Touched 6
by Redkage
Something was off.
Samson looked at his naked reflection in the bathroom mirror. He checked out how his muscle swelled and rolled from the slightest bit of movement, how long strands of wet blonde hair clung to his handsome face. Even though his muscles weren’t pumped up, sexy veins were streaked across his body. He was perfect.
But something felt different.
Samson ran his hand over his body, feeling his hard cannon ball biceps, groping his full melon sized pecs, rubbing against his deep cut cobblestone abs. His eyes watched his reflection carefully in the mirror as he examined himself. He looked the same, big blonde and beautiful. He even felt more or less the same. Better even, because he felt so much more energetic then usual, making him feel like he could take on the world anytime he wanted with both arms tied behind his back.
So what was it that made him feel like there was something different about him?
Samson shook his head. He was probably just imagining things. He still felt a bit mixed up about what had happened just before the weekend. He had actually held Logan in his arms…and then he struck him.
Automatically Samson’s hand went up to his face to feel where Logan’s hand had hit him. The blow hadn’t hurt him physically, but it struck him pretty hard emotionally. Did this mean that there was no longer a chance he could be with Logan again? Before Logan would always push Samson away with words or simply leave, but three days ago he actually resorted to actual violence. And Samson didn’t blame him; he had done the one thing Logan hated the most, and that was to touch him.
“But why is that?” Samson asked his reflection. “Why doesn’t he like people touching him? Why doesn’t he...like me?”
He waited for an answer, but the reflection in the mirror didn’t answer. How could it? All his reflection could do was look pretty. All his muscles and handsome good looks and he couldn’t even get the one guy he wanted more then anything to notice him. He had so many people who wanted to be with him, yet he was crying over the one that hated him.
“God I’m sick.” Samson finally admitted to himself. He was completely obsessed with Logan, perhaps at the same level as a stalker. It was always Logan this, Logan that with him. When Logan went away, Samson had missed him pretty badly. He had made new friends to hang out with of course, but there wasn’t a day that went by that he didn’t wonder what had happened to his best friend. When he saw him again last year, the moment his eyes fell on that small helpless looking body, that longing took a giant leap. He tried to become interested in other people, but couldn’t. He wanted him now. He wanted that frail, pale and skinny bastard so much that it hurt. He wanted to drive his giant prick into that bony ass and fuck him raw! He couldn’t explain why he was lusting about someone who was so much...less, but he knew he had to have him. He wanted Logan to be the last thing he saw when he fall asleep and the first thing he sees when he wakes up. He wanted to eat with him, to talk to him, to laugh with him, to hold him close in his arms.
At the thought of holding Logan, Samson held up his arms and stared at the powerfully knotted cords of his forearms and his large hands. Friday he had held Logan in those hands. Something about it felt so right, filled him with so much fire and power, so much that Samson was able to orgasm fully at the height of his pleasure twice while thinking about it on that very same afternoon and felt satisfied afterwards. For a few, blissful moments, he almost felt like he was complete. However, that feeling eventually died down, and ever since then he lost the ability to climax once more. Even when he fucked for four hours straight while changing partners constantly, he couldn’t blow his load. He could still make other people orgasm like crazy until they collapse from exhaustion, but he was no longer able to enjoy it any more. What he needed now, more then anything in the entire world, was Logan.
“I really am one sick bastard.” He sighed.
The person in the mirror sighed with him in agreement.
* * *
Logan was sick. He didn’t have to check himself or his temperature; he could just feel it as he laid there in bed. His entire body felt sick and cold and his energy felt like it had been drained away which, ironically, was about exactly what happened. From his experience, he recognized it as a case of the flu. It figured that the one time he didn’t take all of his medication and antibodies, he fell ill.
It sucked having such a weak immune system.
A soft knock came from the door. “Logan, are you awake yet?” Julia’s soft voice carried through.
Logan groaned and buried himself under the covers. He couldn’t let his former mother see him like this. She always made a fuss whenever something happened to Logan. She was already a bit high strung when she heard what happened on Friday, so anything else thrown into the mix could topple her like a house of cards.
