The Well

Jacob turned onto the dirt lane, one so familiar he believed he could drive it with his eyes closed. It cut through a stand of pine, thirty acres of trees planted in the sixties, and across a small stream, the old wooden bridge creaking with the weight of his old Cherokee. He eased up the slope to the next plateau of flatland where the house and barns sat among pecan and oak trees. It had been three years since he last came here, the weekend his grandmother was moved out to live with his parents back in town. She had become too forgetful to be living alone, his grandfather having passed six years earlier.

As he neared the house, he thought of all the times he had spent here as a child. Thanksgiving and Christmas a time for the family to gather, Aunts and Uncles driving in from Biloxi, Atlanta and Tallahassee. The summers spent on the farm helping his grandfather, feeding hogs and chickens, gathering eggs, and working in the garden. There had been long summer days sitting under the oak at the rear of the house shelling peas and butterbeans, snapping string beans, or picking peanuts from the roots of the plants. In the fall there were years pecans covered the ground and he dragged a bucket along as he knee-walked across the hard ground picking them up. Then there were the sleep overs, the nights his grandmother would make his favorite dishes or have a cobbler made of peaches from the tree that grew along the fence by the barn.

He pulled up to the front of the house and looked at how it seemed to have aged decades instead of years. The paint was peeling and spiderwebs hung from the porch roof and columns. Weeds grew up among the shrubs and amaryllis and the grass hadn’t been cut in months. It added to his sadness.

He was twenty-four and had believed by this time he would be settling into his life. He had imagined setting up a home with Christopher, his boyfriend. He had pictured coming out to his parents and letting the chips fall where they may, for he had Chris for support. He imaged a job in his field that would give him an income he could live comfortably, save up for a house in the suburbs or a townhouse in the city. But life didn’t follow his script. Six months ago, it was obvious Chris was growing distant, then a couple weeks later he announced he wasn’t happy, and was setting up to go overseas for the Peace Corp. It left him spinning.

It had been obvious to his parents something was wrong. His tone of voice in their weekly phone calls and last spring, home for his cousin’s wedding, they saw how he had lost weight and wasn’t himself. They had pushed for answers, but he managed to make it through the wedding and get back to Denver. But nothing was working for him. He even soured on his job, turning down a promotion then three weeks ago turning in his notice. After giving them two weeks, he packed up what would fit in the Cherokee and drove home, with no plans for what to do.

It had been tense from the moment he had arrived back home and after two days he let his frustration get to him. At first, his parents just asked what was wrong, told him he could talk to them. Then they grew demanding, told him he had to pull it together and could not expect to live at home much longer. It came to be too much and in a fit of anger and exasperation he blurted it all out. Him being gay, his relationship with Chris and how it had ended.

It had not gone well. His parent’s religious beliefs made it impossible. He had closed himself up in his old room for a day, refusing even to come out to eat. Yesterday he had driven into town for lunch and roamed the few blocks of downtown. Last night, his father had pushed him again. To renounce his sinful life and to ‘get off your ass’. His father was half right. He did need to get off his ass and do something. This morning he had waited for his father to leave for work and his mother to be in the middle of caring for his grandmother and he had taken the keys to the old place and slipped out the door.

He went through the house looking at the ghost of covered furniture, the dusty light fixtures and near total absence of anything personal. No family photos, no mail or newspaper on the dining table, no novel on the side table in the living room or on the back of the toilet. He wandered from room to room letting the emptiness of each add to his own. It made him feel more depressed, this wallowing in his loneliness and sense of isolation. At the kitchen window he looked out at what should have been a garden with the ninety-acre field beyond. Instead all he saw was weeds and grasses quickly taking the cultivated ground back. The memory of washing dishes as his grandmother dried and put them away rose vivid in his mind. The memory of the tractor crossing the field, a cloud of dust in its wake. The memory of family.

He ambled out the back door across the screen porch, noticing some animal had clawed through at the steps. Armadillo he assumed, by the looks of it. He left the gravel path and strolled through the tall grass till he came to the bedroom end of the house.  Azaleas wrapped the end of the house, each one taller than his five foot eleven. He worked his way between the wall and azaleas till he found himself in the small clearing between them. It was odd to stand in the small enclosed area, for it had been forbidden to play here growing up. The septic tank sat at one side and on the other, an old well, the top covered with wood secured with bolts anchored in the old stone perimeter.

His grandfather said the original house didn’t even have indoor plumbing and their water came from the well. All Jacob knew, it had always been covered to prevent any of the kids from falling in. He kicked at the wood cover and found it rotten. Curious, he leaned over and pulled and the wood pulled up easily, the bolts slipping through the rot. He flipped it over and looked down into the well. With the sun nearly directly overhead light fell to the bottom. It was only about nine feet or so deep and the bottom looked made of stone same as the sides. It didn’t make sense, for it was too shallow to have been for water. He looked through the spiderwebs at the top down into the circular shaft wondering what it had really been used for. The sides were rough stone but neatly mortared in place. The bottom appeared to be smooth, almost like a floor.

