Totemic Haven
2- WildChild
By K.R.Columbus
Copyright 2011 K.R.Columbus
Smashwords Edition
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Antiquarian Age Books
By K.R.Columbus
(Dates and titles can change at any time)
-We Shall be as Gods Series-
1st Testament - Vestigial Dream
2nd Testament - The Weaver and the Herder
3rd Testament - Shadows of Me
4th Testament - Children of Exile
5th Testament – Beyond Destiny (2012)
-Sodom’s X Duology-
A Song for the End
The World Ends for You (2012)
-Hyper Speed Inertia Series-
Battle-Submarine Yamato
The Fires of Kawaita (2012)
-MAGNA MAQUINA Series-
The Mall
The Greatest Machine of All
-YAKUZA RONDO Series-
KUMA/GORO
-Hall of the Mountain King-
-The Last Southern Mountain- (2012)
-Young Adult’s Books-
-The Columns of the Universe Trilogy-
The Crown of Orion (2012)
-The Treasures of Shamarkand Series-
Wanderers to Shamarkand
Daughter of the Gods
Carnival of Shadows
The Mechanical Labyrinth (December 2011)
-Totemic Haven Series-
Totemic Haven
WildChild
Father Sun, Mother Moon (2012)
Totemic Haven
WildChild
By K.R.Columbus
-This novel is based on mythological tales from many native American tribes, no disrespect is meant to any of the native Americans tribes or their lore…this book is intended as a love letter to native American mythology and culture.-
K.R.Columbus
-Hearts thumping wild like drums and the wings of humming birds, endless, run, run into the gleam of days. Past forest and into dark caverns that hide paths into deep places, hidden places where life can be sung with the sound of flutes and wooden instruments closer to the sounds of nature than those of the song of birds. Hear me echo, endless shriek of the spider in the cave, ode to dark and chase of hunting drums alive in unison scheme. Look for me beyond the shadow of my steps, ever ahead of the hands of time, trying to find truth where things had been forgotten and never seen. Covered, cover of stone and earth, echo, echo of paws in the dark. Echo, echo the sound of dreams. Yet the horse keeps galloping and the spider weaving its net of time and destiny. Life goes on and we have to face reality for what it is, even if we remember in pure sweet abandon shadows of what once had been.-
CHAPTER 1
-Dreams and Reality-
The temperature dropped almost suddenly as night fell over the forest and those endless hills. No matter how much he looked at that landscape it was like he had never seen it before in his life, it was a wild land, it was the feeling of being lost and with no way of going back home. In the distance he heard a wolf. He was sure that he had heard that wolf before and that its call, its howl was herald to the fact that it was following him. Still, he was not worried about the wolf. All he cared about was the cold and the fact that he could not feel it. At once he knew that was wrong, the feeling was wrong.
“Where am I?” He looked around, he was completely surrounded by tall trees and beyond those trees he could see white peaked mountains.
The path he was walking was almost muddy, still, fallen foliage kept it from being so, yet his steps could feel slippery against the damp soil. It was almost as if it had rained that day. It had been a hot humid day, he was aware of that at least. Because the sudden change in atmosphere and temperature almost shocked him with its suddenness.
“Thomas!” He heard a voice echo in the distance coming from the horizon.
“Is that my name?” He wondered as he held a single hand to his head as sharp pain danced within him.
In that moment he heard laughter in the distance. He tried to find the proper direction from where that laughter was coming from but he could not, it was like it was coming from everywhere and everywhere was even inside of him like a lingering echo. Scared of the night Thomas ran deep into the forest, he ran into its depths keeping his eyes glued to the distant mountains. Under the trees the world felt carpeted with fallen leaves and lingering cold, to the point that it felt unreal, like a play set, like some sort of artificial playground that was meant for him alone and no one else. But that there was wrong and he knew it, there was something wrong with that place.
I have been here before. Thomas thought remembering where he had seen that place before.
It all came suddenly as he reached a tunnel of trees, under his naked feet the soil felt moist and cold, but somehow it wasn’t uncomfortable. He looked at himself and noticed that he was naked, he had been the whole. He knew then that he had been in that forest before, in that wild place. He had spent many days with his uncle in his log cabin.
Before going to Camp Haven for the first time his parents had allowed him to go with his uncle each summer. Most of what he knows about the wild he learned then, because his uncle was and still is one of the wisest persons he knows concerning survival. He still remembers his mother telling him that her brother was almost a full native. Thomas’ great grandmother had been Native American and she passed most of her knowledge to her grandchildren, well, mostly to Tadeous.
Uncle Tade loves hunting, swimming, hiking, gathering, in truth as I remember it he has natural alternatives for almost everything and that was good.
“Uncle Tade!!!” Thomas called, his voice turning into a scream.
No one answered. There was no one in that place. It was just him, the whispers, the laughter and the wild. How could that be?
Why? Why? Did we stop visiting uncle? Thomas touched his head trying to remember and all he could see was the sad, hairy plump face of his uncle.
“Thomas! Come to play, Thomas hurry up!” There it was again, that voice.
“Who are you?” Thomas called scared of the answer.
“Thomas, come swim with me! Thomas I'm waiting!” The voice called back.
The first thing that came to his mind was that the voice was that of a child, a very young child and that it somehow sounded like him, only that very young. Then he wondered if that had been him when he was younger, maybe calling his uncle to swim in the pond. It happened many times.
