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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, John and Greg for their continued support and patience while I try to write this story. It took all three to handle my wandering mind on this one. Their support and efforts at editing and correcting my errors contribute significantly to the reader's pleasure.
Chapter Fifty-One: New Horizons
Daniel and his supporters were backstage at the auditorium waiting for the appointed time to speak. While they waited, the boys were getting dressed and Larry made last minute adjustments to the slide show presentation that would run while Daniel spoke. Larry also downloaded the photos that Jeff sent over the previous evening. The photos were of the boys they had just picked up at the various sheriff's offices and depicted the frightening conditions the boys were required to survive. Jeff and Mark were nearing the end of their trip and Daniel had decided to have them meet him in West Palm. He was still considering whether to allow the boys they had picked up this week to make an appearance during this session. The boys were freshly removed from their homes, most likely still frightened, and could make a strong statement. Daniel decided not to spend any more time trying to reach a decision since he didn't know if the boys would even get to the auditorium before or during the presentations.
Linda and Arthur stood to the side, watching all of the activity. With them were Jeremy and his two friends, Ted and Derek. Daniel had not met Derek until that morning, but thought he seemed to be a nice enough young man. Derek knew who Daniel was and was a little nervous when they were introduced. Soon, Daniel was able to put the boy at ease. Jeremy had offered to assist Daniel in any way he could to promote their cause. Daniel looked at the boy's face as they left the house, and then again, when they walked into the auditorium, and knew he wasn't ready to face the public. There was a look of almost pure fear on the boy's face.
Slave training was designed to make the slave realize he was no longer equal to free men; slaves were less than men, they were property. A slave was not allowed to look directly at a free man nor speak unless it was to answer a question. Jeremy survived slave training by learning to do what he was told, when he was told, and to never challenge anyone. Even now, after being told he should look someone straight in the face when speaking to them or observing the activities around him, he had trouble keeping his eyes up. Daniel could tell that Jeremy learned his lessons well.
With Linda and Arthur, Jeremy was just finding a place where he could feel secure and not threatened physically. When he put on the New Horizon shorts and t-shirt that morning he kept pulling at the clothes, as though they irritated his skin. That was the first time he had worn anything in over two years. He wanted to help, and his friends wanted to support and help him, so Daniel allowed them to accompany the group to the auditorium. Now, Jeremy and everyone around him could better understand that although the boy appeared to have made rapid progress towards returning to a normal life, he still had a long way to go. It took months to break Jeremy down to where he was; it would take months, or more, to bring him back.
"Jeremy, are you doing all right?" Daniel asked with concern.
"Yes, sir. Kinda, I mean, well . ." Jeremy wasn't sure what to say to Daniel. He really wanted to help, but felt lost. This was a different world than what he was accustomed to. He knew that he lived in it once and never had second thoughts. When he left that world, his new world was highly restricted ^Ö physically, emotionally and mentally.
"Jeremy, that's all right, you're doing fine. There's an old saying that says a trip starts with the first step and then proceeds one step at a time. Your trip to returning to being a normal, free boy has begun. Today is just another step. The best that you can do for yourself, and us, is stand here and watch what's happening around you. More importantly, feel free to look where you want to look and ask any question you may have. Can you do that?"
"Yes, sir. I think so," Jeremy answered hesitantly.
"Daniel," as Daniel turned, Elizabeth continued. "I won't ask if you're ready; I know better. Have you heard from Jeff and Mark? I understand you're having them come here?"
"I spoke with them this morning, and if they don't run into any unexpected bumps, they should make it before this presentation ends. Jeff emailed some photos of the boys they have and we've incorporated them into our slide show. Care to get a preview?" Elizabeth nodded and stepped over to face the viewing screen.
"My God, Daniel. How can people treat children like this? This is almost sickening."
"There's no 'almost' to it. The conditions are less than ideal; that's a given. But, let's also not forget that the public elected, through a vote, to do away with juvenile facilities. The sheriffs had no choice but to put the kids in general lock-up. At least they tried to keep them segregated. The kids were scared to death, but at least, as far as we know, none were molested." They stood and continued to watch the slide show. When they reached the end of the new photos, Daniel turned the projector off.
"Daniel, how can anyone see that and not want to take every one of those boys home with them."
"You're forgetting something. I am taking all those boys home with me." Daniel smiled as he spoke and emphasized 'am'. Elizabeth also smiled when she realized how obvious his statement really was; after all, that's why New Horizons existed. Daniel continued.
