Some Enchanted Evening by Dante
This story is a work of fiction; like many others in this archive, it comes from the vivid imagination of a writer at heart and has nothing to do with any knowledge or implications about the sexuality of any member of BSB. The main character, Ben, is modeled after myself, but with many modifications.
This may eventually contain homosexual themes; if this offends you, then what are you doing here? Shouldn't the background image of the archive give you a clue!!! If you are a minor, or it is illegal to read/access erotic literature, then wait or move, that's your problem not mine. If you have questions, comments, etc., e-mail me at dantesprayer@yahoo.com.
This is my first time posting at the Nifty Archive, and this is also my first story of this nature. Actually, it started off as a project for a class in creative writing, and just evolved. I will try to respond to your e-mails in a timely fashion, although I am starting LifeStyles Educator training tomorrow, and may not have time to post, write, or respond for a few days.
At this time, I would like to thank the countless authors at Nifty that have inspired me to write. I guess anyone who has the guts to write something and let it be seen by the world gets major kudos from me.
I hope to have the next installment a lot longer and out in a week...it all depends on how much I get slammed with work for my classes and training... ugh! Until them, drop me a line, or ICQ me at #18288122 (don't freak about the name...Yttrium is a chemical element, and Enthalpy is a chemical term that takes too long to fully explain)
Without further junk from me, here is Some Enchanted Evening
Chapter 1
The evening air was crisp, just right for swimming in the dark. 'Too bad everyone is gone for the semester,' I thought. 'We'd be having a blast tonight.' I decided to walk down to the pond, since I had nothing better to do. I called my dog, CK, a black and white beagle Labrador mix, and he came running after me, as I jogged down the path. I know this path very well; it seems that whenever I am feeling down, my mind takes me out here to sit by the water. I have always found it peaceful, and right now I really needed the serenity that it provided.
I had just gotten back from a summer internship with a local science museum, where I was in charge of designing new exhibits. As part of my time, I had to fly out to California for a conference on science education in the private sector...how boring! It was during this time that my boyfriend, Eric, decided to cheat on me with his best friend...I guess that they became friends with benefits. I wasn't too surprised, he was always flirting with everyone on the street, but it still hurt. Especially tonight; it would have been a year together. Yes, a trip to the pond was definitely in order! And who better to share my lamentations with than my best friend...who apparently found a chipmunk or something to chase after, because he was nowhere in sight, just a soft barking in the woods.
As I got to the pond, I realized that I wasn't the only one there. 'Odd, I have been down here for fifteen years, and I've never found anyone else here. Oh well!' I walked to my spot, under a large weeping willow. This old lady must have been here for at least a hundred years, her trunk gnarled and twisted, with an area that actually looked like a face... especially if you looked at it while tripping. Her arms were covered with her shawl of leaves, she must have thousands of arms, because they wrap around her body and any of her children's as well. And tonight, I was her child. I have always felt comfortable under here, since it had privacy, and I could still skip stones out onto the pond. One of the few reasons why I still live in New York is because of the nature that can be found. Forget the idyllic mountain scenes of the Rockies or the lighthouses on the coasts, I just need my backyard to find a haven.
I started thinking about life, and where I was going to go next. I had decided to take a semester off of school before I went to Germany for my senior year. I had been accepted as a Fulbright scholar, something that I have always wanted, but never thought would happen. Thank God I didn't have to learn the language. The University of Berlin was starting a research position in immunology, trying to develop a treatment for HIV, based on some African savannah lions that showed immunity to FIV, and this is exactly what I wanted to do with my life...or so I thought. But was it really? I mean, here I was, about to take perhaps the biggest leap of faith of my life, flying over an ocean and researching blood, tissue, and virus samples for a year, in hopes to end a pandemic. What if I hate it? I'd be stuck in the middle of a foreign continent, with no friends, and going insane! 'Good one, Ben. Start second guessing yourself! That always gets you into trouble!'