No, can't be… As he realized who the voice belonged to he began to run like mad towards the direction of the voice.
Thomas’ heart skipped whole beats as he felt a bitter sweet touch of nostalgia in his heart and the sudden wish to cry. How could he have forgotten something so important? How?
“Don’t go! Please wait for me!” Thomas yelled as he jumped over logs and stones nearing the place where he knew, the pond was waiting.
No matter how much he tried it was like walking on mud, or being stuck somehow, because no matter what he did, or how long and hard he ran he kept returning to the same spot in the woods. A deep pain was beginning to be held in his chest, such deep nostalgia and longing that it was hurt solidified into feeling. Tears began to corner his eyes as desperation set in, ever lingering and eating at him like some wild beast. Standing still he looked around the dark forest, he could barely see his feet, or the floor. The trees around him were like shadows held in mist and dark. Suddenly all around him from within the trees he saw burning ambers, almost red, sets of eyes that like fire suddenly opened to look at him, to acknowledge his presence in that place. They looked at him and he knew their power, it was intense and full of knowledge, they knew exactly what he was hiding in his heart, they knew very well what had happened and he had no way of hiding it.
He ran full of terror, scared of what those burning eyes knew about him. They were so many and he was only one. He ran and ran until his breath felt like fire, but he knew there was no way out. The trees kept turning on themselves, they kept making him trip. Then he realized that he was in a dream. That was a dream and he knew it all along.
He stopped in the middle of a hollow in the forest; he began to hit his head trying to wake. Up above the stars looked like gigantic flares of burning light
“I'm only dreaming! Wake up! Wake up! Wake!!!”
Dark furry shadows could be seen playing in the dark beyond, he could see glimpses of them, he could see them surrounding him with low growling sounds. He was very scared and there was nowhere to go. That is the problem with dreams. In dreams you are running away from yourself and since you are inside yourself it is very hard to run away.
“Thomas!” He heard that voice again.
“No! You can't be here!” Thomas screamed back.
“Thomas! Hurry up!” He heard the voice again as everything began to shake and tremble, even the trees.
“No! You are not real! You are gone!” Thomas shouted and screamed as he fell to the ground.
It was terrible, it was like a gigantic earthquake was making the whole land tremble under its power and there was nothing he could do about it. In that moment he began to scream, but the trembling did no stop. Instead one of the furry shadows came over him; it looked like a gigantic bear creature with burning red eyes.
He screamed as the creature shook him violently.
“Thomas? Thomas wake up! We are going to be late!” Alex was next to his bed shaking him awake.
As Thomas opened his eyes he saw Alex over him and he screamed. Alex hushed him with both hands and smiled.
“God Thomas I was not trying to kill you.” Alex said looking at Thomas look at him a bit confused.
Feeling the calming touch of his friend Thomas calmed down and looked at Alex for a long lingering moment. He remembered that Alex had slept over last night and that they were supposed to go pick Mike, Doug and Josh in a few hours. Yes, today was the day they had been waiting for most of the year.
“I'm sorry, is just that we are running a little late and your mom called us to eat breakfast almost an hour ago. Imagine, my Dingoo A380 ran out of batteries about five minutes ago.” Alex said placing his still charging handheld game on Thomas’ belly.
“You could have used mine…” Thomas said pointing at his Gemei.
“Naw, it sucks.” Alex giggled as he used the bed for support and stood.
Thomas felt sorry for his friend every time he saw the chub stand or do something that was difficult for him. Alex had him sentenced, telling him that he didn’t want any pity. Alex had been handicapped since he was very young and he has no memory of anything other than being like this. Even in his dreams he is broken, but he doesn’t let that bother him. Since he moved to New York his life has changed, all thanks to his book career. Totemic Haven was the main reason why he met Thomas and the others, Josh and Mike had read the book and they all met at a convention. It was instantaneous. Life is like that, you meet your friends suddenly and out of nowhere they appear and become your friends, almost as if they had been there since the very beginning.
It was clear to see that they pitied him since he could barely walk and have many scars. To this day Alex hasn’t told them what happened when he was younger with his parents, or how hard it was in the care center but he actually likes it that way.
“Tom, hurry up, I'm hungry.” Alex smiled after he bathed and sat half naked on Tom’s bed.
“Don’t push me Alex kid; you spent almost an hour in the bathroom. What were you doing anyways?” Tom looked at him a bit devious and Alex smiled guiltily.
“Nothing I swear” He laughed as he pulled his pants using the bed as support as his friend entered the bath. “So, you think Josh and Doug can make it? Last time I checked they were having problems making their mom change her mind.”
“What? Really? Well, Josh did say he was going this year once again… wait… I don’t remember seeing him or Doug in Camp Haven before, yet, they said they were there last year. Do you remember them?” Tom asked while opening the shower.
“I haven’t been to Camp Haven before, remember. You did talk about it extensively.” Alex laughed at Tom a bit worried.
“Oh yeah, not enough money.” Tom scratched his head wondering why he remembers going to camp with Alex.