"There might be an interesting story with three of the boys. Jeff told me they are brothers, aged ten to thirteen years. From what we can find out, their father acted as their pimp. They've been trained as pleasure boys since a very early age. For some reason, they were being sold to satisfy a debt, but we don't know how big the debt was or with whom."
"You sound as though you think there's more to it; am I right?" Daniel again smiled before he answered.
"Guilty," He answered jokingly. "Pimping your sons is illegal; pimping slaves is not. I've heard of schemes where, for a fee, someone could have papers drawn against sons to get them enslaved. The perpetrator advances money to the father to be able to buy the boy, or boys in this case, at auction. The bid is always the amount of money owed plus a percentage fee. Sometimes, the perpetrators got cute and didn't advance enough funds. At auction they received the higher price which satisfied the note the father signed, and the father received a little money. The father couldn't protest without revealing the scheme he was involved in. It was a swindle game with the kids as the only losers."
"Interesting," was Elizabeth's only comment while she went into deep thought. "I'd like to see those boys and their files if you don't mind. It's a good human interest story and maybe we can get them a little justice."
Daniel watched the reaction of the audience members as Arnold extolled the virtues and benefits of slavery. Arnold was very precise about reminding the people how bad the Second Great Depression really was, and how virtually everyone not only suffered, but the extent of the suffering. They suffered, that is, until a man was elected chief of state who had the foresight, strength and wisdom to eliminate much of the public debt and turn idle, asset wasting resources, into positive assets.
"I'm sure that many, and probably most, of you here today can remember the Second Great Depression and its devastating consequences. Social welfare and spending was so high that the minimum income tax was increased to fifty-percent of earnings. A person was better off to not work and receive welfare than he was to find a decent, honest job. There was no incentive to be a contributing member of society. Slavery changed all that." Arnold paused to let his audience think.
"Criminals lived better in prison than they did on the outside. Do-gooders insisted that prisoners be provided with private cells equipped with a nice mattress, private toilets, air conditioning and cable television. Who paid for all that? You did! It was you, the citizen that worked hard all day but couldn't afford the simple luxuries the prisoner received. Now, ladies and gentlemen, I submit that there was something wrong with that. How did we resolve the problems? Slavery. It was that simple. If a person could not get out and work for a living, but insisted on being cared for by the state, then that's what that person received."
"The master replaced the state. The felon who refused to abide by the laws of society lost any civil rights and the right to be part of our society, except as a slave. If the slave wanted to rebel, appropriate measures were formulated to deal with the problems. The master had full control and responsibility, and received the benefit of the slave's labor. Society recovered part of the costs expended to support the law breakers."
"Funds raised at auctions were used to rebuild our infrastructure, allowing us to enjoy the benefits of new roads and utilities. Social welfare spending was drastically reduced, and with it, taxes were reduced. The average citizen was again able to realize and enjoy the fruits of his labors. Slavery has brought us a long way back to being able to enjoy a modern society."
Daniel had to give Arnold credit, he was a good speaker. He had the ability to capture the audience's attention and retain it. The more Arnold spoke, the more heads began to nod in agreement with what he said. Most of what Arnold said was in reality, true. Daniel knew it would be difficult to argue with Arnold and decided he wouldn't even try. When Arnold's allotted twenty minutes were up, he sat down and it was Daniel's turn to speak.
Daniel shook hands with Arnold and then approached the podium. He paused and then turned to look at the Cherubs. With a nod from Daniel, the boys stepped forward. Danny wore a tangerine loin cloth with gold and silver adornments for this outing which accented his darkly tanned little body. The highlights in his hair were predominantly gold with a light touch of silver and tangerine for accents. As always, he was the charmer.
"Hi! I'm Danny 02780 and me and my friends are here to visit with you." Danny followed his opening line with the ever present smile and tilt of the head. He looked to Daniel for another signal and with a nod of the head the boys walked out into the audience.
"Ladies and gentlemen, these boys, whom we affectionately refer to as the New Horizon Cherubs, will circulate through the auditorium while this program continues. Please feel free to stop any of them and ask them questions. Also, while we discuss this afternoon's topic, I'd like to ask you to study the slide shows that will appear on the screens behind me. The content and purpose will be made clear as we proceed.
