The Bullworth Never Ending Story

[BloodChuckZ]

Hal was having a wet dream.  Involuntary, he clutched Angie’s panties closer to him as he cried out in ecstasy.  In the time since his foray into the Girl’s Dorm, and seeing Angie in the nude, he had been in an ache of torment, wanting what he had previously ignored.  And no wonder he had never paid any attention to her before.....Angie had been the classic ‘Ugly Duckling’.....A mouthful of braces, dorky-looking glasses, stringy, unkempt hair.  And, that annoying way of talking that didn’t endear her to anyone for long.

But it was different now.  SHE was different.  Gone were the braces, the ugly glasses, and the blemishes that used to pockmark her face.  And those Melons !  It was like watching a Victory Garden grow.  And she had filled out quite nicely from her skinny form of just a year ago.  Hal usually leaned toward the more 'filled out’ women....He salivated over Edna’s backside, for instance....But there was just something about Angie’s butt that got his motor running.  Possibly because it was the first and only butt he had ever seen in the flesh, as it were.  And, Hal guessed, it would only get better and better.

Hal drifted awake, the burning images fresh in his mind.  He had to have her, he decided, just had to.....This was driving him insane.  He had to ask her out, offer to take her to some fancy-smancy joint.  She always was saying she wanted to go the ‘Big City’ with a boy.  Well, Hal could be that boy, he thought excitedly.  He could take her someplace he was sure she had never been in all those failed dates with others.  He could wow her and win her over, then she would gladly show him that gorgeous ass and those marvelous melons.

But how would he ask her ?  How would he even approach her ?  Hal had ignored Angie, and most of the on-campus girls for years.  He was the epitome of what girls found unattractive....A Fat Greaser.  He knew that, and accepted his role with frustration, hoping that someday he could have a steady girlfriend.  But time wears heavy when one is so young, and Hal was beginning to feel like he was going to be the 'Forever Alone’ guy.....Doomed to a life of getting his licks from old musty prostitutes down on Tennament Row.

Then his rather slow thoughts seized on a sudden idea.  He should ask somebody who already HAD a girlfriend how to go about things.  Somebody like that kid Tony.  He seemed to have a solid with little Karen these days.  And, he was not a Clique guy, so there wouldn’t be a problem in approaching him for advice, man-to-man.  Last year, he could have just asked Johnny Vincent, and Johnny would have given him the straight dope, even though he might have laughed at Hal for his choice of Angie.  But Johnny understood things of this nature, having been with that hot firecracker Lola for all that time.  Johnny was a man of the world. 

So Tony it would be, he resolved.  He would tell him what to do.  Hal had been observant, he had seen how some of the other girls mooned over Tony, even that Prep girl Pinky.  Tony would give him some solid tips about how to go about things, he was sure.  With that, Hal drifted back into dreamland with the vision of Angie’s bush crowding out everything else in his mind.
__________________________________ 

[BloodChuckZ]

“Your name is Luntz ?!?”, Pete managed to squeak out in shocked surprise.

“Yeah, kid”, the Janitor said in confusion, “What of it ?”

“Do you....Do you know of a Mister Luntz in Bullworth Town ?”, Pete asked, his one-eyed gaze still locked on the Janitor’s name tag.  “I...I need....Need to get there, I have to have his help.”

The Janitor relaxed his grip, as it seemed that Pete had stopped struggling to get away.  “How do you know Luntz in Bullworth Town ?”, he asked suspiciously. 

“I go there”, Pete said, then amended,  “Well I used to go there, to the school that is, he’s the Janitor there, and I need to get there, it’s real important....”

“You’re that Kid”, the Janitor said suddenly.  “The Kid with the File.”

Pete’s jaw dropped open.  “How....How do you know...That...?”

“Because Luntz is my Brother”, the man said.  “He tells me stuff.”  Janitor Luntz shuffled Pete over to a chair by the wall.  “Sittdown here.  Spill what you know, kid, and don’t leave nutting out.”

Pete sat, looking up into the face of the Janitor.  He momentarily hesitated, not knowing whether or not this Luntz could be trusted.  But, thinking it over quickly, he saw he had no choice.  He had been caught.  It was either trust this Luntz, or deal with the strange men upstairs.  And it wouldn’t be long before he would be found missing.  He took a deep breath, and began.  “Well, Ok....It’s like this....”

For the next few minutes, Pete told the man of what he knew, starting with the events of last summer and concluding with the Christmas blizzard-filled back lot of the school where being shot was the last thing he remembered.  Janitor Luntz listened in silence as Pete related the story without interruption.  When he finished, Janitor Luntz asked a single question.  “What made you decide to confide in my brother about this ?”

“Because”, Pete answered, “He knew that Jimmy Hopkins stole the File.  He never ratted, never told, even though the others eventually found out.  And more important, he never ratted on me, when he knew that I had it.”

Mr. Luntz the Hospital Janitor turned his gaze to the huge dryers in the laundry room, and said oddly, “That’s because we both got a vested interest in that there File.”  He  didn’t elaborate on what he said, but turned sharply to Pete.  “We gotta get you outta here, kid.  I can hole you up at my place till the weekend when I’m off.  Then, I’ll get you down to Bullworth.”

He crossed the large room to some cabinets on the far wall.  Opening them, he took out some white scrubs and a lab coat, along with a couple of other items.  Pete groaned inside.  He had been looking in the dirty laundry baskets instead of the clean cabinets.  What a dope.  Janitor Luntz crossed back over the room and tossed the clothes to Pete.  “Here, put these on.”

The Janitor turned his back while Pete changed.  When Pete indicated he was dressed, he turned and gave him the other items.  “Put these gloves on, they’ll hide your girly hands.”

Pete did as he was told and let the comment pass.  Next came a head covering like the kind that was used in operating rooms, and a mask for the lower part of his face.  For his bare feet, Janitor Luntz supplied white socks and blue footies.  For the final piece of disguise, Luntz produced a strange-looking apparatus.  “This is one of them magnifiers they use when they’re cutting on someone”, he said, affixing it around Pete’s head.  “It’ll hide that...Uh, missing eye of yours.”

Next, Janitor Luntz led Pete to the rear elevator.  “Take this to the second floor.  Soon as you leave the elevator, go right in the corridor, then left, right, right, and another left, got it ?”  Pete repeated the sequence.  “Good.  There you will find the skywalk out to the parking garage.  It’s quite lengthy.  Go to the end.  You will find a bank of two elevators there.  Take one not in use and go the the ground floor.  Go out the door there into the Parking Garage, and head out towards the street.”  He produced a pack of cigarettes and a bic lighter.  “Sometimes there’s somebody at the booth by the drop gate.  If there is, just flash this pack of smokes and wave.  Interns go out there all the time to grab a smoke”, he laughed.  “Go figure.  Walk around the wall out by the street.  Stay in the shadows.  I’ll be by in ten minutes to pick you up.  Now, get going.”

The elevator doors opened and Pete got in.  As they closed, Janitor Luntz repeated, “Ten Minutes.”  Pete was afraid, but he needn’t have worried.  Following the route laid out to him, he encountered no one, and was soon out on the street, hulking in the shadows.  Feeling nervous, he copped a ciggy from the pack and smoked it, waiting for Janitor Luntz.

Within a few minutes, a car came slowly up the street.  I came to a stop and the lights went out.  Pete waited tensely until he heard a low voice call, “Hey Kid !!  Over here !!”  Pete approached the car enough to see Janitor Luntz driving.  The window was down and Pete heard the pop of the trunk being released.  “Get in the trunk, kid, and pull it closed.  Hurry up !!”

With some misgivings, Pete did as instructed.  As soon as he closed the trunk on himself, the car accelerated.  Thus began about a 15-minute ride which seemed to Pete to be much longer.  At last the vehicle slowed and came to a stop, and the motor was cut off.  In the silence, Pete listened as footsteps came closer to the trunk.  He was prepared for the possibility of a trick, and gripped a tire iron in his hand as the trunk swung open.

