Date: Thu, 27 Mar 2003 13:27:30 -0800 (PST) From: mycandlelight_dreams <mycandlelight_dreams@yahoo.com> Subject: Sailor Boys - chap 12 THE NORMAL BORING DISCLAIMER: This story is FICTION, and just one of my fantasies. Any similarity to real persons is purely coincidental. Further, this story contains sexually explicit information between an adult and a teen-ager. If this type of material offends you, do NOT read further. However, if you like these kinds of stories, then read on and ENJOY! --- CHAPTER 12 --- An hour later, I finally announced that the crew should retire, and that I would stay on deck, and continue our journey. Brandon tried to argue the point, but I assured him that his rest would be needed in the morning. "Good night, Captain," each boy said as he disappeared down the deck stairs. All that is, except two. I looked back across the wheel of my helm, and there, sitting on one of the deck chairs was Jeffy. "Time for bed, Little Man," I said as I pointed to the deck stairs. "I want to stay with you." His sad little eyes left me no choice. Once again, my little lover had melted my heart, and to be honest, I didn't fancy the nighttime alone. "Well, if you're going to stay up here, you better make your self useful. Go down to our cabin and grab the blanket off the bunk, then come right back up here." Jeffy didn't even allow me a second to change my mind, for he was off like a shot, almost skipping every other step on his way to my cabin. As the stair's door shut, I looked across my ship, and saw Miwaka, hands grasping the railing tight, just staring off across the water. "Miwaka?" I called to him, but no response. The boy was lost in his thoughts. "Miwaka!" I raised my voice, snapping him from his trance. "We're not going to make it, are we, Captain?" He said softly as he moved slowly toward the helm. "Yes, we are and I don't want to hear any more of that kind of talk. We're in this together, understand?" Miwaka slowly nodded his head, but said nothing. As Miwaka began to stare at the water again, I remembered a passage that I had read about the Ebeu. "Chief Timiwaka led 60 men into the deepest and darkest forest they had ever visited." I began my little history lesson; not even realizing how similar the boy's name was to this historic Indian Chief. "Their village had been overrun, and most of the woman and children had been killed." It was at this point that Miwaka turned and looked deep into my eyes. "My father used to talk about Chief Timiwaka. He said I was named after him." "And with good reason." I smiled at the now curious boy. "Chief Timiwaka was only 21. He was the youngest Ebeu Chief, but also one of the wisest and strongest that the tribe had ever known. But, it wasn't a position that Timiwaka wanted. Far from it. He was a boy, similar to you. His focus was on hunting. He had become quite known by the tribes' people for his great skill in tracking a Bison, and bringing it to it knees single-handed. But, as happened a lot to Indian Tribes, Timiwaka's father was part of the slaughter that his village experienced. Timiwaka was not about to let such an injustice go unpunished." I looked from the water into Miwaka's eyes. He was glued to my story, and without saying a word, begged me to continue. By now, Jeffy had returned, and without interrupting, crawled up onto the bench behind me, wrapped in the blanket he had retrieved, and listened to my story. "The tribe that had brought such horror to Timiwaka's tribe was an enemy tribe from the dark forest. The story says that one of the Ebeu men had entered the forest tribal camp, and raped one of the women. This caused anger and embarrassment among the forest tribe, and they sought vengeance for such a crime. It was only later that Timiwaka learned that the tribe who had truly caused the mysterious pregnancy was from another tribe further down the river from Timiwaka's village. That knowledge did not undo what the forest tribe had done. Timiwaka upon seeing his father, dead in a pool of his own blood, was enraged and vowed to avenge the killers of the greatest man Timiwaka had known. The 60 men went into the dark forest, late into the dark hours of the night. They were skilled hunters and quiet trackers. Some say ghosts are louder than the Ebeu tribe." The boys were fixed on my story, and my mind was enjoying the distraction from the task at hand. "They reached the camp in the center of the dark forest. Each man took a post and as they spread out among the camp, each knew what his task was to be. Quietly and quickly the Ebeu tribesmen raced through the village, cutting the throats of every man, woman and child of that dark forest tribe. Not a