Time Enough for Love 4
Time Enough For Love Part 04
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TUESDAY AUGUST 27, 1912 DAY NUMBER TWO
Morning came quickly and Levi slowly opened his eyes. At first he thought last night had been a dream. But a funny taste in his mouth and a quick fingering of his ass revealed that there had indeed been a party going on!
He arose from the bed and was astonished to see that the bedding had been changed. If he had cum as much as he seemed to remember, there was no way......
“What the fuck! This doesn't make any sense at all!” he said to himself.
Opening the door, Levi found himself face to face with Hok'ee. The man smiled at the boy.
“I have prepared a warm bath for you.... I thought you might enjoy it after last night!” he said with a knowing look.
“Uhh... Gee.... Thanks!” Levi stuttered.
He wanted to ask Hok'ee about what had happened, or rather what he THOUGHT had happened, but somehow the words weren't there.
Retreating to the comfort of the warm bath, Levi carefully explored his completely dilated rosebud.
“It had to be real!” he thought, “But was I with Curtis … or?”
The smell of fresh cooking wafted through the Holloway House. Levi's stomach growled as he appeared in the kitchen.
“Well there you are, Levi Aaron Roberts!” Edith greeted him.
“I supposed you would like some breakfast----” she started to ask.
“YES!” he exclaimed in return.
Levi sat down to a round of pancakes, sausage, eggs and biscuits. The woman marveled at how the boy could eat so much and remain so skinny.
“So what is your plan for today?” she asked the boy.
“I HAVE to find Curtis and talk to him. Seriously. Time is running out!” he replied.
The woman was impressed by Levi's sincerity and motivation., although a big piece of her heart wished he could stay in Gold Strike. She quickly shook that notion aside, realizing that Levi did not fit in this time at all. He belonged back in his own world. As for Curtis, Edith knew the boy was living a dead end life. If Levi could convince the boy to go with him, any future in Levi's time would be better than living with that odious ogre Trapper.
As Edith was clearing the table, Hok'ee drifted through the room.
He paused briefly at Levi's said, “You should be in town by 9:00!”
Before Levi could say a word, the man had disappeared.
Levi looked at the ornate time piece on the mantle in the parlor and it said he had over an hour to go.
Taking the opportunity, he scurried back to the bathroom to check himself out.
“I guess I am kinda cute!” he blushed to himself.
As he left the Holloway House, Edith remarked, “Are you all right, young man? You seem to be limping a bit!”
Levi smiled at the thought; his ass was definitely a bit sore but it was a GOOD kind of sore.
“I'm fine. Ma'am!” he replied.
“Well if you meet up with Curtis, you tell him.... He KNOWS he is welcome here! I have tried many times to get him to stay here away from.......!' she stopped short.
“I understand, Ma'am!' he said with a knowing smile.
Gold Strike at 9:00 on a Tuesday looked just like it had the day before. Lots of men milling around. The stores – what few there were – all were open for business. The saloons were rolling full force.
“Even at nine in the morning? Don't these losers ever dry out?” Levi laughed to himself.
He stood on the main street looking at the town. Something haunted his mind about the view. He couldn't place what that “thing” was. Suddenly a commotion broke out in front of one of the saloons. Two men charged into the street followed by a crowd of onlookers. The man were arguing about something. Levi couldn't get the drift of the conversation.
The man separated and paced off. Levi was fascinated by what he was watching.
“They're gonna have a gunfight!” he thought to himself.
Levi failed to notice that the street had cleared itself of people. Fearful eyes peered out the windows and doors as the two men stood facing each other. Like a blur, both men drew their guns....
Curtis was in the General Store trying to “score” a free peppermint stick from Amos Thurgood, the store owner.
“Looks like those two are finally gonna settle their argument!” Amos chuckled.
Curtis looked out the window of the store. Unlike all the others, his eyes were not drawn to the two men. Instead, the boy saw Levi standing there watching.... dangerously close to the line of fire of both men.