Alex and Tom have been friends for years; the first decade had been as pen pals. This means that they have been writing to each other since they were inside their mother’s bellies. At least Tom knew that wasn’t so but liked to think of it that way. When he was ten years or so, Tom was told to make a friend that was less fortunate than him and in three years they became very close friends, enough memories to fill a decade. He still can't remember why very clearly, but back then he used to cry a lot, and for some reason that seems blurry in his mind he felt very alone. Now both of them were thirteen years old and very happy to have found each other a year ago. In the flesh and just there for mutual humiliation. Is not the same to crack jokes at your friends using the phone, actual face to face time is needed to rip a good fart, or pull each other’s underwear.
Tom knows that Alex is gay, he had known since he was probably ten. It was actually one of the first things Alex blurted out when they had their first hour long call. Alex on his part had recently come to terms with being gay, something that was way easier living in an orphanage. It was like magic, one day he just woke and realized he was very attracted to one of his room mates. Of course this room mate was not gay, or even thinking about it, because his mind was somewhere else. Alex always seemed more mature, older than the other kids he called bunk brothers. The truth was that Alex was taken to the orphanage when he was already six or seven while the others had spent most of their early lives living there. To him it was a world divided, what came before and what was his now; and what was before he wants to forget with a passion.
The moment Tom heard Alex was gay he got very nervous, even if he had been going to Camp Haven for a few years by then he had never met anyone that was actually gay. The older boys were mostly kept away from the rest of the young ones in both lunch time and activities. So all he had seen of them had been in fact a couple of guys playing in the soccer field, or seen some of them sing in one of the gatherings. Many things surfaced in that moment. First fear, then a bit of curiosity and finally, understanding. In reality going to Camp Haven had helped because they offer a good array of sexual education classes and in these classes tolerance is awarded instead of prejudice. With a good unbiased education everyone can get along with everyone, no matter how different our desires and backgrounds are.
“I'm still amazed at the fact that you wrote a book based on what I told you about Camp Haven and by accident Mike, Doug and Josh are in it.”
“You are in it too, but I already knew you when I wrote it.”
“The best part is that you wrote me a girlfriend.” Tom laughed as he toweled his short black hair.
“Well we all are in it, but our lives are very different from the ones in the book. Doug is Josh’s brother in real life while in the book they are not related, and Mike, Mike was my boyfriend in the book and he died in it. Not to mention that I have parents in it, I'm dating Josh and I don’t have any disabilities.”
“You could have done the same story as you are, I'm pretty sure people would have liked it. I mean. Everyone seems to have their share of problems in young adult’s books.” Tom said as he put a pair of clean underwear, while Alex tried to look away.
“I guess I wanted my life to be different. But if you think about it, our book selves have greater problems than us. Not to mention that they get sucked into that other world.” Alex explained thinking how Tom’s girlfriend had drowned in the story.
“Yeah, some things are better.” What Tom didn’t want to point out was that everyone’s life was better in real life except for Alex’.
…………
Tom’s mother was a woman with many things in her mind; she used a pair of black framed eyeglasses and liked to wear her hair loose. Since her hair was very straight and silky, even if she didn’t comb it daily it looked nice and tidy. She has career as a journalist and writer for various magazines. When she first met Alex she had been really happy and welcoming to the boy because of his writing, it was not every day that you met a thirteen year old that had a book published and that was fairly well read. She had read the book herself and liked it, but a part of her wondered, it wondered why there was so much pain bottled inside the young man. At the time she pointed it all to the fact that he had no parents and had been abused as a boy. The first time she met him she wanted to cry her eyes out, but was glad that Alex and Tom were friends.
“Do you guys sneak enough candy and junk food for a month?” She asked looking at them accusingly as she looked at the road; driving in New York is a nightmare.
“Us? Why would we? We want to loose some pounds right?” Alex said laughing as he looked at Tom that suddenly was very interested in the palm of his hands.
“Thomas” The mother said, her voice very harmonious and clean.
“Show her.” Tom elbowed Alex and Alex picked two bags, one was filled with candy and the other with snacks.
“Nice booty, too bad, I had smuggled two jumbo bags of cry baby gum balls. Now who will chew them?” She sniffed and made sounds like she was ready to cry.
“I can.” Alex said raising a finger as he smiled.
With one single smooth movement she twirled a big bag of gum balls that landed on his lap. She smiled widely as she saw the smile on Alex’ face and the way Thomas was looking at his friend.
“Now, what will I do with this other bag, it has so many blue ones? Oh my! I spent almost fifteen minutes looking for the right one.” She exclaimed, knowing that Thomas loved the blue ones.
“I could take them off your hands.” Thomas said in a low voice, trying to sound like he doesn’t care at all.
“Really? You will? I'm so happy.” She smiled as she gave him the bag, as she did he leaned forward and kissed her gently on the right cheek.
“Thanks mom.” Tom said as he saw Alex pop one in his mouth and go all sour faced with delight.
She only winked at him. “Your flight leaves in two hours, hope the rest of the gang is ready.” She voiced as they approached the walk up building where Josh and Doug lived.
…………
“Josh! Those are my socks give them to me!” Doug was holding on to his brother’s neck as he tried to steal a pair of black socks that were dangling from his hands.
“I don’t see your name on them. Actually they smell like me.” Josh hung one of the socks from Doug’s nose making the little guy fall backwards on his bed.
“Not fair! You used them already.” Doug said as he twirled the sock at his brother.
The sock landed just over Josh’s head the moment Mike entered the room just to face palm his face.
