Smashwords

I wanted to experience being young and carefree with my son. I needed to show him how important that was. Most of all, I wanted to bond with him before he left home.

This place was giving us that. Nicky was happier than I had seen him in years. He felt safe enough to come out to me here. We had been having so much fun together. I never wanted it to end.

And yet, I was uneasy.

I couldn’t quite put my finger down on why exactly. It wasn’t something I had brought up with Dr. Kenneth—a list that was growing the more I thought about it. I wasn’t sure when it had started either.

It was like an itch begging to be scratched, or a drawing in my gut. I almost felt like I had forgotten something. The longer I dwelled on it, the more I became convinced that something was wrong.

That was absurd, of course.

At least, that was what I kept telling myself. I had read somewhere that feelings of anxiety and paranoia can develop whether or not there is a cause for them. Chances were that I was feeling anxious because everything was going so well. My mind was convinced things would eventually go south, so it was gearing up to handle the incoming pressure. But because there wasn’t any, I was jumping at things that weren’t there.

To prove the point to myself, I slowed my pace and looked around. There were quite a few dads and sons out today. I noticed that most of them were wearing camp T-shirts signifying which area they were from.

One pair made me smile. There was nothing extraordinary happening. The dad was simply walking along with one arm around his son’s shoulders.

The son wasn’t trying to get away. In fact, he was leaning into his dad’s side as they walked. The son looked up at his father and I could see that the young man was positively beaming.

If anything, it looked like the son was head over heels in love.

My stomach fluttered. Hastily, I turned away as though I had just witnessed something I shouldn’t have. My eyes caught sight of another dad and son.

They were fishing together. Each had their legs hanging over the edge of the docks, dangling them so that their feet brushed the surface of the water. Dad had one hand resting on his son’s knee.

Slowly, the son leaned into his dad. It was a maneuver similar to the one I had just witnessed. The dad was moving his hand as well. Their backs were to me and the two were so close together that I couldn’t tell where the dad was touching his son.

I could see a portion of the dad’s upper arm, however. He was moving it back and forth. The son had moved his own arm as well. He was stroking up and down along his dad’s back.

I stood there for a moment and watched the two set their fishing poles aside. It looked like they were done for the day. I didn’t see any fresh catches or full buckets near them.

And yet, the two didn’t stand up and leave. They remained where they were, watching the lake while sitting so close to one another. If I didn’t know they were father and son, I’d have said they were cuddling.

And their hands kept moving. The son rubbed his father’s back slowly, caressing it. The dad’s arm continued to stroke a part of his son that I couldn’t see.

Smashwords

Smashwords

“Looks like we’ll be split up again,” I told Nicky.

My son actually looked disappointed. “Sorry, Dad,” he said in a remorseful tone.

“Hey, it’s okay!” Smiling, I patted Little Nicky on the back. “It’s only a game. Let’s just have fun, okay?”

“That’s the spirit!” Beau chimed in helpfully. “The important thing is that we all have a great time, right?”

Beau gave Nicky an intense look. Nicky, in turn, blushed again and looked away. Something about that felt strange.

I was distracted, however, when several staff members began clearing space over by the bonfire. The men laid out a set of sleeping bags in a row. All of the bags were a bright red and sported a familiar bull insignia on the front.

“Only a handful of competitors from each team will be selected for this event,” the announcer explained, sending a hush through the crowd. “This event will be Sleeping Bag Push-ups!”

Whispers spread through the crowd. It sounded like some of the members of both teams were familiar with this one. Being the new guy, I was in the dark.

“Perfect,” I overheard Parker say softly.

“Couldn’t have planned it better ourselves,” Beau agreed.

There wasn’t time to ask them what they meant by that. The announcer was speaking again. A hush once more spilled over those gathered.

“Sons,” the announcer called out with sufficient gravitas. “When your name is called, please come forward and select a sleeping bag.”

Several of the younger men looked excited. Not all of them were from Hawk’s Nest either. One father from Bunny Burrow was giving his excited son a rather dark scowl. His expression reminded me of the four from Bunny Burrow who had kidnapped Parker. I made a note to keep an eye on him.

“Andrew Jones,” the announcer called out. “Chris Ingram. Kelly Shoemaker.”

The three young men whose names were called stepped forward. Their strides ranged from confident to nervous to thrilled. Each one picked one of the ten sleeping bags laid out in front of the campfire.

Two more names were called before Parker was chosen. Beau gave his son a nod of approval which Parker returned with a nod and a smile. Parker did give me a strange look before scampering off.

“I hope I get you,” he said to me as he rushed down to the front.