Like a gazelle, Curtis flew out through the door towards the boy. The men drew their guns. Curtis closed the gap on Levi. Amos yelled at Curtis to “get back inside!” The men took aim. Curtis was just a few feet from Levi.
“Faster, damnit!” he told himself.
His long, lithe legs moved like the blur of pistons operating at full speed.
Shots rang out. Curtis tackled Levi. The two boys went down hard. Curtis was sprawled on top of Levi; the force of the impact ground the sixteen year old boy's cock into Levi's ass cheeks.
Glass shattered next to the boys and a rain of broken pottery shards fell down on the two teens.
“What …..the ….fuck!” Levi barked out.
He felt someone pining him to the ground. He also felt something hard pressing against his butt.
Commotion rang out on the main street of Gold Strike.
Mr. Higgins from the Arizona Journal Miner [Ed Note: Actual Prescott newspaper of the era] rushed out of the Dry Goods store and snapped a picture of the pandemonium taking place after the shooting. That picture captured the image of two boys lying prone on the street.....
“He shot Harvey!” a voice yelled out.
Curtis quickly rose and helped Levi off the ground.
As Levi turned to vent at the person who had tackled him, he saw the two most beautiful eyes in the world staring back at him.
“Are you all right?” Curtis asked.
The sound of the boy's voice drove Levi insane. He wanted him so badly it hurt.
“Yeah... I... Uh.....!” Levi stammered.
“Did you not see what was going on?” Curtis asked.
Uh... Yeah...I just thought....!” Levi started to explain.
Then he thought, “You just SAVED MY LIFE!” he exclaimed.
Curtis shrugged as if what he had just done was a daily routine.
Amos Thurgood ran by the boys and barked, “You two need to be more careful! You might have gotten shot!”
Mr. Higgins also passed the boys and exclaimed, “This is going to look so good on the front page!”
Curtis gazed into the boy's eyes. He started to, but refrained, from asking “Are you dumb or something?” Recalling his first meeting with Levi, Curtis did not want to start their next meeting by saying something rude.
“I mean... That man SHOT him!” Levi cried out.
“Shot him? He killed him!” Curtis replied.
“You mean he's dead?” Levi asked.
“That is what usually happens you kill someone!” Curtis replied.
Any other time that remark might have been funny. Not today. Not for Levi. He just saw a man killed in broad daylight and people were hooting and hollering like it was a New Year's Eve Party.
“What kind of fucking shit hole is this?” Levi cried.
The sound of the boy using coarse words like that – words that only adults used - again sent a tingling through Curtis' body.
“You never seen a man killed before?” he asked Levi.
“No..... OH FUCK NO!” Levi cried out.
Curtis was amazed to see tears in Levi's eyes. This boy WAS different from anyone Curtis had ever met before.
“I want out of this hellhole now!!” Levi cried, “I wanna go back home!”
Levi cried as Curtis reached out to hold and comfort the boy. When the two teens touched, it felt like ten thousand volts of electricity passed between the two. Curtis felt his “thing” start to grow.
“Not NOW!” he moaned to himself, “If HE sees this, he'll think I'm a freak just like Trapper says I am!”
Levi felt the same jolt and stared into the boy's eyes.
“I want you!” was all Levi could think.
Curtis returned Levi's gaze and for the first time in his young life, feelings of …. lust.... passion.... woke from deep within his body.
“I wanna go back home!” Levi repeated.
Continuing to stare into Curtis' eyes, he continued, “And I want to take YOU with me!”
Curtis' body shook at that comment.
“Who are you?” he asked Levi, “And how do you know me?”
Levi continued to stare directly at the boy. He saw no malice in Curtis' question or his posture.
“We... need... to... Uh.... I need to.... talk!” Levi stammered.
The sight of the boy he had sought after since arriving in Gold Strike was giving Levi the shakes. He had wanted Curtis so badly; now, here he was... And Levi felt like a plate of Jello™!
“Do you wanna go swimming?” Curtis asked the boy.
