Chapter 16
Daniel awoke with a start at a hand shoving at his privates forcing him back into his jeans. His eyes flew open slowly adjusting to the still faint dawn light. His hand automatically grabbing the offender's wrist.
He slowly focused on Jimmy leaning over his crotch. Jimmy jerked his hand back and he put his finger to his lips for quiet with a quick glance to where the girls slept.
Daniel knit his brows together, hardly whispering, he mouthed his question. “What the hell are you doing?”
Jimmy quietly stood up and curled his index finger for him to follow. He tiptoed to the door and out, looking back to make sure Daniel followed.
Daniel was shocked at the size of his new flaccid cock and it took him several seconds to comfortably adjust himself back into his underwear. As quietly and quickly as possible he zipped his jeans. Still barefoot he followed Jimmy outside.
Jimmy, also barefoot, walked well beyond sound distance from the cabin. He turned and stared furiously as Daniel hobbled towards him.
“What were you doing in there?” Daniel asked in disbelief. Sure they had shared sex with Lynda but this wasn't right.
“Me!” His mouth flew open in surprise. “I wake up and see your fucking dick hanging out. Where the hell did you get that big thing? You're bigger than that fucking asshole Gurvis!”
Jimmy balled up his fist in embarrassment at the thoughts he knew Daniel was having about him. He felt his own dick shrivel in jealousy at the thought of the size Daniel now carried.
“Why didn't you wake me up?” Daniel's own anger rising.
“I tried to, dammit! I shook you, pinched you, and kicked your leg, but you were dead.” He turned sideways and looked away. “I didn't know what else to do. I didn't want Sandy to see you laying like that. Enough has gone on without her accusing us of anything else.” He stared at Daniel's arm and pointed. “See how red it is. That's where I pinched you.”
Daniel stared down at the whelp and felt his anger dissipate. He shook his head and shrugged his shoulders not knowing what to say. “Sorry, I, it just startled me. I mean what would you have thought if you woke up like that?”
Jimmy half nodded in understanding. He scrunched the muscles in the left side of his cheek causing his mouth to draw. He gave a halfhearted laugh and then looked at him with suspicion. “I see what you mean but what the hell were you thinking. If you're going to beat your meat, at least put it up when you're finished.”
Daniel looked away as the memories of what happened flooded in. Jimmy's eyes flew open and his face reddened as he read his face. “You didn't fuck Lynda again last night, did you?”
Daniel just shrugged in response.
“Did you fuck my sister?” Jimmy's fists balled again as he screamed the accusation.
Daniel put his hand to his forehead and rubbed, shaking his head in confusion. “I don't know what happen. I was almost asleep and then I felt a hand on my crotch. I went to move my hand and I couldn't. I couldn't even grunt. I got a blow job. He shook his head. “I think it was Lynda but I don't know. It was dark and I couldn't move.”
Jimmy relaxed, looking at him in shock amazement as the tension left his body. “How the hell did your cock grow that fucking much over night? It wasn't that big the night we fucked Lynda. I know.” No longer embarrassed to talk about the incident he was very blunt. “We shared the same tight hole and I felt your dick against mine. I know they were the same fucking size then. What the hell happened?”
“I don't know.”
“How the hell can I make mine grow like that?” Jimmy looked at him enviously.
“I swear to you, I really don't know. I got a blow job and like I said, I thought it was Lynda. I can't even swear to that for sure. I thought she was going to fuck me again but she didn't. She just sucked me. And I grew. I actually felt it growing. Not just get hard. Then suddenly it was like my mind left by head, you know up here, and centered in the head of my dick. I couldn't even feel my body. My mind and body became my dick. I couldn't think, nothing, I just felt pleasure. Then I shot my wad and drifted off to sleep.”
Jimmy stared at him in total disbelief and huffed. “Well I want one like it too.” He gave a smirked grin. “But not yours. I want my own.” He looked at Daniel in all seriousness and said, “Let me see it again.”
“Are you crazy. Look at your own.”
“I've seen mine. I want to see it again. I'm serious, I'm curious. It's just unbelievable.” He blinked his eyes in challenge.
Daniel started to object again but saw how serious he was. He realized he was curious to look at it too. So what, after all, Jimmy was his friend and hadn't they shared Lynda. It was no big deal. They had looked at each other's before. Besides, he rationalized, he had to piss anyway.
He unzipped his pants and struggled a moment, finally managing to free it. He stared down and was shocked. He couldn't even get his hand completely around it, even in its flaccid state. It was like an alien object attached to his body, hanging almost half way down his thigh. It really was an, it! Like it didn't belong.
Jimmy showed no embarrassment as he stared blatantly. He watched as piss began flowing out the puffed lips from the mushroomed head. With the sound of the stream he unzipped and quickly pulled his own out to relieve his bladder. He stared down at his own with a strange feeling of inadequacy he had never felt before.
Daniel glanced at him and without turning took his thumb and redirected his stream to cross Jimmy's.
“I heard of crossed swords but crossed piss?” Jimmy tried to laugh but just shook his head. He finished before Daniel did even though he started after. He quickly zipped up.
Finally, Daniel exhaled finishing up. He shook it twice as they both watched in disbelief as it flopped up and down. He put it back in his jeans, pulling at them to comfortably adjust it down his left thigh. He looked up at the solemn look on Jimmy's face.
“I know you Jimmy, don't feel like that, besides yours will still grow. It looks bigger now than it did the last time I saw it. This thing is ridiculous. It's too big. Nobody could want this much. What can you do with it?”
