Metamorphosis of Jeremiah Long

The Metamorphosis of Jeremiah Long, chapter 13

Warning:

This story contains scenes of love and sexual interaction between males of similar age. If the reading or possessing this material is illegal in your country, state, province, county, municipality, etc., please leave this site immediately and do not proceed further. If you are under the legal age to read this, please do not do so.

The author retains the copyright, and any other rights, to this original story. You may not publish it or any part of it without explicit authorization from me.

Thanks and hugs to Tom and David (boxerdude) who edit for me so that there are fewer mistakes! They not only proof-read, but make other valuable suggestions.

A complete list of my stories may be found in the longer header before chapter 1, or on Nifty's homepage under the alphabetical listing of authors.

Your donations to Nifty are appreciated to keep this a free site for us and for you.

David (dlee169@hotmail.com)

The Metamorphosis of Jeremiah Long, Chapter 13

October morphed into November and there was a decided chill in the air throughout the Midwest. While the boys were occupied with school and swimming, Davy's grandparents were in the process of getting their lake property ready for winter. Mostly, that meant conferring with the man who oversaw properties for summer residents in the area.

They were planning to stay in Wisconsin until Thanksgiving and then drive down to Florida to see how they liked it before purchasing a condo. The landscape there was more like the areas they'd grown up in than Arizona was. Neither of them was really into desert and cacti, but they did like the mountains and the absence of hurricanes. It was going to be a difficult decision.

Brent was wandering around in the kitchen in his boxers making his first cup of coffee in the new Keurig early on Saturday morning when he heard a light tapping on the sliding door. He was toying with the idea of not answering when he peeked through the blinds and saw a pale, straggly looking boy on the deck, causing him to change his mind.

"What may I do for you, young man? Oh you're Joe our paper carrier, right? I sent the payment electronically through my bank. Is there a problem?"

"It was credited to your account and I want to thank you for your generous tip. Um, can I come in for a minute? I don't feel so good?"

"Sure, let me go put on a robe."

"That's okay; I'm not offended by seeing men in boxers. Is Jer, uh, David here?"

"He and Jon were asleep the last I knew. I can go check."

"I hate to bother you all, but..."

"That's okay, let me take your coat. Have you eaten? You're welcome to have breakfast with us."

"No... I don't want to put you to any trouble. I only need to rest a minute and I figured Dave would let me in."

"It's no problem. Oh my God, there's blood on the back of your shirt."

"I'm okay."

"No you're not! It's soaked through! We need to get you to a doctor to see about this. What happened?"

"It's nothing; I guess the sling on my paper carrier rubbed off a scab. I..."

Josiah, or Joe as he preferred to be called, couldn't put up a brave front any longer. He began to sob as Brent gently embraced him, trying not to put any pressure on the area that was bloody.

Davy and Jon wandered into the kitchen about then and stopped in their tracks before the scene which reminded them of a painting of some martyred saint.

"It's my own fault for being a fag – an abomination! I tried so hard not to be and my father found out. He tried to cure me." Joe blurted out.

"Did he do this to you?" Brent asked.

Joe nodded his head, not able to speak because of the sobs wracking his battered body.

"Joe, there is nothing wrong with being gay, but there is something very wrong in beating another person, especially one who can't defend himself! Your father had no business harming you!" Brent continued. "We're going to get help for you. Please know that we'll do our best.

Davy, go see if you're dad's up and explain what's going on. We need to get dressed and take Joe to the emergency room. Jon, please fix a bowl of cereal for Joe. You'd better have some too if you're going along because there's no telling how long it will take to get him fixed up."

Joe had regained some of his color by the time he'd eaten something, but it was obvious that he was in pain. Jon and Davy took turns eating and getting dressed. One of them stayed with Joe at all times, fearing that he might bolt for home if he were left alone. However things turned out, the boys didn't see going back to his home as a good plan.

It was nearly noon by the time the men and boys returned to the house. In that time, Joe's wounds had been photographed, x-rayed, documented, and treated. The police and a social worker had been called in to handle the case. There was a warrant for Isaiah Smith's arrest and temporary guardianship had been awarded to Brent and Brock. It all had gone smoothly once Todd had applied a bit of pressure to the right people in the agencies involved.

Due to their chaotic morning, the men had stopped for Chinese carryout on the way home. At present, they were all sitting around the kitchen table digging in after Brock had said a quick grace over the food.

Joe was ravenous, but tried not to make a pig of himself. He'd had no lunch the previous day and been sent to bed with no dinner after being whipped.