"First, after listening attentively to Mr. Arnold's statements regarding how slavery played a major role in bringing this great country out of the worst depression in its history, we agree with what he said; at least, for the most part. Understand that we cannot totally agree or we wouldn't have any need for a forum such as the one we have here today." Daniel smiled and the audience returned some laughter, indicating it understood what he said was not meant to be ill will. "What I would like to discuss with you now is this: how did we get into such a depression in the first place? To find that answer, we have to look at a little socio-economic history.
"The two decades preceding the depression were known as some of the most prosperous years in our history. Interest rates were low. The stock market seemed to know no limits. The real estate boom was unprecedented in both the residential and commercial markets. So, what happened? History shows that we became both complacent and greedy. We thought there would be no end to the growth and ability to make money. Did you know that investors would sign contracts to purchase homes in new developments, placing a minimal down payment or deposit in escrow. The market was so strong that while the house was under construction, the investor could just sell his interest in the contract to a real buyer. There were many who left their regular jobs and did nothing but invest and reap speculative profits."
"Real estate investors were not the only parties who made fortunes. Think about the price of oil. Oil tripled in a matter of two short years and then kept rising. The same went for natural gas and other natural deposits. Families were able to enjoy a standard of living unheard of in the free world.
"The government benefited, also. All the investing and sales created major windfalls of revenue for the government. The nation's debt was wiped out; in fact, there was a major surplus. Now, being good citizens we were not about to sit around and let the government enjoy the benefits of our efforts. We wanted our money back; if not in cash, then in kind. Societies form governments and charge them with the responsibility of providing for the needs and protection of its citizens. Our society was and is no different. The government had the money and we had the needs. Simple.
"I know there are many of you here today that can remember the events of those days. But, there are many here that have only read stories of those days. Please allow me to give you a brief synopsis of the events. First, the government gave bonus tax rebates to all citizens. Money was being returned to its source. Not once, not even twice, but three times that happened. At the same time there was a large contingent of citizens that didn't have even the most basic health insurance coverage. The government stepped up and met the needs of those people and protected them from the diseases and ravages of poor health. Let's not forget that the government promised a free college education to all who could qualify for entry. The number of advanced level training facilities grew by leaps and bounds. Private enterprise knew how to get its share of the government's budget. Again, the government stepped up and met the needs of its students and protected them from ignorance.
"Those were truly times of rags to riches stories being made on a daily basis. People who had no education could apply a little common sense and become overnight millionaires. It was so easy to make money that no one wanted to take the menial jobs that paid minimum wage. To counter the trend the government began to raise the minimum wage. They had to raise it three times to an amount equal to quadruple the amount of just five years earlier. Actually, that really didn't help much because people just didn't want to perform that kind of work. How was the problem solved? Easy, open the borders to immigrants willing to work for a fraction of what our citizens demanded.
"With cheap labor, guess what happened. Our citizens were laid off and the immigrants were hired. Businesses could make more money that way; at least, until they were caught paying less than the minimum wage to illegal aliens.
"Of course, you can't keep taking in a dollar here and a dollar there while spending five dollars here and five dollars there. Sooner or later, someone would have to pay the piper. The economy began to slow down; revenues to the government fell dramatically. One big problem, though; the citizens refused to lower their expectations and adapt. Eventually the government was bankrupt for all practical purposes and we slipped into the depression. People continued to experience the inability to make ends meet, but our demands and what we believed to be our 'needs' didn't change. With depression came the crimes and the burgeoning prisons that continued to drain our social and economic pocketbooks. In short, success led to more success, which led to greed which led to our downfall.
"We continued the downfall until we hit rock bottom and reality slapped us in the face. We elected a chief executive with the fortitude to call a spade a spade and tell us what we had to do to once again become a great nation. The citizens suffered enough and accepted his statements. Insurance benefits were cut in half. Welfare rolls were slashed by two things. The first was a limit on monetary benefits. That required all recipients to accept some type of job. Secondly, any one refusing to accept a job could be enslaved for life. Yes, this was our reintroduction to slavery. Those who refused to become contributing members of society, were forced into it. The success of the slavery program led to its expansion.
"The program grew to include felons who sat in air-conditioned prison cells watching high definition television. Their sentences commuted from a life sentence served in luxury, to a life sentence served in slavery and service to others. Funds realized at the auction of slaves were used to reduce national debt and restore our infrastructure and economy. It was just as Mr. Arnold stated so eloquently; slavery saved this nation. We have indeed come far. Now, my question to you is this: have we come too far? Think about it." Daniel paused to let his audience think about what he just said. He could tell from the expression on many faces that they didn't fully understand the meaning of his question.
