August Moone Sagas
Book 5
Absolution
Chapter 29
A Glimpse of Insanity

The Other Side
	When all access is inaccessible, make your own.
	The heavy sudden rain fall had created impassable roads, and there was only ONE road to pass.  The Summer Camp-Camp Werthahakahwee was at the end of the only road into the mountain retreat.  There was no real itch to scoot off and be someplace else, it was a feeling of the need to be someplace else.
	The scrogging and demoralizing of Dana Jane and the others had been complete--completed with Forrest and Austin getting in on the act and having their way with the group, too.  Forrest pegged Dana Jane firstly, her pussy was not too tight but it was snug.  He loved on her and left her mind alone.  When done with her, he rolled her onto her hands and knees, spanked her lightly and cohort Austin took his turn, doggie-styling the vixen.
	Judy was next.  She was double teamed; Austin took the girl in the front while Forrest drilled from behind.  Everyone watched--they couldn’t really SEE what was happening, but oh well.  (Judy could FEEL what was happening.
	Kimberly was dealt with nextly, spanked and peed on first.  She sucked on Austin and Forrest before being doinked.  Forrest laid into her first, Austin humped on the girl’s titties then with her still on her backside and her legs pulled way back, he drilled her asshole until he nearly passed out.
	As for the wee ones--not much.  Forrest and Austin were pretty well shagged out by then.  The girls, Elizabeth and Denise were spanked, finger fucked, and licked out.  They both sucked on the ball sacks of the two Figures and endured being relentlessly humped on for several minutes.
	Teddy, Derrick, and Carlos got boffed, too.  They were sucked on, spanked, peed on, and then deftly sodomized.  Thereafter, the two figures left.  For the rest of that day AND night, though, the group was to engage in immoral activity with one another on their own.  Failure to do so would result in more heinous doings from the Voice.
	The group said that they would.  (whether or not they did or not was not known, the Voice Forrest and cohort Austin left the premises.

*

	Austin leaned far to the right as the military truck-goat leaned far to the left.  The boy looked questioningly to the driver, Forrest, then to the “road” they were making.  
	“If this starts to go over, you bail out that door, got it?”
	The boy gulped and held it in his throat, nodding his head placing his hand tight on the door latch.  The truck grumbled and thrashed about as it climbed over the rain soaked mountainside.
	Finally, though, after an hour of precarious driving, the truck nudged its way up to a flat area.  It wasn’t very big, covered mostly in mud and rock debris, with huge rivers of mud flowing on either side.
	There was no way--no way of going back (they way they had come.)  Forrest wasn’t too sure they could go forward--but he knew there was no going back!
	After scratching his head, ripping a butt blast, he put the truck back in gear and crawled along the mountain arm to where it began to “slope.”  A huge pair of boulders there was, the way going went straight between them.  As the tuck neared, Forrest put the brakes on.
	Austin was oblivious to any dangers and wasn’t aware.  Forrest got out of the goat-truck and stepped up to boulders.  After a time, Austin so noted Forrest’s lengthy departure and joined him.
	“What’s up”? he asked.
	Forrest didn’t respond.  Austin looked around and found what Forrest was staring at.  There on the boulders were what could be described as runes.  Olde ancient writings of who knows who.  Not many, two lines on one stone, three on the other, way up close to the top.  Tapping his fingers together Forrest stepped closer.
	Austin lingered behind, a mild case of the heebie-jeebies he got.  His cock ached and he really would rather take a long nap.  The crack of thunder though sent him scurrying up to Forrest…
	Slowly the two advanced thru the middle of the boulders, it was doubtful the truck would make the narrow passage.  Twelve feet later there was a rock canyon--of sorts.  Not too tall, fifty feet or so, granite and slate mix with very smooth surfaces stretching outward some 2-300 feet to another “wall.”  A dead end.
	The walls were covered in lichen, vines, and assorted greenery Forrest was unfamiliar with.  And the vines!?  They were more appropriate for a jungle, not a high desert mountain!
	“Hey, Forrest,” called out Austin, “check this out.”
	Forrest’s attention was directed anew.  The boy had been peeing on the side of the narrow canyon when something caught his attention.  Parting some of the vinery there on the wall close to the ground was something glowing!
	Austin tucked his penis back in his pants.
	Forrest scraped away lichen and studied the glow.

	There were other glows, etchings that were unfamiliar to Forrest.  They were similar to Indian-like, in their drawings and such, but then again, dissimilar. Some glowing etchings were near the ground, others at eye level, others higher up towards the top of the canyon.
	Forrest found himself clearing away more and more lichen trying to find a pattern.  He was drawn to the back wall.  No pattern did he find but more heavier vegetation.  After scraping away some of the vegetation, he found no more glowing runes, but…
	His hand disappeared!

	Both Austin and Forrest stared for a long fucking while.
	“What the hell?” Forrest watched as his hand disappeared into the wall.  He felt nothing, like air!  His eyes told him there was a rock wall there.  But his hand told him otherwise.
	“Go in and see what’s up.” Forrest told his young friend.
	“Forget you!” blurted back Austin.  At first he was serious, then noted that Forrest was not, he was kidding.
	Forrest stood and with both hands got the “feel” of the camouflaged wall/door.  It measured five feet wide, seven high.  He knew it was kinda dangerous sticking his hand inside not knowing if a bear, cougar, mountain lion, kittywompous was within ready to take it.
	Sitting down Forrest selected a rock and gave it gentle toss into the “void.”  he half expected it to come rolling back.  If it did, he was gone!
	The rock didn’t return.
	Forrest made his way to the truck.  Austin was glad.  Then not so when Forrest grabbed up some rope and a flashlight.
	“You’re not going IN there, are you?”
	“Yeppers.” Forrest replied.
	“I’m not.” the boy said defiantly.
	“Suit yourself.” Forrest smiled, he had tied one end of the super heavy duty tow rope to the truck, then the other about his waist.  It was foolhardy and not really proper for exploring an unknown.  He did note that SOME of the runes resembled a hell of a lot like those runes he had seen when he had been with Cloud Dancing.  Had that been a glimpse of the Other Side, the cat creature world?  Or a glimpse into his psychosis?
	One or the other, Forrest was traipsing forthward…

