Date: Sun, 2 Jan 2005 19:04:23 -0800 (PST)
From: kyler pettry <kpettry2000@yahoo.com>
Subject: a demon and his damsel

	Here are the legalities. If you are underage, you know, if you are
doing something illegal, you know it. You are here and you shouldn't be,
you know it. So go away. If you are of age, and you are violating no laws,
then feel free to proceed. I hope you enjoy the story below. It is the
first part to a series. If you have any comments criticisms, or hot
mindless little mutterings that you would wish to whisper in my ear, you
can reach me at kpettry2000@yahoo.com. I check my mail obscenely throughout
the day, thus confirming my lack of social life.
____________________________________________________________________________
	The shadows in the barn did little to thwart the power of the sun
as it heated the air. The cloistering warmth cause large droplets of sweat
to form on all over Eric's body. The thin material of his white tee was
soaked under both arms and clung tackily to his back. The dust from the
ground and the bits of flotsam from the hay he was pitching clung to his
skin, binding to the downy hairs that covered them.
	Eric could feel the small rivers of sweat as they ran down his
broad, muscular back. They tickled him, but after the repetition of the day
he'd given up trying to scratch that particular itch. The long day had left
the eighteen year old with a strong yearning for the cooler days of the
fall.
	Eric stopped for a moments, resting himself against the pitchfork.
He wiped his brow for the thousandth time that day. He was sure had there
not been the ever present sweat he would have had a heat rash. He could
feel the golden curls of his head, plastered to his forehead, making the
urge to rake his fingers through it all the stronger.
	He looked around, taking in the barn, he noticed he couldn't even
hear the horses in their stalls. The heat being too much for them to handle
as well. They'd fallen quiet by mid morning, when the sun was already so
hot that it had heated the dew off the ground and had been hard at work
flash frying the air.
	He looked at the last two stalls, resolving to just get it done. He
closed the door of the now finished stall, the fresh bedding having just
been laid down. The wheel barrow felt like it had lead weights in it
instead of hay.
	The stalls seemed to take longer by themselves than the rest of the
barn had all on its own. But when he was done he sighed his relief at his
having finished. He wanted nothing more than sitting in the cooler air of
the house, his thoughts running to the cold water the well would pull into
the faucet of the shower. They had hot water, but frankly that was the last
thing the lithe teenager wanted right then.
	Putting the wheel barrow and the pitchfork away, Eric left the
shadowed confines of the large barn, and crossed into the full blaring
world of the sun. Over the course of several weeks the drought had blasted
everything with even the slightest hint of moisture. The ground was
infrequently littered with the brown hairs that should have been lush green
grass. His large stained works sneakers looking almost skeletal in their
faded whiteness.
	Eric was the type of boy that looked straight ahead when he walked,
always looking for the next thing to do. It was a point of pride for him
that he never shirked his work load. Hell with only he and his mother,
there just wasn't time to be lazy. He only paid attention to the grass
because to look up was to be nearly blinded.
	The porch offered relief from some of the sweltering heat. The
creaking of the old screen door and the slam as he entered the coolness of
the house followed by the heavier thud of the old oak door swinging to a
close, told him that he had indeed found a reprieve. He could feel the thin
drafts of blessedly cold air that flowed along his skin. He could already
feel the sweat that coated him drying to nothing more than a sticky film.
	His long legs, encased in denim, brought him into a kitchen tiled
in soft green with wooden cabinets of an oak that matched the front
door. The old frigidaire sat in the corner like a toad with its rounded
edges. The soft hum that came from it lured him with its promise of
cold. Eric opened the door, his finger on the latch, the unit was far too
old to have a magnetic seal. Like most of the appliances in the old house,
it had past its prime sometime prior to the nineteen seventies.
	His hand met cold air as it closed around the jug of orange juice.
The freezing fluid rich with pulp made his throat ache in a very pleasant
way. Eric drank until he needed to come up for air. His muscular chest
slightly heaving to pull enough air into his lungs. He set the jar back
into the coldness of the refrigerator.
	"You planning on letting all that cold air out?" The voice was
feminine with the husk of hard living behind it.
	He turned, the door closing as he moved out of its way. "No
ma'am. Barn's done."
	Sarah Parker was still a good looking woman. If anything, the years
after her husband's death had only made her more so. Her pale complexion
turned to deep gold by too many hours in the fields. She was a hard woman,
but kind, and full of a compassion more than one man would have loved to
know.