single cry was heard. The dark forest tribe never knew what struck them. Timiwaka's patience, strength, and desire to honor his people while avenging his father's death served him well that night. It was the natural order that he should be Chief, but his courage, planning, cunning, and skill earned him the right to rule over his people." I looked directly into Miwaka's eyes. "He was brave, Miwaka, but not stupid. He knew when to strike successfully and he knew how to protect his people." As I turned around to peek at my Jeffy, he was sound asleep, curled tightly into the blanket. "Are you saying I should return to my village and fight for my father?" Miwaka asked. "No, Miwaka, you would surely die. There will come a time when vengeance will be yours, but now is not that time." Miwaka sat on one of the deck chairs and yawned widely. "You should get some rest." I nodded my head toward the deck stairs. "I'd like to stay with you. This is my doing and I'd like to see it through." "You truly are an Ebeu, Miwaka. You're welcome to stay as long as you'd like." I smiled at him, and refocused my attention to the dark yet smooth water ahead of us. --- The peaceful splash of the water against the bow created a soothing lullaby for my two deck partners, and as the morning sun crested the water's edge, I felt somewhat at ease about our travel. The fatigue of the previous day, and the all night travel had not yet set in, and I was grateful for that. I'd need as much strength as I could muster. Still, even with the luminescent glow of the orange sun, there was a steady though subliminal feeling of danger in my stomach. I laughed it off as hunger pangs, but my head knew better. Years on these unpredictable waters had taught me to trust my instincts, and as the sun rose higher over my right side, my tension rose with it. Somehow, the darkness of the night had given me a sense of calm and hope. The daylight now shattered this calm, and left me instead with the shards of broken hope and the beginnings of despair. The quiet moaning behind me drew my attention, and as I looked down upon my angel boy, Jeffy, I could see he was having a bad dream. His body twisting and twitching. I secured the wheel in place, and sat next to him, gently stroking his hair and rocking his shoulder. "It's okay, Little One. It's only a dream." Jeffy began to waken, and as his eyes opened, it took him a moment to realize where he was. When his reality returned, he hugged me tightly, and I could feel his little body shiver from the dream. "Shhh, it's all over now. It was just a dream. You're safe with Ole Cappy." His shivers diminished, and I covered him once more with the blanket. "You rest, Angel. It's still early yet." And, I laid his head back down on the bench, and returned to the wheel. My focus on the evening journey had been so intense, that my sense of smell was even affected, for I hadn't noticed that my crew was busy preparing breakfast. The aroma of bacon and Belgian waffles certainly stirred Miwaka. He woke and faced me. "I fell asleep." I smiled, "Yes, I know. It was quite an exhausting day, so I'm not surprised." "Something sure smells good." He said smiling back at me. "It's going to be a good day, isn't it, Captain?" His smile was infectious, but my own instincts told me otherwise. "Yes, it is," I lied to the boy. "Why don't you take Jeffy below and get some breakfast. And send Brandon up here, please." "Aye, aye, Captain," Miwaka smiled and saluted me. "Come on, Jeffy. Breakfast time." Jeffy rubbed his eyes and looked up at me. "It's okay, Matey. Go on now." I kissed his cheek, and Miwaka lifted the boy into his arms. As the boys disappeared into the doorway, my smile quickly faded and the realization of yesterday's events returned to haunt my thoughts. I looked around the ship and not seeing anything, I grabbed my spyglass, and repeated the search. Still no ships were visible. "Easy, Red," I said to myself. "Maintain control now. You have these boys to look after!" My thoughts were soon interrupted as Brandon came through the door. "You asked for me, Captain?" "Yes, Brandon, thank you. We're returning to the deserted island that you boys built the shack on. We'll stay there tonight, and then make for San Diego in the morning." "But, Sir, our voyage. These guys are expecting to be on the water for six weeks. None of our parents will be there to pick us up." Brandon's disapproving frown emphasized his point. "Oh my God, I completely forgot. Andrew said that his mom was going to be gone until the 7th, and Max's dad is in Rome. What do we do with them?" "Damn it," I said out loud, completely forgetting the purpose of the voyage to