"There was a limited supply of felons that could have their sentences commuted to slavery. Persons who may have contemplated committing felonious acts were deterred by the threat of slavery. Slavery helped by reducing the number of crimes. Unfortunately, the idea of forced labor to perform menial tasks was so successful that the demand for slaves continued to rise. Again, success led to greed.
"To satisfy the demand, the government began enslaving the homeless. When that source ran dry, the politicians had to look elsewhere. Where did they look? To the juvenile shelters. Juveniles who would have been guilty of committing felonious acts if they had been of age were enslaved. To accomplish this the minimum age for enslavement was reduced from eighteen to sixteen. Eventually, the minimum age was reduced several times to fifteen, then twelve, then ten, and eventually six. Think about it! At six years old a child could be sold as a slave! We continued to seek and find sources to satisfy our greed. But, at what price?
"The boys walking amongst you now could have become part of that price. Why? For most of them, their parents, for one reason or another, became victims of the system; leaving them homeless. We no longer had facilities to care for orphans or abandoned children. Why should society worry about unwanted children? Slip them into the slavery system and let them be contributing members; let them be someone else's problem. That's what the ardent supporters of the slavery system would advocate.
"In the latter part of the twentieth century there was a famous comedian named Red Skelton. He was a well known and highly respected entertainer that had his own television show. The show was known for providing family entertainment. What do we mean by family entertainment? We mean entertainment suitable for the whole family to watch. They didn't need to rate shows for content in those days. In 1969, which was about the time that people decided to become conscious of a possibility of one person saying something that might offend another, that court cases were filed by individuals claiming that their children's civil rights were being violated because they were required, not asked, to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. Ironic that they were being required to pledge to the very country and values that allowed them to protest and file their suits. Mr. Skelton's statements went something like this.
"He was from Indiana. One day, one of his teachers felt like his students didn't appreciate the meaning of the words in the pledge, so he decided to explain the meaning. The words to the pledge are now on the viewing screens behind me. I'd like to pick up where it goes '..And To The Republic': A state in which power is invested in representatives chosen by the people. The government is the people, and it's from the people to leaders, not from the leaders to the people. That thought needs to be repeated: power runs from the people." Daniel paused a moment, then continued. "For Which It Stands, One Nation': One nation, meaning, 'so blessed by god'. 'Indivisible': can not be divided. 'With Liberty': Which is freedom, the right of power to live one's own life without threats, or fear, or some sort of retaliation. 'And Justice': The principle or quality of dealing fairly with others. 'For All': For all, which means, boys and girls, it's as much your country as it is mine." Daniel again paused to let his audience read the entire pledge and think on the meaning; then continued.
"That last part is one of my favorites. Think about it: "boys and girls, it's as much your country as it is mine." Doesn't that mean that we are all entitled to the same protections, and the same freedoms, unless we have done something to violate our obligations and lose the privilege of citizenship? You know, back in those days, the courts even recognized that citizens who committed felonious acts had rights until they were convicted. Remember the phrase "innocent until proven guilty"? The courts even required the authorities to advise the suspect of their rights. It was called the Miranda decision, and is valid to this day. I find it interesting that persons arrested for committing a felonious act have the right to know their rights, but an innocent child, these innocent children walking among you now, can just be seized and enslaved. That's just a bit incongruous with the right to live one's own life without fear; and, where's the justice in that?"
Daniel spotted Jeff standing at the rear of the auditorium and motioned for him to come forward. When Jeff was near, Daniel told him to bring the new boys in. As Daniel continued, the boys entered and lined up in front of the stage. They all just stood in place and looked out into the audience. The boys didn't now what was happening and looked lost.
"Ladies and gentlemen, my time is almost up. I'd like to leave you with one more thought. The boys you see standing here are boys we have just picked up from across the state. They were slated to be enslaved until the recent injunction was issued and then upheld on appeal. Look at these children as though you were their parents. Until recently, each was a care-free, laughing, happy child. Each was the center of some family's universe; their hope for the future. One day, strangers appeared, seized the children, and then set the wheels in motion to sell them as slaves. Were the children afraid? How would you feel? Their world was taken away from them. There was no one to care for them or about them. They no longer represented the future. They became part of the bottom line profit.
