New Horizons

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This story contains descriptions of consensual sexual contact between males, adult and minor. As such it is homoerotic, designed for the entertainment of mature adults. If you are not of legal age to read such material, or if the subject matter would create irresolvable personal moral dilemmas, please exit now

Note: I would like to thank Colin and John for their continued support and patience while I try to write this story. Their support and efforts at editing and correcting my errors contribute significantly to the reader's pleasure.

Like 'feel good' stories? Go to Adult/Youth section and try "Brad's Idol" or "Never Take Love For Granted". One is another of my stories, the other is written by a talented friend.

Chapter Forty-Seven: New Horizons

The five boys pulled weeds from the planting beds in front of the privacy wall. Their fathers had retired to the back patio with Arthur leaving the boys to experience the cruelty of passers-by. Initially, the boys worked in silence; no one knew what to say. Jeremy was accustomed to being alone and working in silence next to other boys. Slaves were not allowed to talk to one another when working and he was still in his slave trained mentality. The work wasn't particularly hard, but it was hot and dirty. Sweat was absorbed by the diapers they wore, making them uncomfortable. To make things more unpleasant, the boys had to endure the insults and taunts not only from passers-by, but from kids they knew; kids who were supposed to be their friends.

"Ted," John spoke to his brother almost in a whisper, "I gotta go. What do I do?"

Ted looked at his brother and knew he had to make a decision. Ted had hoped this problem would not be left up to him to decide, but it was his responsibility. He thought for a few moments, knowing what the answer had to be.

"You just go, John. Remember, we said we was going to do just like Jeremy has to so we could understand what he goes through. The only difference is that Jeremy knows he has to wear the diaper because he doesn't have control of his body. We have to do the same as him. So, just go."

"Ted!" John was shocked. "I can't just go and mess in this diaper! Besides, where do I go to do it?"

"If it was Jeremy knowin' he was goin' to go, he wouldn't have a choice. He'd just go where he was and had to endure the embarrassment. I imagine that before this day is over, all of us will know that kind of embarrassment ^Ö we deserve it. So, just close your eyes and do it; imagine bein' in the woods on a campin' trip and squatting. If you think this part is embarrassing, what about when the time comes to be naked in front of Ms. Linda?"

"Uh-uh! No way! No way am I gonna shit or piss in a diaper!" Derek exclaimed. The other boys just stood there looking at him.

"Derek! Stop bein' such an ass!" Ted exclaimed. "You're just as guilty as the rest of us and after this morning, prob'bly more." Derek returned an incredulous stare.

"You heard Mr. Arthur when he talked about what all Jeremy's had to go through. I bet he's got more guts in his little finger than most boys do in their whole body. Do you think you could take being abused like him and make it? I doubt it!" Ted stated his feelings very matter-of-factly, leaving no doubt that he admired Jeremy for just surviving.

"Fuck you, Ted! Hell, I bet that . . ." Nathan spoke up to interrupt Derek's ranting.

"Derek, you got no idea what your talkin'about. You think you got in trouble with your old man earlier, you better hope he can't hear you now. How come you think you're so damn good? Jeremy didn't do nothin' wrong. He just came home one day and got taken away. Me? I'm hopin' he'll talk to us later and tell us what it was like. More than that, I'm hopin' it never happens to me."

Jeremy watched the boys argue and never said anything. He was trained to not speak unless spoken to and never, ever, talk about a free man, or boy. When Nathan finished speaking, Derek just stared at him until John gave Ted a look that broadcast discomfort. Ted gave his younger brother a smile and patted him on the shoulder. The boys returned to their work.

While the boys continued their work, their fathers appeared with pitchers of ice water and lemonade. It didn't take the men long to realize what had happened with the boys. John and Nathan were both about to lose their diapers. The extra weight was pulling them down and the boys didn't have hips large enough to help keep their diapers up. Both fathers gave their sons a knowing smile and a pat on the shoulder to let them know they were doing well. The boys and the men could hear Derek passing gas. When his father looked at him Derek began to complain.

"Dad, I gotta go! Can't I go inside?" Derek whined.