begin with. "Damn it," I repeated. "All right, all right. Here's what we'll do. We'll go to the island and enjoy the day. These boys have a right to some fun, and maybe it will get their minds off yesterday." "And yours too," Brandon added. "Yes, yes, and mine too. Then, in the morning, you and I will sit down and chart out a new course. We can't return to the Hawaiians, so maybe north is our best option." Brandon smiled supportively. He liked the fact that I was coming up with a new plan that promoted safety and still continued the voyage. Plus, he would get to help make the decisions. "Very well then." I finally said after some silence. "Ready the crew, Brandon. I expect to hit the island shoreline within the hour." "Aye, aye, Captain." Brandon bounded down the stairs, new life in his spirit. As Brandon left me once again alone on deck, I wondered if I was only fooling myself. Oh, how I wished for Brandon's optimism. It was then that I remembered our encounter on the deck, the passionate kiss as he rubbed against me. My mind flooded with those thoughts, pushing out the negative ones I had been so focused on earlier. Soon after, Jeffy returned to the helm, proudly presenting a tray of food for his Captain. "I made the waffles myself!" I smiled down at my lover boy, and kissed his head. "Thank you, Angel." "I'll take the wheel, Captain," Brandon said from behind me. "Take a break, Captain, and enjoy your breakfast." For once, I followed someone else's orders, and released the wheel to Brandon's steady hand. --- As we approached the deep shoreline of the island, I steered The Mighty Miss on much more of a parallel angle to the island, locating just the right spot to drop anchor. I slowed the engine speed gradually until I located the spot where I would anchor. I killed the engines, and the deck instantly quieted. The boys had begun to appear on deck, sensing that we had stopped. "Drop anchor," I called out. "Aye, aye," I heard in response, then the clang, clang, clang of the anchor chain and SPLASH, as it hit the water, disappearing below the surface. "Brandon? Secure the ship and ready the lifeboats. We go ashore." Brandon followed my directions, and The Mighty Miss was secured in short order. As the boys finished their duties on deck, I went below to the tiny engine room. I learned long ago that one of the huge disadvantages of these types of Schooners is that they are easy to steal. My paranoia was now in overdrive, and the thought of losing my girl was more than I was ready to bear. I had installed a kill system that was rather complex. In order to bypass the system, a thief would literally have to spend hours reconfiguring the wiring harnesses. However, the ingenious part of the kill system was a simple four-post block that plugged in, similar to a large square fuse. Once pulled, none of the electric or navigation systems would function. I stored the kill block into my backpack, and headed for my cabin. Inside, I retrieved my pistol and the knife the boys had used to carve their initials at Satan's Face. Stuffing them into the backpack, I retrieved ammunition for the gun. As I stuffed the box of bullets into the bag, my paranoia began to build. It's been years since you shot this thing, Red. Your dad died by the gun, do you really think you could use it? "Shut up!" I say aloud. "It's just in case." I stormed from the cabin, slamming the door behind me. "Are the provisions loaded?" I asked Brandon as I appeared on deck. "Yes, sir, along with the tools you requested." "Excellent, as always, Brandon." Brandon smiled at me proudly. On deck, I took three more precautions to secure The Mighty Miss in place. The first was to padlock the anchor chain in place, lock down the winch, and lock down the mainsail. The boys had already begun to load into the lifeboats, and as I stepped onto the ladder and shut the railing, I wondered if I was making a mistake leaving the ship. For a moment I froze on the ladder, my thoughts trying to make the final decision...to leave or to re-board. "Staying or going, Captain?" I whispered to myself. "We're ready, Captain," I heard Brandon say to me. I continued my descent for what felt like several minutes of slow motion action. As my feet left the ladder, and I finally let go of the last rung and sat down in the lifeboat, as sick feeling overtook my stomach. For a moment, I felt like I was going to throw up. I looked across my massive ship, and then finally, refusing to give in to these devil thoughts, I bid her farewell. "Stay safe, Missy!" I commanded. "To the shore, gentlemen. Let's go have some fun." The boys cheered and hollered, but it was only an act for me. I desperately