Nightmares Before Chris' Mass

Disclaimer: this is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to people, places or events is unintentional.

Content warning: This story explores themes of internalised homophobia and mortality.

Nightmares Before Chris' Mass Chapter V

THURSDAY

E.R.

It's the loss of independence that's hard to take.

The loss of dignity.

The loss of appetite.

The loss of stamina.

The loss of ego.

The fatigue.

The sympathy of others.

The anguish of love.

The pain.

The knowing...

"I think... I think I'm going to die, Jeremy."

Jack was lying on his back and he was naked. His stomach sank in and his arms weren't as muscled as they used to be. Jack had nice legs and pretty feet.

"You should sell feet pics on Onlyfans," Jeremy told him as they sat on the beach just five months ago.

"You know you can sell other body parts on Onlyfans, right? Not just feet?" Jack said with a smirk and a wink.

"Well, the heart wants what it wants," Jeremy laughed.

And Jack laughed.

Why did he have to say it out loud? The dying thing, not the feet thing.

Jack chuckled again just thinking about.

Jack felt exposed. Dignity went out the window when you're sick, though everyone tries their best to keep it for you. The nurses close doors when walking you to the toilet and hold your gown closed so you don't flash your bum, your family step out of the room when it's time to go for a shower, and your husband pulls your sheet up to cover your nipples before your mom comes to visit.

Jack really didn't want to die.

He was scared.

"In a way, it's a relief," Jack said cheerily.

"It is?" replied Riaz.

The nurse had clear, gorgeous brown skin with stubble across his chin and cheeks. His eyes were soulfully brown and his hair was black, but shaved at the side and coiffed on top. Jack had seen him before – Chris's dream.

Riaz dipped a cloth into hot water and rubbed it onto Jack's chest before drying him with a soft towel.

Jack's arms were at his side and, his legs slightly parted, his penis was flaccid but not a totally shrivelled prawn which was something. It was only about two inches long, but being naked with Riaz looking at him, two inches was better than one inch.

"Yes, it's a relief to know your days are numbered..." Jack began to say.

"Not when it's single digits it's not," Riaz asserted the kind of dark humour only nurses can truly appreciate.

Jack looked at him and scowled playfully. Riaz grinned, his brilliant white teeth lit up his eyes and made him look even more handsome. Riaz had been joking and Jack took it as a joke, even if it was true.

"And you can give up on things you don't need anymore," Jack continued.

Riaz applied a new cloth to Jack's face, wiping the corners of his eyes.

"Brushing your teeth?" Riaz suggested.

"Who needs teeth anyway?" Jack asked as a towel wiped his eyes.

"They only go and get pubes stuck in them," Riaz interjected.

Jack laughed.

Jeremy would like Riaz.

In another life, Jack and Jeremey would both like Riaz. Spit roasted, ideally. In the sexual sense, not a second act horror movie murder kind of way.

It wasn't that kind of story.

"People tidy up after me now," Jack said.

"Your mom got tired of telling you to clean your room," Riaz said dryly, but he was still joking.

Jack laughed again. His chest and abdomen bounced up and down and his penis jiggled.

"I don't need to worry about my mortgage anymore," Jack offered.

"And the life insurance should mean Jeremy doesn't need to worry about it either," Riaz replied.

"That's not even a joke," Jack pointed out.

Riaz nodded as if he knew, even though he didn't.

Was this a memory?

Jack had remembered telling Jeremy he knew he was going to die.

He remembered being washed a bunch of times.

But... was this... this specific moment... a memory? Was it happening?

Jack wasn't awake.

"And I can say whatever I want," Jack said.

"No you can't. You can't even wake up," said a voice that was not joking.

The voice was mean, but not actually cruel. Mr Summer enjoyed having more people around. He didn't know how or why Jack, Dante and Logan had joined the cast of this particular story, but he liked having them around. As he looked at Jack, watched him and interacted with him, Mr Summer could feel something different. He actually felt pity.

"Riaz?" Jack asked.

Riaz still looked like Riaz but something else was driving the handsome young man.

Jack felt his arms being lifted for his bed bath to continue; his skinny arm exposed his armpit.

"Nice men make sure I'm not dirty," Jack added to the litany.

Jack already had a sense that the good-natured friendliness had been replaced with something altogether more exploitative. Riaz was looking at Jack's naked body. It was laid out, exposed, vulnerable and weak.

"You are dirty, Jack. You're a dirty boy," Riaz teased him.

Riaz walked to the door of the room and pulled it open. Jack was still flat on his back and fully exposed. The covers had been discarded to a chair at the side of the room and his clothes were in his bedside locker.

A few people walking past saw the naked young man and tried to be polite by not staying to stare. Jack could sense where this was going, but perhaps only because of everything Chris had told him. Mr Summer liked to play games and he liked to pay with boys, he liked humiliation and he liked manipulating fears. Jack's fear of losing dignity was palpable; he had been thinking about it a lot since the dreaming started.

Jack knew the real world would preserve his dignity, besides that wasn't his biggest fear. Not really. Mr Summer wouldn't understand Jack's real fear.

Riaz walked back to the bed and released the brake, pulling the bed and the naked patient into the busy hospital corridor. At least, it should have been a corridor, instead it was more like an E.R. The wide open space was busy with doctors, nurses, physios, EMT's, secretaries, porters and of course patients.

Jack's naked arrival was met with ridicule and laughing.

A naked patient, barely able to move and lying exposed on the bed where everyone could see him. Some of the patients had phones out and were recording Jack's indignity. Riaz stood aside, looking proud of himself. Riaz seemed to like looking at Jack who was almost flattered by the attention, even if it was imaginary.

Jack just wished Jeremy was with him.

"Hey, babe. They got you out here now?" Jeremy asked.

