Alyx slept in peace in his master's arms that night.(And yes, I think we can rightfully say "master" at this point, considering what happened the night before.) But the peace did not last until morning, because our precious lad awoke with a feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach, so much so that he hung on to his dear uncle and squeezed the breath out of him.
UNK, thinking that Alyx was having another nightmare instinctively awoke with a start and held the boy's head while enfolding him tightly in his arms. "It's OK, Axy, it's OK, I'm here. Unky's here boy, you're safe."
Alyx squealed. His back still hurt from the strapping he had received, and Unk's quick reaction had send waves of pain through his body. Unk quickly came to his senses, and rollling the boy over, began touching the welts crossing his back and butt gently, kissing and blowing cool air on them. "Oh Alyx, I'm so sorry. I thought you were having a nightmare, boy. I forgot....Wow, that guy Harris really DID hit you hard."
Alyx rolled over, and reached to cover himself with the bedsheet. (He was, after all, a boy in the first stages of puberty, and like any boy at that age, we embarrassed to be seen stark naked in broad daylight, even by Unk--to whom he would readily offer any part of his body for anything at all, as long as the lights were turned down low and he was in the right state of mind. But nudity was humilating for him, perhaps even more for other boys. In school, he would often prefer to go home sweaty than have to strip down with the other boys for a shower.
That, of course, made the humiliation of the previous evening excruciatingly painful, to be stripped nude and tied to a horse and then beaten with that strap in the front of the other boys and Mr. Harris until the flow of tears from his eyes was as great as the involuntary flow that erupted from his penis. (How WOULD he face the other three boys in school this morning?)
Again, he thought of the fate awaiting him as the final stage (or so he thought) of the punishment the boys agreed to endure rather than being formally arrested and charges brought agains them. Just thinking about it made him shudder with fear, and he turned his face into his uncle's pajamas and hung on tightly. (Yes, pajamas. Modesty was always a part of this family's code of behavior, and Unk shared the same sense of embarrassment as did his slightly younger nephew. Alyx, in fact, hardly ever saw him naked at this point in their young lives, and even in years to come, Unk never readily displayed himself as a matter of habit. Alyx accepted the fact that slaveboys endure nudity---public or private--- for the pleasure of their masters and for their own discipline, but for him it was ALWAYS discipline, ALWAYS obedience and ALWAYS took a conscious act of submission, and was never simply taken for granted.)
"What's the matter, boy? I'm here. It's ok. Why are you trembling so, Axxy? Did I hurt you that much?" Unk as always: caring, affectionate, protective.
"We've gotta.......we've gotta......oh _s_h_i_t_!.....Alyx bit his lip to fight back the tears.
"What, Alyx? And watch your language." The slight slap to his cheek quickly became a caress,although UNK was dead serious: he didn't want this boy to become a trash mouth. "Unk, we've gotta go.......down to the shhhhop....and.....you know" And he began to blubber, crybaby that he was.
"Oh my goodness, I forgot about that, Axxy. I completely forgot about it."
But Alyx hadn't, and it was only the intensity of the whipping of the night before, as well as what had happened with him and Unk, that had driven the dread out of his mind. The boys had promised, as part of their plea to the shopkeeper to avoid charges, that they would go together to the shop after school today, and allow him to look at the results of their beatings...on their naked bodies. And even though they were still naive about so many things, the boys knew that there was something strange about this man; in fact they had often discussed among themselves how the way he looked at them gave them the "creeps." And now he was going to get to watch them strip. And he would see their bodies marked by the thrashing of the night before. Alyx could just imagine the creep licking his lips in anticipation.
"Would it help you, baby, would it make it better if I went with you? Even if I just waited in the front so you could call if something got too weird for you? I'll even take you if that will help, Axxy."
"Make it go way, Unkky....no want...." Alyx reverted to the baby talk that he knew was a constant delight to his "big brother." (And no small delight to himself.......even at age 28, in fact, it was still the language used when the two men shared moments of "pillow talk" or when Alyx wanted something, or needed an extra measure of his master's strength.