“Logan, I’m coming in.” Julia warned before she opened the door and stepped through. As usual, she found Logan still lying in his bed like he always did. No matter how many times she woke him up in the morning, however, she never grew tired of it. The morning wake up calls, the small talks after he came home from school, making sure he ate his dinner; These few simple, easily negligible things were the only forms of love left that she could give her son.
Quietly she went over to the bed and touched the lump under the bed sheets. Her hands were covered with yellow rubber kitchen gloves, which her husband, Howard, insisted that she wore every time she planned on waking Logan up. “Logan, wake up sweetie.” She said softly.
The lump rustled under the bed sheets and soft groaning sounds came from somewhere from it.
She shook Logan just a bit harder. “Honey, you have to wake up or you’ll be late for school.”
“I-I’m not going to school today mom.” Logan’s voice sounded hoarse.
Julia felt worry and panic flood through her. “Logan, are you alright? Is anything wrong?”
“No, no, nothing’s wrong.” Logan shifted around and pulled the sheet off his face. His skin was slightly paler then usual, and he was sweating slightly. “I just caught the flu, that’s all.”
That didn’t calm Julia’s worry down at all. She sat down on the bed and looked down at Logan. “Are you sure? Let me check.” Automatically her hand reached out to touch his forehead.
Automatically Logan snapped his head away from that hand. “What are you doing!?”
Julia pulled back immediately, horrified. She had just almost broken the most important taboo! “Oh Logan, I’m so sorry! I didn’t…I didn’t mean to-”
Logan bit back a string of curses. “No Julia, you don’t have anything to be sorry for. I forgot you were wearing you gloves and I just…well, I reacted without thinking. I’m sorry.”
If anything, that apology made Julia feel even worse. “Are you sure it’s only a flu and not something else?” She asked. “I mean, should I call your fa- I mean Harold?”
Logan shook his head. “He’s got patients who need him a lot more then a fifteen year old who caught something that’ll go away with some bed rest and chicken soup.”
Julia was still uncertain. “Should I…should I stay home from work and take care of you?” She wasn’t sure if that was the right question to ask. Oh how she wished she could use her power and feel what Logan was feeling!
Logan shook his head. “No Julia, you should go to work. I’m not a child anymore. I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself.”
Would a real mother listen to those words of reason and give in, or would she be more assertive and insist that she stayed? Julia just didn’t know any more. After a brief internal struggle, she felt herself crumble under the steady gaze of what used to be her son.
Used to be? Julia repeated in her mind. He’s lying in bed right here in front of me, and I’m already acting as if he’s already dead! Julia quickly masked up her emotions as she quietly stood up again. “I should probably get Eve ready for school.”
“You do that.” Logan half forced out a smile. He could see how confused and torn up his former mother was, but he didn’t want her to know he was worried. “Don’t let her sneak into my room when you’re back is turned though. I don’t want her getting sick because of me.”
A small warm smile grew on her face, and this time it felt genuine. “Alright. You take care of yourself sweetie.” She turned and began walking away.
“Julia?”
“Yes?” Julia immediately turned around.
“I…” Logan felt his face grow hot. “I…Thank you for everything.”
Julia’s face softened. “You’re welcome.” Then she left the room, carefully closing the door behind her. She pressed her forehead against the cold wood and gently lowered her eyelids. “I love you too.” She said, feeling a tear fall right down her right cheek. Quietly she rubbed her eyes and got a hold of herself. She still had to hurry and dress Eve before she pulled on her fairy costume from last Halloween.
* * *
“…during the Salem witch trials. This reflects how…”
Samson tried his best to pay attention to his English teacher, but he just couldn’t focus. All day he had the feeling that something was different then normal. He felt it whenever he walked, or reached for something or caught his reflection somewhere. He tried to figure out what was going on, but he hadn’t a single clue.
While he was contemplating his problem, he began to doodle in the margin of his notebook. As he watched the lines form on the white paper, a strange feeling passed over him. He wanted to draw in one direction, but his hand decided to move in another. He thought he should draw a straight line there, but instead he made a slight curve. After another minute he was done and he took a look at his work. In the margin of his notebook was a happy looking dog and although it was still horrible, it was much better then anything he had ever done before.