Drying several strayed drops on his pants he laughed trying to joke Jimmy out of his sour mood. “Hellfire man, who the hell am I going to marry? I think that's more dick than the average pussy can take.” His left brow shot up. “Maybe a horse or a cow.” Down deep he felt afraid what he was saying was really true but he said it as a comfort.
Jimmy gave him a smile and chuckled. “I'll bring a box to your wedding for you to stand on, so you can fuck her. You know if you buy a farm with plenty of trees you can cut them down to stand on. I'll call you stump humper.”
He smiled gravely and sighed. “If we don't get out of this mess at least I'll be popular in prison.”
Jimmy started to laugh but a scream from the cabin made it catch in his throat. His eyes widened at Daniel and they took off running as fast as their bare-feet allowed.
“What's going on?” Daniel was the first thought the door as he stopped abruptly, causing Jimmy to plow into him.
They stood there staring at Sandy. Her mouth gapped as she pointed at Lynda's hugely bloated belly.
Then she lowered her arm as her jaw tightened and stared accusingly. “What are you doing? I guess you've stuffed something up under there to make us think you're going through some super fast pregnancy process.” She put her hands on her hips and spit. “Well, I'm not falling for it. I want to see the real proof.”
Sandy turned to them glaring and barked. “Turn around! I want her to show me that's her and not something stuck up there.”
Daniel's eyes met Jimmy's as they turned their backs. Neither one said a word but they knew it wasn't a trick.
“Oh, my god!” Sandy gasped and they couldn't help but turn around to see.
Lynda was standing there, her skirt raised up over her white panties, exposing her very fleshy rounded belly. She lowered
her skirt and looked at Sandy. “I, I know it's hard to believe.”
Sandy swayed and sat down hard on the mat, resting her head in her hands, muttering. “Unbelievable. I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't seen it. I still can't believe it.”
“Now will you believe us?” Jimmy couldn't help rub it in, yet at the same time he was shocked. It was contrary to all know natural laws, at least the ones he was aware of.
“How much time will you have before you go into labor?” Daniel asked calmly, refusing to give Sandy the 'I told you so,' that she deserved.
“Probably late tonight or early morning.” Her face displayed restless fear. “If they don't stop me.”
“Well we've got to get you to a hospital.” Daniel said more to Jimmy than to her.
“No!” She shook her head. “I won't go. I can do it myself.” Defiance replaced the fear as she added, “I have too.”
Daniel started to argue but saw it was futile from the determination in her very demeanor. “Okay. We at least have to get you somewhere where we have hot water and clean sheets.” He shrugged. “At least that's the way it's done in the movies.”
“We have to go back to your house.” Jimmy said.
“I don't see any choice.” Daniel straightened to his full height as if he could bare this new burden. “We can go to my room. We need to get some food too.” He looked at her warmly. “If time is sped up. Then that means the amount of energy consumed by your body increases, am I right?”
Lynda nodded.
“Then you must be next to starving.” He stared down at her rounded tummy and joked. “I would say you're six months late for dinner.” He expected her to grin and she tried weakly, but the truth was, he must have been right. Too right. He looked at her closely and was surprised at the dark circles around her eyes, her arms were thinner and her hair looked as if it had grown four inches. He shook his head in disbelief.
Jimmy stretched and looked at Lynda as she attempted to smile at Daniel. He felt a wave of jealousy hit him as he thought about what Daniel had told him about last night. He shrugged. “If we're going, let's go. It's a good walk back and we might have to leave the road.”
“I know a short cut.” Lynda volunteered.
“Yeah? Now you tell us.” Jimmy asked a little gruffer than he had intended.
“It's through the caves.” She answered undisturbed by his attitude. “I, uh, we were going to take your car, remember? If I had known we were coming here I would have told you.”
Jimmy opened his mouth but Daniel recognized his animosity and stepped between them. “Let's go then.” He headed towards the door thinking about what Lynda had done last night. He had to grin as he thought about Jimmy's jealousy. He couldn't believe it himself. In the past Jimmy had always been the one that attracted the girls, of course it hadn’t been this in-depth where it culminated in a sexual experience.
Lynda took the lead as they crossed through the wooded area surrounding the cabin. Daniel walked close to her and Sandy followed by Jimmy riding caboose.
As they climbed over patches of brush Daniel and Lynda moved slightly ahead of the other two and he figured this was a good time to question her about last night. He couldn't believe after all they had shared that he felt embarrassed to bring up the subject.
“What's wrong Daniel?” Lynda eyed him. “I get this feeling you want to ask me something.
His eyes shot open. Was he that readable? “Well actually I do. It's this uh, sexual sharing we had with you.” He paused and watched for her to react. He was relieved and a little disappointed at her lack of response. “I don't really understand what's going on. Why did you fu..., sleep with us?”
“I had too. That's the way we continue to exist, by getting pregnant.”
“Okay, I guess I understand that, well not really.” He blushed and sputtered quickly. “Not that I'm complaining. I sort of, understand about the pregnancy, but why did you do what you did last night?”
Lynda's eyes narrowed in confusion. “What do you mean? I don't understand.”
“You know?” He raised his eyebrows and glanced down at his zipper.
Her brows furrowed in complete bewilderment. “You're not making any sense?”
He sighed audibly with frustration. “When you did what you did last night.”
“Would you tell me what you're talking about?”
“Why did you, uh, visit me last night?”
“Visit you?” Her eyes lids flew up as she realized what he was saying. She shook her head. “Daniel, I didn't visit you, if you mean what I think you mean.”