“Gods you guys haven’t packed yet!” Mike almost squealed as he saw the state of emergency that was the room.
“Almost” Josh turned with a dumb smile and hugged Mike that in turn kissed him tenderly on the lips as he took the sock from his head.
“Josh do I have to make you take a bath again?” Mike said sniffing the sock.
“Yes! He needs a bath.” Doug said with a big smile as he ran to Mike and hugged the big blonde guy.
“I do not, I bathed last Saturday.” Josh said scratching his back proudly.
“He bathed last night. I saw him touching himself in the bathroom. Going all, Mike this and Mike that. Pretty embarrassing really. I had to wait almost an hour to use the toilet.” Doug said as Josh turned all red and ran to strangle his little brother.
Before Josh could do anything Mike grabbed Josh by the collar of his shirt and looked at him and then at Doug. “If you guys are going back to camp this year, if that is in both your schedules you have to pack now. The plane leaves in one hour and forty five minutes.” In that moment the doorbell rang echoing inside the whole apartment. “And that is our ride.”
“Oh no Alex is going to kill me!” Josh began to pile up his clothing, utensils and junk inside a huge pack and a backpack.
“Yai! Yai!” Doug laughed as he sat on his own pack and closed it. “I'm done.”
“Good boy” Mike caressed Doug’s hair with a smile; he was very fond of the younger boy.
“Boys Alex is here with Tom!!!” They heard their mother call from the kitchen where she was preparing roast beef sandwiches with chips for them to eat on the way to the Kennedy airport.
After hearing this Doug jumped off his bed and ran out of the room squealing in happiness. Mike trailed his eyes after him with a smile. With some difficult finding a spot to sit down Mike pushed aside a pile of dirty underwear and sat looking at his boyfriend with interest. He always enjoyed watching Josh hurry, it made him twice as clumsy.
“Slow down, you are going to forget something important if you don’t.”
“I'm taking you; there is nothing more important than that.” Josh said pressing his pack to be able to close it; it was very apparent that he had packed way too much.
“Thank you Josh.” Mike smiled as he blushed gently. “Is it true, what Doug said?”
“The bathroom thing?” Josh asked turning red himself.
“Well, did not happen last night, but did happen a few days ago. I was so embarrassed, sometimes I wonder if Doug is half ninja or something. I swear to you I did not hear him or how long he had been standing there.”
“Well, is not like he saw much. You guys sometimes bathe together.” Mike said as he wondered how it would feel to have a little brother.
“Yeah, but it was very awkward. I have to be more careful when I, spend some time thinking of you.” Josh said covering part of his face with his hands.
“I don’t think it will do him any harm, he is just a few years younger than you.” Mike said and then turned to see as Alex entered the room with Doug holding on to his waist.
“Hi guys.” Alex said with a smile as Josh came and hugged him tenderly but with care.
“How is my favorite writer?” Josh asked as he hugged Alex being careful not to hurt him, Alex could be harmed pretty easily.
As Josh was hugging him Alex looked at Mike and smiled a little sadly. For the longest time Mike smiled back a little sad too and for a time wondered how Alex had been hurt so badly. He haven’t had the heart to ask him, the most apparent thing apart from his legs was his eyes, one of them was half closed, like it had been terribly bruised and it never healed too well. Still that even gave him a strange charm, a wounded charm that Mike, Josh and Doug could not resist. They all felt sorry for him but would not voice it. It was not very friend like to do so. All Alex wanted from them was their friendship and that they could give to him in spades.
“You are smoldering me Josh.” Alex said as he kissed the big guy on the cheek.
With this Josh parted and kept packing what was left on his backpack, mostly handheld games, snacks, tissue, his book reader and mp3 player. Alex on his part came to Mike and sat next to him; Mike looked at him warmly and hugged him sideways.
“How are you Alex kid?” Mike asked, they haven’t seen each other in a few weeks.
“I'm ok, writing, doing school work and well getting adapted to living in New York. I love the trains, the subways I mean.” Alex still had a southern accent.
“Is the weather affecting your legs?” Mike asked shaking one of his friend’s legs.
“Well since it has been getting warm the pain has been going away slowly.” Alex said as Doug sat next to him and rested his head on his side.
“Alex have I told you before that you feel like a warm, fluffy bear?” Doug said burying his face on the side of his friend. “Can I keep you so I can lay on you at night?”
“Do I? If I'm warm and fluffy your brother must be a certified human pillow.” Alex said while laughing. “You can sneak on him at night and sleep on his belly; I doubt he will notice at all.”
“Hey! I'm no pillow. Even if I'm filled with fluffs.” Josh defended himself as he finished packing; he had forgotten something very important.
“He drools at night.” Doug said, in answer to that invitation.
In no time they were each with a sandwich in hand and saying goodbye to their mother that the whole while had been speaking to Thomas, telling him to take care of her babies. Amelia was a well natured woman with a round face and curly brown hair, she and Silvia; Thomas’ mom did not speak much. Something about feuding meatloaf recipes had them in constant war all because Josh mentioned that Silvia’s was very juicy. What Amelia did not know was that her son loves food in general and it was nothing personal. Still she packed a roast beef sandwich for Silvia too and gave them a small soda can each. Amelia was telling Tom to take care of her sons because she knew that he had spent the most years in Camp Haven and was a very mature kid. After she had kissed them all with no exception they all ran down the stairs to the car where Silvia was already honking the horn for them to hurry. After all they only have an hour to get to the airport, and get everything into place for the two hour air trip to West Virginia.