	"Good...rest should keep till later, too damned hot to do anything
else now." She said, filling her glass of water from the faucet. Her own
shirt just as soaked as Eric's, not that he'd had any doubt that she would
be skimping on the work. He often felt guilty because half the time he
couldn't keep up with her.
	"There anything else need's doin till evening?" he was hoping not,
it was just too damned hot to do anything besides sit in a tub of cold
water and wait till night fall.
	"Got to make a run into town. Ethel's foot's actin up again. Doc
Medder's got the ointment." She said, slowing the flow of the water down
her throat. She knew how the heat could push you, she also knew the kind of
stomach ache you could get from being too greedy with cold liquids in this
kind of heat.
	"What time ya need it by?" Eric had been an early bloomer, but he
still couldn't get over how deep his voice was when echoed back to him by
the walls of the kitchen.
	"Afore six, got to put it on every twelve hours." She replied. He
would have just enough time to take a nice cool bath, and change his
clothes.
	"And while you're out, you can pick up some groceries, I figured I
would make somethin' nice tonight." She said, he thought he could detect a
little smirk in her voice.
	"What's the occasion?"
	"Danny's comin over."
	Eric had to stifle a mental groan. He really had nothing against
his mother dating, in fact, he'd been the one pushing her to do it. Without
his prodding she might well have been a widow till the day she died. It was
just his luck that she would have to fall for the first snake that crawled
into her yard.
	Daniel Berchardt Perkins was about as useless as tits on a boar hog
and always had been. Useless since birth Daniel spent his time working a
nice job his uncle got him at the local wood mill. Otherwise he would have
been flipping burgers at the local hamburger hut. As that was about all his
meager intellect could handle without overheating. The only thing the man
had going for him was a stomach you could wash clothes on and an ass as
firm as a melon.
	Eric never had quit gotten over the odd feeling of checking his
mother's boyfriend out, but then, he hadn't gotten over being gay either.
He was still deeply enough in his denial that he considered himself bi.
Though he really couldn't for the life of him remember the last time he'd
thought about a girl sexually.
	"Well now, that is an occasion." Eric retorted.
	"Don't start, just get something." Sarah had long ago given up on
trying to get those two to see the nicer side of one another. She had in
the end just settled for peace in her house. "You goin out with Richie
tonight?"
	"Wasn't planning on it, but I can if you want me too." He really
didn't like being asked to leave his house so his mother could tumble the
local boy wonder. Thankfully that wasn't what she was getting at.
	"You usually make yourself scarce when he's around, I just wanted
to know how much supper to make." The tone of her voice said that he'd had
his get out of jail free card, and if he smarted back to her, he wouldn't
get another.
	"I should be here." He made his tone respectful.
	"Good, you don't see enough of your ol momma these days. She gave
him a hug and told him to 'get'.
	He laughed back at her as he climbed the stairs, "Old hell, you
still get carded every time you go out!"
	She scowled at him, and even though he didn't see it, he knew she
was doing it. Sarah hated to be carded. And no matter how long she worked
in the sun, she never seemed to look any older. Oh there were a few laugh
lines, but nothing had ever really taken away that look of amazed
innocence. That was why it so often surprised people when she showed them
that the sheep was really a wolf in disguise.
	He turned the water on filling the large basin. The water was cool,
not cold, he wasn't a masochist. But as his body slid into the less than
tepid water, he felt places low on his body tighten. Looking down, he could
just barely see his dick head peaking out of his foreskin. He set about
scrubbing the sweat off his body. He only gave himself a few pleasurable
rubs before rinsing the water of his slightly larger cock. Dunking down he
washed the soap out of his eyes and slid back up. The towel on the hook
next to him hung at his waiting. He pulled it into service drying his body.
	Eric grabbed first the white boxers and slipped them on. Then he
pulled on a faded pair of worn jeans over them. He looked in the mirror,
seeing his tanned, strong body. The muscles well defined by serious work
and the slight attention of the school gym. To say Eric was proud of his
body was a bit of an understatement. He knew how hot he was, he'd had
enough girls tell him over the years, and one or two guys.
	The fact that he could have just about any partner he wanted never
made him vain. It was just something that was. To be conceited about it
would have given it more importance than it needed. Sure, he liked to get
off, he was a healthy red blooded man. Though the local market was somewhat
lacking in his choice variety.