I turned to Beau, but all he did was shrug. “Guess I’ll find out,” I said, watching closely.

The announcer was still calling names. Two more sons went down to the campfire. I noticed that they all shimmied their hips once they were bundled up inside their sleeping bags.

It must have been uncomfortable lying flat on the ground, face down. Even with the sleeping bag, there wasn’t much protection between them and the hard earth.

“And finally,” said the announcer, pausing before giving the last name. “Nick Smith!”

I blinked in surprise. “Congratulations, son!” I said to my stunned son. “Well, don’t just stand here. Go!”

Little Nicky didn’t move right away. “You heard your Daddy,” Beau told my son with mock seriousness. “Your adoring public awaits.”

Smashwords

Smashwords

Nicky divided up the cake while I got the TV going. It took a minute for me to decide what to watch. By then, Nicky had brought two plates with cheesecake slices piled high.

“Thanks son,” I said, grinning as we dug in.

Unfortunately, I chose poorly. The show we watched was a mystery series. The concept was interesting, and the acting was good. However, the plot moved at a snail’s pace. Two-thirds of the characters weren’t exactly likeable either.

“I’m hot,” Nicky said about halfway through the third episode. “Mind if I take my shirt off?”

It was uncharacteristically warm in the cabin. Nicky and I were each sweating. Nicky’s face was flushed as well. It reminded me of when he came out of the boathouse earlier today.

“Go ahead,” I decided. “Mind if I do the same?”

I don’t know what compelled me to ask Nicky that. Of course, we weren’t casual around one another. I couldn’t remember the last time Nicky saw me nude.

And yet, the longer I thought about it, the more it made sense.

“C’mon, Dad!” Nicky said insistently. “Take it off!”

I scooted forward on the couch. Slowly, like I was putting on a show, I reached down for the hemline of my shirt. Nicky’s eyes stayed fixed on me the whole time.

“Here,” Nicky said when I got the shirt halfway off me. “Lemme help you.”

Nicky grabbed hold of the shirt. My face was obscured but I could hear his excited breath quicken. His hands seemed to roam everywhere, accidentally exploring every available inch of my upper body.

“There,” Nicky said once I was free. “That’s better.”

A heavy sheen of sweat covered Nicky’s upper body. My son’s petite chest rose and fell with each breath. I could see the newly-formed muscles ripping in his bicep.

“You’re getting there, son,” I murmured, momentarily mesmerized by how handsome he looked.

In response, Nicky lay his head in my lap. “Ahh, okay!” I winced. My hardon was back, and Little Nicky’s face pressed hard against it.

“Mmm, thank you, Daddy!” Nicky said softly. “I love you.”

He was getting sleepy. The same thing was happening with me. The heat inside the cabin combined with the dullness of the show was making me drift off. My cock jabbed Nicky in the face.

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Smashwords

There was nothing for me to do now but wait for my son to come find me. Standing alone in the woods surrounded by trees gave me an isolated feeling. Birds chirped, squirrels skittered and hissed at one another, and twigs snapped for no discernable reason.

I began listening closely. My mind desperately wanted something to stimulate it. I could have taken out my phone, but that might drain the battery. I had a compass app. If I got lost, there was no way I could get out of these woods without it.

“Ahh!”

The sound startled me. Turning, I searched the nearby area for the source.

“Mmm!”

There it was again.

“Ohh! Ohh!”

No, I realized, the first time came from behind me. I heard the second sound from somewhere off to my right and a little northward. The third time was…

I listened again, hoping to catch more. The forest was quiet now. It wasn’t the same as before, where I could hear birds and squirrels. Those had gone quiet—eerily so.

“Ahh!”

My ears perked up. That came from behind me. It might have been the same kind of sound I heard before. They certainly seemed similar, and this time, they were accompanied by what could have been grunts.

“Was that a bear?” I wondered.

A cold chill raced through me. I had zero wilderness experience. It was the whole reason I had opted to come to this resort instead of taking Little Nicky camping.

“Ohh!” came the third sound.

That was back toward the trail I had left. It was definitely different from the sounds I previously heard. Could it be a different kind of animal?

“Mmm! Mmm!” the second sound cried.

I wracked my brain. Something sparked in the darkest corners, a memory of something I had read years ago. It was about how smaller woodland animals hid when there were bigger ones around. Some larger animals must have wandered onto the resort property.

“Ohh! Ohh! Ohh!”

“But what kind of animal sounds like that?” I asked myself.

