This is my fourth installment to my first piece here. I am a rather young writer but i was encuouraged by my teachers and freinds to write a story based on my poetry. This story is influenced by a true story. Please do not use this work anywhere else without asking me first. Thanks a bunch and enjoy!
Note: If you are looking for a story fille with sexual encounters, this story is not for you. It does however have a gay theme and hold many homosexual notions and influences.
Questions and comments are veyr much appreciated.
The Momentum of Opportunity
Chapter Four
- Buried deeply under his imagination he has lost track of time. How could he have been so foolish, four fifteen in the afternoon always came too soon. The blocks and small action figures scattered the living room floor along with toy trucks and miniature cars littering the space. A parade of tiny plastic green soldiers marched their way from the kitchen to the couch. It was surely the work of a six year old boy, delighted to be home from a long day at school and to leap into his mystical world of afternoon adventures.
He quickly gathers the blocks and throws them into the large cardboard box under the window of the living room where all his toys should be, especially at this time. But the moment the blocks tumble into the hollow box, the front door knob rattles. Icy cold panic rushes through his spine causing him to jerk under his skin. He leaps for the tiny soldiers and crashes them from their neat alignments but it is far too late. The door opens and lets in the blinding light from the afternoon sun flooding the room with an amber glow. The glow was soon obstructed by a large shadow between the doorway, towering over the innocent mess. Even though he could not see its eyes, he knew they glared into his tiny heart. The shadow was firm and refused to move. Once it did it slammed the door shut sending a cold echo through the hallways of the little home, the light vanished within an instant .Today he failed, he went far too deep into his own fantasies of rescuing puppies from giant teddy bears while keeping an army of plastic men at bay. He clutches the plastic figures tightly towards his chest hoping that they could shed him some of their synthetic courage.
The figure moved closer, its footsteps beating along with the thunderous slamming in his heart. He could only look down and wait. As the footsteps neared, the pace accelerated and the steps grew longer in stride. He tightens his grip on the plastic men and bears his head towards his chest. They move closer, he can feel the anger in the hardwood floor as the hard soles pound onto the thin wood within each step. It gets closer now, the final four strides came as fast as a light jog, he braces himself. Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump. A hard blow slashed through the silent air clashing into the left side of his head. The force sent his small body toppling towards the opposite side, sending him lunging face first into the scattered debris of blocks and metal cars. The pain was as loud as the sound of the knuckles clapping into his cheeks but he refused to shout. He lay still, trying to float. He tried to float away to the top of the ceiling and through the roof, perhaps even pass the trees and into the clouds. He closed his eyes as tight as he could in a poor attempt to think of precious thoughts of bliss. It was the only way to bear the rampage that he was enduring. A strong arm clenched onto his tiny wrist, it pulled him off the floor. With one quick jerk it flung him against the hard wall, his head collides with the concrete and ricochets before allowing him to collapse into a small heap. Now tears began to surge through his eyes and stream down his stinging cheeks. He heard him self cry through muffled lips as he fought to keep them sealed. His body jerked with each sob as he covers his face with both hands and waits for the next wave of hell. It never came. He raises his chin slightly to examine the scene. It was quite a mess indeed, but nothing he couldn't put away. He slowly got up while soothing the side of his head with one hand and wiping his eyes and nose with the other. The dark shadow remained at arms length; he looked up searching for its approval to carry on. It was motionless, possessing eyes with the intensity of burning steel. He began to crouch over the pieces of blocks and toys, gathering them into his uplifted shirt as he picked them up as fast as he could and dumped them into the awaiting cardboard box. The figure hovered over him. For the first time it spoke but the sound came in waves of loud shouting. Piercing the air and into his hands as they shook violently while attempting to finish the task. The yelling added fuel to the calamity as the small house soon erupted into a frenzy of hate, anger, and chaos.*
He woke up to find the covers still over his head. Sweat has soaked through the thin sheets and he could feel his thighs sticking to each other from the perspiration. The street lights outside castes a single ray of light through the window, revealing his glistening neck and cheeks. His forehead was lined with sweat that leaked into his hair and his breathing was heavy, almost to a gasp. He whipped the covers off and sat up on the side of the bed. His mother was sound asleep. He placed his hands on his face and wiped off the sweat. It happened again. This scenario has become all too common for him. Yet each time it happens it adds a new sense of fear and leaves capacity for more insanity to come. Somehow he knows that the scene playing over and over each night is real. Yet he cannot recall it ever happening. The identity of the mysterious figure and the author of the brutality have always been concealed. Still, it was impossible for such an image to appear over and over unless they have been experienced before and perhaps stored into some deep pocket of his memory. The thought of such an act actually happening brought shivers on the back of his neck. He wants nothing more than to forget about it. He needed to forget it.