	Eric had known he was gay for a while, or at least, had leanings in
that regard. Ever since he'd spent a week vacationing with his cousin in
Maryland. They'd quickly discovered their similar interest and had set
about making the best of their time. Ever since then Eric had stopped even
pretending to show an interest in the local female population. Half the
school thought he was sick, the other half thought he was terminal. He
chuckled to himself, none of them had the slightest clue.
	Giving himself one last look, Eric pulled on the slightly too tight
blue tee and left the bathroom. Grabbing his not so battered sneakers from
his room he snatched the keys to the beat up old ford parked in the garage.
	He double checked with his mother about what she needed, grabbed a
can of soda from the fridge and was out the door. The old ford making a
rumble as it jostled down the road towards Kellinwood.


	The sputtering that had began as a slight knocking had gotten
worse. The roaring engine had started to chug and surge with loss of
power. And while Kiereth knew nothing about engines, he knew this one was
not well. Barely knowing how to drive a vehicle did not help him in the
slightest with its maintenance. Not that he would have been able to stop
and give the car the care it needed. They were right behind him.
	He'd nearly lost them several times, but they seemed always to find
him when he least expected it. Surely they were putting a great deal of
effort into searching him out. Though why, he really couldn't fathom. There
was nothing overtly special about him. He'd never committed any crimes
against men, save those that his kind had been responsible for since the
dawn of time, whether they committed them or not.
	Kiereth felt the "mustang" give one last chug and sputter to a
grinding death. His loss of power steering a small matter as he wheeled the
dying carriage to the side of the road. He was well and truly fucked, he
knew and he didn't like it, though what he could do about it was beyond
him.
	His lean strong fingers pulled the hood release and the covering
popped open, just in time to release a cloud of white smoke that he was
sure signaled the end of both his ride and his luck. Getting out of the car
he made only a cursory inspection, though why he didn't know, he wouldn't
have known what was wrong if it had been lit up with a neon sign.
	Kiereth sighed, he would just have to walk, and hope that a
friendly passerby would pick him up, before they did. He didn't even want
to think about what could happen to him should he be found out in the open
with no accessibly means of escape.
	Snatching his pack from the back seat of the now defunct mustang,
Kiereth headed down the road in the direction he'd been traveling. His
long, limber legs eating the distance somewhat faster than another's might
have, but not fast enough to be conspicuous. Besides, he didn't know how
long he was going to have to be walking, he didn't want to tire himself out
too quickly. After all there might be running and screaming later, and one
always wants to be at one's best for such events.
	It was several miles before Kiereth saw the sign. It was the same
reflective green all road postings seem to find so suitable. It declared
for all the world to see that the town of Kellinwood greeted travelers and
could be found a handy five miles up the road. Well, isn't that nice, if
only they could have had the decency to position themselves several miles
to the east, his day would have been just peachy.
	Kellinwood, Kellinwood, sounds like a nice little place. Kiereth's
mind began to host thoughts of settling down for a while. The last thing
they would expect of him would be to go to ground in a backwoods place like
this, with, according to the sign, a population of only two thousand. No,
they would be looking for him in the nearest large city. His decision made,
his size twelve's were moving a slightly brisker pace.
	Evening had started losing ground to twilight and the light was
definitely failing in its duty to keep everything viewable. Kiereth had no
trouble seeing in the dark, but he tried not to be out of doors when night
fell, he found it only seemed to breed trouble. Something about his own
dark urges coming to light when there was no light, or something like
that. He'd never had much store in proverbs.
	It was then that he felt it. The tingle, that sensation that he had
come to so despise. It began as an itch in the back of his head. Like a
spider or something was trapped just under his skull and was trying
desperately to escape. Then the tension in his muscles began to build. They
were close, way too close. To be this strong they had already found the
car. He had no doubt that they would know it was his.
	The itch was getting worse, it was beginning to hurt. He briefly
thought about running to the woods, though quickly discarded it. He was
already hungry, and he knew nothing about these woods, if he didn't get
something to eat soon, some of his lesser known, and even lesser liked
traits would start showing themselves. He didn't want innocent people
getting hurt. He turned to face the direction they would be coming from.
	It was in that instant that he was bathed in light. Not anything
magical considering that the light came from a pair of
headlights. Headlights that were in a truck so beat down and knocked in
that it was a miracle they worked at all
	"Hey mister, you look a bit lost, you need a ride or something?"
Kiereth couldn't see the driver for the blinding lights, but he could tell
the man was young. He walked around the side of the truck and looked at his
would be savior. He had to blink twice. Then again, just to make sure his
wets dreams hadn't managed to stray into his waking thoughts. This boy was
cute in the way you only see in really really good pornos.