There in the semi-darkness stood Janitor Luntz.  Pete got out of the trunk to find himself in a parking spot in a dark alley behind an apartment building.  Luntz motioned Pete to follow him.  They took a path into the building, where Luntz apparently had a ground-floor apartment.  Rats scurried away as they approached a back door entry.  Just like being at home in Bullworth, Pete thought wiry.

Janitor Luntz checked the hallway before leading Pete down to his place, where he unlocked five deadbolts on an old scarred door.  He ushered Pete inside, closing the door before speaking. “OK, kid...Here it is.  Ain’t much, but it’s home.  There’s some eats in the kitchen if’n you get the munchies.  Couple a things....Don’t turn on any of the lights for nothing.  Don’t let anybody in at all.  Remember, youse ain’t even here.  Case someone DOES break in, take this back door here down the stairs to the basement and hide.  And kid....No Noise.  None.  Got it ?”

Pete nodded his head to show he understood.  Luntz said, “Good.  I gotta get back afore somebody notices ME gone.  They find you gone, they probably gonna lock down the place for awhile.  I’ll get back here after my shift, or whenever I can.  We’ll talk about gettin’ you back then.  Got It ?”

“Got It”, Pete said in a low voice.  Janitor Luntz turned and peeked out the door both ways before going out and closing it.  Pete heard the sound of all five deadbolts being locked home, and then the subtle sounds of Janitor Luntz leaving.  For the first time in months, Pete was alone.  With a relieved sigh, he settled down to wait in the silence and the darkness.
__________________________________________

[BloodChuckZ]

Tony slunk into his dorm before the asscrack of dawn, his mind reeling with remorse.  He couldn’t believe he had let Pinky seduce him once more, couldn’t believe he had done it again.  Worse, there was no one whom he could confide in, no where he could find relief from the burning guilt that was already beginning to fester in him like a splinter jabbed into his brain.

He quickly changed his clothes in silence, as not to wake his roommate Nick.  At the desk, he hastily scrawled out a note, saying in it that he had matters to take care of and would be gone for a couple of days, but would be back in time for the Bike Races on Saturday.  He would explain things when he got back.  He then stuck the note by Nick’s head where he would be sure to find it when the alarm went off, and Tony was sure he would pass the word onto the others. 

It was all a lie, of course, but Tony needed some time away to get his mind straightened out.  There was no way he could face Karen, not now, not today.  She would see the guilt in his eyes.  He would betray himself, then where would he be ?   He needed to be able to calm his jets, needed to push last night’s mistake...His third mistake...Back into the veiled chambers of his mind so it wouldn’t show up on his face.  He had to get control of himself, or all would be lost.

Tony quietly hurried out of the dorm and then off campus.  The only place he could think of to go where he could be alone was the homeless shelter over in New Coventry, ironically the place of his last carnal mistake with Lola.  Putting that though aside, he hurried on.  As long as he didn’t wind up in the same room, what was the difference, really ?   He would feel his shame no matter where he went. 

Skipping classes for a couple of days would be no problem.  None of the Teachers kept attendance anyway.  Like most things in this throwback place, nothing one did was monitored too closely.  It was part and parcel of why this school, and the whole Valley in general, was like they were....A Wild West mentality. 

As the sun peeked it’s way over the horizon, Tony stood in front of the shelter.  He had changed into old, scruffy clothes to better play the part, but as he entered the place and bartered for a room, he soon realized that it wouldn’t have mattered if he had showed up at this dump dressed up like Elvis....The bored clerk barely glanced at him as he tossed Tony a room key and went back to watching the flickering images on an old ten inch black & white TV.

As Tony mounted the stairs to the room, he thought that maybe he would use the time to maybe actually look for Kurt.  And, maybe, find and confront Derby over the matter.  Tony didn’t think he would have any luck finding Kurt, just as he had had no luck finding Damon, or for that matter, Jake.  People seemed to get lost quite easily here, intentional or otherwise, and that probably wasn’t going to change.  Still, it would pacify Pinky that something was being done, enough to keep her quiet about their encounters.  Tony really doubted that Pinky would spill the beans anyway....If it got out, Karen would beat her ass.  That was something Pinky probably wanted to avoid, again.  But you never knew about girls, Tony thought.  With the end of the school year looming, Pinky might feel safe in letting it out, even if that meant losing her puppet-like control over Tony in the process.  Anything could happen, Tony thought, as he entered the room, closed the door, and plopped down on the bed.  Just anything.

As Tony fell into a troubled sleep, little did he know that more important matters would soon manifest themselves that would make everything that had happened so far pale into insignificance.
_______________________________________________

[BloodChuckZ]

Two hooded burly Dockmen entered the room, closed and locked the door behind them. 

Kurt rose up from his sitting position on the floor.  “He-e-ey, What Is This ?”

The Dockmen faced Kurt in only silence, bulging arm muscles evident in their crossed arms.  The overhead speaker squeaked on.  “Ahhh !  You’re awake Boyo !” the voice chortled.  “Like yah to meet some associates of mine, Teller and his brother Teller.  They don’t hardly speak, so it’s pretty useless to ask them any questions.  They’re here to help you seek the true path to freedom !”

“What the Hell.....”, Kurt muttered as the men approached him.  He backed up against the wall.  The larger of the two suddenly reached out and grabbed Kurt around the throat.  Kurt began flailing with his fists as he gasped for air, he blows landing harmlessly on the body of the man holding him.  The Dockman turned and flung him across the room as easily as throwing a spitball in the trash.  Kurt scrambled to his feet, only to have the second Dockman smash him in the side of his head, knocking him down again.  Kurt slid on his butt backwards, fetching up against the wall, where he shakily got up again as the first dockworker closed in on him.  Kurt begin swinging, landing some blows with no effect whatsoever.  The Dockman planted a huge fist right in his face, rocking Kurt’s head back against the wall.  The second Dockman approached and grabbed Kurt’s arms before he could fall a third time.  Spinning him around, he held him for target practice as the first Dockman began to pummel him.

“Tch, Tch....Shoulda ate your Dog Food today, Fido”, the voice chuckled.  “You’re out of shape and no match for these fellows.”

Kurt whooped in air from a punch to the guts, and summoned the strength to scream, “GET OFF ME, YUH ASSHOLES !!!!  FUCK, GET OFF !!!!!!!”

Another large fist smashed into Kurt’s mouth, sending blood and teeth flying.  The men continued to beat Kurt, as if playing a game, punching him from one to the other.  Kurt took hits to the head, guts, ribs and back, but managed to stay on his feet.  Too weak to mount any sort of effective attack, he became a human punching bag between the two muscular Dockmen.

“Such a Shame, Boyo, to mess up your pretty face”, the voice from the speaker observed with mock sadness, “When all you have to do is just sign some silly papers.  Ain’t that worth a little fresh air and freedom ?  You certainly don’t seem to be enjoying your stay here.  A few flicks of the pen and you’re free to go !”

Gasping from a hard punch to the gut, Kurt panted, “I...I ain’t signin’....Anything !”

“Tch...So Stubborn”, the voice said with a tinge of true regret.  “Wise him up, boys....But carefully, eh ?  We wouldn’t want anything unintended to befall the Prince.”