I strained to listen. The sounds would bounce back and forth. It was almost as though they were communicating with one another. When one went quiet, another would pick up not long after. It was almost like listening in on a private conversation.

“Ahh!”

That was when it dawned on me. “It must be some sort of mating call,” I realized.

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Smashwords

We were less than halfway across the lake when the first kayak tipped over. The pair were a father and son from Bunny Burrow and Hawk’s Nest respectively. It looked like they had lost their shirts at some point. Wisely, though, the two had kept their life vests on.

I was about to ask if they were all right. But then, I saw the father swim over to where the son was. He immediately wrapped both arms around the younger man from behind. They were too far away, but it looked like the son was having trouble staying up.

I turned away and kept on rowing. From what I saw, the son was in good hands. It looked like the older man had a good grip on him and was helping him stay above water. That was a relief!

Another kayak tipped shortly afterward. This one had a son from Bunny Burrow paired up with a father from Hawk’s Nest. The son made the mistake of panicking the moment they were in the water. Fortunately, the dad from Hawk’s Nest took control.

I watched as he seized hold of the son with both arms, pinning him so that they faced each other. This guy may have been a lifeguard, or had at least taken some lessons. He was certainly doing his damnedest to keep the younger man’s head way above water—a little higher than I thought was necessary, honestly.

The effort paid off, though. I noticed as we went past that the son had stopped resisting. He was muttering something now, but it looked like all the fight had gone out of him. He simply held on while the father bounced his smaller body up out of the water.

They too had taken off their shirts at some point. I saw them drift by as Parker and I paddled past. It looked like something else was in the water as well. I blinked, then focused my attention on pulling ahead.

For a second there, though, I could have sworn it was a pair of underwear.

Smashwords

Smashwords

Beau reached down with one hand into his lap. “Sorry!” he apologized, rubbing something between his legs. “Got a… leg cramp. Been acting up all of a sudden.”

“Oh, wow!” I felt terrible. “You should have just said something. I had no idea. Is there an infirmary here at the resort?”

I started to rise, but Beau quickly waved away my concern. He was using his other hand for this. The first hand was massaging the cramped spot on his leg. From where I sat, it looked like the spot was somewhere on one of his inner thighs.

The poor man was rubbing the spot hard too. It almost looked like his hand was pushing something up and down. The massage treatment wasn’t working very well, though. Beau’s expression looked more tense than ever.

“You sure you’re okay?” I pressed, reluctantly lowering myself back down into my chair.

“Oh, I’m gooooood,” Beau said, grinning. “I’ll be great… in just a sec!”

I sat back and waited, wondering what I could do to help. “You said something about points?” I asked after a bit longer, figuring I could at least take Beau’s mind off the pain. “I assume whichever team has the most points wins?”

“Oh yeah!” Beau explained. “Yes! Yes! Yes!”

I didn’t think figuring that much out warranted so much excitement. Beau obviously wanted me to participate in the games. He was such a giving person. My son and I were very lucky to have met him.

“Hey Nicky?” I called out, remembering my boy. “You about done down there?” I waited, but there was no reply. “Find the fork yet, son?”

I started to bend slightly and have a look, but Beau spoke. “Oh, he’s found it,” he told me, looking very relaxed now. “Your son is… incredible.”

Nicky rose up from the table a second later. The fork was in one hand. Beau took it, giving my son the most appreciative look, like he had just done Beau the best favor ever. It didn’t take a genius to work out what had happened.

“You were massaging Beau’s leg cramp,” I guessed, knowing I had it right. “Weren’t you, son?”

Smashwords

Smashwords

“Afternoon,” the old man behind the counter drawled. “Just passing through?”

People seemed to be listening in, waiting for my answer.

“Taking my boy on vacation,” I said, reaching for my wallet as I headed over to the register. “We’re staying at the resort nearby.”

A hush fell over the room. I noticed a few people turn away quickly when I glanced in their direction. Others stared openly with expressions of disdain.

The old man behind the counter wore a strange look as he rang up my total. “Twenty-two and fifteen,” he said.

I passed him my credit card. “Did I say something wrong?” I asked in a quiet tone.

“Nah, you know how country folk are,” he replied dismissively, passing the card back to me a moment later. “Something new-fangled comes along and folks get their panties in a twist.”

I put the card away. “Seems like there’s a bit more to it,” I replied, keen to know more. “Going by everybody’s reaction.”

The old man considered, pursuing his lips while I tucked the card out of sight. “Well,” he began when I pocketed my wallet. “There’s always some kinda rumors. You know, folks saying there’s drugs out there. Local law claims it’s a front for some kinda cult.”

Smashwords