Not Good
	The boy’s mind was gone, as was his mothers.  Both stared blankly into one another, there was no hope for them.  The sadistic manner of their torture was unconscionable if not inconceivable.  In the boy’s ass was a nightstick, it bobbled as the boy fucked his mother.  
	Trooper D Kotch was on his knees, against him little Kiki Japper, her panties had been pulled down and she had no other clothes on.  She was highly freaked out.  The trooper ran his hands up and down her young body, fingering her hairless poon and sucking on her neck!
	On the hood of the patrol car Kali was being boned, Trooper Gayers deeply impacting her, zapping her unconscious body with his taser.  The Sarge dragged the youngest Japper child to the backseat of the car, ripping off her clothes and laying her out on the seat.
	What happened next was hard to explain.
	It happened kinda fast.
	The Sarge was on top of the little girl nearly suffocating her, his beefy beefsteak humping on her innocent young slit.  Kale had cum, or what was perceived as a cum drench.  He remained laying on his mother, his head shaking.  His dear mother--mindless.  Kali on the hood of the car fretted and flailed about some as the trooper made his way into sodomy.
	Kotch who had been fingering Kiki stopped.
	Gayers stopped penetrating Kali and stepped back.
	The Sarge eased off of the four year old and stood outside the car.
	None of the troopers moved.
	“Dude, you doing okay?”
	“Just get ‘em and lets get the fuck outta here!”
	Jake quickly scurried up from the culvert and dashed out to the family.  Skyler looked ill and felt as much.  No matter his best efforts at reworking the configuration of the Contraptions, the side effects remained and were detrimental to his well being.
	Jake quickly hustled to the one boy, 
	“Dude,” he paused trying to select his words and not ask a stupid one (like, ‘Are you okay?)  “We’ve got to get out of here.”
	The stunned abused boy looked to him with a blank stare.
	“Right.” Jake replied, “Uhm, stay here.” duh.  Jake turned to Kiki, scooped her up and raced her back to where Skyler was in the culvert ditch.
	“How ya doin’, buddy?” he asked out of concern.
	“You might want to put a rush on it.” Skyler returned.
	Jake scampered off and returned with Kali.
	When pulling the youngest Japper member out, Kristy, a noise erupted into the night, a truck.  A big rig using its “Jake” brake.  Looking far down the highway the lights of the big rig could be seen.
	It was at the big sweeping switchback turn and using the Jake to retard its engine thusly slowing the cumbersome vehicle as a whole.  Its Jake, though, created quite a noise.
	Quite a noise.
	The Sarge suddenly stumbled.  “What the fuck?” he slurred.
	Trooper Gayers stumbled also, colliding with his own car and trying to shake off the “effects”.
	“JAKE!” screamed out Skyler.
	Jake had Kristy in his arms and was running when Kotch tackled him.  Little Kristy went rolling onto the road.  The big rig was closing in at 70 miles per…

	Jake was dazed as the stronger more manlier trooper barreled into him.  But the man was at a disadvantage as he was naked.  The ground was both very warm and chocked full of skin piercing pebbles.   There was a scuffle and Jake somehow got out of the scrape.
	The trooper, though, scrambled up seemingly in search of something.  Jake shook off his daze and looked for the little girl.  Another form was up on the road scurrying.
	“What the fuck!?” yelled the Sarge.  He started lumbering toward the two teenage boys.
	The big rig was at the bottom of the small hill, its lights stabbing into the darkness shooting up the hill it had to climb.  The Sarge had Jake, in a bear hug.  
	“Gayers!” the huge burly man bellowed, “Git your furry fuckin’ hide over here!”
	Gayers made a bolt but Jake lashed out, kicking the unsuspecting man as he was caught off guard unawares.
	“Stupid dumbass son-of--” the Sarge began to bellow.
	Jake sent the heel of his foot into the big man’s balls, then the back of his head crashing into the man’s jaw.  The man let go and Jake dropped like sack of sand to the ground.
	“Hold it right there!” yelled a man.  Trooper Kotch.
	Jake “held it right there”.  this was not good.
	“Don’t you fuckin’ move, boy, don’t you fuckin’ move.”
	Jake wasn’t going to move, but he was about to have a “movement” just the same.  The sound of the big rig got closer.

	It wasn’t going well, the ground was spinning and he was all kinds of disorientated.  He gave the little girl he had scooped up a toss and hoped for the best.  Then it was back to the fracas.  With the ground spinning, though, Skyler tripped and stumbled on the small berm up from the culvert.
	A shot suddenly rang out.
	Skyler hit the ground.
	At first he thought it was thunder.
	But it wasn’t.

	Jake lay on the ground, he wished he was under it.  This was turning out very badly.  Trooper Gayers fell to his knees HARD.  He seemed stunned, shocked--then amused.  He began to chuckle.  One hand was up to his chest.  The moonlight gave Jake insight that there was a steady amount of trickling spewing thru the man’s fingers and down his body.
	“MOTHERFUCKER!” screamed out Kale and he fired another shot.
	After the report had settled, all was silent--for a moment.  The big rig was getting closer.
	“Easy now, son, you don’t wanna--”
	“Shut the fuck up!” screamed out the boy wielding the 9mm Glock side arm from one of the troopers’ holsters.  He pulled the trigger and Trooper Kotch fell backwards onto the road.  He lay gurgling and pawing at his neck.
	“Boy,” called out the Sarge, “you best lay that weapon--”
	He didn’t finish, a bullet tore thru the huge man’s head, erupting out the back of his head.  Brain matter splattered everywhere.  Jake heaved but otherwise remained quite still.  Kale Japper was in no mood for bullshit, and he was armed.
	The big rig came on the scene.