His bottom jaw dropped to protest but he snapped it shut as he read her face. She was telling the truth. She hadn't visited him. But if she hadn't then who? He turned around and looked at Sandy. Was it her? He smiled at the thought, which was quickly replaced by a frown as Jimmy looked up and caught him staring at her.
“Daniel?” Lynda interrupted his thoughts. “What happen?”
“Never mind, I guess it was a dream.” He looked at her eyes and realized she didn't believe him. This was as good a time as any and he had some questions for her. “I was visited last night. It was different. I thought it was you.”
“They visited you in the cabin?”
He nodded and kept his voice low. “I need to ask you some questions. It's kind of hard but I,” he glanced back at Jimmy, “we need to know.” He glanced at her belly. “It's obvious you visited Jimmy and me.”
She blushed and it surprised him.
“You were the red lady? Weren't you?” He looked at her for confirmation.
“Red lady?”
“That's what we've been calling them. Red and blue.”
“Oh,” she nodded, “the color spectrum of our spheres. I don't know to be truthful. I don't know the color you saw.”
He grabbed her arm and squeezed slightly, then let loose. In a matter of fact voice he said, “you had sex with me and Jimmy. Right?”
“Yes.” She answered softly, glancing away.
“Well the way we saw you, you were glowing red and the other women glowed blue.”
“Other woman? Blue?” She looked truly mystified.
He looked at her in disbelief. “When you visited us, there was the other woman there too. She had visited me before but that night she and Jimmy, did it.”
“Daniel, this is hard to explain, but during those periods of walking out of time, we can only focus on one entity maybe two. I wasn't aware of this blue person.
“Blue lady.” He corrected. “We were all in the bed at the same time. How could you not have seen her?”
“You keep calling us red and blue. I guess it's the speed we're traveling on the light spectrum. They're on two opposite ends. There's too much light between them.”
“But that one night, before Jimmy got here, when the woman in red attacked the one in blue. I sort of guessed it was Brownie, was it?”
“Brownie was the first.” She said flatly and then added, “Of us.”
“They had a fight and I got scratched.” As he thought about how quickly the wound had healed. “They saw each other.”
“I wasn't there. I don't know. Something must have happened. At the time of conjugation we're traveling at a different speed than the world we live in. The only thing I can guess is their speed's collided. That would have been the only way they could have seen each other much less to have fought.”
“The first night I was visited it was totally dark. Why was that? Was it Brownie that night?” He thought about the man who had been there also, it must have been Brownie and Gurvis, and then the heavy thickness he now carried in his pants drew his attention. Why?
“Daniel I don't know what happen those nights.”
“Did you kill Gurvis?” He blurted out louder than he anticipated.
Daniel glanced back at Sandy and Jimmy who had come to a complete halt waiting for her answer.
“Kill Gurvis?” She repeated in astonishment. “Gurvis isn't dead.”
“We saw his body. I helped move it out of the spring.” Daniel clarified. “Jimmy and I saw his body last night.” He stared at her, didn't she know he was dead.
“But I saw him just before I met you last night.”
Jimmy passed Sandy and moved closer. “He's dead. We saw him. How about Fletcher?”
“Fletcher? Who's that?”
“The deputy that arrested us for killing Gurvis,” Daniel's eyes confronted her.
She shook her head. “I don't know Fletcher but Gurvis isn't dead.” She paused with a faraway look. “Unless he's molting.”
It was their turn to stare at her in confusion.
“I told you.” She rubbed at her belly as if the burden was suddenly starting to hit her. “Gurvis is a woman. He's changing. Getting rid of his male body. That must be what you saw. He was going through the change.”
Sandy tilted her head suddenly roused from her morning stupor. “Wait a minute. This pregnant thing, okay it's weird, unbelievable even but now you're telling us that guy Gurvis is now becoming a woman. Molting? She put her hands on her hips. “This is the sticks not Sweden, or wherever they go to do that now a days.”
Lynda suddenly staggered and cried out. “Oh no. If he's changing then that means they're going to kill my babies.”
“What?” Daniel reached out to steady her.
“If he's changing then that means he's being prepared for conjugation. It's still too soon for Brownie, and if he's changing then that means they're going to kill mine.”
“Wait a minute.” Daniel's mind reeled. “Gurvis was dead before we, uh, before you got pregnant.”
“What?” She looked at him in disbelief.
Jimmy looked at her with suspicion. “Daniel's right. Gurvis was found dead and that night is when we fucked you.”
Sandy gasped at his crudeness and Daniel frowned, staring daggers at him.
“I'm confused.” Lynda protested. “You say he was dead before I visited you. I swear I don't understand it. The only reason for him to have been changing, is if something happened and they didn't accept my pregnancy. Then he would have changed but not before I got pregnant.”
Daniel put his hand over his forehead and massaged his temples.
“Why did you visit Daniel last night?” Jimmy accused.
“Shut up! It wasn't her.” Daniel snapped afraid it might have been Sandy but then he realized she wouldn't have made him paralyzed.
“Visited him?” Sandy huffed. “That's impossible. I'm a light sleeper. There's no way she could have got by me. You're both either crazy or lying.”
Jimmy glanced down at the lump in Daniel's jeans and opened his mouth to argue. He snapped it shut when Daniel stepped towards him with a silent warning to shut up.
Daniel shrugged and grumbled. “I don't think any of us know what's going on. Let's go. Where's that cave opening?”
“Not much further.” Lynda answered and turned resuming their walk.