"Jeremy? You're here," Jack said with heartbreaking happiness.

It was so palpable that even Mr Summer noticed. For a moment the nightmare fluctuated, stuttering as if unsure how to proceed. If it was held together by Mr Summer's mind then the mind seemed uncertain how to proceed.

It wasn't just Jack's happiness during a dream where he was trying to mortify the young man. It was the presence of his husband. Jeremy wasn't actually in the dream – his mind wasn't attached to the hypnoscape. However, Jack had made a version of Jeremy appear.

"You think I don't see what you and Chris are doing? Interfering in the nightmares I've made you?" Mr Summer asked.

Riaz was gone, which was a shame.

Jack didn't respond because he didn't think Mr Summer realised what he had just given away. His control was not absolute. They could fight back. The dreamers could influence the dream.

"In the village, taxers and taxed were fast asleep. Dreaming, perhaps, of banquets, as the starved usually do," recited Jeremy.

The couple quoted A Tale of Two Cities together often as terms of endearment or commentary about the day. For sure, Jack felt taxed (in the exhausted sense of the word) yet dreamed of being sated by his lover one last time. It wasn't only Mr Summer that liked and dreamed about sex.

"Jack, is that you?"

How long had passed since Mr Summer wheeled him into the public space? How long since Jack had wished Jeremy into existence? Now Jack looked over to see his former boss.

"Wow, Jack. I didn't expect to see you naked," his boss said.

It was not Mr Summer's best narrative work.

"Your dick is surprisingly small," his boss added. "You don't mind if I share a picture of it with everyone at work? They won't believe I saw you like this."

The man stood back and took a head to toe picture of Jack's exposed body.

Jack should have felt violated, but he felt pity instead. Mr Summer was a pathetic man getting cheap thrills from abusing the weak. What kind of trumped up loser lived their life (and death) like that?

Jack looked away from his old boss.

That part of his life had slipped away and fewer things mattered now.

Jeremy mattered.

"I love you," Jack said.

Jeremy smiled at Jack and leaned over to kiss his forehead.

"You're naked in the E.R.," said Jeremy.

"I don't care," Jack replied.

"Everyone at the office is talking about your penis," his old boss said. "Aaron thought you'd be shaved because your homo."

"Make love to me, Jeremy," Jack said.

Mr Summer's commentary paused. He was frustrated by the lack of traction he was getting with the embarrassing scenario. He was so used to getting his way; Mr Summer used humiliation and a keen understanding of weaknesses to get the things he wanted.

Mr Summer supposed he could settle for just watching Jack fuck or get fucked. He liked watching and always had.

Jeremy pulled his sweater up and over his head. It came off slowly, giving Jack tome to admire Jeremy's midriff. Jeremy was thin but not skinny and had joined a gym to get rid of his doughy physique. His tummy had a trail from his bellybutton to his pubes and Jeremy's chest had a splash of hair in the centre of a chest that had a fading tan.

Jack reached over and poke his finger in Jeremy's bellybutton.

"Boop," Jack said.

Jeremy giggled and wiggled away.

"You know I hate it when you do that," Jeremy asserted unconvincingly.

"I do it every time," Jack pointed out.

"I tell you I hate it every time," Jeremy responded.

"I'll not do it again," Jack promised.

"You say that every time too," Jeremy reminded his lover.

Jeremy put his hands on his hips and looked sternly... or he would have looked stern if he weren't smiling and looking so cute. With his hands on his hips, Jeremy's surprisingly hairy armpits were peeking out.

Jack reached out again and grabbed Jeremy's pants. Jack's fingers slipped into the front and could feel wiry pubes. He pulled Jeremy closer so his husband could lean in and kiss him. Their lips met. The kiss was warm and loving. It was happy.

Jeremy put his bare arms around Jack's naked body and pulled him upright, while Jack sat up and put his long, emaciated arms around his over. The kissing had become passionate, but not fervent.

Around them, the hospital scenario seemed to continue, but Jack didn't give Mr Summer the satisfaction of noticing it. The medical and nursing staff, the porters and patients moved almost like they were on a loop; like background characters on a set route through the set, or NPC's with their rote behaviours.

"Jeremy?" Jack whispered.

"Jack," Jeremy replied.

The each leaned away, but their arms held each other.

"Get on me," Jack said.

"You're going to top?" Mr Summer couldn't stop himself from asking.

"Are you still here?" Jack replied dismissively.

Mr Summer fumed.

Jeremy hopped off the bed and pulled down his pants. He had no socks or shoes on, so Jeremy was able to climb back on the hospital bed and climb on top of his husband. Jack reached for Jeremy's cock while Jeremy reached behind himself to grab Jack's dick.

Jeremy kneeled with one thigh on either side of Jack's body, his ass sitting on Jack's tummy without putting all his weight on it. Jeremy continued to reach around the back to stroke Jack who was soon hard, but so was Jeremy.

Jeremy's cock pointed like a cannon. His balls were on Jack's chest. Jack liked the feeling of Jeremy's furry sac against his skin. Jeremy rode up on his knees and then leaned back. He was holding Jack's cock to steady it as he lowered his hole towards the head.

Jeremy felt the hard-on against his sphincter and as the head slipped inside and the shaft filled him up, he breathed a sigh of delight. Jack smiled happily as he felt his cock inside the warm cave of Jeremy's ass. Jeremy did a lot of the word, lifting and lowering himself onto Jack's cock.

Even in his dream, Jack still felt weak and emaciated.

Even in his dream, Jack was unable to restore his former energy and vitality.

However, Jack could feel pleasure. He could feel the version of Jeremy that was with him, taking his time and making adaptions. Jeremy took care of Jack. That's why Jack loved him. And he always would.

Jeremy rode up and down on Jack's cock.