	Kale shook and trembled.  The air was heavily laden with mixed scents of rain, wildweed, blossoming sage, blood, and brain matter.  The boy’s eyes were wide, he stared blankly but was calm.
	The truck’s air brakes came on, a hundred yards from the “scene.”
	Jake grabbed little Kristy up into himself, then pulled Kali by the elbow.  Skyler stumbling and nearly tumbling pulled Kiki.
	“Come on!” Jake yelled to Kale.  Kale, though, wasn’t moving.  Jake stopped and grabbed Kale by the elbow.  Skyler had managed to get control of himself and his Contraption long enough to put the “daze” on Kale--long enough to get him to put the Glock weapon down.
	Skyler wasn’t doing well, the big rig’s Jake-brake had hampered and fucked up everything, disrupting the mind-lock the Contraption I had had on the troopers.  Extended use of the Contraptions had put a whammy on Skyler and sent him into a sea of sickness.  When the shots rang out he somehow managed to get a grip on himself and pull his shit together.  
	A dead silence had befallen the area.  The dull rumble of the big rig’s engine could be heard, but that was about all.  Squinting thru sweat Jake thought he could see a figure, the trucker it was assumed.
	Jake couldn’t get Kale to move.  He was stunned.
	Cautiously wiping the sweat away Jake watched the trucker as he surveyed the chaotic scene.  In the dark it would be difficult to make sense of it--which he was probably better off.  He quickly backpeddled back to his rig and roared off into the bleak night.
	Jake sighed.  Someone farted.

	“What about the mother?”
	Jake wrinkled his nose and shut the passenger door.  The mugginess of the aftermath of the rain was returning.  He stared at his reflection in the tinted window of the SUV.  Inside in the passenger seat sat the three Japper girls.  
	Slowly Jake shook his head, “Dude, I-I don’t know--”
	“Think she’s still alive,” asked Skyler, “maybe we ought to go check.”
	“Dude, I think there’s still one of those fuckers alive.”
	Skyler thought it over, three cops, two shots fired.  One of them was still alive.  He had tried to zap with the Contraption whoever was still available.  But with the boy firing the weapon it was a crap shoot at best.
	The boy, Kale, was calm, mindless, but calm.
	There were no car lights on the roadway, 
	“You think that trucker called it in?”
	“Don’t know, he may have, may not have ‘cause he didn’t want to get involved.”
	“I’m going to go look.” Jake said.
	“I’ll stay here with these guys.”

	Kali, Kiki, and Kristy stared blankly into the rear of the front seats.  They were motionless.  Skyler wondered if not worried what the hell was to become of them.  What was to be done with them? 
	Brother Kale sat in the front passenger seat, his head was moving, looking around.  Skyler touched his Contraption--it was still warm.  He was about to give up on the Contraption business…
	Slowly he opened the door and slid into the driver’s seat.  Kale turned to look at him hard.  ‘Who the fuck are you?’ etched on his sweet young tortured face.
	Skyler remained quiet.  What was there to say?  The Contraption would cool down in a while, then he’d zap the boy and dull his mind and maybe by then ole Forrest would be back and HE could deal with the boy’s mind--re-wiring it and re-working him.
	Outside it was getting warmer, in the distance out across the desert lightning flashed.

	He stared at the soiled ground, by sunrise it would be a sorrowful mess.  Coyotes and buzzards would be pecking all around.  There was very little traffic that came the back desert road, if the trucker hadn’t called it (the scene) in, no one would know for a long time.
	Course, Jake figured the troopers had to report to their office or something.  They’d be missed or overdue or whatever.  The entire area stunk, badly.  Blood and brains.  He didn’t know if Kale had been aiming for the Sarge’s head or just firing aimlessly.  Good shot, though, right between the big man’s eyes--and out the back of his head!
	Jake found the woman, the mother--Kandi Japper.
	She was lifeless.  Not good.  No, not good at all.
	
*

	“Should we go to Breezy’s?”
	“Cole’s is closer.”
	Skyler sat back in the seat.  A glance to the dash clock read out 12:28.  Would waking Cole up at the ungodly hour be cool?  Breezy wouldn’t mind, especially under the circumstances.  With Cole, he’d probably take the survivors down to his basement and have his fun with them.
	Maybe not.  Skyler knew the man was kinda cruel, though.
	Jake was driving, though.  Skyler felt like shit.

	“What’s up?”
	Jake stopped the SUV at the turn to the road to Cole’s.  It was a little after One AM.  Up ahead was the Slope and Packard Ghash’s place.  There was still a yearning to do a follow-up on him, they had gotten a little sidetracked.  (Ya think!?)
	“Tomorrow or something.” Skyler said.
	Jake nodded and turned the truck to Cole’s.

	Cole had been asleep, but nodded and helped escort the newbies into the trailer.  Being awoken from a sound sleep he needed a few minutes to gather himself.  He didn’t ask many questions, the boys didn’t supply many answers.  The story of the Japper family would come later.
	The Contraption I had cooled enough but wasn’t really necessary to be used, the Japper kids were still stunned enough not to be a problem or concern.  
	“I put the gun in her hand.” Jake said.
	Skyler blinked his eyes, the hour was late, he needed a bath, something to eat, and a little clarity.
	“Huh?”
	“Her fingerprints, I-I put that gun that kid used in that woman’s hand.”
	“Why?”
	Jake looked to his friend with scorn, “Dude,” he lashed out, “so when the detectives or whoever check they’ll find HER prints on the gun.”
	Skyler looked as though he still didn’t get it.
	“Before I did that, the only prints were the cops and that kid’s.  The coppers would have been wondering who killed the cops---”
	“Ooooooh!” Skyler nodded.  He got it.  The woman’s fingerprints would help with the investigation--the troopers had been raping her and she shot them.  That would answer part of the situation.  Where did the kids go would be another facet to finger out.
	The boys ate the left over cold pizza then headed to bed.  Tomorrow would be another day.	
	