They spent the rest of the morning pretty much in silence as she led them to another cave entrance behind a clump of brush.
“We can't go in there.” Jimmy stopped. “Our flashlight's dead.”
“I forgot.” Daniel smacked his head. “I'm losing my mind.”
“Daniel, I can see in the dark.” Lynda's eyes pleaded. “Trust me.”
“Trust you?” Sandy cried. “If it wasn't for you and your family they wouldn't be in this mess.”
“It's not far from here to the main cavern.” She put her hands together, rubbing gently. “I don't know if I can but I can try to extend my sight to you.” She reached out for Daniel to take her hand and moved it up to her shoulder. “Please.”
“I'm going.” Daniel said. “If you want to wait and come after it gets dark tonight you can.”
“I'm going too.” Jimmy pushed at Sandy. “You , put your hand on Daniel's shoulder and I'll hold on to you.”
Lynda moved Daniel's hand up to her shoulder and led the way. As they moved away from the opening the cold and darkness closed inward.
“You sure you can see.” Jimmy whispered from the rear.
“My eyes are becoming adjusted.” Lynda answered. “It's an easy walk.”
After ten minutes of walking in pitch blackness Daniel's eyes started seeing Lynda's silhouette in front of him. “I think I'm actually starting to see. I mean it. I can see Lynda's form in front of me.”
“Yeah, sure you can.” Sandy snipped dubiously but then inhaled in surprise. “I don't believe it. I think I can too.”
“Hey me too,” Jimmy responded from the rear.
As they walked the light seemed to be coming from nowhere. Their bodies were the first light they were able to focus on and then slowly their eyes adjusted to the contours of the stone walls.
“How come we can see in the dark?” Daniel whispered half in awe.
“Everything that exists is in motion.” Lynda tried to explain. “Millions of molecules spinning around them self like planets around stars. What we're seeing is the energy of these vibrations being expanded.”
Sandy turned loose of Daniel's shoulder and scratched her nose. Jimmy yelled. “What happen? I can't see.”
Sandy reached out quickly and grabbed at Daniel's shoulder. “I let loose of Daniel. I had to scratch my nose. Is that all right with you?”
“No.” He complained. “I like being able to see into the dark. He raised his voice a little. “How come we can’t do this without being linked to you?”
Lynda sighed. “It takes training that's all.”
They entered the main cavern where they had first found the pool of white beneath the stalactite.
“Can we rest here for a few minutes?” Lynda asked.
“Wow, this is incredible.” Sandy whispered. “I would like to see it lit up.”
“We saw it with the flashlight.” Daniel said as he helped Lynda down to the hard stone floor and sat down beside her. “It's unbelievable.”
They sat there silently for several minutes until a drop of water plunked into the milk basin.
“That reminds me. I've got to pee.” Sandy squirmed. “I didn't get to go this morning before you rushed us out.”
“Go back into the cave.” Jimmy grunted.
“I can't see by myself.” She complained. “Lynda? Don't you have to go too? We can leave the boys in the dark.
“Yes I do. Would you help me up Daniel?” Soon as she was on her feet she reached out and took Sandy's hand and they left them sitting there in the dark.
“Don't go too far.” Daniel warned and scooted closer to where he could touch Jimmy.
“Get lonely?” Jimmy said.
“Stow it.” Daniel answered.
“I miss our seeing eye dog.” Jimmy joked.
They sat there quietly for several minutes, each of them lost in his own thoughts. The only sound was an occasional plunk of water marking the time.
Finally Jimmy broke the silence. “Sure is taking them a long time.”
“They've got more to undo than we do.” Daniel answered but doubt and worry started to set in as he thought the same thing.
After several more minutes drug by he wasn't too sure. “Lynda! Sandy!” Daniel called out the sound echoing through the chamber.
“Something's wrong.” Daniel said standing up and Jimmy followed.
“They should have answered.” He held on to Daniel's shoulder.
“Sandy!” Daniel called again as he stumbled his way back towards the little cave.
“Sandy, dammit, this ain't funny!” Jimmy screamed.
They stopped and listened. They heard nothing but their own breathing. “We've got to go back.” Daniel said.
“They're probably standing right in front of us, laughing.”
“Listen Sandy,” Daniel reasoned, “this isn't funny. Lynda? We've been thro
ugh too much. It's not the time for jokes.”
They stood there, still no response came.
“You don't suppose somebody got them, do you?”
Jimmy felt the muscle in Daniel's shoulder shrug. “I'm ready to believe just about anything.”
“Maybe they had to do more than pee and walked all the way back to get some leaves or something to wipe with.” Jimmy offered.
“I doubt it but we better go see.”
“I don't think see, is the word you want. More like feel.”
Daniel's muscles tightened as he remembered the first night he started wandering through the dark and he had run into Brownie and Gurvis.
“Chill out man. If something or somebody had got them we would have heard it.”
“Maybe.” Daniel wasn't too sure.
“Lynda would have seen them coming, wouldn't she?” Jimmy moved closer to Daniel. “Unless she's in on it with them.”
“You think somebody's here with us?” Daniel whispered, not sure why. It was so quiet it could have been heard all the way across the cavern.
“I think there's somebody here.” Jimmy declared, leaning against Daniel's back and then backed away as he felt Daniel reaching behind grabbing a hold of the gun.
“Where have you guys been!” Sandy fussed as she touched Daniel's arm.
“Us!” Jimmy cried. “We've been yelling for you.”
“You've been yelling.” She snorted. “I've been the one doing the yelling. I didn't hear you until about thirty seconds ago.”
