A Demon For Christmas

COMING UP, GOING DOWN.

(The Prequel to “A Demon For Christmas”)

Weren’t many of us left. Sarge, Ollie, Steve, over there, clearly dead. No point in trying to do much. There was a hummock between us and the other two guys, Dex and Joey….no sound since yesterday ‘cept gun fire, ours and theirs. That left Bruno and me. Knowing what might be coming over the hill I’d stripped down so my chest was clearly on view, in big letters, “INFIDEL” in both English and Arabic, no missing that. Fuck, if that pissed them off, wait til they saw what was on my ass.

“Not a bad day...”

“Nope, sure could use a spot of rain….hey, you got any smokes left? I’m out..”

“Sorry, dude, don’t smoke.”

“Well, fuck I know that, have ever since basic, keep thinkin’ you might have a pack...just cuz, hell….”

“Yeah, just cuz….Sarge smokes….” We looked over at this body...maybe thirty feet from us, too big a chance, nobody needs a butt-or a bullet-that bad.

“Got much ammo left? Cargo pockets lookin’ full or your cock growed.” He gave me a grin.

There was a sound.

We instantly did the shoulder to shoulder position making a 90 degree angle, we could at least cover about 270 degrees….Couldn’t miss the sound of however many crawling through the sand...and they weren’t looking for gophers.

“Jack?”

“Yeah?”

“This ain’t the end but if something goes haywire, like one of us gets shot...”

That’s when the first bullet caught him, just above the heart, he went down, fast, another shot through his forehead, I went down with him, automatic, protect your buddy….Got me in the calf and must have had a pip of a sharpshooter cuz he got the rifle from my hand.

There were five of them. First thing they did was finish Bruno off then turned to me. With the bayonet one of them traced the letters on my chest, grinned, turned to the rest, said something, then turned back. Two of them grabbed me by my arms, sure I fought but...they won. He took out a knife which he used to slice with the blade into the Arabic word for Infidel. Hurt like shit but I managed to laugh.

The hauled me up into a sitting position, found some sharp things, nailed it through the fabric on my fabric desert boots, got both legs spread and secured, held my arms up. He ran the muzzle up on leg, slowly tearing open the seam to my crotch with his knife, paused looked at me, leering. I’d heard about this one, sorry I had, made me sweat more. He said something, grinned, well, what else does a Yankee soldier do? I spit on his gun-couldn’t get it far enough to hit him. He laughed some more as he moved the business end, the muzzle, on to my crotch, paused, pushed down, looking for the jewels, ripped my jock away, found one….

He shot my left nut off, that’s when I passed out….

I thought I saw...maybe Sarge, maybe...couldn’t tell...on litters, moving. Men who were Medics, leaning over us, helping, must have worked didn’t feel anything….but had a memory, not a good one….automatically stuck my hand down to see how many out of two remained. I knew what had happened to Lefty so….Son of a Bitch, got both of them, my cock flopping over it...idiot must have missed, both there or….someone crept up and took him out or….where the hell was I? Where were my clothes? Looked down at my chest and the tats were just as fresh as the day the guy in Ft. Riley finished ‘em. Infidel in two languages. I snapped my hand up, felt them, apart from some hair, nothing….but...the guy took a knife, ripped them. I looked up at the good looking man who had this great smile, a hand on my forearm.

“Sir, it’s gonna take a while. You’ve been shot…” Well, hell I knew that. “...but we got you here, it’s gonna be alright.”

I almost said, “without my balls? I don’t think so” but...for whatever reason didn’t I’d just made a pass down there and...all seemed in place. That’s when I looked at him. He was naked ‘cept for an arm band that said, “Medic”. Looking at me, fuck,  I was naked….somehow, this didn’t seem like the places they took battle front soldiers….didn’t look like any place.

Heard Bruno call. Bruno? I saw him drop back there,in the sand box, the blood and brain spurting...by the time they got me roped down, he was dead, someone pushed his body over, thought about shooting off his face then didn’t….