Land in a Strange Place

	A strange smell there was in the air, not an “odor”, a smell.  T stung the eyes and nearly choked the throat.  Forrest put a bandana about his mouth and did so for his young friend, too.  “Try not to disturb these vines or touch anything.”  choking dust spores disturbed by moving the heavy vines or touching/scraping the encrusted rock surface of the narrow passage caused the two trespassers their ills.
	Even walking disturbed the ground that hadn’t seen foot tread in…
	No one (or thing) had been in the narrow passage of the narrow canyon in a long-long-long time.  It was dank and musty--among other things.  Light was filtered in from the top, filtered through the heavy vines that created something of a jungle-like canopy.
	Austin hooked his fingers into the back of Forrest’s pants, he wasn’t getting lost for nothing.  
	Slowly they advanced thru the passage that wasn’t.
	The passageway seemed to narrow, the vines got heavier, denser.
	Forrest paused and used his hands, wishing he had brought a stick of some sort.  (and good sense)  Austin sputtered and coughed behind him, his fingers clenched tighter into Forrest’s pants.
	Moving his hands slowly and carefully Forrest felt of strong hard rock surface--then, like as before--nothing!  Another “invisible” opening.
	He paused in his thinking.  Should he?  It wasn’t wise.  Could be dangerous.  If it were himself alone he’d probably “check it out.”  But with Austin tagging along, he didn’t want to endanger the boy.
	A sudden “fresh air” swept over his fevered brow.  Temporarily it overshadowed the foul odor preceding.  The dimensions of the new hidden entrance were a little smaller than the first.  Not as wide or as high.  Forrest held back--a mild case of the heebie-jeebies assailed him.  This was NOT a good idea.
Lost Land
	Adventure.  He had always yearned for it--sort of.  He had not actually sought it but it had sought him.  The word had actually bothered him--it was cheaply used by those who had never experienced anything like it.  Being adrift in an open boat at sea was an “adventure”, but who wanted it?
	There was suddenly the scent of water.  And dully he could hear it.
	His mouth was dry and throat tight.  What was beyond the hidden wall?  Was it simply just the other side of the mountain?  Was the fresh water actually the run off from the rains?  Why was he thinking of something more than?
	“Keep close.”
	Austin griped the man’s pants tighter and they went in.

	Sheer darkness.  And lots of it.  There was, though, cool refreshing air.  If that meant anything or not.  With arms stretched out the passageway was the narrowest thus far, barely five wide.  Barely.  The roof of the passage differed--sometimes the fingertips didn’t touch, sometimes the ceiling was a scant six foot.
	A layer of dust on two feet deep sand there was.  The walls were a might dusty, too.  Then, something familiar--if not disturbing.  All along the walls there were niches.  Small-small caves, cubbyholes if you will.  Within them were skulls.  (we’ve been here before)
	The only light in the new passage came from glowing lichen.
	Disturbing some of the lichen scattered not only spores but tiny glowing life.  Forrest’s first inclination was to back away--run!  He paused only momentarily then continued.
	The air current got better, it was fresher and there WAS the sound of rushing water, or a waterfall.  The ground beneath their feet became less sandy and became hard rock.  It also became wet.  The lichen on the walls became moss, green spongy moss (he guessed green but it was anyone’s guess…)
	A great deal of dampness there was, the walls rivered in leaking water.  The sound of water rushing was overpowering.  They were either coming to a great river sloshing before them or a waterfall they were behind.
	It was the latter.
	Making a bit more progress the sheer darkness suddenly dissipated.  It wasn’t much lighter, but the sheer darkness was gone, that was a plus.
	Tasting the water Forrest found it was good.  Fresh and sweet.
	“Stay back.” Forrest cautioned Austin.  He stepped forward to the cascading water and determined they were in some tunnel.  Duh  The waterfall was tremendous, maybe not so wide as it was plummeting off of some steep cliff.  It was a little slippery at the very edge and he couldn’t see thru.  The grip on either side was not so good, the rock crags were wet and difficult to get a grip on.
	But he tried.
	The roar of the waterfall was deafening.  And it only took a few minutes before he got the chills.  Somehow his “adventurous” spirit got him to paste his face against the smooth brown rock surface and peer to the side of the falls.
	It was nighttime, but there was a moon.
	The sweetness of the waterfall prevented any other “smells” or odors being detected.  With nighttime, despite of the moon’s full light, what was beyond was unknown.  It seemed as though, though, there was a lake.  WAY WAY below them.  He couldn’t tell how high up the falls actually were.
	Suddenly Austin was right next to him.
	“I thought I told you to stay back!” yelled Forrest over the fall’s roar.
	“There’s something back there!” yelled back Austin.  He looked panicky.
	“What?”
	“Fuck, I don’t know!”
	Forrest tried to peer thru to the sheer darkness.  It could have been the kid’s imagination.
	But then suddenly a form DID appear.  It was tall and draped in a grayish cloak.  Its head was odd shaped with an elongated jaw.  Gnashing yellowish teeth, drooling, a flicking forked tongue, and seemingly hissing.
	What was most remarkable, if not startling, was the creature’s head.
	It had no arms, just the cloak shroud--and no feet could be seen as he seemingly glided along the wet surface.  Its huge head was grayish, too, like its cloak.  But wavering all about its noggin were like worms, 5-12 inches and at least a dozen of them flailing all about as if they were cut.
	The creature’s eyes were huge oval yellow eyes, no pupils.  No hair, no brows, no nose or ears.  Forrest recalled similar heads--the skulls in that cave Cloud Dancing had sent him to.
	Forrest grabbed Austin by the nape of the neck and scooted out onto the rock face.