"Did you know there are businesses in this state that specialize in purchasing money judgments at a reduced rate? They are very choosey about what judgments they purchase. Most are judgments against individuals with children, sons being preferred. Since children have been declared assets, they seize the children, train them and sell them for a profit. As parents, think of what kind of future your child would be forced to endure if you ever got into financial trouble.
"When I began speaking, I asked you to follow the slide show on the screens behind me. I'll tell you now that the pictures up there are pictures of the boys we have at new horizons. They were taken when we first got the boys. However, two documents have appeared on a frequent basis. I'll ask my associate to freeze the show on those documents. Also, Danny, come up here with me, little guy." Danny looked at Daniel and then broke into a run to join him. As he went on stage, Daniel scooped the boy up in one arm and held him.
"Ladies and gentlemen, this is Danny. I'm sure you remember him as the one that made the brief announcement in the beginning about his friends being here to visit with you. Danny is five and a half years old. The screen on my left shows a copy of Danny's birth certificate. It tells us who he is, where he's from, and how old he is. Remember when he introduced himself he said his name was Danny 02780. The screen on my right is a Certificate of Ownership, please notice the number on the certificate. That is part of the preliminary paperwork completed for when Danny turns six. Danny is the victim of something bad happening to his family.
"He was homeless and that certificate would have been his future. Six months from now he would have become a six year old pleasure slave in a boy brothel. His master would have held a bidding auction with the winner being the first to be with him and break him in. The, his master would still have demanded top dollar from any many wanting to use him. That's what would have happened to him, he would have been a child to be used and abused. After a couple of years his little body would have been worn out and he would be sold or recycled. Is there any one here that can say it was just and fair for him to face that kind of future? Now, he will remain with us at New Horizons where he will be loved, nurtured and cared for to become a responsible citizen. Just in case you don't know what I'm talking about, or can't imagine it, look at the screens behind me now.
"On my right is a happy, smiling ten year old boy. He was typical of any boy his age. He didn't particularly care to have to go to school every day. He would have much preferred to be riding a skateboard, or his bike, and playing with his friends. This boy came home one day and was seized under an execution order. His father lost a civil law suit, but wasn't even given the chance to refinance his home to pay the debt. On my left is that same boy two years later. Notice the blank stare. Notice how emaciated he appears. Two years in a brothel and his body was so abused that he could no longer control his bodily functions and had to wear a diaper. We found that boy at an auction. We thought about having him appear before you today, but he isn't ready yet. He is in counseling and I can tell you that one day soon, he will no longer be a slave, but a healthy young boy well on his way to becoming a productive citizen.
"As for the boys standing before you, we will care for them and make a strong effort to locate their families. We hope to return most if not all of them to loving families. For those who we can not locate families or relatives for, we will care for at Ft. Ogden. I'd like for you to look at them, look into their eyes. Behind those eyes you will find a child who only wants to love and be loved. Look closer and you will see innocence, faith and imagination.
"Imagination gives them the ability to dream of things we adults can no longer think about. It gives them the ability to dream of a better world in the future and a way to achieve that better world. These children are our future. They will shape it; they will guide it. But, how they do that will depend on the values we instill in them today. Look at them again. Before you stands a future doctor that may find a cure for the incurable disease; a politician that will help shape a world of peace; . . . a minister, . . . or a lawyer, . . . a business man or a professor. Suppose this was your child; would you be willing to sacrifice their life to satisfy society's greed?
"I'm sure all of you studied some history in school and read about Abraham Lincoln. He was the President during the Civil War, a war fought to end slavery in the nineteenth century. Mr. Lincoln once said, 'The best deed in the world, after creating human life, is saving human life.' There are politicians in Tallahassee right now trying to pass a bill that would codify the court's decision declaring our children, our future, to be property that can be bought and sold at will. Remember that we are a republic, power passes from the people. Ask yourself if we have come too far, and if you agree with us, exercise that power and let your representatives know that we have come far enough and it is time for change. We need to stop focusing on ourselves and our selfish wants now, and focus on our children and their future. We do not need a statute declaring our children to be property. We need a statute that prohibits enslaving innocent children!"
When Daniel finished speaking, Jeff and Mark escorted the new boys to the side and then back stage while Daniel and Arnold responded to questions from the audience. Danny remained in Daniels arms. Ryan stepped up nest to Daniel and grabbed a handful of his pants leg. A panel of five reports was assembled to ask the questions.