Thomas messed up Doug’s hair as he sat inside the minivan next to the boy. Doug looked up at him and sticks out his tongue that in no time was being pinched by the older boy.
“Now what? Now your tongue is mine!”
“Now iwt iswshint” Doug tried to say as he punched Tom on the gut.
“Boys behave and eat; the airplane only feeds you enough chips to fill a bird and a gulp of soda!” Silvia said as she sped down the street dodging cars and busses.
“Tom do you want to trade sandwiches?” Josh asked Tom as they were eating.
They switched and Thomas scratched his head as he noted that Josh had eaten most of the roast beef out of his sandwich. “Josh, tell me, do you want a tit twist?”
CHAPTER 2
-Underwear, Fresh air and Hamburgers-
The airport terminal was packed when they arrived; there were many kids here and there that were going out to different camps all over the United States. It was very easy to see which ones were heading to Camp Haven. Being in Camp Haven was like being in a sort of mafia; it was easy to get in but hard to leave. Every year when summer approaches everyone that went there at some time or another thinks of going back, even if they are too old to go. There are some folks that even after growing up loved the camp so much that became part of the crew and the many caretakers that take care of the grounds.
Looking at the airport terminal the group remained together as if they were brothers. For little Doug the whole event was magical. He had gone to Camp Haven before with his older brother, but back then it was just them and since Josh met Mike that summer there had not been much time for him. In the end he had spent most of the summer playing with the other children his age, learning to play soccer, hiking, swimming and even some fishing. They did not eat the fish but there was a rumor that the camp owner did every time the campers caught anything in the lake.
When Alex had been writing Totemic Haven with the help of the many stories he heard from Thomas. He had made the camp a bit dangerous, with many unexplained deaths, drowning, children getting lost in the woods and never found. The truth of the camp was that the whole place was relatively safe as camps go, once there had been some disappearings like it is bound to be in any forest or mountain, but it was nothing to be alarmed about. Thinking about it made him snicker and to that Mike responded by looking at Alex from under his eyes.
“What is it?” Mike asked with amusement.
“Nothing, much, just thinking about camp. I'm really happy about it, is like traveling into my imagination. If I geek out please don’t look away or pretend I'm not your friend.” Alex smiled at Mike while Josh was gawking along side Doug to the many snacks and magazines being sold at the airport at extremely expensive prices.
“I wouldn’t do that Alexander, I like you.” Mike smiled mellowy.
In that moment Thomas noticed that Mike was pacing his steps to the same speed as Alex, and he knew at once that it was a sign of respect and understanding. He wanted to be in equal ground with Alex to make him feel like his friend. Josh on his part was running all around with Doug, which was fine too, but details like this always flew over his head. Thomas on his part was always close to Alex, trying to protect him.
Unlike Josh, Doug and Tom, Mike lives alone with his mother and she taught him good manners. Mike is sentimental, empathic and very aware of the feelings of others. His blue eyes could tell if you were lying, or had something in mind that meant wrong to him. This little fact had made it hard for him to make new friends because in the end they end up very scared of him and his unwelcomed ability. He likes being with Josh because he is very easy to read and his words almost always are very clear and go hand in hand with what he is feeling. If Josh felt uncomfortable or scared you could tell. Once he tried to play a prank on Mike, but he couldn’t, only to look at him was enough to be disarmed and this was very amusing to Doug’s funny bone.
After gazing here and there, after looking up and down Doug was getting very dizzy. All those flaring lights, the array of colors and the many sounds were an overload to his brain and eyes. After ten minutes of following Josh around Doug just turned off. It was like if someone had pressed a button on his back and he winded down. Noting this and the fact that the plane was late because of the weather Mike grabbed him and took him like he was a baby. Doug was chubby but light compared to Mike that was around six feet tall and very broad, so to him it was like resting on a huge fluffy mountain.
“Let’s get some seats. The plane won't be leaving any time soon.” Thomas said seeing lightning piercing the sky beyond.
“I'll sit over there with Doug.” Mike said to Alex he handed him some cash. “Here buy some drinks.”
“Ok, what do you want?” Alex asked, happy to be of use.
“A root beer and a sprite for Josh. You guys get what you want.” Mike said as he passed his head on Doug’s hair.
“I want some orange juice.” Doug said half asleep.
“And some juice for this marshmallow here.” Mike smiled as he sat on a chair with Doug still slumped on his shoulder.
Feeling how warm Doug was against his chest and neck Mike followed with his eyes as Alex and Tom walked away to get the drinks, Josh was still reading a magazine in one of the stalls. Video games and anime related. Doug opened his eyes as he smelled the perfume on Mike, it was mild but very pleasant and no matter how much it never made you sniff or sneeze. Doug didn’t know but Mike uses body mists instead of perfume and that day he was wearing something fruity, some sort of citrus blend. Something caught his eyes beyond. A little boy of probably seven years of age was running away from his father. The little boy was crying, holding on to his father’s keys almost as if they were a toy and to hold them would mean the world. Why had he taken the keys from his father? Doug didn’t know but he saw as the father came to the boy violently and shook him yelling for him to give the keys back. The boy was really scared and out of that same fear he did not move his hands fast enough, his hand would not open as his father shook him again, this time bruising his arms. The keys fell to the floor as the father slapped the little kid to the floor. Almost no one noticed, and those that did looked away as if something was horribly wrong with the world.