"No, you may not go inside. You'll do the same as the other boys have done and use the diaper you're wearing." His father responded with no hint of sympathy. "That's the only way you are going to learn to appreciate what Jeremy has been through. What's more, I've decided to implement a variation of the old NEWDD program for you. You need to learn a little humility and how to have respect for others."

"What's that? What do you mean, a variation of the NEWDD program?" Derek couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Derek, you heard Mr. Arthur describe it earlier. Fortunately for you, there won't be any mandatory public punishments. Actually, if there was, I think you'd have a better appreciation of what Jeremy has suffered." Derek's father continued in an even, controlled voice. "You will be nude, in public and in private, for the next week. You will work in the house and yards, nude. You will not be allowed to watch television, use the computer, call friends, or anything else that a household slave would not normally do."

"Dad! You can't do that!" Derek screamed at his father.

"Keep it up, son, and I'll make it two weeks. By the way, you'll spend the first three days here, with Jeremy. The big difference is that you'll be taking care of him."

Derek could not believe what he was hearing. How could his own father make him go nude, everywhere? Worse, how could his father make him a servant to a slave! No way was Derek going to go along with this.

"Derek, I'm telling you right now, in front of Mr. Arthur, these boys, and their fathers, that if you don't do as you're told, Mr. Arthur has my permission to administer whatever punishment he deems proper to make sure you tow the line. Give him enough trouble that he has to call me, and you won't want to know the consequences."

Derek, tears running down his face, watched as his father turned and walked off. He could not believe his own father would do this, much less embarrass and humiliate him in front of the other boys as he had just done. Before the other fathers followed, they let their sons know they would be staying with Jeremy all weekend. The boys acknowledged with a nod and didn't say anything.

When the boys finished weeding the beds they turned to Jeremy for direction. What did he normally do now? Jeremy motioned for the boys to follow him around back where they entered the guesthouse. All the boys groaned their discomfort at the feelings and smell of a soiled diaper. They all exclaimed how disgusted they were when they realized how dirty they were. Jeremy removed his diaper and placed it in a lined receptacle. The other boys did the same. Jeremy led the boys outside where he retrieved a garden hose and the boys cleaned themselves. While they were cleaning up, Linda appeared from around the corner.

"Boys, lunch is ready. Everybody hungry?" The boys couldn't move fast enough to try and cover themselves. All the boys blushed, except Jeremy who tried to hide a smile when he watched the boys' reaction. Jeremy had been naked for two years, it was normal for him. Before following Linda, Ted spoke up.

"Jeremy, you know you haven't said one word all morning. Why?" Jeremy looked first at Ted and then to the ground before speaking.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be rude. For me, I was allowed to speak only when answering a question. If I spoke without permission, I was beaten."

"Beaten?" Nathan asked. "Just for speaking? How? With what?"

Jeremy looked at Nathan. He knew the visitor did not understand and could not know the harsh memories his questions brought back. Jeremy stood, fighting back the tears he felt welling inside him. Ted saw what was happening and waved Nathan away. He stepped up to Jeremy, gave him a smile and placed an arm around his shoulders as they walked towards their fathers.

Linda sat with the boys. Initially, she had planned on staying inside so the boys didn't get embarrassed. She knew that two of them were not accustomed to having anyone, including their own parents, see them naked. The men asked her to stay outside just as she normally would. When the boys approached the table they quickly took seats, thankful for the bit of cover provided by the table. Of course, that was short lived as each boy had to serve himself, and his father, from the buffet table. Ted served Linda without a hint of embarrassment for his nudity.

During lunch, Ted deliberately asked Arthur questions about Jeremy. He wasn't being nosy, although he was curious, but these questions had more to do with what Jeremy could or could not do. Ted was really curious about what Jeremy had experienced and wanted the boy to know it was alright to speak his mind.

"Normally, after lunch," Linda began, "Jeremy will spend some time working on reading. Most people don't realize that reading is a skill. We do it every day, so we don't think about it. Jeremy was not allowed to look at books or newspapers, not even the comics section. Because he didn't use the skill, part of it slipped away and he's working to improve himself. The same thing goes for his writing." Linda paused for a moment to determine if the boys understood what she was telling them. Their expressions told her they were thinking about what she said. Then she continued.

