Date: Sat, 25 Feb 2017 01:25:05 +0000
From: Jesse Gibson <revjpgibson@hotmail.com>
Subject: Dionysius chapter 9

				 DIONYSIUS
				    By
		   Rev Jesse Penfield Gibson, MDiv, DMin


Copyright 2017


DISCLAIMER: This story is fiction.  Any similarities to any persons, living
or dead, are purely coincidental.  This story involves consensual sexual
activity between college students, both male and female, including bareback
sex, group sex and bisexual activity.  This story also has drug and alcohol
use.  If this is not your cup of tea, don't read it.  If it is, enjoy.


Complaints and compliments to revjpgibson@hotmail.com

Remember to donate to Nifty to keep the stories coming.



					NINE

	When they got back, Simon handed him an envelope.  Inside was a
letter.

	`Since all the tasks are completed,' it read, `here are the
instructions for initiation.  Please deliver your videos to me by no later
than 7 pm tomorrow.  Initiation fees are due no later than Wednesday at 7
pm in cash.  Pay them to me.  Please do not shave any body hair or trim
pubic hair until initiation.  Guys can shave facial hair through Wednesday.
Please do not have sex or masturbate after Tuesday.  Please be at my
apartment Friday evening at 6 pm.  You will need 2 changes of underwear,
one change of clothes and toilet articles.  Initiation weekend will end mid
day Sunday.  Plan accordingly.  Do not discuss initiation with anyone,
including your fellow pledges. Do not leave this letter laying around.
Thanks, Simon"

	Cass tore the letter up into small pieces and shoved them into the
half empty coke he was carrying.  He headed back to his dorm and dumped his
stuff.  It was easy to fall asleep that night since he hadn't sleep well on
the ground. Camping wasn't for him.  He was a city boy.  But Dylan had
impressed him.  He was at home in the woods and had not backed away from
anything.  His first impression of his roommate had been wrong: that he was
tight assed sissy.  Actually, he found Dylan to be a pretty good guy and
someone that he truly wanted to be friends with.  Now that he was out, he
was a different person: happier, funnier, more likeable.  It was a shame he
couldn't share his good news with Dylan but rules are rules.

	On Monday afternoon, they were sitting in the room, allegedly
studying but doing more talking than reading.  A knock came on the door and
Cass got up to answer it.  There was a guy outside dressed in khaki's and a
button down with the sleeves rolled up.  He was carrying a leather folio.
The guy was good looking despite the young professionals hair cut and
glasses.

	"Cass Morgan?  I'm Dennis Korb, one of the Junior Class
representatives on the Judicial Council. I need to speak with you," the guy
said in an even, professional tone.  He looked at Dylan and said, "if you
don't mind, I'll need the room for about 30 minutes.  If you could wait in
the common room, I would appreciate it.  I'd like to speak with you as
well."

	Dylan looked at Cass with a worried expression.  Cass was worried
too.  He had thought that Chip had it all worked out and they were only
making a show of going through the motions.  This guy was serious.  Dylan
gathered up his books and left after telling Cass good luck.  Dennis closed
the door behind him and sat down on Cass's desk chair and motioned for Cass
to sit on the bed.

	"This is about the shower incident," Dennis said calmly, opening
the folio and pulling out a sheet of paper.  "Want to read what the asshole
said?"

	Cass wondered whether he ought to feel a massive sense of relief or
not.  "Is that allowed?"

	"Why not?" Dennis said, smiling a little.  "I saw the video.  It
was pretty good.  I hear that she is a real piece of work, a real slut.  I
mean that in the best possible sense of the word.  Don't worry, it's all
taken care of.  The problem with the task list, well with Dionysus in
general really, is running afoul of the student conduct code.  This is
relatively easy to make go away."

	"So you're not really on the Judicial Council?"

	"Oh, no. I am.  There are a couple of us that are.  I'm also on the
pledge committee.  There is an actual complaint and this is the actual
investigation.  You're going to get a letter of reprimand.  It's not
serious.  They shred it when you leave.  Do you think that your roommate is
willing to help you by lying?  If he is, it helps, for lots of reasons and
not just this."