Mike noticed that Doug’s respiration picked up and his heart beat became wild, then slowly he felt as the back of his shirt began to get wet with tears. Doug was crying, crying with such deep desperation and despair that mike grabbed him and looked at his face and it was like looking at some other sad mistreated kid. Surely not the Doug he loves and cares for.
“Baby, my marshmallow, Doug are you all right?” Mike asked as sweet as he dared, but there was no use, his tears would not stop.
Mike placed one of his hands on Doug’s chest, it was heaving up and down like if he was having a panic attack and could not help himself.
“Josh!” Mike shouted and Josh looked at his boyfriend that at the moment was wearing a mask of despair, feeling the strong stinging feelings coming from Doug.
“What is it Mike? What’s wrong with Doug?” Josh panicked as he saw Doug; he had never seen him like that before…or had he?
“I don’t know, he won't answer, he just began to cry and he won't stop!” Mike despaired as tears began to border his eyes.
“Give him to me.” Josh extended his arms and took his brother and looked at him right in the face, but Doug was looking at him like if he were a stranger. “Lil bro look at me.”
In that moment Josh began to make faces, twisting his eyes, his mouth and even his nose, all sorts of crazy faces. He even stuck out his tongue and made funny sounds. Looking at Josh Mike smiled gently as he felt Doug begin to calm down and to his surprise within minutes he was laughing and wiping away his tears. He hugged his brother tenderly when all of it was done and with a blink came back to his normal self.
“What? What happened?” Doug asked looking around, feeling strange and detached.
“You suddenly started crying. Maybe is all the excitement.” Mike informed as he caressed Doug’s face.
“I did? I don’t remember…” Doug said feeling more confused as he looked at his elder brother for answers that were not there.
“Don’t know bud, maybe you didn’t sleep well last night. That makes you touchy.” Josh said; he was prone to not sleeping the night before going anywhere, they both were.
“That is true, I couldn’t sleep last night. I spent most of the night looking at you.”
“Watching over me?” Josh asked.
“No, watching you snore. Is monumental.” Doug smiled and the laughed as from behind Alex came with Thomas close by carrying the drinks.
“Drinks!” Alex announced as he with some difficulty imparted the beverages.
In no time they all were seated each on a chair sipping their sodas looking a bit worn out. Thomas laughed silently inside his head thinking that this was just the beginning. After the air trip they will have to endure a few hours inside a stuffy bus and not to mention, the weather. Still the idea of it all was really wonderful, and they had been waiting for it for months. Seeing that the airplane would be delayed for a few hours they decided to rest a bit. Alex played Equinox on his handheld while the rest did some variation of this. Except for Mike that was reading on his ebook reader and Doug that was doing his best at looking bored. By the time the flight was ready, the sandwiches they had eaten were long gone and they were really hungry so they ran to a MacDonald’s stall in the terminal and ordered a few double cheeseburgers and some fries; they shared two huge drinks and two huge fries. Doug was the only one eating a single double cheeseburger, the rest had two and on Mike’s case one and a yogurt parfait.
“We are going to be late.” Alex said looking at his two burgers and the communal mountain of French fries.
“No, I don’t think so.” Josh said pushing into his mouth a handful of fried as he munched furiously.
“Yes we are.” Thomas said, not even looking at his food but at the group of people and other children going into the plane. “They are boarding.”
“But we bought all this food.” Mike said with a spoonful of yogurt still in his mouth. “We can't just leave it.”
“We can eat it.” Doug looked at all of them with a wide smile, something wickedly fun had entered his head and there was no going back.
It was too late by the time they all noticed what had been ensued, in less than a minute Doug had chewed down his burger and was now pushing fries into his mouth almost into bursting. Suddenly all of them felt the rush, the competition, this was bigger than any sport and there would only be one winner. All their hands reached to the table, to the food and it all began.
Tabitha Jones grew up on a pig farm in Roanoke Virginia, every morning she would wake, take the bucked of leftovers for the pigs and would run the pens to feed them. It was so fun to watch them eat, hog down all that food. Now she was almost a hundred years of age and no longer living in the country, the city had taken away the small pleasures, the good feeling that comes of taking care of animals and watching them grow. So as she passed the boy’s table carrying a modest hamburger and some small fries she smiled with glee and made jazz hands in the air as she proclaimed.
“Halleluiah!!! Dear lord be merciful!” She had to look at the pack of boys twice before she was completely sure that they were indeed boys and she had to look at her surroundings yet again just in case she was back home in the country. “Is feeding time! Is feeding time!” She said with excitement as she saw the boys eat all their food under two minutes.
A colorful array of burps erupted from the table as they ran to catch their plane. Who had been the victor? By the time they were done it really didn’t matter, what mattered was the feeling of it. Yet, if one were to notice it was obvious that the victor had been Doug that at the moment was literary being dragged by Josh down the terminal at top speeds.
The flight was uneventful, if not boring. By the time they got to West Virginia it was already late afternoon and they were horrified to find that the bus had left them behind. After taking their luggage, they found themselves completely alone, next to them just a girl that they soon found out was going to Camp Haven too; she had been in the airplane with them the whole time.
