It has been a couple days since Christian has laid eyes on his father. Daddy has been keeping busy preparing for the wedding. The problem is that Camp Wannakukka isn’t the sort of place you leave a lonely boy alone at for very long. Pretty soon, Christian finds himself exploring the grounds.
It is in another location on the resort grounds that Christian makes a few new friends, as well as a few startling discoveries.
The Invitation is a 4,600-word short story.
Buy your copy now
Excerpt
“Thanks!”
Christian accepted the glass of lemonade from Barkley. The outside had already begun sweating. Beads of moisture clung to the glass the same way they did to the brow of the minister’s son.
“No problem,” said Barkley, taking a seat beside Christian. “Sleep good last night?”
Christian dodged the question by taking a long pull from the glass. The lemonade was slightly tart, but refreshing. Noon hadn’t arrived yet, but it was already sweltering. His body was desperate for something to keep cool with.
“Decent enough,” he answered after lowering the glass. Christian’s eyes did not meet Barkley’s, however. “I guess I just miss my dad is all.”
Barkley nodded sympathetically. “Don’t blame you,” he replied, folding both arms behind his head. “I’d be missing my old man something fierce. Stinks that they put you two in different camp grounds.”
Christian took another drink from his glass. He had very nearly gone straight home. Dad was livid after they walked in on Barkley and his own father going at it on the couch. Mr. Wyatt was called immediately and had to come straight down.
Christian’s Dad wanted his son moved to a different area at once. It took several tries on Mr. Wyatt’s part before his father was convinced that there was simply no other place to accommodate them. It was summertime, after all—their busiest part of the year. Cancellations did happen, but unless another guest pulled out, Christian would have to remain with Barkley and his father, Mick.
Daniel was further appeased when Mick stepped in and apologized once more. Mick smoothed things over by swearing that he and his son would behave themselves around Christian. Christian himself promised to stay in his room when he wasn’t making use of the camp’s facilities.
In the end, Daniel acquiesced and Christian settled in.
Spending time together proved a lot harder than Daniel or Christian thought, however. Sure, there were lots of things to do. The Arts & Crafts building was always open during the day. Sons could use paints to draw pictures for their fathers while the dads made little keychains or wallets for their sons.
A lifeguard was always by the lake in case someone wanted to go swimming. They could also use a paddle boat or take a canoe out in the deep regions of the water. A dock had also been set aside farther down for fathers to take their boys fishing.
The camp also had a rec hall. Most of the games were old-fashioned, like ping-pong and foosball. There were also a couple of pool tables, though, and an air hockey table. It was a great place to be when the summer sun hung high in the sky.
Unfortunately, Daniel spent most of his time apart from Christian. He had been right when he told his son that planning a wedding was difficult. It turned out to be even harder than Daniel realized.
In fact, the camp staffer had been waiting at their cabin when they got back from breakfast the next morning, ready to get started. Every single little detail had to be approved by Daniel. This left poor little Christian with a lot of free time on his hands.
It was not a good thing to leave a young boy alone and bored, even under the best of circumstances. A place like Camp Wannakukka was especially not safe.
And then there were the nights.
True to his word, Mick no longer engaged in any sexual antics with his son while Christian was around. They also abstained from the casual nudity that Bunny Burrow members partook in. Father and son remained fully clothed while inside the cabin. Neither did more than a subtle touch or light kiss on the lips while Christian was around.
That didn’t mean their relationship was chaste. Christian had been serenaded each night with the sounds of Mick making wild, passionate love to his boy. The two could go for hours, and often did.
Christian would lie awake on his bed staring at the ceiling. His mind raced while his body throbbed. Barkley would scream, crying out over his dad’s sexual prowess. The sounds and the filthy language they used made Christian’s flesh burn.