*

		It was not as dark as it had been at first, or was it his eyes were becoming adjusted?  Quickly he scurried among the jagged rocks, slipping and banging his shins and ankles, cutting the meat of his hands.  Young Austin was suffering likewise--but he wasn’t complaining.
	“What the fuck WAS that thing?” the boy did ask.
	“Fuck if I know.” Forrest replied.  He paused a moment to linger and mark his wounds and see the next area to descend.  Austin slumped down, breathing hard.  “I-I can’t go any more.” the boy said.  Forrest looked up to the falls, he still couldn’t see the top, and the angle-of-the-dangle prevented him from seeing where they went.  They were at the side of the falls, it was not flat but steep and curving.
	“I don’t see our friend.” Forrest said.  He needed a rest, too.

	“So, like, how’d that creep get in there anyways,” queried Austin, “I thought we were the only ones in there?”
	Forrest had no answer for him.  He settled down on the rocks; his shins and ankles hurt terribly, the wound in his thigh from an earlier incident had suddenly began to throb.  He could see fairly well around him, but not much more than a few feet actually.  He was exhausted, as if he had trekked several miles ALL UP HILL.  But he hadn’t.  He found his breathing a little more labored than usual, maybe it was the height.  Maybe.
	Looking at Austin, the little feller had already zonked out.
	He shivered a little but found that he was drying off pretty well.  He had to wonder to himself, had it not been for the “creep” as Austin called it, would he have ventured beyond the falls?  Part of him was game.  But he wouldn’t want to endanger his companion.
	But that was all moot now.
	In moments he, too, was asleep.

	A sudden startle put him wide alert.  A scream?  It sounded like a scream.  Maybe a screech.  No, a scream.  A scream of terror?  Horror?  Fright?  
	It was nearly daylight.  The lay of the land was becoming more and more clearer.  As it did, Forrest (and Austin) saw that it was not at all like where they had been.  It was no desert, a great forest there was, huge tracts of meadows, and a great full rushing river.
	As Forrest began his descent down the incredibly rocky mountain side, his young companion asked of him, “Hows come we don’t go back the way we came?” he was not the adventurer Forrest was.
	“You wanna go back and play with your creepy friend?  Go right ahead.”
	Austin shut up.
	The descent was not without peril, there was no pathway of any kind--it was all about picking your own path.  The rocks were a curious brown color, a light color almost tan.  As daylight became more so, Forrest could see more clearly--the “mountain” steeped up above them some two-three hundred more feet.  There were no trees.  None, not on the rocky mountain.
	Down below, some two-three hundred feet, a grassland.  A great forest was far off to one side of the great wide river.  It was not desert-like whatsoever.  ‘we aint in Kansas anymore.’
	Once finally at the bottom, Forrest doubted he would make a return trip up to the way they had come in--his body had been greatly abused by the rocks.  Austin could barely walk.
	Holding one another up they stumbled and limped towards the river and the great falls.
	The air, at least, was cool.  That was a plus.
	The river was wide, approx. 200 yards across.  It was probably fairy deep, too--in the middle.  On the bank, though, it was relatively shallow for a few feet.  The water was incredibly chilling and that helped with the numerous hurtie owies the two had.  They stripped off their clothes and soaked in the relieving water.
	Looking at the canyon Forrest saw the rocky mountain jutted out on both sides, forming a large cave for the falls and he guessed behind them.  The river, though, had formed a fairly deep “pool” where the falls fell into, the sides of the rocky canyon were not so good for climbing.
	“Sooooo, what now?” Austin had to ask.
	Forrest scooped up some chilled water.  It tasted good and was surprisingly filling.  After dressing, he scanned the land.  He had to resolve that he WAS in a parallel, he had a tough time believing in the concept, but the reality was all around him.  It was a little different than what Cloud Dancing had put him through, but it was a new world just the same.
	“There’s another way back, right?” Austin asked.  He was pretty wise for his age.
	“Uh, yeah, sure.” he had no idea.
	The two struck out for whatever awaited them.
	They didn’t have to go far, making for the forest, when the “scream” rang out again.  Determining WHERE the scream came from, though, was not easy.  The lay of the land prevented an exactness of determination.  Whoever-whatever would have to scream out again.
	“Let’s get away from this river.” it made too much noise.

	The landscape was flat--’cept for the big rocky mountain with the waterfall.  There was the forest, the river, and then the flatness of the meadows everywhere else.  The air was cool, and scented with the wildflowers and what Forrest determined as herbs.
	He didn’t really want to move too far away from the rock mountain, it WAS a point of interest.  There was too much to think about, too confusing and caused concern.  The “scream” screamed out again, it was closer and more frightful--a definitely human.  
	The two struck off quickly.

	Unseen from before but encountered just the same--some yards before the forest there was in the middle of the great untamed meadow a huge patch of thorny brush.  It was of a brush Forrest had never seen--reddish limbs, wit spider-like roots exposed digging deep into the dark brown silt-like earth.  All along the limbs were thorns, like rose thorns.  Then there were the leaves that were like stinging nettles with bean-like pods that were explosive when touched.  The pods when touched exploded--which was how they propagated--sending out their seeds to germinate.  When exploding, there was emitted a reddish-pinkish dust--the dust was the minute spores.