“My name is Indira, nice to meet you all.” She said with a warm smile as she smiled at all of them.
It was almost instantaneously, they all blushed. Indira had that power, her smile had that power. It was easy to see that she came from the mixture of two races, but mostly she looked Native American. At the moment her hair was braided into one big braid and she was wearing jeans and a white blouse, it was a strange combination, but she looked really cute in it.
“Hi Indira, my name is Alex.” Alex was the first one to speak and so everyone else followed.
The only reason why Alex spoke first was the very strange and unlikely fact that Indira, looked, acted and was named exactly like the Indira from his book. Indira is not a very common name and to be there with his friends and her was too strange. It was something that he could not explain and probably had no explanation at all. He was happy to see that she was fine, healthy, because in his book she had died drowned in the lake in front of Camp Haven. Thomas had read Camp Haven, like they all did, actually he had read it before since he had been Alex’ friend before then. So the moment he saw Indira his heart just stopped, in the book she had been his, she had been his girlfriend. The girl that he had lost. Some how his heart was tugging at him and he knew this was not right, how could he feel nostalgia for someone that he had never met before? How was it even possible?
As they were telling their names Indira would steal glances at Doug, and she would smile at him warmly. When it was time for the small boy to say his name she lowered herself to be at his eyesight and with a gentle smile she caressed his hair with tender care.
“And who might you be?” She asked, her eyes sparkling.
“Doug, my name is Doug.” He said clumsily.
“Nice to meet you Doug.” She stood still caressing Doug that at the moment was so blushed he was about to have a nosebleed.
“Hi Indira, my name is…Thomas.” Thomas said his voice full of stagger and restraint.
“Tom, hi…” She held his eyes on her gaze as if trying to remember something. “…have we met? You look so familiar.”
“Maybe you guys met in the subway, after all we all live in New York.” Josh said as he presented himself to her. “My name is Josh; Doug here is my little brother.”
“Oh hi, nice to meet you.” She broke her gaze and looked at Josh. “Yes that must be it, I must have seen you all once or twice at some point. New York is big, but not that big. Everyone uses the subway after all.” As she said this she began to play with her braid.
“Guess we are stranded here, now what?” Alex asked as he rested against a pillar, his legs and back were beginning to hurt.
“Camp Haven campers! I was sent to pick you up and take you to the camp grounds.” They all turned to look who was talking and were surprised to see a young Native American man with long hair; he was wearing a Camp Haven t-shirt and was kind of plump.
Thomas and Indira had seen him once or twice at camp; he is the son of one of the camp owners. His family have lived and owned the grounds that had been used to construct Camp haven. So even if he was not interested he was expected to be there every year once the camp opens for the season.
“My name is Sam; some of you might have seen me before. I'm really sorry about the bus, but we are running on a schedule and we really couldn’t leave the rest of the campers waiting for hours for your plane to arrive. Since I was in town I was told to pick you guys up.” Sam smiled at them as he counted their heads and checked a book with pictures he has of the missing campers. “Guess that’s all of you, no, wait… we are missing one person. Row. C Twist. He was supposed to be in the flight with you all.”
“We are the only ones here.” Indira said. “Maybe he went to the bathroom?”
“I’ll go see if Mr. Twist is in the bathroom, wait for me here.” Sam said as he scratched his head on his way to the bathroom area.
They were happy to know that there was someone picking them up, because the idea of being stranded in the middle of nowhere is not very appealing. With some delicate movements Indira sat on her luggage as she looked at her nails. A few minutes later Sam appeared alone.
“According to the airline Row never boarded the plane, so I suppose it is only us. Now that I think about it, it is for the better. The van is not that big after you pile all the luggage together. Ok everyone, let’s go!” Sam announced and Alex smiled as he saw all of them follow him in an Indian line, just like Final Fantasy.
Once at the parking lot Josh gaped at the van, it was painted with a view of the Appalachians and on the side had some advertisement for the camp. The possibilities were that the camp owners use the van for bringing supplies from town. Once Sam opened the slide door they all sniffed the inside and were very surprised that it had a strange aroma, pine cones.
“Smells nice.” Doug said with a smile.
“It does?” Sam asked a bit nervous. “It better, it had a whole family of raccoons living inside. We had to let it open to take fresh air for almost two days and nights.”
Alex looked at Mike and Mike at Thomas. Was that story true? They all asked themselves but for Doug and Josh that was like opening a can of awesomeness. They both were very fond of Raccoons. Last year Josh and Doug spent most of their camp stay near the dumpsters, waiting, seeing if they might catch a glimpse of the elusive thieving Procyons.
“Yes, I can smell the wild in here.” Doug announced as he sat merrily inside; leaving all the luggage arrangements to his brother that at the moment was gritting his teeth together wanting to strangle his brother.
It only took a faint touch from Mike to make him as mellow as mellow cream candy and at this Alex smiled sadly. He was not sure of his feelings, there was no way for him to come to terms with something that he had never felt before but that was really sure he was feeling. Some people are born in love, they have so much love inside of them and they spend their whole lives knowing how it feels to love. Alex is like that, since he can remember his desires and wishes are meeting someone to love, someone that he can call his, someone that can make him feel complete. He had always felt incomplete, like a part of him had been taken away and no matter how much he tries, no matter how long it takes he will keep looking. When he met both Josh and Mike he felt a great sense of love for them and this is something that had him very confused. That is something that can not be. How is it possible that he is feeling love towards two strangers? He was aware of the fact that once they met it was like they had met before, only a few words were needed and in no time they were tripping and playing like life long friends. Yet, even if he loves Doug and Thomas too, the love that he feels towards Mike and Josh is a deeper sort of love. A sort of love that is filled with both desire and fondness, full or warm feelings.