The slapping of Jeremy's when he lowered himself was a lovely percussion. Jack was able to buck his hips up and down, filling Jeremy's ass. Jack reached forward so he could masturbate Jeremy as he rode up and down.

Jack had been lying totally flat, but he found the strength to sit up; he propped himself up on his left elbow, his upper body at a forty-five degree angle to the bed, and used his right hand to continue jerking his husband.

Jeremy reached around to put a hand on Jack's back, supporting his new position.

The hospital around them had fallen away. Jack didn't even know where they were anymore. He couldn't tell if Mr Summer was still observing or trying to antagonise the situation. The only thing in the world was Jack and Jeremy.

"I'm cumming," Jeremy said.

"I'm cumming," Jack agreed.

Jeremy's shots of cum flicked into the air, but didn't go too far so mostly landed on Jack's chest and abdomen. Meanwhile, Jack's cum unloaded inside his husband. He could feel his cock spurt and leak, the shots stopping after a few seconds.

Jack released Jeremy's cock with a final squeeze. A slurry of cum was all over Jack's hand but there was still enough residue to dribble down Jeremy's cock. Like candlewax.

Jeremy lifted himself off Jack's cock, with Jeremy's hole closing like an iris.

Jeremy lay down beside Jack, putting an arm around him, kissing his cheek. Then, kissing his forehead. Jack turned to pout his lips and their lips met.

"No-one else gets to have what we had, Jeremy," Jack whispered dreamily.

Jack opened his eyes.

He hadn't even realised they were closed.

Jack was alone in the bed in the middle of the ER. He was still surrounded by hospital staff and patients and his annoying former boss and phones pointed at him and looks of disgust and looks of pity and grinning and smiling and disregard and... and... and... and...

Jack's eyes closed. They opened. A long blink.

He was so tired.

"No-one else gets what to have what we had," Jack whimpered.

But Jeremy wasn't there and Jack was all alone.

"He can't hear you, Jack," Mr Summer said knowingly.

That's what Jack was afraid of.

THE ONLY THINK TO FEAR

"You slept with Chris!" exploded Quinn.

"Stop trying to make it sound sensational," Henry replied.

Henry, Chris, Andrew and Leroy were sitting around the breakfast table. After visiting Chris and falling into his dream, Henry felt like he'd made a breakthrough. However, he'd been woken by Logan and after talking, Henry had tried to go back into the hypnoscape without success.

Henry had slept well in his own bed. They all had. Their main concern after learning something of Mr Summer had survived was that he would pull them back in. None of them had been terrorised by dreams like the ones they'd shared two months ago. Henry had woken up half an hour ago and wondered what kind of dreams Chris, Logan, Dante and Jack had experienced.

"Henry, why did you go see Chris?" asked Leroy.

They had all agreed to meet at breakfast to discuss things again. All Henry had said was "I went to see Chris. I kinda fell asleep in his room and..." before Quinn had interjected.

"Honestly, Leroy?" Henry replied. "I went to see what would happen when I fell asleep."

"You were deliberately trying to go back into the nightmare world?" Andrew snapped.

They all had bad memories of that time. Andrew's anger was simultaneously fear that they would all be vulnerable again, but also concern for Henry alone.

"Yes," Henry admitted gently. "Look, I slept well last night. No nightmares, right? You guys had no nightmares either, right?"

Around the table, they all nodded.

They were afraid that they'd get dragged back into the whole nightmare nonsense, but they hadn't been. Thinking about the nightmares wasn't the same as actually having nightmares; the only thing to fear was fear itself.

"I didn't put any of us in danger," Henry continued. "I was just trying to see what happened."

"What did happen?" Quinn asked.

"I saw Chris," Henry admitted. "Only for a minute though. I was in his nightmare, but Logan woke me up."

"What was Chris's nightmare about? Maybe that'll give us a clue about why he's still trapped," Leroy suggested.

Henry hesitated. He didn't want to tell the others what he saw. Henry had already suspected that whatever Chris's fear was, it would be linked to his sexuality. Henry and Chris had kissed at the end of Junior year, but Chris had been evasive... even more evasive... ever since. Being the son of a priest, even one as liberal as Father Booth must be hard for Chris.

The only discrepancy was that Quinn said he knew Chris's fear and had helped him face it. That couldn't be true or Chris would have gotten out with the rest of them. Henry would need to ask Quinn what he thought Chris's fear was; Henry's theory was that Quinn had been wrong and Chris hadn't faced his fear after all.

"I don't think I should tell you what I saw in Chris's dream," Henry replied. "It was really personal."

They all knew Mr Summer was a manipulative abuser who liked using sex, voyeurism, cum and humiliation to drive scenarios. None of them really wanted to consider what it must have been like for Chris experiencing two months of that.

"Besides, Logan woke me up and I couldn't get back into his dream. Even when I came home, I didn't dip back into it," Henry revealed. "Maybe it was proximity or luck or a bit of both?"

"Why did Logan wake you up anyway?" Andrew enquired.

"Oh, we think we know why they're sharing Chris's nightmares," Henry replied. "Logan thinks that Jack, Dante and himself might have gotten a blood transfusion from the same person."

"Chris," Andrew and Leroy said at the same time.

"Chris," Quinn jumped in because he didn't want to miss out on the synchronicity.

Henry, Andrew and Leroy all looked at him.

"Sorry. So, we think Chris, being a good community spirited boy, donated blood and then got trapped by Mr Summer. Then Leroy, Jack and Dante got his blood and Mr Summer snapped them up like a crocodile in a water park."

Henry sniggered involuntarily.

"How does this help us?" Leroy asked.

"Maybe it means that the other three aren't really a part of this. They weren't cursed like we were," Andrew hypothesised. "They're sharing Chris's part in the trap."

"Caught in a trap," Quinn said solemnly. "Can't walk out..."