tried to smile, and forcing the edges of my mouth to curl seemed more difficult than steering The Mighty Miss in the worst of storms. We landed on the sandy beach, and Thomas was the first one out of the boat. He ran to the beach, pointing out their shack, still standing like a grand fortress against the sea. "Cool, it's still here," Andrew smiled. We pulled the boats up the beach, and tied them off to one of the palm trees. We moved our provisions to the hut, and I announced, "Who's ready for a swim?" The boys practically sang in unison, "I am!" as they ran through the cut pathway to our secret pool. As we reached the pool, the sounds of the island birds and the streaming waterfall soothed my soul, and the voices I had been hearing began to silence. "Last one in is a rotten egg," I heard Jeffy yell as his naked butt flew by me and jumped cannon-ball style into the cool water. I laughed at the sight, and realized how good it felt to laugh again. Challenged by the 9-year-old, the rest of the boys soon discarded their clothes and jumped in...all cannon-ball style. The trick was to splash as many people as possible. "Oh really?" I said as I finally removed my shorts, letting the fall at my feet! "Watch this!" I ran as fast as my feet could go, jumped into the air, grabbing my knees tightly to my chest, and down I slammed into the water, sending a hurricane like wave over the area. "That was awesome!" Max declared as I surfaced. The boys took turns getting out of the pool, and jumping back in, trying desperately to beat my wave. I stayed in the pool, basking in my championship glow and admiring all the flesh I could absorb. That was, of course, until Miwaka decided to take his turn. As he crested the water surface, his stiff cock peeked out. No longer embarrassed by his nudity in front of the boys, he proudly circled the pool to the jumping off spot, took his position, and without even running, jumped into the air, pulled up his knees and plunged into the water, sending a wave larger than mine over us all. As Miwaka surfaced, all the boys cheered, and Thomas looked at me, smiled and competitively said, "You're gonna defend your crown, aren't you?" Devil's spawn! I thought to myself. However, he was right, I had to at least try. I exited the water, circled around to the jump off point; backed up and ran as hard as I could, jumped up, grabbed my knees and slammed sideways into the water, sending a shower of water directly onto Thomas. When I surfaced, all the boys, even Thomas, were laughing hysterically. Okay, so I didn't win. I at least got even with that little bugger. Before long, the boys were diving under each other, of course, brushing against the pride and joy of each boy. When someone suggested "chicken" again, everyone paired up, and the battle was on. Jeffy and I paired up, while Miwaka and Shaun teamed. It was our job to take on the challengers. Each team would go against Miwaka and Shaun first, and then regardless of the turnout, go against Jeffy and I. It was the only "rule" I made, and the winning team would be the one with the least falls. Jeremy and Max wanted to go first. Max climbed onto Jeremy's shoulders and took on Miwaka and Shaun, as Jeffy and I waited our turn. The rest of the boys cheered on, not really caring who 'won.' They just enjoyed the excitement of the contest. The two teams held their own ground for a few minutes, but as Miwaka took a stronger stand in the water, Max was pushed backwards, pulling the two boys into the water. They quickly recovered and this time Jeremy sat on Max for the challenge against Jeffy and I. --- "Hey! Look over there. Is that it?" The man said as he peered through his binoculars. "Give me those, Mickey." The other man said, grabbing the binoculars from his hand. "Holy Shit. I don't believe it, that dockworker was right." He lowered the binoculars from his eyes. "Guess we didn't have to kill him after all. Oh well," he said as he began laughing. "I told you, Jerry. I could tell he wasn't lying. You never listen to me." "Shut up, Mickey, okay? Just shut up." --- As we began our battle, Zach and Billy teamed up against Miwaka and Shaun. And so it went on, Brandon and Andrew; Zach and Billy; Binder and Thomas; Miwaka and Shaun; Jeremy and Max; Jeffy and I; taking our turns trying to be the best water chicken team. As we came to the end of the rounds, Miwaka and Shaun were in the lead, but Jeffy and I were only one loss behind them. My last battle had been Brandon and Andrew and I knew that we would surely be tipped over. However, with Andrew on his shoulders, Brandon was in control, and when I saw him smile at me, and then tip backwards, dumping poor