Date: Sat, 30 Sep 2000 19:53:12 +0800 (WST)
From: Christ Sol <webtrash@unpunk.com>
Subject: trapped part 6

Trapped part VI


-=-

It's been a while. Let's see if I can pick up where I left off.

DISCLAIMER: Contains drug refs, violence and adult themes, as well as
male/male sex. Don't like it, piss off.

-=-

Chapter 6.


I was standing in a field. The air was still and sweet. Behind the chirp
of the insects was a disconcerting silence. No wind, no nothing. It felt
surreal. I squinted into the distance, over countless fields, hills and
meadows. Dark , black clouds, ominous blots of vapour hung in the distant
skyline.  Feeling a spot of water drop on my hand, I looked down. The
single raindrop rolled down my wrist and off one of my fingers, replaced
by another. And another. I looked up, and the dark clouds were over me.

"Breathe, god damnit! BREATHE!"

The wind picked up, howling in my ears. The sun was washed away in the
sleet. I was in a windstorm of rain, endless sheets of icy water that cut
like the finest of glass slivers. My chest hitched, it felt as though my
lungs were made of clay.

"TRENT! BREATHE!"

I was sinking, the blackness raising around me. Panic flooded through me
as one thought entered the slowly cooling clay of my dying brain: I am going
to die. The blackness around me, I stuggled to draw one last breath. And
the rain died down. The howling subsided. The darkness faded into a grey
of unending lustre. The torn, mangled cornfields, the partially-collapsed
landscaped faded like the delicate, flaking paintwork of a
long-forgotten painting, left to rot in a dusty attic.


The real world came into focus. Martin was holding my hands, staring into
my eyes. His eyes were red, contrasting the paleness of his face. Tears
streamed down his cheeks, dripping on my face. His agonised sobs echoed
in my ears, awakening the ache in my legs and back. Somehow I managed to
shake the lead from my arms. I reached for him and pulled him to me. On the
floor of the record store, on a sunny Saturday morning, Martin Graeme Snow
had saved my life. Ryan helped Snowy to his feet, then my two closest
friends eased me into a chair.


"What's it feel like?"
"You mean dying?"
"Yeah."
"I didn't actually die."
"Snowy says your heart stopped."
"My heart didn't stop. I had a dream. There were these fields. Then this
storm... I worked out what was happening during the storm. Then I heard
Snowy, calling out for me to breathe---", I stopped myself. This was way
too intense.

We were in the park, smoking a joint. Martin had gone down to buy the
drinks. The pain in my legs was subsiding, and the light had, for the
first time in days,  taken on a rich quality. It was like the grey was the
canvas, the canvas of my life, and the new colors, the new light, was the
paint. Or something. I'm not too good with metaphors. Snowy came through
the clearing with the Coke's and Red Eye's.

I cracked the top of a Platnium and a took a long gulp, amazed at how
thirsty I was. Snowy watched me guardedly, ready to help me, hold me, be
with me. In spite of the days turn of events, I managed to smile. He
briefly touched my face, but his expression altered. Glancing at Ryan, he
took his hand away and sat back. Ry cocked his head at me, then turned to
Martin.

"Hey Snowy, I'm cool with it. You know?"
"You sure?"
"Well, I didn't really need to see your dick this morning", Ryan chuckled,
"but yeah, I've had time to get used to Trent here."
Snowy leaned over and kissed me gently on the lips.
"Are you cool with it, man?"

I thought. Who was there for me this morning. Kevin? Kevin was just a
recording, someone I thought I knew. An image of someone I needed, needed
to love. Snowy was eighty five kilos of loving, protective flesh and
bone. He saved my life, held me in his arms. I made my choice.

"Yeah. I'm cool with it, Snowy."
"Let's all hang out tonight. Do something different. Hey Trent, when was
the last time you went bowling?"

I rolled my eyes. I wasn't crazy about tenpin bowling, but seemed to have
a knack for it. I'm not the sportiest type. Ryan was a glutton for
punishment. No matter how many times I whooped his ass, he'd come back for
more.

"Your birthday. I suppose we could go out tonight - I'd just have to ask -
SHIT! I didn't call mum. Oh fuck!"

Ryan and Martin exchanged a quick grin.
"We called her and said we were down at the beach. Chill."
"I love you guys."

I tried to climb to my feet, but gave way and fell back into the grass. I
had hardly touched the ground by the time Martin was behind me, cradling
my head with his arm. I felt the smooth skin and the fine hairs down his
forearm tickled at my neck. Framed by thousand-year-old eucalypts was
Snowy, the hero, the guy I was all about, the guy I could maybe learn to
love.

"Let's try this again." I said, smiling weakly, and climbed slowly to my
feet. The pain had been replaced by an intense giddiness. My head reeled,
but I was standing. There was something different about the light
still. Sounds were sharper, I swear the air was thinner. I couldn't put my
finger on it......


<to be continued>