	"Yeah, he offered," Cass admitted.

	"Good," Dennis said.  He pulled another sheet from his folio and
handed it to Cass. "Then sign this one."

	Cass read it.  It was a statement about what had
happened. According to this, he and Nicole had been dating for a couple of
weeks. She was hanging out with him, Dylan and Dave and it got late.  So,
Cass and Dave decided to walk her back to her dorm.  But Nicole had to
urinate, so they were standing guard so she could.  That was when Adams
walked in.  They didn't think anything about it until they got back and
Chip confronted them.  It all seemed innocent enough and perfectly
plausible, especially if Dylan confirmed it.  Cass signed it and handed it
back to Dennis.

	"I got to hang out for a minute just to make it look good.  You
talk to Dex much?"

	"My brother?" Cass asked, realizing it was unnecessary.  "Not that
much.  He's in Atlanta working for Wachovia."

	"Yeah, I know.  I saw him a couple of weeks ago. We went out
drinking.  He was the one who put me down for the Spring List when he was
treasurer.  I owe him a lot.  Well, okay.  You'll get a letter of reprimand
in about 3 weeks.  Oh and don't fuck with that Adams shit.  He'll be gone
by the end of the year.  His social life just went into the fucking toilet.
We don't forgive and forget.  See ya this weekend."

	"Thanks dude," Cass said, a little bewildered.

	"Happy to help. I'll go talk to Dylan now."

	A little while later, Dylan came back.  He was just as bewildered.
At first, he didn't say anything, just gathering up some stuff to go to the
library.  Then he stopped and turned around, saying to Cass, "He was giving
me your alibi.  He all ready had this scenario all set up.  All I had to do
was sign."

	"Yeah" Cass said as vaguely as he could.  "Did you sign?"

	"I said I would" Dylan answered.  He seemed defensive.

	"I appreciate it.  I'm sorry you got involved."

	Dylan sat down in his desk chair.  "It's not that.  I'm happy to
help you.  Besides, whatever happened in there, Adams should been a good
guy and just let it drop.  He shouldn't have ratted you out.  That was
wrong.  But the thing is what that guy, Dennis, said: that you have friends
that don't want to see you get in trouble.  They're pretty good friends if
they can cover things up for you.  The kind of friends that smoke pot with
professors, for instance.  I'm pretty sure that Carlos left with
Dr. MacMahon when we got back.  To have sex.  I think I know who you're
friends are, at least what their name is.  I'm not stupid.  I've heard
stories.  Is that who you are?"

	Cass inhaled deeply.  He hadn't actually asked him directly. But he
had gotten to the right conclusion quickly.  He was amazed to discover that
he valued their friendship and had grown to have respect for him so he
didn't want to lie to Dylan.  "Yeah, it is.  Does that bother you?"

	Dylan looked down momentarily at his hands and then looked Cass in
the eye.  "You're my friend.  The question I have is, why was I there the
other night?  You, Dave and Carlos I can see.  The twins too, I guess.  But
me?"

	"Alex invited you.  That's all I know.  I think he has a crush on
you."

	"Bullshit" Dylan spat.  Cass was startled.  It was the first time
he had ever heard Dylan swear.  "That's not who he is.  He might want to
take my virginity but he doesn't have a crush on me.  I'm the one going
through the 8th grade again, not him.  He has some other motive.  The
question I have is: are you part of it?"

	"No, I promise"

	"Okay," Dylan said.  "I'm going to the library.  I just need to
think right now."

	When Dylan left, Cass decided to call Alex and tell him what
happened.  To Cass's surprise, Alex was unconcerned.  In fact, he seemed to
think that his plan, whatever it was, was right on schedule.  That didn't
make Cass happy.  A protective impulse came to the fore.  "I don't think I
like you fucking with Dylan.  He's my friend."

	"You don't have a choice in the matter," Alex said.  ""I'm not
fucking with him.  He's being presented with options and opportunities.
The choices he makes determines what happens.  Where he ends up is up to
him."