I must have fought with my conscience for some time, because the next thing I know, CK is licking my face, and another dog, this one a lot smaller that CK, is pawing at my feet. "What is it, CK? Did you find yourself a friend?" I stood up, and pulled out a dog bone from my pocket...bribery always works with CK, and he was being good so far. I broke it in half, and gave each dog a bite before coming out from Grandmother's cover, with both dogs behind. The people that were here before were still here, two of them in a canoe, and another skipping stones into the water. I decided that I had to get out of this gloomy mood, and the best way to do that is to play catch with his Frisbee. It's a good thing that I brought it with me. He immediately got a happy face when he saw his glow-in-the dark Frisbee. I have learned several things about dogs since I adopted CK five years ago. Rule number one, have many many toys for him, and number two, they better be glow-in-the-dark! I walked with him away from the pond to a field nearby, owned by my mother's boss. Freshly cut hay was strewn across the field; apparently Jeremy hadn't gotten back from vacation yet, otherwise, there would be bales of hay, monoliths of nature, perfect for shooting arrows at. The smell of grass pervaded my nose, and I remembered why I hated going to college in a city. The scents of country life, for the most part, are amazing, and tonight was no exception. CK and I started playing catch with the Frisbee, when I noticed that little dog was sitting patiently at my feet. I couldn't run the risk of stepping on him, so I pulled out a tennis ball of CK's, and threw it to him. Happy as ever, he started to run after it. Soon enough, the dogs decided that they were tired with their toys, and they switched. I fell to my knees when I saw the little dog jump up about five feet in front of CK and steal the Frisbee from him, only to run back to me, tripping several times. CK just stood there, dumbfounded, until he found the tennis ball that had been neglected.
It wasn't for another twenty minutes before I realized that we had an audience. I heard a shuffle of grass, and turned to see two of the people watching us. From the glow of the full moon, they appeared to be smiling. The taller one, with blonde hair and a silver earring, struck me as rather cute. He was wearing a maroon shirt, probably silk, judging by the way it moved with the slight breeze, and a pair of jeans. The shorter one had red or light brown hair, a black denim shirt and khakis. Compared to the rest of the people out here, they looked very out of place. Even I look out of place most of the time. The entire area where I live is rather rural, with only a few major businesses, and many farms. It was on nights like this, when I pulled out my flannel shirt, running sneakers, and sweatpants, that I looked fairly local. Otherwise I would get looks from the locals in the market until they realized who I was.
I stopped playing with the dogs, as they became interested in the newfound playmates. The little dog ran over to the shorter man and jumped up into his arms. 'Must be his owner', I mumbled to no one in particular. The taller blonde knelt down and started to scratch CK on his head, which he loves to no end. Within seconds, CK was on his back, rolling in the grass and getting a good old fashioned belly-scratching, his tongue flopped out of his mouth as he kicked the air with his left hind leg.
"I was wondering where Tyke had run off to." said the shorter man, "it seems as if he has found himself a playmate."
I walked up to the two casually, taking time to enjoy the feel of the grass on my feet. "Hi, I hope you don't mind that I was playing with your dog, he followed CK to me, and he looked like he wanted to play."
"CK is his name? What does it stand for?" asked the taller man, still scratching at CK's white and black belly.
"Oh, my mom named him from Philadelphia Story -- His full name is C.K. Dexter Haven- Wise...Wise being my last name. My name is Ben." I said, extending a hand to the shorter one.
"Hi, Ben. I'm Brian, and this is my friend, Nick. And of course, Lil' Tyke." he said, rubbing the dog's nose.
"You two were down by the pond, correct?"
"Yeah, Tyke had to go to the bathroom, so my friends and I pulled over, and he ran off on this trail that led to the pond, its gorgeous!"
"Only a dog would find that trail...lets just say that this is a very secluded place." I said, smiling. I immediately realized how snotty that must have sounded. Apparently, so did Nick. "Hey, Bri. Think we should get Howie and head on the road?"
"Oh, don't leave on my account. I didn't mean to be rude, it's just that I have lived here for my entire life, and have only seen one other person here besides my family and friends. Y'all just caught me by surprise."
"Y'all?? I thought that you said that you lived here all your life? Don't tell me that the South has influenced all the way up to New York, I know that I haven't been away from a real life that long!" exclaimed Brian. It was then that I noticed Brian's slightly Southern accent. It hung slightly on his voice, which seemed very soothing, slightly echoing off the trees that marked the edge of the field.