Not bad. Samson thought. Could be better though.
The shriek of the school bell interrupted his self critiquing just as the teacher was finishing his lesson. “Don’t forget to pick up a book from the pile as you leave! I want you all to read chapters one to three by our next class!”
Samson shut his notebook and stood up. As he neared the door, he grabbed a moldy worn out book from the top of the pile and stuffed it into his backpack without even looking at it. His mind was too busy thinking about the picture he had just drawn. Perhaps I’m finally getting the knack of it. Samson smiled.
* * *
Logan set down his pencil and let out a deep breath. Before him was a sheet of white paper with another picture of a robust headless body, this time wearing a grey shirt and dark jeans. He had spent more time on this picture then normal. He just couldn’t get into like he usually did. Before his hands seemed to move with a life of his own, able to depict the image set in his head. Today, however, he made many slip ups and mistakes, wasting a good centimeter off of his eraser. Being sick was clouding up his head, so he couldn’t really expect himself to do a very well job.
Quietly, Logan took out his folder from his desk and added the new picture to the rest of the collection. Out of a whim, he searched through it and pulled out the very first image he had placed in the photo. In this one, the body was actually smaller and more compact, although it was still big and tall in normal standards. The body’s t-shirt was a bit baggy, though it still showed enough musculature underneath it.
Quickly Logan flipped through the various images in chronological order. The body kept on growing taller, bigger and thicker. Each muscle swelled up like little balloons, soon to be big balloons. Really big balloons. Finally, Logan stopped at the latest one, which was far bigger then its predecessors. Comparing his first and last sketches, he couldn’t help but be amazed at the difference. The new body had roughly 120 pounds over the old one, with about six and a half inches of height.
In a sudden surge of anger, Logan shoved the sheets of paper back into the folder and threw it into his desk drawer.
* * *
Samson shut his eyes and allowed the water from the showerhead to cascade onto him. He stood there, taking in the warm embrace of the water that flowed down his body, running along every curve and through every crevice.
His left ear twitched when he heard someone approach him from behind. There were other guys in the shower with him, running noisily and roughhousing, but this one was purposely going slow in order to sneak up on him. Samson smiled, and at the last minute he threw his hip to the right just as a wet towel snapped at the air where his round buttocks had just bit.
“Dammit, I was so close!” Jamal laughed as ran up to his buddy and slapped him several times on the back. “You just gotta tell me how you do it. Do you have eyes on the back of your head or something?”
“Like I’d tell you.” Samson winked.
“Yea, yea.” Jamal waved it off. “I guess I’ll let you off today since you were such a badass during practice. How come you never played like that before? We could’ve won all of our games without losing a single point if you kept up the same spirit.”
It was because Samson didn’t think he was capable of doing it before. During practice all of that extra energy he’d been feeling all weekend sudden rushed out of him during practice. He could move faster then he did before, and his boosted agility made him able to dodge around anyone that went after him. He plowed through the entire defensive line without a sweat. Even his passes and kicks were improving.
Samson was about to reply when he noticed something. Before, the top of Jamal’s head came a little over the line of his chin. Now, however, he saw that were just tiny gap between them, barely half a centimeter.
“Jamal, do I look bigger to you?” Samson asked to see if it wasn’t his eyes playing tricks on him.
Jamal however didn’t see to notice. “You always look bigger, ya big stud.” Jamal joked, punching Samson’s meaty pec. “Anyways, I should finish showering and high tail it outta here. My Dad is coming home early tonight, so my Mom wants us to have a family dinner.”
“Alright, later man.” Samson watched as Jamal walked off to a free shower head. He was still unsure if he really saw what he did, or just imagined the whole thing. The more he thought about it, however, the more natural it sounded in his head. He hadn’t really paid much attention to his height anymore, so he could have grown a bit since the last time he had compared his height to Jamal’s. So why can’t he shake off that nagging feeling he had in his gut?