	"He's a good guy and you ought to leave him alone"

	"Sorry, Cass.  All I will promise is that whatever he does, he will
do voluntarily and knowing what it is he is choosing.  See ya Friday. It's
gonna be fun."

	The rest of the week, Dylan said nothing more about it.  He didn't
ask Cass any more questions.  To all outward appearances, their
relationship was unaffected.  Cass spent the week being pretty diligent
about schoolwork since he had gotten behind some.  Doing that kept his mind
off sex, which by Friday was getting almost impossible to manage.  Since he
had first started masturbating at about age 12, he probably had gone very
many days without an orgasm of some sort.  A lot of times, twice a day.
Going several days in a row without any release was being to wear on him.
By Friday, he would have fucked a sheep if he could have caught one.

	The boys headed out for Simon's apartment as a group.  When they
got there, Nicole and Maria were all ready there.  They loaded up, Cass,
Dave and the twins in Alex's jeep and the rest in Simon's Prius.  They
didn't have far to go.  The house was on Adams Street, only 2 blocks from
campus, opposite the northwestern gate of Napier Park.  It looked like one
of a thousand old houses in Macon, a wrap around porch supported by simple
white columns and austerely plain.  It was painted light blue and white and
appeared to have the basic floorplan: 4 rooms with a central hall way on
the first floor with a kitchen in back and 4 rooms with a hallway on the
second floor.  They pulled into the driveway and pulled around back.
Piling out of the cars, Alex led the way, taking out a key and opening the
back door.  They entered through a fairly modern kitchen, complete with
microwave and refrigerator and then went down a central hallway. The place
was sparsely furnished.  Alex led them upstairs and told them to wait and
someone would come get them in a little while.

	Each of the four bedrooms had a double bed, a night stand, dresser,
full length mirror and armoire.  The rooms were functional but not lived
in.  They hung around and speculated about what was going to happen since
no one had really said.  Cass noted that they were supposed to be gone for
two nights and it looked like they would be staying here.  After about 20
minutes, Simon came up and retrieved them.  He led them back downstairs and
into the front parlor on the right at the end of the stairs.  There were
more than a dozen people in the room arranged in a semicircle, with a
pretty brunette in the middle.  Seven fold out metal chairs were arranged
in front of the draped front window in a line.  Cass took the seat on the
far end and the rest took theirs.  Unsure what to do, Cass just went ahead
and sat down. All the others in the room were seated.  He looked around.
Alex and Simon were there and so was the guy Brandon from the party.  Emmy
was there as was Chip, his RA, and another girl he recognized as an RA on
MEP.  Dennis Korb was there too and a few others.

	"Hello, I'm Christie, this year's President," the brunette said.
"Welcome to Intitiation Weekend.  We like to start off by bringing you
together with the officers and some of the people that have played a role
in pledgeship.  It's a chance for us to tell what we're all about and
answer any questions you have.  This is also your last chance to back out."
She paused as if waiting for someone to get up and leave.  No one did.  So,
she went on, "Emmy since this started with Selection, why don't you tell
them about that."

	"The Fall class is all about people we've had our eye on for a
while.  We have a Watch List.  After initiation, we're going to ask you to
list people that you went to school with, currently in high school or
middle school, people from your hometown, younger brothers or sisters,
people that you know that you think would be a good fit for us.  All of you
were recommended and have been on our Watch List.  Three of you are
legacies.  Cass, your brother Dex is a member.  He recommended you when you
were 13.  You've gotten other recommendations since then.  Dave, your
father was a member.  He added you to the list when you were 10, which
might be a modern record.  Nicole, the same for you.  Your dad added you
when you were 14.  It's rare for a father to recommend a daughter.  Ryan
and Joe, Luke Cresswell recommended you. Maria, you had 3 or 4
recommendations.  Carlos, though, is the big winner.  Practically every
member from South Florida over the last 3 or 4 years have recommended you."

	Christie laughed. "I know from personal experience why."

