26 Stoneybrook Lane — Love, sex and the gauntlet run

The News:

It was the summer of 2007 and I had just moved to New York, working as a Research Analyst for a large Brokerage firm on Wall Street, when I received a call from my Mom telling me that Eddy Noam, a kid I'd grown up with had been killed in Iraq. Eddy and I had been friends, well maybe more than just friends ... we had been good friends until careers and distances had tempered the bonds of our friendship.

I had heard that he had shipped out to Iraq as a member of the First Brigade with the 10th Mountain Division and was in the dangerous southern region of Al Basrah. There is always the potential risk of death that accompanies assignments like these but our cerebral mechanism precludes us from focusing on worst case scenarios and I was pretty certain we'd share a beer and some laughs when he returned. So, the news of his death came as a shock to me.

For a moment everything around me seemed to slow down. I felt my eyes defocusing, my mind racing and the bustle of the office taking place in slow motion - it was surreal. Eddy had volunteered; he didn't have to go to that godforsaken place but he wanted to do his share. He had been a doctor and now he was dead? Damn! I couldn't wrap my mind around that ... what a bloody waste!

Growing up Eddy and his sisters, Marybeth and Sandra, had played a major role in my life and my mind suddenly flooded with memories, a Pandora's Box of steamy incidents which I had kept securely locked away only to be accessed when I was alone. I found my thoughts wandering back to Stoneybrook Lane and the little town in the Great Plains bordering Canada ... a 'nowhere' place like every other small town in the US.

I spent the next few days trying to shake the images of Eddy and his sisters from invading my thoughts but wasn't having much success. I was being chased by pink elephants and blue mice ... they were everywhere. I was even dreaming about them - of pretty, blue-eyed Beth in her rainbow colored, cotton dress and Sandra; sexy, seductive Sandra, who had been the central figure in my juvenile wet dreams. I was stuck in a funk like some old forty five with a deep scratch playing the lines of the same song over and over. It was driving me nuts and I finally decided to do something about this. I had to get some sort of closure or run the risk of getting fired.

I took a couple of days off and headed out. It took me the better part of the day to get there and after a long drive from the airport I finally pulled up in front of the old house and got out of the rental. I stretched my legs and looked around and though the house hadn't changed a lot, there was an unmistakable air of rural decay. I looked across at 26 Stoneybrook Lane, the house which the Noams had called their home. The paint on the White Picket Fence was peeling and the once manicured lawn was un-kept and overrun with weeds. I scanned the neighboring houses and they were all in various stages of disrepair; a picture of decrepit gloom. This was what was left of the stomping grounds where Eddy and I had run the gauntlet to manhood.

I crossed the street and walked up the short, flagstone walkway and knocked on the door. The Star of David carved into its veneer was chipped and faded in places but was still quite visible. Mr. Noam was a Jew and though Mrs. Noam was Swedish, they were of Jewish faith. We had had our share of anti-Semites in the neighborhood and it hadn't been easy for Eddy or his sisters.

I knocked again and the door opened to a small crack and behind it was an old, white haired lady.

"Yes ...?" she asked her face etched with suspicion.

"Hi" I said, offering her a friendly smile, "I'm sorry to bother you, Ma'am ... I'm Jason Tabor and I grew up across the street." I turned and pointed to the small Ranch style house which had been home many years ago.

She looked unsure and watched me carefully trying to figure out what I was doing there.

"I used to know the family that lived here, Mr. and Mrs. Noam. Eddy, their son, was my best friend," I paused then continued, "he was killed last week in Iraq and I wanted to come back here, I'm not sure why but I'm hoping that coming back will help me put Eddy to rest ..." my voice trailed off.

I could see her going through the cognitive process, trying to make a quick decision about me but she still seemed unsure. I didn't expect her to understand, hers was an older generation and now ... now, the times were so different.

I needed to reassure her; I hadn't come all the way here just to turn and walk away.

"Here, Ma'am, take a look at this." I said quickly.

I had anticipated some skepticism and had come prepared. I pulled out the pictures I had with me and pushed them through the opening towards her. There were photographs of all of us as kids playing in the yard and though it was years ago, I was sure she would recognize the house.

"These are pictures of us; Eddy and me and his sister Beth and that one is Sandra, the elder sister," I added as she took them from me.

She studied them for a while and then opened the door and smiled broadly, reminding me of my grandmother.

"Come in, please come in ... you can never be too sure these days." She said, then turning she called out, "Peter? Peter, we have company."

She led me to the living room and asked, "What did you say your name was again?"

"Jason" I paused and then repeated "Jason Tabor ... we lived at 23 Stoneybrook. My dad was Michael Tabor and my Mom was Ann. You didn't know them by any chance, did you?"

"No, I'm afraid we didn't know too many people here," she said and then added, "I'm Martha and that's my husband, Peter."

It didn't surprise me that they didn't know my parents, we had moved out a lot earlier than Eddy's family. However, they had known the Noams and had liked them - in fact, they had met Beth who was at home when the house was sold to them.

"Do you want some coffee, Jason?" she asked.

"Yes, please, if it's not too much trouble, ma'am." I answered.

"Call me Martha or Mrs. Jacobs but I prefer Martha!" she added before disappearing into the kitchen.

They were curious and saddened about Eddy and we sat talking for a while reminiscing about the 'good old days'. In the background I could hear the faint strains of Beethoven or Bach, it was something classical and soothing - I couldn't be sure. I was a hardcore Rocker and rarely listened to anything else.

I could sense that they were warming up to me over the cup of much appreciated coffee and the homemade apple cake. The coffee hit the spot and I felt rejuvenated and wanted to get on with what I had come here to do.

"Do you mind if I looked around and went up into the attic?" I asked and then added, "I won't touch anything. As kids, Eddy and I spent a lot of time there."

They looked at each other and then the old man shrugged and said, "Sure, make yourself at home. No one has been up there in a while, in fact, I don't think we have ever been to the storage room."

"Let us know if you need anything and don't get your clothes dirty!" she added pointing to the stairway and then picked up the cups and headed for the kitchen.

*******

Memory Lane

The old man was right - it was pretty evident that no one had been up here in ages. There was the musty smell of mold and the room was covered in layers of dust. I turned on the light and walked over to the wall where Eddy had cut out the peepholes years ago and was surprised to find that they were still there. In fact, most of the room was exactly as I remembered it - the big wooden chest that Eddy and I used to sit on, the stacks of Time, Newsweek and Good Housekeeping magazines, plastic bags jammed full of clothing and bundles of old newspaper neatly tied together. No one from Eddy's family had bothered coming up here when they had moved out. They had left in a hurry so I understood how this place might have been overlooked.

I peered into the other side through the peephole almost expecting to see Sandra on her bed, stretched out languidly like some wild, golden cat, putting on a show for us. I recalled the very first time we saw her masturbating ... she was lying on her back with her fingers buried inside her swollen twat, her legs were spread wide with one knee raised while she squeezed and pulled on her pointed nipples. Her head was hanging over the edge of the bed with her flaxen hair cascading thickly to the floor - I will never forget her expression as she stared back at the eyes glimmering voyeuristically through the holes in the wall.

I had no idea what she was doing except that it was hypersexual and incredibly exciting and my cock was harder than I ever remembered it being. It was our coming of age; the summer of 1995, the summer of Sandra and Beth Noam.