The subject change caught Levi by surprise. He stared at Curtis in disbelief.
“Swimming? You know... like... in the water! They do have water where you live, right?” Curtis cracked.
Levi smiled at the teen.
“Yeah sure! Where?” Curtis asked.
The two boys walked to the corral. Curtis stood next to a towering horse.
“This is Zephyr!” he said
Hopping on as easily as Levi could breathe, the boy looked down and said, “Well! Git on!”
“I …. Uh... Don't know …. how to....!” Levi stammered.
Curtis reached down and took Levi's arm.
Lifting him as if he were as light as a feather, the boy said, “Swing your leg around and hold on!”
“Hold on to what?” Levi asked.
“ME, You dummie!” Curtis laughed.
Levi put his arms around Curtis' waist and instantly his cock was hard as a railroad spike.
The two boys took off at a fast gallop. Out of town along the railroad towards the Wildcat Mine. Levi had no idea where Curtis was taking him. All Levi cared about was the fact that he was literally glued to the boy and he wasn't letting Curtis out of his sight until Thursday!
As the two boys rode towards the mine, Levi's cock wasn't the only one about to rip out of its jeans. Curtis was sporting a massive hardon that snaked down his right leg. It always did that when it got hard, and that seemed to happen for no reason at all. Only now Curtis' cock had a reason to be as hard as granite. Levi's graceful body was pressing against the sixteen year old's backside. That same mysterious boy had his arms wrapped around Curtis' waist, holding on for dear life. Curtis didn't understand the feelings coursing through his body but he liked them!
Soon they arrived at the water tower along the railroad. This was the same location where, 102 years in the future, Levi had parked his Tacoma when his whole adventure began.
Curtis reluctantly untangled Levi's hands from around his waist and dropped to the ground. Of course he had to help Levi dismount as well.
“So where are we going swimming here?” Levi asked.
“Up there!” Curtis replied, nodding towards the water tower.
“You're kidding, right?” Levi replied.
“No... Just follow me!” the boy answered.
The two moved under and behind the tower, Curtis shimmied up a leg of the tower until he reached a service ladder.
Looking down at Levi, he called out, “Well! Come on!”
Levi looked up and a mound rose in his throat. He didn't like heights but he knew if he wanted to stay next to Curtis that fear was going to have to go away. So he started to climb.
“Just don't look down!” he told himself.
Soon he reached the ladder and Curtis. In the full sun, the younger teen seemed to radiate a youthful innocence and sexuality all at the same time.
“Up over the top and down. There's a ledge on the inside where we can sit down!” Curtis explained.
Vowing not to look behind him, Levi followed Curtis. The younger boy's body looked graceful and strong as he mounted the top of the tank and then disappeared. His head poked over the top and he looked down at Levi.
“Well! Come on! You are almost there!” he called out.
Levi went for the final ascent and as he reached the top, a pair of strong arms helped him over and down inside the tank.
“Wow!” Levi called out.
There was indeed a ledge all the way around the inside of the tower. A short drop of six feet or so and gave way to a deep pool of spring water.
“How deep is is?” Levi asked.
“Probably six, maybe eight feet!” Curtis answered.
“So.... You... uh... swim here a lot?” Levi asked.
“Sure... And bathe too! I.. uh... live just down the hill over there!” he nodded.
“With Trapper?” Levi asked.
Curtis frowned. Levi thought maybe he had crossed a line.
“Used to!” he said softly.
Levi could sense the boy's demeanor had changed at the mention of the word “Trapper.”
“Oh?” Levi replied.
“I'm moving on. Today, in fact!” Curtis replied.
“Where to?” Levi asked.
“Well I start work at the Mine on Thursday so I figured I could stay in town until I git 'nuff money to find a place of my own!” the boy answered.
Levi's mind swirled.
“That fucking MINE!” he thought, “NO! He can't go there!”
Levi decided the play it cool. He had all day to spend with Curtis. There was no point in going nuts in the first thirty minutes.