At the barn, he pulled out the key ring looking for the one that fit the padlock on the sliding doors. He didn’t understand why there were so many keys. There must have been a different key for every lock on the place. When a key finally fit, he unlocked it and slid the door open. It was obvious no one had been inside the barn in years and he used a limb to knock away spiderwebs as he moved inside. He knew where to look for what he sought. Working down the right side he came to the step up from the dirt floor to a wood floor at a shop area, tools hanging on the walls and sitting in the corners. Leaning on the wall were two ladders and he grabbed the shorter of the two, an eight-foot ladder that would be perfect for the well.

The ladder set in place; Jacob eased down into the well. It was about four feet in diameter and with the ladder in it, space was tight. He stood in the bottom and looked up at the circle of sky, a clear cloudless blue. He looked at the stone wall, running his hand over the roughness. The joints between each stone were neat, the mortar raked smooth between them. He squatted down, bracing with one hand and ran the other over the floor. It was as smooth as it looked.

Suddenly he felt tired. Maybe it was the anxiety and stress of the last few days. He eased down and sat against the rough wall, oddly comforted by the way the rock pressed at certain points along his back. He stared at the wall for a long time, his mind finally calm. He leaned back and looked up at the circle of sky above. The perfect blue circle with nothing interrupting it. No clouds, no birds, nothing broke the blue. He stared up wondering how far he was seeing. It seemed forever, and in some way, he knew it was.

After an unknown length of time the contrail of a plane came into view. It moved across the circle so slowly it appeared to barely be moving. He knew the plane making it was traveling hundreds of miles an hour, but with the distance the speed was lost. He watched the contrail cross the circle of sky. A quarter of the way. Half-way across. Three-quarters of the way. His eye lids grew heavy, closing more frequently as the contrail neared the opposite side.

Jacob jerked awake, still looking up. Immediately everything was wrong. The sky was cloudy, no blue visible. Along the side of the shaft, the ladder was gone. Then he was aware of his nakedness. He was sitting in the bottom of the shaft without a stitch of clothing. He looked around, confused, bewildered at how this could be true. He then realized his watch and ring were gone. Feeling each earlobe, he found both hoops gone as well.

He stood on wobbly legs, bracing himself on the wall and looked up, listening. He heard voices, somewhere far off. He couldn’t make out what anyone was saying but he heard the laughter and squeal of a young girl. It didn’t make sense. Taking a deep breath, he began to climb, searching for finger holds and places he could step up with his toes. It was slow going, but he only had to climb a few feet to reach the top.

He clawed his way over the top edge and rolled onto the ground. Still in shock at how nothing was as it was, he sat up trying to get his bearings. The house was freshly painted, all the windows perfect with curtains in each he had never seen before. Around him were no azaleas, just grass around the top of well. He heard the voices in front get closer and he scrambled to his feet and eased to the back corner of the house, peering around to see if anyone were nearby. He couldn’t begin to explain his nudity. About fifty feet away was a clothes’ line, another thing he never saw before. Two sheets hung on one end and small girl’s clothes hung on the other. Through the white sheets he saw shadows of long pants and shirts. Racing across the yard, hoping not to be seen, he ran around the first line and stood between one sheet and a line of men’s clothes. They looked to be his size, or close enough, and he grabbed down boxers, jeans and a white t-shirt. For the time being he’d have to go barefooted. He looked across the backyard and stood shocked. There were only two barns, the smaller ones that had been in the most disrepair. The larger barn was nowhere to be seen. Quickly dressing, he wondered what he should do when he heard someone inside the house call out.

He took off for the nearest barn, a place he could hide while trying to work out what was going on. As he cut across the yard, he saw an old truck, 1950s Ford which appeared to be almost new. Just beyond it was a 1957 Ford Fairlane and a 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air. He stumbled as he contemplated how new each one looked. At the barn he slipped inside only to be faced with more madness. Before him sat an old Ford tractor, but it didn’t look old. It looked brand new.

“What the fuck” he uttered out loud.

He walked the familiar barn, which was somehow different, better, more preserved. The right side was more open than before, only columns separating the space in lieu of walls. He came to a ladder that had not existed for over fifteen years when his dad removed the last of the loose rungs. He climbed up to the loft space and found it crowded with old furniture and wood boxes. In the corner sat a butter churn and a wrought iron bed.

He sat down and leaned forward, resting his head on his arms crossed over his knees. It was as if he was in the 1950’s. The condition of the house, the cars parked outside, and down below, that tractor that appeared new. But it was 2019. He was twenty-four, living in 2019. It couldn’t be 1957 or 1958 or whatever it appeared. After some time, he lay back, suddenly so tired he struggled to keep his eyes open. He lay on the hard wood surface with arms folded behind his head and closed his eyes.

There was a nudge, a push against his left foot. Once, twice, three times and Jacob finally stirred awake. Every muscle ached as he stretched before he realized where he was laying and that he wasn’t alone. Opening his eyes, he looked up the barrel of a shotgun, and holding it was a guy about his age.

“Whoa…whoa…whoa…hold on…” said Jacob stammering as he kicked at the floor trying to back away.

“Who the hell are you?” the guy asked.

“I’m…I’m Jacob.”

“Well, Jacob, why are you in our barn and why do you have on my clothes?”