The large attic had been divided into two rooms. On one side was Sandra's bedroom and the other was used as a storage space. It was here that Eddy and I spent our weekends spying on his sister. Sandra was three years older than Eddy and was a gorgeous girl. She was on the cheerleading team and to us she was as beautiful as any centerfold Playmate or Penthouse Pet. In many ways it was Sandra who opened that mysterious door to our sexual awakening; our transformation from boys to men and the loss of innocence during that fateful summer.

A while back, Eddy had discovered his father's secret collection of Penthouse magazines and when his parents were out, we would sneak them into the attic where we read the letters and ogled the beautiful nudes. Since he was a bit older than me he had taken point on the road to our sexual enlightenment and as part of this game, each of us had had to pick a letter from the Forum to read out loud. I noticed that Eddy always selected letters which involved incest, especially between brothers and sisters.

I would listen with curious attention, strangely titillated by the notion of sibling sex. I was an only child and though I found the topic to be slightly disconcerting I was also intrigued and excited by it.

"Have you done anything with Sandra?" I asked, after one particularly steamy letter about a girl who had seduced her younger brother.

"No ... well, not really. I've jacked off into her panties!" he replied, unashamed of his interest in his sister.

"No way! You're kidding! Her panties ...? How?" I stuttered.

"Mom still does Sandy's laundry. It's easy ... after I'm done I just throw them back into the wash!" he sounded proud and like it was nothing, like that's what brothers did with their sister's panties ... just a normal thing!

"And, how about Beth? You two do anything?" I persisted.

He hesitated then looked away before answering, "No, I've thought about it but Mom's always home. Hey, I did watch her undress ..."

At least he was honest and I wondered what Beth would look like without her clothes. She was very pretty with big blue eyes and full, sensual lips.

"Who would you like to fuck, Sandra or Beth?" he countered which caught me off guard.

I hesitated and then stammered, "Beth, I think."

Then unsure of what he wanted to hear, I added, "Wait, maybe Sandra ... no, um ... it would have to be Beth. Hey, they are both beautiful and any man would want to do them both!"

He looked at me with a strange expression and then laughed, "Yeah, you're right but how would you know, you're not a man!" he added and we laughed some more.

I felt uncomfortable talking to him about my fantasies involving his sisters and let the conversation die.

It was a week later, during our Penthouse ogling ritual that we heard the rustling sounds of tangled feet accompanied by soft laughter wafting from Sandra's bedroom sending us dashing to our respective peepholes. What I saw has remained indelibly imprinted on my brain.

Sandra was on her knees pulling down the jeans of a good looking young man. He had the look of a fifties Rocker, like a modern day James Dean in 'Rebel Without a Cause'. He was obviously Mediterranean, Italian or Greek, hairy and very muscular with thick, wavy black hair and bright blue eyes which contrasted starkly with his tanned skin. But it was his penis that was remarkable - it was short, about four inches long, and very thick with a tip which was shaped like a huge acorn flaring prominently out at the ridge. The root of his shaft sat on top of an enormous set of balls, the biggest I had seen, and when she began stroking him, the bloated dome resembled a red, puffed out, angry toad. He had his eyes scrunched tightly shut with his head thrown back and had grabbed a handful of Sandra's hair pulling her roughly into his crotch.

"Suck it, bitch, suck it hard," he commanded harshly.

"Mmmm ..." she murmured, moving submissively towards the throbbing, one-eyed monster.

She held the shaft guiding him towards her mouth and could barely get her fingers around its thickly veined girth. Her lips parted slightly and her tongue snaked out licking the tip of the engorged head while looking up at the man's face.

"Suck it up baby, take it all ... now ..." he whispered lewdly, his hips thrusting towards her.

Her mouth looked disproportionately small compared to the circumferential thickness of the pulsing, crimson tool and I was amazed by what she did next - she opened her mouth wide and very slowly forced her mouth down onto his cock until her nose was buried in his pubic hair. Then she eased herself back up to the tip, all the while sucking him as hard as she could, her cheeks caving in with the effort, until finally letting the head slip out of her mouth with a loud, wet slurping pop before repeating the process over again. Amazingly as she kept doing this, his tumescent cockhead kept swelling, getting ruddier and bigger. Her lips were stretched grotesquely but that didn't seem deter her enthusiasm while she licked and sucked the lucky bastard to the brink of carnal oblivion.

Now, both Eddy and I knew what a blowjob was but to see it performed in front of us in real life was too much for a couple of horny, teenagers. My hand went down to my cock and I rubbed myself through my jeans hypnotized by her sexy mouth stretching obscenely over the slimy, bloated head. She seemed to be enjoying the tantalizingly slow pace; her head bobbing deliberately making slurping sounds and whimpering gratefully while her fingers played with his balls and ran over the muscles of his abdomen. At one point she held the root of his throbbing stem and sucked on just the head while her other hand disappeared into her panties. I could see the outline of her fingers as she toyed with herself rubbing her clit vigorously. I was losing control as my cock throbbed painfully in my trousers.

I released my erection and turning away from Eddy I began to shag myself. I needn't have bothered; Eddy was too engrossed in his sister's oral skills to notice what I was doing - he was busy wanking away, pulling fervently on his slender pud. It didn't take long for us to reach the threshold of our orgasms and in quick succession we both blew our loads, grunting softly as we doused the attic wall with our sperm. I saw Sandra looking up at the peepholes, her eyes glittering brightly, while she worked diligently on the ravaged choad.

Soon after that she made him cum pulling her mouth off his cock while she continued to stroke the angry head, her slender fingers working the slimy, flared dome while she ran her palm expertly over and around the tip. She must have known exactly what she was doing because as she rubbed the coronal ridge of his agitated glans, he jerked, his body racked by uncoordinated spasms.

"Ohh, fuck, suck the head, baby, suck it, suck it... ohhhh, fuck ..."

But she didn't, instead she moved her head slightly to the side so we could get a good look and glancing up at the peepholes, she smiled. Then opening her mouth she stuck out her tongue and touched the underside of his cock. The touch was all it took; he grunted and moved back and began stroking his own cock aiming it at her mouth while hissing obscenities. Then he grabbed Sandra's head as his cock distended like blowfish and erupted.

"Oh, here it comes, baby, suck it all up ... suck it ... ohhhhh ..."

The first sticky rope of cum shot out like a missile, arcing in the air, splattering on her face just to the side of her mouth trailing down in a viscous stream of white lava and dribbling onto her chin. It was amazing.

"Give it to me, baby; give it all to me! I'll suck you dry, mmmm ..." she said reaching up and using both her hands to pump his shaft while looking up at him.

It was quite a sight; the guy was doubled over, his cock pumping again and again as ropes of viscous ejaculate shot out from the enraged tip raining thickly over her face and body. It seemed like he would never stop cumming but as he began softening, she leaned forward and sucked his cock back into her mouth, slowly draining the remnants of his juices and with an exaggerated flourish, she swirled her tongue around the shriveling head before taking him deep into her mouth again. She kept sucking him and incredibly I noticed his cock beginning to grow, stretching her mouth until she stood up and lay back on the bed.

"My turn, baby! Knock yourself out," she said smiling lewdly as she spread her legs, her neatly trimmed patch pointing to her cunt like a landing strip.