"Joe, you don't need to hold back on eating," Brock insisted. "We bought extra and it's never as good warmed up – especially the egg rolls."

"Thanks! I'm really grateful. You're all so wonderful to me. I can't thank you enough. You're like saints!"

"We're far from being canonized," Brent blushed. "We're merely trying to live as the Good Book tells us to."

"If either of them is ever canonized, it would be with a big cast iron cannon!" Davy joked.

Jon, Brent, and Brock grinned, but Joe didn't seem to pick up on the pun.

"You know, shot from a cannon like the clowns at a circus."

"I get it," Joe smiled. "I've never seen a real circus."

"Dad took me to one when I was little. I just this minute remembered that," Davy said.

"We'll have to do it again, unless you guys are all to grown up for that sort of thing. Or, maybe we could see a performance of Cirque."

"That would be really cool!" Davy enthused, as Jon nodded in agreement.

Joe stared at his plate wishing he could have an opportunity like that, but he looked up with a wan smile when Brent said he'd be included, of course.

There was little food left at the end of the meal, and Brock urged Joe to finish off the Mongolian Beef so it wouldn't end up in the disposal. Joe didn't hesitate to clean it up.

"Will you go to church with us in the morning," Jon asked of Joe.

"I'd like to, but it depends on how I feel after delivering the papers."

"You're not going to do that!" Davy insisted.

"But you know subs are almost impossible to find and the one we have is filling in for a kid who's sick. I can't let Harry down!"

"I'll do it," Davy said. "I might even find someone to help me."

"Are you looking at me?" Jon grinned.

"Do you see anyone else besides Joe in our room?"

"Okay, you know I wouldn't let you go out alone after that incident with your respected church member."

"Did he really kidnap you?" Joe asked with a frown.

"Yup, didn't you see the news reports?"

"I wasn't allowed to watch because my father said it was a hoax perpetrated by the liberal media."

"Bull shit!" Jon roared. "I chased the SUV and found him in the back all taped up when old Markel stopped for coffee."

"Really," Davy chimed in. "Jon saved me from what they were going to do to me before sending me to a boot camp to change my orientation."

"Then it's true that you're a fag like me?"

"I'm gay, but if you call me a fag, I'll have to try out my karate on you."

"I'm sorry. Please don't hurt me." Joe responded with fear in his eyes.

"Joe, I was joking! I'd never attack you, not even if you insulted me really bad. I'm a peaceful guy. It was insensitive of me to talk like that after what happened to you.

By the way, may I ask how your father caught you or is that too personal?"

"I'm kinda embarrassing, but I guess you'd understand. I found a stack of old magazines in the trash while I was delivering papers. They were of good looking men having sex. Instead of resisting temptation, I slipped a couple into my paper carrier and took them home. I was playing with my penis while looking at some pictures when my father burst into my room and caught me. I was about to waste my seed."

"Jacking off isn't a sin and doing it while looking at pictures doesn't make you gay," Jon insisted.

"But they were homosexual pictures and I knew that I really wanted to be doing those things with them. I wanted to have sex with other guys"

"Have you known a long time," Davy asked.

"I knew I liked boys even before I started growing hair, you know, um, around my penis." Joe blushed.

"I did too," Jon confirmed.

"You're gay too?"

"Well, yeah, we're boyfriends. Didn't you pick up on that?"

"No, I thought you were good buddies. Um, do you do all that gay stuff together?"

"Not ALL of it," Davy exclaimed. "We're saving the butt stuff for when we get married."

"But, sodomy is a sin!"

"It is a sin to rape someone and that's what the men in Sodom did in order to dominate strangers. That was their sin. They weren't doing it as two men in love. God didn't condemn that."

"But in the New Testament Paul preaches against love between men."

"He did preach against men buying the `favors' of young boys with gifts. It was equivalent to child prostitution and some of the parents encouraged their kids to do it. That was what he was condemning." Davy said.

"How do you know all this stuff?" Joe asked with a hint on indignation.

"I talked to our minister about it. He loaned me a book by someone named Jack Rogers who studied it thoroughly back to the earliest texts in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek."

"Wow, he can read all those languages?"

"Yup, and I think we can trust his judgment because he started the study so he could make a church curriculum to teach against homosexuality and found that people have made incorrect assumptions for centuries."

"I hope he's right because I don't want to go to Hell and I know I can't change the inside of me. I've prayed and fasted and everything and God hasn't changed me."

"Did you ever consider that God made you and loves you like you are? Maybe he's not in the business of tampering with a good thing."

"I wish you guys could be my brothers!"