"We ask him to spend at least an hour on his reading and the same amount of time on his writing. At first, he had some trouble but it's all coming back to him now. When that's done, he chooses what he wants to do. Late in the afternoon, he and Mr. Arthur spend time together talking and playing in the pool. Of course, like most children, he's expected to keep his bedroom picked up. His room, his responsibility."

Jeremy watched Linda as she spoke with the boys. There were two things he did right after lunch that she did not tell them. Jeremy wasn't sure why she didn't tell them until Linda spoke to him.

"Jeremy, if I've left any thing out I'll leave it up to you to tell the boys." Jeremy looked first at Linda and then the boys. He wasn't sure whether or not he should tell them. Arthur saw the uncertainty on the boy's face and decided to help him.

"Remember, Jeremy, earlier the boys said they wanted to know what it's like for you. That means the good and the not so good. It is up to you, however."

"After lunch and before I study, I do exercises. Dr. Mike said I needed to do them twice a day or more so my muscles get fixed. I have to test how strong they are, too. When my muscles are fixed, I won't have to wear a diaper no more." As he spoke, Jeremy's head slowly moved down to hide his embarrassment.

Ted realized how hard this was for Jeremy and attempted to show his support. "Jeremy, can I exercise with you? I can help with your studies, too." Two of the other boys quickly responded with their own offers.

Derek's father watched him, wondering where he and his wife had failed. How could his son be so selfish?

The men continued to sit on the patio discussing the current situation with boys being enslaved for parental debt. What began as a lesson in life for their sons had evolved into an informal strategy session to educate the public and win support for new laws. The men knew that occasionally, things do happen beyond an individual's control. Any one of them could unknowingly or unwittingly find themselves in an accident where they were sued. They knew their sons could wind up just like Jeremy and the thought made them uncomfortable.

The boys moved around the yard, in and out of the guesthouse. The only time their fathers really paid any attention to them was when all the boys came out of the guesthouse wearing a fresh diaper. Two of the fathers did a second take when they saw their sons sitting down outside to read a book. Ted and Jeremy sat on the ground with one of Jeremy's books opened before them. To help Jeremy's efforts in his struggle to achieve normalcy, Linda had borrowed a third grade reader, among others, from the library. Linda normally worked with Jeremy. Today, Ted was the mentor. The two boys talked. Arthur noticed that Ted was able to draw Jeremy out and was pleased at the progress the boy appeared to be making towards interacting with boys his own age. Again, Derek was the only boy not fully absorbed with his reading.

Arthur watched the clock as the boys worked. Normally, Jeremy's concentration began to wander after about thirty minutes. Today, the boys worked for over an hour when Arthur decided it was time for some father-son activities. Arthur had explained to the other men the schedule he tried to keep with Jeremy and their normal activities. The men followed Arthur into the guesthouse. Four men exited the guesthouse; the boys were surprised to see the men were nude. Three fathers scooped up their sons who screamed their joy and surprise as they were carried over and tossed into the pool.

Arthur stayed with Jeremy and waited until they were alone to suggest he wear the butt plug Dr. Mike had left for him to avoid any embarrassment. Jeremy retrieved the plug from the guest bedroom and inserted it, exiting the guesthouse nude, also. Hurrying to catch up with Arthur and the others, Jeremy was surprised when Arthur stepped from behind the door, scooped up the boy he wanted to be his son, and tossed him into the pool. Jeremy screamed and laughed as loud as the free boys. The fathers, the sons, and the wannabees enjoyed spending time together rough housing in the pool.

Linda had spent all of her time in the house, allowing the men their time. She enjoyed watching the boys interact during the afternoon and was particularly pleased to see how well Jeremy and Ted seemed to be getting along. She also noticed that John and Nathan were making a good effort to interact with Jeremy. Unfortunately, Derek continued to remain distant. When she saw the men go skinny dipping with the boys, Linda decided it was time for the ladies to pull a little mischief of their own.

Linda was acquainted with the wives of two of the men. She placed the calls and invited them over for a pot luck cook-out. When she told the ladies what was happening in her backyard, they couldn't get there fast enough. One of the ladies knew the third wife and mother, who was delighted to share in the mischief. The fun part began when all of the ladies stepped out onto the patio as a group. Initially, the men and boys were delighted until they watched the ladies enter the guesthouse and remove all of the men's clothing. The ladies then proceeded to prepare the impromptu cookout.