These feelings, these feelings I'm feeling are abstracts that I'll never speak out loud in front of them. I cannot. It is forbidden. When I see them like that, loving each other innocently I tell myself that I must stop and restraint myself. I have no business adding my feelings to their lives. No matter how strong and real my feelings for them are. How is it that I can feel this? Each one with a different torrent of feelings, like if we shared different pasts together…like in my book. My book ends in sadness, with Mike dying. There is no happy ending to my book. After all it ends with a funeral and with Doug being taken to his abusive father. No… I'm just confusing my fiction with reality. In the book I was both their boyfriend, that is until I left Mike for Josh… and Mike died in the end because of me. No! Reality is better, no matter if in my fiction we both share such strong feelings. The fact that I'm feeling them now, that fact is just something I'll have to learn to live with… and that, is a fact too.
“Nooooo!!!!” Josh shouted and they all looked at him with eyes wide open at Josh looking straight at his luggage.
“What is Josh?” Mike asked a bit distraught. “Did someone take your bag instead?”
“No, worse, I left all my underwear at home. I'll have to learn to be, commando.”
“Commando.” Indira repeated not understanding.
“Commando…” Mike repeated as Doug began to laugh hysterically.
“Yes, commando. When duty calls two must attempt commando.” He said referring to his balls.
“Josh, there is a girl here.” Thomas said as he pulled one of his ears. “Behave.”
“But, I'm behaving. I'm a picture of decorum.” Josh said as he scratched his ass.
“Yeah, sure, we all are. Get in, as it is we will barely get there to eat dinner.” Sam said as he started the van.
To their surprise Sam turned the radio on to play some Coheed and Cambria rock music, very, very loud. In with the radio playing and the late afternoon slowly turning reddish and orange they began their ascend to the mountains, to the rivers, to stones and the many hidden places of the wild. The sudden turn from urban to the rural almost takes your breath away, especially if you were born and raised in the big apple. The smells change, the trees reign supreme over the world as the roads raise ever more to the high places of the world, and there, where no man dwells the clouds are witness and sentinel to the gigantic untamed playground of the natural world. From thicket, behind stone and moss wild animals look at them ascend as on the clouds the birds play as if caught in fire, painted crimson and orange with the colors of the dying sun.
“So beautiful.” Indira said as she leaned her face on the glass window, next to her Thomas, taking in the same impressive landscape of rolling mountains and endless forests.
On the other side of the mountain road, between passing trees and shadows Doug and Josh could see far away rain being prismatized into rainbows. Those colors in the sky reminded them of blood, of things dying, of endings and something full of sorrow. On his part Alex was seated in the front next to Sam and during most of the trip he had remained silent, but now looking at that landscape he felt a deep sting in his heart, a deep nostalgia, something so deep that it could be given form. It was like suddenly remembering that you had to do something really important…something that you had forgotten.
“Don’t know why, but is beautiful, yet tragic at the same time.” Josh said and they all looked at him a bit surprised at hiss deepness, especially Mike that was seated at his side.
“You guys should look to the northeast as we reach the bend.” Sam said as he took the bend and they found themselves on the top of the mountain.
Traveling a narrow path surrounded by great cliffs of stone, below they could see Camp Haven almost completely shrouded in darkness. The only lights that could be seen were the artificial lights coming from the many light posts here and there, and it was clear to see that it was just about dinner time. The lake next to it could be seen reflecting the impressive light show being played above in the mountain. The very top of the Bear Mountain was painted red crimson in exotic display, while the forests around it were being slowly painted black by the approaching night.
“It is almost unreal.” Alex said.
“Want to take a closer look?” Sam said stopping the car for them to get out.
The wind was strong, making their hair flail and dance in the wind as they stood side by side looking at the landscape beyond, smelling the cold wind coming from the Appalachians, and taking in the promise of adventure that awaits them. Yet, standing there they all were very aware of something that they could not comprehend fully. That feeling they were feeling, that anticipation was very close to the feelings felt by sailors before a storm. Their happiness was slightly tainted with memories long forgotten, with things that they could not comprehend, and standing there together only made that stronger. They were all back to Camp Haven and that meant many things.
CHAPTER 3
-Fire Dreaming-
There is something about summer nights, about the endless stars and the vagrant promise of rain that has been passed over in our blood since the time of our forefathers. It was a time of merrymaking, the fact that we had survived winter and we have the luck to be enjoying summer before the rain seasons begin. Some of us don’t know it, but summer camps and all the many activities we make in that season when the sun and its light is the closest to us has its roots in more ancient rites. Rites to old gods of nature, rites performed by people that saw life in anything that moves. Now people see the world as dead, and once you believe in something for a long time the sentiment stays and remains tainting the truth about things. The wind is alive; water is alive, even the many rocks perform life as they fall, everything that moves and passes movement is alive and that night Camp Haven was alive into bursting.