“I…” Jacob stammered unsure how to tell the truth, wondering if he should lie.

“Did you get in the well?” the guy asked, the shotgun lowering slightly.

Jacob saw the guy’s expression change, from furious to something else. He now looked anxious, scared even. It was the well. He’d been in it himself.

“Yes…yes…I was in it. I don’t know what happened, but I just found myself here.”

“Why did you come here and climb into it? What made you do it?”

Jacob realized the guy didn’t fully understand what could happen. But neither did he.

“Will you tell me today’s date?” asked Jacob and he saw the guy look at him with a curious expression.

‘Today’s date? October 3rd.”

“What year?”

“What year? Are you crazy?”

“What year? Please.”

“1957.”

Jacob turned pale and his mouth hung open as he stared at the guy. He didn’t want to believe it, but the evidence was there. All around him, with the cars and tractor, the condition of the house, the missing barn that wasn’t constructed till 1976.

“Fuck.”

“How long were you down in the well?”

It seemed like such a stupid question but then again, the guy had to know something.

“I don’t know. I fell asleep and when I woke…I was here.”

“What year is it supposed to be? What year did you…”

“2019.”

The shotgun lowered all the way and the guy looked as pale and sick as Jacob felt.

“What happened when you went down in it?” asked Jacob.

“The first time, back when I was fifteen, I had gone down in it to hide. It was late afternoon and I had closed my eyes for a minute. Just a minute, if that long. When I opened them, it was morning, once again. And…I had to put my clothes back on.”

“So, you’ve seen what happens.”

“I went back down last winter. I had convinced myself I had been wrong before. That I was confused” said the guy, hesitating to go further. He looked across the storage loft then back at Jacob. “When I climbed out it was three days later, and everyone had been looking for me.”

Jacob nodded his head showing his understanding. He eased to his feet and looked at the guy for the first time. A few inches shorter, lean wiry build, with short blonde hair. Any other time this would be someone he would want to flirt with, someone to feel a desire toward, but all he could do was take measure of the guy.

“I’m Jacob, by the way.”

“I’m Edward; Edward Coleman.”

“Coleman? My grandfather bought this place from a Robert Coleman.”

“That’s my dad, but we ain’t selling.”

“No…I mean, this was in 1974, when…well it’s not important” said Jacob, remembering it was the death of Mrs. Coleman that caused Robert to sell and move to Virginia to be near his son Kenneth.

“You have a brother by the name of Kenneth?”

“Yes, a younger brother and a sister too; Dorothy.”

“This is so fucked up.”

A voice from outside called for Edward and he looked toward the front of the barn.

“I have to go. You stay here and I’ll get you some food.”

“But I need to get back. I need to go back down.”

“Not yet. Some people from church are coming over for a cookout and there will be kids running around everywhere. Just stay up here for a little while. I’ll come back and let you know when the coast is clear.”

Jacob watched Edward ease down the ladder, the shotgun in one hand. He heard the front door swing open then close and he knew he was alone again.  He sat on a box and stared into the dark corners wondering how he ended up like this. It was hot in the barn, the sun beating down on the metal roof radiating heat into the interior. He unbuttoned the shirt and let it hang open feeling a bit cooler, but not much.

Outside children were laughing and yelling, and the smoke of bar-be-que floated in the air, reminding Jacob he had not eaten in a long time. He was anxious to get into the well, to get back to his time, but he knew he had to wait. He’d never make it with all the people around the property. Easing down on the floor, he leaned against the box and closed his eyes.

The rumble of thunder jolted him awake and he sat up listening as rain fell on the metal roof. It grew louder as the rain fell harder. He wondered if he could make it to the well using the cover of darkness and the storm to conceal him. He crawled on his hands and knees in the darkness searching for the edge of the floor and the ladder. He moved slowly, cautiously, till his fingers fell over the floor’s edge. He waved his hand in front of him, following the edge till he found the ladder.

Back down on the dirt floor he made his way around the dark silhouette of the tractor and to the door whose perimeter glowed from an outside security light. He was half-way past the tractor when the door swung open. He froze, wondering if the shadows were enough to conceal him if it were not Edward. A silhouette came into the door and he saw it was Edward carrying some sort of tray.

“Jacob! What are you doing?”

“I thought I could make it the well” replied Jacob as he watched Edward close the door and flip on a flashlight. Its dull beam did little to push back the darkness but when Edward drew close, he could see it was a tray in his hands.

“I finally caught the kitchen empty and got you something to eat” said Edward as he pulled aluminum foil back revealing bar-be-que, beans and other sides that made Jacob’s stomach growl.

Jacob took the tray and set it on the hood of the tractor and ate standing. Edward held the flashlight on the tray while he consumed the food in a ravished manner.

“You’re starving” said Edward, eliciting a nod of Jacob’s head as he shoved more food in his mouth. “You know the well fills with water when it rains. Just a little rain and it’ll be a couple of feet deep, and with a rain like this…there’s no way you can go down in it.”

“So, I’m stuck till it quits raining?”

“It’s supposed to move out during the night and be clear in the morning, so maybe you can go before dawn.”