"If you start singing Elvis, I'm gonna slap you," Leroy warned.

"Face or ass?" Quinn asked.

Leroy glowered.

"So if we can resolve whatever's keeping Chris stuck, the others will be freed too," Henry interjected.

"Right. So... we waterboard Chris?" Quinn proposed.

They all looked at him like he was mad.

"What the hell, Quinn?" Andrew asked.

"Dude! Fuck!" Leroy objected.

"Why would we do that?" Henry asked more curiously.

"Look, I know we all dealt with our fears and it was up to us if we shared it with the group," Quinn said. "Chris clearly didn't want anyone to know. That's why he ditched us and got hit by a car."

"It feel like he's trying to tell us something," Leroy said sarcastically.

"I'm trying to tell you that it seems unfair to tell you Chris's fear when he didn't want us all to know, but..." Quinn qualified. "He's afraid of drowning."

"He's been on the school swimming and diving team for five years," Andrew said disbelievingly.

Henry put his face in his hands.

"I know, ironic, right?" Quinn agreed.

"We still shouldn't waterboard him," Leroy pointed out.

"You just want to suck the joy out of everything," Quinn quipped. "What's wrong with you?"

This last question was directed at Henry. Henry lifted his face and looked sad.

"That's not what Chris is afraid of," Henry said.

"How do you know?" Quinn asked.

"I just know," Henry answered. "But now that I know he didn't face his fear, maybe I can help him."

"You want to try to go back into his dream again, don't you?" Andrew asked, deflating at the thought.

"I don't want to, but I have to," Henry replied.

"Oh, can I come?" Quinn asked.

"It might be dangerous," Henry answered.

"You're right, I should stay here," Quinn replied.

"You know we still have school right?" Andrew reminded his stepbrother.

"Oh, am I already in a nightmare?" asked Henry sarcastically.

DANTE'S INTERNAL (STRUGGLE)

"We start with a coin toss," Mr Summer said.

Dante was disorientated.

He was already in his full kit and lined up with the rest of the team.

"As we all know, if you win the toss off, you get to decide if you receive or not," Mr Summer amused himself. "Are you hoping to receive, Chris?"

Dante looked to his right to see the who the comment had been directed to, but everyone was wearing helmets already. Chris blushed at the aspersion, but he too had just awoken... so to speak... in the dream. It was a dream. It was always a dream. That's all his life was now.

But was it his dream?

It felt different this time.

"Or maybe you're a tight end?" Mr summer laughed. "Jack, you can be a holder and Logan can be an upback."

Dante looked at his team with a sense of bewilderment. He didn't know any of these people and how many were there? There should be eleven players, but Dante was only aware of three others in addition to himself. It was like the others were smudged.

"Heads, the Ravens choose to kick, receive or defer and tails, the Donkey Dicks decide," Mr Summer declared.

"Donkey dicks?" said four of the Ravens.

Dante, Chris, Logan and Jack.

They each noted the other's reaction. The oddity of the team name that couldn't be real. Dante realised the others on his team must be the guys he told fuck off. Not his problem. He wouldn't help.

"Congratulations, Ravens," Mr Summer said with a deranged grin.

Dante looked at the sinister man – tall and thin and his smile splitting his face. Impossible.

"You won the toss," Mr Summer said. "Dante, you can kick off anytime."

Dante snarled. Oh, he was about to kick off alright. What the fuck was going on?

Except... this was good, wasn't it? Dante took a few steps back and felt no pain in his leg. No limp. This was why he had told Chris to fuck off. In the dream, even if it was a nightmare, Dante had the ability to walk and run again.

Dante conveniently forgot that Mr Summer gave him that pleasure so he could enjoy taking it away. But even temporarily being able to move like he used to was worth it. Dante didn't want to let it go. He didn't want to choose what to do.

"Dante?! Do you mind getting started?" Mr Summer snapped.

Dante's mind had wandered.

He took a run and kicked off. The game started. The crowd roared and clapped.

The ball moved and up and down the field.

Players ran with it.

All the usual football stuff.

Touches. Tackles. Blocks. Safety. Comebacks. Interception. Strip.

Strip!

Dante lost possession of the ball and his shoulder pads and jersey vanished.

He looked at the others and saw that Chris and Jack weren't wearing pants, thigh pads or kneepads. Below the waist, they were stripped to their jocks and cleats. Logan was without a jersey, but the shoulder pads were still there and he was barefoot.

"What the fuck is going on?" Dante demanded.

There was booing from the crowd at Dante's outrage.

He didn't want the fans turning on him. The whole stadium was jeering now.

"Dante, this is your nightmare," Chris said as he pulled his helmet off. "You don't understand what's going on here."

"I don't wanna know. I want to be left alone," Dante said.

"This nightmare is controlled by Mr Summer. He uses dreams to humiliate people and to hurt them. He uses sex to please himself," Chris continued.

"You don't play much football, do you?" Dante said seriously.

"Me? No. diving and swimming is more my thing," Chris admitted.

"There's not normally this much talking," Dante replied and ran off to resume the game.

Chris ran to join Jack and Logan.

"Did you get a message to Chris's friends?" Jack asked Logan.

"I did. In fact, I think I know how we're all connected," Logan told them. "Blood. Chris was a blood donor."

"Oh. Makes sense, I suppose. As much sense as any of it makes," Jack declared.

"I saw Henry in my last dream... I think it was my last dream... It's hard to keep track," Chris admitted.

"What happened?" Jack asked.

"Nothing happened. He just disappeared. Woke up, I think," Chris said.

"Oh, that might have been my fault," Logan realised. "He was visiting you and I wanted to tell him about the blood thing."

"Guys? Have any of you noticed..." Jack started to say.

Chris and Logan followed Jack's eyeline and saw Dante wearing nothing but a jockstrap. It was a good look and the incongruity of the stripped man on the football field.