”Stop worrying about it Samson, or you’re going to go crazy.” He told himself, completely aware that speaking to oneself was already a sign of a mental case.
* * *
Little Eve hummed to herself as he used a stick to draw in the sand. With careful concentration, she made a cope of that pretty red picture that was on all of Logan’s clothes. Finished, she stood up and brushed sand off of her skirt and surveyed the results. She admitted that it was lopsided and scraggly, but she was drawing in sand after all.
Looking up, Eve scanned around the park playground. There were a lot of children in park today. There were kids going do the slides, crawling around the jungle gym and kicking back on the swings. There were also two other children who were playing in the sand like she was, and just outside of the sand a group of girls were busy doodling on the ground with chalk. Eve suddenly wished she had brought her own set of colored chalk from home so she could join them, but her mommy had brought her to the park immediately after school.
Suddenly her small ears caught a familiar tune. Quickly she looked around for the source and finally she spotted it; An ice cream truck that had been passing by had stopped in order to sell their sweet treats to a bunch of adults. Eve felt her sweet tooth kick in as she hastily went to her mommy, who was sitting on a bench nearby.
“Mommy, Mommy, can I have some money for ice cream please?” Eve asked excitedly.
Julia looked up from the romance novel she had been reading. “I don’t think you should honey, it’ll ruin your appetite.”
“Oh please? Eve begged, batting her cute eyelashes. “Pretty please? I want to get Logan a Drumstick to make him feel better.”
Julia bit her lip. Eve probably didn’t know it, but every time she heard Logan’s name she felt herself sway over. She knew she shouldn’t, but she couldn’t resist those good intentions coupled with her daughter’s adorable face. Sighing, Julia reached into her purse and pulled out a ten dollar bill. “Make sure you get something for Riley as well, just to be fair.”
“Thank you Mommy!” Eve threw her arms around her mother’s neck and kissed her on the cheek.
Julia felt herself blush under the embrace of her cute daughter. Fortunately for her, Eve didn’t linger and soon let go as she whirled around and raced to the ice cream truck. She watched as Eve made her way across the green park lawn towards the truck.
“Julia, is that you?”
Julia turned her head. Standing before her was a middle aged woman with brunette hair, pushing a baby stroller.
“Pam?” Julia recognized the stranger’s face. “Pam Porter? Oh my gosh, it’s been so long, how are you?”
“Great!” Pam smiled as she took a seat next to Julia. “Eric got retransferred here to a higher position.”
“Oh, and I see you had another baby!” Julia swooned. “Can I see him?”
“Sure!” Pam said, taking out her baby boy from the stroller. Soon, the two of them were busy chatting about the baby before they proceeded to talking about how life had been since the two last seen each other.
While Julia was catching up with her old friend, Eve hurried towards the ice cream truck. When she was halfway across however, to her complete surprise the ice cream truck pulled away from the curve and began to leave.
“Wait!” Eve cried out, waving the ten dollar bill to try to get the driver’s attention. For some reason or another, the driver didn’t hear nor see her as he went down the street just as Eve reached the spot where it had been. She watched as the truck disappeared from sight as it turned around the corner. After hesitating for a moment, Eve stepped off the curb, crossed the street and then ran down the sidewalk, chasing after the moving truck. She knew she shouldn’t, but she was determined to get some ice cream. If she hurried, she might be able to catch up!
* * *
“Alright Boomer, just hurry up and do your thing already.” Samson said while patiently watching his dog.
Boomer sniffed the telephone pole curiously, as if trying to decide whether or not to mark his scent on it. After much careful thought, the golden retriever stood up next to the pole, lifted his leg and then did his business. After he finished, Boomer trotted back up to his master and looked up at him with a foolish smile.
“Well, don’t you have it made.” Samson looked down at his dog.
Boomer just let his tongue roll out and looked adorably back up at him. Before Samson could say anything else, Boomer’s ears perked up and he turned his head to the side.
“Is something wrong boy?” Samson asked.