	"We had 9 possibles, interviewed 8 to get a pledge class of 7" Emmy
finished.

	Simon talked a minute about the tasks they had to do.  For
everybody, at least one had to do with drinking or drugs, one was
anti-religious in some way, and everybody had to make a video.  The sexual
tasks all varied, but Cass thought his were on the tamer end of the scale.

	Then Brandon, the treasurer, started talking.  "Dues are 50 dollars
a month.  When you leave Sunday, you'll get instructions about how to do
direct deposit or, if you want, how to do electronic transfers
monthly. There is a 100 dollar summer assessment.  The bottom line cost is
600 dollars a year."

	"Noah, why don't you tell them what 600 dollars buys?" Christie
said.

	Noah was a brown haired guy that oozed charisma even when he was
silent.  He was handsome with an open and friendly face.  "I'm Noah Drayton
and I'm the social chairman.  We will have 17 events or parties this year.
Some are open to the student body, like the party on Orange Street, and
some are closed, like Initiation.  The calendar for the rest of Fall is
beach trip for Fall break.  You need to let me know by Wednesday if you're
going.  Trips cost extra.  The cost for this is 30 bucks, plus money for
food and gas.  You have to supply your drugs.  Alcohol is provided, though.
Then, later in October, we are co-sponsoring a show at the Abyss with the
DriveBy Truckers.  Tickets are free and you get a voucher for one drink.
Then in November, we have Sadie Hawkins, which is invitation only by the
ladies.  Even if you're a member and you're not invited, you're out of
luck, sorry.  The girls can invite as many guys as they think they need to
satisfy them.  Guys, you're limited to the girl that invited you and no hot
lesbian action, unfortunately.  Then an open party in November, a pajama
party at the Lofts in the Village.  Of course, a New Year's Eve party
downtown.  In the spring, there will be another concert, a road trip to
Mardi Gras, Spring Break, and several parties.  Since we provided some of
the capital for Harry's and the Abyss, and the owners are either current or
former members, you don't have to worry about being carded or paying a
cover there.  There's poker night every other Wednesday, if you like to
gamble.  I'll let Alex tell you about his part."

	Alex straightened up, put his feet on the floor and started
talking.  "I do two things. First, I am the Warden.  That means I'm in
charge of discipline and security.  At a party, my word is law.  If I say
somebody can't come in, they can't come in.  If I say somebody has to
leave, they have to leave.  When I say me, I mean the people appointed
Warden for the party.  I like to get fucked up sometimes too.  Our mission
is to make everybody gets to a bed safely and nobody gets arrested. If you
do get arrested, I am the one who calls the lawyer.  I also coordinate the
cleaning up of your fuck ups, like say, for instance, getting caught making
a porno in the shower of 2 Reade.  If necessary, I will take the
appropriate amount of flesh out of your ass later on.  My second role is as
candyman.  I'm the guy you get your pot from.  The going rate for a quarter
right now is $40.  You get high quality chronic at a 20-25% discount.  If
you want E, you can get it from me.  It's $7.50 for 100 mg."  Cass nodded.
So far the prices were good.  "2CB is the same for 10 mg.  Those we have
pretty much all the time.  There are new deliveries about every 4 weeks.
Other stuff – 2CI, AMT, Alpha O, Foxy, etc – are also sometimes
available.  When I have it, I'll let you know.  I can get you K or G if you
want but there's no discount.  If you want coke, meth or smack, I can help
you find it but I don't have it. That's it."

	Christie looked around the room and then said, "Okay.  A couple of
last things.  Once you are initiated, you are a member until you turn 25.
You can come and go if you want. A lot of people when they graduate and
move, they're done.  You can always come back up until 25.  For instance,
Cass, Dex is going to be here for your initiation, so he paid this month's
dues and he's welcome back.  But when you turn 25, you're done.  We don't
reach out to alumni or have homecoming weekends or Founder's Day.  You get
6 or 7 years to party your ass off and then it's over. "  She motioned to
Dennis, who started to pass out small leather bags on a long chord. "Now
about initiation.  The actual ceremony is tomorrow night.  Tonight we're
going to lock you in and let you have some pledge class bonding.  Plus a
shaving party.  We want you to shave your pubic hair and any other body
hair that you want and put it in those.  It's part of the ceremony.  And
the other thing I need to tell you is that during the ceremony, you'll take
a dose of LSD.  Wanted to tell you that so that you won't be surprised.
So, have fun. We're ordering pizza for you.  There's booze and some fine
skunk for your partying pleasure.  We'll see you tomorrow."

