Date: Thu, 6 Apr 2006 09:05:46 -0700 (PDT)
From: T. Chase McPhee <survivalgame@yahoo.com>
Subject: Buffalo Boys 11

The story below is a work of fiction, set in the
format of reality. Any resemblance to real people is
entirely coincidental in nature. It is not meant to
accurately reflect upon persons in towns, cities, or
governmental areas, in which the story is staged. If a
sexual scene involving male-to-male relationships
offends you, then you should not read this story.
Additionally, if you are under 18 years of age, in
most state and countries, you are not allowed to read
this story by law. Check with your local laws
regarding such. Sexual safety matters. This is
fiction. Use protection in real life. `Got condom?'

"Buffalo Boys" 11
wriTten by T. Chase McPhee

%

One of the hottest nights of the summer, being also
the second to the last night of camp, Nick lay in bed,
the sheet wrapped between his legs, to keep them from
sticking together. He planed the sweat off his chest
and stomach, handled his balls like tumbling objects,
along with his cock, relieving the sticky feeling.

A knock came at the screen door to his cabin.

"Yes?" he called from his cot.

"Can I come in?" the meek voice asked.

Getting up from the cot, Nick opened in the screen
door.

"Come in Dougie."

"I'm sorry if I'm disturbing you. I couldn't sleep."

"A little tough to do in this heat."

Nick bet he knew what Dougie's insomnia encompassed.
In all likelihood, the same as his own.

"I actually came here with ulterior motives?"

"Oh, so it wasn't to talk about... never mind."

Smiling, Dougie replied, to what Nick thought about,
"Yeah that too, but the guys wanted to know if we
could sneak down to the lake to cool off?"

"It did cross my mind to do that myself. Tell them
yes, but they have to be quiet."

"Hear that guys?" Dougie yells over his shoulder,
aimed at the hidden crowd outside the door.

"We got it," the gang acknowledged.

"And no wandering off. Stay within the ropes," Nick
ran to the door, in hopes of catching the sweaty
jocks.

Turning back, Dougie lay in the bed, his jock shorts
hugging his hips.

"Um, I can't leave the guys unattended. My
responsibility and all, even though we're breaking the
rules."

"I know," Dougie replies, sitting up on the edge of
the bed. "Um, you going like that?"

"I suppose I should at least throw on my trunks."

Going past Dougie, on the way to the dresser, Nick got
a love pat on the ass. This summer, Dougie thought he
would get much farther with Nick, but was satisfied
with the warm affection, hugs, kissing, etc. Maybe in
the beginning, all Dougie could think of was taking an
older guy's ass. Now, with his hopes of the two being
together, looking like history, Dougie's need for
having a reason to fuck Nick, vanished. He let the
subject go.

While waiting for Nick to hop into his swimming trunks
and grab a towel, he reminisced. Thinking back to
after the Jack Thwaite incident, Dougie, as well as
the other boys had matured instantaneously, as if a
quirk in time had occured. Suddenly, it's as if the
eighteen year olds projected to nineteen, the nineteen
year olds into their twentieth year. Not that all
college age guys are that mature. Yet, they still kept
their innocence, at times playing pranks, getting
busted for them and taking their demerits like men. Of
course, getting whipped for their offenses meant
little love taps and not full force lashings. It was
more the symbolism. Three weeks into the camp season,
Nick showed the boys how to bore holes in the whipping
post and plant seeds. Soon ivy like plants grew around
the posts, making the tree trunk unfit for punishment.
Plus, Nick didn't mind missing out on all that wrist
exercise, swinging a leather strap. Instead he made
better use of his wrist, practicing on Dougie's cock
or his own!

"So? We ready?"

"Um, sure," Dougie replied, snapping out of deep
thought.

In the dim light, Dougie gazed at Nick now and then.
Being the final ten days of camp, he wanted to get in
as many snapshots with his mind, enough to remember
every inch of the man he thought would be his.

"I'm gonna really miss you Nick."

"I was thinking about that."

A ray of hope, like a light bulb, went off in Dougie's
mind.