“Where's Lynda?” Daniel said, panic stricken quivers vibrated the cavern walls.
“I lost her.”
“What!” Both boys cried out.
“You didn't expect her to hold my hand while I peed.” She huffed and rolled her eyes. “Give me a break.”
“Lynda!” Jimmy screamed loudly.
“Jesus Christ, you are trying to bust my eardrums?” Sandy complained.
Suddenly Sandy squeaked as a hand touched her shoulder. Then the light returned to them as images began to crystallize and they saw Lynda.
“Where have you been?” Daniel demanded.
Amusement crossed her face as she stared at him as if he were stupid. “I had to go, too!”
“Oh.” He grunted. “Why didn’t you answer us?”
Sandy interrupted. “I didn't hear you call until I was busy.”
“You could have called after you finished.” Daniel argued. “We were screaming.”
“Daniel,” Lynda began, “it's not her fault or mine. When we’re in the vision mode you can't hear, external sound.”
“Huh?”
“To see in the dark we readjust our time speed to a rate close to that which you need to see. Sound travels at a slower speed.”
“Oh.” He said flatly then added, “how come you can hear us now?”
“That's because your vocal cords are moving at the same speed. Sound, our speech is literally traveling near the same rate as the vibration of the molecules around us.”
He started to ask her if sound then became light but suddenly was side tracked by a plunk of water in the milky pool. He looked at her with the question but she glanced away. She had lied to him. Jimmy and Sandy heard the sound too, but didn't seem to pay it any attention.
His voice became stiff and accusatory. “What about the sound of the water splashing.”
Lynda flushed and bewilderment crossed her face as she shook her head. “I, I don't know. I don't understand it.”
Daniel backed away from the group's touch and his vision faded. “Can you hear me?”
When he got no answer he groped in the dark until he touched Sandy and looked at Jimmy. “Did you hear me?”
“No.”
Daniel then grasped Sandy's hand with his left and reached down picking up a pebble giving it a toss. They watched as it smacked noiselessly against a wall. Daniel stared in confusion.
“But why the water?” He mused more to himself than for their sake.
“I really don't know.” Lynda touched his cheek to draw his eyes to hers. Guilt crept in at accusing her as he saw a raw honesty reflecting back warming him.
He looked away embarrassed and changed the subject. “Let's go I'm hungry.”
They followed Lynda's lead, arm to shoulder into the cave leading to the farmhouse. The conversation for the next twenty minutes was more than subdued, it was stifled.
When they approached the spiral staircase they each sighed loudly from relief and apprehension of what they might encounter. Slowly they entered the small room behind the fireplace and listened.
“I'll go check.” Daniel whispered in the dark and felt around for the fireplace release.
His many window room nearly blinded him when the doorway opened and he squinted tightly, blinking back tears causing streams of burning moisture from his eyes. Slowly he stuck his head out and moved towards his door. After several minutes he had inspected the lower part of the house all the way to the kitchen and returned reporting all was clear.
“You're sure nobody's here?” Jimmy rubbed so hard at his itching eyes it made them hurt.
“I didn't check upstairs but Mom's room's empty and I didn't see their car.”
“How about Tarla?” Jimmy asked.
“Not unless she's upstairs.” Daniel looked over at Lynda's dark and drawn face.
“Think we better check?” Jimmy asked shuttering as images of the mason jar shot through his mind.
Daniel snarled his lip as the same thought crossed his mind. “No. If she's here we will just have to deal with her. Beside if we don't get some food in Lynda soon I'm afraid it might do some kind of damage to the kids.” As an afterthought he added in a low breath just for Jimmy. “Our kids.”
Jimmy nodded vigorously. “Uh, yeah.”
Daniel led the way to the kitchen and although he said he would deal with Tarla if necessary they were quiet. In the kitchen Daniel made Lynda sit down and they began fixing sandwiches. Jimmy helped serve milk and shrugged at the mess they were making.
Sandy sat down at the table waiting for them to serve her too and was a little miffed when they threw the loaf of bread in front of her with a knife and fork. She started to complain but then looked over at Lynda stopping herself. This strange girl seemed as if she were in obvious pain. Pain she was trying to hide.
They all ate ravenously but sat with jaws gaping as Lynda consumed six sandwiches, three glasses of milk, two pieces of cooked hamburger which had been stuck in the refrigerator and three pieces of cake.
They were hungry but it was unbelievable the shocking amount of food disappearing before her. She looked up several times in embarrassment but seemed to be unable to stop. As she ate her coloring began to slowly return and the dark circles lightened.
They had finished and began straightening the kitchen even though they knew the quantity of food missing would be noticed when they heard a long almost moaning sound from outside.
“What was that?” Sandy held her breath in terror.
Daniel grinned, “A cow, sounds like they're hungry too.” He scratched at his chin in puzzlement. “I guess they haven't been fed today. I hope they at least fed them yesterday. Maybe I should go feed them. Shit, the pigs probably haven't been fed either.”
“I'm sure Duncan would have taken care of them.” Jimmy protested as another long mournful moo seemed to rattle the windows. He looked up blandly. “Well, then maybe again, they haven't. I'll help.”
Daniel nodded and turned to Lynda. “Why don't you go lie down in my room? We won't be long.”
She looked up at him and smiled. “Okay but don't be long.” We will finish up in here while you're gone.” She watched as Daniel's face hardened and then added. “And then I will go rest. Okay?”