The men didn't worry too much until it was time to exit the pool. When they requested a towel and were denied, the ladies thought it would get interesting. The first to exit the pool was Jeremy who was accustomed to being nude around everyone. Shortly, Ted and John followed with Nathan behind them. The naked boys stood with their mothers, taunting their fathers. As often happens, the boys pushed it a little and didn't realize they were getting closer and closer to the edge of the pool. Soon, the boys were back in the water. While the ladies watched their surprised sons, the men climbed out and began chasing the wives.

Jeremy watched, not sure how to react to the scene unfolding before him. When he realized that everyone was laughing and having a good time he joined in, helping Arthur chase Linda. The ladies didn't get thrown in the pool; after all, not all the food had been prepared and placed on the tables. However, the men and boys didn't hesitate to rub against the ladies to dry themselves off.

The day began with the intent to have four boys learn to respect others. The activities of the late afternoon and early evening turned the activities into more of a fun and friendly type gathering. The parents did not lose sight of their original goal and felt it was being reached, just by way of a different route. The boys would stay for the entire weekend as originally planned. All the boys were pleased, except one ^Ö Derek.

The adults understood the boys would interact more freely if they thought the adults were out of ear shot. Arthur and Linda decided to let the boys use the guesthouse. No special sleeping arrangements were considered; let the boys work it out for themselves. Of course, Arthur did have a little trick up his sleeve. Before leaving the boys for the evening, each father had a word with his son.

Arthur took Jeremy to the sitting area beside the guesthouse for a quick talk. He sat and placing a hand on each side of Jeremy's hips, spoke with the boy.

"Jeremy, you're doing fine, son. Do you like having the other boys here to spend time with you?"

Jeremy looked to the side and down; again, slave training. "They all seem nice, especially Ted and John. Mr. Arthur, why does Derek hate me so much?"

"Jeremy, I'm not sure. He does seem to have a bit of a chip on his shoulder though. I you have the chance, why don't you ask him? You know his father is very disappointed with him, and worried." Jeremy just nodded, so Arthur continued.

"Jeremy, we want these boys to understand what it is that you had to endure. If they understand and oppose boys being treated like that, hopefully they will tell their friends who will tell their parents. We want to get these laws changed so no boy has to endure what you have. Do you understand?" Jeremy began to tear up, but nodded.

"Jeremy, I'm not going to tell you that you have to answer all their questions or tell them everything you went through, but if you can share part of it, it will be a big help."

Arthur saw the tears in the boy's eyes and with a little pressure from his fingers on the boy's cheeks, the boy stepped into the man's arms. When the arms surrounded him, he knew he was secure and somebody really cared.

After letting their sons know it was time to go home, the fathers departed and the boys headed to the guesthouse. Arthur let the boys know that Linda would bring them a snack later and there were drinks in the small fridge. He also told them that if they needed something there was an intercom system and by pressing a button a tone would sound in the house so he or Linda could answer them. What Arthur didn't let the boys know was that he had set the intercom system to 'monitor', much as a parent might do to a nursery to listen for any troubles the baby might be having. The intercom inside the house was set for 'mute'.

"Arthur," Linda began, "I almost feel guilty for listening in on the boys like this. Do you think this is really necessary? If Jeremy discovers what we've done, he may never trust us."

"Honey, I understand." Arthur responded, "but somehow we need to find out what Jeremy has been through and how he's handling the situation. I don't want to risk losing his trust any more than you do; I just don't know any other way right now. We'll do what we agreed on. Whatever we hear about the other boys, unless it's life threatening, stays here. We don't need those boys thinking they can't trust us either."

"Jeremy, can I ask you somethin'?" Ted spoke quietly. Jeremy waited, neither nodding nor shaking his head. "What was it like? I mean when they took you away, what happened?" Jeremy looked away, to someplace far off. He shrugged his shoulders and answered.

"I don't know if I can explain it. I came home one day from school and there was some strange cars sitting in the driveway and out front; one was a truck, like a delivery truck. I guess that's what it really turned out to be too. Thing is, I didn't know then that what it was deliverin' was me. When I went in the house, soon as I opened the door, my mom started yellin' for me to run. They surprised me, I didn't know what to do or understand what was happpenin'. Two men grabbed me while two more held my mom, keepin' her from getting to me."