My eyes were locked on her silvery, wet slit; swollen and puffy, spreading like the petals of a rose as he knelt between her legs. My cock had regained its vigor and I began stroking it when we heard the front door open and Eddy's mother calling out, "Eddy? Eddy? Are you home? Marybeth? Is anyone home?"

"I'm coming, Mom," Eddy called back.

I saw Sandra and the man look up towards the partition and the peepholes but neither one moved. We quickly wiped the wall clean with tissue paper then sticking the magazines behind a loose plank in the wall, we headed down the stairwell.

*******

Oh, Little Sister

One afternoon a few weeks later, Eddy and I were in the backyard tossing the football around when we saw Sandra with her latest boyfriend. She stopped and waved to us before they headed for her room. There was a wooden stairwell which led up to the attic from the back and this gave Sandra a private entrance without having to go through the house. We looked at each other and smiled.

"Showtime!" Eddy said and made a mad dash into the house.

As we scrambled up the stairs we had to pass the landing on the first floor where Eddy and Beth had their bedrooms and just as we reached the door to the attic, we heard a soft voice asking, "What are you doing?"

It was Beth, her big blue eyes wide with curiosity.

She was a couple of years younger than us and was filling out nicely. I could see her boobs pushing out against the thin cotton of her dress.

I was about to say something catchy when Eddy interjected, "Nothing, Beth, nothing you would be interested in!"

And without waiting for an answer he slipped into the storage room. I hesitated then smiled at her before following him and shutting the door behind me.

"Come on!" he whispered, "The show's about to start."

We took our places by the peepholes and looked into Sandra's bedroom waiting in anticipation for the action to begin. I recognized her new beau; Adam Hollinger, a senior and popular kid who was on the football team. This was going to be interesting.

At first, they sat on the bed just chatting and we could sense that he was nervous and unsure. It was funny because he was trying to act cool but Sandra, on the other hand, was like a predacious spider, a Black Widow, spinning her web ready to pounce on her mate. The poor guy didn't have a chance.

After the initial banter, she moved over to him and pushed him back onto the pillows then swooping down she kissed him. After a few long, noisy kisses the seduction followed the set pattern she had developed with all her dates. She began fumbling with his belt and very soon she had his cock in her hands pumping him slowly. It seemed like she was in a trance, hypnotized by the throbbing male organ, licking her lips salaciously in anticipation while she gently stroked the rigid member. At this point, the relationship was exclusively with the man's cock - Adam needn't have even been there.

He was trying to fondle her breasts but his inexperience had him fumbling and at one point she pulled back and undid the buttons of her white cotton blouse. She wasn't wearing a bra and her tits spilled out like large, golden melons gleaming in the early afternoon light. Her areolae were dark brown and her nipples were hard and pointed. He leaned forward to try and suckle her but she was having none of it; she just moved back and pushed him down onto the mattress then without further delay she licked the tip of his long, thin stem and then sucked him into her mouth.

We were already stroking our cocks in time to her bobbing head, watching her fingers riding the base of his root jerking him off into her hungry mouth. Her cheeks would hollow inwards and we could see her swallowing the pre-ejaculatory juices she was drawing out from him.

"Oh, God! Sandy ... Oh, fuck ... don't stop," Adam sighed, his eyes were shut and he was holding the back of Sandra's head rocking his hips as she fellated him.

We were so caught up in the action that we didn't hear the door open but the next thing I saw was Beth standing next to Eddy. She was wearing a short, cotton smock with rainbow colored patterns on it. The front was slit open on top revealing glimpses of her breasts covered by her bra. I noticed that she had put on makeup with a little too much lipstick and that was strange because a few minutes earlier, she didn't have any on. But she still looked divine.

"What are you doing?" she asked her tone both curious and accusatory.

Our reactions would have been funny if it hadn't been so embarrassingly frightening. I was trying to stuff my hard-on back into my jeans but Eddy ... well he had turned towards his sister either intentionally or out of shock. Looking back, I am sure it was intentional but at the time that this occurred, I remember thinking he must be suffering from temporary insanity. His fingers were wrapped around his throbbing member and he continued to stroke his cock deliberately almost as though he hadn't been interrupted. The head of his penis was purple and bloated, pulsing salaciously in his hand.

For a while, Beth stood there looking at her brother, her lips parted and her gaze shifting from his face to his cock and back to his face until the unmistakable sounds of sex permeated the deafening silence.

"Yes, yes, fuck me harder you bastard, harder ...oh, God ..."

Sandra's unmistakable moans disrupted Beth's attention. She stepped around Eddy and leaning forward a bit she looked into the adjacent room.

Her expression said it all - it was a look of sheer amazement laced with the immediate gleam of lust which characterized that peculiar hormonal ability exclusive to teens.

"Oh, wow!" she whispered almost to herself as her cheeks flushed red with excitement.

She was glued to the peephole unable to take her eyes off of the frenzied action in the adjacent room. After a few moments, I saw her squeezing her thighs together tightly and then releasing it, squeezing it together and releasing it while pressing her crotch against the wall. I didn't realize then that she was attempting to stimulate the tingling sensations between her legs but just the sight of her being in the room with us and watching her sister get fucked added to the considerable tension of the moment.

I peered back through the peephole to see Sandra riding Adam's cock, her large breasts bouncing and jiggling to the cadence of her strokes. He was on his back driving up at her and it became obvious that he was getting close. He began thrusting faster, his motions uncoordinated and frantic as his face scrunched up in lewd contortions. He had grabbed a hold of her waist and was pulling her into him grunting like a wild man but just as he was about to climax, Sandra slid off his cock, slithering down his body like some omnivorous viper. Her timing was immaculate - his cock bounced weirdly off of his abdomen and just as she grabbed it, he uncorked his first jet of cum. It flew almost horizontally in a straight line and landed on his solar plexus before Sandra covered the bloated cockhead with her mouth sucking and swallowing as he continued to ejaculate. But even as she did this, she had pushed her hair away to the other side of her face so that we could get an unencumbered view of her oral artistry. I heard a rustling sound and turned towards it.

"Oh my! Wow ... oh!" was all Beth could say, her fingers pressing into her crotch, hips grinding against the wall.

Eddy had come up behind her and had pushed his sister's dress up above her cute, round ass and was trying to pull down her panties when she whirled and slapped his hands away from her. She wiggled her hips as she pulled her panties back up again.

"Stop that! What are you doing?" she asked but she was smiling and didn't seem angry.

Eddy's cock was still throbbing and bouncing in front of him.

"Not fair, Beth, you have to show us yours if you want to stay. Those are the rules," he said.

She was still staring at his cock and then guided by some feminine reflex, her tongue darted out wetting her lips. I knew then she wasn't going to leave. She looked over at me and then back at Eddy.

"Can I touch it?" she whispered.

He just nodded taking a step towards her. I remained in the shadows, my heart thudding loudly in my head and my mouth as dry as I could remember it being.

I recalled thinking, "She's not going to do this! She can't, she's his sister!"

But she did. Damn! This was like one of those Penthouse stories!

She reached out and tentatively held his cock in her fingers. When his penis lurched in response, she quickly withdrew her hand.

"Oh, sorry! I'm sorry, Eddy, did I hurt your muscle?" she asked softly.