"You've changed your mind?"

"No. But I thought maybe you could... come with me?"

"To Spain?"

"Too far-fetched, I suppose."

"It wouldn't be if I wasn't already involved in
college."

"I know. I should know better than to think of
thoughts like that."

"What's that?" Dougie suddenly hears rustling in the
bushes.

Nick laughs, saying, "Looks like we're not the only
ones thinking about skinny-dipping in Indian Lake!"

"Excuse us," came the voices of two guys passing
between Nick and Dougie.

"No, excuse us!" Nick replied, as Juan Luis Fernandez
and Miguel Rojos snuck between their ribs.

"Probably the closest I'll ever come to those two."

"Why? I'm not enough for you, Nick?"

The tree trunk next to their path looked as if it had
been placed there for this perfect moonlit moment.
Backing Dougie up against the bark, Nick zoomed in for
a lip-lock.

Breaking, Dougie says, "I have a confession to make,
Nick."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. I never really knew how to kiss sensuously
before coming to camp."

Picking up their pace, Nick replies, "At least you
learned something at Timber Creek this summer!"

"Oh, I learned more than about kissing."

"You sure did."

"See the difference, do you?"

"Don't you feel it?"

"Yeah. I learned a lot from you Nick. All us guys
have. We're a lot tighter knit group than when we
first got here."

"I can see that."

Everything was perfect, except the extenuating heat of
the night, but maybe that played a part in things too,
as Dougie turned from Nick, his back facing the
twenty-five year old. He hadn't wept in a long time.
Unprovoked the tears formed. Trying not to be so
obvious, Dougie wiped them, sniffling at a minimum.

Nick had that flustered look on his face, even though
the halfmoon could keep somebody from noticing. It's
that kind of look a person gets when they realize they
are going ahead on doing something that they wished
they hadn't been doing, instead going ahead,doing
something else that seems to make more sense.
Approaching the eighteen year old, Nick slid his arms
around the college jock's, drawing the bare back into
his bare front.

"Dougie, I'm truly sorry."

"I understand. I know if your father didn't have this
Guggenheim Museum gig lined up for you, in Bilbao,
you'd... well, no sense talking about something that's
not going to happen."

"It's only for the duration of the Eduardo Chillida
exhibit, til the following June, Dougie. After that, I
can see about... What's that matter?"
"Ain't gonna happen, Nick. You'll get all involved in
your work and," a series of sniffles broke
forth..."and you'll forget about me. Probably hookup
up with some hot artiste-guy."

Turning Dougie around roughly, with conviction, Nick
states, "That's not gonna happen. Dammit, Douglass, I
love you and nothing's going to change that!"
"That's all I wanted hear."
Nick watched Dougie put on a smile.
"Um, are we going to go for a swim?" Dougie then asks.
As if a father of five, Nick says, "Kids!"
Throwing his hands up, he continues along the path,
following Dougie. At Indian Lake, more than the
Buffalo and Coyote lodges thought of an evening of
cooling off. Throughout the eight week camping season,
Marc Leitner had met with Nick Kyriopoulos, to discuss
matters regarding discipline, sexual conduct and other
rules he constituted as unfair. Leitner, a strict
disciplinarian, gave each counselor reign over the
matter of the demerits system and the means by which
to carry out offenses. The Buffalo and Coyote lodges
became the most progressive of all lodges. Those
whipping posts out in their yards became history,
vines growing up them. Nick's personal study deemed
the use of only `minor' sex rules more of a boost to
camper morale, than prohibition. Of course, he didn't
tolerate any kinky stuff or horseplay, no unsafe sex
practices. If the campers wanted to fuck around, they
had to use protection. He and the Coyote's counselor,
Juan Luis Fernandez, pooled one week's pay, buying up
the local 7-11's supply of condoms!
"Um, isn't there a law about campers fratenizing with
camp counselors?"
Nick then proceeded to laugh his ass off, seeing one
of the Buffalo boys and a counselor, Miguel and Juan
Luis, bodies cemented together, making out openly on
the dock.
"Of all people, you should know, Nick!" Miguel boldly
replied.
"What ever happened to respect for your elders,
Miguel?"