	True to their word, somebody brought in four pizzas.  There was a
12 pack of beer in the fridge and a multiple bottles of alcohol.  Now
alone, they sat down in the front parlor and tore into the pizzas, talking.
The first bit of speculation was about the small leather bags they had to
put their pubic hair into.  Cass thought that was a little gross and said
so.

	"It's not that big a deal," Dave said.  "I think it's like this old
Roman thing where a boy put the shavings from his first beard in the bag
and offered it to the gods.  They just use pubes so we'll have a reason to
get naked and fuck."

	"I haven't cum in 3 days," Carlos said, wolfing down a slice.  "I
don't need a reason"

   	They sat around and laughed about their tasks as they ate and drank
beer.  Carlos thought hr had to fuck 6 people in 24 hours because he had
said in his interview that the most he had ever came in a day was 5 times.
But he was still able to go on the sixth one and he was pretty proud of
that.  Nicole and Maria had a daisy chain lesbian thing which Cass thought
sounded great.  He wished he could been there to see it.  Maria also had to
give a guy a blowjob in a public place, which she did in the parking lot of
Harry's.  Dave had to eat a girl out until she came.  He admitted to
limited experience with girls.  The twins were given tasks that made them
go their separate ways sexually but they did get together to make their
video together.

	"You actually fucked each other?" Carlos said.

	"Sure" Ryan answered.  Joe picked it up, saying, "We do it all the
time.  It's not like we're going to have a two headed baby."

	"True" Carlos admitted.  "It doesn't weird you out, though?"

	"I'd like to watch that" Nicole said.  "That would be hot."

	"That's true, too.  Actually, wouldn't mind joining in." Carlos
said.

	Cass told about having to take it up the ass from Alex and Harry.
Apparently Alex had managed to do all of them which didn't surprise Cass at
all.  Maria, in particular, raved about him.  Ryan said that he was good
but Simon was better.  Joe, of course, agreed but it was because Simon had
a bigger dick.  They broke out the skunk weed and got high, still laughing
and talking.  The three in the shower told about that and getting caught.
Now that it was over, it was funny.  Carlos and Maria had made their video
together.

	"Are you two ...?" Cass tried to ask as he sat crosslegged on the
floor facing Carlos.

	"We used to go out when we were in like the 7th grade.  We lost our
cherry together," Maria explained.  "But he couldn't keep his dick in his
pants and so we hated each other for a couple of years.  Then I became a
slut and we started partying together.  So, we're like fuck buddies."

	Joe looked around the room.  "Now we're all fuck buddies," he said.
"It's a good thing we all can get off either way, with 5 guys and 2 girls."

	"It's probably why it's mandatory that you be bi or gay," Cass
observed.  "A sex and partying club is going to have more guys than girls
just because.  If most people were straight, there'd be nothing but
fighting.  This way is better."

	When they were good and high, they decided to get to the shaving.
Soon they were naked and the boys were hard.  They found some plastic
sheets to put under them on the bed to so they could collect the trimmings.
They decided to go one at a time.  Maria went first.
	Looking at her on the bed with her legs apart and a mound of black
hair showing, Cass thought how sexy it looked.  Every girl he had been with
shaved all or most of her pubes anyway.  Seeing a hairy pussy was a turn
on. When he said it, the other guys agreed to his surprise.  But they
shaved her anyway, taking turns.  Cass carefully scrapped away the hair on
the side of her pussy mound before taking away the razor and giving her a
good lick.  The twins were up at her top, massaging and sucking on her
breasts and kissing her as they rest of them shaved her down.  They each
took their turn, getting a little tease as they got shaved.