"No!" he replied and grabbing her hand he placed it back on his hard-on and added, "That just means it likes what you are doing."

"Mmmm, it feels so hot and ... um, so hot and so hard!" she answered as she rubbed her fingers over the red, silky smooth helmet. Her grip around her brother's cock was tight and awkward as she continued to stroke him, "It feels nice. Am I doing it right?" she asked, her voice dropping to a whisper.

"Here let me show you; do it like this." He replied taking her hand in his and jacking his shaft - up and down, up and down.

It was the about most exciting thing I had seen. I could see the clear drops of precum oozing from the tip as Eddy guided her fingers over the distended head. I couldn't believe I was watching Beth shag her brother and the effect it was having on me.

Eddy was unbuttoning her top and this time there was no resistance. Beth seemed preoccupied with the hard, fleshy rod pulsing in her hand, stroking it gently until she had to let go to step out from her dress. She was in her panties and bra and looked as lovely as a girl can when I finally came out towards them drawn like the proverbial moth to a flame.

"Come here, Jason, let me see ... let me see your cock." Beth said breathlessly and looking straight into my eyes.

She had taken control of our erotic charade and that was a first for us - until this had happened we just tolerated her.

She was holding my cock in her hand and I was almost ready to blow; the feeling was more exquisite than anything I had expected. My cock jumped as she began stroking it and a large drop or clear, sticky juice seeped onto her fingers ... man, this sure beat the heck out of jacking off!

"God! Yours is so big," she whispered her eyes wide and bright as she slowly pulled the foreskin back.

The plum shaped dome popped through the prepuce like the game, Whack the Monster, surprising her and making her giggle. Unlike Eddy, I wasn't circumcised and seeing the glans exposed from its protective sheath was certainly different. I wasn't really that big it was just that Eddy had a small cock and that was all she had to compare it to.

We stripped her naked and I noticed the swelling of the outer lips of her vagina. She had soft, almost downy, pubic hair like a sparse golden muff. I ran my finger along her slit and felt the sticky, viscous wetness, almost like soapy water, while her body pressed up against me. I remembered Eddy telling me about a woman's clit and how it was like a female penis ... it is strange how these things crop up in your mind just when you needed them most.

I began rubbing her clit making small circles with my fingers like I had seen Sandra doing to herself and felt Beth tremble. I was enjoying my newfound skills and wanted to explore more of her virgin territory so bending lower, I slowly pushed a finger into her. I was fascinated by her venal flower, the inner petals, the pinkness of her and the alluring aroma which was like an aphrodisiac. She was wet; so wet that my finger slipped in easily.

"Ohhh!" she gasped with a deep intake of her breath and her hand snaked down to cover mine securing me in place. Then I felt her hips undulating, fucking the invading digit inside her slit.

Eddy watched us for a while and then taking his sister's arm, he led her towards the large oak chest causing my finger to slip out of his sister's pussy.

"No! No, please ... don't stop!" she whimpered holding onto my arm.

"It's okay Beth, I'll do it again, just lie down." I said taking her by her other arm and holding her by her waist. She felt so warm and soft, I didn't want to let go of her.

Beth hesitated and then did as she was told. She lay down on her back with her legs dangling off the edge at the knees. She gave us a nervous smile, drawing her thighs together and then closed her eyes. She looked really sexy and vulnerable - there was a part of my mind screaming out that this was my first time and I should enjoy this experience; every moment of this incredible encounter with this beautiful creature. But I also knew that I was sharing my special moment with Eddy. And as selfish as this may sound, I hadn't considered Beth or what she might be feeling. I was too preoccupied with the wonderful sense of anticipation and what I wanted from her. Ever since I had watched Sandra fellate the James Dean lookalike, I had wanted to have my cock sucked. So I moved quickly over to Beth's face and pushed my cock against her lips.

At first, she kept her mouth shut while the tip of my cock spread the slick precum along her lips. I could see the lipstick smearing and then suddenly, she opened up and sucked me into the wet, hot sanctuary of her mouth. I felt her pallet graze the sensitive ridge of my cockhead making me twitch as she pressed the underside upwards with her tongue.

"Oh God, suck me baby, use your tongue ..." I said to her holding her by her hair, shocked at the sound of my own lewd verbalization.

I watched as her lips stretched over the turgid head and her tongue began swirling around the ridge of my Glans. It was sheer bliss.

And while I fucked her face, she was having her cunt licked out by her brother. He was lapping it like a kitten at a saucer of milk. I knew I couldn't last and all too quickly, I felt my cock flex and jump and then I climaxed pumping my sperm down her throat.

I just closed my eyes and let her suck away and was surprised that she didn't gag or stop. I kept on cumming and she kept sucking and swallowing, holding onto my stem while draining me of my juices. I had never cum as much and considering that mine was the first cock she had sucked, it was amazing that she drank it all except for the tiny trickle which had leaked out and had run down the side of her mouth onto her chin. I guess giving head ran in the family.

She looked seductively sexy writhing to the stimulation of her brother's tongue her face stained by the remnants of my cum and when I finally looked over at Eddy he was still licking his sister, pushing his fingers in and out of her swollen quim. He kept licking until she climaxed - it wasn't as spectacular as Sandra's orgasms but her hips undulated slightly and her back arched towards him as she pulled his head into her cunt rolling her hips about so that his face was covered with her pussy juices.

"Oh, God! Don't stop ... oh, yes, Eddy, please ... don't stop, please," she kept murmuring over and over.

And when she finally stopped thrashing and jerking, she held onto my hands which had been massaging her breasts, kneading and pinching her nipples. Her face was flushed and she was covered in a thin sheen of sweat but she looked so susceptibly lovely and content.

I was certain that Eddy was going to want her to do something more but he didn't - he stood up, pulled on his jeans and walked out of the attic leaving me alone with Beth. I didn't understand it and neither did Beth. She looked upset and frightened and I felt badly for her so I leaned over and kissed her on the lips. A soft gentle kiss but as soon as I did this, she opened her mouth and I felt the softness of her lips and her tongue snaking hesitantly into my mouth. I liked the feel of her and kissed her back, enjoying the intimacy of the moment. We necked for a while until she pulled away and stood up.

"You're nice, Jason, really nice." She said and tiptoeing up, she kissed me again.

I helped her get dressed and we walked down the stairs to the living room. I wasn't sure where Eddy had gone but suddenly I felt strangely uncomfortable. We had grown up together playing children's games and now that we had been intimate, our innocence had been breached.

It's difficult to explain but I was filled with conflicting emotions and though I felt closer to her, I needed to get away from her ... it was strange. I gave her a quick peck on the cheek and headed for the door and when I looked back, she was standing there staring at me with those huge blue eyes. I should have stayed with her but I didn't, I just left and after all these years, I still feel like a jerk for not being more sensitive.

*******

I was so lost in thought that I didn't hear the old man walk up the stairs to the landing even though the door was open but his gnarly, deep voice jarred me out of my sordid reverie.

"Hey? Hey Jason, are you staying for dinner? The Missus needs to know!" Peter said as I gathered my wits about me.

"Thanks, Peter, but you've been very kind. I don't want to impose. I'll leave and come back tomorrow." I replied stepping out so he could see me.