Juan Luis replied to that, saying, "Pa-lease, Nick!
You're making me feel like an old man!"
"Sorry `bout that. Forgot we're both pushing thirty."

"Not me, bud. Maybe twenty-five is pushing thirty, but
twenty-four is pushing twenty-five!"
All three had a laugh off of that. However, the more
Nick gazed upon nineteen year old Miguel, hugging his
twenty-four year old lover, the more Nick sensed
guilt, running away, back to Europe, from the best
damn thing that's ever happened to him.
"Um, Juan Luis, do you think you can keep tabs on my
guys, while I go make a phone call?"
"Sure. No sweat, Nick. It's not like we haven't
pinched hit for each other this summer."
"Cool. Thanks. Be right back."
Hightailing it back, a different route, crossing the
main road into Timber Creek, Nick made a beeline for
the administration office. One of the campers on work
scholarship, Sean Scully, manned the switchboard.
"Sean, wonder if you can place this call for me?"
"Sure Nick. Just hand it over here."

Sean looked it over.
"Um, one problem."

"What's that Sean?"

"I can't put through any international calls without
permission from Mr. Leitner."
Just then, Marc Leitner came out of his office,
apparently departing for the evening.
"I hear a lot of noise coming from Indian Lake, Nick?"
The camp director let on, with a slight grin.
"Must be all the ghosts from the camp stories we've
been telling all summer," Nick grinned back.
"Naked ghosts, I suspect?"

"Why don't you take a look, Marc."

"Nah. Got something better going on tonight to make my
dick hard!"
Sean interjects, "Mr. Leitner, Nick wants..."

"Whatever it is, do it!"
"Okay. You're the boss!"
Right away Sean set about to dial in the gazillion
numbers, as Nick bid Marc Leitner good night, taking
in tidbits of the kinky fun he was off to have.
"It's ringing, Nick!" Sean called over.
A bit antiquated, Sean handed Nick the headgear.
As Nick stood there over Sean, sitting, the eighteen
year old camper felt it a good idea that his crotch
was under the console. Sean always admired men with
tons of body hair and what a rare treat to have tons
of black hair an inch away. His tongue wanted to reach
out and touch, lick it up. He could feel his balls
churning at the sight of Nick's pink, perky nips under
all that luscious pec fur. Getting some wicked
thoughts, he brushed his arm up against Nick's
stomach, accidentally-on-purpose. What a jolt he got!
Hearing Nick talking on the phone, in some foreign
dialect, which he summised was `Greek' to him, he
couldn't be farther from the truth. Nick gave Sean a
run for the money, twisting and turning his bod
around, as he talked on the headset, sometimes his
blood pressure rising. A couple of times, when Nick
was standing, Sean spotted Nick's deep navel,
underneath a thick swirl of belly fur. Having his
swimming trunks on, Nick's suit slipped down below the
tanning mark. Sean was getting some show, with the
chest hair, belly fur, hairy forearms and a slight
inch or so of wiry crotch fur. He now wondered what
the bulge in Nick's trunks signified.
As Nick hung up on his heated conversation, he flung
the headset off, unintentionally dropping it on the
floor, on the other side of Sean. He bent over to pick
it up, his whole front grazing Sean's shirted back.
`What a time to have clothes on!' Sean thought. He
hoped the little out-loud sigh he made wasn't
detected.
"Thanks for dialing that number for me, Sean."

"Is everything cool with you, Nick?"

"So-so," Nick responded, wavering his hand.
"Um, Nick?"

"What, Sean?"

"I was wondering..." then the bottom dropped out of
his conversation.
"Wondering what, Sean?"
"Never mind."
Nick wasn't stupid. After all, he just went through
almost eight weeks with eight eighteen and nineteen
year olds. He could tell when a boy's testosterone
levels did flip-flops.
Taking up a seat on the edge of the console, not as to
flirt, Nick asked, "So, how did you make out this
summer finding a guy, Sean? Snag yourself a hottie?"
Sean, more the nerdy type, wore a pair of black rimmed
glasses. He wasn't as seasoned as most guys his age.
"I can only dream about a guy like that, Nick."