He nodded and left with Jimmy close behind. As they left the house they continued to be cautious, making as little sound as possible and peeked around the corner of
the house before they started down the sidewalk towards the barn. They stopped at the corn crib and fed the pigs first making sure they had plenty of water and shucked some corn for the chickens.
Jimmy glanced over at the barn at the gathering of cows. “You know, I can't understand why we have to give them hay when the fields are full of grass.”
“I asked that too.” Daniel said as he headed towards the barn and shrugged. “Duncan said it's still too early in the summer for the grass to offer enough nutrients. I can tell you one thing they're spoiled.”
As they opened the barn door they stopped dead in their tracks.
“Mom's car!” Jimmy cried out rushing over. He ran around it checking it to make sure there was no damage.
“Duncan did it.” Daniel said. “He must have found it and towed it here with the tractor.” He looked inside the passenger window at the wires hanging from the steering column. “Nope. He hot-wired it.”
“We will worry about that later. We can get Lynda to a hospital now.” He exhaled in a sigh of relief.
“Let's get the girls.” Daniel started for the door and stopped as they heard the engine of a car in the distance.
They eased out the door and peered at the hill. Jerking back when they spied Duncan's car coming and ran back into the barn.
“Now what?” Jimmy stared at Daniel for an answer. “They're going to catch the girls.”
Daniel just stood there trying to think of a plan when they heard voices approaching.
“Oh shit! They're coming here.” Jimmy whined. “We are as good as caught.”
“Hide in the loft.” Daniel grabbed hold of the wooden rung ladder and climbed as fast as he could.
They weren't settled comfortably but froze when the barn door flew open.
“I want some answers.” Kelli's voice was sharp and demanding. Daniel was surprised because he had never heard her use this tone with Duncan before.
“Are you listening to me?” She continued. “Can't these damn cows wait?”
Daniel's eyes flew open wide at her cursing. At first he started to look down and make sure it was her. She never swore. Jimmy's mother did, but not his. He had never heard her use anything stronger darn.
“They have to be fed.” Duncan growled, his voice was stiff and forced. “They weren't fed yesterday, although it looks like Tarla must have fed the pigs I sure the hay bales were much too heavy. I know you're worried.” His voice took on a placating tone. “But we will figure it out. Daniel will be okay. I promise.”
“Promise!” Kelli's voice shrilled. “That's all I've heard from you since they disappeared. I want to know why you brought Carrol's car and hid it in the barn? I called her house but Sandy had left a message on the phone that they were out of town but she would be back.” Her voice quivered. “I left a message for Sandy to call me but she hasn't.
“Dammit!” She screamed. “You know more than you're telling me and I want to know.”
“Would you calm down?” Duncan bellowed and then forced his voice to soften. “I told you the police found it last night and brought it here until they can arrange to have it towed.”
“And?” The word hung in the air with a hint of a threat.
“Kelli, it's hard to explain. You just won’t understand.”
“Try me. I'm not as stupid as you think I am.”
“It'll just make you more angry.”
“Angry? You want to see angry? I'll show you angry if you don't start talking.”
“You're just upset because you're pregnant.”
Jimmy's eyes flew open and he stared numbly at Daniel. “Oh Jesus, oh no. It wasn't possible.” The memory of the blue lady seeped into his mind and the suspicion that it had been Duncan and he had taken his sperm back. “No,” his mind cried, “it wasn't possible.” He grabbed at his stomach as it churned threatening to return all the food he had just consumed.
“Pregnant?” Her voice raised in a confused accusation. “How would you know I'm pregnant? I've only missed one period. I know sure as hell I didn't say anything. I'm not even sure, yet.”
Daniel's mind became thick as molasses as memories of the blue lady flooded it. He was going to be a father with Lynda and a now a brother. Had his mother been the blue lady? Or like Jimmy said, was it Duncan? His mind sluggishly mused. If he was a father and then his brother or sister would be his son or daughter’s cousin. Unless he was his brother’s father. He would be Brother-Dad! Argh! His mind rebelled.
“Honey.” Duncan spoke warmly. “We knew each other before we were married and I'm afraid I just happen to be the type of guy that kept up with your cycles. You were due two days ago and you haven't started yet. You do look like you've put on a little weight.”
Weight! Daniel's mind buzzed. He almost rose up to spy down on them. Was it like Lynda? Was she that big? He shook his head. No, Duncan had said a little weight. Lynda looked like she was six months. He had to reprimand himself when he almost sighed audibly with relief. But still in the back of his mind he heard, “pregnant is pregnant.”
“Well that's not the topic of discussion, anyway.” Her voice sounded sulky. “I want to know what the hell is going on around here. You either tell me now, or I'm leaving.”
“And where would you go?” His voice smirked. “You sold your house, quit your job, how would you survive?”
“Listen, I have friends and I sure as hell survived before you came along and don't think I can't without you.”
“Kelli, I'll tell you. His voice suddenly became conciliatory. “I promise. Just give me a few hours to sort some things out, then I'll tell you I promise. Although, I don't know if you'll believe me.”
“Okay. I'll give you a few hours, and I do mean few. If you haven't told me by the time I asked you again I'm leaving.” They heard her walking toward the door. “I'll be in the house calling some of Daniel's friends and see if they've heard from him.”
As she slammed the door they heard Duncan mutter. “Friends? The only friend he has is that little dumb ass, Jimmy.”
That was it! Daniel had-had enough. He grabbed the gun from the back of his pants and scrambled to the edge of the loft and jumped, landing flat with knees slightly bent. Soon as he hit him he waved the gun in Duncan's astonished face.