"You are not imposing and we could use the company. I'm sure she won't mind!" he said and turning slowly, he began descending down the stairwell.

He stopped and looking up, "Did you find anything interesting?" he asked.

"Just memories!" I replied smiling ruefully, "but worth more to me than anything!"

"Good," he added and then continued down the steps. I could hear him call out to his wife: "He's staying and he looks hungry!"

Over dinner we talked sports and politics, a lot more sports than politics. The Yankees were the old man's favorite team and we shared a fondness for the old Yankee greats. We discussed Mantle, Maris, DiMaggio, Munson and some others while Martha fussed over us. We had an animated discussion about some of the greatest players to play the game, especially Willie Mays who was my Dad's favorite, and before dinner was over we were the best of friends. It was getting late so I got up to leave; I needed to find a hotel and I didn't want to overstay my welcome.

"Is there a hotel close by?" I asked.

"There are a few in town but the one on Main Street is nice. It's a small Inn run by an English couple." Peter suggested.

"Why don't you just stay here for the night? We have plenty of room!" Martha asked.

"I couldn't do that. I don't want to put you out. You've been more than kind and I'll be back in the morning. I want to go over to the old school and check it out." I said.

But they were having none of it and insisted that I stay.

"Don't be silly, Jason, it's late and you can stay here. It had been a long time since we have had someone stay over." She said and the old man agreed. So I gave in and as luck would have it, I got Beth's old room.

I took a shower and turned on my laptop attempting to get some work done but I was too tired and as I lay back on the bed my mind flooded with memories - Beth, innocent beautiful Marybeth and the sensuously, complicated Sandra.

*******

Fantasy Babe

Beth and I had continued our relationship without Eddy. It was not like we were officially dating but we spent a lot of time together exploring each other's bodies. We used her bedroom or mine whenever our parents were out but occasionally we would make love in the attic - we did this only when Eddy was away participating with the debating or quiz teams.

Once while we were fucking like rabbits in heat, I sensed someone watching us; it was Sandra and I could see her eyes shining through the peepholes. The tables had now turned and we had come full circle. I don't think Beth knew that we were being watched but I remember feeling an exhibitionistic thrill knowing that Sandra was sharing in our pleasure.

My relationship with Beth didn't stop Eddy and me from spying on Sandra - that was still a part of our weekly routine. We'd watch Sandra do her thing until she changed colleges. Strangely enough we never discussed Beth or my relationship with her and Eddy never joined us again.

Then a year later several incidents changed our lives for good. Eddy and I began spending more time apart. He was into academia and I was not. I was really into sports. I had hit a growth spurt and now towered over him. I was six foot two in my socks and weighed close to two hundred pounds. I was the co-captain of our high school football team, a member of the wrestling team and also heavily into martial arts.

My father was an Ex-Marine and had started me off when I was just a kid but as I grew older I joined a Dojo run by a retired Special Forces vet. He taught us stuff that only Brazilian Jiu Jitsu experts knew. This was in the mid 90s before the popularity of the UFC when Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and mixed martial arts were part of an underground movement in the US.

It was Summer Break and Sandra was back from her college on the East Coast. She was now supposedly 'going steady' with one of her college friends but that didn't seem to affect her social life at home. She looked even more beautiful than I remembered having inherited her mother's paedomorphic beauty peculiar to Nordic women.

One evening while Eddy and I were chatting at the front gate, Sandra walked up looking as dazzling as ever but I could smell the alcohol on her and she was definitely a little tipsy. There was something that was not quite right between Sandra and her parents and I had no idea what that was. This was a family issue and neither Eddy nor Beth had ever brought it up.

"My, my, Jason! You've certainly grown!" she said smiling seductively.

I still felt like a kid when I was around her and recall blushing but she placed a reassuring hand on my arm and continued, "I hear you're the Captain of the football team now!"

"Co-captain," I corrected her.

"Whatever. The girls must be all over you!" she said, her compliment making me both happy and uncomfortable.

I had no idea what to say so I just stood there dumbfounded like some brainless jock staring into her face. She laughed and squeezed my arm. 

"Wait, don't tell me you are still fucking Beth!" she was looking right into my eyes and let out a throaty laugh and leaned towards me, stumbling a bit, her tits pressing against my side. I got a strong whiff of the brandy on her breath. My father liked a shot of cognac every now and then so I knew what it smelled like.

"Sandy, you're drunk! Cut it out," Eddy interjected, trying to intervene.

"Come on, we don't have any secrets do we? After all that we've been through together!" She stressed the 'all' and was now looking at Eddy, "Tell him, Eddy, tell your friend about our happy family." And then added, "Or maybe I will!"

Just then a car pulled up and she gave me a parting hug, clinging to me a bit longer than she needed to.

"Come and see me," she whispered in my ear and then she was gone.

I watched the taillights of the car fading down the road with my cock throbbing uncomfortably, excited by the pressure of her thighs against me. I was trying to place the man who was driving when Eddy said, "Don't say anything to Beth."

I looked at him and in the fading light his face was intense and pale, "Please, JT, don't say anything! I'll explain some other time."

He was the only one who called me by my initials.

"There's nothing to say and you don't have to explain. Don't worry," I replied then added, "It's getting late, you take care and I'll catch you later."

I walked away, my mind racing with thoughts about Sandra. There was a lot more to her story than meets the eye and I was really curious to know exactly what she had meant about the 'happy family'.

*******

Alpha Dog

A few weeks later I was heading home after an intense sparring session at the dojo. I was helping a couple of friends get ready for a local tournament and was riding the endorphin induced high when I saw Eddy walking home. I was surprised; Eddy had a car and rarely walked.

"What's up, man, where's the Blue Beast?" I asked, easily catching up to him and slapping him on his back. It always surprised me how small Eddy was. He couldn't have been more than five foot seven in his shoes.

"Hey JT ... shit! You scared the heck out of me, man!" he reacted, startled by my sudden appearance.

"Oh, the Beast is in the garage; the brakes are shot to hell!" he said and then added, "Haven't seen you in a while. How are you doing?"

"The same, you know, football, wrestling, kickboxing and of course, homework!" I said, then stopping in front of my house I continued, "I know you're busy but I could use some help with my math assignment. Mr. Harris is killing me. What do you say?"

Eddy had always been an A student and homework had been a breeze for him. He was one of the brightest kids in our school and had helped me whenever I needed some tutoring.

He laughed and said, "Sure, bring it over after -" but he was interrupted by the high beams and screeching tires of a red, pick-up truck.

It was a brand new Ford F150, which pulled up alongside us. The music was deafening with the staccato bass reverberating like crashing thunder. I recognized the vehicle immediately; it belonged to Bret "Butch" Mullins, a big, corn-fed Husker from Nebraska. I'd be hard pressed to adequately describe Butch except that I'm pretty certain that every school in the country has an obnoxious bully who might be something like him. But Bret Mullins was a doozy; a real piece of work! His moral compass was nonexistent and just one look at him and you knew he was trouble - TROUBLE in capitals!

He had transferred to our school a few years back amidst rumors of date rape, assault, breaking and entry and a slew of other charges but surprisingly he had never been convicted. His family owned several businesses including a huge bottling plant located on the outskirts of town. This facility was the largest employer in the area and his father had taken over as its President when they moved here. They had the right connections and moved in all the right circles. They lived in the best part of town in an ostentatious mansion totally incongruent even with the large houses in that exclusive neighborhood. So, not only was he a deviant but he had money and connections to back him up. In many ways, you could blame his family and the school system for indulging his madness.