“Try and be cool about this!” he told himself.
“So... Uh.... How do we go swimming?” Levi asked.
“Well.... I usually jump or dive in the water to start with!” the boy replied with a smile.
“No shit, Sherlock!” Levi cracked.
He wondered if Curtis understood the sarcasm.
“I mean I don't have a bathing suit!” Levi offered.
“A what?” Curtis replied.
“Well that makes sense!” Levi thought, “If he swims here alone, he probably goes commando!”
“Well you could jump in with your clothes on. Sometimes I do that to wash them out. But they git pretty heavy when they are wet!” Curtis offered, “Or just do like this!”
Levi gasped as the boy stood up, peeling off his rag muffin shirt and revealing a tan, smooth and very tight upper body. Not an ounce of fat was present. The boy's shoulders were broader than Levi's; his body tapered down to a flat, taut and tight stomach.
Levi almost shot a lot of jism in his jeans at the sight. The best was yet to come. In a similar lightning fast move, Curtis peeled off his well-worn pair of Levis and some tattered underwear. Tossing them into the water, he turned to face Levi with a grin.
Just follow me!” he smiled.
With that, the young teen did a back flip off the ledge and dove into the cool water.
Levi's body trembled and his cock blasted loose a load of creamy cum as he watched Curtis' flaccid, cut cock and two huge low hanging balls flip flop in the air with the boy's dive.
“Five inches, maybe a little more!” Levi grunted to himself as a wetness flooded his skinny jeans.
“At least I'm a little bit bigger than he is!” he thought to himself, “but his nuts are fucking HUGE!”
Levi's cock twitched as his orgasm tapered off.
“Damn!” he thought, “Now my pants are toast!”
Standing up, the shucked them off and tossed the jeans down into the water. Since he was already going commando, all that he had left to lose were his shirt, shoes and socks. In an instant he jumped into the cool water.
Surfacing he looked for the boy. Curtis was nowhere to be seen.
Before he knew what was happening, a pair of strong arms pushed him underwater for a minute and then pulled him back above into the air.
You fucker!” Levi giggled.
The two boys began to play. Dunking each other and spraying water in each others faces.
At one time, Curtis disappeared from sight. Levi looked frantically for the boy. Out of the depths of the water, two hands pushed Levi under and then quickly lifted him up into the air. Again, it was like Levi weighed no more than a few feathers. Curtis seemed unusually strong and agile.
Levi spun around in an attempt to dunk his friend but Curtis was nowhere the be seen. Then Levi felt someone pulling on his feet and before he knew it, Curtis had the better of him again.
Several times as they played, both boys brushed against each other. Levi felt Curtis' strong, agile body crash into his own. He also felt Curtis' cock mesh against his own as the boys cavorted. Several times both boys had the pleasure of sneaking up behind each other and as their bodies meshed together, on more than one occasion, each boy felt a cock pressing into his ass.
After a couple of hours the two wound down from their “water sports.”
Let's sit on the deck for a while!” Levi offered.
“So I wore you out?” Curtis giggled.
Levi shot him a harsh stare and then giggled back.
“No... I just wanna rest before I kick your ass again!” he replied.
Hoisting themselves up to the deck, Levi couldn't help but admire Curtis' awesome body.
Likewise, the younger boy was not being too discreet in ogling his older friend.
Curtis noticed that Levi's “thing”look a lot like his except that it was slightly larger than his. Of course neither boy was hard at the moment. Curtis wondered how Levi would feel about him if he saw what happened when his “thing” got fully hard.
Curtis also noticed that Levi's cock had a wide chrome ring circling it and the boy's two very ample balls. He wondered what the purpose of the ring served but, being shy, refrained from asking.
The two boys laid in the sun and caught their breath.
“Looks like our clothes are pretty dry!” Curtis said.
“At least the swim managed to wash off all the dirt and grime!” Curtis remarked, “I hate being dirty and I really HATE stinking!”
“You said you bathe here too?” Levi asked.