“Sir, don’t think about it, that’s all behind you, you’re okay, your buddies, they’re okay, we gotcha….promise.” Every person on earth should have his smile, everyone. “Hey, let me get your buddy….he was by you when we….”

When you what? He stood up, okay, every man on earth should have a cock and balls such as he had...I hope to shout. Made me check mine again just to see….yep, two, in place, furry, cock on top, but everybody’s there. Stuck out his hand, looked me in my eyes...you know what’s coming….everyone should have eyes like his…. “I’m Evan, I’ll take care of you til’ we move you on….” Wondered if he’d put some clothes on. He wandered away and….aw shit, figure it out, everyone should have an ass…..

I laid back, found wherever I was, it was really comfortable, warm, just nothing seemed to fit. Evan just...disappeared into….what? A door? There wasn’t one, also there were no walls, I looked over, no floor but something….Army cot, urp green however...real comfortable just no mattress, pillows, lots of them, green blanket with “US ARMY” on it just, I guess, they made this bunch without making them itchy...maybe this one was new.

“Okay, soldier, your  buddy’s in here….” Evan, with another-naked-medic appeared, just that, appeared-with a cot between them. Swung it around, saw the man on it….shit,  Bruno! Tried to reach for him, hold him, make sure he was really Bruno...Evan held me back while they snapped the cots together, both of them smiled then...went away. I don’t know who grabbed who first but I could feel tears on my back, same as he could...Kissed his neck...felt his forehead….no hole. We just held on to one another. Oh, and somehow, we were in the unheard of, a double Army cot. Double blanket….as close as we were clinging to each other, a single anything would have been just fine.

“Jack, what….?”

I could only nod my head, “No idea….last thing…. I remember, they shot off my left nut.” He winced, automatically reached down to check his… “Don’t worry, you were dead, shot twice, heart, head...” We just sat there not willing to turn loose but unsure as to what next? There had to be a next, didn’t there?

A voice, probably Evan’s, why not? “Hey, guys, beer call, all I got is bottles…okay?”

Bruno almost remembered normal… “Use a pack of smokes...”

Evan, okay, he had the sort of laugh...hell, you know… “Sorry buddy, you’re in a no smoking zone.” He appeared (from where?) behind us holding six beers, three to a hand between his fingers, an opener in his mouth. Bruno got the church key while I helped Evan off load the suds...Brand I’d never seen, probably some local micro brewery….seems they’re everywhere but, fuck, who cares?

Bruno popped one each, looked at Evan who laughed, “Sorry, guys, I’m driving, have a couple for me. Holler when you run out….in about three minutes…” and his great laugh.

“Think he means it?” Bruno, I did remember this, once won a contest back at base by chugging a beer in eleven seconds. Men just shook their heads. Later he confessed, he’d learned how to open his throat back home when they’re been a fish swallowing contest-the day he told me I almost gagged-so now he could shove about anything in his mouth and down it went. I didn’t mean it, promise but I spouted out….

“Bet you’re a terrific cock swallower, you got deep throating….” and then I looked at him. He downed his brew in one, returned the look…didn’t drop his head….

“Yeah, Jack, I can do that...deep throat anything cept an electric eel.” He put an arm with a beer chilled finger around me, got his head next to mine. “Wanted to suck you….since first time I saw you….even before that jury rigged shower...” I tried to look at him...knew something… “Chubbed right there… I guess...” He looked out at...something. He needed to finish what he was going to say, couldn’t. Okay, so I’d taste like  beer but he needed to be kissed, not just to say it’s okay, but because I wanted to kiss him, wanted to suck him...too. Guess that’s why we stuck together, always partnered up, fuck lots of guys did, easier, you knew your buddy, what they’d do….Now, here, well, better to know. I could see him, no hole in his head, I thought I could make him smile.

“Hey, I haven’t been drained, by someone who can swallow fish...”