Nick could `feel' Sean's eyes all over him.
"Y'know. I got the same reaction from one of the
campers in the Buffalo Lodge?"

"And did he overcome being shy? Did he forget what his
parents told him not to do? Did he um... score?"

"Is that what's keeping you from mingling with other
guys, Sean?"

"I dunno. Maybe. I know I can be shy, but Nick.. I
don't know what to say when I'm around a guy and if I
do say something, it usually winds up being something
dumb."

"I would think it's better to say something, no matter
how it comes out, than sit behind a switchboard all
summer pretending?"

"How did you know I fantasize?"
"A feeling I had. I have to get back to the lake, but
first, give me your hand, Sean."

"My hand? What for?"

Nick gestured to give it up and not ask questions.
Taking Sean's wrist, he lay the teen's hand on the
middle of his own chest.
"Wow!" Sean sighed, as if he touched the golden
fleece. "Can I... touch your nip?"
"Okay, but that's as far as you go."
Nick felt revolutions churning down yonder, as the
teen switchboard operator pushed in his nip with his
index finger, then took it and lightly mashed it.
"Feels good, does it?"

"Yeah. I think that's enough though."

"I'll say!"
Nick's eyes shot down to where Sean stare.
"I better be going."
Leaving the adminstration building, Nick had to do
some readjustments. "Oh shit!" he said out loud, as
the tip of his shaft showed, hanging down the leg of
his swimming trunks.
"Having fun are we?"

"Where did you come from, Douglass?"

"Followed you from the lake."

"Oh."

"Don't worry. I'm sure whatever happened between you
and Sean..."

"You snooped on me!"

Nick wasn't really angry.
"Figured I better keep tabs on you, at least until..."
Their light moment suddenly turned back to the
darkside.
"Not to change the subject or anything, but aren't you
wondering why I hightailed it over to the
administration building?"
"Your business, not mine."

"Oh. Okay."
Two seconds passed between them, as they strolled back
to Indian Lake.
"So, why did you hightail it over to the
administration building?"

"I thought you didn't care, Douglass?"

"I care... Nicholas!"
Dougie couldn't see Nick's usual look, in the
half-moonlight, but knew it was there.
"Listen, I know this isn't much to go on, but it's the
best I can do for now. I've convinced my father that I
need some downtime after camp. If you still want me,
I'd like to go with you and the guys to New York."
Dougie, at first didn't know how to react. Then, with
a whoop and a holler, he jumped up, grabbing Nick
around the neck, scissoring him around the waist with
his legs, not to mention jambing his cock balls into
Nick's stomach.
"Hot diggity!"
"But it's only for a couple of weeks."

"Coupla weeks? Hell yeah! More than enough time for me
to work on extending your leave of absence!"
Nick laughed off the notion, but in many respects he
wished it to happen!
At lakeside, all was quiet.
"Where'd everybody go?" Nick asked.
>From the darkness, Jason appears.
"What happened to all the guys, Jase?"

"They left me behind to tell you that Mr. Leitner
stopped by and said they could have a campfire out in
the field."

"Cool!" Dougie said, cheerfully.
"Well you don't act so excited, Jason?" Nick prodded
for the eighteen year olds feelings.
Shrugging his shoulders, Jason replied, "They all got
somebody to be with. I don't fit in with the guys."

'Deja vu!' A bell went off in Nick's head. He
remembered telling a somebody, about a camper who
didn't `fit in'.
"Got an idea."

"What?" Both Dougie and Jason replied in sync.
"Not you," Nick told Dougie. "Jason, I'm not sure what
you're looking for."

"Not much. Just somebody nice."

"Well, if you hop over to the administration building,
there's a guy there that's feeling as lonely as you."

"Who?"

"His name is Sean."

"Nice name," Jason replied, not knowing what else to
render.
"He's also a very nice guy. Why don't you take a
chance on seeing if you can become friends with him?"