Kurt didn’t understand that reference, and he had no time at all to mull it over.  The two burly Dockmen beat him unconscious before he even had the chance. 
__________________________________

[BloodChuckZ]

Mr. Luntz returned to Bullworth on Thursday night, and by Friday morning, he was back at his usual spot behind the counter of the School Store.  He actually got some business that morning, seeing as how the School Store had been shuttered all week.  Dr. Crabblesnitch did not know of his return, just yet at least, for he had not summoned him to his office....But Mr. Luntz knew that it would only be a matter of time before one of those pompous Prefects would inform the old bastard of his presence.  He could just hear the old fart ranting now, speaking in that high-stilted speech of his, wanting to know just where he had been all week and how he was taking too many liberties with his job and blah-blah-blah.  It would be all he could do not to laugh in the stupid fucker’s face.  For Milton Crabblesnitch’s days at Bullworth Academy were to be numbered, and Mr. Luntz was soon to see to that personally.

He had followed the hijacked shipment back to the Big Apple, making sure it was delivered to the proper people.  Outfitted with a brand new Magnum to replace the one stolen by those brainless Bullies, he had made sure that the semi was off-loaded at the captured warehouse that was now under Big Mike’s control.  Only then did he pay off the driver and his helpers.  Then, staying at a safe house, he made arrangements for him and his brother to return home when the time came. 

He owed a lot to Big Mike, for even though it had been Big Mike’s sideline operation he had been working for, Big Mike could have just walked away and let Bloody Vince’s hoods kill him and then go after the only family he had left, his brother.  However, no....because Mr. Luntz hadn’t ratted him out, Big Mike had made sure Mr. Luntz and his brother had been sent to safety, all arrangements made....And, with promises that one day, things would be different, and Mr. Luntz and his brother could safely return home.

Mr. Luntz’s brother hadn’t been involved in the side rackets, but that didn’t matter.....Bloody Vince had vowed to rub out his entire family.  As he and his little brother were orphans, not a whole lot of bullets would be expended.  But Big Mike had bought off the Guards, and seen to it they had been stashed safely until they could be sent on their undercover lives with new names.

And now it was almost time.  Bloody Vince and his remaining minions were holed up in a rundown section of Brooklyn.  But just when Big Mike’s forces were all set to move in and eradicate Bloody Vince and all his Lieutenants, the all-powerful Five Families had called a hold to those operations.  The Five Families cared not about turf wars, it mattered little who was in control of the various American Big City Crime Rackets....The methods and results were always the same regardless who ran them.  But Organized Crime in America was now highly sensitive to adverse publicity such as a bloody shootout that now presented itself in this situation.  Still stinging over the John Gotti hype that made the public once more aware of who really ran things in the country, the last thing they wanted was another bloody massacre splashed over the nation’s airwaves.

Big Mike was taking a gamble with those weapons and explosives.  The C-4 was to be planted around the perimeter of where Bloody Vince and the others were holed up.  The weapons and ammo would easily overwhelm Bloody Vince and the holdouts, if push came to shove.  Unless another solution presented itself soon, Big Mike would take the risk of mounting an assault.  In the intervening time, Big Mike was solidifying his position as the new New York City Crime Boss.  In speaking with Big Mike, Mr. Luntz had proposed another idea, however.  And it had to do with the contents of a certain file at Bullworth Town.

Mr. Luntz reflected on these matters as he manned the School Store.  But he hadn’t seen the kid he really wanted to see all day, since he had returned.  Where was that Calderone ?  As he was mulling that over, the afternoon bell rang, and students flocked the halls.  Soon, a familiar face appeared at his window, looking anxious.

“Umm....Mr. Luntz ?”, Karen said softly.

Mr. Luntz bent low.  “Where’s that boyfriend of yours ?  I need to talk to him.”

“Er...I don’t know”, Karen said uncomfortably.  “He wants to talk to you too, about....You know....Only, he’s off somewhere, I don’t know where....”

“Listen, girlie, you got friends ?  Friends you can trust ?”, Mr. Luntz hissed.

“Well...Um, yeah....Sure”, Karen replied.

“Then you find him, and get him here, understand ?”, Mr. Luntz said emphatically.  “Sooner the better, get it ?”

Karen nodded and backed away, a bit frightened by the intent look on his face.  She turned and ran off as Mr. Luntz watched. 
_______________________________________

[BloodChuckZ]

Tony slept most of the day, and woke up in the late afternoon.  After sitting and staring out the window for some time, hunger started gnawing at him, so he decided to take a walk over to the nearby Yum-Yum Market and get some snacks.

Tony wasn’t hard up for cash yet, as he was still using what Jimmy had given him.  He got some chips, a couple of Hot Dogs, and some soda, then went back to his room in the shelter to meditate some more while he ate.  While eating made him feel a bit better, he was still was consumed by guilt for what he had done.  Damn those Hormones !!  He was unable to control himself when a sexy girl came on to him, and he thought he had been able to at least put up a little resistance to that, now that he had a regular squeeze.  But no, it seemed.  He still wasn’t the perfect person he wanted himself to be.  Maybe, he sighed, as he got older.....

Tony’s mind drifted off to other matters.  Thinking about what got him in trouble in the first place, he decided against confronting Derby alone.  He would no doubt have Bif the bodygaurd with him, he always did, and going it alone wouldn’t be in his best interest.  His thoughts went off to the other missing people.  In addition to Jake, who he believed was just waiting for his opportunity to cause more mayhem, there was Algie....Who hadn’t been heard from since the Cops carted him away.  There was also Damon still missing. 

Tony set his mind to that.  From what Nick and Laurent had told him, their examination of the Church graveyard had turned up no clues except for one....The Obelisk.  Nick described a strange rays emanating from the capstone downward, imprinting a Pentagram in the circle all around it as they were leaving the Graveyard after hearing the strange voices inside the Church.  Laurent had said he found some whitish powder at the scene, also. 

Tony decided to go over and check the place out.  He needed a diversion from his thoughts.  He had wanted to go before, but things kept getting in the way, it seemed.  Tony felt like a juggler with just too many balls to keep in the air.  At least for now, he thought, with his temporary forced absence, he had time to look the place over for himself.

Tony wasn’t afraid of ghosts and such....In fact, he had grown up with a steady diet of horror movies and his favorite video games (before coming to Bullworth, that is) was the Resident Evil Series.  He had also played, and loved, the Manhunt Games.  Tony didn’t put any stock in the Supernatural at all, knowing that most of those things were fakes achieved by some sort of trickery.  He supposed, though, that most of his vivid nightmares stemmed from his preoccupation with blood and gore.  It really made no difference to him.  He wasn’t a shrink, so he really didn’t care.

Tony left the shelter once more and walked to Bullworth Town.  He tried to use the miniature skateboard, but after falling on his ass twice, he gave that up.  Really, he didn’t know why he still carried the stupid thing on his belt.  Spotting an unattended bike outside the Shiny Bike Shop, he swiped it and biked to the Graveyard, following Nick’s remembered directions from the Dam.

When he approached the Cemetery and Church, he could see it was as Nick had described it to him.  He ditched the bike behind some bushes, he found his way to the gate.  Surrounded by a stone wall, topped by Iron fencing, the set of Iron gates were were rusted in place at the hinges but open with enough room to allow a person to enter through.  Behind them, a straight stone walkway ran through what appeared to be a short older section of the Cemetery.   Up ahead, he passed a low stone wall, also topped with Iron fencing.  Off to the right led a stone path to another wall and still another set of gates that appeared to give Church-goers access to the Graveyard.  These gates were locked, Tony saw. Returning to the main walkway, he could see that it led to the square stone Obelisk about 15 feet high, topped with a tapering square cap in the style of the Washington Monument.  The Obelisk itself sat in the center of a small stone plaza, about 30 feet in diameter.  Bricks laid in a circular pattern radiated out from the center of the Obelisk.  At each of the four corners sat Column Cornices, each one containing four columns.  Tony examined the Obelisk just as Laurent had done.  There were faint engravings on each of the four sides, but they had become so weathered as to render them unreadable.