He sat still, his long legs dangle on the side of the bed. His body is finally calming down as he tries to catch his breath. The light from the street castes eerie shadows on the window blinds. The atmosphere made his head hurt and the room is way too god damn gloomy. The sight of everything was too depressing. He decided to go out for some air, sometimes when he walks around he could get tired enough to fall asleep soundly. The digital clock by the lamp read 1:13 A.M. The fatigue is eating at him and he knows it. The frustration from the inability to sleep has become unbearable. He needed some air to bring him back to life, perhaps maybe even a trip across the street to the pornography shop. After all, one of his favorite remedies for a restless night was to release some building pressure. He looked over at his mother, her face pointed towards the other side of the bed as she slept. She looks so peaceful and serene. He was glad she was able to sleep, she deserved it.
He got up and stretched his arms and released an exhausted yawn. He quietly fondles the chair for his coat; it was still slightly damp. He scanned the room for his earmuffs but it far was too dark to see. He started to walk towards the bed lamp to turn it on when he herd a noise coming from the door. It sounded like a faint whimper. He stopped dead in his tracks to listen. There was nothing. It was all quiet, not even the bustling noise from the streets. He figured he was finally hallucinating from the lack of sleep. He rubs his drooping eyes and started to reach for the lamp when he hears it again. It sounded like a small child or perhaps a dog. The sound seems to be coming from the other side of door. His mouth gapes open as his breathing comes to almost a complete halt. Somehow he found himself ducking behind the bed and poking his head slightly above the covers where he can see the door. He stares at the dark rectangular outline of the doorway, his head still and his heart leaping towards every possible direction within his chest. He looked underneath the door where the light from the hallway slipped through. It appears to be nothing there. Yet the sound continues, this time with regularity, a steady whimper. It sounded like something was injured. Ocean have herd stories from his friends in Bordeaux that ghosts are real and that motels happen to be teaming with lost spirits. This thought raised a series of goose bumps across his body and the fact that he was only in his briefs did not help much.
He realized it was perhaps silly to be hiding from something he doesn't even know exists. Maybe it is a sick dog and if so he could probably offer some assistance. Afterall he loves animals, especially dogs. He stood up from his hiding place behind the bed and started to creep towards the door. The sound grew louder as he approached; as he got closer the sound began to intensify into his ears. He knelt next to the door and placed his ear gently on the smooth wood. He listens intently as the sound becomes stronger and clearer. Still, it was difficult to determine who it was or what it was that was causing the noise. He slowly reached for the turn-lock on the metal door knob. The thought of a ghost appearing on the other side of the door caused him to hesitate. The fear returned but he was determined to discover the reality behind the mysterious whimpering.
Unlocking the door with a sharp "click", he cautiously turns the knob. The door creeks slightly as he opens it toward him. He is careful to open the door just enough so that he could see outside, letting in only a slice of light. The bright light from the hallway shoots onto his face making him squint in order to see. He saw nothing but the white paint of the narrow hallway and the dark green carpet that happens to plague the entire motel. He opens the door wider, still kneeling on the floor. With the door half open, he couldn't see anyone, not even a sick dog not to mention a ghost. He sighs in relief and stands up to open the door the all the way. He pokes his head to the left but nothing was there, only a small window at the end of the hall. Then he looked to the right, again nothing was there except another hallway passage towards the left. There was a sign that pointed into the new hallway that read "Stairs". He remembers seeing the sign on his way from climbing the stairs earlier that evening. The coast was clear but somehow the eerie whimpering continues to fill the hallway and now the sound appears to be originating from the new hallway.
He steps out of the room and carefully closes the door behind him, making sure that the door was unlocked so that he could later reenter. He slowly walked to the end of the hall and peered behind the wall. At the end of the hall he saw the top of the stair way leading to the reception room. Then he saw what at first seemed to be a black garbage bag, but it was moving. After walking closer he saw that it was a person in a black shirt. A small body slumped over the stairs; he discovered that this is where the noise originated from. He walked until he was almost at arms length with the person. It appears to be a boy or at least a male. He's crying, his body convulsing under the sobs as long whimpers exhale from his lungs. The boy was oblivious to his presence as he stood there speechless. He did not know what to do or even say. He found himself standing there for a couple minutes just starring. Finally he decided to reach out and touch the boy lightly on his shoulder but he pulled his hand back at the final moment. He decided that it would be frightening for the boy whose crying continued throughout the hall. He rubbed his eyes again hoping that somehow he was hallucinating, the boy was still there with his arms crossed on top his knees and his face hidden within his arms. His crying is muffled but still very much audible nonetheless. From where he stood the boy appeared to possess black hair with brown skin revealing itself from his quivering neck.
