Chapter 20-1
Howling Wolves
Part 2
Sara gently woke us, taking my vitals one last time; I kissed her cheek and hugged her tightly, thanking her for saving Jared and me. She was more than pleased to see that I had amazing sex. Like I should have been doing in the first place if it wasn't for Gloria. I didn't ask how much they paid her she said for me to keep in touch, but as friends, not as someone dying that requires her help, I asked. "What about our dear friend Jeff?"
She smiles and says, "A debt that can never be repaid at least not in this life." She didn't give an explanation, but something told me that Jeff had helped her and that was all that was important.
I cringed once more, noticing my mermaid maid friends and their confused faces regarding my friend Jeff, considering I have never told them about him. I simply said. "A long, long story," as I dressed myself in maroon scrubs and a nice pair of warm socks, and got ready for school.
Once more, I got in my dreaded wheelchair, but then I decided to see how far I could push it. I had Dillon and the boys follow me while the girls took their time getting ready. Whereas we boys simply dressed and put a comb through our hair. It felt good to kiss them all and not have to sit to do it. It wasn't a long kiss, just something to say I love you and good morning.
I nearly made it all the way down the hall before my legs and body gave out on me. I pushed myself just a little further wanting to make it to the kitchen table before I had to use the wheelchair. The moment I slumped down at the kitchen table and beaming in sweat as if I had run ten miles. I felt I had accomplished something. I told Dillon to park that thing in a corner. That I wasn't planning on using it unless I had to. I knew I could get away with it because I was in the house not outside playing the paralyzed boy.
Why was that so important to my disguise I didn't know, considering most likely that my enemies knew I was wheelchair-bound to what Crawford and Gloria had done to me and my brother Jared. True Crawford wasn't involved, but the blame was put on him in hopes he would make a move proving that he wasn't. They called it a trap, where he would respond in kind and so far, it seems to be working, or we wouldn't need to play these games.
Yet today wasn't about games. Today was all about going to school on Saturday despite it being home school and in spite, it being only for half a day. It still needed to be done, or we would fall behind, something I could never have allowed to happen. I am not saying I would have preferred not to go and spend all that free time doing nothing. I am saying that nothing is free, and everything has a price. I would rather pay for it now than later. So, I took my seat next to my friends and opened my books while I waited for class to begin while my mermaid friends joined me.
Mom and Dad soon came home with the Vincents and Stringham. By that time, Adam's Dad, Mr. Thomas, had already taken our two bad boys. so their bodyguards could have a nice break and do whatever they do to keep us safe. Again, not being allowed outside without my wheelchair friend restricted me more inside than outside, other than staying on the porch watching Sparky do his doggy business.
Already I could feel the temperatures dropping telling me that winter was on its way. Winter was never my favorite season because I had more bad memories than good ones. All because of what my parents had done to me. When I was five years old through ten, and nobody cared if they did. They certainly didn't help me. Even more so my so-called relatives, other than my grandmother. Once she found out about it put a stop to it.
Today was nothing more than taking tests and working on my papers, still not willing to take my teacher's offer of a free pass. Knowing anything could happen because fate is never kind to me. It always finds a way to knock me down whenever I feel I have a foothold in my life.
So once school was dismissed, I returned to my room and went straight to work on my paper and also organized the work that Stringham had given me. Forgetting that I was supposed to delegate it out using my employees, who happened to follow me as they heard the clicks of my typewriter.
I gave them a heavy sigh and explained what I needed them to do, letting them organize the work like we had done the last time. This time, I was recording their time on a time sheet that Stringham wanted me to use to calculate their hours. We soon knocked it out in a couple of hours as I finished typing up the account summary of the bills that needed to be paid and the projection of sales made for the month, basically a profit and loss statement.
The money spent or the money made for last month was astounding, noting several changes as grand openings in other towns I never heard of and a few states that I knew but only in geography, nothing more than where to find them on a map.
Yet it did give me an idea, knowing I needed an extra credit project for Social Studies and World Geography. I always go for the extra credit, for the simple reason if I bomb on a test or an assignment. Not that it happens that often. Mostly I use it when I need to go on a home visit and my mother wants to keep me longer. Now that too has changed mostly.