Another stone path led off at a right angle from the Obelisk, eventually stopping at the doorway of a large mausoleum that was about two stories high.  Tony headed that way, noting it was as they told him, that there weren’t any windows or other openings except for the large heavy oak door, which they couldn’t open.  Tony stopped back a few feet to take a look at the building.  From what he understood, the attack and disappearance would have happened about here.  He looked down, but saw nothing of the white powder that Laurent had found.

Tony looked around, but saw nothing unusual beyond that.  Tony surveyed the mausoleum again, and had an Idea.  He would Parkour up to the top of the mausoleum, something Laurent didn’t do.  He trotted back the length of the Graveyard to be able to get up enough speed for the run.  It had been awhile, but he was sure he could do it.  Setting himself, he took off like a sprint runner.  Nearing the building he leaped, and....One....Two....Three.....Four....Five.....Just as he felt his center of gravity about to shift, he reached out and grabbed the top stone and was able to haul himself over to the roof.

Tony lay on his back, panting.  That had been close.  He really should practice the Parkour more.  Recovering himself, he positioned himself behind the stone that ran around the roof so that he was mostly concealed, and settled down to wait.  From up here, he commanded a good view of both the Church and Graveyard.  It was still light, but would be getting dark soon. 

After about an hour, it began to get twilight.  Tony was getting bored, and was thinking about getting down.  Suddenly, he spotted a lone figure entering the rusted gates from the road.  Squinting, he tried to make out who it was as the figure entered and went to one of the graves.  There, he knelt down and began to moan and then cry.  Tony had heard that voice enough to know who the small figure was then, he had heard that whiny voice enough around school.  It was Sheldon.
______________________________________________

[BloodChuckZ]

It grew darker, but Sheldon didn’t show any signs of leaving.  Tony wondered just what the little twerp was doing over here anyway, all by himself.  Although there wern’t many, the smaller kids at Bullworth School had an earlier curfew, like 9 PM or something.  And just who’s grave was he caterwalling over anyway ?  Tony squinted, wishing he had his binoculars. 

All of a sudden, there was a sound like someone stumbling up against the rusted gates at the entrance.  Sheldon suddenly perked up and stopped his sniveling.  Quick as a rabbit, he ran towards a small raised crypt that lay against the North wall with a small fence around it that Tony had noticed, but hadn’t paid much attention to before.  Sheldon jumped the little fence with ease and squeezed himself inside through a small door set into the side of the crypt.  Tony watched for a bit, then turned his attention back to the Gates.

Righting himself from his noisy stumble, Handy the Hobo came shuffling in.  In his hand he carried what appeared to be a large bottle encased in a paper bag.  Weaving back and forth on the path, he made his way up the path to the low stone wall topped with fencing.  There he paused, grabbing the wall for support while he tipped the bottle in the sack up to his lips and guzzled greedily.  Tony could even hear him gulping the vile liquid of whatever it was down.  Handy finally pulled the bottle from his mouth with a gasp, and began mumbling to himself.  Tony strained to hear.

“Gorry, thass good stufff.....”, Handy slurred, “....Fit fer a King, it were.....Whoo !”

Handy stood swaying, still holding on to the wall for what seemed several minutes.  Then he started moving again, headed for some of the graves.  “Blimey...Gotter Piss”, he said to nobody in particular.  He stopped in front of one of the graves and then fumbled out his works, made all the more difficult because he was still clenching the bottle in the sack with one hand.  When he had freed his member, he aimed it at the grave and a began to shoot a large stream of piss on it.  “Ahhhhh......Thass berretter....”, he moaned.

Handy had by chance chosen the very grave that Sheldon had been weeping at a few moments ago.  Tony smiled wiry at the coincidence.  If Sheldon was seeing this somehow from his hiding spot, it would sure cheese him off, Tony thought.  While watching, Tony suddenly noticed how much darker it had become, as if there were a dark shadow over the Graveyard.  Then Tony saw something else that instantly chilled him.

From the top of the Obelisk, strange rays began emanating from the capstone downward, imprinting a Pentagram in the circle all around it, showing up as blood red.  At the same time, a  pale green mist started to permeate from seemingly nowhere and a low chanting sound became audible from the direction of the Church to Tony’s left.

abbidomi, abbidomi, abbidomi, abbidomi, abbidomi, abbidomi, abbidomi, abbidomi, abbidomi !!!

A white mist began to form just behind Handy, who was still blissfully pissing on the grave.  The mist continued to grow, but now started to form a shadowy figure, which colelesed into a hooded man-like looking creature.  The 'being’ began to advance towards Handy from behind.  When the ‘being’ was about a foot in back of him, it reached out with a bony hand, and placed it on Handy’s shoulder.

Handy’s stream of piss slowed dramatically as he froze, the last of the piss dribbling on his pants.  Handy suddenly remembered through his alcohol-soaked brain what had happened the last time he had been here, and then recalled why he hadn’t been back since....Until now, that was, when his judgment (such as it was) was impaired.  Handy spun drunkenly around. 

“AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH !!!!!!!!”, he screamed, stumbling backwards and dropping his bottle in the paper sack, which hit the paving stones and shattered.  The shadowy  figure lifted it’s arm again and this time, pointed it’s skeleton-like finger in Handy’s face.  White as a sheet, Handy broke and ran for the gate, smashing into the wall at first, and then weaving and twisting in pure fear as he managed to bounce through the iron gates and take off on a dead, though shambling, run to safety.  Through all of this, the chanting became louder and broke into a crescendo.

goagheadlo, goagheadlo, goaghedlo, goagheadlo, goagheadlo, goaghedlo, goagheadlo, goagheadlo !!!!!!
 
The 'being’ remained static as it seemingly watched Handy’s escape.  After a few seconds, as Handy’s footfalls died away in the distance, the mist began to dissipate.  As it did, the figure slowly lost form and dissolved.  Then, the beam from the Obelisk suddenly cut off, and darkness and quiet invaded the Graveyard once more.

Peering carefully, Tony caught sight of Sheldon emerging from the crypt.  He walked over to the grave Handy had pissed on.  “Damn Old Drunk !”, he said tearfully, “That wasn’t nice at All-l-l-l !!!”, and began sobbing once more, forcefully.
_______________________________________________

[BloodChuckZ]

Tony had seen enough.  Going to the edge of the roof, he slithered down a drainpipe as noiselessly as possible, and jumped to the ground.  He begin to run towards Sheldon.  Something funny was going on here, and he was going to find out what it was.

Sheldon heard Tony’s running steps towards him.  He spun and ran towards the crypt, but reversed course and ran for the gates instead, knowing he wouldn’t be able to hide this time.  Tony caught him easily, grabbing him around the throat and lifting him in the air.

“GLURK !!”, Sheldon gasped, “Lemme Go !!  Lemme Go !!  Don’t Beat Me !!!”

Tony spun him around.  “Relax, Sheldon, it’s me, Tony !” 

Sheldon stared wide-eyed at Tony in the semi-darkness.  “What....What are you...Doing here ?”, he fumbled.

“Looking for some answers, you little Twerp !”, Tony answered, and then began to roughly drag Sheldon back across the Graveyard.  “What did you do just then, and how did you do it ?”

“You’re just a BIG BULLY !!”, Sheldon blubbered.  “Just like the rest of them, always hitting me and calling me names !!”

Tony stopped in front of the grave that Sheldon had been at.  “Think, Sheldon.  Have I ever hit you ?  Bullied you ?”

Sheldon still seemed terrified, but answered, “Well...Well...Um...No....”

“Then calm down.  I just want answers”, Tony said.  “To start with, who’s grave is this ?”

“Um....My....My Grandpa’s.....”, Sheldon said, and began to blubber again.

Tony rolled his eyes.  “Alright.  Chill the waterworks.  You got mad cause Handy was peeing on your Grandpop’s grave.  I get it.”

“That...wasn’t nice at ALL !!”, Sheldon said, his face crumpling.