"Alyx, I don't think I can do that. You guys made your own arrangements--now you've gotta live with it. Besides, you'll all be in it together, so at least you won't be alone."
--No, UNK, you don't understand. One at a time. That was the deal. We're going together, but we'll be with him one at a time. OH _f_u_c_k_!!!!!" That got him a slap on the butt, although UNK was careful not to lay it where the skin was most tender.
"Well, Ax. There are some times a guy has to take what he bargained for. But I'll be ther, baby. I'll be there. And I'll take you home. No. You tell Mr. Harris that I need to do something with you and that we'll meet you there and I'll take you home. No. Wait. I'll call him myself. Now let's get up and get ready for school. I'll drive you today. And I'll cut my last class and pick you up, too. C'mon."
Unk got out of bed and took his toilet gear and fresh clothes to the outside bathroom so that he could shower. (A usual thing when Alyx needed some privacy.)
Alyx laid there in the bed, watching his uncle get ready to leave the room, his eyes open wide much like a puppy gazing on his master. And, despite his fear, and his discomfort, he thought to himself, "You rock, man. You rock. So, so good to me. You my angel." And he reached down underneath the sheets, where there was also a rock waiting to receive a loving touch as well.
Unk knew his boy so well. No sooner had he closed the door when it reopened and he stuck his head back in. ALYX CHRISTOPHER! Up, now. No touchee until I say you can. Do you understand me. Fierce glare: "oo...kay.....unkie." Stronger tone: NOT ENOUGH, BOY: Alyx got the point immediately. "Yes. Sir. Yessir." and got out of bed as his uncle closed the door, harder than ever now. But despite the urgency of his pubescent _s_e_x_ual energy, his devotion was stronger...and he obeyed.
ALYX AND UNK
We are not going to dwell much on what happened at school that day, except for four details, two of which will be important to our story and the other two certainly of interest to any who have stuck with our story thus far.
The first should be obvious: There were three very uncomfortable boys at school that day. And from the looks of things, Alyx had not really managed to be punished as severely as his their two friends.
Oh, did I say three? Shouldn't there have been four? Where there were, but Jim didn't come to school that day nor for the next three days. Jim's father had said that the woodshed whipping would would only be the beginning of his son's agony, and apparently he meant it. Nick reported that when he and his dad had finally left to go back to the house, Jim was still cuffed to the wall and weeping silently, waiting for his father to return to finish what Mr. Harris had begun. Not only that, Nick reported, but he "just happened" to be looking out of the window to see Jim leaving the woodshed, still naked, still sobbing, and stopping along the path to cut a couple of switches which his father tested full strength before letting the boy get into the car. He also saw the boy fall to the ground from the lash, and then he stopped looking because he didn't want to see what happened next. But all three boys, who had seen the results of many other such evenings on Jim's body in the showers, shuddered to think what condition he was in at this point in the game. Pehaps they would have a chance to get a peek themselves when they went down to the comic book store that afternoon, a trip which they all agreed would be the worst part of any punishment of all. Nick actually had asked his father if he take another night in the woodshed in place of the dreaded visit, and his father actually considered it, since he, too, sensed that something was a bit uncomfortable about the whole thing; but finally, he reached the same conclusion that Unk had voiced to Alyx: You made your bed. Now lie in it. Mr Harris also added another sobering thought: If you think this is bad, imagine what it would be like to have to strip naked in front of a whole jail full of older men desparate for the sight and touch of "fresh meat." That, if nothing else, deterred all three from ever thinking of embarking on a life of crime again.