Dante felt humiliated.

The lights and the cameras and the eyes of the fans and the eyes of the opposition looking at him from around the stadium. Dante felt exposed so of course it was right then that his footing faltered and he crashed to the ground.

"Oh no, Dante," Mr Summer said without sympathy. "What happened to your leg?"

Dante turned from his front to his back, sitting up and trying to bend his leg, but he couldn't. Dante could feel the grass prickling against his bare buttocks. A prick against his buttocks. Dante put his hand under his left knee and pulled, bending his leg. It throbbed.

It hurt again.

Chris was right. This was a nightmare and the scenario was designed to hurt and humiliate him.

Dante was nearly naked and now he had stumbled and fallen and his personal business was there for all to see. He hated this. Dante didn't want anyone to know.

"The fans aren't watching you for the football anymore," Mr Summer pointed out.

Dante felt the back of his clave, massaging it. Hoping it was nothing but cramp.

Chris, Logan and Jack all approached Dante.

They were all reduced to jockstraps now. Helmets, pants, cleats... everything was gone. They were all laid bare.

Jack was struggling... his steps were slow and exhausted. Chris noticed and put his arm around the young man. Logan continued on, crouching beside Dante.

"Are you ok man?" Logan asked.

Dante recognised him... from another dream... but also...

"You're the kid who took my bloods last week?" Dante asked.

"Yea. That's me. I'm studying pre-med and have a medical assistants job," Logan replied.

Chris and Logan joined the pair.

"Then I guess you know... my leg..." Dante complained.

"The tumour? Yea," Logan admitted.

One of the surgeons had used Dante's blood test and scan results as a teaching opportunity. It had only served to reinforce that Logan didn't feel ready for medicine. He didn't think this was what he wanted to do with his life.

Logan looked up at Chris and Jack. If they were right about having to face their fears then the time would not be long in coming when they would need each other. Maybe together, they could all overcome the thing that had trapped them?

"Let me watch," Mr Summer said. "Just let me watch."

Chris looked at the sinister man. He hated to be ignored. However, he was a master of manipulation. Mr Summer knew the four young men had things they wanted; some of them were afraid to face their fears and some literally couldn't. Mr Summer only wanted to distract them.

Mr Summer wanted their minds to be numb.

Young, dumb and full of cum.

Logan leaned in and kissed Dante. Dante was a celebrity. A hot, celebrity wearing nothing but a jock. Logan couldn't pass up this chance. Meanwhile, Dante thought Logan was cute, but a little too young for him. Logan was only five years younger. The kid was touching his chest now and groping his pics. The pain was easing. Logan's eyes were closed as their lips locked and smacked, but Dante looked at Mr Summer.

The pain was gone because he were giving the sinister man what he wanted.

Logan wasn't just kissing Dante because he was a smokin' hot celebrity; he was kissing Dante to avoid his fate of having to admit his fear.

Meanwhile, Jack was feeling stronger. He felt stronger in Chris's arms and Chris felt... safe. Chris felt something of the love Jack had for his husband and it was a love that Chris envied and coveted. Maybe he could have that too?

Chris didn't know why he was feeling like this.

It was all too obvious. The manipulation. The feelings. The complicity with Mr Summer's scenario.

It wasn't his dream, that was the problem. They were in Dante's dream; his fear and need to hold onto it was bleeding into the others, dragging them down to a place where they could avoid hard choices forever.

The irony was Chris didn't understand he was doing the same.

Chris turned to Jack and kissed the young man. Jack was nearly ten years older than Chris. Jack put his hands on the back of Chris's head and the kissing became more impassioned. Chris had his arms wrapped around Jack, holding him up.

On the grass, Logan dared to climb on top of Logan to the sound of cheers from the spectators.

"Well, the game is paused, but someone is about to score," Mr Summer commented.

Logan grinded his ass into Dante's groin.

Dante's cup was gone so Logan could feel the thick and fleshy tumescence. As Date got excited, the pain that had been ebbing was replaced by something else. It was something approaching pleasure. As if his leg were an extension of his arousal. Dante grabbed Logan's arms and pulled the young man on top of him.

Logan was a handsome guy, Dante decided; generally, men were not Dante's type, but Logan had a swimmers physique with a soft and silky skinned overlay. Dante rolled over, taking Logan with him, and landing on top. He grabbed Logan's wrists to force them above his head and held him there.

"Ohhh," said Logan with a giggle at the thrill.

"Ohhh," said Mr Summer with a sneer.

Powerful man on top. Boy who should be able to defend himself; held down, struggling. Wonderful. Logan was struggling to resist, it was just a game – not football, though balls were involved. Now Dante was pushing his ass back, grinding his buttocks against Logan's jock. Logan's jock slipped so Dante could feel the bristly brush of his pubes. Dante leaned in and nuzzled Logan's pits, sniffing and kissing them.

The crowd cheered.

"Fuck, man," Logan said as Dante latched onto his nipple.

Dante sucked Logan's nipple with Logan playing with Dante's hair. Dante kissed his way down Logan's body, dragging his tongue through Logan's happy trail and licking his bellybutton. Finally, Dante threw his leg over to sit at Logan's side and pulled his jock down. With Logan naked, there was another cheer from the crowd.

Logan looked up to see himself on the big screen – naked and prone on the grass – with the hunky, manly morsel of Dante beside him. This had to be a dream – Dante was way out of his league. Maybe Logan could settle down with a nice rich sportsman? Then it wouldn't matter if he gave up medicine or if his dad was mad about it.

"Keep going Dante. Suck his cock," Mr Summer whispered.

Mr Summer's voice could only be heard by Dante. Logan, Chris and Jack remained oblivious.

"Suck it. I can give you another leg, Dante. I have that power," Mr Summer promised. "All you need to do is let me watch..."

