and Jason's voices emulated from the kitchen. The boys walked in to find Jason cooking scrambled eggs and hash brown potatoes while Daniel buttered toast.
Jason looked up and smiled at the boys. "Good morning, sunshine boys. Have a seat. Breakfast is almost ready."
Cody and Erik sat at the table next to each other. Cody felt relieved to see Jason and Daniel together, but after a few minutes Jason and Daniel noticed how quiet he was. While Jason dished the scrambled eggs and crisp hash browns on plates, Daniel put a plate of lightly buttered toast slices on the table. Jason, Erik, and Daniel dug in to the meal while Cody moved his fork, separating the food.
Jason set down his fork. "Cody, is something wrong?"
Cody shook his head.
"Are you sure?"
He lowered his head.
"Please tell me what's wrong, buddy."
Tears formed in Cody's eyes. "I had a bad dream that someone took you away."
"Cody, no one took me away. I'm right here."
Cody looked up at Jason. "But you're going to leave today and Daniel is going to be lonely."
Jason took a deep breath. "I am going to leave right after breakfast Cody, but I'll tell you something. I don't really want to go. I like being here with you, Daniel, Erik, Uncle Rick and everyone.
"Why do you have to go?"
"I need to get back to my job or I won't have money for food and rent."
"You wouldn't need that job if you stayed here."
"That's true. But people are expecting me to come back, little bro."
"Maybe you could just go there to get your things and come back."
"You want me to come back, Cody?"
Cody nodded his head. "Yes, you're supposed to be here, Jason."
"You've said that before. How do you know?"
Cody shrugged. "It's just something I know. I guess I can tell when things are right and when they aren't. Please don't go, Jason."
Jason looked at Cody with a concerned look on his face. "Cody, I promise I'll be back to visit as soon as I can, alright?"
Cody nodded, closed his eyes and hugged Jason. The four boys were unusually quiet as they ate breakfast. It was obvious they were all upset with Jason's leaving.
After breakfast, Jason packed the last of his things and put them in his truck. He turned around to find Uncle Rick, Daniel, Cody, Erik, Brandon, Henry and Wes there to send him off. Brandon, Henry and Wes all wished Jason a safe trip home with handshakes and hugs, and an invitation to come back anytime.
Uncle Rick smiled warmly and gave Jason a big hug. "It has been great having you here, Jason. You're part of this family, a hard worker and you're welcome back anytime for as long as you like, and I mean that."
"Thanks, Uncle Rick. I really appreciate that. I may just take you up on that offer when vacation time comes around again."
Erik gave Jason a hug. "I hope you can come back soon. My brother is going to be feeling alone without you here."
"I promise as soon as I'm able I'll do everything I can to come back when I get vacation time at work again. In the meantime, you look after these guys, okay?"
"Okay, Jason. I'll do my best."
Jason bent down and wiped the tears in Cody's eyes. "You still don't think I should leave, do you, Buddy?"
Cody shook his head no.
"You think I need to stay here with you, Daniel, and Erik?"
Cody nodded his head. "You're supposed to, Jason."
Jason looked into Cody's eyes. "I believe you, Cody. I don't want to leave either. I have to go back to my office so I can earn money to live though."
"Jason, you don't need that stupid office job."
"I wish it were that simple, Cody. I promise I'll do what I can, okay?"
Cody, teary-eyed, nodded and gave Jason another tight hug.
Daniel was last to say goodbye to Jason. They held each other a long time and kissed. Neither of them could keep the tears out of their eyes. Finally Jason spoke.
"I'll call you as soon as I get home, okay?"
Daniel looked into Jason's eyes. "Jason, I love you."
Jason beamed. "I love you too, Daniel, so much."
The drive back to the city was difficult and long for Jason. After a few emotional hours of driving, he pulled off the freeway and stopped for gas and lunch. He filled up his truck and bought a cheeseburger and onion rings at one of the fast food restaurants. After the first bite he nearly spit out the factory-produced food that tasted like breaded cardboard and said out loud "I guess I never knew just how good real food is and how bad this stuff is." He ended up throwing the onion rings out, barely being able to finish the cheeseburger.
It was dark when Jason drove his truck into the driveway of his apartment complex and parked in his designated parking space. He carried his luggage up the stairs, unlocked the door and stepped in to a hot stuffy apartment. He set his bags down, turned on a light, and switched on the air conditioner. He looked around the drab white-walled and beige-carpeted apartment to make sure everything was as he had left it. Even though all of his possessions were there, it seemed bare to him. He went into the bedroom, unpacked his bags, and put them away. Once his things were put away, he realized it had been four hours since he ate that awful lunch. When he opened up the refrigerator and saw there was nothing to fix for dinner he let out a sigh and picked up the phone to order a pizza to be delivered. He then made a phone call to the ranch and talked to Daniel for a long time. It was an emotional call. Neither wanted to end the call but eventually they did, agreeing to talk again soon.