"Mr. Thompson," the first question came from a television reporter. "In the past you seemed to have advocated doing away with the entire slavery program, but today you only address abolishing enslavement of children. Why the change?"
"Actually, I still disapprove of the slavery system in principle. Remember, this country nearly destroyed itself two hundred years ago arguing over slavery, and now we seem to be letting history repeat itself. Also, if you have followed our efforts I'm sure you know that we worked extensively with politicians to bring about the New Horizons program. One thing I have learned over the years is to set priorities and fight for one small victory at a time. Our priority now is to protect the children."
The second reporter posed a question for both Daniel and Arnold to respond: "Mr. Thompson you stated there are companies purchasing money judgments at a discount and enslaving the children for a profit. Can you identify these companies and Mr. Arnold, your response after Mr. Thompson, please."
"Since the court ruling that children are property that can be seized and sold, the activity for execution on judgment as increased substantially. Since this has been going on for about two years, it was fairly easy to research the public records and run a correlation with the enslavement of children. We identified five companies that seem to be very active in the area. We are working now to determine if there is any common links. We would prefer not to identify those companies until we have more evidence, but the data will be released in due time. We know enough that I have no problems standing here before you today and making those statements."
"Mr. Thompson has made an accusation, but seems unwilling to offer us any evidence." Arnold responded quickly, moving to attack Daniel. "I submit to you that Mr. Thompson will not identify any of these so called companies because he lacks sufficient evidence to avoid a slander suit. I'm willing to speculate that the companies he refers to are financial institutions because they are the lenders of money who must act to recover bad debts and prove to their shareholders that they operate in a responsible business-like manner. Being a responsible business is not the same as being an ogre as Mr. Thompson suggests."
Back stage, while Daniel and Arnold continued to answer questions, Jeff and Mark saw Linda and Arthur standing with Jeremy and his friends. Jeremy appeared to have been crying. Linda stood behind Jeremy with an arm over each of his shoulders and crossed over his chest. His right hand held one of her hands, tightly. Jeff had not met Linda and Arthur, but knew who they were and knew of Jeremy. Mark had met them previously, and made the introductions.
"We missed most of his statement," Jeff commented. "How did he do?"
"Great," Arthur said simply. "He should have been a lawyer. He went out there and smacked the people in the face with the truth; and he did it with passion!"
"Jeremy, do you remember me?" Jeremy looked at Mark and gave a slight smile.
"Yes, sir. How are you, Mr. Mark?"
"I'm doing much better now that I see you out and around people. Is this your first time?"
"Yes, sir. I wanted to help Mr. Daniel, and my friends here, Ted and Derek, came to support me." Jeremy looked down. "But, I got scared, Mr. Mark. I wasn't ready."
"Jeremy, Daniel tells us you've come a long way. Be patient; it will take some time. You may not realize it, but just by being here and wanting to help, that means a lot to Mr. Daniel." With that, Jeremy looked up and smiled. Mark gave the boy a nod and a smile.
"Jeff, are these all the boys you picked up on the trip?" Arthur asked.
"Yes, sir. We were supposed to get forty-three. Five were returned to their families, so we have the remaining thirty-eight. Hopefully, we can locate family members for most of them."
"Jeff," Linda interjected "if you can locate family members, why couldn't the authorities?"
"We think it's primarily a matter of resources. The authorities have only so many people to work the case load and due to heavy case loads, they just don't dedicate the time required. Not only are we able to put in extra time, many of the boys will help and right now we have two college students volunteering. To us, there is no such thing as too much time to solve the puzzle of the missing families."
While they talked backstage, they heard the sound of applause coming from the audience. Soon, Daniel walked through the curtain carrying Danny and Ryan, followed by the rest of the Cherubs. The two young boys immediately spotted the new group of boys and began assessing each boy. The adults watched the two young boys who were so intent on what they were doing, they didn't realize they were being watched. Finally, Daniel spoke to them.
"Danny, now that you and Ryan have had a chance to inspect all of them do you think it's alright for them to go home with us?" Danny looked at his hero, smiled and nodded.
"Good, I'm glad we got you're approval," Daniel said smiling. "Now, how about if you two go back with the other boys and change?"
"No," Danny answered abruptly, "I wanna be naked again."
"Danny, didn't we talk about this before? I thought we agreed that when we are away you would wear the shorts and shirt like the other boys, didn't we?" Danny gave an impish nod. "So, how about you and Ryan go in the back and change."