When Jacob finished, Edward ventured to the back of the barn, going into a small storage room to the far side.  He watched Edward pull out a sleeping bag then a heavy folding cot, military green and obviously very old.

“It was dad’s during the war” said as he dragged it out. “We can get you set up over here. This will be more comfortable.”

Edward set the cot up to one side of the barn then threw the sleeping bag over it. It looked all too accommodating, like he was to stay a while, and Jacob sighed with his frustration, resolved to wait out the storm but anxious to get back to his time. He sat down  and watched Edward sit next to him. They were too close, and he felt Edward’s presence, the masculine nature of him. The lean build, and how the straight cut of the jeans accentuated the long legs. Eyes moving upward till he saw the bulge and he swallowed as he tried to look away. Was Edward deliberately testing him. Did he have any clue what this closeness meant to him. He found Edward attractive but knew there was no way. Not some guy from 1957. He could not possibly understand. But he knew how naïve he was being. He had read of other’s experiences when he had been trying to find others like himself. Stories that were familiar, no matter how different. Different cultures, places and even times.

“You have a girlfriend waiting for you?” asked Edward in such a low voice Jacob barely heard it.

“No.”

Should he go further. Tell Edward the truth. Would it make things worse, cause some rejection that left him stuck here, in this time?

“Where you are from, are some guys different?”

Jacob saw Edward rest his hand between them. He saw the fingers move, wiggle up and down, then the pinky finger rub the side of his leg. Then it pulled away quickly, the hand shifting back closer to Edward.

“Yes. There are a lot of differences that most of society accepts, but there is still resistance. Religious dogma making it hard for some.”

Edward let the answer hang between them, so they sat silent for a long time with only the sound of rain on the tin roof.

“Listen to that rain. I’ve not heard it on a tin roof in a long time” said Jacob looking up into the dark rafters above.

“I love it. Have you ever run out in it?”

“What?”

“You know. Go out in it and just run.”

“No, can’t say that I have. As kids we would play in it some, but our parents didn’t like us out in it. We’d get sick they would complain.“

“Let’s go out.”

“Now? It’s so dark out there you can’t see the nose on your face.”

“I’ll get another flashlight” Edward replied as he jumped up and headed to a work bench.

“We’ll get soaked, and wet clothes are so…”

“We take them off” Edward replied as if it were obvious.

Jacob knew there was more to this than some game of running around in the rain, but he couldn’t resist. There was something playful about it. Some innocence that seemed to override the bawdy nature of it. Flashlights in hand they were standing at a back door looking out into the darkness as the rain fell, each drop a small reflection of light. The wind had died down and the thunder and lightning stopped.  He turned and watched Edward lay his shirt over a planter, then undo his jeans and slip them off.

“Well, come on, get your clothes off” said Edward as he tossed his jeans over the shirt and stood in just his white boxers.

Jacob let his flashlight shine over the lean body, almost glowing in its dim light. He saw the lean muscular build, the nipples that rode high on the pecs, the smoothness of the skin, the flat stomach and the obvious bulge of cock within the boxers. Then he saw Edward look at him with longing.

“Hold my flashlight” said Jacob. He removed his shirt, then the jeans revealing another pair of Edward’s white boxers bulging at the front in the same aroused manner. “Okay, now what? Want someone see us running around?”

“Not if we go back to the pond. Follow me and keep your light low till we get there.”

Jacob followed Edward as they cut along the edge of the field behind the barn, keeping under the overhanging tree canopy. He watched as Edward’s boxer got wet, tantalizingly, revealing each ass cheek. Barefoot, he felt the mud ooze up between his toes as they cut across the edge of the field and into the woods at the backside. It was a narrow lane that cut through the wood and he kept close to Edward as they followed the wheel ruts till they came out into a small grass meadow, with the grass cut neatly ankle high. He saw Edward’s flashlight aim off into the distance and its light reflected on the surface of water. It was the pond, positioned at the back of the small clearing.

“Come on Jacob” exclaimed Edward as he took off running.

For a moment Jacob just watched Edward run into the darkness, only the bouncing around light beam showing his location. Then he ran after him, suddenly feeling more playful than he had in a long time. He chased Edward around the meadow, tripping and stumbling and laughing and taunting. It was as if they were children without a care in the world. They raced across the small meadow then began to wrestle around, flashlights dropped on the ground. Neither could see in the dark, only occasionally rolling through a beam of light. Edward was strong, much stronger than he looked, and Jacob went down with Edward falling on top of him. They rolled in the grass, struggling with each other till Edward had Jacob pinned on the ground.

Jacob couldn’t see Edward, but he could feel him, the weight of his body and the undulation of his torso from heavy breathing. He could feel the warm exhale of each breath. He put his hands on Edward’s waist, gently, with no fight left in him. Then he felt Edward’s lips press against his own.

Edward pulled up and for a moment he only saw the darkness above him and felt the warm exhales. Edward wasn’t moving.

“It’s okay. I want it too” said Jacob as he reached up and slipped a hand around Edward’s neck and pulled him back down.