	"Yeah, my car died a little short of town here, and I don't know
anybody in the area." Kiereth tried to put on his best, "I'm lost, will you
please take me home" puppy dog face.
	"Damn, you sure do have some bad luck there mister. The only
mechanic in town shut down for a couple days. His sister's up in Camilla,
havin surgery."
	Kiereth played along with the banter, "Yep, sounds like my luck. I
don't suppose you would be willing to gimme a ride into town, would ya? I'd
rather sleep in a motel than the back seat of that shit mobile."
	The young man scratched his head, the finger moving some of those
golden locks. It made Kiereth want to nibble things. He squashed the image
as hard a s he could. It wouldn't do to antagonize his ride with staring at
him like he was a t-bone.
	"Well, actually, I am just headed back from there. Got to be home
lickity split...but," the young Adonis added when he saw the downcast look
on Kiereth's face, "My mom and I do rent a room upstairs, and it is empty
right now. I'm sure she wouldn't charge you anything for just one night."
He smiled and Kiereth thanked the holy lady goddess that this wonderful
being had just graced his universe.
	"Now that sounds absolutely wonderful." He smiled back, giving his
best 'I won't bite' impersonation. Which of course he would, should the
blonde ask.
	"Excellent, hop in, its just around the corner." Kiereth went
around the truck and slinging his pack into the back, hopped in. The door
was closed and they were moving.
	About a mile from where 'Eric', as Kiereth had learned, had been so
kind to as to pick him up, a sleek black car passed them. And from it
Kiereth got the distinct impression of malevolence. He breathed a ragged
sigh of relief as the car passed without turning.
	Within five minutes, the beleaguered ford had argued its way into
the drive way of a quaint, if somewhat dilapidated two story ranch
house. Eric directed the clamoring behemoth into the garage and the two got
out.
	"Would you mind helping me with the groceries Kieth?" Eric asked,
and Kieth being the name that Kiereth had given him.
	"Sure." He pushed the jovial spirit just a little. At that point,
for a hot bath and bowl of something equally hot, he would have sacrificed
a goat to Hillary Clinton and not felt off about it in the least.
	"thanks, mom is gonna kill me as it is for being late." Eric
grabbed four of the plastic bags, the simple movement causing the muscles
in his forearms to bunch. That action cause "Kieth" no small amount of
discomfort, located mainly around the groin area. He noticed he was
seriously having trouble not looking at the blonde little god as a meal
with feet.
	Eric led the way up the wooden steps into a house that while old,
and in need of paint was awash with good times and heart felt
feelings. "Kieth" liked the home immediately. It was the type of house one
would expect on the "Walton's". Though he could feel a trace of sadness at
the core of the structure. It was as if the house wept silently in its most
secret heart for something.
	He vaguely remembered Eric telling him that his mom rented the
room, there had been no mention of a dad, so Kieth assumed that father had
either ran away with a cocktail waitress or had died. He opted for the dead
scenario, and his gut told him "BINGO!!!".
	"Mom, I'm home!" Eric yelled. His strong tenor arching its way
throught he house, much as it did its way up Kiereth's spine. Though
Kiereth doubted the house enjoyed it half as much.
	There was no immediate response. The three bags of groceries in
'kieth's'hands seemed to anchor him to the spot. Eric looked back at him,
"just set em on the table. I'm gonna go make sure its okay." Kiereth nodded
his head, and voiced a slight affirmative.
	Eric's strong form disappeared up the stairs. Kiereth looked at the
house as he set the bags on the old kitchen table. From the deep scars and
aged appearance the table was from the same die lot as the rest of the
house. And probably every bit as handmade. Closing his eyes, he could feel
the years in the old farmhouse. He could hear laughter and tears and joys
that hovered at the edge of knowing. He liked this place, he liked the
people that had lived there.
	Eric's heavy feet clumping down the stairs brought him back and he
banished the distant look that he knew was in his eyes. "everything's fine,
she said your welcome to stay. Supper should be on in about an hour." He
couldn't believe it, she was apologizing for the lateness of her own
supper. Sickly it made part of him suspicious to have someone so genuinely
nice being pleasant with him.
	Kiereth shook his head, "Don't apoligize, I wouldn't even be having
supper if it weren't for you. I can hardly believe you picked me up on the
road. There aren't a lot of people that would do that these days."