“No, it wasn’t”, Tony allowed.  He looked around.  “So that’s why you come here.”

“Yeah”, Sheldon said tearfully.  “And....And I can be safe here, from those Bullies !!”

“So.....You just go hide over there”, Tony said, gesturing at the crypt, “And do....What ?  Com’on, spill it Sheldon.  What’s in that crypt ?”

“Umm....I don’t know...”, Sheldon said, evasively, “What makes you think....Something’s in there ?”

“I was up on the roof watching”, Tony said, gesturing towards the mausoleum.  “I saw the whole thing.”  Tony pulled Sheldon over towards the crypt.  “Now, start talking, or I WILL have to beat it outta you.  What’s in this crypt ?”

Sheldon was cornered.  He hung his head.  “Umm....Controls”, he said at last.

“Controls ?”, Tony said.  “To what....That light beam from the Obelisk ?”

Sheldon nodded.  “Yes....And More....”

“More...Yeah...”, Tony said.  “More, like that mist, and that...That THING....What IS that, anyway ?”

Sheldon looked miserable.  “A...Um....Pro-Ject-Shon”, he said slowly.

A Projection, Tony thought.  But more than that.  More like an Interactive Hologram, the kind one would see on Sci-Fi shows, the kind that wasn’t just an Illusion, but the type that could alter molecules in the air into solid forms.....Sort of like the Holodeck on the Enterprise.  But that was just fantasy....Wasn’t it ?

“How does it work ?”, Tony asked.  “Show me.”

Reluctantly, Sheldon squeezed in through the crypt door.  There was barely enough room for Tony to get his head inside.  It was hard to see, as well.  “There’s....These switches here....”Sheldon said, “One to turn on the beam, these here are for the mist...And this one’s for....The Boney Man.  This here points the way to move him.”  Tony could just barely make the switches out.  He also noticed a little peephole.  Sheldon went on, “They have to be switched on in order, or it doesn’t work, Grandpa said....”  At this Sheldon cut off, afraid he had revealed too much.

“Your Grandpa, huh ?”, Tony said.  “So he showed you this.”

Sheldon nodded in the dark.  “He showed me right before he.....”  Unable to say the word, Sheldon went on, “Um...He said I could always be safe here...With Him...”

Tony was getting claustrophobic.  “ Com’on, get out of there”, he said, pulling back.  When Sheldon climbed out of the crypt, Tony resumed his questions.  “So what’d your Grandpa have to do with all this ?”

“I don’t know”, Sheldon whined.  “He used to go to this here Church....Before the Hooded Men.”

“Hooded Men ?”, Tony said. “What, like guys in robes or something ?”

Sheldon nodded.  “BLACK Robes.  With Hoods.  Can’t see their faces.”

“So...You’ve seen these....Hooded Men ?”, Tony asked.

“Yeah.....”, Sheldon said, trembling.  “They like....Just go between the Church and that big building over there”, he said, pointing at the mausoleum.  “They always got something....Like a...Ritual, or something.”

Tony speculated.  Who were the Hooded men ?  Suddenly, he asked, “What about all the chanting ?  Why does that....Thing....Make them start doing that ?”

“I...I really don’t know !”, Sheldon said, his face threatening to cry again. 

Tony thought some more.  Then, “You were here when Laurent and Nick came looking, weren’t you ?”

“And, Um, Ray, too”, Sheldon admitted.  “I was just trying to scare them, honest !”

“It scared them, alright”, Tony said.  “Poor Ray is probably scarred for life.”

“I didn’t mean anything”, Sheldon said, “I like Ray, he never Bullies me !”

“And....It was you when the Jocks and Bullies were here that night !”, Tony accused.  “It’s your fault for what happened to Damon !”

“No !  No !  I just wanted to scare them away !  One of them said they were gonna start busting gravestones !”, Sheldon began crying again.  “I couldn’t let them hurt Grandpa !  They were gonna fight and bust up the Cemetery !”

“So what happened to Damon then ?”, Tony said harshly, keeping up the pressure.

“I Don’t Know !”, Sheldon cried.  “Nobody ever ran AT the Boney Man before !  There was this big Flash, and when everybody ran away, I did too !!!”

Tony lowered his voice.  “So....You didn’t see what happened to Damon....After ?”

“No, No....I got scared”, Sheldon whimpered.  “I just...Ran away too.”

Tony straightened and looked around.  It was becoming clear to him he wasn’t going to get any more out of Sheldon.  And what was more, he sensed the little Twerp was telling the truth.  He didn’t know what happened to Damon after the big flash.

“I believe you”, Tony said at last, to Sheldon’s great relief.  “You better get back to school now.”

“You won’t tell on me, will you ?”, Sheldon begged.  Tony thought that was ironic and highly funny, considering Sheldon always tattled on everybody else.

“I’ll keep your secret if you keep your trap shut”, Tony said. “You never saw me here, got it ?”

“Sure !”, Sheldon said, then his face brightened.  “Hey, wanna be friends ?”

“Huh...Yeah, why not.” Tony cracked a smile.  “Friends.  And friends don’t rat on friends, alright ?  Now go on, get outta here.”

Sheldon smiled and scampered away through the gates.  Better a friend that a little tattling Twerp, Tony thought, although he wondered if Sheldon could keep his trap shut.  Still, he had kept quiet about THIS place, that much was clear.

Before leaving himself, Tony took another look around.  On the paving stones where the apparition had appeared, Tony saw the whitish powder that Laurent had described.  He knelt and felt the texture of the powder.  A slick feel to it, almost like satin.....Just like Laurent had said....But not greasy.  It was a clue, Tony felt....Just to what, he didn’t know.

With just as many new questions as the ones he had just gotten answers to, Tony left the Graveyard and recovered his swiped bike.  He returned to the shelter with at least something to think about other that dwelling on his shameful encounter with Pinky.
______________________________________

[BloodChuckZ]

Coach Burton put away his playbooks.  It was almost time for the Cheerleader Girls to come back in off the Football Field.  His loins under his fat guts boiled at the prospect.  It had been a long time since the girls had taken the field.....Far too long.

The Coach had watched them as they changed in their locker room through the peephole that he had had drilled years ago, which angled downward from his under-the-bleachers office to the Girl’s locker room below.  A fat Nerd from years ago had supplied the fish-eye lens and the magnifying lens for the other end in exchange for being passed out of Gym Class without having to do hardly anything.  And another Nerd had supplied the camera and recording equipment with the reward of being passed through without having to come to Gym Class at all. 

Coach Burton swiveled his office chair around and undid the secret panel in the wall behind him that uncovered the viewfinder apparatus that still another Nerd had made for him to forever stay out of Wrestling practice.  He bent and switched on the VCR and made sure the tape was ready.  He had heard of a thing called a DVR that could store much more images on a smaller thing called a Disk, but technology hadn’t really caught up to the Vale Valley as yet.

Just in time.  As he adjusted the viewfinder and started the tape, the girls entered the locker room.  The three girls, all now Seniors, went to their respective lockers and began to strip out of their skimpy cheerleader uniforms.  It had been a warm May day, this Friday had, and Coach Burton hoped they had gotten a good sweat up.  He was rewarded with what he had hoped for on this day when the girls shucked their bras, dropped their panties and headed towards the lone shower.

Taking turns getting wet, then soaping up, each girl stepped aside as they scrubbed themselves, washing each other’s backs, then took turns rinsing off.  After that came the all-important hair washing.  Small trickles of drool began to run unnoticed down the Coach’s mouth as his glazed eyes were locked on the spectacle.  Wrapping towels about their heads, the girls then stepped in front of the mirrors to began applying their makeup, their boobs swinging perkily.  At about this point, the Coach couldn’t hold back any longer, and panting heavily, went over the edge.  It had been soooo long, after all.