Just as he was about to sit down to watch some television there was a knock on the door. He thought: "At least I get my favorite pizza tonight. That will make up for the lousy lunch." Looking through the peephole, Jason verified the pizza delivery boy had arrived. He paid the delivery boy, giving him a decent tip, and carried the box into the kitchen. He dished a couple warm slices on to a plate and sat on the couch in front of the T.V.
The evening news showed an on-scene reporter pointing to a bullet-riddled dark sedan and talking about a related gang shooting in a nearby neighborhood. Next, the news anchor talked about a projected economic downturn and the loss of several thousand jobs. After commercials for some pharmaceuticals and laxatives he'd never heard of, the news anchor read a story about state legislators and officials being lobbied by the coal and mining industries to vote against environmental regulations. Jason remembered he never watched any T.V. at the ranch. He hadn't missed it whatsoever.
He bit into the first slice of pepperoni thin crust pizza, expecting the familiar delicious taste. Yes, there was that same taste but it didn't taste so delightful after all. The second bite was just as tasteless. Jason realized the things he always enjoyed eating didn't seem as enjoyable since he visited Uncle Rick's ranch and ate homegrown food. He managed to eat a few more pieces and put the box with the remaining pizza slices into the fridge.
After dinner Jason thought about going out to his favorite hangout. "Maybe some of the guys will be out tonight."
After he walked into the brightly lit diner, he spotted his group of club friends sitting at a booth near the front and joined the group. When the waitress came around he ordered a turkey sandwich and a strawberry milkshake. After hellos and pleasantries were spoken, the topic of conversation turned to who was the latest pop star sensation, who was the best dressed diva, and how awful a couple of the people across the bar looked wearing their newly purchased outfits. Within a few minutes the waitress arrived at the table with Jason's sandwich and milkshake. Both tasted better than anything he'd had since he left the ranch but they were a far cry from the delicious cooking served at the ranch. The topic conversation at the table changed to which sounded better, CDs or vinyl records, followed by which were better, black and white or colorized movies.
Jason sighed silently and thought to himself. "Have these guys always been this shallow and I never noticed? This is annoying."
Jason finished his half-decent sandwich and milkshake. He said his farewells, giving the excuse that work started early tomorrow morning. After arriving back home he set the alarm for the morning, crawled under the covers and quickly went to sleep, only thinking briefly about how things were different than before he went to the ranch. Were they really different or had he discovered a better way of living his life?
The alarm clock's sudden burst of radio broadcast startled Jason from a deep sleep.
"News on the hour, every hour. This morning's headlines: West Valley racial tensions heat up as State police shoot and kill motorist stopped for speeding. "State assemblyman indicted by grand jury for embezzlement and pandering, major oil pipeline bursts spilling 20,000 gallons of bitumen, 40 civilians killed in middle east bombing campaign, and The Dominican Republic in path of this season's category 4 hurricane; right after these messages."
Jason hit the off button of the annoying alarm clock radio and looked around the colorless bare-walled empty room a bit confused. Once realizing he was in his old bed in his featureless apartment he let out a sigh. Cody's loving wakeups were much nicer. He reluctantly pulled back the covers and climbed out of bed. He made his way to the bathroom, peed, and brushed his teeth. He made his way out to the kitchen, took a mug out of the cupboard and poured the freshly brewed coffee from the carafe of the automatic coffee maker. After adding powdered cream and sweetener, he drank the energizing liquid slowly, carrying his mug of coffee to the bathroom and setting it on the sink countertop to be finished after the shower. He turned on the faucet in the cramped shower stall and stepped into the soothing warm water. After showering, shampooing, and shaving he opened the shower door and grabbed the plain white towel hanging on the nearby towel rack and dried off. He then finished the coffee and dressed for his first day of work back at the office. He poured another mug of coffee, drank about half of it, and left his apartment for the office. Halfway to the bus stop he realized he forgot to pick up the sack lunch he made for himself and put on the kitchen counter. Jason rushed down the block and around the corner to the bus stop only to see the bus pull away from the curb as he got to the stop.
Jason stood helplessly staring at the rear of the bus "Damn, you couldn't wait five seconds, could you? Well, so much for getting to work a little early. I'll be lucky to get there on time now."
Fifteen minutes later, Jason was the first one at the stop to board the next bus, only to find it hot, crammed with passengers, and standing room only. He made his way through the crowd to the only remaining standing room. Next to him a gum popping self-absorbed teenage girl was oblivious to the real world around her. In front of him a young flamboyant diva with a shrill voice bragged to his friend about his stunning designs that were used on models last weekend at the local celebrity fashion show. Across the aisle a man and woman argued about who was to pick up the children in the afternoon. The more Jason paid attention to the people around him the more he realized how petty, harsh, and abrasive people in the city were. After thirty-five irritating minutes the bus arrived at his stop, two blocks away from his office. A deafening clap of thunder boomed across the city as Jason exited the bus. A heavy downburst poured rain onto the quickly flooding streets.
