The Power of Love

Parker laughed in contempt. "I wasn't a virgin. Father saw to that. The peddler demanded payment for giving me a ride. The two men in the tavern wanted compensation for getting me a job on their vessel. The men on the ship . . . " Parker shook his head as emotions, long buried beneath hatred and vengeance, tried to arise. "There was never any kindness in any of it. I was simply someone smaller, weaker, someone to use. When I fought back, they used a whip on me. I was kept locked in the captain's cabin whenever we were docked. When I was fifteen, I broke loose and jumped overboard. We were in an Egyptian port then. A rich man caught me stealing food from his garden and abducted me. I became his slave, to do with what he wanted, and what he wanted . . . " He licked his lips, tried to swallow. Alden kept silent. Though his heart ached for his friend, he knew any sign of pity and Parker would take off.
"There was never any kindness." The sad expression vanished and was replaced by a grin that made sent shivers of dread up and down Alden's spine. "The Ice Maiden sank a couple of months ago."
"Was that the ship you were on?"
"Yes. I cursed it."
"I highly doubt words you spoke had anything to do with its going down."
They reached Parker's home and went in. "I'm going to curse that Egyptian."
"Let it go." He set the basket of provender on the table. "Let the hatred go; It's eating away at you; You don't need it."
Parker shoved him down on the pallet. Even as Alden fought back, the dark haired man ripped Alden's shirt from his body. He moved a free hand down to jerk Alden's pants downward as far as he could. "I'm going to rape you! I'm going to fuck you until you cry out for mercy." 
Alden stopped struggling. His hand went up to caress the rigid face. "I give myself freely to you." He adjusted his legs to give the other man better access. "Anything you want, I give to you. You don't have to take it from me."
Parker glared down into loving, green eyes. Swift mood changes swept over him. The hatred vanished . . . the lust disappeared . . . confusion came and went . . . bewilderment . . . and then his face crumpled. He lowered his head onto the bare chest and struggled to keep his tears under check. Alden's arms went around him, held him tight and close. 

"I love you. I always have. If you want me, I'm yours."
"I'm wicked! I'm evil! I'll end up hurting you." The words were choked with emotion.
"You're not evil, William. You've just been hurt too much. Let me love you. Don't hold me away from you."
Parker's eyes were stormy as they stared into caring, green ones. "Have you ever tasted pain?"
"We don't need that. Let me undress. Whatever you want from me, I'll give you. You don't have hurt me and you don't have to take it by force. I give myself to you."
Suspicious, Parker moved. As Alden finished undressing, he began to shudder violently as lust took over. The gleam in his eyes held nothing of love. He ripped the clothes from his own body and shoved Alden back down. His hands were rough, demanding as they traveled over the slim form. Within seconds, they altered, became gentle. Hot lips claimed Alden's soft, willing ones; Tongues caressed each other. Alden whimpered as Parker's fingers found his penis.
"I. . .can't. . . wait. . ." Parker groaned.
"Then don't. Get the lard from the basket."

Parker rose to retrieve it from the container but then stopped, stared down into desire laden eyes. "How did you know about using lard?"
"I'm not a virgin, William."
"You're not . . . ?"
"There was a man at school. He reminded me of you. I was lonely, missing you, and we had a short affair." 
Confusion reigned supreme in the blue orbs. 
"I've always loved you."
"Love?"
"I will always love you. Get the lard and coat yourself." Bewildered, Parker did. His shivering increased as he coated his shaft profusely with the white substance. Forcing Alden's legs upward, he thrust sharply into the man beneath him. Alden gasped in pain and desire. Parker groaned as he plunged back and forth into that obedient, hot channel. Time stretched into eternity; minutes became hours . . . hours turned into days. He ejaculated with a scream and a final deep thrust. Collapsing over the quiet form, he allowed Alden to hold him close.
"I love you, " Alden whispered, stroking, the perspiring back. "I have always loved you; I always will."
They slept together that night. When the dream came to haunt Parker, his moans of fear and denial woke Alden. "No! Not now! Please! Not now!"
"William?"
"He's calling me; I have to go to him." Terror was the emotion in his voice.
"Who's calling you?"
"Shryrclot, the demon of the fire." Alden tried to hold him down but Parker shook him off and shot up. "He's calling me!"
"Don't go; Don't listen. It was just a dream."
Parker hit him hard enough to daze him. When Alden came to, his friend was gone.
"Oh, God, William." Alden dressed in a hurry and ran to Hemispot's ruins. It took him a moment to locate the hidden entrance. The stairs were dark and Alden slipped more than once. His soul could hear Parker calling to him in horror.
A distant, flickering light caught his attention. Alden increased his speed as much as he could. It was only a matter of seconds but it felt as though hours had passed before he was at the entrance. The smell from the room made him gag. He had to force himself to enter. 
Parker was sanding before the pit, naked. Alden saw only his friend, but Parker was watching a creature, loathsome, obscene in its caricature of a human being. The ghoul's monstrous penis was enlarge, engorged. It was a vulgar thing, lewd. It jutted upward, outward in a mockery of a human's organ. It advanced on William Parker as he stood silent, frozen. 