"We are," Jon told him. "We'll be that close if you want."

"I don't want to break anything up," Brent said as he entered the room. "It's time for another pain pill if you need it, Joe."

"Thanks! I do need it. Maybe I'll try to take a nap if that's okay."

"Of course it is. You're welcome to use our bed," Davy said.

After sleeping for a couple of hours, Joe awakened feeling better. He looked around the pleasant bedroom that Dave and Jon shared, wishing he could live there forever. He wondered what would happen to him. He'd heard horror stories about foster homes, some of those from his parents. He suspected that they had told him those tales to keep him from telling anyone how his life really was. Perhaps he'd be better off in foster care or in a group home. Things couldn't be much worse than yesterday had been in his own home.

Hearing a slight noise, he turned his head to see Brent checking on him.

"How do you feel, Joe?"

"I'm better. It's kinda weird having to sleep on my stomach most of the time, but at least I slept. I'm not sure I slept at all last night."

"I can only imagine."

"What's gonna happen to me?"

"If it's up to me, you'll be living here. I've always wanted a son."

"You already have David."

"Yes, and I love him very much, but..."

"You'd keep me? You don't know anything about me."

"I know Davy says you're a good, honest kid and he'd like to have you as his brother."

"Wow! He would? But he's got Jon."

"Brothers and boyfriends are two different things. We all want to see you safe, happy, and able to pursue a good life. That includes Brock, Davy, Jon, and me. I guess I should include Jon's family too."

"Won't the authorities make me go back?"

"No. Parental rights can be terminated for what your father did to you. There is a no-contact order for your father and your mother will probably be included. Did she try to stop him?"

"No. She quoted something from the Bible about sparing the rod and spoiling the child when I pleaded for him to stop. I know I was doing something I've been taught was wrong, but Jon and Dave told me it wasn't wrong to, um, play with myself."

"Masturbation isn't wrong! There are very few people in the world who would even suggest that today. This is the 21st century, not the Victorian Era. Playing with yourself doesn't mean you're gay either. If it did, there wouldn't be enough people born into the world to fill this town."

"I guess I've been living in a different world."

"Yes you have. It may take some getting used to, but I think you'll like the new one you're living in now.

Let me check you bandages and then we'll find you a snack. You need a bit more meat on your bones."

"Thanks!" Joe said, grasping Brent's hand and tearing up.

"You are more than welcome," Brent responded, his own eyes getting moist as he kissed Joe's forehead.

"So what's the verdict on going to church, Joe?" Davy asked as the boys were sitting at the kitchen table.

"If I feel as good as I do now, I'd be okay, but I don't have anything to wear that doesn't have blood on it other than the sweats and T you loaned me."

"While you were sleeping, Jon and I went to his house and got into the boxes of clothes he's outgrown. They should fit pretty well. You can borrow underwear from him or me `cause I don't think there're any in there. We're not trying to foist hand-me-downs on you, but it's kinda late in the afternoon to go shopping."

"I'll be happy for whatever you give me. Beggars can't be choosers."

"You're not a beggar. My dads will be happy to buy you new things when they get the chance. Brent said we shouldn't buy too much at once because he wants to fatten you up, but he's really generous."

"But, I have no way to pay them back."

"You don't need to; it's for Jesus anyway."

"Huh?"

"Don't you remember the passage in the Bible about the cup of cold water? Jesus said, `I was hungry and you fed me; naked and you clothed me and all that stuff."

"I guess, but I don't get the point."

"Well the point is that if you do it for people in need, you're doing it for Jesus as well."

"I don't remember Pastor Bob preaching on that."

"That's because he was more into adding church members than in helping people in need. Even then, he was a fraud!" Davy exclaimed.

Davy drew a bath for Joe after dinner and Jon and he helped the boy wash up around his bandages. Then they took a shower together while he waited for them in their room.

Knowing they had to be discreet in his presence, they made quick work of getting each other off while they were in the shower. When they came into their room, they looked relaxed and a bit flushed.

"You're welcome to sleep with us tonight if you want to; it's your choice." Davy said.

"I don't want to stop you from doing whatever you do together." Joe blushed.

"We're not going to make love and we're not going to molest you, if that's what you're concerned about. We thought you might feel lonesome in a strange house by yourself. You can sleep in the guest room if you like."

"I'd like to be with you guys."

"Then it's settled." Davy declared. "I'll sleep in the middle and you can have the side near the window. I don't move around as much as Jon does and I'll do my best not to bump into you since you're still hurting."

Everyone was agreeable, so they soon turned out the light and settled down. Davy started the night by cuddling up to Jon's back, but they shifted positions from time to time.