Laws of Physics Need Not Apply
	There was a scream and then voices, “it’s got me!” followed by “it’s pulling me back in!”  and then unintelligible screams of pure fright.
	The unfriendly thorny bushes were waist high.  “Stay here.” Forrest told his young friend.  Slowly he picked his way through the bushes, finding that at least the bushes were brittle and easily broke and/or gave way to his passing.  But not without firstly scratching him or covering him in dust spores.
	He didn’t have to go far until he came to a curious scene.
	There was a clearing, of sorts.  A glassy pool ten feet in diameter there was that actually resembled a pool of quicksilver.  And kids were trying to crawl out of it!  One boy was on the “shore” pulling a girl out of the pool.  He was covered in a what could be described as a thick layer of silvery ooze.  Two other forms were in the pool floundering about as if it were like quicksand.
	Forrest grabbed the boy pulling and helped him pull the girl out, then foolishly stepped into the pool himself--and promptly sand to his neck.  There didn’t seem to be a bottom and the silvery “ooze” was thick and made floundering difficult at best.
	But he managed to grab another form, a girl, and haul her to the shore.  The boy and the girl already there pulled her out.  When looking for the other form, it was gone.
	The three on the shore were freaking out.
	Forrest took a breath and sunk himself.
	How to describe what can not be described?
	Blindedly he flung about trying to latch onto someone.  He did so at length and then fought to resurface.  Then something grabbed his ankle and pulled him back down!  It had been awhile since he had had to use his ability to hold his breath for an extended amount of time, and he was a little out of shape to do so.
	He had presence of mind, though, to keep his wits about him and not panic.  But with his lungs screaming for air it was a difficult thing to manage.  The form he had seemed to have gone “limp.”  that was not good.
	He was at an impasse.  To give in to the whatever had his ankle and go down and hope for the best he could defeat it--or struggle for the surface he had no idea how far away it was.
	The strength of the “whatever” was too much to deal with struggling against--especially in thick unyielding goo.  So down he went.

	Forrest came sputtering up into a glassy pool, it was still silvery like quicksilver but no longer thickened.   Dragging him on shore was a creature, monstrous.  The only way to describe it was as a monstrous deformed cyclopion minotaur.  It’s skin color was dark, a dark gray, and splotchy.  One horn out the side of its head, the other was clearly broken off at the base.  One eye in the center of his huge bull-like face.  It was muscular and tall, cloven feet, knobby kneed, but with human-like hands.
	‘Alright, rabbit, let’s see you get out of this one.’ Forrest told himself.
	The person he had grabbed in the pool of goo was on the shore, the minotaur creature pulled on Forrest’s leg, dragging him down in cave tunnel.  The tunnel was illuminated with glowing crystalline rocks.  The great monstrous creature lumbered along, huffing and puffing with the silvery slime dripping off of him.  It wore something of a cod piece, but nothing else.
	There was little to do and little to grab onto to prevent being dragged--except one of the glowing crystals jutting out from the cave wall.  Forrest did so.  The huge minotaur was barely stopped and Forrest thought the creature would merely pull his leg out of its socket!
	The beast, though, stopped and grumbled something in a snort, bellered and looked a little pissed off.  This gave Forrest the brief opportunity to kick out at the great creature--smacking him square in the chest.
	Yeah, that helped.
	Not!
	The creature’s chest was as near solid as stone.
	The behemoth beast, though, twisted Forrest’s leg--like an alligator does with its food.  When turned over multiple times, Forrest found some stinging his face--one of the spores from the bushes topside--or wherever he had come from.
	With great anguish Forrest plucked the stickery pod from his face, broke open the pod releasing the choking dust within and tossed it at the minotaur’s face.
	The creature was unprepared for the attack and immediately went into a rant--a blind rant as the spores released stung its one eye.  This gave Forrest time enough to slip away, grab the boy on the shore and dive back into the silvery-gooey pool.
	Immediately upon doing so, Forrest was beset with confusion, as soon as full emerged into the silver quicksand pool--he was disorientated--instead of aiming “downwards” from the dive, he was going UPwards!  It didn’t make sense, that went against the laws of physics!
	He swam UP regardless, finding nothing of which to grab onto but dire determination propelling him UP.  Being weighed down with the young boy was a bit of problem, the lack of air, the inability to see, all that put a bit of panic in Forrest Finch.
	Hands grabbed him, from above.  Screams of panic and excitement filled the air, they were mostly dull to Forrest as his ears were filled with gunky goo.  Laboriously he was dragged onto the small clearing surrounding the mysterious pool.

And Now Something Completely Different
	“Is he your dad?”
	“No, well, sort of, I guess.”
	Forrest heaved and struggled with himself to “get a grip.”  there were voices around him speaking in low tones, muffled, and sobbing.  How much time had passed since his “return” to the surface he didn’t know.   His mind needed time to recover.
	But that would have to be put on hold as behind there was a burbling and gurgling.  One of the girls screamed.  She had been the one in the first place.
	Sputtering and coughing as he still was covered in and had swallowed the silvery gunk from the pool, Forrest staggered to a knee sitting position.  His vision was not clear nor his mind, but he had the presence of mind to know they needed to be someplace else--before Mr. Billy-Bad-Ass surfaced.
	“This way!” said Austin.  Austin had found a “path” through the tangle bushes, he was cut up and covered in spore splotches.
	“I thought I told you to stay put?” Forrest quipped to him.
	Austin offered him a shrug and a grin.  “I’m a kid, like I would listen to an adult?”  
	Forrest glared at him, then whimsically tousled the boy’s hair--thoroughly mussing it up with the pool gunk.
	“Is everyone okay?  As okay as you can be under the circumstances?”
	Three girls, two boys--12 to 14 yrs young.
	One of the girls favored her ankle, another (girl) had a wrist injury as well knee and assorted hurtie-owies.  It was pretty much the same all around.  And they were frightened out of their wits.  Which goes without saying…

	Forrest carried the young girl, twelve year old Jamie.  She clung to him and wasn’t a load to carry.  The others supported one another as they picked their way out with Austin leading the way.
	Austin led the group out of the bramble bush field.  Once done so Forrest checked over who was who and how badly damaged they were.  Mostly it was sprains and scratches.  There was a significant amount of itching going on, the spores from the bushes.
	“I think we need to get to water.” Forrest said.
	“This way!” Austin spoke up again.  And again, the young companion led the way.