	When it was Cass's turn, Nicole made a little nick at the base of
his dick.  "Be careful.  I'm attached to that," he cried.  She apologized
and promised that he could fuck her extra hard as payback.

	Nicole went last.  She rested on her back, drew her knees back
toward her head, and said, "If a hairy pussy turns you boys on, fuck me
before you shave me."

	Cass was game.  They went fishing in the nightstand for condoms,
which there were plenty of.  They were racing to get one on but Maria had
beaten them to the punch.  She was between Nicole's legs going to town,
eating her out.  The lesbian action turned them all on, except maybe Dave.
Carlos mounted her first and fucked her with abandon.  He was such a
beautiful boy doing such a nasty thing, Cass thought, but he looked good
doing it.  Cass had to be careful not to jack himself, as much as he wanted
to, otherwise he would orgasm before he got his chance.  Nicole called the
tune.  When Carlos was done, she took Ryan and he fucked her.  Carlos sat
over on the against the wall with Maria sitting on his lap watching. He was
fingering her and massaging her chest as they watched.  Both Ryan and Joe
were Greek gods physically, the kind of guys that look like they could kick
anybody's ass but were actually sweet and gentle.  Joe was urging his
brother on, slapping him on the ass.  But Ryan was going slow and easy and
Nicole was loving it.  She wrapped her arms around his neck and held him
close to kiss and fondle as they fucked.  Cass was beginning to get
overstimulated and was thankful when Ryan picked up the pace.  Dave got to
fuck her next.  He was hot and horny and just fucked her straight out.
Cass was disappointed that Joe got to go next.  He was breathing hard and
wanted it bad.  He looked around as he heard Ryan encouraging his twin.
Dave was in front of him, blowing him.  Fuck, Cass thought, everybody else
is on their second and I haven't had my first yet.

	Then he did.  He slid his tool into her well worked glove. She
pulled him toward her and whispered, "Saving the best for last.  Fuck me
hard"

	He had no option at that point.  He just banged her slick wet
pussy.  He never felt more masculine than he did when he was fucking.  He
felt like an animal and he fucked like it.  She was liking it too,
screaming and moaning as he tore her pussy up.  He picked up and positioned
her so he could pile drive her hard.  Then grimacing, he exploded inside
the condom in a wild, brilliant orgasm.

	She had been well fucked, but she still needed to be shaved.  They
descended on her and shaved her bare.  Despite the sex, they were all still
horny.  After a bowl or two each, it was a free for all.  Just 7 naked
bodies, kissing and sucking.  Cass was in the center of the pile, Dave and
Maria sucking his dick and Ryan over him face fucking him so that he almost
gagged.  It was great.  Then they shifted.  He found himself blowing
Carlos's long, thick tool, sliding his tongue underneath the Latino
wonder's foreskin as someone male sucked him.  Then he ate Nicole's newly
shorn twat.  Before the night ended, he had fucked Maria but didn't cum.
He fucked Dave and did.  The final blow was when Carlos fucked him.  He
understood why everybody seemed to think he was red hot in bed because he
was.  The kid could fuck.  Without ever having to touch himself, Cass
spewed semen all over his chest.

	  Relieved of their horniness, they decided to search the house and
they ran around naked through-out.  There wasn't much to see, though.  The
only mystery was that the basement was locked.  Finally, about 4 am, they
fell asleep. Nicole and Dave were in the bed with him.

	He awoke to a hard slap on his ass.  "Jesus fucking Christ, little
brother, grow some pubes"

	"Dex?"  Cass muttered, trying to rub the sleep out of his eyes.

	"Got some morning wood there, little brother?" Dex said, grabbing
his stiff prick.  "You didn't get all that worked out last night?  Shame on
you."

	"What time is it?"

	"The crack of one.  Get dressed.  There's food downstairs."  Dex
laughed.  "Looks like you had a good time."