“Yeah... It is okay now but in the winter it can be really cold!” the boy answered.
“You fucking do this in the WINTER?” Levi asked.
Again Curtis got that funny feeling when Levi cursed. Curtis heard adults speak like that all the time, especially in the saloons in town. He never heard a boy talk like that and the words made him feel funny....
“Yeah... Well.... It can be rough but what choice do I have?” Curtis replied.
“I can't imagine living like that!” Levi replied.
Curtis didn't understand the remark because he had no idea how Levi lived.
“Well.... Here... If you want to smell good, try this!” Levi offered.
He pulled the small can of deodorant out of his pack and offered it to the boy.
Curtis eyed the container and it became quickly obvious to Levi that the boy had no clue how to use it.
“Here!” Levi said, “Like this!”
He rolled some on and then offered it again to Curtis.
“It smells like spices!” the boy grinned.
“So will you after you use it!” Levi laughed.
Water trickled down from the inlet pipe so Levi moved to the next stage of bonding with his new friend.
“So how you you clean your teeth?” he asked the boy.
Curtis looked perplexed as Levi pulled out his mini tooth brush and toothpaste. Wetting the brush in the trickle of water from the inlet pipe, he showed Curtis how it was done.
“Actually I have an electric tooth brush at home but this will have to do!” he said.,
Curtis gave Levi another blank stare but accepted Levi's offer and clumsily brushed his teeth.
“Wow! That feels fresh!” the boy gushed.
Levi rolled on his skinny jeans as Curtis rinsed out his mouth.
“These damned things are always hard to get on after they've been washed!” Levi remarked.
Curtis tried not to stare as Levi zipped up the form fitting jeans. He felt a rush course through his sixteen year old body as he saw Levi's body conform to the fabric. His eyes lingered on Levi's crotch and the outline of “Little Levi.” That view lasted only a few seconds as Levi's T shirt dropped down to obscure the tantalizing view.
Levi caught the boy's lingering glance and gave Curtis a toothy smile.
Curtis' jeans were nowhere near as revealing but they still hung well on the boy's trim frame.
“Where did you git that good smellin' stuff... What did you call it....?” he started to ask.
“Deodorant!' Levi replied, “And toothpaste! I bought it at WalMart!”
“What is a 'WalMart?” Curtis asked.
Levi cleared his throat and gazed into Curtis' beautiful blue eyes.
“I need to talk to you!” Levi said to his new friend, “And it's some pretty serious stuff!”
Curtis stared intently at the boy. Levi began his speech....
“Uh.... !” Levi stammered, “I'm not exactly from around here!”
Curtis smiled at the boy fumbling over his words.
“Yeah …. You said you was from Phoenix!” he answered.
“I …. uh.... Am.... but... it's a little bit more difficult than that!” Levi replied.
“Well you sure 'nuff do not act like no one I ever met from anywheres!” Curtis laughed.
“Curtis!” Levi barked, “LANGUAGE!”
Levi hoped to lighten up the moment because he had no idea how to start off with what he needed to say.
“Oh yeah... Mrs. Holloway's ALWAYS after me for speakin' bad!” the boy laughed.
“Back in town I told you I knew who you were... I knew your name and where you went to school!” Levi started out....
“Yeah... I remember that... I thought it was kinda funny 'cause I sure 'nuff know I have never met you befores!” Curtis drawled.
Levi hesitated and then it struck him how to try reaching the boy!
“Curtis.... Do you remember a book Mrs. Holloway read to you in class this year?” he asked
The boy looked like he was trying to recall....
“I do.... Uh... Well.... She liked to read a lot to us... And she let me read for the class a lot because I was the oldest there!” he answered.
“This... uh.... book... was by H.G. Wells and it had to do with....!” Levi stopped.
“Oh yeah … The feller who went into time and saved all them folks from those creatures living underground!” Curtis replied.
“Yes!” Levi replied.
“It was.... Uh..... 'The Time Machine!'” Curtis replied.