They kissed. Jacob let his hands roam over Edward feeling the firm smooth skin. He felt muscles along Edward’s back flex and tighten. He felt each ass cheek, so firm and around in his hands. The boxers were nothing between his hands but still he couldn’t stand their breaking the contact of skin on skin. He tugged on them, roughly, hearing them tear. He didn’t care. He pushed Edward over on his back and tugged and tore at the boxers till the remnants pulled away. Then he got on his knees and removed his own.

His nakedness aroused him even more. The cool rain cascading down his torso and around his erection. A warm hand took him, fingered the head and grasped the shaft, pulling on it. He moaned as he reached down for Edward, enclosing his hand around a thick cock. It was hard as stone and flexed in his grip. He stroked his hand down its length slowly, feeling the shape of it, the curved form that fit thickly in his hand. Edward’s hand did the same to him. Their pace increased till hands moved quickly along each hard cock. Edward shuddered and he let go, not wanting him to cum yet.

Leaning over, his hands framing his target in the darkness, guiding him downward till it brushed his cheek. He moved his face over it, ran his lips along its length, then tongued the head making Edward cry out. He slipped it through his lips and pushed down till it filled his mouth and pushed to the back of his throat.

“Oh…damn” Edward exclaimed.

Jacob worked up and down the thick cock, lips tight and tongue swirling over the head when he rose up all the way. He kept it up till Edward was pushing up with his hips, aroused to the point of wanting release. He pulled off and felt up along Edward’s body till reaching each shoulder. He guided Edward up on his knees turned facing away. He pushed his erection against him, nudged between the firm round ass cheeks. He pumped his hips sliding it upward, sliding between them making him shudder with the stimulation.

“I want to fuck you” Jacob whispered in Edward’s ear and he pushed him to get on all fours. With the flashlights shining off into the darkness, he used his fingers to find his way with Edward’s body. Down the wet back, following the spine, till pushing between ass cheeks, probing till he felt the tight opening. He rubbed one finger over it in circular movements, then pushed against the tightness till it squeezed into Edward. He felt the quivering body with his other hand as he bore his finger into Edward’s depths, twisting and turning it, loosening him up.

He pushed two fingers into Edward, then three, working him till loosened to his ministrations. Edward began to push back, and he knew it was time. He slid his cock into place and pushed inward, sinking it into Edward’s depths. A cry echoed over the meadow as he slid deeper and deeper. A hand on Edward’s back and he could feel it quivering.

“You okay?” asked Jacob.

“Yes, just go slow.”

So, Jacob pulled outward, slowly, feeling the tight ring of Edward’s opening milk his cock. He pulled till only the head remained inside him, then he pushed back inward. Slowly, inch after inch. And he continued, working his cock within Edward till he felt the tight grip on his cock loosen. Then he increased his pace. Worked his hips faster and faster, till he was smacking against those firm around ass cheeks. He slid his hands up along the wet back taking the shoulders, pulling Edward up on his knees. He bear-hugged him around the neck, held tight to his chest as he piston cock inside of him.  Edward moaned and cried out each time he pushed inward all the way. The rhythm of it, along with the sound of bodies coming together, echoed in the meadow.

“Oh fuck…fuck me, Jacob” Edward uttered as he held each of Jacob’s thighs in a tight grip.

Jacob ran his free hand down the wet firm chest, over the stomach till he was able to grasp Edward, to stroke him in rhythm with their fuck. It made Edward rock his hips, shoving back on Jacob’s cock then pushing his own through Jacob’s tight fist.

“Fuck…take me” Jacob uttered in a breathless whisper as he thrust into Edward’s depths, over and over and over. He held him tight to his body, hot against his chest even in the cool rain that showered them. He continued to fuck. Fuck for release. He wanted it to last but was too aroused, too caught up in this joining with Edward and the feel of his muscular lean body against his own. He thrust harder and harder rocking Edward forward, pushing that thick cock through his fist.

Edward began to shudder, and Jacob felt the thick cock flex in his fist with release. He thrust with long deep strokes feeling the spasming ring of Edward’s opening milk his shaft while coming. It pushed him over the edge, his own need too close to slow, and he tightened his hold on Edward and pushed his spurting cock into Edward’s depths.

“That was…” said Edward as he turned in Jacob’s harms and kissed him before finishing his statement.

Jacob helped Edward to his feet, and they picked up their muddy boxers and flashlights, only one still working in the rain. They strolled slowly back to the barn, both lost in their thoughts, Jacob wondering if it had been a mistake. If he had gone too far with Edward, and he knew he felt this way due to him leaving as soon as possible. But as he followed Edward, his white skin seeming to glow faintly before him, he wanted him again. He wanted to feel their bodies pressed together and feel how it aroused him.

At the barn, Edward looked in to make sure no one had come inside looking for him. Explaining his nakedness was one thing but explaining Jacob and his nakedness was a whole other issue. They eased into the barn and using some clean rags from the work bench, dried off as best they could. Jacob took Edward’s and turned him around to dry his back. He dragged the damp cloth over the shoulders and downward to each ass cheek. It was too much, this contact and he tossed the rag aside and used his hands, rubbing them over the firm skin, feeling the muscular tone of the body. He turned Edward around and kissed him, feeling the way Edward didn’t fight him, but gave in to his ministrations. He wanted more, and he eased to his knees and took Edward in his mouth. He worked his mouth on the cock feeling it thicken and elongate in his mouth till he struggled to take it. He got it fully hard and wet with his spit. Then he stood, turned and bent over.