He looked at me. “Serious?….”

“…..as a heart attack.” Grinned at him. “Guess there was something I forgot to tell you….back in that shower? ‘member how it was dark? Where I shot, sure as hell no one had their tent there...” That’s when I kissed him.

“What about Evan?”

“What about him? He can take his turn…..”

Hadn’t made out in….? Couple of times in the barracks, guys lost a dumb bet, had to blow all of us but in Bru’s arms, tear wetted backs...this was real. “Hey, know what a 69 is?”

He looked at me, grinned. “Hey, you never won a fish swallowing contest…..”

“Guess it’s time to learn but, remember those dumb bets that guys lost, had to suck cock? Well, if you work it, and I knew how, you can lose regularly.”

Didn’t take two minutes to get flat, get one dick per sucker, rolled over on our sides, got scissored in...course, we were already hard….and happy. Felt good, we both held back and it was there I figured out where we were ‘cuz only in heaven could you and your buddy come five times in a row, full blast each time.

Right on cue, Evan, beer, smiling. “Glad you could get comfortable...hey, Bruno, I need to borrow Jack so...drink up, we’ll be right back….”

He steered me a little way toward...nothing then got behind me, held me, just felt like an angel because he was one. I mentioned that to him.

I could feel his smile as he kissed my shoulder. One hand was around my chest, two fingers holding my left nipple, his other hand gently holding my nut sack….

“Jack...it’s time to explain something, see, up here, everybody’s been through a bad patch but...there are differences. Take you and your Bruno...He was killed, you were murdered. I didn’t get it, told him so.

“When whoever shot him killed him, they didn’t even know whether they’d hit anybody, could have bounced off a piece of equip, gone into the sand, just happened they hit him. But you….I don’t like to do this but….” He wiped his hand across the air in front of us. Son of a bitch, there I was, legs nailed down, two guys behind me, my pants being torn open, the barrel going toward...then it stopped. I knew, remembered what happened next.

“You don’t need to see that...but, Jack, see why I can say you were murdered and Bru wasn’t?”

Sort of. I was glad his arms were around me. Instinctively I pressed back against him, I hadn’t seen it but my memory...my hand covered his… “They’re both there. Ready to get up and fuck, just as fertile but..see...in situations like yours, there’s a chance, okay a small one, you’d have survived.”

“After having my nuts shot off? I guess they blasted the other one...”

“People have survived that kind of wound, you’ll just have to believe me, they can, you might have. Technically, some part of your life goes on….here, for now but...”

“Are you throwing me out?”

He chuckled, Naw, we keep the good ones, and that’s certainly you but...”

Here it comes, the ‘but’ that’s the fly in the ointment, Heaven is about to fuck me over.

“Better tell you, I can read your mind.” I could feel his lips smile, kiss the back of my neck. “Here, put up your right hand, do what I did, wipe it across and think about anything you’d like to see…..”

I couldn’t take it, my little brother, Bill, sitting in a dark closet, holding a pair of socks...crying.

“He’s taken it very hard...it’s been two years since...”

I choked. “TWO YEARS? Two fucking years….????”

Evan held me close, preventing me from going to my knees. “Jack, time here is non existent. That’s the meaning of forever….you can’t measure forever….”

I stared at Bill...tried to think...I hadn’t seen him for nine months...so two years…? He was almost sixteen….

“I have to get to him….he’s a great kid, just, just let him know I’m….”

“We know you love him but….no one goes back...think of all the people who would...it would just make lives there unhappy, in time, people don’t forget but they move on, adapt...Bill will, he’s young, he’ll find a life….sure he’s lonely, he really loved you, gotta tell you, I’ve seen too many brothers who just were sorry but they didn’t remember, he’ll never forget you, love you...I’ll tell you something….in not too long people will start to say...’Boy, you sure look a lot like Jack….’ and he will. You can always look in, be proud of him but….his life has to be lived...”