“Well.... Uh.... That's kinda like.... about me!” Levi stuttered.
Curtis shot Levi another confused look.
“Huh?” he asked the older boy.
“It's like me!” Levi said haltingly, “I.... I'm not just from Phoenix.... I.... ummmmm....!!!! I'm from the future.... And.... uh..... I came here to save your life!”
Levi couldn't believe he finally said it...... To the boy he had been thinking about for days.
Curtis stared at Levi
“Well.... He didn't get up and run away screaming!” Levi thought to himself.
“My.... life?” Curtis' voice cracked, “What ….. is.... wrong... My ….. uh..... life?”
The boy was rattled at Levi's revelation.
“If.... Uhhh... If.... You do what time.... Uhhhhh.... what history... at least the history from my time says you did …. or are going to do... You'll be dead by Thursday evening!”
Curtis stared at the boy in disbelief.
Levi thought her had just made himself out to be a total nut job. What happened next surprised him even more.
“Prove it!” Curtis said in a calm, even tone.
Levi looked at the boy and felt weak all over. He was the cutest boy Levi had ever seen... So innocent in many ways and yet so strong. Curtis' life was in his hands. He had to make the boy understand what this time line held for him.
Reaching into his back pack, Levi started removing some of its contents: His 3300 lumen MF tactical flashlight, his smart phone, his GPS unit and the toothpaste and deodorant he had previous offered the boy.
Curtis eyed the objects with the curiosity of a cat.
“What is that?” he said, pointing to the GPS unit.
“It's a global positioning hand held device!” Levi replied.
He could see that his words made no sense to the boy.
“Here. Turn it on by pushing the red button. It'll make some noises so don't be afraid!” Levi said as he handed the unit to Curtis.
“Wow!” the boy exclaimed, “It is …. so... light.....!”
“It's made out of plastic. You don't know what that is because it hasn't been invented yet. At least from your perspective... Uh..... From your time!” Levi replied.
Curtis pushed the power button and the unit sprang to life.
It began the usual beeping indicating a search for GPS satellites.
“What are those?” Curtis said.
“Oh... Those are the little icons for the satellites!” Levi replied.
Again Curtis had a blank stare. Levi was starting to realize how much he was going to have to explain just to get to the reason he was here with Curtis. The lesson began with Levi trying to explain what a satellite was....
“And.... Since satellites won't be invented for another.... uh... maybe fifty or sixty years.... This unit isn't going to do anything. It can't work without locking on to the satellites!”
“You mean these.... uh.... satty-lights!” Curtis tried to pronounce the word, “Are up there?”
Curtis looked up in the sky.
“Oh yeah! A whole shit load of them! They are used for location finding, for making phone calls, for predicting the weather, for mapping and the military uses a lot of them!” Levi explained.
“But what good is this if it doesn't work?” Curtis asked.
“Well.... If we were in my time, It would work... Say.... uh..... you were riding Zephyr and you came across something valuable... Maybe some gold or something.. You could mark the position with this unit and then you could always find it again. You could also trace any route you took.... On Zephyr, or walking, or even on the train. It would record the entire route so you would know where you had been and how to get back!” Levi tried to explain.
“Then what's that?” Curtis said, pointing to the smart phone.
“Oh that's my cell phone.... Or actually it's called a smart phone.... In my time, you can call someone and talk to them anywhere in the world as long as they have a phone too. You can also listen to tunes, surf the web, take pictures.....!” Levi said.
“What's a 'tune?' a 'web?' what is 'taking pictures?'” the boy asked.
“A picture? Oh it's like this!” Levi said.
He pulled out the printed page showing the Gold Strike school class picture; the one where Levi first saw Curtis....
“Hey I remember that day! How did you get that...!” the boy exclaimed.
“I can do one better!” Levi interrupted, “The battery is almost dead on my phone. It needs to be recharged daily....!”
He turned on the unit.
“Crap! Don't die on me now....!!! But maybe!” Levi said.
He aimed the phone at Curtis.