Afterwards, the girls went back to their lockers and began dressing in their school clothes, chattering away about all sorts of mundane things.  Pinky was lamenting about her missing boyfriend, Christy was being sympatric but still just a bit smug, and Mandy was back to being her bitingly sarcastic self now that she firmly had her Ted back.  Next came the hair brushing, which would take several minutes, giving the Coach time to catch his breath.  Then the girls grabbed their purses from their lockers and exited the locker room.

Coach Burton reached down and shut off the recorder, popping out the tape.  Hoisting himself up on still-unsteady legs, he bow-walked to another part of his office, where he popped loose another secret panel.  After marking a date on it, he put the tape on a hidden shelf, where more that a hundred similar tapes were already stacked, all similarly marked with just dates.  There was no need to identify them further, Coach Burton knew them all by heart.  Underneath, lay a pile of various colored panties.  He would be watching this tape again this evening, he knew, with the panties of the three girls jammed into his nose.  This one was a Keeper.
_____________________________________________

[BloodChuckZ]

Tony again surveyed the view from up here.  It was really something.  It was getting dusk, and the lights were coming on all over Bulworth Town.  Quite a sight, he thought.  He wondered to himself why he hadn’t checked this spot out before.  It was probably because he had so much on his mind these days. 

It was sure peaceful up here.  It was so high up that he could just hear the wind whispering by.  The people walking below kinda looked like bugs, just making their way from this place to that place.  From up here, one would never think that trouble would come to such an apparently peaceful place, ringed all about with these high mountains. 

Tony hadn’t gone back to school on this Friday.  He wasn’t ready just yet to face Karen, afraid the guilt would show on his face.  Girls were real intuitive about things, at least he had been told.  But what did he know ?  He was still young.  All he knew was that he wasn’t.  Intuitive, that was.  But what guy was, when it came to matters of the heart ?

“Quite a view up here, ain’t it ?”, a voice said from off to his left.  Startled, Tony whirled around with fists clenched, ready to fight.  But it was just Jimmy Hopkins, making his way up the ladder and turning to face him. 

Tony relaxed.  “Whoa, you kinda put a scare into me there.  I thought....Well, I don’t know what I thought.”

Jimmy laughed.  “It was probably my Incognito Hat”, he said, pointing to the strange-looking thing on his head.  Tony looked at it in the gathering gloom, and his eyes seemed drawn to it, distorting Jimmy’s features.  Tony shook his head to clear the odd vision.  Jimmy laughed again. 

Huh....I can see why it’s called that”, Tony said.  “Some trick.  What’chu doing up here, anyway ?”

“I could ask you the same”, Jimmy said, “‘Cept I probably know.  Things just gettin’ too much for you, right ?”  Jimmy turned and took in the view.  “I used to come up here a lot.  Nobody bothers you up here, and you can have a place to think.  And boy, did I ever need a place to think sometimes”, he sighed.  “A Lot.”

Before Tony could think of anything to say, Jimmy went on.  “Then I ruined it by putting up that Tag.”  Jimmy pointed upwards, under the huge clock face of the Clock Tower, where the remainder of the spray-painted tag still was visible.  It read “BULLWORTHLESS” in large pinkish letters.  “It was red when I sprayed that there, just over a year ago.  I used a special luminous permanent paint to put that down.  Guess it didn’t clean off too well.”

Tony looked up and could see it.  Unlike the area where he stood, which had several feet of space and a groin-high railing around it, there was only a narrow ledge under the clock face that could be stood on.  It could be accessed by a small ladder, Tony saw, about 20 feet in height.  It must have taken awhile to lay down a tag like that, having to stand so close to the wall of the Clock Tower, where just one step backwards would send one pitching to the pavement below. 

Jimmy continued.  “I was real stupid, doing that.  I let Derby Harrington goad me into that, like a fuckin’ Idiot.  Pete tried to stop me, but I just wouldn’t listen.  When I finally got back to school that night, all hell had broke loose.  Gary had somehow got the Nerds to set the Gym on fire, and then somehow set loose crates of Rats in the Library.  It just got worse from there.  Everybody blamed me for what was happening, and finally I got expelled.  Gary took over then, and whipped up everyone into a frenzy.  Soon, there was a big free-for-all going on.  Johnny went nuts and the Greasers were trying to take over the Girl’s Dorm, Ted and the Jocks were trashing the Library, and the Nerds were setting fires in the Gym again.  The whole place was at war with itself.  The Bullies were just running around in the mayhem.  All except Russell, that is...He was helping me, and I got the Townies to come along to help restore order....” 

Jimmy trailed off.  Tony asked, “What about the Preps ?”

“That’s the strange thing....They weren’t really doing anything, just hanging outside Harrington House, Partying....Watching it all go down and being full of themselves....Like.....”  Jimmy shook his head. “Almost like....Like they KNEW what was going down, somehow, like it was....Part of a plan, or something.”  Jimmy’s brow furrowed.  “Anyway, I had to fight them too, along with everyone else, before that last big fight with Gary.  Which wasn’t much of a fight, anyway.  If I had him in the Hole, it woulda been over in less than a minute, he was such a pussy.”

Tony listened to what Jimmy had said, and in the silence that followed, a germ of an idea began to form in the back of his mind.  But it was just that, a small gem of a revelation that maybe he couldn’t make the connection to just yet.  Jimmy finally said, “I haven’t been up here since.  But I thought you might be.”  He turned towards Tony and grinned.  “Your girl is worried about you, and she came to ask me to track you down.  She wants to know you’re alright.”

Tony groaned.  Karen !  He ought to have known that Karen would have been suspicious of that little namby-pamby note he had left with Nick in the Dorm.  She wouldn’t be fooled for long with that, she was too smart of a girl.  What had he been thinking ?  That was just it, he hadn’t.  Tony backed up and slumped down against the Courthouse wall.

Jimmy was taken aback by Tony’s reaction.  “Whassa matter ?  Something you ain’t telling me ?”

Tony looked up miserably at Jimmy.....Jimmy who trusted him, Jimmy who was placing his very life in his hands.  If he couldn’t trust Jimmy with his horrible burden, who could he trust ?  Tony took a deep breath and said, “It’s.....Pinky.  I had sex with Pinky.  Again.”

“Man, oh man”, Jimmy said, “No wonder you took a powder !”

“Yeah”, Tony said.  “Thing is....I can’t be alone with her.  She just....Overpowers you.  I just couldn’t help myself.”

“Boy, you and me both”, Jimmy replied with and odd glance.

“What ?”, Tony said, surprised.  “You done Pinky while....When....”

“When I was with Zoe ?”, Jimmy said.  “Sure.  I was bangin’ her over last summer.  And you’re right.  The bitch just does somethin’ to a guy.  Makes you crazy.”

“But...But....That’s Cheating !!”, Tony exclaimed.  “Don’t that bother you ??”

“Well....Not really”, Jimmy said.  Seeing the look of disbelief on Tony’s face, he said, “Look, I had sex with Pinky, and Lola, and Mandy, before I ever even met Zoe.  Now, Mandy is a stuck-up bitch who would deny that ever happened, and in fact it was just once, thank-you sex for painting over them naked posters and all...”  (Ones he had taken the pictures for and gave them to Earnest, he neglected to add), “....But Pinky and Lola, well, they’re just sluts who can’t get enough.  One rich, one poor, it don’t matter.  Pinky would run me down wherever she could find me, or lure me, and Lola was just so busted up about Johnny leaving her that she was screwin’ everybody.”

“I don’t understand”, Tony said in shock.  “You didn’t feel bad ?” 

It didn’t matter, not to me, cause it was just sex, it wasn’t love like me and Zoe came to have”, Jimmy said, attempting to explain.   “Me and Zoe were just hangin’ until near the end of school, we weren’t a real BF and GF until I beat Gary.  Then, you know, I never had a real Girlfriend before, so I didn’t know how serious she was about it.”