“Do me. Come on Edward. I want to feel you inside me…please.”

He didn’t have to ask twice. Edward was too aroused to say no, and he felt the fat blunt head push at his opening. He relaxed, pushed back, and the pain of entry  surged through him. He shuddered with how it stretched him open. How it felt twice as large as it was while sinking into his hole.

Hands moved up his back, gripped each shoulder and suddenly Edward was fucking him, hard, smacking against his ass as cock pushed into his hole so deep it felt like it was pushing the air out of his lungs. Edward was ruthless in his innocence, hammering away at his hole. It made him fully erect, his hard cock flopping between his thighs. As cock tore through his insides, he took his own in hand. He stroked furiously, in rhythm with Edward.

It was such an unexpected thing, completely out of character with the physicality of their fuck. But he felt it, the soft touch of lips between his shoulder blades. The touch spread over his back and he pushed back taking every inch of Edward’s cock. The hands on his shoulders moved to his sides, holding him gently as Edward slowed his pace. Every move, inward and out, was slow, drawn out till he didn’t think he could take it. Looking down between his legs he realized he was stroking to that same slow pace, savoring the feel of every stroke, and the added manipulation of working his hand over the flared head. It made him shiver.

Slowly, gently, Edward’s pace increased, till the sound of their bodies coming together echoed in the barn. Jacob came first, shooting wad after wad across the dirt floor. He jerked and shuddered with each ejaculation as Edward piston in his hole. Then he felt Edward press against his back, hot exhales caressing his skin, then the reverberating grunt and finally a soft whimper as Edward came, filling his hole. Edward kept pumping into his depths till cum trickled down his thigh before pulling out.

Jacob leaned against the tractor at the back wheel and Edward leaned against the wall opposite. Their cocks grew flaccid, dripping with the last of their loads. An awkward silence hovered over them, neither seemed to know what to say. Jacob felt conflicted. He wanted to tell Edward it all meant something more than just a fuck, that he wished for something more, but he knew within a few hours he hoped to be gone from this place.

They cleaned up and dressed, with Edward going to the door to look out, making sure no one was looking for him.

“Are there still guest at your house?”

“Oh no, they left a lone time ago. I’m just looking to see if anyone is looking for me. They might assume I’ve gone to bed already.”

“Let’s hope.”

“It’s stopped raining. The well should be drained out soon” said Edward, and Jacob caught his tone, this sadness of something being taken away from him. “I should go…”

“Wait. Edward…if I didn’t have to go back…if things were different…”

“It’s okay, Jacob. I know you have to go back” Edward replied as he slipped out the door.

Jacob cracked the door and watched the dark silhouette walk toward the house till it blended into the darkness and was gone. Then he paced the barn. Everything was so messed up and he didn’t know how to resolve it. He found himself not wanting to leave. What did he have back in his time? Parents that didn’t accept him. No job. No boyfriend. But he had to go back; nothing else made any sense.

After what seemed an eternity, he looked out once again and saw the eastern sky begin to lighten from indigo to a dark royal blue. A new dawn was approaching, and he had to go. Crouched down, he moved across the yard as fast as he could, slipped over to the well, checking to see if it was drained out. He climbed over the side and dropped down into it. Sitting against the side, he tried to relax, knowing that for it to work he had to sleep. He struggled at first, but the lack of sleep and all his anxiety and exertions caught up with him and soon his eyes closed, and his breathing fell into a steady rhythm.

The sun bore down on him, it directly overhead and he stirred awake. The first thing he saw was the ladder, then all his clothes underneath him. He dressed quickly and checked his phone. Six missed calls and two voicemails from his parents. He texted, telling them he was okay and at grandmother’s old place where he had fallen asleep.

Ladder put away, he ambled through the house once again then back out to his Cherokee. He drove back to his parents slowly, windows down letting the warm air swirl around the cabin. He tried to dismiss the feeling he was leaving behind something, was letting it get away from him. The image of Edward came to him. That first meeting with the shotgun, the innocence of his expression and that last image of him, naked, sated from their sex, looking so attractive, so desirable.

He pulled into the drive and eased inside, anxious as to how his parents were going to react. They were at the dining table, each with a sandwich and chips in front of them. His mother glanced at him once. His father only looked down, unable to look at him.

“Have you had lunch?” his mother asked.

“No.”

“Well, go fix a sandwich…or something.”

He caught the tone. It was still there, this disapproval.

“It’s okay, I’m not really hungry.”

He went to his old room and closed the door. He wondered how long this would go on. How long could his parents be angry with him? He lay on his bed, stomach in knots, wondering what he should do. He knew the first thing was to search for a job back in the city, or any city far from here. He had to get back on his feet, or everything would be insufferable.

A week passed and nothing changed. Jacob’s parents treated him like an uninvited guest and he, in turn, avoided them. He spent money he didn’t have on lunch and dinner in town just to avoid being with them at the table where he knew his father would want to hold court, pass judgments and ridicule him, while his mother nodded in agreement. He spent time at the library looking for jobs, sending his resume to a few that looked promising. He could have used the computer at his parents, but this afforded him another reason not to be there.