"I dunno."

Dougie says, "I've met Sean."

"You have? How big is his dick?"
Nick places his hands on his hips and gives Jason `the
look'.
"Jason, you're not going to find a guy to like,
through his or your dick!"
"Yeah, okay. So, do you think he'll like me?"

"That I can't tell you. That's something you're going
to have to find out for yourself."

"Nick's right, but you're not going to find out how
big his dick is, unless you get his pants off!"
As Jason parted company, heading for the
administration building, Nick said to Dougie, "Did you
have to entice the kid with a depiction of the guy's
cock?"

"It made him hurry and make up his mind, didn't it?"

"What happens if Sean has a small dick?"

"Oh, take my word for it. Jason'll get a mouthful!"
"And how would you know something like that?"

"Told you, Nick. I get around."

"Hmm... I don't know about you, Douglass!"
"So stop wondering. Do you want to go to the bonfire
or head back to the lodge so I can claim your ass?"
"Do what?"
"You said it yourself you loved me. I love you. What
more is there for us to do, but to seal it with a
fuck?"
"How can I turn you down when your proposal for
marriage, is put so eloquently?"
"I'll take that as `I do'. C'mon."
With Nick hanging onto Dougie's hand, one led the
other down pathways, til they reached the courtyard of
the Buffalo Lodge. Entering, Dougie made sure the door
inside the screendoor shut tightly.
"Could get stuffy in here."

"Oh, I'm counting on that, Nick! By the way, lose the
trunks?"

"My, aren't we the alpha male all of a sudden?"

"Get used to it, Mary!"
"By the way, how did you know that I wasn't a top?"

"Had a feeling. After all, I'm total top. I wouldn't
have had this feeling that I should get to know you,
fall in love with you, if you had been a top."

"I'm not sure I share your feelings, but things happen
that we can't comprehend to figure out the logical
aspects of it, so I can't discount your reasoning."

"Is that textbook logic?"

"Don't ask me to repeat it word for word. I don't
think I'd be able to pull it off!"
The two laughed as they climbed into Nick's bed.
Even though Dougie was a total top, there's some
things he did that would constitute the bottom's job,
like teasing Nick's hairy nips with his teeth or
priming his ass canal for insertion. Even Nick found
favor in teasing the teen top, when his tongue slid
down the length of his ass crevice.

"Taste good?" Nick teased.

"I've tasted better!"

"What? I thought I was your first fuck?"

"Get real, Nick. I'm a college frat. Us jocks do stuff
like that in college."

"Oh, so how many have you fucked?"

"I didn't say I fucked a guy."

"Oh, so I suppose you meant rimmed ass?"

"Once. I only did it to try it and no, I lied. His ass
wasn't as hairy as your's."

"Oh, so you prefer my hairy ass to his smooth one?"

Acting cocky, Dougie replies, "I kind of like the feel
of the hair on my tongue!"

Before going into rimming overtime, Dougie falls on
the bed next to Nick.

"Oh no! You're not going to kiss me with that
ass-breath!"

Nick shouts he was kidding, as Dougie traisps off for
the jon.

Returning, he tells him, "Don't complain about tasting
your own toothbrush!"

"Ewe! You used my toothbrush?"

"Shut up and kiss me!"

For all of four minutes they lip-locked, until Nick
pressed up from the bed, pinning the six foot tall
eighteen year old beneath his tongue. As Dougie had
done for him, Nick went to work on his pecs. Only
difference, a very light dusting of blond hair cover
Dougie's chest, from east to west. Nick found more
pleasure, easing down the belly trail, to the deep
bellyhole, toying with it, darting his tongue in and
out. Whereas Nick's nips had been his hot zone,
Dougie's navel seemed to be the soul of his pleasure
center, above the waist. The more Dougie tried arching
his back, the deeper Nick's tongue jabbed into the
deep recess. However, he got scared that his neck
would be bruised from the constant jabbing of the
teen's nine inch impaler, at his throat. So, he sunk
down towards the bottom of bed, in order to gain
control of tonguing the monster. As his chest, around
Dougie's hot tool and big orbs, light amounts of hair
tickled Nick's tongue, until a combo of sweat and
saliva make it stay slick against Dougie's pubes.
Dougie thrashed about, feeling the sweet tongue
torture around the barrel of his shaft, an occasional
engulfing, the tip of his phallus digging deeper into
Nick's throat.