	A creek there was, lined with soft moss and clover.  The creek spanned six feet wide and some three feet deep.  It wasn’t powerfully rushing like the river it fed into.  Small and medium sizes trees there were, chirping birds and warm sunshine.
	“We’ve got to get out of our clothes.” Forrest told the group.
	The girls and boys of the group looked to one another.  They were covered/coated in silvery gunk that was turning brown and something like liquid amber.  It was sticky and becoming difficult to peel off.  And the pinkish splotches from the spores weren’t helping, either.
	There didn’t seem to be a lot of willingness to jump to the suggestion.
	Austin did, though.  He was naked in seconds and in the creek in less time.  Forrest stripped down and got into the creek himself, sitting down and scrubbing off the goo.
	The girls and boys on the shore continued to look at one another, one of the boys decided to shirk modesty as the itching was too much.  He stripped off his clothes and basically fell into the creek.  His companions on the shore giggled at his antics.
	The others, after their giggling, looked to one another again, bit their lips and decided to put the modesty issue to one side--long enough to wash off their bodies anyways.
	The other boy was first to get out of his clothes and get into the creek.
	Jamie needed help, undressing and getting into the creek.  Holly and Annie were busy with themselves.  Forrest emerged from the creek in all his nudity.  The girls grew a little frightened--eyeing his dangling manhood.  Dustin and Willy in the creek watched--and waited.
	‘Easy--relax.’ Forrest cooed to the girl.  He looked to the others to see how they would react.  They waited, virtually clinging to the ground.
	Forrest then helped the preteen girl out of her clothes, taking care not to frighten her (too much) and not “touching” any of her personal parts.  (not yet, anyways.)
	Afterwards she was helped into the creek--Dustin and Willy quickly averting their eyes--Jamie was their friend.
	Holly and Annie slowly came out of their clothes and eased themselves into the creek.  The water was cold and quickly caused the girls’ nipples to become quite “erect.”  For Austin he was “hard”, as was Willy; Dustin’s penis had shriveled up.
	No one looked to one another as they bathed--the cold water very muchly easing their pesky scratching from the bush spores as well as easing the sticky matter from the gunky pool.
	The boys, though, the friends of Jamie, Holly, and Annie, on the sly checked the girls.  Willy and Dustin were to themselves, but close at hand just the same.  The three girls huddled near together bathing and trying to be inconspicuous.

	Then there was the little matter of their clothes.
	They needed washing, too.
	Forrest sat on the edge of the bank, Austin had come out--the water was getting a bit much.  His cock stood out proudly and he didn’t care who saw.  He collected his clothes and gave them a few dunks to wash off the gunk.  A good wringing out, another dunk and rinse and then laid them out to hopefully dry in the sun.  The girls gave him subtle quick looks to Forrest, too.
	“Come on out,” Forrest spoke to the girls, “get your clothes washed off so they’ll dry in the sun before it gets dark.”  Logic and presence of commanding/demanding voice in a tone of authority.  It could be done the easy way with the girls acting on their own--or the hard way with the girls NOT acting on their own.  Either way suited Forrest.
	Jamie found that her sprained ankle was no longer sprained.  Forrest offered her a hand out of the creek.  She avoided direct eye-to-eye contact with the gown man.  Sitting down somewhat shielding herself she gathered her clothes, the gunk had seeped thru right thru to her underwear.   
	Forrest checked her ankle.  Jamie kept her head down while he did so, still shyly concealing her most vulnerable nudity bits.  Holly and Annie slowly crept out of the chilling creek as did Willy and Dustin.
	‘Open your legs.’ Forrest the Voice told Jamie.
	Slowly there was indeed compliance, Jamie laid one leg not being examined at the ankle to the ground--thusly exposing fairly well her naughty bits.
	‘Are you a virgin?’
	‘Yes.’
	‘Do you masturbate?’
	No answer but Forrest saw her confusion and helped instill into the image of what “masturbation” was.  In that, he saw the girl on a bed naked fingering herself to beat all!  She also did likewise in the shower and sometimes while on the toilet.
	‘Ever fondle a boy’s pee-pee’
	A long pause.  Forrest peeked around and saw in a room that was of a young boy the girl on her knees, hugging a boy approx. seven years or so, his pants and underwear were down and Jamie was caressing his bare butt.  The girl’s top was off on the floor and there was no bra worn.  The boy seemed quite mesmerized by the girl’s bare titties; for twelve, Jamie had a nice rack.
	Subtly and on the sly Jamie tugged on the boy’s pee-pee, fondling his young nuggets and seemingly “getting off” on the illicit deed.  The young boy suckled her breasts.  Jamie still wore her jeans at that scene.
	Had she ever spread her legs, to be fully nude with the boy, or any other boy?
	Another long pause as the girl didn’t want anyone to know.
	Forrest fished around chasing down the hidden scene.
	His own penis grew as he found the scene of Jamie laying out with her top rolled up, bra undone, pants and panties at her ankles, and a partially nude boy (different one) riding her.  The girl’s hands were on the boy’s bare bum, clenched tight.
	The scene was a quick one.  But it was enough.  Forrest had wood, Jamie was “aroused.”
	Deftly she struggled to keep herself from fingering herself right then and there.
	‘Did you ever SUCK on a boy’s pee-pee?’
	‘No.’
	‘Ever WANT, to?’
	Another pause, she was curious.  She had heard about girls doing such things to boys, but she wasn’t sure what it would be like.
	‘Do you know what sodomy is?’
	‘No.’
	‘Do you know what “taking it in the ass” means?’
	‘No.’
	‘Ever naughty with another girl?’
	No.  No sexual yearns for her father, boyfriend, male teachers, cousins, uncles, or other.  She had only been “naughty” with herself in the last few months.
	Forrest checked her ankle, even the bruising had disappeared.  Her skin was still chilled to the touch but she wasn’t shivering.
	He let her be and the girl collected her clothes and began dunking them to wash them.
	Holly was dunking hers when a garment got loose and began swimming away--her lavender bikini style panties.  It was young Austin to the rescue, splashing after the undy and retrieving it, returning it to the blushing girl.  A boy holding a girl’s panties, and he naked with a rail on!