Without warning Boomer suddenly took off running. Surprised, Samson held onto the leash tightly. When Boomer got to the end of it, however, the strap on his collar unexpectedly broke off and Boomer continued running free down the street.
“Shit!” Samson swore as he jumped to his feet and ran after his dog. Because of his strong leg muscles, he easily caught up to his dog in no time. However, just when he was about to grab Boomer, his own sharp ears caught a sound that was very similar to crying somewhere up ahead, even though he couldn’t see anyone. Frowning, Samson decided to continue following Boomer to see exactly where he was going. It didn’t take them too long to find the source of the noise. Boomer veered around the corner and stopped right in front of a little girl sitting on a curb with her face buried in her hands, crying her eyes out.
Samson slowed to a halt as he caught sight of the little girl. He watched as Boomer gave a low whined, then leaned forward and licked the girl’s hand several times. The little girl paused in her crying and looked up. Samson was stunned by the beauty of this little girl, who he guessed to be about six years old at the most. She had curly red hair that burned in the sun, and a pair of hazel eyes that would look stunning if it weren’t red and tearful.
Boomer seized the chance when he saw it and lunged in, furiously licking the girl’s face. The girl, suddenly being attacked by a barrage of playful licking, broke out into a soft giggle that quickly turned into a full laughter.
“Hey there.” Samson squatted down next to them. “What’s wrong?”
Boomer sat back as the little girl rubbed the last of her tears from her eyes. “I was trying to catch up with the ice cream truck, but I got lost. I tried to find my way back, but…” The girl began to sniffle as the tears began to come back. Boomer, however, quickly moved in and licked them away, causing the little girl to giggle again.
“I’m Samson and this is Boomer, my dog.” Samson gave the girl a warm smile. As Samson got a closer look at her, he felt a pang of familiarity.
“Hello Boomer, my name is Eve.” The girl smiled as he petted the dog. Boomer just smiled back.
“Where was the last place you saw your mom?” Samson asked kindly. He couldn’t help but feel as if he should know this little girl. There was something about her that was hauntingly familiar, but he could quite place his finger on it.
“On a bench in the park.” Eve said without looking at him. Her attention was focused on Boomer.
“Well then, how about I help you find your mommy then?” Samson suggested.
Eve turned and looked up at Samson, her eyes like two round saucers. “Would you?”
“Of course.” Samson replied confidently.
“Oh thank you Mister!” Eve threw her arms around Samson’s thick neck and hugged him.
“You’re welcome.” Samson said, feeling himself melt around the edges. This girl was just so…cute! “And don’t call me mister.” He added. “My friend’s call me Samson.”
“Okay Samson.” Eve giggled, and Boomer barked.
“Alright, are you ready?” Samson grabbed Eve under the arms. “Because here we go!” With a smooth fluid movement, he lifted Eve up and then placed her on his shoulders.
“Wow, you’re so tall Samson!” Eve exclaimed from the sudden change of perspective. “I can see everything from up here!”
“This’ll make finding your mom even easier.” Samson explained cheerfully. “Now hang on tight!” Then Samson began walking.
Eve laughed as she grabbed two locks of Samson’s hair like they were reins on a horse. Down below, Boomer followed them, yipping happily with his eyes never leaving Eve.
“So Eve, what does a cute little girl like you do for fun?” Samson bent his head slightly upwards so he could look at her.
“I like to draw just like my big brother!” Eve said proudly. “Someday I hope I can draw just as good as he does!”
“Oh really?” Samson chuckled. “I take it you really look up to him then?”
“Oh yes!” Eve smiled. “My big brother is the bestest brother in the world! He’s always nice to me, and always takes care of me and even though I’m not as good at drawing as he is, he still has every single one of my pictures on the wall in his room!”
As Samson continued listening to Eve tell stories about her older brother, he couldn’t help but feel a bit curious about this so called “bestest brother in the world.” From what Eve was telling him, he imagined a handsome model student.
“Mommy!” Eve’s voice suddenly cried out, bringing Samson out of his thoughts. Standing just twenty feet down the block was a woman who was looking around desperately. When Samson laid his eyes on her, he felt shock and surprise course through his body as he instantly recognized the mother before him.