Without warning, Dougie jumped up from the sweaty
sheets, informing Nick, "Last chance to back out."

"Don't you have to get in before you back out,
Dougie?"

Nick shouted out when the palm of Dougie's hand
broadsided his rump.

"Oh, you're tight," Dougie gave his first assessment
of Nick's ass doorway.

"Told you I have a virgin ass... um, take it easy?"
Nick asked, crinkling up his nose, visible by the
light of the silvery moon.

"A claiming is supposed to be something you remember."

"Ugh!" Nick replied.

"But I'll ease it in nice and slow."

"I guess I should be thankful."

"Amen!" Dougie rang out, as he started the pressure of
the tip of his instrument, inserting it in Nick's ass
chamber.

Nick made low, guttural tones, as he felt Dougie's
tube massage the insides of his ass chute. Once past
the sphincter, Nick lost a lot of the tenseness,
pressing his buns towards Dougie, now wanting more of
the teen's cock inside him.

Seeing the reluctance, the nervousness dissipate,
Dougie became more aggressive, quickly sliding his
cock in deeper and deeper. His sudden urge was to feel
his balls slapping up against Nick's ass, his cock
totally merging with that of his lover. As that moment
approached, his orbs in contact with the hairy Greek's
ass, he threw his head back and sighed deeply.
Pressing himself up from the bed, Nick praised all
those crunches he's done with the boys this summer. He
turned Dougie's chin downwards long enough to capture
a French kiss, then sank back into the camp cot.

The first time for both, coupled with their own
private `civil' ceremony of bonding, Dougie wanted to
make the moment last. However, that wasn't his only
motive. So many reasons could be named for the great
feeling of moving in and out of Nick's ass. Living for
the moment, it just damn well felt awesome!

"Ooooh.. more... more," Nick softly called out, using
his abs to press his body downwards.

"Dammit, Nick. If you press your ass any further, my
balls are gonna get sucked up your ass!"

Breaking from the pleasurable moment, Nick smiled,
commenting, "Wouldn't that be something?"

"Then again, it could be hot!"

Dougie enjoyed watching Nick get riled up, even though
he knew that Nick knew he wouldn't do it.

After an hour and a half of going at it, Dougie
changing positions twice, pulling out, telling Nick to
turn over, get `doggie style', he slapped the hairy
ass hard, telling him, "On your back!"

"Can't you make up your mind?"

"Yeah, I could stop?"

"No, no, no, no, noooooo!"

Dougie laughed his ass off, inserting his cock into
the now loosened up entrance. His 9c flowed in so
easy, after having primed Nick's chute for over an
hour. But this was it. Nick knew it too, as Dougie
went to town on his ass, grabbing his sides and
pumping furiously. When ready to shoot, Dougie pulled
out, ripped the condom off and began hand-pumping his
hard shaft. In seconds, ropes of teen cum shot out.
The white goo became extremely visible against Nick's
black chest and stomach hair. Nearing the end of his
own orgasm, Dougie wrapped his hand around Nick's ten
inch nail and began the up and down motion. It didn't
take long to set Nick off, gobs of cum shooting up in
the air, coming down and mixing with Dougie's.

"OOoooooh that felt so good!" Nick replied.

Dizzy with the euphoria of the moment, Dougie fell to
Nick's side, half his bod lying in the muck. Not
giving a shit, he moved his hand around, bathing
Nick's hairy chest in the stuff. Even though the
sensitivity had more or less moved on, Dougie's index
finger massaged the fluid into Nick's nip. Sometimes
he'd bathe the outside of the nip, running circles
around, other times pressing midcenter.