Dante grabbed Logan's hard cock and wrapped his lips around it.

Dante could hear the cheers and jeers of the stadium as he orally pleasured another man. There was a part of him who knew the promises of Mr Summer were empty, but hope made him desperate. Dante's head bobbed up and down on Logan's cock. Logan's cock was a decent size – six and a half inches. Dante's cock was seven inches, but sucking six and a half was a big enough task.

As Dante sucked and Logan enjoyed being blown by a celebrity, Jack dropped to his knees.

At first, Chris worried Jack had fallen, but a moment after kneeling, Jack pulled Chris's cock down. Chris was surprised and embarrassed. Jack jerked it in his face a few times and then, gripping it hard, licked the underside of the head.

Chris moaned and threw his head back.

Jack licked the full length of the shaft, licked Chris's balls and then put Chris's whole cock in his mouth. Chris had not expected a blowjob. He wondered why? Why was this happening? He couldn't be sucked off by a man. What if people saw him?

On the big screen, Chris was being sucked off by Jack.

Everyone knew.

Everyone knew.

Everyone knew.

The world didn't end.

Jack reached around and played with Chris's ass. As he sucked Chris's cock, his finger entered Chris's hole. Jack had felt different in this dream. Weak again, at first. Then stronger. Someone had made him feel stronger and he didn't know if it was Mr Summer propping him up to get more pleasure out of him, or Chris? Or Dante? The strength seemed to be coming from one of them and maybe all of them.

It couldn't go on like this.

Jack felt stronger, sure. But he was being dragged along.

Jack was tired.

And he wanted to rest.

That's why Jack was now sucking Chris's cock because it was so obvious what his problem was. Chris's fear had kept him in these nightmares and dreams for two months. Jack couldn't go on forever, but Chris couldn't either. He had to accept who he was.

Jack looked up as Chris was looking down.

Chris looked... happy... excited... peaceful. It only took a moment for concern and shame to pass over his face. Jack took Chris's cock from his mouth and turned over on all fours. He looked over his shoulder at Chris and smiled.

"Fuck me, Chris," Jack said.

"Fuck you?" Chris replied disbelievingly.

"What's the worst that could happen?" Jack asked.

"The whole world will know you're a homo, Chris," Mr Summer laughed.

"So fucking what?" Jack said. "Chris, fuck me. The whole world doesn't care."

"I care," Chris admitted.

"I know," Jack said. "I care too. I care, Chris. It'll be ok."

Chris was still dreaming. Was it a dream or a nightmare to have sex with a man?

Chris knelt on the grass. It felt real. The grass was prickly and dewy. Jack was still wearing the jock, but his asshole was visible between the straps. Chris had fantasised about sex. He had been too scared. In the real world, Chris had been too scared.

To kiss.

To hold hands.

To flirt.

To date.

To blow.

To make love or have sex or to fuck!

Chris was still hard and his cock was wet from Jack's mouth. He pressed the head against Jack's hole and pushed inside. It was... wonderful. The feeling of the ring opening as he pressed; then, Chris felt the ring like a tight band. It clamped around the head, which squeezed, and then as he pushed deeper, Chris felt the ring clamp around the shaft.

The constriction caused friction.

The friction was exquisite. Chris pulled back and forth, enjoying the sensation of being inside another man. For Jack's part, he was enjoying it too. Chris wasn't his husband, but Jack had said goodbye to Jeremy. In the real world, Jack would never get the chance to say goodbye. That's what hurt Jack the most. But, in the dream, Jack felt his final time had happened already.

Jack felt like he would have faded from the world already if he weren't being dragged in the current of the other three who were trapped in the hypnoscape.

When Dante came up for breath, precum and saliva spilled out of his mouth. Logan cupped his chin and Dante looked up.

"You can fuck my ass, if you want," Logan said.

Dante laughed but not in amusement. He wasn't laughing at the young man. Dante was impressed by the audacity of the kid. Dante was in his mid-twenties and this nineteen year old twunk was asking him to fuck his hole.

Dante had been sitting by Logan's right hip as he sucked the cock.

Now he moved between Logan's legs. Logan bent his legs, which were caressed by Dante. They were wispy, but not totally smooth. Logan had cute, lovely legs. Dante pushed Logan's knees apart so he could get closer to Logan's hole. Logan lifted his ass from the grass while Dante pressed his cock against Logan's hole.

He had to push hard.

Logan would have told him about lube, but Dante persisted with his moist, goody cock. Dante's cock leaked and Mr Summer squeezed more juice from it. Logan's sphincter dilated and Dante's cock slid in. Logan felt filled up by it. It didn't feel like a normal cock.

Logan was reminded of a dream from several nights ago.

The last time they were all together.

Dante's cock becoming grotesquely distended until it swallowed Chris like a sounding rod.

While Dante fucked Chris's hole, he could feel Dante's cock get bigger. It was thicker. Dante noticed too. He couldn't believe the feeling of it. Dante pulled his cock out and the seven inch erection was now ten inches and fatter. Much fatter.

"Put it in me, Dante," Logan said.

Dante didn't even know how his cock would fit in that little fuckers butt. Dante jerked his gigantic cock, squirting precum over the hole, and then pressed his cock against the pink ring again. Dante's cock entered and both Dante and Logan heard Mr Summer laugh.

Mr Summer liked watching.

He always had.

Mr Summer watched as Dante's cock got bigger again. Stretching Logan's hole until the kid squeaked from pleasure and something approaching pain, but not quite.

"Oh fuck!" Logan cried out.

Logan could feel Dante pulling back. They both felt the head of Dante's cock being pulled like an arrowhead; the resistance of the head against the ring just before it came out again. Dante didn't pull out. He didn't know if he'd get it in again.