No…it couldn’t be! He thought. Gently he lowered Eve down to the ground. The moment Eve’s little feet touched the ground the little girl flew out to her mother with Boomer on her tail. When Eve reached her mother, she threw her arms around her waist and embraced her.
“Eve!” Julia cried out, hugging her daughter back. “Oh, Eve, I was so worried I’d lost you!”
“I’m sorry Mommy, I won’t do it again!” Eve cried as well. “I was so scared, but then Samson and Boomer came along and rescued me!”
“Oh yes, thank you!” Julia looked up and smiled down and the dog, who was barking happily at their feet. When she looked up to the dog’s owner, however, she was more then surprised to find such a big, strong and muscular young man before her. The sheer size on someone so young and handsome reminded her of Riley, and for a moment she suspected that she was looking at another Kin-Lam, though she had never seen him before in her life. However none of that really mattered now. She was just so glad to have found Eve again. “I can’t tell you how grateful I am to you for finding Eve and helping her back, thank you!”
“M-Mrs. Warden?” The large young man said in surprise. “Mrs. Warden, is that you?”
“Yes?” Julia asked as she peered at Samson curiously. “Have we met before?”
She doesn’t recognize me! Samson thought. It was understandable though. The last time she had seen him was when he was eight years old, and he had grown considerably since then. “It’s me, Mrs. Warden, Simon.”
Julia’s eyes grew wide and her face paled. “S-Simon!?” She gasped.
“Oh!” Eve looked up at Samson. “You’re Logan’s-”
“Eve!” Julia snapped in a panic, causing the little girl to flinch back.
“Logan’s what? Wait, you’re Logan’s sister?” Samson asked, confused.
Eve gave a quick nod.
Samson felt himself grow dizzy as all of the facts began to overflow him. Eve was Mrs. Warden’s daughter, which meant Eve was Logan’s little sister. Now that Samson knew the relation, he could clearly see the strong resemblance he saw in the little girl. The girl had said that she loved her older brother, and specifically said that her older brother could draw which meant that she wasn’t referring to Riley but to Logan of all people! And she had said he was kind and caring and was very fun and…and…argh! He was getting a headache just trying to sort things through!
Julia, on the other hand, was trying to figure a way out of this situation. However, the sudden situation had caught her so much by surprise that she was unable to think coherently.
“Um, Samson?”
Eve’s soft voice provided both Julia and Samson somewhere to focus their attention to. When Eve saw both her mother and Samson turned to look at her, she began to falter back.
“What is it Eve?” Samson deliberately asked slowly, sensing the slight nervousness in her.
“Can I…can I visit Boomer sometime?” She asked, meekly looking at the golden retriever. The dog also looked at her with a kind of, what could only be described as, naked longing, coupled with low sad whines that were emitting from his throat.
“Of course you can.” Samson said, looking at Mrs. Warden. “She can come as much as she wants to. You still remember my home address and phone number, right Mrs. Warden?”
“Ah, yes, I, uh, I do.” Julia nodded, still a bit unsure how to handle the situation.
“And do you still live on 2343 Burdock Lane?”
“Yes, we do.” Julia said uncertainly.
“Then I’ll make sure to bring Boomer over for a few visits.” Samson nodded, impressed with the genius of it all. Now he had the perfect excuse to go over to Logan’s house again!
“A-alright.” Julia replied. Julia, on the other hand, had completely different emotions about the sudden predicament she found herself in. She knew it was a bad idea, and she knew that she should stop it, but she was so thrown off balance by the rapid succession of events. The best she could manage was simple blank nodding and half thought answers.
“Oh yay!” Eve cheered and Boomer barked. She ran over and hugged the dog around the neck. Boomer sat very still as she held him, but his tail was wagging very fast that Samson half expected his tail to fly off.
“Well, I guess I better bead back home.” Samson nodded his head towards Mrs. Warden. “It was great to see you again Mrs. Warden, and I’ll be sure to bring Boomer over for a visit soon.”