Duncan took a step forward and froze when he heard Daniel clicked off the safety. They stood there glaring at each other as Jimmy scrambled down the ladder and stood beside Daniel.
Duncan’s eyes traveled down to Daniel's high watered pants and moved up until he tilted his head slightly staring up at his face. “Well, well. I see you've been doing a little spying.”
“Shut up.” Daniel's thick deep voice rumbled loudly. “I'll do the questions and you do the answers.”
Daniel watched Duncan in confusion as his eyes showed no fear but respect. Respect! Daniel thought. It was the gun he respected.
“Sit down over there.” Daniel waived the gun pointing it at a bale of hay. “And don't try anything funny or I'll shoot you. I've already killed two men. Do you want to be the next?” He wanted to remind him that he could be dangerous and was surprised by Duncan's reaction.
“You haven't killed anybody.” Duncan sat down and leaned against another bail.
“Maybe not, but you can't be too sure, now can you? And even so, you might just be the first.” Daniel said forcefully sounding more confident that he was.
“Son, I know you can't.” Duncan stood up and started to move toward him.
“Sit down! And don't call me that!” His temper caused the gun to shake in his hand. “I'm like my mother. I want some answer but I'm not patient. I want them now!”
Duncan nodded, letting out a big breath of air and slumped back. “Okay.” He agreed flatly, his voice resolute. “I just don't know where to begin.”
Daniel stared at him with suspicion. He was being too agreeable. “How about the photos of me and the oth
er boys?”
Duncan put his fingers to his forehead gently working the vein as if to relieve tension. “I thought you found them.” He shook his head. “I just wasn't sure. It all started more than a hundred years ago. My great great-grandfather was a Colonel in the Union Army. His unit was almost wiped out by a Confederate battalion in Tennessee. On their way back north to regroup they came through here. His men raped and killed a woman and her daughter. He stood by and condoned it. It was horrible. I can't justify it, but it happened. It was my ancestor, not me.
“Well they thought they had killed them both and then they burned the cabin down. You know where it is, the one down at the flats on the other side of the gate, where you said you met some girl named Lynda.
“Well they thought they had killed them both but only the woman died. The girl escaped through the back of the fireplace and down into caverns below.”
“That's where she remained for nine months until she gave birth. Coming up only to scrounge for food. They say an ex-slave helped her.
Anyway, it was during that period that the war ended and Colonel Osborne came back and bought most of the property around here. The girl gave birth to a daughter. The Colonel found her and took the kid away. He ordered some of his men that came back with him to kill her. They tried too. They tried to hang her but she didn't die. The Colonel declared her a witch and had her drown. So they weighed her down and drown her in a pool of water down in the caverns.”
He crossed his arms and stared up at the loft for a moment. “But not before she cursed Osborne. They had accused her of being a witch and in truth she was. Whether she was one before the curse I don't know. But she told him he would never spawn children. He would be barren until the earth and sky meet the sea.”
Daniel's inhaled at the statement trying to hold back any show of recognition at the words he had heard so many times. Before he could stop himself he was asking the question. “What does it mean?”
“I don't know. Nobody has figured it out.” Duncan shook his head and swallowed. “Osborne fought the curse by delving into the black arts as they were called then. He married a widow with a son. At first he tried to impregnate the woman but nothing happened. Osborne became desperate to have an heir but he wanted it to have his genes. He tried for experimenting with the boy. At first he masturbated the boy and injected it into his own scrotum but again nothing happened. He tried eating the boy’s sperm but still nothing.”
“Then when he was down exploring the caverns, he accidentally fell into the pool of water where they had drowned the woman and he changed into a woman. It only lasted several hours. But one night he changed into a woman and then had sex with the boy. The boy had just started into puberty. When he changed back to a male he went to his wife, the boy's mother, and was able for the first time since the curse, to ejaculate. He made her pregnant with her own son's sperm.”
Duncan eyed Daniel's finger twitching on the trigger. “Daniel I know it's insane. It has been part of my life.”
Daniel gritted his teeth and growled. “Go on.”
“The curse she gave before dying did more than just hurt Osborne. It hurt her own-child too. Later they determined it was one of the laws of the universe that for every action there is an equal opposite reaction. Her own child was cursed.
“Her daughter grew up under Osborne's care. He used her and she grew to hate him. She married and moved to some land he gave her. But she found out she wasn't able to get pregnant or at least that was what they figured, not until she was raped by her stepbrother. The boy of the woman Osborne married. The one he used to impregnate his own wife. All of the experimenting on the boy made him crazy.”
“Anyway, she gave birth to a daughter. For some reason, we have yet to figure out, it was only a boy entering puberty who could impregnate. The two families hated each other. After Osborne's wife gave birth to a male he had the woman killed and married again trying to repeat the incident. Over the years the two families fought for power and learned to use the energy of the nature. The woman only kept female children and the men males. My father married a woman with a young boy. The boy was Fletcher.”
“And the photos?” Daniel let the question hang in the air already knowing the answer.
This time Duncan stared at Daniel voicing the answer he knew Daniel had already guessed. “It was my turn.”
Daniel gave no emotional acknowledgment to his statement. He had already come to the same conclusion. He raised one eyebrow stoically, his face hardened. The weight of the gun caused his hand to shake and he smiled inwardly as he watched a faint wave of fear pass over Duncan's self-assured cocky attitude.