At times he just searched for historical events since 1957, looked at the news for what had transpired since that day he met Edward. He wondered what it would have been like to live a life during that time. The mess in Vietnam, Kennedy’s election then assassination, the development of computers, the space race, and so many other events that were to occur over time.

Checking his email, he found rejection after rejection. Not enough experience, not the right kind of experience or the position has been filled. Leaning back on the straight back chair, head tilted back, he stared up at the ceiling in frustration. It was times like this over the past week that Edward became most vivid in his mind. Looming just out of reach, or so it seemed.

While heading home, his cell phone rang. It was his mother and he hit ‘accept’.

“Where are you?”

“I’m on my way home.”

“Meet us at the church.”

“Mom. I’m not going to that church.”

“Jacob, either meet us at church or…”

“Or what?”

He listened to the silence. It said more than any words could have. He hit ‘end’ knowing the conversation was over. He turned around and headed back across town, then out into the countryside, down the familiar roads till he was easing along the narrow two rut lane to his grandmother’s house.

He knew how it’d look if anyone bothered to look for him here. A ladder and all his clothes, including wallet, ring, and cell phone lying in the bottom of the well. They would think he pranked them at first, but over time it would change to something more ominous. He sat the ladder down in the well and climbed down. He looked up at the moon lit sky. The walls of the well looked like silver. He sat down and stared upward, waiting, wondering how long it would take him to finally relax, let himself really accept what he was doing.

He wondered if it would take him back to the same time, worrying about ending up somewhere different. What if it were even further back? What if Edward was just a little kid? What if it were not so far back and Edward was gone? He struggled to put it out of his mind. There had to be come connection to his thoughts, the images he conjured, that effected to what time he would go to.

His cell phone rang, and he turned it off. The silence was soothing. Anxiety slipped into fatigue. His eyes began to close for longer and longer. His head fell forward and his arms relaxed in his lap. Sleep came in the silence and he was dreaming of Edward.

“Jacob?  Jacob! What are you doing here?”

Jacob stirred awake and looked up to see Edward standing at the top of the well.

“Hey, Edward.”

“Jacob…let me go get you some clothes.”

Jacob saw it, a smile just before Edward bolted out of sight.

November 2, 1962

Edward drove out of the campus parking lot, finished with his last class, and headed home. He was in his fifth year and just starting classes in the Vet school, something he had always wanted to do but never dared think he would have the means to do. He drove off campus and into the small town that supported the college, driving along the narrow streets. The sidewalks were busy with other students going to campus or returning. With the top down, the cool fall air felt good as he made his way. He saw the looks, the questioning ones of how he could afford it, and those that were jealous or envious. He propped his arm on the sill and shifted down, preparing to turn. He still didn’t believe it, this gift for his last birthday, getting into Vet school after completing the basic class requirements. The Corvette was blue with white accents and stood out among the more mundane cars of other students.

Pulling into the drive, he stopped behind the Chevy Suburban. It was a crude beast of a vehicle, with four-wheel drive and Edward didn’t understand why Jacob had bought it. But it was what Jacob wanted, saying the Wagoneer wouldn’t be introduced for a couple more years. 

He went in the back door of the house they rented in town and the smell of food cooking filled the air.

“You ready to eat some lunch?”

Jacob’s voice came from the kitchen and Edward followed the scent of food into it. He dropped his book bag on the side table and moved up behind Jacob who was at the sink washing a pot. Arms slipped around Jacob’s waist Edward hugged the lean body to his own.

“How was class?”

“Tough, but I’m beginning to understand it.”

“Good. Let’s eat; I’m starving and know you must be too.”

 When Jacob had returned, only one day had passed since his departure. One day of sulking by Edward followed by a whirl wind of events that led to this day. Jacob had struggled at first, getting documents like a birth certificate, social security card, transcripts from college, all forged to make him legitimate in the eyes of the world. He had taken a job that paid just enough, but over the next year, some extremely wise investments, he began to make money. Edward knew it was his foreknowledge of events to come, things Jacob would only tell in vague terms, sometimes only hints. He told Edward there was some events he needed to experience as others did.

Jacob continued to invest in new businesses or ones destined for great gains, till he no longer needed to work a regular job. Instead he stayed home and supported Edward in his pursuit of becoming veterinarian.

It was Friday night, date night, and Edward took Jacob to the cinema to see a new release. It had two of his favorite actresses in it and the reviews had been very good. After the movie they strolled down the sidewalk to the soda shop on the corner, then headed home.

For the last five years Edward had gained confidence, became accustomed to his own person. Jacob had helped him to understand himself, even when others did not. When they made their way into the bedroom, Edward took charge, undressing Jacob with a careful ease. Shirt, shoes, socks, pants, underwear, till Jacob was naked. He caressed the smooth skin, felt the familiar lean muscular form then toyed with him, made him grow erect. They kissed as he held the naked body against his own, feeling his own cock stir with arousal.