“Oh…okay.” Julia agreed, even though the warning bells were ringing inside of her head.
“Alright, we’ll see you soon then.” Samson winked, then placed Boomer’s collar and leash back onto the dog and then headed back home. As the walked down the street, Samson noticed that Boomer kept on looking back constantly, even though they were now too far away to see Mrs. Warden and Eve anymore. To his surprise, Boomer seemed almost sad.
“Don’t worry boy.” Samson reassured his dog. “I’ll take you to visit her this weekend, how does that sound?”
Boomer looked up hopefully, and his tail wagged a few times. “Woof!” He finally barked, returning to his usual self.
Samson chuckled, then continued on home.
* * *
Logan wrapped the blanket around him tighter as he sat alone in the dark of his room. In his mind he could still hear echoes of the chaos that had exploded when Julia and Eve came home.
How could you let yourself get close to him!?
I didn’t know it was him!
Why didn’t you figure it out sooner!?
Don’t yell at your mother!
Here!? He’s planning on coming over!?
I panicked! I didn’t know what else to do!
But I like Samson, and he’s really nice!
Logan closed his eyes and tried to shut out the voices in his head. When Julia had told them what had happened, Riley had exploded and yelled at his own mother. Then, Howard yelled at Riley for mistreating her. Julia had been on the verge of tears and hysterics the entire time, and the private argument in their bedroom after dinner didn’t improve her at all. And Eve…
A soft knock on the door brought him out of his thoughts. “Who is it?” Logan asked, wondering who would still be awake at this time of night.
The door opened slightly and Eve poked her head through the opening. “It’s me.” She said.
“You shouldn’t be in here.” Logan warned her. “I’m sick remember?”
Eve hung her head. “I just…wanted to talk to you.”
Logan exhaled deeply. “Alright, you can come in. But stay at the door.” He added.
Eve softly closed the door behind her when she entered. She was wearing her pink pajamas, and was clutching Mr. Fiddles, her teddy bear, in her arm. She really was a cute child, Logan thought.
Logan sniffed his nose a few times. “So what is it that you needed to talk to me about?”
Eve looked down a bit nervously. “Do you…I mean, is it…um…”
“Go on Eve.” Logan said very softly to set her at ease. “I promise I won’t yell at you.”
Eve took a deep breath. “Are you mad at me for liking Simon?”
Logan stayed silent for a few moments. “No Eve, I can never be mad at you, you know that. Why would you think that?”
“It’s just that everybody seems to get angry whenever they hear about Simon.” Eve said, clutching Mr. Fiddles close to her. “Why don’t they like Simon? He was very nice to me, and I really liked Boomer too.”
“Boomer?” Logan raised an eyebrow, though it was hardly noticeable in the dark.
“Simon’s dog.” Eve’s face lit up when she told him. “I really liked him. Simon said I can see him anytime, and he’s even going to bring Boomer here for a visit!”
“That’s…nice.” Logan remarked. Simon coming over to play…how nostalgic. He mused with mixed emotions.
Eve peered at her brother’s face and saw the conflict he was feeling. “Logan…do you mind that I want to be with Simon?”
“Excuse me?” Logan blinked.
“Does it bother you that I want to be around him? Does it make you angry, or make you sad, or…or something?” Eve fell silent as she waited for an answer. At first, Eve thought her question had made Logan angry from his silence. However, when she look up into her brother’s eyes, she found the same, gentle kindness she had grown up knowing.
“How do you feel, Eve?” He asked in a low voice. “Do you really like being around him and Boomer?”
Eve hesitated for a moment. “Yes.” She said firmly. “Yes, I really do. I want to play with them, and make them my friends. I really want this.”
Logan smiled weakly. “Then I’m alright with that. All that really matters to me is that you’re happy.”
Eve really felt moved by his words, and she could feel a small tear form in the corner of her eye. “Thank you.” She sniffed.
“Hey, what did I say about crying?” Logan chuckled.
“I’m too cute to cry.” Eve laughed and dashed the tear from her eyes.
“Now, you should go back to bed.” Logan ordered her. “You have to go to school tomorrow morning.”