	Holly was a virgin.  Sort of.  Her body was pure, including hands.  But she HAD spied on boys peeing, AND masturbating.  (including the boys she was with currently.)  She had mild yearnings about being naughty with a boy, no girls.  She had just begun fingering herself, but wasn’t adamant about it.
	Annie.  Annie-Annie-Annie.  Being fearful of getting pregnant, the girl spread her ass cheeks for her brother, two years older than she.  The boy fingered her pussy AND licked it.  She in turn sucked his penis, fondled his balls, and spread her ass cheeks.  The thirteen year old also sucked on her titties.  They bathed together (when they were sure they could get away with it) and ran amok nakedly about the house willy-nilly.
	She had watched her brother masturbate to the point of where he ejaculated.  She was coerced into licking the milky substance from his dick.  She didn’t care for it.  She herself did not remember if she had ever “cum” or experienced an “orgasm” while fingering herself.
	Dustin Dills was the oldest of the group, he was fourteen--but just fourteen (he had been 14 for all of 1 month.)  He was a handsome turd, dark hair, whimsical fresh face, friendly and very outgoing.  He was not a virgin.  Dustin had shagged a cousin, pegging her pussy AND asshole.  He was almost getting her to suck him.  She was two years younger than he.
	Willy Tedman had an older sister and a younger one.  With the older sib she was so-so naughty with him, only very recently letting him doink her between the legs--so long as his ‘willie’ was wrapped.  She didn’t take it in the ass or suck.  She stroked his member and let him suck on her titties.  
	With the younger sib it was all about fingering her out and poking her, but no actual full penetration.  He humped on her young poon until he ejaculated.  The four year younger girl DID lick his cum and liked it!
	Now, Dustin--Dustin, Willy, Annie, Holly, and Jamie--all were friends, fast friends and relatively close in age.  Annie was the youngest, Dusty the oldest.  Dustin liked Jamie and Holly and Annie.  No one of the three were in particular, they were friends.  All had known one another a long time, and only in recent years had the boy begun to think of the girls in a different light--one whereas they were NAKED!
	Did he want to FUCK the girls?
	Sort of.  He was a boy!  Of COURSE he wanted to fuck them!  But only if they were willing and/or nasty.  He HAD gone out of his way to see the girls peeing when they were out in the wild.  He HAD stopped by the bathroom door of Holly’s house to listen in while one of them was on the toilet.  (he couldn’t hear much but it was the point of the matter anyways)
	To each girl the boy had jerked off to at least once.  To each girl he had stole looks of the girl’s chest when she wore opened sleeveless shirts.  He had looked down the back of her pants to see the top of her panties.  He wasn’t sure but he knew one of them had farted in his presence.
	Willy was kinda the same, he favored Holly, though.  Not that it was because she was the oldest, it was just a preference.  She also kinda liked him and the two though were not regarded as an “item”, they hung around together more often than the others.

	The sun felt good, skin was drying but the clothes would require a bit more “sunning.”  and the sun was dipping low in the scenery.  No one had really spoken much since the bathing and clothes washing.  ‘thoughts to their own.’  
	Forrest had noticed that on their skin there were still remaining reddish and pinkish splotches.  The cold water wasn’t rubbing it off.  A bit “itching” remained still, as well.  Was it cause for worry, alarm, concern?
	Forrest didn’t know.  There were no splotches on his willie so that was good.  He saw a few splotches on Austin’s bum, as well as the others.  He tried rubbing and rubbing, and nearly succeeded--in rubbing his skin off--but not the splotch.  There was mild itching involved and he didn’t see a cause for alarm--not yet.
	“Uh, I think we’re going to be here awhile,” he said addressing the group as a whole, “we’re going to need a fire for the night at least.” he checked the status of the rocky mountain and fall, it was still there, kind of like a big boil on the flat of the land.
	The boys scooted off in search of wood.
	Forrest had no means of creating a “fire”, ‘cept an old survivalist’s method.  The girls huddled together, slowly and cautiously they looked around becoming more and more in tune with their surroundings.
	“W-where are we?” asked Annie.
	Forrest sighed.  He had no real idea.  Only a theory.  He didn’t go into much for the “theories” issues, he was more of a “hands on” kinda guy.  However…
	While the boys scurried about gathering wood, Forrest settled on gathering those items necessary for aiding in the creation of making a fire possible.  It would be a long process.
	He made a mental note that should he be foolish (stupid) enough venture into the unknown again, he would do so well equipped--at least carry a first aid kit filled with not only medical aids, but fire starting implements and other forms of emergency supplies.
	Darkness came and only a bit of smoke wafted up from the tinder.
	Everyone was quiet.  The air cooled, the darkness fell, and only smoke puffed up from the would-be fire.  There was an explanation for the lack of fire, the lack of proper instruments in making a fire happen.  The sticks he had were weak and not hardwood.  With perseverance and dire determination, a fire he would have!

	The sound of the waterfall was soothing.  The nearby creek gurgling along, too.  It was cool but not cold, which was thankful as there was no fire.  The moon was out in full gleam, but not as bright as Forrest would have thought it should be.
	One of the girls was crying, quietly and mostly to herself.  Forrest wondered if the cave he and Austin had come thru was safe enough, despite of the “creep” lingering therein?  
	The kids had been hiking near their home far away from the desert, they had never heard of Ridgecrest but had heard of the nearby City.  They had the same president, same number of states, and pledge of allegiance.  They had been hiking in a cave and weren’t sure of what had happened nextly; they were walking along one minute, saw some shimmering green glowing door or something like--upon investigating they were suddenly floundering in a thick ooey pool.
	It was chaos thereafter.
	The kids had come in thru a “door.”  Forrest and Austin had traipsed thru a “door.”  if there was one, there were others.  In and Out.  It only stood to reason.