Andrew into the water head first, I knew he had thrown the match. Jeffy cheered with glee, and I realized at that moment why he had done it. I wanted to throw my arms around him and hug him dearly. I was becoming more and more attached to Brandon as our days went on, and with each example of his maturity level that far exceeded his age. So, there we were, one loss behind the almost unbeatable team of Miwaka and Shaun. "Come on, Cappy!" Shaun said laughing. "Let's see what you guys got!" Brandon shot him a disapproving look, and for the first time, Shaun ignored him. I locked my feet firmly into the sand below, and watched Miwaka do the same. I leaned forward, holding Jeffy securely to my shoulders, and Jeffy began to push on Shaun. --- "It looks awfully quiet." Mickey said searching the deck through the binoculars. "Yeah, well, we'll pull up beside her, and check it out. Get your gun ready." --- "That's the best you've got?" Shaun laughed as he pushed hard against Jeffy's shoulders. Back and forth, back and forth, the boys pushed, as Miwaka and I held our ground. The match went on for a few minutes, and the boys really began to rally behind their favorite team. All of us were getting excited by the match, as the water splashed around us. --- Jerry pulled the speedboat next to The Mighty Miss and killed the engine. Then the two men climbed the ladder and boarded the vessel. --- I saw the intent look on Shaun's face, and as I looked at Miwaka, he was smiling wide. I decided to let this one go, and bent my left knee, sending Jeffy flying backwards in the water. The boys all cheered, and even Jeffy was still smiling when he surfaced. "That was so cool," he said, unbothered by the loss. I walked over to the winners, and holding Shaun and Miwaka's arms up, declared, "We have a winner!" All the boys cheered again. The day was beautiful and happy, and we had all but forgotten the events of yesterday. "Hey, boys," I said, again feeling the rumble of my stomach. "I'm going to start dinner for us. You guys don't stay too much longer, okay? Brandon, will you help me?" "Sure, I've had enough anyway." "I'll come too," Miwaka smiled. --- "There's nobody here!" Mickey declared as he returned through the broken deck door. "Yeah, I see that, Stupid. But, look." Jerry said as he pointed to the side of the ship. "The lifeboat is gone." Mickey looked at the loose ropes off the side. "Where'd they go?" Jerry grabbed Mickey's neck and twisted it to the right. "Look, Stupid!" Pointing to the island, Jerry said, "I guess these adventure boys are in for more than they bargained for. Come on." They left The Mighty Miss, and sped toward the beach. --- "Gather up those rocks, we can make a fire pit right here in the sand." I pointed to some stones around us. We made a pretty nice fire pit, and in only a few minutes it was loaded with wood and sticks and set ablaze. "Hey, you got hot dogs!" Brandon was surprised at the care package I brought with us. "I thought it would be a simple dinner. Brought some of that fresh pineapple, too." I began to cut open the hotdogs with my knife as Miwaka pulled out the pineapple. "Here," I said, handing him the knife. "This should make it easy." Miwaka smiled at me, quickly nodding his head as he took the knife. --- "We'll leave it here and start searching the island," Jerry said as he and Mickey pulled the boat up on the sand. "Which way?" Mickey asked. Jerry looked around. "That way," he said as he pointed toward the middle of the island. --- "That was weak," Thomas bragged. "Let me show you." He got out of the pool and ran to the jumping off point, plunging into the water again. All the boys laughed and splashed his face when he came up for air. "Hey," he yelled. "No fair." They laughed again. --- "This way. Shhhh, wait. Do you hear that?" Jerry stopped suddenly in front of Mickey. Mickey ran right into Jerry, almost pushing him over. "Watch it, you ass!" "Sorry." Mickey looked down at the ground. --- "Woo Hoo!" Billy yelled as he plunged into the cool water. --- "This way! Come on!" Jerry pointed toward the sounds and in a few moments arrived at the waterfall pool. --- "Man, these dogs smell good." Brandon said, waving the rising smoke into his face. "Yeah they do. You better get our crew, because these dogs are almost done." Brandon left the beach and headed back in toward the pool area. "It is so peaceful here," Miwaka said as he sat on the sand watching the waves slowly breach the beach. "It reminds me of Kalawao." He closed his eyes, and I could tell that the happy memories of his small village began to flood his thoughts. Our peaceful moment was broken when Brandon came running screaming