"uhh excuse me," Ocean blurted out. It came out in a slur.
The boy turned around quickly, his eyes wide and his mouth gaping. It looked like he was screaming but nothing was herd. The tears left tracks on his cheeks as he examined the stranger before him.
"Is there anything wrong, I mean, I don't mean to be nosy but I noticed that you looked kinda upset." Ocean searched his eyes for a response.
The boy looked down at Ocean's waistline bewildered. Seeing this brought an intense blush to Oceans face. He completely forgot that he was still in his black briefs.
"oh sorry I was^Å..uh^Å.sleeping. And^Å^Åwell are you alright? Do you speak French?"
"Yes I do. What do you want; can you just leave me at peace? My problems are none of your business."
The boy stood up, his face was dark, his hair curled into his eyes yet they were still visible. He was thin but he looked to be shorter than his intruding counterpart. Ocean stood at about five feet eleven inches, the boy was barely five foot five but judging from his voice he seemed to be at least fifteen years old.
"I know ^Å..I know it's none of my business, but the truth is I couldn't sleep and I herd you crying. I figured I could be of some use if I'm awake anyways."
He suddenly felt stupid realizing how ridiculous and odd he looks, standing there trying to reason with a stranger while in his briefs, especially at this time at night.
"I don't need your help, I'm fine." His crying had subsided now with only traces of a light sniffle. His eyes however still swelled with fresh tears. He turned back around to sit down on the steps leaving Ocean speechless once again. He was about to leave the boy alone and return to his room to sleep when he suddenly thought of something.
"Hey, wait there for a second alright? Don't go anywhere, I'll be right back."
He quickly turned around and skipped back through the hallways towards his room. He opens the door and walks towards his jacket. He glances at his mother to make sure she's still sleeping. He started to fondle his jacket for a while before reaching into the chest pockets and fished out three silver coins. He clenched them into his fist and ran out the room, back towards the stairs. The boy turned around upon hearing his footsteps, his face twisted with confusion.
"I don't get it^Å. What are y^×"
"Don't move I'll be real quick, just stay there!"
His voice was teaming with a rare excitement as he brushed by the boy and down the first flight of stairs. He is on the second floor now as he turned to his right. By the stair way there was an old vending machine, he spotted it earlier as he entered the motel. He scanned the assortment of various snacks and jammed in the three coins. The treat dropped with a thump and he grabbed it. He couldn't help it but smile as he raced back to the top of the stairway where the boy was still sitting. His crying has stopped now; but he was mostly confused and shocked at this point.
"Here you go"
The boy took the item in his hands and examined it.
"Chocolate? I don't get it." The boy looked at Ocean for an answer.
"What's there not to get? Chocolate makes everyone feel better. Go ahead, eat. I promise you'll feel better. ^Å.Here."
He takes the chocolate bar from the boy's hands and with one pull he rips open the wrapper.
"Here, it's good. Don't worry I won't poison you."
He breaks off a piece and plops it in his mouth trying to look as convincing as he could that chocolate does indeed remedy one's sorrows. He breaks off another square and waves it I front of the boy, trying desperately to look tantalizing.
"You know you want it, don't be shy."
The boy took the morsel and bit off a piece into his mouth.
"So^Å..are you feeling better?"
Ocean smiled with glee as chocolate covered his white teeth and began to drip off the corner of his mouth. Seeing this, the boy couldn't help it but let out a slight chuckle that grew into a grin. He put the rest of the piece into his mouth and savored it.
"See? Its does work! I told you so, your smiling now."
"Hmph, I guess your right then. Hey I'm Abdul." He extended his hand.
"My name's Ocean, Ocean LaFontaine. Nice to meet you." He grabbed Abdul's hand and gave it a rough shake to waken his sprits.
"Want some more? There's plenty."
"Ha, I'm ok; I think it did the trick though"
There was a long silence as the two began to remember why they were not sleeping at 1:45 in the morning. Ocean looked down at his feet thinking of how tired he will be tomorrow.
"Man life can really turn on you in an instant, how come nothing is ever fair? Why can't things just stay the same?" Abdul's voice was reduced to almost a whine as he talked towards his shoes.
"Hey man, trust me its ok, there's always ups and downs, life can really suck sometimes but I've been thinking about that a lot and I think that maybe it has to suck for a reason you know?"
"What reason is that?" Abdul questioned him, his voice lacking any signs of like life.
"I'm not sure exactly but I dunno, I just hope that maybe one day some one would tell us. Maybe god will, you know, if you pray enough or something."