"Jer'my take me," Danny said with a smile. Daniel looked to Jeremy who didn't know what to say until Linda whispered in his ear. Jeremy than took Danny from Daniel while Derek reached for Ryan. All three boys took the younger ones to the dressing area.
"Mark," Daniel called out as he switched his attention from the boys, "I received a call from the school about you." Daniel now had Mark's undivided attention. "Seems they finished grading your tests. You finished the semester with a perfect 4.0 grade score. Congratulations." Daniel enjoyed seeing Mark's face light up at the news and the attention everyone poured on him with their congratulations. Daniel saw a much more mature person in Mark now, compared to the frightened young man he found cleaning the fountain.
"Elizabeth brought us another good bit of news, too. Remember the boy that worked at the television station? The boy you promised to come back and get? Well, he's protected under the injunction and is now back home with his family. That, my young friend, is thanks mostly to you're quick thinking and help." Daniel had a hand on Mark's shoulder. The look in Daniel's eyes told Mark how proud Daniel was of what he had done. Daniel then became serious.
"Mark, there's something I'd like for you to do. Your new schedule and books won't be here for another week. I want you to take one of the vans and go visit your parents. You've worked hard, and I think they would really enjoy seeing you; it would be good for you, too. Sometimes, surprise visits can be the best visits."
"Daniel, thank you, but I can't do that now. You'll need all the help we have to get these new boys settled in. Besides, if I take the van, how will you get back to Ft. Ogden?" Before Daniel could answer, Mark hopefully asked another question.
"Daniel, do you think, maybe, I could take Kevin with me? My parent's home is big and they have plenty of room." Daniel laughed to himself. The second question told him that Mark thought he shouldn't leave now, but he wasn't going to let the door hit him on the way out.
"I don't know, Mark. I know you and Kevin have become very good friends, " Daniel placed emphasis on 'very good', "but I think you need to talk with him."
Mark found Kevin and told him the good news. Kevin thought it would be great to visit with Mark's parents. When Mark left to tell Daniel Kevin was going, Kevin saw Ben and the look on the younger boy's face. After looking at Ben for a moment, Kevin knew what he needed to do.
"Mark, Mark," Kevin interrupted, "I can't man. I really appreciate it, and it sounds like fun, but I can't." Kevin pointed over his shoulder to Ben. "If you'd seen the look on his face when he thought I was going to leave him, you'd understand. You go, and I'll see ya when you get back. You are coming back, right?" Mark and Kevin smiled at each other and exchanged shoulder bumps. Kevin then turned and held his arms out toward Ben who came running. Mark watched them, knew Kevin was right and felt guilty.
"Daniel, how are you getting the boys back if I take the van?" Mark asked again, but this time he waited for an answer.
"That's easy, we'll put them on the bus. The bus was going to Ft. Ogden, right? And, don't worry about us getting them settled in, we'll manage."
"Not tonight, you won't," Linda stated in her 'I won't have it' tone. "These boys have been through enough. You'll go back home with us so they can rest. You'll have all day tomorrow to head back to Ft. Ogden."
"Mom!" Daniel tried to respond, "Do you realize how many boys we have here, now?"
"Doesn't matter." Before Daniel could say anything, Linda approached the group of new boys. "Is there any one here that doesn't like pizza? Is there anyone that would object to sleeping on the floor for one night?" When no one responded Linda turned to her son, "See, it's that simple. You and Arthur better figure out how much we need to order. And don't forget to ask Elizabeth to join us." Daniel threw his arms up in surrender.
As Daniel threw his arms up in surrender, Danny came out of the dressing area. Seeing Daniel's arms up, Danny thought Daniel wanted to hold him, so he ran and jumped into Daniel's chest. Daniel had to react quickly to avoid dropping the boy. He also needed to sit down at that point and get his breath. When some of the other boys emerged from the dressing area, Daniel thought he should address the new boys.
"Boys, my name is Daniel Thompson, and this little man here is Danny. We're both from New Horizons. I know this has been a hectic and trying week for you and I wish I could say it was going to settle down, but I think we have a couple of more days to go. I'm sure all of you have questions you would like to ask, but for now, we need to ask you to just trust us. The original plan was to take you to Ft. Ogden tonight, but my mother insists you stay here tonight and rest. We will be staying at my parent's home and will have pizza for dinner. That's assuming we can find a pizza place willing to take a telephone order for thirty pizzas. The boys behind me are from New Horizons and I think this may give all of you a chance to talk and get acquainted. Right now, we all need to load up and get out of here."