“So....Just when did it get serious ?”, Tony asked, “I mean, for you ?”

Jimmy thought. “I guess I’d have to say....When you brought her to the secret cave, and I saw how much she had pined for me while I was gone all them months.  It was right then and there I knew that girl really loved me.”

“But”, Tony moaned, “I cheated on Karen while I was with her....Three times now.....”

“Three times ?” Jimmy asked, mystified. 

“Once with Lola, before she left”, Tony said in a low voice.

“Huh, no shit ?”, Jimmy said with a laugh.  “Well, tell me something.  Did you come on to either one of them, go after them, just to screw them ?”

“No !!!!”, Tony said emphatically.  “It was just....I was alone with them.....”

“And they came on to you”, Jimmy finished.  “Isn’t that right ?”

“Ehhh...Yeah, sort of”, Tony said.  “Damnit, you know how they are !!”

“So I do”, Jimmy said.  “So I do.  And you’ve gotta stop beating yourself up over it, over something you can’t control.  We’re just teenagers, yah know, we get hard for most anything.  And when someone comes on to us, It’s not our fault.  It’s life, man.”

“I should be able to control myself”, Tony said stubbornly.  “It’s just not right.”

“Why, you some kinda Superboy, a fuckin’ King Arthur or something ?”, Jimmy said in an almost jeering voice.  “You’re Human, just like the rest of us.  You’re gonna make mistakes that are outta your control in certain situations.  You just gotta learn from them and move on.”

“Just how do I do that”, Tony said miserably, “When I feel like this ?  It’s tearing me up.”

“Simple”, Jimmy said.  “Don’t ever, NEVER, be alone with Pinky anymore.”

“But....What if she threatens to tell ?”, Tony asked.  “What if it gets out, and Karen finds out ?”

“Psssh”, Jimmy said.  “Pinky is just a puppetmaster, likes to play off boys against each other.  She won’t tell, she’ll loose her power over you if she does.  Besides, Karen would half-kill her, and she’s not dumb enough not to know that.  As for Lola, she’s gone, so she won’t be tellin’ anybody.”

“But still....”, Tony said doubtfully.

“But nothing”, Jimmy said.  “Look, you saved Karen from gettin’ blown to bits, right ?”

“In the bombings ?”, Tony said.  “Sure, I did....”

“And, you’d do anything to keep her from getting hurt, right ?”, Jimmy persisted.

“Well, Sure, of Course !” Tony exclaimed.

“Then, you got to protect her from gettin’ Mental hurt too”, Jimmy said.  “You being tore up, and needed to tell someone, that’s fine.  You just told me, and that’s enough.  It’s gonna HAVE to be enough.  Protect her from that hurt by keeping this to yourself.  Don’t let her see it, ever.

“So...You’re saying...I should clam up ?”, Tony said, beginning to see Jimmy’s point.

“To protect Karen, that’s what you gotta do”, Jimmy said.  “You gotta carry this to keep her from gettin’ hurt.  Simple as that.”

Tony thought for a moment, then nodded.  “You’re right.  That’s just what I’m gonna do.”

“Atta Boy”, Jimmy said.  “But one thing....What am I gonna tell her where you been the past two days ?”

“Oh...Well, I actually did do something”, Tony said, and then proceeded to tell Jimmy of his venture over to the Graveyard and his encounter with Sheldon, and finding out about the device there. 

“Huh, dig that”, Jimmy said.  “I saw that little twerp there quite a few times myself. 
             
“Yeah, but now I’m sure Damon didn’t just vanish from some kind of hocus-pocus”, Tony said.  “Someone had to take him.  But where ?”

“Maybe”, Jimmy mulled, “Back to the Asylum again ?”

Tony slapped his head.  “I didn’t think of that !  Of course !”

Jimmy snickered.  “Looks like I’ll have to mount another rescue operation.  But not like last time.  Low key.  One-man operation.  I’ll work it out, and let you know when.”

“Sounds good”, Tony said.  “Sure knows I got a lot to deal with yet.  And, I’m still waiting to see what Jake has in store for us.  Only a couple weeks of school left.  He’s bound to make his move soon.”

“Welp, I can tell Karen you been looking for Damon, then”, Jimmy said, heading for the ladder.  You coming back tonight ?”

Tony debated.  He DID need just a little more time.  “Naw....Just tell Karen to meet me by the bike garage at Noon”, he said.  “We got some bike races to win.”
___________________________________________________

[BloodChuckZ]

The beatings continued.  Every two days or so, it was a different set of toughs from the docks.  Kurt tried to fight back, but he was too weakened by the things he had been subjected to since he had been held prisoner.  It was midnight, and they were at him again, punching him back and forth between them, his hollow face dripping blood as he gasped for air.

Meeting Mr. Smith outside the cabin, Derby asked harshly, “How’s it going ?  He ready to break yet ?”

“Soon, Buckko”, Mr. Smith replied, “He can’t possibly take much more.”

Derby turned his cold stare on him.  “That’s 'Master’ to you, you old freak.”

Mr. Smith smirked but didn’t say anything.  He had just about had enough of this rich punk, Harrington or not.  Instead, he motioned to the door and walked to it, entering the cabin.  Derby followed. 

Kurt lay on the floor, weakly trying to evade the kicks being directed at him by the two dockworkers.  Derby watched for a while, unable to hide the smile from his face and not really trying.  After a bit, he walked over to the groaning Kurt and planted a viscous kick to his Solar Plexus.  Kurt doubled over in renewed pain.  Derby reached down and grabbed Kurt by the hair, yanking his head up. 

“You FUCK”, he hissed.  “Why don’cha give it up ?  You can’t win !”

Groggily, Kurt looked up at Derby.  “I....Beat you....You....Can’t make me....”

Derby crackled a laugh.  “Ha, that’s funny, coming from the likes of you !”  He bent closer and spit a huge wad of phlegm in Kurt’s face.  “You fucking Pauper.  I’m better than you in EVERY way.  You will never amount to anything.  You’re a Waste !”

“Pinky....Doesn’t think so”, Kurt gasped.  “She....Loves me.....”

“PINKY ?”, Derby laughed, long and hard.  “Is this what this is all about ?  Your holdout in HELL ?  THIS is what you’re holding out for ?”  Derby released Kurt’s hair and stepped back.  “Let me tell you something about that BITCH.”

“She’s....Not a....Bitch”, Kurt gasped out.

“Sure she is”, Derby countered.  “You think she’s just waiting, pining away for you ?  Let met tell you something, you fucking dweeb.  Pinky moved out of Hattrick House and into the Beachhouse.  She’s not waiting for you.  Just a few mornings ago, Chad saw a boy leaving the place, alone.  Guess what’s she’s been doing ?”

“Pinky....She wouldn’t....Do THAT”, Kurt muttered, “She....Just Wouldn’t !”

“Why Not ?”, Derby said harshly, “She’s done it to me.  She’s fucked half the school.  Bitch is a bigger Slut than Lola ever was.  Maybe you shoulda stuck with that, she was more your type.”

A look of pure misery washed over Kurt’s face.  “It....Can’t be...Can’t.”

“Face it, Shit-for-Brains, it’s over”, Derby jerreed.  “That’s just the way it is.  You never really knew her, but I do....For a long time now.  He grinned.  “The girl loves to Fuck.  I should know.”

Despair contorted Kurt’s features.  “I don’t....Don’t believe you !”

“Sure you do”, Derby said smoothly, “Cause you know I’m right.”