my name, "Captain! Captain, come quick...they're gone. They're all gone!" I jumped up from the fire and glared at the boy, "What do you mean they're gone?" "Come on, I'll show you!" The three of us ran through the pathway to the pool. When we arrived at the waterfall, it was quiet. The only movement in the water was the small waves caused by the falls. I looked around and couldn't see any of my boys. "Hey, over here." Miwaka called from the right. We joined him and looked to where he was pointing on the ground. "Their clothes are still here." "Oh my God." I heard Brandon say from behind me. I turned and saw what had shocked him. In the dirt path on the other side of the pool were four long trails and several footprints. Miwaka lowered his head to the ground. "Look." He pointed out what looked like boot markings, but there were two sets, running parallel to the small barefoot markings and small ditch-like trails that ran with them. I stopped for a moment, as the horrendous thoughts flooded my mind, paralyzing my feet. "Captain?" Brandon pulled on my shirt. I looked over at him and he was pointing to one of the branches of a tree. I looked closer and the crimson color sent an instant shiver down my spine. "Go get my bag, and then come right back!" Brandon was off running down the pathway. I surveyed the area to see if there were any other markings, but only the trail leading away from the pool was evident. Brandon returned with the bag. I dropped it on the ground in front of me, and opened it. Brandon's eyes got wide as I produced the pistol and began loading it. "Timiwaka." Was the single word Miwaka whispered to me. "Timiwaka," I whispered back, fighting the tears that wanted to take over my eyes. Before I could finish loading the gun, Miwaka pulled out the knife and stuffed it into the back of his uniform shorts. I slung the backpack on my shoulder, and we headed down the pathway that the footprints were on. --- "Good and tight. I don't want these little skinny dippers getting away and warning the boy." Jerry commanded, tightening the rope around Shaun's wrists. The muffled sounds of the boys began to aggravate Jerry further and he yelled at them, "Shut the fuck up." He pointed his pistol at Jeffy's temple. "Or would you like to watch your little friend die?" The boys fell silent and Jeffy began to cry. He was careful not to let out a sound, but the tears fell nonetheless. Billy started to tear as well. Thomas tried to push the cloth from his mouth, but it was tied to tight. --- The trail stopped as the soft dirt gave way to rock. Miwaka pushed his way forward and looked carefully at the rocks below our feet. He moved a little, stopped, looked some more, and moved a little, each time, gently touching the rock, searching for some message to appear. "This way," he finally said as he stood and began to move forward again. The rocks soon gave way to sand, and sure enough, more foot steps. "Look." Brandon said as he pointed to the ground. The small ditch lines in the sand were spotted with red liquid. I leaned down, touched the liquid and held it to my nose. The aroma confirmed my suspicion, though I didn't say it to the boys. "Let's keep moving," was all I could utter. --- The boys watched as the men tied a smaller rope around Jeffy's feet, and in one swift motion, the boy was slung upside down. This motion scared Jeffy and he tried desperately to cry out. Though the sound was muffled, the boys could clearly hear the pain in his cry. "Shut up, you little brat!" Jerry yelled as he slapped the boy hard across the face. Then silence. Andrew looked carefully at the swinging boy and held his breath. --- "The trail leads this way," Miwaka had taken the lead, and as we walked, he kept touching the trees and rocks, and occasionally even stopped to feel the ground. "What are you doing?" Brandon asked, in a hurry to reach his brother and friends. "Easy, Brandon, let him be. Instincts...it's in his blood." I tried to calm Brandon, but I could tell this adventure had lost its charm. "Come on. This way," Miwaka said again as he led us further into the jungle of trees and brush. --- Andrew looked closer at the boy, and as the swinging diminished, he could finally make out movement in the boys chest. He stared closer making sure his eyes were not fooling him. Jeffy breathed again, and Andrew let out his breath. Andrew looked over to Thomas and nodded his head. "He's alive." Andrew signaled. Thomas continued to struggle with the ropes around his wrists and the cloth stuffed between his lips. --- Miwaka suddenly stopped and quickly turning to us held a finger to his lips. It was then that I heard one of the men say, "That's