CINDERFELLA

Chapter 10

FADE OUT

Next Wednesday night...

Ben noticed a change in Michael that night. He was passionate, anxious for sex as always but tonight it was tempered by...something else. He was calmer, more relaxed somehow. He was much more interested in kissing and talking and eating than actually getting to bed. Finally, Ben gathered him up and kissed him and wouldn't let up until he felt Michael go weak in the knees in compliance.

"Mmmm, what was that for?" Michael asked, all heavy lidded and turned on.

"To get you in the sack. In case you've forgotten, I'm on the clock here. Not to mention, I spent all week on the hunt for a dragon so I'm tired and incredibly horny. I'm tired of talking! Let's get to the action!" And he kissed him again, hard and ruthless until Michael was a quivering mass of mushy desire and Ben yanked up his shirt.

"Now, get upstairs...NOW BOY!" he said in that special voice that he had used on Michael at the Leather ball that had made Michael turn his head in the first place.

Michael recognized the voice and remembered and so did his cock. "Yes SIR!' he said and ran up the stairs. Ben chased him.

One round later...

"Ben?" Michael asked drowsily.

"Yes, love?" answered Ben. He expected an ‘I love you' or other declaration of monogamy so when he heard Michael's next words he nearly fell out of bed.

"I want to top you," Michael said.

"Wha - what? You know I'm a total top!"

"Yeah, I know, I know... But I just...well, I want to feel you...want to feel what it's like to be inside you...just this once," Michael moved to straddle Ben. He kissed him, long, slow, and deep, working Ben's tongue over.

"Michael, what's got into you? You've never wanted anything like this before. I thought you were a confirmed receiver!"

"Just once. Just this once. Just in case...just in case...please Ben." Michael kissed him and moved down to a special spot just below his ear. This never failed to arouse Ben and melt him into a puddle at the same time. This time was no exception.

"Ohhhh...ohhh God! Oh, wow! Just in case...what, Mike?"

"Oh, just in case...I never get around to asking again. Please, Ben?" He assaulted the special spot again.

"Do you even know what do?" Ben said weakly.

"No. I need you to show me. I want you to be the one to show me. Now and forever. Show me what to do, Ben." He latched onto that spot and hung on, sucking like a vampire bat. Ben arched in pleasure. And all the while, Michael was whispering in his ear, "Show me, Ben. Show me. Show me. Show me Ben. Show me..."

Ben showed him.

MBMBMBMBMBMBMB

The next day...At the castle...

"And that's the story, King Justin."

NO, Ben had NOT gone into detail about their sexcapade. What kind of sick, twisted fairy tale did you think this was, anyway?

Instead, Ben had just described Michael's weird change in habits and his mentioning about just in case he never got around to asking again. It worried Ben. It made it sound like Michael was expecting a time when he wouldn't or couldn't ask again.

"And then, when it was time to go, he gave me his manuscript and made me promise to personally deliver it to you. Here it is, by the way."

"Thank-you, Ben," Justin answered in his calm fashion, "Is there anything wrong about him asking this?"

"No, Sire, it was just the way he did that concerns me. He just kept asking and asking. Make sure...Make sure... he kept saying. He never asked that of me before. Something's happened to him, Sire, I just know it. Something's changed, and it scares me!"

"I can see how much you love my brother," Justin said, "That pleases me a great deal, Ben. If things go well, we may soon be able to drop the formalities."

"I'd like that, sir."

"In the meantime, don't worry about Michael. I will discern what has changed even if I have to go visit him again. Go in peace, and thank you for his work."

"Thank-you, Sires," Ben bowed to Brian and Justin and went out.

"What do you suppose has got into him, Sunshine?" Brian asked.

"I'm sure I don't - oh, wait, here we go. This is why he had Ben hand deliver it." Justin had turned the first page and stuck in deep where it wouldn't fall out (with too much handling) was piece of paper folded in quarters. JUSTIN was written on it in pencilled calligraphy.

"Shall I leave you alone with it?" Brian asked.

‘No. I'm going to share everything with you later on anyway. You might as well read it with me." Justin unfolded the paper.

They read:

Dear Justin...and Brian.

Yes, if you love my brother like I love Ben, then I suppose you are reading and I must say hello to you as well,

A few days ago, I had an incident with the tablecloth. It got...temperamental. Everything's all right now and I won't bore you with the details. However thanks to that incident, it made me think about my life. About my past. About where I am now and how I got here. And about my future, should I have one after this house.