"When the men grabbed me I tried to run, but it was too late. I was only ten and they was grown men, big men. They didn't care if they hurt me neither. They pulled my hands behind my back and one of 'em held me like that, squeezin' my wrists till I cried 'cause it hurt so bad. The other one was puttin' somethin' around my ankles. Later, I knew it was cuffs with a chain just long enough to let me walk in short steps."

"When I cried because I was so scared and they were hurtin' me, somebody grabbed the top of my head and my chin and pulled my mouth open while another man stuffed somethin' in my mouth. After that I couldn't say anythin'; I couldn't hardly make any sound. The only sound I heard was my momma cryin'. I'll never for get that sound of her cryin', it was the last sound I heard from her. I heard it all the way out to that truck."

Jeremy had tears in his eyes and tears ran down his cheeks. The tears ran but he didn't cry, he had learned a long time ago that crying didn't help anything. The boys waited to see if he would continue. Jeremy stared into nothingness; then he continued.

"When they hauled me out of the truck we were inside a building. It was mostly dark and quiet like nobody else was there. I was still crying because I was so scared. When we went through some big doors everything changed. It was bright, and white. They half pulled and half carried me down this hall and then pushed me into a room. There wasn't anything in the room except a light in the ceiling. After a while a man and a lady came in and told me to strip. I tried backing away from them and looked for someplace to run; there wasn't anywhere to go. The man grabbed me and said I could do what they said and make it easy or I could make it hard. If I wanted to make it hard they were going to take my clothes, then whip me. He pulled out a whip that was kinda short and had several pieces of leather or somethin' on it and slapped it against his leg. When I heard the sound it made, I jumped. I don't think I'd ever been so scared. I undressed and they left me there, naked. I haven't hardly worn any clothes since then."

"The next thing I remembered was somebody pokin' me and tellin' me to get up. I had to go to the bathroom real bad and told them. He hit me and told me I'd go when they said I could go. Before long, they took me to the bathroom where they also had showers. There was four or five other boys in there, too. I don't remember exactly how many 'cause I was still too scared to think. After usin' the toilet with everybody watchin' me, I had to shower and they took me into another room where they said I was goin' to get a physical examination. After that, I was put in another empty room where I just sat on the floor and tried to figure out what I'd done wrong and why I was bein' punished."

"I don't know how long I was in that room, but someone came and took me to this big room where I saw other boys. When I turned to ask one of the other boys what was happenin' they hit me across the butt with that whip and told me to shutup. I did. A while later a man took me to a room that looked like a prison cell. I heard one of the men say somethin' about my new owner not wantin' me marked; I'd be chipped. I didn't know what he was talkin' about, but I found out later."

"I'd been sold; I was a slave. I couldn't believe it; I still didn't know what I'd done wrong. I begged 'em to let me go. I kept sayin' how sorry I was and didn't even know what I was sayin' it for. This man came and put a collar around my neck and, after puttin' my hands behind my back, cuffed 'em. He put a leash on the collar and pulled me outside. By then I'd forgotten I was naked and didn't really care. One thing I'd hoped for, knew and believed, was my dad would come save me. I never saw my dad again after breakfast that mornin', the mornin' of the day they took me. My mom neither. There was nobody to save me. They told me I'd been sold to a brothel; I didn't know what that was. They knew it and told me not to worry, they'd teach me everything I needed to know. They did, they taught me how to pleasure men with sex."

"At first, I tried to fight 'em. I wouldn't do anything they said. They'd hit me with a whip and I just stared at them. They'd get real mad with me and I knew I was beatin' 'em. I'd decided I didn't care what they did. I was goin' to defy them until they let me go home. Then they figured out how to break me; they starved me. When I wouldn't learn to suck cock I went hungry. They'd bring another boy in front of my cage so I'd have to watch him suck cock. When he finished, he got fed. I was almost too weak to stand up when I finally let the bastard stick his cock in my mouth. I didn't have to make him cum, just hold it there for a few minutes and they gave me a few bites. From then on it was suck cock or die of hunger."