Well, at least until she had been given without questions two weekends a month and every holiday or school vacation. Except for summer when I am with the Rothwells visiting the nudist colony or on camping trips. They become first, not my mother.
The only problem was I needed a map, and I mean a big one, and some string and thumb tack flags. The idea was I could trace each of Stringham's stores and allow me to trace where Crawford and the Satanic Cult were the strongest.
We only had an idea, nothing concrete, just suspicion. The only ones who knew anything were Dad, Mr. Vincent, and Stringham. Curious, I rolled myself down to the main room to find all three of them engaged in a conversation about it. As soon as they noticed me, they stopped talking. Ignoring their reaction, I presented my idea. Dad looked at me, surprised that after everything I had been through, I still wanted to be a part of it and join their discussion. Stringham, on the other hand, wasn't surprised at all. He knew I enjoyed getting involved and was willing to do whatever it took to achieve my goal. After explaining why, Stringham promised to set up the map in my room within the hour.
However, Dad and Mr. Vincent preferred it to be in a room where Shawn and Arthur couldn't see it. Stringham suggested the wine cellar as the only suitable place, but that was a part of the house I couldn't go to. It lacked windows, or rather, had no windows at all. I knew without a doubt that being in that windowless room would trigger a panic and make me relive the church boiler room episode. Even with windows, there was still a significant risk, although it had become a rarity.
I had another idea and stated it. If they were still going forward to putting a store here, according to my records that Stringham has purchased a moving construction trailer. Or planning a trailer where he could organize everything in one place, he needed to open a store. The only thing I would need is a wheelchair ramp unless they wanted me to walk in, having everyone shoot that idea down of me living in the house without the wheelchair.
I didn't like spending money on things that were unnecessary now that my strength was coming back. Stringham shrugged it off and stated clearly that it would ruin the disguises they had built around me and Jared. I cringed, hating the chair a little bit more.
Even more, so that he has hired a private dance teacher to teach Jared and me how to dance in a wheelchair for the party he was planning on Wednesday. What could I say knowing no wasn't an option? He had and Mr. Vincent has gone to a lot of trouble in keeping me safe. Making sure everyone knows that Jared and I are paralyzed by a drunk driver. So I groaned inward and said. "Sounds like fun," when in reality it was anything but fun, makeup, and dance lessons just to prove that I was completely helpless.
Once I laid out my plans with Mr. Thomas Adam's Dad. He nearly flipped his lid finding out my double plan of not only tracing stores and income generated from each store. I was also tracking high membership of the cult as well as the news that needed to buster up our disguises. And where we needed to focus our attention on drawing them out. True it had all the elements required for the Geography and Social studies assignment. It would or could be dangerous poking the snake, and that's why he flipped his lid because I was indeed poking the snake.
I was free until the makeup artist arrived and until the dance teacher showed up. Stringham wanted Jared and me to be comfortable dancing in this limited state. Personally, I wasn't looking forward to Sunday having to go to Satanic church or to the Tuesday Social and even worse the party on Wednesday. Mostly because I was unsure what was going to happen there after hearing the horror stories from Stringham. That they sometimes sacrifice women and children on altars. To prove their worthiness to their prophet and "God." Who I feel had gone off the deep end to kill their, own children and mothers.
Then again, I wonder about my father knowing he would gladly do so and it not for the lack of trying, and it wasn't to prove his worthiness to some Devil or God it was because he really hates me and my brother, now adding my mother to that list of people that needed to die.
Yet Grandma tells me 'In for a penny in for a pound.' This means if you are already taking the risk, you might as well make it a big one. I only hoped it didn't include my life knowing how they feel about people with disabilities. That my parents would be doing me and my brother Jared a favor. By ending our suffering and showing that they loved us and their God by sacrificing us to him. The only way to make us whole again is according to them.
Stringham and Dad made a promise that they would never allow that to happen. They assured Mom and us that our investigation was solely for the purpose of becoming members. They advised us that if anyone approached them about it, we should inform them that there was a high chance we could regain our ability to walk. All we needed was time to heal after the last medical procedure, which seemed to be showing positive results. In fact, I could already move my toes and feet slightly. They even provided us with the name of a doctor who had successfully performed the surgery.