Jacob pulled back and undressed him with the same slow gracefulness. Then pushed him back on the bed, making the two of them giggle at their playfulness. Edward leaned up on elbows and watched Jacob ease down between his legs and take him. He watched how Jacob stroked his cock then sucked it, lips sliding down the thick shaft all the way. He fought the urge to push upward, instead letting Jacob set the pace of their sex.

He held his head back, eyes closed, focused on the stimulation of lips moving on his cock, of the soft heat when enveloped completely and the shuddering feel of tongue over the head. Even after five years, he still struggled to control himself, to not surge to climax too quickly. He loved Jacob, and he loved how Jacob made him feel. Complete as a person, and not some freak to be condemned.

His cock fell wetly against his stomach, then lips kissed it, moved up and kissed his chest, one nipple, then the other. He held his breath, knowing what was coming. The lips suctioned to the nipple then nipped at the hard nub making his shiver. His cock flexed as Jacob painfully toyed with it, till he was crying out for him to stop. The lips lifted then touched the hollow below his neck. He felt the wet drag of tongue up his neck till it twirled around his right ear and he pushed his cock against Jacob and throbbed with need.

He brought his feet up on the edge of the bed, spreading his legs as Jacob moved up over him. Arms slipped behind each knee and he help raise them. Each leg slid along the arm till hands held them. Pushed forward, his legs were brought down next to his torso, raising his ass, spreading it open for Jacob to enter him. He felt the press against his tightness, and he threw his arms over his head and pushed against the headboard as Jacob pushed against him. He cried out as he opened to Jacob, the stretch of his hole as he took inch after inch.

Jacob rose up on his hands and began to fuck, to drive inward all the way. He begged for it, pleaded for Jacob to fuck him, to fuck him harder. The bed squeaked and rocked beneath him as he wrapped his arms around Jacob’s neck. He opened his eyes and watched Jacob. The changes in expression. The way he strained with his exertions. How his body tightened till every muscle seemed visible. He had never felt his sex so intensely as he did when Jacob and he fucked.

Jacob slipped free and moved up on the bed and helped him to move further up and onto his stomach. The bed rocked and he felt Jacob push down between his ass cheeks and enter him again. One push all the way in, then the full weight of Jacob on his back. An arm came around his neck holding them tight together and he felt Jacob grind cock into his hole, pumping it roughly inside him. Their skin grew hot, sweaty, where they lay against each other allowing Jacob to move slickly over his back while thrusting cock into his depths.

“Fuck!” Jacob exclaimed as he jerked and thrust in short jabs and he knew Jacob was filling him with his load.

Jacob rolled him over and stroked his leaking cock, hand sliding slickly up and down till he tried to push upward through it. Jacob smiled mischievously as he moved over him. Soon he watched his cock disappear inside of him. Then the slow move upward and back down on it. Over and over, Jacob’s pace increasing quickly. Soon the bed rocked and squeaked with their fuck once again. Jacob was even rougher when riding his cock, more physical, and it aroused him so he knew he would not be long in coming.

 October 3, 2005

 He was terrified. He’d never seen anyone so sick. His dad raced through town as he held Bandit, the small mixed breed Terrier his dad had gotten him when it was a puppy. It struggled to breathe, and he thought of what his mom said when his parents thought they was alone. ‘Bandit could be dying’. But Bandit couldn’t die, not yet. He was only six. It was too soon. He knew Bandit would not live a long time but, even at ten years old, he knew it should be a lot longer than six years.

His dad pulled into the vet’s parking lot and slid to a stop in the gravel lot. Within a minute they were inside, his dad talking with the receptionist as he held Bandit, tears streaming down his cheeks. It was taking too long, all this adult talk. He wanted the doctor to come out and tell him it was okay. That is was nothing.

A nurse came around the desk and took bandit and disappeared through the door that led to the exam rooms. His dad led him to chairs in the waiting room where he finally sat next to him.

“They’ll take care of him; it’ll be okay. We’ve just got to let them do their jobs.”

He fidgeted in his seat, to worried to sit still. It seemed like such a long time, but the nurse finally came back and he saw her smile as she held the door open.

“The doctor will see you now.”

He struggled not to run, but he walked fast enough his dad’s hand came down on his shoulder to slow him down. They followed the nurse to an exam room at the end of the corridor, one he had never been in before, with more equipment, things that scared him at first. Then he saw Bandit on the raised table in the middle of the room, laying peacefully asleep, his stomach rising and falling in a normal way. Standing behind the table was a new doctor, one he had never seen before.

“Come on in. Little Bandit will be fine. He was running a fever so we gave him some medication and after a couple of days he should be good as new.”

He raced up the table and gently ran a hand over Bandit, from his head down to his hips, the soft wiry fur tickling his hand.

“He’ll be okay?” he asked the new doctor, not sure he really believed him.

“He’ll be fine.”

“Thanks” his dad added as he came up behind him. “He really gave us a scare.”

“This is your first pet, isn’t it?” the new doctor asked him, and he nodded his head.

“Well, don’t worry, Bandit will live a long and happy life, Jacob.”

“Thanks” Jacob replied, wiping his eyes with the sleeve of his shirt. “You’re new; what’s your name?”

“I’m Edward.”