“Alright.” Eve nodded. “Goodnight Logan.”
“Goodnight Eve.” Logan replied and watched her leave. As soon as the door closed, Logan leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes.
He really loved his little sister. But it pained him greatly to know that one day, sometime in the near future, he’ll be forced to break her heart.
* * *
A kind, gentle Logan
Samson thought it over in his head, trying to imagine Logan actually being nice. It was very hard to believe since Logan was always known as the most bitter, coldest loser on the school campus. And every time Samson tried to talk to Logan, he would always get the cold shoulder or a verbal beat down. However, Eve’s words were still fresh in his mind, making him think more about it. When he thought about Eve and how she talked about her older brother, an image of a smiling Logan formed in his head.
Quite suddenly Samson felt his cock harden, making him jump in his desk chair and avert his thoughts quickly. The idea of a happy, kind, smiling Logan was…well…very arousing to him, and since he knew he wasn’t capable of climaxing anymore, he knew better then to allow his dick to harden fully.
Samson reached into his backpack right next to him and rummaged around, looking for the book that he was assigned to read for his English class. He needed something to get his mind off of Logan for once, and he might as well get some work done while he was at it. Finally, Samson located the musty old book and pulled it out, taking his first look at the book’s cover.
On the cover was the picture of a woman in a plain, old fashioned dress from the olden days. Her face was pretty, but her hair was tied up and hidden under one of those ridiculous looking hats. What caught Samson’s eye, though, was the ornate red letter ‘A’ stitched over her breast. Almost immediately he remembered Logan, and how he always wore the same black clothing with a bright red symbol etched to every piece. Samson made a glance at the title and read The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne.
After a few stunned moments, Samson opened the book and began reading.
By the Book
As some of you may have realized, (ex: Temptation IV) this story is loosely based on the story, The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. A lot of my characters are based off of other characters in this required reading, as well as some events and a few symbols. I’ll mention a few similarities, but I think it’ll be fun if you all to make your own comparison and contrasts between the two stories.First of all, the Kin-Lam are more or less representing the puritan colony. They are both a very religious society that believes in a united front. However, they both have a low tolerance for sinners, and act cruelly to the one they consider the ‘lowest of the low.’ Though they both seem somewhat simple in appearance, they’re also very complex and have a few weaknesses from relying on the old ways too heavily.
Second of all is the scarlet letter and Logan’s red symbol. Like Hester’s letter A, Logan’s symbol represents a form of sin that he had committed. The letter A is short for the word ‘Adultery’ (AKA Cheating, Affair, etc.) Similarly, Logan’s scarlet letter has a more symbolic meaning to it, though it’s a bit more complex then a simple shortening of a word. The full meaning behind that symbol will be revealed in a later chapter.
Last of all, I’d like to discuss the idea that inspired me to write this story. I happened across my old copy of The Scarlet Letter in my usual clutter of stuff. At first I thought nothing of it, but while I was in bed, somewhere between sleeping and awake, I began thinking about how people used to avoid touching certain items Hester made because they were afraid of her sin rubbing off onto them.
Then it hit me; what about a story where it was literally a sin to touch? Needless to say I got very little sleep that night as I excitedly thought out every event and key dialogue of this story in one night. At first I planned to make it my own, creative original work, but then I decided that in order to give credit to my idea, for the first half of the series or so I’ll be basing most of the story off of the book itself so that people can instantly recognize all of the similarities between them, and have fun doing so. I myself had fun while writing this story, trying to figure out how to incorporate things from the novel into this story. How should I develop this character to be more like Hawthorne’s? How do I make my own modern day symbol to compare with this one? What kind of event should I have that can be recognized with another? These things and other questions I constantly asked myself in order to try to make a great story for you all to read.
Now that the main book has finally been revealed, I’ll let you all know that starting now, I’ll be slowly breaking away from the book’s mold and try to create my own, original story plot in this second half of Touched. I’ll occasionally point out a few more key relationship between this story and the novel, though I really think everyone can try to figure it out themselves. Let’s see if you can get all of them before I tell ya