The third fact will have implications for our tale later on: Nick, who of all the boys was closest to Alyx, and who somehow made him flush inside in a funny sort of way, was alone with Alyx in the boys' room that day, and peering at him taking a leak (the "forbidden look" that all self-respecting young boys try to avoid at all costs), winked at him and, when Alyx leaned further into the urinal, he gently pushed him back and whispered, "Don't hide it from me, Alyx: I saw it last night at its finest hour. So don't ever hide it from me, buddy." Alyx didn't say anything at all, but his knees almost buckled from underneath him, and he blushed redder than any of the welts he currently bore. Nick noticed the reaction and winked again---and you might remember the effect that winks have on our boy. More about Alyx and Nick some other time, perhaps. If you're good. If you beg.
The fourth fact is the POINT OF THIS WHOLE CHAPTER: YOU WON'T BELIEVE WHAT HAPPENED.
Immediately after 5th period, an announcement came over the PA system. "Would Nick Harris please report to the office."
Five minutes later, as Alyx and Billy were heading for their 6th period class, Nick comes racing around the corner, sees his friends, and despite the pain it caused him, lept into the air, gave a big hoot and grabbed both boys' shoulders as he came down wincing from the result of such foolishness.
No amount of pain, however, could wipe the grin off his face. "Can't believe it. I jusst can't believe it. We're off the hook, guys. We're OFF THE HOOK. Keep your pants on."
"WHAT!!!!!!! Alyx and Billy exclaimed at the same time. "My dad just called," Nick rushed to say before the bell rang. "He called to tell me that your uncle phoned him, Alyx, and said that we don't have to go. The deal is off. Apparently, fat creep Charlie (that's what they called him) has changed his mind and doesn't want to see us after all."
"That's a crock," Alyx said. "Something must be going on. Unk is picking me up after school. I'll see if I can find out."
"Oh yeah, that's another thing, Alyx: My dad told me to tell you that your uncle can't pick you up today. Something came up. He said you should take the bus home and he'll meet you there."
"Hmmmmm." Alyx suddenly got pensive.
"Neat, huh! Oh yeah, my dad says that another session in the woodshed will do me fine, " Nick grimaced. "But I'll take that anyday then having the Creep slobber while I pull down my Calvin's to give him something to dream about."
"Alyx......earth to Alyx! did you hear me?" But Alyx was lost in his own thoughts. * * * * *
Alyx seldom disobeyed UNK, but that day he dared to risk his displeasure. Instead of taking the bus directly home, he took the one that went downtown, and got off the buss three blocks before the comic book store which would have been the scene of his total humiliation that day if fat creep Charlie hadn't changed his mind. What made him turn down the opportunity? Alyx wasn't sure, but he had a sneaking suspicion. . . .
It didn't take him long to find the car. There was a diner across the street from where UNK had parked, and Alyx went inside, ordered a coke, and sat where he could keep his eye on things.
About an hour later, just as it was beginning to get dark, Alyx saw his uncle walking slowly down the street coming from the direction of the comic store. There was someting strange about the way he was walking, though. There was no bounce in his step. In fact, Unk looked subdued, crushed, somehow smaller than usual, looking as if something had taken the life out of his body. And as he saw his uncle get into the car, and put his head on the steering wheel, and as he saw him begin to sob, suddenly Alyx understood everything.
He rushed out of the diner and into the street. Fortunately no cars were in sight (as strange occurrence for that time of day), because if there were, Alyx would have been oblivious to them. By the time he got to the window of the driver's side of the car, Alyx was weeping. He knocked on the window gently, and Unk, eyes red and tears streaming down his face, looked up at his nephew and their tear filled eyes met and through their tears their bond grew even stronger, and Alyx knew that there was nothing he would ever have to endure that could have been as painful and as humiliating and as contrary to his nature than what his beloved uncle had endured to save him from an afternoon of shame.
And he stood there, looking into his uncle's eyes with all the love that can come from the heart of a trusting young boy who wants to give his life to his protector, and he mouthed words that he had never felt the need to say before in quite the same way, "I am yours. I love you."
And he got into the car. And put his head on his uncle's lap. And he fell asleep as they silently drove home.