"When they thought I was ready they put me on display in a big, fancy room. I was in a cage hanging from the ceiling. They had a big party and I didn't know it at the time, but I was the guest of honor; at least my cherry was. They had an auction, high bidder got to be my first. I was so stupid I didn't know what was goin' on. I got educated and broken in before that night was over."

"Jer," Nathan interrupted, "what's a cherry?" Jeremy had forgotten there were boys still around who were just as ignorant as he was when he was sold.

"A cherry is a butt hole that's never had anythin' stuffed in it. Where I was the customers called it a boy's pussy. It's where a man sticks his dick to fuck a boy." Nathan reacted with a look of shock. He had heard boys talk about those things but never understood what they meant.

"There was six men biddin' on me. High bidder was first. I was tied to what they called a horse, least my hands were, not my feet. I never understood why they called it a horse except it looked like a horse you see construction people use to saw wood. It had leather over the top. They tied my hands down to two of the legs. I remember them puttin' somethin' cold and slick on my hole. He walked up behind me and played with my hole. I figured out what he was going to do and tried to scream. He slapped me on the butt and just rammed it in me. I screamed a scream that had to come from somebody else, somebody that was diein'. I must've passed out 'cause all I remember next was people congratulatin' the bastard. Next high bidder was second, and so on, until all six had me that night. When they finished I was just left tied there. They continued to play with me and laugh at me until the party ended. I was just a piece of meat, a joke, to them." Jeremy no longer had tears in his eyes; they were long since dried up. He stared and spoke into nothingness. There was no emotion in his voice, it was monotone.

"What else can I say? They made me a boy toy. I was fucked every way you can imagine. Sometimes somebody cared if they hurt me, but mostly I was a piece of ass to use and abuse and throw away. There was boys hardly older than me that I had to service. They came for their first piece of ass; they treated me the worst. I've been called every ugly name there is and told how much trash I was. When Mr. Arthur found me, if he hadn't bought me, I was to be shipped off to recycling. Do you know what that is?"

Ted and Derek nodded their heads and then explained it to John and Nathan. Each boy had tears running down his face. No one knew what to say. Ted was beginning to understand why his dad had said they were doing so much damage. This boy, younger than him, had gone through more hell than any free boy could imagine, and Ted and his friends thought it was funny to ridicule him. Ted was ashamed of himself and his friends.

Ted reached up and wrapped his arms around Jeremy. He held the boy close, and tight. Running his fingers up and down Jeremy's back, he whispered over and over again in his ear, "I'm sorry. . . . we didn't mean nothin', please. . ." The other boys sat quietly, not knowing what to say, watching.

Arthur and Linda heard what Jeremy told the boys. Linda's tears ran freely, Arthur was unable to fight back his own. After Jeremy told the first part of his story they turned the monitoring system off, but kept an eye on the guesthouse. They both knew the boys stayed up quite late because the lights stayed on in the guesthouse. The guess was the boys kept talking, but that needed to remain between them.

When the boys came out of the guesthouse the next morning, both Linda and Arthur noticed a big change in their demeanor, including Derek's. The boys were quieter, more solemn. They also formed kind of a circle around Jeremy like they were trying to shield him from something.

While eating their breakfast, the boys acted very reluctant to eat anything. When Arthur asked the boys what was wrong, the boys looked at one another and finally, Ted answered for them.

"Mr. Arthur, we're supposed to be bein' punished for doin' somethin' stupid, real stupid. The punishment is supposed to be for us to learn what it was like for Jeremy and how he feels. Well, from what he told us last night, he only got a little kibbles in the mornin' and some more at night unless somebody brought him something special. Well, how we gonna learn if we eat like this?" Arthur looked at each of the boys who mostly looked down and sneaked a peak at him occasionally.

"All you boys feel that way?" The boys nodded. "Well, you know fellas, I think maybe you have just taken a good step towards growing up a little more and, I'm sure your fathers would be very proud of you right now. Your demeanor this morning told us that Jeremy shared some of his experiences with you last night and I'm very proud of him for being able to do that." As he spoke, Arthur stepped behind Jeremy and draped his hands over the boy's chest, pulling him back for an inconspicuous hug.