He was older than most of the kids at school and his odd appearance gave him a strange "star" status. He was just a few shades off from being an Albino with stringy light blond hair which he kept long and pulled back in a ponytail. His opalescent skin was pale and hairless and gleamed like polished alabaster. His eyebrows were so light that you could hardly see them and his eyelashes were almost white which made his translucent, blue eyes weirdly striking.

He was about the same height as me but had me by about twenty pounds; twenty pounds of striated muscle. And he was very strong. I had watched him bench over five hundred pounds and for a schoolboy, that is just plain amazing even if he was crowding twenty. And though I suspected that he was juiced up on Anabolic Steroids, I could never find the telltale needle tracks and believe me, I had looked ... nothing in the glutes, thighs or deltoids so either he sticking the needle up his ass or I had to accept the fact that he was just a freak!

When we first met, it was instinctive; we didn't like each other but we coexisted. We made a really good tandem on Defense creating havoc with the blocking schemes of the opposing team but it was primarily because they had to double team Butch on almost every play or risk losing their Quarterback. I usually cleaned up the tackles he'd initiate so much so that he joked about my "sloppy seconds" ... but I didn't really care; off the field, he left me alone and that was good enough for me. He was the captain of the football team which only added to his twisted narcissistic personality and which fed off the groveling veneration of his obsequious clique he called his Posse. They went everywhere with him making life miserable for any kid unfortunate enough to stumble across them.

Then there were the girls. There as a certain type of girl who was attracted to the bad-boy image but Butch was more than just your ordinary bad-boy; he was in a class by himself and to say that he mistreated them would be a gross understatement. But in their eyes, the more he mistreated them the greater his desirability quotient. The whole thing was weird.

And now while he gunned his engine, he rolled down his window and I could see his eyes glimmering strangely in the diffused light.

"Hey, Fuckhead ... you left early!" he said looking at me, shouting over the reverberations of the music and the churning growl of the F150's engine.

"Yeah, so what?" I replied knowing that backing off meant 'weakness' as far as he was concerned; you had to step up to him or he'd ride you. He was like a wild animal always probing for signs of vulnerability.

I had left football practice early to get to the dojo and hadn't given it much thought.

He laughed and then turning his attention to Eddy, "Hey man, we spent some time with your sister and she's a beauty!" He sneered and continued, "She gives great head ... she's one horny bitch like all Jew-Bitches! Right, boys?"

Just then the rear cab door opened and one of the guys pushed her out. It was Sandra. She was a mess - her normally coiffed hair was disheveled and dirty and her dress was torn and stained. Her make-up was smeared and she was very drunk. She took a few hesitant steps and then stumbled, going down onto her knees, crouching over until her forehead touched the grass, her hair spilling around her like a shimmering, golden blanket. She was out of it. This was as bad as I had ever seen her.

Eddy ran over quickly and tried helping her up, holding her by her shoulders. His face was pale and his lips were quivering and I was certain he was about to cry.

"She sucked us all off, man, and then we fucked her every which way ... she loves to party! Eddy, your sister's a fuckin' nympho! She couldn't get enough!" and he laughed, a high pitched howl, like some demented maniac, "What a fuckin' whore ... be sure to tell her we'd love to do her again!"

Then he paused for a response but getting none, he said to me, "I'm going to fuck that girl of yours, fuckhead; I'll give that pretty bitch what she needs ... do her just like I did her sister!"

I had known from the very first day I met him that he would be my nemesis, my dragon to slay, and that one day I would have to take him on. The whole team, including the coaching staff, knew that it was going to happen. We had skirted around each other like two big dogs not willing to chance direct confrontation but we also knew that eventually one of us would had to give in. There had been a few close calls on the field but it had never culminated in an actual confrontation and the coaches had stepped in to prevent these incidents from escalating. But Karma, fate, destiny whatever it is you want to call it, has a way of bringing things around and within this convoluted merging of our paths was the moment of reckoning. Sooner or later it was going to happen. This was the very reason he transferred to our school. Everything he and I had taken part in, every experience and the decisions we made was to prepare us for our inevitable encounter.

After helping Sandra up, I walked over to his window, my heart pounding and my body hyped full of adrenalin.

"You're a fuckin' asshole, Mullins, you and the rest of these creeps... why don't you pussies step out? Come on, let's get it over with!" I snarled looking into the backseat.

I could feel them staring at me, their eyes gleaming in the darkness like zombies, but nobody made a move or said anything. They were waiting for their alpha dog to make the move. And for a moment I thought that maybe they hadn't heard me over the cacophony of the engine and music but when I looked back at Butch, he had a thin expressionless smile on his face, his head rocking to the driving beat of a song from Nirvana's "Nevermind". Then very deliberately he reached down and turned off the Radio and I could see his jaws flex as he ground his teeth.

It was suddenly quiet; the only sound now was the gentle purr of the F150.

There was an instant when I knew he was going to make a play, an intuitive prescience alerting me of imminent harm and sure enough, without warning he lunged, his huge, hand reaching out in a blur trying to grab me but I was quicker and was able to deflect his forearm harmlessly to the side.

"Don't do that asshole, unless you want to lose your fuckin' arm!" I hissed, "Step out here and we'll settle this once and for all." I was beyond caring. I wanted to end the uncertainty.

My reflexes had surprised him and after a moment he lowered his arm allowing it to dangle nonchalantly outside the window, trying to remain cool. The dragon tattooed on his bicep glittered oddly against his hypo-pigmented skin like a lizard scrambling up a pole. And though he had his buddies with him, I think he realized that he was at a disadvantage being in the truck.

"What a faggot! Scared the shit out of you didn't I?" he said and laughed.

Then I heard my father call, "Jason? Is everything okay?"

I looked over at the silhouette of my dad standing on our porch and called back, "Everything's fine, Dad, I'll be in soon."

"You better go home, boy, papa's calling!" then he paused before adding, "We'll settle this, fuckhead ... you can bet your ass on that! I'm going to crush your fuckin' skull, but not now, you'll never know when but it's going to happen. You're a fuckin' dead man!" his voice was soft, almost a whisper, sibilating and sinister like a viper's strike.

I heard his friends cackling like a bunch of rabid hyenas as he floored the accelerator and the truck disappeared in a cloud of smoke and dust.

*******

"We should call a doctor!" I said while Eddy was holding onto Sandra.

"No! ... I'll take care of her! Just help me get her into her room!" Eddy insisted.

"Are you sure Eddy? She looks bad, man!"

"Just help me, Jason ... please, man ..." he insisted.

I bent down and picked Sandra up and carried her up the stairway and into the apartment. She laid her head against my shoulder and I caught the distinctively sickening smell of semen and had to turn my head away.

Eddy went ahead and turned on the lights.

"I'll get the first aid kit ..." he said as he ran up the stairs.

It was the first time that I had been inside her bedroom and was surprised that it looked so different from this perspective. There was an air of subtle femininity and it was evident that she was fastidiously clean. Her things had been neatly organized on her dresser and side tables. The walls were adorned with beautiful pictures of tranquil blue oceans and green, plush mountains. I guess these were her refuge, places she escaped to from the tormenting demons of her life.