The head of Dante's cock was the size of a fist now.

Dante pushed back in and continued to fuck Logan's hole. Dante's cock was the size of an arm as he thrust in and out. Logan grabbed his dick and started to jerk it. His fist was fast and desperate; Logan's pleasure was intensifying, but so too was his desire to cum.

Dante was close to cumming too.

Logan shot first, splashing jizz all over his body.

There sound of cheering from the spectator's reminded Logan of the environment. The football stadium. The big screen. The manipulation by My Summer.

Dante felt himself cumming too. His cum was thick and the load was heavy. Dante pulled his cock out and held it with both hands. It was like he had another leg; usually a euphemism or a massive compliment about the size of a man's cock, this distended prick really was the size of a limb.

Mr Summer laughed.

Dante understood now what Mr Summer had promised was both delivered and empty.

Dante's cock sent a deluge of cum all over Logan. Ropes of cum had unloaded inside the boy and continued to blast the kid with sticky, hot, gooey sludge. Logan didn't seem to mind. He was quite happy and even laughed, laying back with his arms stretched back. Logan's whole body, pits and arms and face an thighs were soon covered.

Then the cumming stopped.

Chris had turned his head to watch Dante fuck Logan.

It had been curiosity, but also... interest. Dante was a very attractive man and Logan a very cute boy. Logan was a year older than him. Chris had felt embarrassed at first – having sex with Jack. He was embarrassed because he was eighteen and a virgin. He was a very attractive young man, but too scared to come out even to himself.

His peers at school asked him if he was a virgin.

Asked him if he had any pussy at the weekend.

Asked him if he met any hot girls at the swimming competitions he attended.

Chris lied a lot. He met a lot of really hot guys! Guys in speedos! Chris was thinking about everything he missed out on as he thrust inside Jack. Chris moved his gaze from the frankly intimidating size of Dante's cock, which had surely been enlarged by Mr Summer's imagination.

Chris instead looked at Jack's smooth, skinny back. His pale skin and petite buttocks. Jack was totally different to the kind of guys Chris usually liked.

Chris liked sporty, athletic men. Even if he wouldn't admit it.

Jack was a matchstick man, but cute and very sweet. Jack was kind, patient and nice.

Chris looked over to see Logan cummin and a few seconds later the fire hose that was Dante's cock was also blasting. Chris held Jack's hips as he pumped in and out, his pelvis slapping Jack's ass.

"Jeremy, I just came in my jock," Jack laughed contentedly.

"Jeremy?" Chris asked.

"Chris. Chris," Jack corrected himself.

Chris wasn't offended – this was after all nothing but a dream. A nightmare world created by Mr Summer. A trap they were all caught in.

"You really love him, don't you?" Chris asked gently. "Your husband?"

"All my life," Jack replied.

Chris pulled his cock out.

Chris wanted to finish, but the sex had been about him. It had been motivated by Mr Summer's selfishness, but it had been about Chris's need to explore his desires without consequences. Chris didn't want to face what it said about him that he wanted and enjoyed sex with men, which was why he wanted to stay in the dream and hide from the truth.

Jack didn't deserve that.

Moreover, Chris wanted sex to mean something, even if it wasn't really real.

Chris looked up at Mr Summer, who looked angry and disappointed; Mr Summer felt cheated.

DENIAL/ BARGAINING

"This is fucked up," Dante said. "This is too fucked up."

"Do you mind if I ask you something?" Logan proposed as the four of them arrived in the locker room.

The smell of the locker room and the sound of the shower. It was a prelude to another steamy scenario. Logan wondered if it was his dream this time.

"Shoot," Dante agreed.

"Already did," Logan chuckled. "Are you... do you do that in real life?"

"Fuck random twinky strangers?" Dante asked.

"Men in general, really," Logan wondered.

"Not really. Not never, though," Dante admitted. "I'm not really into guys enough to be gay or bi, but I'm not 100% straight, I guess."

"Cool. More fantasy fuel for me," Logan said gleefully.

Dante sat on the bench beside Jack, who was looking worse for wear again.

"You ok, dude?" Dante asked as he massaged his leg.

"Nothing you can do for me," Jack replied. "What can we do for you?"

Dante's face darkened.

"Nothing you can do for me," Dante said facetiously.

"Your leg? What's wrong with it?" Jack persisted – his voice was direct and bordering on rude.

Dante scowled. He felt exposed and not just because he was naked with three other guys. He didn't want to talk about this. Did he?

"You can tell us, Dante," Chris said more gently. "We want to help."

"No-one can help me," Dante insisted.

Logan wanted to say something, but he was in a tricky spot. He knew what was what was wrong with Dante because of his work as a medical assistant and to say would be a breach of trust.

"Dante, you can't run from this," Jack said – which was a poor choice of words.

"I have a fucking tumour in my leg!" Dante growled. "It's a high grade osteosarcoma. So you're right, I literally can't run. And I'm right, you literally can't help me."

Chris looked forlorn at the young man. Dante's career would be over and Chris felt sympathy for him; Chris always thought his life would be over if anyone knew he was gay.

"Is there nothing they can do?" Chris asked softly.

Dante wanted to snap at him, but the kid was trying to help.

"They can cut my fucking leg of!" Dante said bitterly.

Dante stood up and limped. The nightmare was back. Mr Summer's promises meant nothing. The pain that had left him came back. The pain in his leg and the pain deep down that made him angry and bitter.

"Dante, amputation could save your life. Prosthetics nowadays can to amazing things," Logan said.

"Yea, you want to fucking try it?" Dante shot back. "It's not fucking fair."

"Well... I think it's damn fair," Jack said.

"What?" Chris turned to him.

Chris had gotten to know Jack and this tone of voice wasn't like him. Cold and unsympathetic.

"Excuse me?" Dante snarled.