Sometime in the early hours, he had turned toward Joe and Jon was wrapped around his back. Joe roused slightly feeling a hot fleshy poker nudging his left hip. In his semiconscious state, he reached down and felt it. His eyes popped open as he became aware of what he'd done. On the one hand he felt a sense of guilt, but on the other intense pleasure.

He lay quietly listening to Davy's breathing which appeared to be regular. He tentatively touched it again. It felt spongy and steely at the same time, much like his did when erect. He was ashamed of what he'd done, but also aroused. He slipped out of the room quietly and hurried to the bathroom where he locked the door and turned on the light. Looking at his image in the mirror, he pulled down his boxers and flogged his cock until it spewed. Luckily he'd grabbed a Kleenex just in time to catch most of the load. Some of it had gotten on his fingers. He milked out a few globs to join the mess on his left hand which he licked clean. He smiled at his reflection.

When Joe woke up again, he was alone in the bed. He could smell breakfast and hear muffled voices in the distance. He rushed to the bathroom to take care of his aching bladder and brush his teeth. Then he pulled the sweats over his boxers and padded down to the kitchen.

"You're welcome to start eating," Brock told him. "The boys should be back shortly."

"I can wait for them. After all, they're out doing my job."

"There's no need to wait. I'll be making more waffles when they hit the door and these should be eaten before they get cold or turn too crispy in the oven staying warm."

"Waffles can't get too crisp for me!" Joe insisted, but he gave in and began to put butter and syrup on one.

"About the paper route," Brent said, "I'd like you to consider giving it up. I know you like the money, but we'll give you an allowance to make up for it. I'm not saying anyone is going to snatch you like they did Davy; still it makes me nervous to have you out there alone in the early morning."

"I've been thinking about that too," Joe said with his head down. "I know there's a no-contact order so my father can't legally touch me, but he tends to live above' the law, heeding only God's law' and I don't think a piece of paper will be much protection."

"Do you really think he'd hurt you with the police keeping an eye on him?"

"I know he would! They can't be everywhere."

"Okay, that cinches it!" Brent exclaimed. "We'll contact Harry about finding a replacement and perhaps Davy and Jon can take up the slack until a reliable kid can be found."

Davy and Jon were heard taking off their wet coats and shoes in the mud room in preparation to join the rest at the table.

After all had eaten their fill, the boys tidied up the kitchen and everyone went to get ready for church.

"Are you certain you feel up to going?" Brent asked when Joe came into the family room. "You're not required to."

"I'm okay as long as no one puts an arm around my shoulders," Joe said.

"We've got your back!" Jon grinned, "And I mean that literally. Dave and I will ward off anyone who tries to hug you. I can't imagine that happening because we Presbyterians do everything `decently and in order' as tradition dictates."

"The subcommittee on the subject of `to hug or not to hug' is still struggling with the issue and isn't ready to report back to the main fellowship committee," Davy quipped.

"We're not that bad!" Brock laughed.

"Yup we are!" Davy and Jon answered in chorus.

In some ways, Joe's first experience of attending a mainline church was rather similar to what Davy's had been. He noticed how different and how comforting it was for the most part.

Early in the order of service, there was a time of confession in which everyone participated by reading the words printed in the bulletin. It seemed to Joe that he could find in those words things that applied to him. When it came to the short time of personal reflection, he asked God to forgive him of the sin of touching Davy's stiffy when the boy was asleep and couldn't stop him. He really did feel sorry.

After the sermon, there was a hymn and then an affirmation of faith. In that bit of congregational reading, a few words stuck out to Joe which made sense as he was trying to understand how the creation story and evolution could possibly be reconciled. It said in part, "We believe in God who has created and is creating..." Could evolution be the means God used to bring things about?

In the fellowship time after the service, Davy and Jon stayed close to Joe so that his sore back wouldn't be accidently bumped. They certainly didn't want his first experience at their church to be an unpleasant one!

Joe's experience suddenly became more pleasurable when he realized that a cute boy about his age was headed his way in the company of another who looked slightly older. From the way they resembled one another, he was positive they were brothers.

"Hey guys," Bradon greeted them.

"Hey yourself," Davy grinned as the boys all dapped fists.

"Joe, this is Bradon Witte who's in our class at school and this is Mark his brother who's a middle school twerp." Jon teased. "This is our new bro Joe."

"I'm not a twerp!" Mark insisted.

"No offence intended," Jon said as he tousled Mark's hair affectionately. "You're our bro too."