Kurt sagged, and a wash of tears began rolling down his cheeks.  He curled into a fetal position and began rocking back and forth, moaning.  He presented a pitiful sight, but there was no pity here, not from Derby at any rate.  Derby watched with interest at the breakdown.  That old fuck Smith had been right after all.  Kurt had been broken.
_____________________________________________

[BloodChuckZ]

“Tony !!!  Over Here”, Karen called out gleefully as Tony appeared, coming through the gate into the Parking Lot.  She ran across the lot and leapt into his arms, Smothering his face with kisses.  “Where have you been, you dirty dog !”, she joked, “Leaving me alone without telling me you were going somewhere !”

Tony was somewhat taken aback.  He Hadn’t known what to expect, certainly not this.  Karen didn’t seem at all mad, more like relieved.  With Jimmy’s words echoing in his head, he decided to just play along.  Forcing a smile, he said, “Well, you know, it was just a spur-of-the-moment mission, I got a lead about Damon and had to follow it up.”  He then proceeded to tell her of his stakeout of the Graveyard and his encounter with Sheldon while on the way to the Garage.  “But, it’s got to be on the Q.T. 'cause I still don’t know just what happened to Damon....But I think someone took him.”

Karen’s eyes widened.  “TOOK him ?  Wow, do you know who ?”

“Don’t know the who, but got an idea of maybe the where”, Tony answered.  “I think they mighta taken him over to......”

“Hey Tony !”, a voice interrupted.  It was Constantinos, who had just come around the corner of the brick wall and spotted him and Karen.  “Hey, where you been ?” 

Tony broke into to a grin at the sight of his friend.  “Hello, Ears !”, he said a Constantinos got closer.  “Been on a secret mission.  Anything been happening here ?”

“Umm....Not really”, Constantinos answered, “Except for a fight over at the pool yesterday after class ‘tween the Jocks and Bullies, it’s been pretty quiet.”

“What Happened ?”, Tony asked snidely, “Not enough water to go around ?”

“Ahhh, the Jocks started charging everybody to use the pool, and the Bullies took offense”, Constantinos related, “A big fight broke out.  The Jocks were kicking ass, then Coach Burton showed up to put a stop to it and got accidently knocked in the pool.  Then the Prefects came running, and pretty much busted it up.”

“Bet that was some sight”, Tony laughed, picturing the fat Coach floundering and sputtering in the pool.  “Did he float or sink ?”

“He....Ummm....Bobbled”, Constantinos said, flashing an unusual smile.  “Say, you going to the races ?  About time to start.”

“Yeah, just getting ready”, Tony said, turning and unlocking the Garage door where his bike was stored.  Pulling the door up, he stood for a second to admire the lines on his Flame Job BMX.  “Any idea who’s racing ?”

Constantinos handed him a piece of paper.  “Here’s a list, Bo....Tony”

Tony took it and briefly studied it.  “Hmm....Preps too, huh ?  Well, I can beat anything they have, even if they cheat.”  He wheeled his bike out and closed the door.  “Still right on top of things, Constantinos.  Don’t know what I’d do without you.  Here’s for you”, Tony said, handing him a fiver.  “See you over there ?”

“Just going now”, Constantinos replied,  “Later.”

Tony Turned to Karen.  “We better get going too.  Can’t be late, can we ?”

“Oh, by the way Tony, I forgot to tell you....Mr. Luntz wants to see you as soon as possible”, Karen remembered suddenly, “Says it’s important.”

“Huh...When was this ?” Tony asked.

“Umm....Couple of days ago”, Karen said.

“Well, It can wait till after the races then”, Tony said, holding up his hands.  “Come’re”

Karen moved towards Tony and he scooped her up underneath her arms and sat her on the handlebars facing him.  Karen balanced precariously there.  “Hey, is this safe ?” she asked warily.

“Sure”, Tony said, mounting the bike.  “Just hold on to my shoulders here.”

Karen reached up and gripped Tony’s shoulders and steadied herself.  With that, they headed off to the Shiny Bike Shop in Bullworth Town, where the races would be run from.
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[BloodChuckZ]

Several hours had gone by, and Kurt hadn’t moved from his curled-up position on the floor.  If anybody had been around to see him closely, they would notice that his eyes were tightly shut and he was sucking his thumb, numbly rocking himself gently.

After a long while, the intercom clicked on.  “Say there, Boyo....This can all be over if you sign those papers, you know....You could just walk out of here.”

Kurt stopped his rocking motion and moaned, a long wounded moan.  He was long past the semblance of rational thought, hearing that Pinky had possibly betrayed him had been the trigger to push him over the edge.  In his altered mental state, he hadn’t even considered that Derby may have been lying, for Kurt had been abandoned all his life....By his absent Father, his crackhead Mother, by the State, and by his girlfriends, first Lola and now Pinky. 

Little more than a week’s worth of torture had reduced him to this, a hollowed-out shell.  It was over, he was finished.  Abruptly, he began crawling towards the table, slowly.  When he reached it, he painfully hoisted himself up on the chair.  A fresh set of documents had been placed there, copies of the three he had wadded up in his anger in what seemed to be eons ago.  With a ghastly, unseeing stare, he picked up the pen and scrawled his name across the bottom of all three papers, then dropped his arms to his sides.  The pen slipped from his nerveless fingers and fell to the floor.

The speaker activated again.  “That’s good, Boyo.....It will all be over soon”, the voice of Mr. Smith soothed. 

Kurt didn’t respond.  A few tears leaked from his eyes as jumbled thoughts of his ruined life passed through his fractured mind.  He slumped in the chair, looking for all the world like one of the damned, which unbeknownst to him, he soon would be.
_________________________________________________

[BloodChuckZ]

The Bullworth Town Bike Races were all set to run.  The turnout was lower than the first race, with only a couple or three kids from each Clique participating.  From the Greasers, Hal, Norton and Peanut had returned.  Ricky was not racing, as his rep had taken a big hit when he smashed into the wall just yards from winning the last time.  The Jocks were fielding Kirby and Dan this time, and the Bullies just had Troy and Davis coming back.  Seems that Trent was still in the Clinic from nearly drowning in the pool fight the day before.  The tension between the two groups was still in the air, as they traded insults back and forth.   Bucky and Cornelius were back for the Nerds, although it was hopeless....No Nerd had ever won a bike race, ever.  And Parker and Justin had entered for the Preps, more as show than anything else....They would be closely watched for cheating.  Last of all, Laurent showed up, still eager to prove his talents on a bike, since his first race had been cut short.
________________________________________

[BloodChuckZ]

Hal nosed up his bike next to Tony’s at the start line.  “Say Hey, Romeo, somptin I gotta know”, Hal spouted.

“Err....Can it wait ?”, Tony said, caught unaware by the sudden interruption to his concentration.

“Won’t take long, just need some nice advice”, Hal replied, then without waiting, launched into his question.  “I wanna take out a girl, should I just go ask her or what’s the deal ?”

Tony was somewhat taken aback at the question, being the last thing he would expect Hal the fat Greaser to ask him.  “Umm....Do you know this girl ?”

“I know her, sure”, Hal replied, “But...Uh....I never really talked to her before.”

Tony peered closely at Hal, noticing that he seemed rather uncomfortable in what he was asking. “Uh, why are you asking me ?”

“It’s just because....You got a girl and all....And I figured....You would know.....”, Hal trailed off.

Suddenly Tony understood.  Hal had the hots for somebody and absolutely no idea how to approach them.  Given his looks, it was obvious that Hal had most likely never had any interaction with the opposite sex.  Hiding a smile, Tony said, “Well, you got to talk with her first.  You just can’t go up and ask somebody out.  Let her get to know you, and if she likes you, then ask her out.  But you gotta talk to her first.”

Hal mulled that over.  “Talk to her, hey ?  Hadn’t thought of that.  I’ll try it.  Thanks a lot, Camelot.”

Tony had to grin at that, and turned his attention back to the business at hand.  Everyone was now on the line, awaiting the start of the race.
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