I didn't have to ask if the doctor was involved in any unethical practices. It was quite evident that he probably was. I came across a bill indicating that he had received expensive equipment and considering Stringham's inclination to help those deserving of assistance; it was safe to assume that he had contributed to the doctor's funds. It was reassuring to know that the items or money donated by Stringham would benefit other children and individuals in need, while also providing Jared and me with the disguise we required.
So, no was not an option. Instead, I played my part as I quickly finished my paper. It wasn't a big, complicated piece of paper. It was more of a book report exploring the idea of what my term paper was going to be about and that was how the cult has changed the world and why people believe in it. Using my map and how fast it grows and the people that set themselves up as preachers and prophets. I had no doubt it had something to do with power and the size of their wallet.
I even believe that the LDS church functions on this principle. Yet they are not asking their members to sacrifice their children and find God through drugs and call it a spiritual awakening and sell them for prostitution or sexually abuse them or rape them in the name of their God and prophet. So, to say that I really believe in God is a little muddy and is truer than not. That the only thing I think he might exist is because of Jeff. Yet my interpretation of what he thinks of me and how I live my life is unclear because most of it is because of the world's definition.
I smiled, seeing Shawn and Arthur on a very short leash as they made it back down to their room, with Dr. Sar's daughters Alana and Dora. Thinking that sex is a punishment, not something to enjoy. I felt sorry for the girls, knowing that Shawn and Arthur didn't consider it pleasure but torture. Knowing if they had a choice, they would either be having sex with each other or one of my brothers or friends like the Vincent boys and Jake's brother Billy which was never going to happen.
Shawn screamed, and the bedroom door muffled it. Or I simply ignored it. In any case, it no longer concerned me for the moment as Dr. Sar was discussing us using a remedy called the hot tamale.
The idea was if they used this remedy, it would cause unpleasantness to Arthur and Shawn. She would make them drink some firewater like hot sauce. They would apply the only cooling element to the person's body as they licked it to cool their mouths and tongues. If not, they would not get any relief and their mouth would burn. Until they licked our sucked more of the cooling remedy until the other has worked itself off. Yet that would mean Mom and Dad would have to be willing to allow them to participate, giving themselves to them like they do with me and the rest of our family and friends.
I knew Dad didn't like the idea. I could see it in his face. He would rather kiss a snake, rather than have them lick him, kiss him, or stimulate him, and the same went for me and my brothers. Mom, on the other hand, I could see her considering it and nodded that it was worth a try. I shivered at the thought of Shawn and Arthur doing that. It bothered me in a big way. I was more worried that they would hurt her, but Dr. Sar's said she wouldn't let that happen, and certainly not in the privacy of their room.
I had chosen to be somewhere else, rather than being in the living room watching them do it. Besides, I had a hot date with Dillon to get reacquainted in my room for the next three hours. Before the makeup artist and dance teacher showed up, and I was really looking forward to it.
More so when he kissed me, asking me what flavor of bubble bath and lotion I would like and the flavor I would like him to cover himself in. Which said I had better things to do than stay and watch Shawn and Arthur being with Mom and Dad like they do with us. I quickly made my way down to my room with Sparky following me while my three mermaids and Walter and Zack got acquainted with my friends in the pool and in the hot tub.
I quickly closed the door and turned on the radio, listening to AC&DC and some Led Zeppelin, to name some of my favorite musical tastes. I wasn't in a romantic mood. I was in the mood for something more stimulating where it was just me and my best friend Dillon as we shared ourselves with each other.
I had asked Dillon not to get undressed. Wanting him and me to do it together. I smiled, seeing him coming out of the bathroom barefoot. He apologized that he had already started looking towards the bedroom door, noticing I had placed the sign on the door stating we wanted our privacy.
Knowing that didn't include our parents, but we were ok with that. It was no secret that we were all into the kinky stuff, like having a good penis or stimulation between two best friends. Besides, it's not like they haven't seen us stimulating each other or them many times before.
To us, it meant we were showing each other how much we loved each other instead of just words but by action. I only shrugged my shoulders and removed my socks, as if wasn't a big deal. Which wasn't because no one wore shoes in the house they either went barefoot or wore thick socks to keep our feet warm or house slippers, stating that winter was at the front door and snow was on its way, again a reminder of how I hate snow and the coldness that follows it.