Nick sensed the action unwinding, as Dougie's heart
rate decreased, after the hot fuck.

"That was the best," Nick told Dougie.

"How can you tell, if you have nothing to compare it
to?"

"True."

As different as day and night, Dougie's fatigue
overtook him and he fell into a deep sleep. Nick's
fingers, combing the blond jock's hair back, kissed
his forehead before slowly dozing off himself.

It didn't last long, as a rapid series of knocks
tumbled on the door.

"Nick? You in there?"

Both guys woke with a vengeance.

"Oh shit!" Dougie called out.

As if morning, the sun streaming in the cabin windows,
the two jumped out of bed.

Nick raced to the door, seeing the imminent danger,
yelled to Dougie, "Get dressed!"

Except, Dougie didn't come dressed. Still, he knew
where all of Nick's clothes had been stored away, so
`stole' some.

"Where did it start?" Nick inquired about the fire,
licking the treetops.

Standing there, Marat's half nude body had black,
smoky marks all over him.

"Mr. Leitner thinks out by the old cabin."

"What cabin?"

"I dunno," Marat shrugged his shoulder.

Taking a blanket, Nick ran to the jon and doused it
under the shower.

"Here, wrap this around you."

Dougie had a second one, plus some pants for Nick.

There was only one pair of boots, so Dougie and Marat
ran back to the Buffalo Lodge for some.

"Oh shit!" Nick called out, exiting his own cabin.

In a few short seconds, the flames had jumped the
forest, cutting Nick's cabin off from the Buffalo
Lodge. However, through the flames, he heard an
encouraging, "We're alright!"

Nick yelled back, "Try to get to the lake!"

"We can do it!" Nick heard Marat's voice.

Not having any recourse, but to leave the boys to
their defense, Nick retreated inside his cabin,
advanced to the jon, smashed through the window with
the garbage can and hopped out, the wet blanket around
him. The whole time he did something he hadn't done in
a long time - prayed for Dougie and Marat's safety. He
threw in that he hoped for a little help for himself!

Nick wasn't the only one whom had the idea to meet at
Indian Lake. It seemed that the forest fire had fanned
away from the long, wide body of water. Some campers
swam out to the raft, dodging the flames. Others, the
real swimmers, made it to the other side of the lake,
where some townspeople had gather, setting up a sort
of triage for the camp inhabitants.

Dougie and Marat waited at the entrance to the lake.

"C'mon Dougie."

"No! We've got to wait for Nick."

Grabbing Dougie's arm, Marat dragged his buddy along.

"C'mon. At least stand in the lake."

It was the wise thing to do. With reserve propane
tanks at the rear of each cabin, it didn't take long
for each gradual inferno to set them off. A portable
fireboat, one kept on the lake for small emergencies,
managed to pump water out of Indian Lake, onto the
bath house.

When the flames began to supercede, take over the last
building in view, the bath house, it was time to move
on.

"Dougie, we've gotta go."

"I'm not leaving without Nick, dammit!"

"Dougie, the lake water is even starting to get warm."

"You go ahead."

"Dougie," Marat, calmly said. Standing behind Dougie,
he put an arm over either side. "I'm sure Nick got
out. Maybe he couldn't get to the lake. Maybe he
headed for the parking lot? The administration
building?"

"Could be, but...."

"Who know's? Maybe he got to the lake before we did.
He could be waiting on the other side."

"No, he would've waited for me."

Marat changed his tune real quick, roughly turning
Dougie's body towards the dock.

"Look! There he is!"

Watching the two recorded in their minds the most
perfect, Olympian dive, from the wooden dock, into
Indian Lake. At first, the perfection stunned them.
After Nick's bod disappeared under the water, the two
dove in, swimming at top speed. It wasn't only Dougie
that hugged Nick and Nick, vice versa. The three
rejoiced at finding each other well and accounted for.
Fortunately for the three, the fireboat rescued them,
whizzing them away from the bathhouse area, now
engulfed in flames.


%

11 Continued....

Copyright 2006  T. Chase McPhee
This story may not be sold or made part of any
collection without prior written permission.