“Smile for me, Curtis!” Levi laughed.
The boy gave Levi a small grin.
“Come on! Let me see that cute smile of yours!” Levi joked.
The boy broke out into a grin that made Levi shudder. He snapped a picture.
“Here! I have to be fast or the battery will die.... But look!” Levi exclaimed.
He handed the phone to Curtis. The boy gasped as he saw his full color image on the screen.
“How... How.... did ….. you?” the boy stuttered, “You... You ….really.... are....!”
“Yes!” Levi said as he stared into the boy's bright blue eyes.
“So if you.... like.... in the book.... came from time... another time.... How did you get here? Do you have a machine like the man in the story?” Curtis asked.
“No.... I came through the caves next to the mine!” Levi replied.
Curtis' eyes narrowed as he stared at the boy.
Levi started to explain how it all began. It wasn't easy. Curtis was not stupid but there were so many things that had to be detailed out. Like how Levi got the information about Gold Strike from Charles. How Charles and Levi went four wheeling....
“What does that mean?” Curtis would ask.
Over and over, “What does that mean?” became his constant refrain.
Levi did notice that Curtis was very smart. Every time he explained something to the boy, it seemed like Curtis' brain would file the information away just like a computer.
Finally Levi got to the part about the caves and the storm that brought him to Gold Strike.
“I seen big storms like that before!” Curtis exclaimed, “They come up once or twice every summer. Really black and green clouds and a fog settles in over the mountain!”
“YES!” Levi exclaimed, “That's what happened when I was brought here... And we need to catch the next one to get back to my time!”
“We?” Curtis asked.
“Yes... 'WE!'” Levi shouted.
“What would... Why... would... I ….can ….not ….go …..with you!” the boy stammered.
“Why not?” Levi asked.
“It is not my place....Gold Strike is my place... Where I live!” he replied.
“But you said you were leaving!” Levi countered, “And besides... Gold Strike is going to ….. It's not going to survive as a town... In a few years all the people will be gone because...!”
Levi halted.
Curtis looked at Levi. He could see something was bothering his new friend.
“You said I was gonna ….. die?” Curtis croaked out.
Levi started to cry.
“Yes!” he sobbed, “In that motherfucking mine! Thursday!! There's gonna be another cave-in and seven miners are going to die... And you're gonna be one of them!”
Curtis stared at Levi. He didn't know what to say or how to react. At first he thought this very different boy was ...maybe crazy..... But that thought quickly disappeared when Levi had produced all his “gadgets.” Curtis could tell they were not products of the year 1912 …. Either in frontier Arizona or any big city back East....
Levi had also pulled the same exhibits he had used on Mrs, Holloway. He showed Curtis the money from his time; the Driver's License with his picture and birth date on it, and a handful of credit cards. Curtis didn't understand what they all meant but he was sharp enough to grasp that Levi was not crazy and he wasn't telling a big story to get his attention. There was something much deeper, and more real, going on with Levi.
Levi also pulled the page out of his back pack that told of the Wildcat Mine disaster; The same page that told of the seven dead miners and listed Curtis by name. He handed the page to his friend. Curtis started to read the article. He could understand almost all of it. That impressed Levi.
“This guy is fucking smart considering where he lives and what he's been through!” Levi thought to himself .
Curtis started to shake and dropped the page when he got to the part about..... his own death.
“Then... I.... will ….. die!” he started to say.
“NO!” Levi screamed. “NO! NO! NO!”
“You WILL NOT die. I won't let you! You can't go to work in that fucking mine! I want you to come back with me. To my time. To MY world!” Levi cried.
“What.... would …. I … do..... How could I live....!” Curtis asked.
“WITH ME!” Levi cried.
“Look... I never told you but I'm rich. Real rich. And I'm... I've been.... Looking for... a boy.... to live with ….!” Levi sobbed.
“Don't they have boys like me in your time?” Curtis asked.
“There's a lot of boys in my time... But I.... don't want them... I..... want YOU!” Levi sobbed.