	Eric shook his head in agreement. "Nope, folks just don't trust
like they used to. Course it's a different world now that it twas before."
He looked at 'Kieth' and smiled, "to be honest, I was about to drive on by,
but you looked familiar." When he saw the raised eyebrow 'Kieth' gave him,
the golden god explained, "I have a friend, Marc. He looks just like you
from the back."
	It took a great deal of effort on Kiereth's part not to make a joke
out of that one. First he wasn't sure how his host would take to that kind
of graphic humor, and second, the boy in front of him showed no signs of
being anything other than painfully, heart breakingly straight. Straight
boys tend to be a little put of by gay humor.
	"Well, whatever the reason, I'm glad you did it." And that was no
lie, had it not been for his timely arrival, Kieireth would have found
himself in a hurt locker.
	Eric, for his part, just shrugged his shoulders and waved it
off. "One day you'll return the favor."
	Kiereth followed the younger boy into the kitchen and helped where
he could in the preparation of dinner. The matriarch of the house, the most
elusive 'Mom', graced the room ten minutes later, looking quite lovely in a
quaint way. She had the look of a woman who was about to use her beauty.
	When he commented on her appearance, Eric took his compliment with
a snicker. "Yeah, she's got herself a date night." He continued to snicker
even after she swatted him on the arm.
	"How about you just shush up and show our guest up to his room, and
where the bathroom is. He'd probably thank you for a shower."
	It was then that 'Kieth' let out his endorsement for this
notion. He knew he didn't stink, mainly because his nose would have smelled
it light years ahead of theirs, but mainly because he just liked to feel
clean. Odd how running for your life makes you forget just how wonderful
the little things can be. Like hygiene.
 	He followed his host up the stairs to the second level. His eyes
quietly loving every movement of his supple under its thin denim
covering. He could have wept when they reached the top of the stairs and
that perky ass was no longer at eye level.
	He knew he had to eat and soon. It was only when he was forced to
deny himself food that his other hungers reared themselves this
fervently. While thoroughly lickable, Eric Parker was by no means
irrestible. He was still a boy, and Kiereth should have had far better
control.
	"Here it is." Eric flipped on the light switch and stood back so
that 'Kieth' could take a look. The bathroom matched everything else in the
house in its antiquity. The old, well worn feeling was present in the
yellowed porcelain, and the cast iron old tub. It even had matching clawed
feet, bringing a smile to Kiereth's full lips.
	"Thanks, this is so much more than I could expect. You and your
mother are a god send." Kieth put his sincere feeling into the
statement. It was harder and harder to find people in the world that would
have help others with no thought to themselves.
	Eric smiled off the compliment, like it was nothing. "It's no
problem, hell what goes around comes around. Sides, it's nice to have
another guy in the house, even if it is only for one night." Eric smiled a
smile that had the same as ten thousand light bulbs. It left Kieth
dazzled. "There's towels in the cupboard, if you need anything, just call."
And eric, and Eric's incredibly sweet ass walked back down the hall.
	Kieth quickly entered the bathroom and locked the door. He looked
around and set his pack, which he had recovered from the back of the
loudest ford he had ever heard. Kiereth looked into the mirror hanging over
the sink. He grimaced at the sight. He'd lived out of that mustang for two
weeks running every day of it. He didn't know how they were still on his
trail, but he knew the harried life was not for him.
	His long black hair, pulled back in a pony tail was lack luster and
oily. His skin, normally pale had a sallow look to it. His large eyes, so
dark they were nearly black stood out on a face that had seen too few meals
in the last month. His mouth, usually a slight red, had paled to the color
of anemic flesh. He ran the water on full heat. His hands dug into his
pack. When they surfaced again they held a tube of toothpaste and a
toothbrush.
	Kiereth opened his mouth wide and prepping the toothbrush,
proceeded to do himself a very big favor.

	Eric could feel the man's eyes on his back as he walked back down
the hall. He couldn't tell if it was interest or just the staring trick
that Kieth seemed so good at. Frankly Eric wanted to do some staring of his
own.
	Under all that road grim, he bet that good ol Kieth cleaned up
nice. That hair, so long, none of the guys around here had long hair, was
too much trouble to fight with. Sides, in Kellingwood, a man with long
haired was a sissy or worse. Nope, none of the boys would dare.
	Maybe that was why Eric had always had a thing for long haired
types. Guys with refined, almost androgynous features. He knew that Kieth
was definitely his type. Too bad the guy seemed straight. Even though he
had almost fragile looking features, he exuded a masculinity that was hard
to put a name to.