“And my life is over.” I turned and fell into Evan’s arms. As with everything else, Evan was a great hugger, felt better.

“Try it again, look at Bill….”

He’d changed, was on the football field, there was a game….he was playing. I looked at Evan. “How long since….?”

“Does it matter? Lets say...a while.”

“A while….eventually will he come here, be with me?”

“Jack he hasn’t lived his life...you can watch when you want but...buddy, don’t. You’re not here to be unhappy and...if he knew his brother was unhappy...’course, he can’t but just remember him like...now, playing ball, like you did, maybe he’s thinking about you.”

On the screen or whatever it was Bill seemed to look up, maybe looking for me….I stopped the vision. Evan was right, I needed to be happy…

“I’ve changed something. Look at your chest, as best you can….I took away your tattoo but gave you something….” He pushed me back, had me feel my breast...there was something in it….

“You were murdered, it’s a bullet through your nipple...it’s our way of thanking you for giving up your life, it’s a memorial...the tattoo...nobody has them, just customary.”

We turned, he put his arm over my shoulder. “How ‘bout a brewsky? Bet Bru would like one...”

“Yeah, sure, he would.” I thought of something...asked…. “If I looked now...would he be 37?”

Evan, damn, that great smile, “Time doesn’t move that fast.” He paused seemed to look...somewhere. “Games over, they’re going to the locker…” For a moment, he looked...odd...as if he knew something but it passed.

“I bet that fat ass Webster…..Jesus, he couldn’t coach a team….”

Evan had that momentary cloudy look.

Bru wondered where I’d been….told him, as best I could. He went ape shit over the bullet...had to tell him you had to be murdered to get it...told him about that last moment before I was murdered….he decided he’d prefer to go the way he did.

On cue, Evan appeared with the beers, told us how to get one, or however many we wanted, whenever we wanted and the good news, nobody here ever got drunk. Bru showed Evan how to chug a beer in eleven seconds, he seemed impressed.

We found we could talk about anything and everything; We could both do the wipe thing, watch whatever we wanted, no one knew, didn’t matter here...Sarge came by, the usual grateful greeting, told us, and laughed, he watched the President bang the First Lady, as porn, he said, it lacked. I guess he surprised us when, without hinting, said why didn’t we get into a double fuck, he had a big ass, looked like we had big dicks. You know the Army, always do what the Sargent tells you and, of course, we were still dripping cum when Evan and one of his buddies, called him Marco, showed up with enough beer for a platoon. In a way he spent the night, if there’d been a night, with us, all under that amazing Army cot that just seemed to be whatever size you needed.

We were doing nothing when Evan showed up with another man, someone we hadn’t seen but was well worth the look. Perfect white hair, absolutely the greatest military flat top I’d ever seen, had to be, what?, a general. Evan introduced him as “Michael” said they needed to talk to me, now. Important.

Michael put his arm around me, somehow...I knew something about him, something great, wonderful…. “Jack, got a problem and you’re the man to help us. See, your brother, Bill, didn’t adjust like most brothers do, he’s still….I guess I’d say desperately lonely for you. Great kid, almost a man but now…..Jack...he’s been looking for a gun your father has, thinks if you aren’t going to come back the only way is for him to come to you….”

I was horrified. No. Bill commit….he couldn’t, I looked at Michael.

“There’s a way for you to go back, not quite as you but enough so that he’ll accept you...you’ll be a good demon, we’re working fast, we’re now on their time….When you get there, you’ll know what to do, what to say, look...” He wiped a picture, Bill was decorating a tree, an ornament, one I’d made was almost to drop….he caught it, started to run….Michael stuffed some white socks in my hand, slapped my ass, smiled, they faded…

I was in our closet, holding the socks as my beloved brother came through the door holding the ornament, he was in tears….sat down reached for the pair of socks he kept there….

He felt something, me, leaned back, looked up…..

“Hello, kid, you always did break my balls…………”