"pssh your funny Ocean, you will always be alone in this life, no matter who you have or what you have, you will always be alone, no one will tell you anything." Abdul shook his head as he knows all too well that what he was saying is true. Ocean began to think about it and even started to believe him. But he didn't want to; the thought of being lonely was far too depressing for him. Although half the time he was lonesome he knew that he would still have his mother and he never really had any problem making friends.
"Hey Abdul^Å"
"Yeah?"
"Is it ok if I asked you why you were crying? I mean you don't have to, I totally understand if you want to keep it to yourself."
"Its ok man, sometimes it's good to talk about your problems with other people. Especially if you're a stranger," He almost smiled." It's very frustrating for me because you see it's my mother. She and I have been living alone since my father died two years ago. We don't exactly have a home anymore; I've been living in this motel for three months already. I'm tired of this place, I'm tired of everything."
He tilts his head back and takes a deep breath trying to his hardest not to break down.
"I'm really sorry about your father," He naturally reaches for Abdul's should and gave it a small squeeze. "Bad things will always happen, but I think sometimes when bad things happen it makes room for the good things too ya know?"
"I sure hope so"
"So where's your mother then, she sleeping?
"That's exactly it" Abdul's voice softened to a whisper. "My mother is out."
"Out? Like outside?"
"Yes, outside at this time, it's how we maintain to live here and it's how we eat." Abdul lowers his head in embarrassment, it is difficult to see his blush under his dark tone but you can see it in his eyes.
"I get so worried, my worst fear is that one night she will never come back and I will never know what happened to her or where she is. She already had an incident two weeks ago; she got in trouble with a group of men. When she came home she tried to hide it from me but I saw them, the bruises under her eyes and her arms. Why can't there be other ways Ocean? Why this? Why me?"
The lump in his throat began to remerge as he fought back the tears once more.
"She'll come home alright tonight, don't you worry I can feel it." Ocean's words were intentioned to lift Abdul's sprits but his voice lacked confidence to make it affective.
A long silence stood between the two once more as Ocean's eyes got heavy. Sleep is finally on its way he thought.
"So why can't you sleep? What makes it so hard that you'd rather come out to talk to a crying fool like me?" Abdul turned his head and looked directly into Ocean's green eyes.
"Because I'm crazy" Ocean muttered the response under his breath.
"Oh no you can't get away with that answer, were all crazy my friend. Every single one of us."
"I don't know I just get these insane nightmares that make it so hard for me to fall asleep, it's been going on for quite sometime now. I just don't know how to get rid of it or even get used to it."
"Maybe you should let your nightmares talk to you, don't block them out^Å.listen to them." Abdul's voice began to possess an odd tone of wisdom making him sound like an old hermit of some sort. "My grandmother back in India would give me the same advice when I had nightmares. You never know, they could be telling you something."
Ocean thought about it. But judging from the nightmares whatever the message is, he does not want to hear it.
Abdul rose to his feet and yawned, stretching his arms and arching his back. The sight made Ocean even more exhausted. He got up as well.
"You're tired, maybe you can finally get some sleep. Remember just listen to them don't deny them."
"Your right, I'll try."
"I'll see you tomorrow maybe?" Abdul asked, his voice in higher spirits.
"Yeah, my mother and I are leaving for the airport but I'll see you then"
"You can knock on my door, its right over there, room 315."
"Alright Abdul, goodnight"
Ocean turned around and walked about three steps back towards his room when he felt an arm firmly grasp his wrist. He whirled around to see Abdul inches from his face. Abdul's face was expressionless as he looked up into Oceans eyes painted with confusion. Abdul placed both hands on Ocean's forearms and pressed him against the wall, he frowned into Ocean's eyes seeking for unseen solace. Ocean tried to open his mouth but Abdul quickly laid a finger upon his lips. He leaned forward and kissed him. A simple smooch on the lips that left Ocean stunned. Abdul leans towards his ear and whispered,
"Thanks for the chocolates."
He lifted his hands off Ocean's arms allowing him to surface form the wall. Abdul looked into those green eyes almost apologetically. He turned and walked down the hallway. Within seconds Ocean herd a door open and then slam shut. He leaned back against the wall and tried to digest the emotions circulating through his tired veins. He walks back into his room in a slight daze. He enters and quietly slips into the bed. The night was still dark but the deep blue in the sky outside the window hinted that morning was fast to come. He lies in the bed and continues to ponder the experience for a moment, trying to determine if it really happened. Though it was an odd feeling and overwhelmed him with shock, he did not actually detest it. He expected to be overcame with a feeling of vile and disgust from having been kissed by another boy, but he wasn't. Even though the experience was difficult to comprehend, he found himself falling asleep within minutes, a dreamless sleep that would very much indeed carry him towards the daylight.