	Whatever it was, it left Eric panting. The thought of that man
sleeping in the room next to his set his teenage heart to pattering. He
knew he would be breaking out the lube just as soon as his door was closed.
	His mental wondering found him at the bottom of the stairs, where
the table sat. But the groceries were missing. He found them in the
kitchen, with his mother. She was hard at work cutting onions for the
hamburger steaks and boiling the pasta for the macaroni and cheese.
	"You show him everything okay honey?" her voice called over her
shoulder.
	Eric nodded even though he knew she wouldn't see, "Yep, he looked
pretty overjoyed when he saw the bathroom. I don't think he's been in a
real shower for a while."
	She nodded to the wall, "Yep, still, he looks like a nice enough
sort. What do you think?"
	She already knew that he approved, otherwise Eric would never have
picked him up, much less brought him home. "Seems like a nice enough
guy. Kind of mention he was headed to California, but wasn't a real big
hurry to get there."
	Eric talked while he helped cook the meal. His mother was a good
cook, but Eric, Eric was in a wholly different league. His grandmother
Tandy had taught him just about everything she knew before she'd past and
he regularly proved that he could make a meal out of biscuik and a rubber
band.
	"What's wrong with his car?" she asked idly.
	Eric shook his head, "Don't know, he described how it died, I
didn't want to worry him, but it sounds like a cracked head. And Phil won't
be back for another week. I think the poor guy's stuck here for a while."
Eric didn't' mention just how deliriously happy that made him. He might
actually have someone to spend some time with around here. It definitely
didn't hurt that that someone was more than average in the looks
department.
	"You think he'd be interested in a little work on the side while he
waits? He ain't very strong looking, but I'll bet we could find something
for him to do." Eric smiled right next to his mother. No 'Kieth' didn't
look very strong, but there was more than enough to do that didn't take a
weight lifter to get it done, and frankly any little bit that was taken off
of their hands was a blessing, no doubt.
	"I don't know, haven't mentioned to him yet." Eric popped an olive
he was dicing for the salad into his mouth. "But I'll run it past him when
he's out of the tub."
	Putting all of his separated ingredients into the large bowl he
added, "I'll take our plates upstairs ma, give you and Danny some alone
time."
	Sarah eyed him like an eagle eyes a cute little bunny. 'Some alone
time, huh. And just what do I owe this unexpected pleasure? Did you stub
your toe in town, has my son got a brain lesion?" Her pretty lips were full
with a smile, and filled with gentle humor.
	"No I just figured that you wouldn't want a stranger around you and
Danny on your date night, and he always plays hell with my digestion." He
quipped back at her.
	Her smile showed teeth, "well that's right nice of you, if he
doesn't mind I'm perfectly amenable to getting my freak on right there on
the dining room table."
	Eric coughed as he popped another olive. His expression red, then
green. "OH god! Mom!"
	He didn't echo her laughter. Normally it was hard to see where all
the stories came from about his mother. Everyone in town said she'd been
more than wild. And that when Joseph Parker tamed her, he'd broken the
wildest stallion to ever come off the plains. Most people half expected her
to go right back to her ways after he died, but she never felt the
need. She had a little boy, and once he was big enough, she was able to
scratch that old mischievous itch by setting him down a peg or too whenever
he might feel himself a bit too clever.
	Thirty minutes later the steaks were done, the macaroni was done,
the gravy was done, and the salad was pulled from the fridge. Two plates
were made and waiting when Keith walked down the stairs.
	Looking up from his stop at the table Eric nearly doubled
over. Black loose fit pants and nothing else. Keith even left his feet
bare. But the best part of it all was the shirt that had managed to get
itself lost on the from the bathroom to the dining room. Keith's entire
upper body was bared to Eric's questing vision.
	The semi stranger was lean, his body toned and hard. He might look
fragile with a too large shirt covering him, but underneath his shredded
physique bespoke the lie. "You guys shouldn't have waited on me." He said,
his teeth blindingly white." Eric also noticed something else. Keith's
canines were just a slight too long. Not like vampire teeth or anything,
but they added an exotic little spice to an already delicious meal of eye
candy.
	"We didn't, mom's got company coming. We have been banished to the
upstairs." Eric smiled, hoping that it didn't look as nervous as he
suddenly felt. " figure we can watch TV in my room while we eat, if that's
okay with you?"