"You're right, Ted. Jeremy did eat slave chow, or kibbles, when he was in that brothel, but not anymore. Jeremy is part of our family and eats the same as us. We don't think there will be any harm if you boys do the same. What your fathers and Ms. Linda and myself want is not to punish you, but to let you learn about something that we believe is very ugly and very unfair." Arthur paused to make sure the boys understood what he was telling them.

"Boys, we believe that slavery is dehumanizing. Our current system began as a method to take criminals that drained society and make them productive. Even under those conditions the system took a human being and made less human. They became pieces of property to be treated any way the owner chose. When the system expanded to include enslaving children, particularly children who had done no wrong, then society lost something very valuable. Society allowed itself to be stripped of its moral values and its most valuable asset, the children who would be its future. Enslaving children is wrong. There can be no excuse for it. Period!"

"Mr. Arthur?" John spoke up, "can I ask ya something"?" Arthur nodded. "You said Jeremy is part of your family now, but ain't he still a slave?"

"Yes, John, technically he still is. However, we're hoping that won't be much longer. As soon as we can get some technical legal issues worked out, we hope to end all that. Right now, we've already filed guardianship papers for him so he'll be staying here . . . permanently, as part of our family."

Arthur had to restrain himself. He wanted to say more but didn't want to say more than the young boys could handle or understand. There was also Jeremy. He and Linda had quickly come to care for this boy, but dared not say anything to raise his hopes too high when their might be the slightest chance they couldn't make the dream come true. They already knew one thing though, they did love this boy.

Jeremy just heard something he hadn't heard before. He knew what guardianship papers were; he knew they were given only for a free boy. The words 'permanently' and 'family' also registered with him ^Ö loud and clear. Could he again allow himself to hope that someone really cared? Could he again allow his emotions to surface so that he could love someone?

The boys stayed for the entire weekend. Arthur and Linda both noticed that the boys' attitudes seemed to be changing for the better, particularly Derek's. The boys worked beside Jeremy as he did his chores. They also played beside Jeremy when it was play time and studied when it was study time. Each night the boys stayed in the guesthouse. Arthur and Linda never turned the monitoring system back on, allowing he boys to have their privacy and talk about whatever it was young teenage boys talked about.

During the day, and at night, Jeremy noticed Derek would take little sneak peeks at him. More than once, Jeremy caught Derek staring at him. Jeremy recognized the boy's secret. When the time was right, Jeremy sat next to Derek to talk.

"Why don't you just ask me?" Jeremy inquired.

"What? What are you talkin' about?" Derek answered. Trying, but failing, to sound believable. Derek began to sweat.

Jeremy looked down and spoke in a very soft voice so no one else could hear him. "Have you come out to anybody yet? Have you told anybody your secret?"

Derek tried to act like he was insulted and extremely upset. Jeremy's continuing stare unnerved the boy till he had to tell the truth.

"Why do you say that?" Derek answered weakly.

"I was a boy whore. We learn these things. I've been watching the way you look at me. You don't hate me because I'm still a slave. You're scared you'll wind up like me, aren't ya? That, or maybe you have a little crush on one of the boys?"

"You", Derek answered meekly, almost whispering. "Ever since I first saw you, I just . . . well, I just thought you were beautiful, that's all." Derek realized what he had just said and began to panic. "Please! Jeremy, please! I know I haven't been nice to you, but please, don't tell my dad. He'll kill me! Please!" The pleading was not only in Derek's voice, but in his eyes as the tears began to well up.

Jeremy looked at the panic strickin' boy and understood his problem. There was a day when Jeremy panicked at the thought he might now be gay. He knew that in time he had learned to enjoy both giving and receiving male to male sex. In fact, he learned to love being the bottom with a caring man, but never told anyone for fear of being used by the other slave boys.

"I know. Believe me, I know." Was all Jeremy said and then placed an arm around the frightened boy's shoulders.

Jeremy feared what Arthur and Linda might do if they found out. The two people who had shown him nothing but compassion and love, emotions he had dismissed from his life and his being. Now, they had created another big problem for him. He was learning to care, to be loved and to love. If they knew his secret would they return him to his other life in the brothel?

End Ch Forty-Seven.

To Be Continued: comments welcome; contact Dwight Wilson at adm2780@yahoo.com