good enough. Now let's get the stupid son-of-a-bitch and get off this fucking piss hole." And then, we heard their footsteps as they walked back in our direction. Miwaka quickly hid in the brush near the trail, as Brandon and I took cover behind a couple of good sized Palm Trees. I looked over in Miwaka's direction, and he was hunched down, with the knife in his hand. Only a moment later, the two men passed our spot, and as the taller of the two men passed Miwaka, the tall boy jumped out behind the man, put his left arm around the man's chest, and in one swift move, slit the man's throat, dropping him to the ground. Miwaka was once again behind the brush before the man even fell to the ground. THUMP. The shorter man quickly turned around seeing his partner lying on the ground, the bright red blood gushing from his neck. "Mickey?" He yelled. Then, the man began to frantically look around him. "I just came for the boy. Give him to me and I'll go away." A bird leaped from one of the trees, and Jerry fired two shots in the direction of the noise. --- "Are you guys all right?" Thomas said as he successfully spit out the cloth. He looked around and everyone except Jeffy nodded slowly. "He's alive?" Thomas asked Andrew as he looked at Jeffy. Andrew nodded again. "Can any of you get lose?" The boys shifted their bodies and then shook their heads. "Me either." Thomas looked around. "The Captain will come, don't worry. He wouldn't let us die." Just then, Thomas and the boys heard two shots. Thomas felt his heart sink, and Andrew began to tear up. Thomas looked at Andrew and the look in his eyes clearly said, "We're going to die here." Andrew then closed his eyes and waited for death to take him. --- "I'll kill all of you, do you understand? Come out you little bastard, and fight like a man!" Jerry stepped forward, carefully looking around him. My heartbeat began to race faster and faster. I could feel it pounding merciless against my chest. I held the pistol up, and slowly lined the sight to Jerry's forehead. Jerry stepped forward again and stopped, looking around him. As his eyes returned forward, he saw my own eyes. That moment in time slowed to a crawl. His eyes widened and mine narrowed. Jerry began to lift his arm in my direction. The rest of the world disappeared and the only thing I saw was the line of my sight against his pale skin. No more voices, no more sounds, and no more second-guessing my life. Jerry raised his arm higher as I saw his thumb pull back the hammer. --- Jeffy began to waken, and as he did, his lungs felt heavy and he felt dizzy. He desperately looked around him, but his back was to the other boys. As he woke further, he could feel the pain in his ankles. He began to shift his weight wiggling and wiggling, and the rope began to swing, turning him toward the group. He began to yell, and his face turned bright red. Thomas looked at him and yelled, "Jeffy. Shhhh. You're going to be okay, but you have remain still." Thomas noticed the color of Jeffy's face turn from red to dark red and then to a purplish color he had never seen before. "Breath Jeffy, through your nose...breath, damn it!" Just as Jeffy took a breath, "BANG!" All the boys looked at each other, and the fear took over. Every one of them began to scream, and the only one not muffled was Thomas. --- The body dropped to the ground. Miwaka and Brandon knew they still had the boys to worry about. They ran in the direction of Thomas' screams, which guided them. Shaun heard the footsteps coming towards them, and he fell silent and froze in place. The other boys followed his lead. Jeffy could feel his tears drip into his hair. He closed his eyes and cried. Closer and closer the footsteps came, until Shaun saw the bush the men had gone through begin to move. He too closed his eyes, knowing in his heart that the men had returned. The footsteps came closer to Shaun, and as they did, Thomas' screams fell silent. A cold hand touched Shaun on his head, causing shivers to pour down his spine. He opened his eyes, and the blood began to rush through his body. Miwaka smiled at him and went around to untie him. Jeffy was next, and as Miwaka cut him lose, he gently placed the naked boy on the ground, and unbound his feet. As soon as the cloth was removed from his small mouth, he began to gasp for air, as the redness quickly disappeared from his face. The rest of the boys were untied and the gags removed. As Jeffy sat up, he looked at Thomas, then at Miwaka, then at Brandon. The tears began to fill his eyes. "Where's Cappy?" --- I hope you're enjoying this adventure. I welcome comments and questions, so, write me at mycandlelight_dreams@yahoo.com.