	Sleepily, he tried to find his underwear and failed.  He did see
his shorts and pulled those on and stumbled downstairs.  There were a dozen
or so people down there.  Dave stumbled down next and then Nicole.  Cass
looked around, recognized a couple of people and then stumbled into the
kitchen for some water as he heard some friendly joshing going on.
Eventually everybody made it down and was tearing into some pastries.
People introduced themselves and welcomed them to Dionysus, asking about
last night.  Cass assured them that it had been good.  Dex introduced him
to a couple of his good friends and they welcomed him warmly and playfully.
Others drifted in and introductions were made.  Joints were passed around.
There was laughing and talking, stories being told about other people's
initiation weekend.

	Eventually, Cass found his way back to the front parlor and sat
down, a little worn out.  He sat in a chair, thinking about all that had
happened.  Dex walked in and sat down next to him.

	"So you had a good time?"

	"Fuck yeah" Cass said.  "So you recommended me?"

	"Shit yeah," Dex said, patting him on the leg.  "Couldn't let you
miss out on this.  This is what makes college great, little man."

	"I appreciate, Dex.  I always kind of thought that you considered
me a sniveling little brat."

	"You are" Dex laughed.  "But you're still my brother."

	"Well, thanks.  It was really cool."

	The ceremony itself was fairly simple.  They were sent upstairs to
dress in simple cotton tunic bordered in purple.  The small leather bags
went around their necks on a string.  Alex, who was dressed in a white
toga, lead them downstairs and into the basement.  Along one wall was a
bookshelf the whole length of the wall packed with hundreds of phallus's.
Some were simple functional dildoes and others elaborate art pieces.
Clearly, it was a collection that had been gathered for decades.  Along the
other wall was a mural painted in the style of the ancient Greeks depicting
a Bachanalia.  About 50 people were gathered up in the basement and
standing room was tight.  Christie, Brandon and Simon all had on the same
white toga that Alex did.  In the center of the room was a table with
candles, plates of small cakes and several gold or brass goblets with wine
in them and a triangular altar with smoking coals in a brass pan.

	The first part of the ceremony had the 4 people in the tunics
acting as a Greek chorus, reading speeches from the play The Bacchae by
Euripides.  It was explaining the mythology of Dionysus, the twice born God
of the vine.  The emphasis was on how the fruit of the vine could bring
both joy and pain, freedom and excess.  They talked in verse about the
duality of life.

	The second part re-enacted the ancient Roman rite Liberalia,
associated with the God Liber Pater, or Father Freedom.  Liber and Bacchus,
the Roman form of Dionysus, were associated together. The Liberalia was a
ceremony marking the transition from childhood to manhood for a Roman
youth.

	"You are wearing the toga praetexta, the toga of the child, and
carry about your neck, the bulla, the childhood charm that protects you
from the fiery and furious spirits of life," Christie intoned.  "Now, at
the moment of your virility, are you prepared to cast away the tokens of
your minority?"

	All of them standing in a line before the table answered yes.

	"True born and strong, will confront the fears and ravages of life
unafraid by the exertion of your own power?"

	They answered that they would.  She motioned for them to kneel.
Christie stood in front of Cass with a small vial in her hand.

	"Do you promise to support your friends with all your might, to
make their cause your cause, to never betray your friends but to stand with
them always?"

	"Yes" Cass answered.

	"Do you promise to share openly your innermost thoughts and desires
and to guard jealously those of your friends?"

	"Yes"

	"Do you promise to keep private always the privy matters of the
Society?"

	"Yes"

	She took a small amount of oil from the vial and smeared it across
his forehead and moved on to Carlos, repeating the same liturgy.  When she
completed with all of them, Christie moved to the altar with the small fire
pan.  "In accordance with the ancient custom, you should offer the bulla
you have made to the Gods of the Hearth"

	In the same order that she had anointed them, Cass first, then
Carlos, Nicole, Dave, Maria and then Ryan and Joe, they took off the
leather pouch from around their necks and tossed it into the fire pan, one
by one.  Only seconds after Cass had tossed his into the fire, Emmy stepped
forward and with a stick fished it out.  They did the same thing in turn
with a different girl rescuing the bulla.  The significance of that escaped
Cass and he guessed they reused them.