"No, it's just something I picked up last spring. I spent a week in New Orleans during Mardi gras, and the dialect just clicked with me. My friend, Lindsay, laughed her ass off when she realized what she had done. It doesn't help that my Uncle Matt lives in Georgia, and just left about a week ago from his decade visit!" I said, laughing slightly. The truth was it had been about two years since I last saw Uncle Matt. He was my father's biggest competition as a child, and they were very close, so when he can, he visits us.
"Ahh, that must have been neat...New Orleans, I mean. I have always wanted to be there for it, but I am usually busy." exclaimed Brian. Behind Brian, I saw another man, most likely Howie, come up the trail. "Hey guys! I was wondering where you went off to. I put the canoe back on the van. Did ya find Tyke?"
Nick stood up and turned around. "Yeah, D. He found himself a playmate." As he said this, CK started nuzzling Nick's hand, asking for more attention. "Nick, I think that Tyke wasn't the only one to find a new playmate. CK almost doesn't let everyone rub his stomach, and almost never gets jealous for attention. He must like your animal magnetism." I said, laughing at CK's antics.
By now, the man was in front of me, with his hand extended. I grasped it firmly, and introduced myself. "I take it that you are CK's master? Watch out for him, Nick has a thing for barnyard animals!" he said, laughing.
"D, we had an agreement, I wouldn't tell about your surgery in Sweden if you didn't tell about my horses! Now I am gonna have to kick yer ass!" joked Nick.
They started goofing around, sparring. This, of course, got CK going, and he was soon nipping at their wrists and jumping on their hips. The last thing I wanted was for these guys to get hurt because of CK, so I called him over and made him lie down. After I did this, Brian got a look in his face. "Nick, Howie. Here! Sit." He started to walk backward, telling them to stay. It worked for about five seconds, before Nick charged after Brian, with Tyke in tow. Howie just laughed. I turned to him, and saw him for the first time in the moonlight. He reminded me of a friend from my freshman year, with his long, wavy black hair tied back, and the facial hair outlining his lips and cheekbones. It was a style that I always though looked goofy, but on him it seemed to fit, assuming he was going for a suave Latino look. Not exactly my type, but he looked good.
"I guess I'm sorry for giving Brian the idea..." I said, after they were still wrestling around for a minute. "Hey guys, watch out for the manure, it'll stain your silk like mad!" At that, Howie started laughing...watching where he had placed his feet, but laughing nonetheless. Nick jumped up, letting out a squeal. It was quite comical, like something that only Roger Rabbit could do. This made me laugh, only amplified by Brian tackling him and rolling him around in the hay. I leaned over to Howie, and whispered, "don't worry, the farmer doesn't use manure, but Nick's reaction was priceless!" Eventually, they settled down and strolled over to where we were standing.
"That was fun; who wants to wrestle next?" exclaimed Nick, as he took a slightly crouched stance, moving his arms slightly. I decided that I was gonna show this boy a little lesson. You don't challenge an Army wrestler and expect to get away with it without getting pinned. I challenged him, and took a similar stance. Within seconds, I had him flat on his back, his left leg tucked in, while his right was flung out to his side. He had a nice crimson color on his cheeks, and looked like a deer in the headlights. he coughed slightly, and asked, "where did you learn to do that!" I jumped up, and offered him my hand. "Uncle Sam...I did a few years in the Army, and trained a lot on the wrestling mats."
"Hear that, Nicky. You had better stick to wrestling in the sack if you want to look good!" joked Brian, causing that deep crimson to return to Nick's face.
"Hey, Ben. We were gonna hit a diner before we continued to our campsite, are you interested in joining us?" inquired Howie.
"Sure, let me just bring CK into the house, or he'll be out here chasing fireflies until the dawn comes." I called CK, and started off the path toward my house. I realized that they were still standing there, so I turned around, and invited them in. Howie and Nick accepted, while Brian went and got their van. "I'll meet you there, I am assuming it's the one on the hill?" he questioned. I nodded, and turned back toward home, CK, Howie, and Nick following.
I hope that you enjoyed it, and I hope to have the next chapter out soon! E-mail me any ?s, comments, ideas, and whatever. dantesprayer@yahoo.com. and don't worry, if you have the time to waste flaming me or sending me tons of junk mail, I have the time to ignore you! lol; all other e-mails will be responded to in due time. Dante