"William?"
Parker watched in horror as the scaly, vile head turned toward Alden. It's red tinted eyes contained pure animal carnality as it altered its choice of sexual partners. 
"NO!" Parker's hands reached. In his mind, he was embracing the demon, but Alden saw nothing but his friend clutching air.
"Will? What's wrong?"
"For God's sake, Ray, get out of here!" He seemed to be struggling with some thing but what? In Parker's mind, he was losing his fight with the monster from the pit. "I can't hold it much longer! Get out while you can!"
"William, there's nothing there." He began to walk toward the other man.
Hysteria tinted Parker's voice. "Get out! NO! You will not have him, not him! I won't let you!" He pushed air towards the pit; he pushed the beast back towards the pit of fire. "I. . .won't. . .let you . . . HAVE HIM!" 
The beast went into the pit. Flames sprang up to claim him again. Parker's hands were licked by the fire. Shaken, he whirled toward his friend and lover. 
"Let's go, before he comes back out."
"There was nothing there!"
"There was. We don't have time to talk; We have to leave." He tried to shove his friend toward the door. The flames sprang up high. "Oh, God." He shoved Alden out into the dark hallway. "No!"
By the time Alden had picked himself up and had turned back toward the cellar, Parker was back at the pit. Surely it was the fire that made his body appear to glow a phosphorescent blue. Surely it was only a trick of the flames that gave an illusion of a creature in the midst of the pit. Parker appeared to be battling it . . . battling and losing. 
Alden never stopped to analyze his next actions. He did what he did out of pure instinct . . . and love. He ran forward, jumped up on the rim of the pit and added his strength to his lover-friend's. He felt something beneath his palms. There was something solid before him. No! It was his imagination; It had to be. The flames were hot, terrifying. His body would be burned! If he didn't leave, he would die! Alden stayed. If Parker needed his help, then he would take that chance. His own body became opalescence white; Stronger and stronger it glowed. The creature began to shrink. The fire's life began to diminish. Within moments, they had died altogether. 
When Alden felt the rim start to crumple, he fell towards the ground, taking Parker with him. They watched in silence as the walls of the stone enclosure fell in upon itself. Seconds later, the opening was sealed. They felt a rumble beneath their feet.
"We have to get out of here." Parker jerked Alden up and then shoved him towards the door.
"Nice friends you have, " Alden muttered as he desperately tried to keep his feet.
"Stupid bastard!" Despite himself, Parker felt the urge to laugh.

Outside, in the cool darkness, the moon guided their way as they made their way to a safe distance. The ruins of the old house shuddered and imploded. It sank rapidly into the ground and dirt and the old stones mingled to form a strange burial place. There had been no sound; The night remained eerily quiet.
Parker wept dry tears against a tree.
"Will you tell me why you're running around the land naked?" Alden demanded. His voice trembled; His whole body shook with fear. Parker only looked at him. "What in the hell was that. . . that . . . " He wiggled an arm towards the pile of rocks.
"A mistake."
"A mistake? A mistake!" He took off his shirt and wrapped it around his friend's waist.
"Yes." He took a step towards his home, one, two, three . . . 
"William, was it real?"
"Was it?" Parker's muscles ached badly. They protested further use. If they had been in charge, he would have fallen to the ground right then and there, but his will, his strong will, kept him moving.
"You're not going to answer me, are you?" He wanted to lie down and sleep but if Parker could keep moving, then so could he.
"Does it matter? It's over with."
"Is it?"
"Yes." Then he thought, <Almost. There is one last thing I must do and then it really will be over.> They were silent until they reached the house. "I need to be alone."
"Will?"
Parker ran his hands through his lover's curls. "You could have been killed."
"You needed me." A shiver ran up and down his spine. "Was it real?"
"reality, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. Did you see anything when you came into the room?"
"Just you and the fire."
"Then that's the reality you cling to. Anything else is unimportant. Now go in. I'll be in in a moment."
"William..."
"You said you loved me."
"I do, with all my heart and soul."
"Then go in, please, and shut the door."
Hesitantly, Alden went in; the door shut with a tiny click.
Parker walked slowly toward a clearing before stopping. His breathing was ragged; It showed his exhaustion. After removing Alden's shirt, he lifted his head, his arms and closed his eyes. 

Tiny bolts of electricity covered his naked body. He whimpered in agony. Light radiated from his body. His whimpers changed to sobs as the torment increased. Parker fell to his knees. He choked back his screams as the movement of black power swam over him and through him. The light that surrounded him shifted from red to blue to yellow and then, finally to a white that grew in radiance until it would have blinded anyone looking. The glow died down and Parker lay back on the cool grass. There was a lightness in his soul; The hatred was gone, the need for revenge. His memories remained but they no longer controlled him.
"I love you, Ray Alden, " he whispered in triumph. "I can love you now." He turned sluggishly and walked proudly back to his home.