Bradon shook Joe's hand, but Mark put out his fist in greeting and Joe immediately bumped it with his as he'd seen the others do.

After the introductions were made, the three older boys started talking about school, leaving Mark and Joe to their own devices. Jon and Davy moved so they were back to back with Joe to prevent his being accidently jostled.

The two younger boys stood shyly grinning at each other for a couple of minutes until Mark started the conversation.

"Did you just move to town? I haven't seen you at Franklin. Or, are you in high school?" Mark asked to break the ice.

"I'm eight-grade level," Joe answered. "I've been home schooled up to now, but I hope to go the Franklin. Jon tells me it's a good place."

"It's cool enough, for school," Mark joked. "But I can't wait to be in high school because they have a really cool new swim coach."

"You're probably a good swimmer." Joe said, sizing up Mark's body. "You're lean and long."

"So are you," Mark returned the compliment. "Are you a swimmer too?"

"I've never been on a team, but I'd like to be."

"You should join the program at the Y. We have a new coach there too. His name is Vin Rossi and he's pretty cool.

Are you related to one of them?" Mark gestured toward Davy and Jon with his head.

"Um, Dave's dads are hoping to adopt me. They're my guardians right now, but we're not sure how it will all work out."

"I hope you get to be. Those guys are awesome. Everyone has been really good to me and helped me with my problems."

"What happened?"

"I can't talk about it right now," Mark said staring at the floor.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be nosy. I guess we all have things that are difficult to tell others."

"You too?"

"Yes."

"Maybe we'll get to know each other well enough to share someday," Mark said, hopefully.

"I'd like to know you that well even if you're not like me." Joe blurted out without thinking.

"Who knows? We might be more alike than you know," Mark responded, cocking his left eyebrow.

Joe had heard the expression, "he made my heart flutter," but hadn't known it could actually happen. At the moment, his was skipping a few beats.

"I have a confession to make," Joe said as the three of them were changing into jeans and T's when they got home.

"If it's about Mark, we already know you have the hots for him," Davy grinned.

"No, it's not that," Joe blushed furiously. "It's about me. I confessed to God in the silent time, but I need to ask you guys to forgive me too."

"I can't image you have anything sinful in your heart," Davy observed.

"I do, or did. About 3:30 a.m. I woke up feeling something hard against my leg and I reached over to find out what it was."

"Probably it was my dick," Davy grinned. "I tried to tell it to leave you alone! You were half asleep; I've have done the same thing."

"But after I knew what it was, I felt it again and wrapped my hand around it. I'm sorry. I hope you won't hate me," Joe began to cry.

"I'm not angry, but you'd better ask Jon how he feels because it belongs to him."

"We're cool," Jon stated. "Most of us would like to check another guy out sometime or other. Do you want to feel mine too?"

"I'd better not because I'd get out of control. I went to the bathroom right after I felt it and I, um..."

"...Spilled a bunch of seed." Davy finished the sentence.

Joe studied the carpet and nodded, blushing.

"I used to feel guilty even when that happened in my sleep!" Davy informed him.

"You too?" Joe exclaimed. "I thought it was the Devil tempting me."

"All boys have wet dreams," Jon said gently. "Like our statement of faith said this morning, `We are not alone; we live in God's world...'."

"That's funny," Joe giggled. "But it seems to say that God is always with us and sees everything we do."

"I'm sure that's true, even when we blow a load in our sleep," Jon said.

"And He's okay with that?"

"Well, it was God who made us to be sexual beings, so I would say the answer's a definite yes!"

"Joe needs a boy his age to talk to about stuff like this," Davy suggested.

"We need to invite Bradon and Mark for a sleepover," Jon teased, watching Joe turn a darker shade of red.

"Maybe Joe should just invite Mark over and share the guest room," Davy added.

Joe was embarrassed, but also intrigued by the idea of sharing a room, and maybe a bed with the cute boy he'd met that morning. Still, he had real concerns.

"He's gonna see my back. I'm sure it will take a long time to look normal and maybe that'll never happen."

"Joe, Mark is a cool, sensitive kid. He might not say anything about it, but you still might want to tell him," Jon suggested. "I know he'd understand. He's had some tough stuff in his life too, but his scars aren't on the outside."

Author's notes: Thanks to you who emailed this week. There are some new names on the list! I want to recognize the following: Scott W (I left off his name by accident last week.), Hayden O, Nathan N (A&F), Bill K, Mendy D, Tom A, Bill T, Trish R, Paul R, Jim W, RC, Wayne, Trish R, Walt S, Ott H, Paul F, Kris K, and Charles C.

David