Arthur opened the door to find four pizza delivery boys. They delivered thirty pizzas, plus pizza sticks with dipping sauce and a dozen liters of soft drinks with cups and ice. One of the delivery people was the manager of the restaurant. He told Arthur he had never had a request like this and just had to come along to see what was happening.
When the delivery boys entered they were at first surprised and then laughed at seeing all the boys. Some of the boys were dressed, some were naked, and some were in between. There were boys in the pool, spread out on the floor, and all over the back yard. Everywhere you looked, there were boys. Daniel saw the look on their faces and started to laugh.
"That's alright guys, we're accustomed to people staring." Just then a naked Danny ran up and grabbed Daniel's leg. "Believe it or not, they're all ours and this is only part of them."
The manager laughed and introduced himself to Daniel. Then the manager saw the logo on the shirts the boys wore and asked about it. Daniel explained who they were and what they were doing. When he finished, the manager just stood and watched the boys. Then, to everyone's surprise, he reached for the bill and tore it up. Dinner was on him.
The house was pure chaos, but it was a happy chaos. Daniel noted that several of the new boys were talking with some of the cherubs. He also noted that many of the new boys had managed to shed their clothes, had been swimming and were now sitting outside enjoying their new found freedom. Looking around, Daniel also saw Clayton talking with his mother. Daniel watched them for a little while, and tried to get a read on how Clayton felt. After a few minutes, Clayton left his mother and approached Daniel.
"Mr. Daniel, my mother wants to know if I want to come home. I don't know what to say to her. I do love her, honest; but, I just don't know."
"Clayton, do you know what it is that makes you unsure?"
"Not really, Mr. Daniel. You know that I've been gone for a while and where I am now I know I'm safe. I'd like to see my brother again. We were real close, but suppose he blames me for our parents splitting and breaking up his home? Then there's the neighbors, I'm sure they all know about what happened and why. My father would have told all of them and then bragged how he disowned the trash."
"Clayton, let me ask you something. Are you going to live the rest of your life letting what other people might say or know control you being happy? If you do, you will have a miserable life. There will always be people who will accept you and people who will reject you. Some, because you're gay, and some for a reason probably not even known to them. What I'm trying to say is that you have to do what you feel will be best for you. Don't worry about other people. If they didn't have you to disapprove of, they'd just find something or someone else. As for your brother, I know the two of you wee close. I saw how the two of you interacted when he visited several weeks ago. I'm pretty sure you'll find that he's missed you as much as you've missed him and he doesn't blame you for anything."
"Mr. Daniel, if I go, how long do you think it would be okay for me to be gone?"
"Mark is staying over here to visit with his parents. He'll be here for several days. Suppose you visit with your family and then Mark can bring you back. However, if you decide you want to go, I'll need to speak with your mother first. How's that?"
Clayton returned to his mother's side and they talked. After a few minutes Mary began to cry and hugged her son. Daniel knew that Clayton told her he would come for a visit. Mary released her son and joined Daniel.
"Daniel, I can't thank you enough. I have no way of expressing how much this means." Mary was elated.
"Mary, please understand that I need to be sure this is in Clayton's best interest, and I think it is. What I'm talking about now, is this visit. Mark will be here a few days, and when he returns he needs to bring Clayton with him. When Clayton gets back I'll want him to talk to a counselor. It would probably be a good idea for his brother to be able to speak with someone also. We need to get an understanding of their real feelings and whether this will work in the long run. You do understand that he's not the same boy that was thrown out that night, right?"
"I know what you're saying, and yes, I understand. I also understand that deep down he is that same boy. He's not as innocent or naïve as he was, but he is still that same caring and generous boy that I call my son. Daniel, please understand that I am his mother. I, too, must make decisions. As much as it would break my heart, if I felt that it was in his best interest to stay at New Horizons, for whatever reason, then as a mother, I would tell him to stay." As Mary spoke, the tears that ran down her cheeks told Daniel how sincere she was.
"Mary, I suggest that you say goodbye to my mother and Arthur. The two of you should just slip out of here quietly. I'll give you the number to contact Mark and I'll see that he has your number. Clayton should be able to stay with you for about five or six days." Mary simply leaned over and kissed Daniel on the cheek before she rose and left with her son.
End Ch Fifty-One
To Be Continued: comments welcome; contact Dwight Wilson at adm2780@yahoo.com