	"In the fullness of time, the youth sheds the toga praetexta, the
toga of youth, to don the toga virilis.  With this act, you become a
citizen of the Republic, freed of the domus of others, and able to take
your part as an equal."

	The purple bordered tunic was pulled over their heads and they were
wrapped in white cloth as a toga.

	"Take this the traditional meal of the Liberalia, the honey cake
and wine" Christie said handing him a plate.  Cass took a small cake and
ate it.  He could see that there were plates going around the room for the
audience to take one too.  She held up the goblet and walked in front of
them.  Handing the goblet to Cass she whispered to them, "just a small
swallow or you'll be tripping off your ass."

	Goblets were going around the room.  Apparently everybody, not just
the pledge class, was joining in.  It didn't kick in immediately. He had
enough experience with E to know that it wouldn't.  While he was coming up,
they had them sign a membership book in order.  He was member 1676.  Alex
was member 1666 and Simon 1668. He looked for his brother and saw that he
was 1620.  That last bit of business done, he went to find a comfortable
place to chill out and begin his trip.  People came by to congratulate him.
Then Nicole came and settled in between his legs, leaning back on him.

	Music was playing, classical music.  At first he didn't feel much
and then came a sensation not exactly like anxiety but more like
anticipation.  Eventually, he found himself staring at a ceiling fan,
amazed at its silent operation, finding beauty in its regularity.  That was
when he knew he was tripping.  He drew Nicole tighter but they didn't talk.
They didn't need to.

	The music was great.  The colors were vibrant and open eyed visuals
amazing.  He noticed that Maria was not doing well.  She was hunched up in
a little ball, crying.  As much as he wanted to help her, and he
desperately did want to help because he felt an intense spiritual bond, he
didn't know how or couldn't find the answer how.  He saw Alex sit down next
to her and take her into his arms, gently rocking her.  He assured her that
it was just the drug and none of it was real.  It was just the drug and it
would get better.  It was just the drug and she would get through it.  He
wouldn't leave her.  Cass felt profound gratitude to Alex for being there
for her.  He rocked her and gently sang "row, row, row your boat" over and
over.

	He wandered about the room holding Nicole's hand, staring at little
things, finding the amazing things about everyday things.  But as amazing
as it was in the basement, he longed for natural air.  So they headed up,
passing by a guy standing at the stairs.  He walked with them up the stairs
but as they headed out, he stopped and went downstairs.  About a half dozen
people were on the porch, talking quietly and staring at the park beyond
them.  Cass felt an instant connection to the display of life in the yard.
For the first time ever, he could place his role in the universe: small but
not insignificant.  He felt at peace for being part of the chain of life.
He felt the boundaries of self melting away and the part that was him
melding into the greater whole.  He could see the wind, taste it even
although he wasn't sure that it actually existed.

	After a long time on the porch, or perhaps a short time, Alex came
out and guy that had been sitting by the door got up and went inside.  Alex
came and sat down next to them, their legs hanging off the porch.

	"How's Maria?" Cass found him asking.

	"She's doing better" Alex said

	"Good," Cass said.  "This is amazing"

	"I know it is" Alex asked.

	"You don't feel it?" Nicole asked.

	"I'm one of the safety sitters.  I'm entirely sober."

	Cass looked at him, seeing him in a new light.  "Thank you"

	"Sure" Alex answered.  Cass put his arm around him and hugged him.

	"I wish I could describe it.  How beautiful life is, how truly
special it is." Cass said.

	They sat there for a time, soaking up the beauty of the world.
Then they got up.  Alex told them not to leave the yard but Cass didn't
want to.  He looked at Nicole and supposed that she felt the same.
Instead, they went upstairs.  Forever, they laid on the bed in each other's
arm.  Eventually, they made love.

	Sunday came and initiation weekend was over.  As he headed back to
his dorm, Cass felt like a different person.  He wasn't sure if it wasn't
lingering effects of the acid, but he thought and saw in a different light.