	Keith readily agreed, though was admonished by Sarah as she came
back in with another dish, whose fellows were already littered around the
table. "But, if you want to eat down here, that's perfectly fine."
	Kieth shook his head, "no ma'am, upstairs is more than fine. I get
a little nervous around strangers."
	Sarah cocked her head a little bit. As though to say, "We're
strangers lad."
	Keith seemed to take her meaning and blushed slightly, "What I mean
is, you and Eric have made me feel so at home, anywhere is fine, I wouldn't
want to spoil your evening's plans."
	She smiled, "Well thank you. If you're still hungry after the
heaping plate my son fixed you, your welcome to more, there's plenty."
Keith thanked her again.
	The door suddenly sounded like it had someone at the other side,
main clue beign the loud knocking. Eric rolled his eyes, and grabbed his
plate, he motioned for Keith to do the same. He gave his mother a peck on
the cheek and headed for the stairs. Keith followed suit. The ascended to
the sound of more banging and sarah saying loudly, "keep your knockers on
Daniel...at least till I take em off." From the way that Eric's head shrank
down into his body like a turtle, Keith could only guess at the color of
his face. Though if his ears were any indication, it would be somewhere
between alizaron crimson, and true scarlet.
	At the top of the stairs and at the end of the hall they found
Eric's room. The queen size bed not managing to monopolize the large
room. The TV and dressers being the only other thing present. There were a
few posters on the wall, one of the rock, and another of a band, Keith
vaguely recognized them, though couldn't place the name. And since it
wasn't on the poster he didn't bother to ask.
	"Nice room." He said, attempting small talk.
	"I like, enough room to do whatever I want to do." Eric grinned
back. "Make yourself comfortable."
	They both sat on the bed, Eric opening the door of a small
refrigerator that sat next his bed, tossed a can of pepsi at Keith. "Thanks
man."
	"welcome."
	Kieth took a bite of the food and his thick brows drew together in
a deep furrow. Eric couldn't read whether the reaction was favorable or
not, asked, "Do you like it?"
	Keith nodded vigorously, "Are you kidding, it's wonderful. When all
you've really had is convenient store gourmet a good meal isn't anything to
scoff at."
	"Well dig in, there's plenty more." Eric and Kieth ate, and after a
while slipped into a discussion of whether not Kieth's car was
salvageable. And when he heard how long it might take to fix, he didn't bat
an eye. That was when Eric asked him if he would like to spend the time
there at the farm, earning a little extra money. Keith thought for a minute
and accepted.
	"Dude, if this is normal fare for you guys, I'll be more than happy
to work here."  The two continued talking long into the night. After two,
however Eric decided that he was exhausted, having done a lions share of
work during the day, and looking forward to a good deal more in the
morning, he opted for sleep.
	Eric showed Keith where his own bed was hiding and the two parted
for the night. Both knowing the morning would be waiting for them far too
early for comfort. They'd made plans to tow the dead mustang back to the
Parker's house. Eric hoped he was wrong and the head wasn't cracked, though
he wasn't holding on to much hope.




	The dappling sunlight that streamed through the cream curtains
pulled Kiereth to consciousness. The slow languid roll of sleep departed
and left him blinking into the burning light of the morning.
	He stretched his long frame out on the bed, feeling his back,
unaccustomed to a real bed after so many weeks, pop as things
readjusted. He smiled as a small bit of tension left him. He threw back the
covers and got to his feet. The bare wood of the floor was already warm
with the sunlight coming through the window.
	He looked down at himself, still feeling cleaner than he had in
weeks. Moving to the window he'd noticed the night before he looking at
himself full length. His body was thinner than he ever remembered it
being. The muscles were delineated sharply, his hips poking a little too
far out. His face which had always been slightly mousy was damned near
gaunt. It finally hit home just how much the scared rabbit he'd been.
	One final look at the creature in the mirror and he turned to go
with disgust. Kiereth had always had his looks, for more years than most
people lived, he'd been sexy. It had been the one thing that set him apart
from his fellows, now he saw that as being taken away from him too. Well,
there was nothing for it, but to build up his weight and get himself
settled in a safe place. Maybe hope for a life again.
	He pulled his pants on over the boxers and slipped on a tee. His
shoes followed and he left the room.
	No one was in the kitchen, and a peak in Eric's open room door
showed it to be empty. His only thought was that he'd overslept. A glance
at the clock on the all showed it was only nine, it was still early yet.