There was a huge Teddy Bear flopped on the rocking chair in the corner. It's funny how little I knew of her even though I had know her almost all my life ... I had never imagined her to be a "teddy bear" kind of girl.

On the side table by the bed stood several photo-frames of a man who looked a lot like Sandra and who could have easily passed for her brother; the resemblance was uncanny. As I was to later find out, her relationship with that man was linked to her pleonectic personality.

I put her down gently on the bed and she immediately turned onto her side in the fetal position. Her dense, flaxen hair was caked with dirt and cum and once again, the acrid smell of sex emanating from the wetly stained dress permeated the air. I could see the bruise marks on her neck and arms and my heart went out to her and I felt a hatred that I didn't know I possessed. I wanted blood ... justice; street justice.

Just as my mind was beginning to conjure up plans steeped in medieval torment, Eddy returned with some wet towels and began cleaning her up. He didn't look at me or say anything. His eyes were red and there were tears streaming slowly down his cheeks as he continued to work on his sister. Every now and then I'd hear him sniffle; this was killing me, watching them like this. Eddy was as close to a brother as I would ever have. I felt helpless and distraught, incapable of offering any real solace. Taking on Mullins and his goons would have been easier than this.

"It's going to be okay Eddy, I promise ..." I said not sure of how I could placate him but he remained silent.

He turned her over onto her back and began wiping down her face while I worked on her other arm and on the side of her neck. I wondered whether they had slipped her a "roofie" (the date rape drug of choice) or whether she was just drunk. However, unless she was going to press charges we would never know.

Finally after about thirty minutes or so of the sponge bath, Eddy began unbuttoning her dress.

"Maybe you should get Beth," I offered, strangely conflicted by his action.

"No! I told you I'll take care of her ... I don't want Beth to know." He said and then looking at me he added, "Just help me get her into the shower and then you can leave if you want to," and he started to pull down her dress.

She was limp like a rag-doll and it was an effort to get it off of her but we managed. At one point when I moved her legs she let out a soft groan. I kept apologizing to her even though I knew she couldn't really hear me but I knew she was hurting.

"Careful! Lift her gently." Eddy said and I could sense the anger and frustration in his voice.

She was now naked and even in this abused, bedraggled state of semi-conscientiousness she was so intrinsically beautiful. Her breasts were perfect; on the larger side with dark brown areolas and small pointed nipples. Her body tapered to a flat stomach which flared dramatically at her hips and with beautifully shaped legs from the years of cheerleading. I couldn't help thinking, 'This here was a hundred percent prime, succulent woman'.

There were several bruises on her body but what caught my attention was the puffy, rawness of her vulvo-vaginal area. Since she was shaved, except for the neatly trimmed landing strip above her Mons, the aggravated redness of her outer lips was pretty obvious. There was a trail of cum leaking out from her, running down her thighs in a milky, viscous stream; a testament to her recent sexual activity. I took the washcloth and soaping it up, I wiped the bruised area as gently as I could and saw her flinch. She held my wrist in a hapless gesture before resting her head against my shoulder allowing me to tend to her. She still hadn't fully recovered.

I wanted to leave, disturbed by the effect she was having on me but I knew that that Eddy wouldn't be able to hold her up and bathe her so I held her while he took the shower-head and ran the water over her limp body.

He had started with her hair and face slowly working his way down her body, cleaning off the residual scum and dirt until she was literally glowing from the warmth of the water. Then he did her feet working upwards to her calves and thighs until finally he arrived at her crotch. When he aimed the jet of water between her legs and into the crack of her vagina, she jerked and closed her thighs in a protective reflex while her eyes fluttered open for a second and then closed again.

"Ohhh ... don't ..." she whispered.

But he persisted, running the water up and down her slit until I noticed the lips of her vulva beginning to engorge and swell even more. I wasn't sure of his intentions but can only assume that he wanted to clean her, to get all the seminal remnants out from her but even as I tried to avert my eyes, I was captivated by his actions unable to look away. A cobra transfixed on the swaying flute as the snake charmer played on her sensual flower.

What transpired next bordered on the surreal, a sequence of events which has haunted me ever since. Eddy was under a hypnotic spell and totally oblivious of my presence. He leaned over her and with trembling fingers he spread her vaginal lips and then ran the water right up her tumid hole. The pulsing jet from the shower-massage drummed against her clit making her body twitch and her legs tremble. And then I heard her moan only it was more like a soft sigh and this time it was an undeniable carnal response of pleasure.

She was slowly recovering her senses and I could see her pupils, which had been dilated, focusing more clearly as she gazed at Eddy and then up at me. Her breathing had gotten heavy and deep as the surges of pleasure burst through the peripheral circuits of her nerves that affected her neuro-pulmonary response. I felt her grip my arms tightly as the constant pulsing of the water brought her ever closer to the edge.

"Ohhhh ... please, baby ... Oh, baby brother ... don't stop ..." she whispered.

I wasn't sure if I had heard her correctly but I really didn't care, I was caught up in the eroticism of the moment. I recall thinking that they may have been right and that she was indeed a nymphomaniac and couldn't get enough and felt disgusted by the fact that I was aroused by what was happening and was actually blaming her for this. But my mind was racked by the contradictory emotions of lust and empathy; wanting to help her but also wanting desperately to possess her. It was a struggle between our conditioned altruism and the inherent selfish needs of our primal carnality ... or maybe it was just Nature's procreative agenda.

My cock was blatantly hard and throbbing in my boxers while I held her tightly against me. I watched as her nipples puckered and hardened and had to fight the urge to caress her; to lean over and suckle her. I kept thinking that this was perverted; that we were both sick to take advantage of her vulnerability but I was too far gone. I let my fingers ride slowly upwards from under her breasts to her nipples and began rolling them between my thumb and forefinger and she responded almost immediately.
Her body jerked and she cried out softly, "Ohhh God ... don't stop ... please ... it feels so good!"

Eddy didn't look up. He was trapped by that incestuous monster or whatever it was that tied him to his sister and continued massaging her with the pulsing water until finally she climaxed, her body jerking uncontrollably as she crested the waves of her orgasm. She held onto my arms tightly, her hips bucking lewdly against the jets of water as the jolts of pleasure shot through her ravaged body separating her from her senses. It was agonizingly sensual and I remember wanting it to last forever.

We waited as she slowly descended from her orgasm before Eddy turned the water off. And as we dried her with towels, I could see the pellucid gleaming of her cunt, wet with the juices of her recent passion. This was several degrees closer than the voyeuristic games we played and I knew I needed to get away soon so wrapping her in a large towel I carried her to the bed and gently laid her down.

But she sat up and pointing to the dresser against the back wall asked, "Please get me a nightie, they are in the middle drawer ..."

I left them alone; walking out quietly as Eddy was helping her with a pink, see-through camisole. He was gently stroking her hair and kissing her and didn't even notice me leaving.