"Primary non-Hodgkin lymphoma... secondary leukaemia... sepsis," Jack said. "You know who's gonna die, Dante. Me. And there really is nothing they can do for me."

Dante's eyes filled with sorrow for the young man. No wonder he looked like shit.

"You're gonna have to lose your leg? Can't play football anymore? That sucks. Really, that fucking sucks. But, you get to live, to see your family and friends, to have a different career from the one you planned..." Jack raged.

Chris, Logan and Dante could see it was something that had been building up in Jack. Not even Jack had realised it was there; his desperate anger at how unfair life (and death) was.

"I can't even say goodbye to the man I love," Jack said and now his voice was cracking. "Do you know what I'd give to have what you have? To see Jeremy again. To laugh with him. To talk to him. To tell him... how much I love him?"

An ashamed silence followed.

"I'm sorry, man," Dante said remorsefully.

Dante had a rugged, masculine face that matched his equally rugged and masculine physique, so his sympathy seemed all the more potent. His expression of compassion was sincere from his watery eyes to his downturned mouth.

"Anything. I'd give anything to have what you have, Dante. Anything," Jack confessed.

Dante hobbled over to Jack and hugged him.

Forgetting they were both naked and basically strangers. Even forgetting that Jack was angry at Dante.

"Dante," Chris said very softly.

Dante turned to look at Chris, who was also still nude. Without impending smut, the nudity felt gratuitous and weird. Especially with such intimate conversations going on.

"Mr Summer trapped me here two months ago. He uses some kind of magic or curse or... I don't fucking know, really," Chris (barely) explained. "Me and my friends were all trapped because of Mr Summer's grudge against our dads. My friends all got out, but I'm stuck."

"Yea. You want me to help you. To get out of here and tell them," Dante said.

Chris felt bad that Dante assumed he was telling his story for selfish reasons.

"I already told his friends," Logan said.

"Dante, I'm telling you so you don't make my mistake," Chris confessed. "I'm stuck here and I'm no closer to getting out. You can either accept your fear, or you can't. But, if you can't, you'll be stuck here until it's too late."

"I don't want to accept my fear," Dante said unconvincingly.

Did Dante mean it? Was that true? He had been moved by Jack's admonishment, but it was Chris's warning that really hit home. If he didn't get out, it would be too late. Dante looked around at the others, but felt different now.

"I know," Chris empathised.

"So all I have to do is accept my fate and face my fear..." Dante started to say.

Dante vanished.

ACCEPTANCE

"Good morning, Dante," Dr Ramsingh said as he entered the room.

It was midmorning and Dante had woken late from the dream with Chris, Logan and Jack. As soon as he'd woken, he'd asked to speak to his surgeon.

"Dr Ramsingh, I owe you an apology for how I've been acting," Dante proffered.

"It's not an easy thing to deal with, Dante. Anger is understandable," Dr Ramsingh placate him.

"I think I'm ready now," Dante said.

"Ready?" Dr Ramsingh asked.

He wanted Dante to be very clear about what he meant.

"The amputation. You said it was my best option," Dante said stoically.

"I thought you were against it?" Dr Ramsingh reminded him.

"I was," Dante agreed. "I was scared, I guess. Still am."

"Being afraid and doing it anyway, that's brave," Dr Ramsingh said.

"When can you do it?" Dante asked.

"I booked a slot for tomorrow morning," Dr Ramsingh smiled. "Just in case."

"You knew I'd come around?" Dante asked.

Dante was sceptical because until a few hours ago, he hadn't known he'd come around.

"You're an intelligent man, Dante. I hoped you would make the right choice," Dr Ramsingh admitted.

"Well, you were right," Dante said.

Dr Ramsingh smiled modestly, but he liked it when people said that.

ANGER

"You made a hole," Mr Summer said furiously.

Chris turned to see Mr Summer right behind him. Chris jumped back.

The man looked taller and darker than before.

His silhouette was black, his face storming with fury. Mr Summer's shadow seemed to lengthen even though he hadn't moved and the lighting hadn't changed.

Chris was alone in the changing room now. For a moment, the room was nothing but a cold and empty space, bereft of benches or anything else that would usually be there. The only thing interrupting the room was a blood red door with olive green panels.

Mr Summer's anger seemed to shake the room like an earthquake.

Suddenly, the walls fell down like it was a set on a stage, and Chris's nakedness was suddenly exposed to a dozen people who started to laugh at him. Chris recognised them from drama class. Kids at school who Chris always thought he was better than.

Now they were laughing at him.

"What? What do you mean?" Chris responded nervously.

Mr Summer tapped his head.

Tapped his brain.

Tapped his mind.

"There is a hole in my mind!" Mr Summer snarled.

"Dante?" Chris realised.

Dante got out!

"I liked having him around. Such a delicious young man. Such a wonderful fear gnawing away at him," Mr Summer said. "And you had to go and help him. You set him free. Poof!"

Mr Summer puffed his hands apart.

Dante had vanished. Was it that simple? Could Mr Summer be destroyed? All Chris had to do was help the others realise and accept their fears. And himself. He had to face his own fear.

"Don't do it again!" Mr Summer warned. "I can make your nightmares so much worse, Chris."

END OF CHAPTER V

TO BE CONCLUDED...

Check back next week for the final chapter(s). If you have enjoyed the story so far, feel free to get in touch.

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My stories so far:

https://www.nifty.org/nifty/authors.html#jforrester

Complete series: School Exhibitionism, The Symposium, The Embarrassment of Riches, Do As You're Told, A Series of Embarrassing Events, and Noah the Embarrassed Nudist.

Also: Anthology, and The SEX Men.

Short stories: Aiden's Accidental Autoerotic Assignment, Jogging Joe's Jaunty Journey and Peter's Past Posing Pictures.