	Kiereth walked out the front door, his eyes roaming the yard not
seeing any movement but the occasional swaying of dead grass. Now Kiereth
was left wondering. It was then that he noticed the barn door open wide. He
set off at a comfortable walk, the sun making thought of trotting an
impossibility.
	He'd expected the barn to be cooler, out of the already stifling
heat of the sun. He'd been mistaken. It was several degrees cooler, but it
was still well and truly beyond hot in there. Had there been any moisture,
he'd have sworn it was a big, smelly sauna.
	Kiereth called out, "Eric, are you in here?"
	He heard a grunt followed by a baleful curse, "Yeah...yep, I'm
up...damn it...I'm up hear." The voice came from the second level. Quickly
locating the ladder, Keireth ascended.
	He found Eric next to a pile of saddles, the end of the rack had
collapsed and Eric was struggling under the weight. His face was flushed,
either from the heat or the fact that he had several hundred pounds of
riding leather leaning on him. Kiereth ran to help.
	Reaching for a pole leaning against the wall next to the rack, Eric
stuffed it up against the bottom and braced it against the rack. Settling
back, letting go gingerly, making sure his patch held.
	He laughed, shaking his golden curls. "Man, I thought you were
gonna sleep all morning, I'm sure glad you didn't." he laughed, throwing a
playful punch at 'Kieth'.
	Kiereth for his part looked at him like he was crazy, "All morning,
its only nine for crying out loud!" He was smiling, but his stomach was
getting the sinking feeling that nine was several hours removed from Eric's
normal waking hour.
	"Only nine," Eric nearly snorted, "Bud, I was up at five!" He
laughed again.
	Kiereth laughed at his own foul luck. "God that is inhuman."
	Eric nodded, "Been doin it all my life, and it still sucks, only
thing is, now a days if I get the chance to sleep late, I can't, body clock
is set to predawn!"
	Kiereth just shook his head, knowing now that he had a brand new
obstacle. A thought running through his head, "By the way, where is your
mom, I didn't see her in the house."
	Eric looked slightly annoyed. "She's with Danny." The sneer that
accompanied that name was a travesty on a face as beautiful as
Eric's. Kiereth wanted to know what bastard put it there and do something
nasty to him. "He's going to Tulsa for a week, He asked her to go with
him."
	Sarah had just left her son alone with a perfect stranger in the
house? Kiereth was shocked at the open invitation given to a total
stranger. "Oh, well, I hope she has a good time." Kiereth hoped that didn't
sound as lame to Eric as it did to him.
	The tousle headed teen just smiled, "Leave it up to Danny and she
will. He can't walk five feet without throwing a boner!"
	Keith tried his damnedest to keep from grinning. From everything
he'd heard about this Danny, the two would probably never leave the hotel
room. But hey, if Keireth had been straight and in Danny's position, he
wouldn't of done a thing different.
	"Well, enough talking, let's get your skinny ass moving and go see
if that shit wagon of yours is salvageable." He headed for the ladder and
tossing
	'Keith' tried not to notice the skinny ass comment, knowing he was
being overly sensitive because of his weight loss. "Sure thing, I want to
know how much its gonna cost me to get the thing fixed." In truth, thoughts
of fixing the car weren't foremost on his mind. The car hadn't been in
great condition when he stole it, and it was even worse off now.
	The two left the barn, the sun hitting them with a vengeance for
the few moments they'd been able to thwart its power. It rained its fiery
temper upon them, all the way to the truck. And though the age pocked ford
had never had air conditioning, it did have two windows that could generate
surprisingly cool amounts of rushing air.
	So it was with a cloud of dust the size of a Sahara sandstorm that
the two boys drove away from the Parker ranch. And for once enjoying the
absolute wonderous tranquility of not sweating to death.
	__________________________________________________________

	I would like to thank everyone who commented on my last story,
"When Dark Powers Stir". I am sorry for the delays in the posting, lots of
changes, lots of interesting upheavals. Anyway, this is the first chapter
as you can no doubt tell, and hopefully there will be many more. I tend to
like cowboy rednecks myself, so get ready, there will be some hot HOT
HHHHOOOOTTTT sex to come!!!! (I do apologize for not delivering the hoped
for orgasm this chapter, but after all, it's so much more enjoyable when
you know em) Love peace and chicken grease, and as usual you may be able to
send comments, pics or anything else you might think my perverse mind would
like to kpettry2000@yahoo.com.