This piece of shit had changed to the blue lady, had sex with him and then took it back to his own mother. And then did it with Jimmy! He felt the hatred rushing through his veins. This was the ultimate power trip to have Duncan forced down in front of him and with this hard piece of steel. He wasn't even surprised when his new thickness stirred at the homoerotic power of Duncan’s sublimation.
Daniel grinned maniacally. “You know Duncan, you wanted to fuck me, didn't you. You know what? I think I want to fuck you too.” He licked his lips. “I'm going to shoot a wad of hot lead right into your mouth.”
This was the ultimate moment of his hatred and disgust. He slowly squeezed the trigger.
Duncan sat frozen, watching as Jimmy shoved the gun upward, just as it went off, causing the bullet to miss Duncan only by inches.
Jimmy didn't say anything as he pulled the gun from Daniel's shaking hand. Daniel stood there staring blankly at Duncan in disgust.
“I, I didn't do it.” Duncan explained nervously, as he wiped beads of sweat from his brow. “I, I just couldn't. I hope you'll believe me. It wasn't me who visited you. I was going too but I couldn't. I laid out all the plans but I fell in love with your mother. I swear to you I didn't do it.
He placed his face in his hands and started to sob quietly. “I fell in love with your mother. I couldn't do it.”
“I was visited twice by the blue lady and Jimmy once.” Daniel spit out the accusation. “I heard you ask Mom if she was pregnant. Why are you lying?”
“Daniel I know you can't believe me but try.” Duncan looked up, his face streaked with tears. “I don't know how she got pregnant.”
Daniel turned to Jimmy angrily. “Give me that gun! I'm going to kill this lying fucker.”
Jimmy took a step backward just as they heard a high pitched scream from the house.
Daniel took off running as hard as he could with Jimmy close behind still holding the gun. It took Duncan only a second to gather his senses and he ran after them.
“Mom!” Daniel yelled as he flung the screen door open and ran through the house, first to the kitchen and when he found nobody, then to his bedroom. “Lynda! Sandy!” He checked the space behind the fireplace and found no one.
They spent ten minutes checking every room and another ten checking the outbuilding and finally regrouped in the living room.
“The car is here.” Duncan said watching Daniel eye Jimmy with the gun. “I heard you calling for a Lynda and Sandy. Who are they?”
Jimmy looked at Daniel to see if he was going to answer and when he made no indication he would, he did. “Sandy's my sister and Lynda is the girl from the flat. You should know her. She belongs to the other family.”
Duncan shook his head. “I don't know a Lynda. There's only Ida, Brownie and Gurvis. Of course Gurvis is dead but you know he wasn't really a he? Don't you?” He looked at them for their reaction.
“So we were told.” Jimmy answered, keeping the gun aimed at the ground but ready. “But Lynda's part of that family and as far as Gurvis being dead... I don't know. Lynda said he wasn't.”
Daniel turned and stared at Duncan, shaking his head slightly. “I don't trust you and I sure don't believe you but that can wait 'till another time. Right now we've got to find the
m. Lynda's pregnant and she ready to give birth anytime.” He shrugged in submission. “For now we've got to work together and find them. They have to be down in the caves.”
“You found the entrance?” Duncan asked rhetorically.
Daniel turned and held out his hand to Jimmy. “Give me the gun.”
Jimmy stepped back. “Daniel we haven't killed anybody yet. I'll keep it. If I were you, I would shoot him too.”
Daniel opened his mouth to protest and then snapped it shut. He turned and headed towards his room. “Come on. Let's find them.”
“Let me get a flashlight.” Duncan said, as he headed towards the room.
“What? Can't you see in the dark?” Daniel uttered sarcastically in a husky breath.
Duncan stared at him in confusion.
“Go with him Jimmy,” Daniel ordered, “since you're the keeper of the gun. And make sure he doesn't get a gun or anything.”
Jimmy nodded and followed Duncan into the bedroom.
Daniel stood there waiting for them to return. He felt as if the world was collapsing on him. The confusion in his mind was almost more than he could bear. He was to the point he didn't know what to do. He thought about all the sexual chameleons he had been burdened with and swore to himself to give up on sex. The things he had seen had poisoned his mind, slowly eating away his sanity and had caused him to try to kill Duncan. He was glad Jimmy had stopped him but at that moment he had wanted so badly to see Duncan's brains splattered all over the barn wall he could still taste the emotion like zinc on his tongue. He wanted so badly to cry but he couldn't. He didn't have time for it.
Dear God, he missed his father. He needed his strength and guidance more now than he had ever needed anything in his life.
He groaned out loud. What was he doing? He was feeling sorry for himself. His mother and the girls had disappeared and here he stood feeling sorry for himself. He drew his shoulders back and squared his shoulders. Well that's enough of that. He had to get hold of himself.
When he looked up Duncan and Jimmy were standing in the doorway watching him curiously. His first reaction was to glance down at his zipper to see if it was open.
He glanced back with a glare. “Let's go. We're wasting time.”
They went down the spiral stairs into the cave and quietly moved forward with the help from the dim flashlight. Daniel led the way and made Duncan follow him. He made Jimmy follow since he wouldn't give up the gun but he made him promise to shoot Duncan if he tried anything. He was surprised when Jimmy actually agreed and deep in Daniel's mind he wasn't to sure if Jimmy would or wouldn't. He hoped it wouldn't be necessary.
They walked slowly forward towards the cavern through the chilled passages. With every step they listened to any possible sound ahead, trying to make as little noise as they could help.
The sound of an agonizing cry echoed the cave and they took off running towards its origin. When they reached the mouth of the cavern they stopped dead.