*******

As I walked across the street heading towards home, my mind was flooded with salacious thoughts; images of Sandra on her knees surrounded by Mullins and his posse jerking off onto her face, forcing her to suck their cocks. Knowing how sexual she was, I wasn't even sure if this was coerced or whether she had gone with them voluntarily. I was confused but deep down inside I knew that one way or the other, she had been taken advantage of and I knew that what had happened was wrong but still I couldn't help myself from being aroused. And, after what had just happened with Sandra in the shower, I was hyper-excited and needed to get some relief. I was tempted to call Beth - she was always up for some action but eventually decided against it. I'd just deal with 'five finger Mary'!

When I walked in, my father was in his favorite chair reading a book on World War II and greeted me with a smile.

"Is everything okay?" he asked, "there wasn't any trouble with the Mullins boy, was there?"

"No, Dad, everything's cool ... no trouble. Nothing I can't handle." I replied to which he took off his reading glasses and placed the book on his lap. He was very insightful and knew that there was more to this.

"Are you sure?" his voice revealing his concern.

"Yeah, I'm sure, Dad." I answered and then, "Dad, were you ever scared ... you know, like in a fight?" I blurted out. All my life, my father had been my hero and I couldn't imagine him being frightened of anyone or anything.

He thought for a moment before answering and that is one of the things I admired about him. He never treated any question as silly or childish irrespective of who was asking.

"To be scared is normal, son, and only the mentally impaired are unafraid. Our survival depends on the fight or flight reflex. But, there are times when you have to suppress and control your fear and deal with the danger facing you. Sometimes, it's the only way and it is what separates the men from the boys." He said, then as an afterthought he asked, "You are sure that you aren't in any trouble?"

"No trouble, Dad, but thanks. I'm going to hit the sack ... goodnight." I said smiling and headed for my bedroom. I always felt grounded after speaking with him.

"Goodnight, son, your mother's sleeping so keep the music down."

"Sure, Dad ... I'm going to bed ... I'm bushed. I was helping Jeff and Andy for the tournament."

And with that I headed for my room.

*******

Nexus

I felt a hand on my shoulder shaking me and a woman's voice filtering through my sleep-addled brain. She was trying to get me up.

"Wake up! Come on, get up, son, it's past eight. I've brought you some coffee."

It was Martha.

The aromatic smell of coffee filled the air and I pushed the covers aside, stretching. It had been a restless night filled with hypnagogic hallucinations, vivid pre-sleep thoughts which then blended seamlessly into dreams about Sandra, Beth and Eddy. I had tossed and turned until finally falling asleep a little after 1:00 am.

Martha drew back the curtains and the sunlight flooded in making me squint.

She looked over at me with a knowing smile and said, "I hope you slept well and the ghosts from your past didn't keep you up ..." then added, "Breakfast will be in twenty minutes. Don't be late!"

After a simple breakfast of ham and eggs with Martha and Peter, I promised to be back to take them for dinner and then I left heading for school. I wanted to go back to the scene of the crime, the place where the final chapter involving Butch Mullins had ended.

*******

The Scarecrow

The High School looked about the same and I was filled with a sense of déjà vu. The main office buildings had undergone some minor changes but offered the same overbearing appearance I knew so well. I parked the car and decided to stroll by the gym to the grassy knoll behind the football field where I had finally faced my demons. I noticed the students scurrying to their classes, laughing and chatting and the memories came rushing back.

The days following the incident I went to school prepared for the worst, ready to take Butch and his buddies on. I knew exactly what needed to be done and was actually looking forward to settling this once and for all. I was doing this not just for Eddy and Sandra but also for Beth. She was blossoming into one of the prettiest girls in school and on more than one occasion I had caught Butch leering at her and whispering conspiratorially to his friends and gauging from their reaction, none of it was good especially after what had happened to Sandra.

Then just when things seemed to be settling back to their routine, it happened. I hadn't see Mullins or his Posse all morning and was a bit curious since they were like bad habits, cropping up when you least expected them and it was always the same; they would spout the usual "You're a dead man ..." spiel along with some choice adjectives but I was getting used to it and after a while it had no effect on me. In fact my lack of response was driving them up a wall but except for Butch, the others wanted no part of me.

And just as I was thinking that maybe this wasn't destined to happen, I ran into Henry, a teammate who played defensive back, who stopped and said, "Hey, man, watch yourself ... Butch has been talkin' it up, mouthin' off about killin' you!"

"Thanks ... do you know where he is?" I asked.

"Yeah, they are by the benches in the back and there's a pretty good crowd ... he's got Ray and the other punks with him. You be careful, Jason."

"Thanks bud." I replied and headed for the Gym.

As I strolled by the football field, I was filled with a sense of pre-destiny; a feeling that this time it would be settled. I was right. They were by the benches near the field and as I approached them, Butch turned around smiling like he had the fight already won. He was in sleeveless weightlifting T-Shirt, leaning against the metal fence, his pale skin glowing like some Gothic apparition while he flexed his muscles and rolled his head loosening up the muscles in his neck.

I found the posturing to be amusing. I knew he was nervous ... hey, I was nervous but it was a good "nervous" and there was a certain calm deep inside me that my father had spoken about and his words about courage kept repeating itself in my mind like a mantra reinforcing my belief in everything that was just and good.

This is where I wish that I could have written of an epic struggle where I had to reach deep inside myself to discover the well of hidden resolve to outlast my antagonist but like most fights, the manner in which it played out was the quintessential anticlimax. After his first maneuver failed he was lost. He lacked the skills to deal with the strikes and holds being thrown at him. What it proved unequivocally was that there was no way for a barroom brawler to take on a real martial artist. No way!

It was over quickly but not without serious repercussions for him. He ended up with a busted elbow as a result of an armbar and then while he sniveled like a crybaby, I choked him out ... 'out' like in unconscious; his body twitching in the aftermath of Ischemia. The myth had been exposed and the scary vampire was nothing but a hollow scarecrow!

Most of the kids who were watching were thrilled except for his Posse - they were shocked and true to their nature, they stood back and did nothing. A bunch of gutless pussies! My father was right; cowards do die a thousand deaths!

*******

The Soul of a Soldier

I had walked home with Beth that day. She was literally beaming and I still remember the lovemaking session we shared that evening ... we had used her bedroom and hours later when we emerged, Eddy was there in the living room with a big grin on his face!

"How long have you been here, sicko?" I asked.

"Beth, you made more noise than Mullins did ... I thought he was killing you!" he said and laughed then added, "Let's go get some pizza!"

I could see Beth blushing but she laughed and hit her brother on his arm.

"You are sick! Let's see if Sandra wants to come too!" Beth said.

The four of us went to the local pizza parlor. Sandra didn't say much but she seemed to be getting better and when Eddy told her about what had happened to Butch, she gave me a brilliant smile and reaching across the table, she held my hand briefly. That was enough for me. For the rest of the evening she leaned her head against Eddy's shoulder holding onto to his arm. I had never seen Eddy happier.

Word of the fight had spread and people came over to chat and offer their words of appreciation. We ended up not having to pay for dinner - some grateful patron paid for it without us knowing. It was hard to believe how many people were victims of that freak. That was one of the best evenings I could remember.

And that was the last time we were all together and that's how I'd like to remember Eddy; laughing over a slice of Pizza with the love of his life holding onto him.

I heard some girls giggling and it startled me back to reality and I stared at the steel fence and could swear I saw Eddy leaning against it with a big smile on his face ... good bye, dear friend, I'll miss you more than you'll know.

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