Jason ran the rest of the way to his office. "Just my luck, I forgot the forecast called for rain and left my umbrella at home."
Jason cautiously walked in the lobby of the office building dripping wet and made his way across the slippery gray terrazzo floor to the elevator. Just as he made it to the shiny chrome doors of the half-occupied car they closed in his face.
By the time he finally made it to his floor he was irritable. He stepped into his monotonous gray cubicle to find piles of manila folders haphazardly stacked on his desk waiting for his return to process. He took a deep breath, sat in his low-cost chair and opened the first folder of work.
For the next week Jason focused on his work during the day and thought about Danny, Cody, Erik, Uncle Rick, and the others at the ranch. He realized just how empty his life in the city was and how fulfilled it was at the ranch.
Wednesday night he called the ranch and talked to everyone on the phone. Cody told Jason about his adventures with Erik and Daniel. They were riding into Becker's Canyon when a herd of mountain sheep rushed off the pink cliffs to the canyon floor. Something had spooked them, causing them to stampede out of the canyon. When they had arrived at the pool of water the boys sat on their horses and listened carefully. Erie howls coming from the cliffs above penetrated the air and terrified them. The howls were not like anything the boys had heard before. Cody said the howls sounded almost metallic, like they came from a machine rather than an animal. The boys didn't bother to stay around. They turned their horses around and galloped out of the canyon and back home to safety. They never did find the source of the strange howls.
Cody soon relinquished the phone to Daniel who was patiently waiting to talk to the boy he loved. They spoke for twenty minutes declaring their love and speaking of how they missed each other and felt incomplete without the other. Jason hated the thought of ending the call and going back to his unhappy life but he agreed to call again in a few days.
Jason had worked hard during the week and managed to process three-quarters of the folders. Just before noon, Travis poked his head into Jason's cubicle. "Hey, Buddy, how are you doing? Want to go to lunch?"
Jason smiled, closed the folder in his hand, threw it on his desk and stood. "Yes please, get me out of here."
Travis smiled as they walked to the elevator. "There is a new natural food lunch place that opened up on the next block while you were up at the ranch. It's pretty good."
"Great, I can use some decent tasting food. Since I got back everything I've eaten has been so tasteless."
Travis laughed and put his arm around Jason's shoulders. "Bud, home-made ranch cooking will do that to you. I bet fast food tastes like garbage now, doesn't it?"
During lunch Jason wasn't his normal talkative self. Travis could tell something was bothering him and asked him about it.
"Since you've been back I've hardly seen you. What's up, Jason?"
"Travis, I never expected for my stay at Uncle Rick's ranch to be so great. Now that I'm back to work and realizing there is a whole different life, a better life, I have come to realize I have a boring life here."
Travis grinned. "You liked it up there, didn't' you?"
"It was great. I loved being out in the country. It's quiet, beautiful, and there so much less stress there than in the city. I felt like I was doing something worthwhile. I miss Daniel, Cody, Erik and the rest of the guys. I felt like we were a family. "
Travis smiled and nodded. "They have that effect on people. I was 15 when I went to stay on the ranch. Back then it was just Uncle Rick, Brandon, Henry, and Wes there. They made me feel so welcome and like you said, as if we were a family. There is a ranch nearby owned by the Sanchez family. They had a kid my age, Raul. Raul and I used to do everything together. He'd help me with my chores and I'd help him with his. We'd camp out in the hills on the back end of the ranch and we'd swim in Becker's Canyon. Unfortunately my mom and dad made me come home for school but they let me go back to the ranch every summer. I wouldn't trade those memories for the world."
Jason smiled listening to Travis. "Where is Raul now?"
"The last I heard he was going to college somewhere in California. We lost touch a couple of years ago after I started working at the office." I think about him now and then, and wonder how he's doing."
"Do you ever think of going back to the ranch to live?"
"Travis smirked. "These days I think about it all the time. Maybe one day I'll make it back there. I was so glad you could visit, Jason. I knew you would like it. "
Before they knew it their lunch hour came to an end. They headed back to the office and went to their cubicles to continue the monotonous tasks of sorting receipts and making notations.
Stay tuned for more adventures with Cody, Jason, Daniel and Erik. More chapters are in the works.
My only reward for writing this story is receiving emails from readers.
Thanks to readers Vern, Stan, Mark, John L., John H., Jae, Eddie, Lee, and Duke for your emails and kind comments. Thank you also to my anonymous S.L. friend for helping with this chapter.
I welcome any respectful comments. Please send me an email and tell me what you think about the story. Thanks!
rhyolite221@outlook.com