Due to the...incident, I was forced to take a hard look at my past and all I saw was Father yelling at you, the lot of us ordering you about, beating you up, taking you for granted, and worse. Worst of all, I did all that. I saw it all again, from my point of view...and from yours, Justin. All I can say is that I'm sorry. I really am, well and truly sorry for everything I've done to you now. And I understand why you want me here in this prison now. And I accept it. I can accept it and thank you that you only made it for four months. I can tell you, if our situations were reversed, I probably would have locked you in here for a few years. In fact, if that's what you'd like to do...to extend my punishment, to take Ben away from me, I understand now and I am prepared. I enjoyed my last and possibly very last conjugal visit very much. I have come to accept and love my forest cottage as my new home for as long as you desire...even if it is for the rest of my days.

Your loving brother,

Michael.

"Good Grief! Is there anybody in your family who isn't a drama queen?" asked Brian.

"Hmmm, I think I'll be the one to write back to Mikey," said Justin, ignoring him. "Now, let's see what he's come up with here."

The first page was a description of a new villain. THE OOZE: The all-consuming Green Menace!

BJBJBJBJBJBJBJBJBJBJ

Dearest Michael,

I'm so, so proud of you. You have learned something that your relatives never will...remorse. I knew you would see this day, ever since that day when you stopped stepfather's fist with your own and told us you had discovered love.

I think the time has come for me to be frank with you. I have no desire to punish you at all. I never did, ever since you jumped onto stepfather to try and save my loafer and got knocked out for your trouble. I knew then that your loyalties had changed and that love had changed your heart. I heard you from the basement tell your relatives to leave you alone, that you wanted Ben, but they didn't listen and kidnapped you anyway. That is why I had the police separate you from them when you were arrested and put you in the better jail. I explained why you were alone there and on a larger scale, that is why you are at the cottage. I am not locking you in there, not really. I am locking everyone else out. You mentioned a rat in a cage. That is what you are, on a larger scale, of course. I needed you in a controlled environment. I needed you safe. I needed you celibate except for Ben. At the same time though, I wanted you to feel imprisoned so that eventually your breakthrough would happen. And now it has so there is no need for you to be in delusion any longer. The fact that you are sorry and your heartfelt apology are all I require of you and all that I ever wanted. If I had put you in any other prison, there would be the constant possibility that you would be raped or gotten FADES or both and for the cure to work I couldn't have that. As for the cure, it is simply this: If a person with FADES makes love safely with a healthy person every Wednesday and on the full moon for four months, he or she will be cured. That's it. That's why Ben must leave at midnight, and that's why you must be at the cottage for just a little while longer. As I said on that day of the sentencing, it is so strange and simple that I want to prove it with you and Ben first. And when Ben is cured, you will come home at last, and the both of you will be national heroes.

So, no Michael, I am not going to deprive you of Ben. I am not going to leave you there past the fourth month, much less the rest of your life. In fact, you can expect me to come for you on the last Thursday morning of the fourth month.

I forgive you, Michael. Now, forgive yourself, and be happy.

And now, I believe there is a hunky messenger man waiting for your attention. Good night.

Your loving brother,

Justin

PS. Both Brian and I are enjoying your writing very much.

"What does it say?" asked Ben, "Justin would only say to deliver it to you and under no circumstances read it."

Happy tears dropped out of Michael's eyes. He folded up the paper and dropped it in the fire.
"Just some boring family stuff. One thing in there I'll tell you later. But mostly that everything's fine now. Everything's going to be all right!" He hugged Ben and a few more tears dampened his shoulder. "Oh, and one more thing. It said you should take me, right here, right now and make sweet, safe love to me, here on the bear rug."

"Ahhhh!!" Ben smiled wolfishly. "Now, that I'll do." He kissed Michael hotly. Tongues duelling, they lowered each other down in front of the fire and ripped each other's clothes off.

MBMBMBMBMBMBMBMB

The 3rd Month...

And so began a period of great joy for Michael. He knew he was loved both by his partner and by his brother and brother in law. He knew he was not a prisoner but a person of great value. He was able to stop looking at his cage as a prison which was a huge load off his back. Instead, he saw it as a shell, a security blanket, a safe-house. This made him feel much better. It was still quiet and boring at times, but at those times, Michael would throw himself into his writing and the hours would fly by. His writing got even better, if he did say so himself. The action got wilder, more intense, and was full of joyful eroticism.

Ben continued to come every week. (And cum...and cum...) As time went on, his FADES began to fluctuate wildly. One week he arrived and was almost solid. Still very squishy, and soft but almost completely solid. The next week he came, he was barely visible. That week was difficult, because he was so scared he was going to pop out it was very hard for him to get aroused at all. Michael discovered that when he put his hands or body through Ben's, it generated an intensely erotic sensation, the likes of which both of them had never felt before. After they did that for a while, Michael put a blindfold on him and very slowly, sensually, and carefully topped him. He whispered sweet nothings in his ears and ran his hands constantly through his broad, transparent chest, over and through his cock, eliciting such intense feelings that Ben had a spontaneous orgasm. As for Michael, it was like fucking a bubble, only whenever he thought it was going to pop, the membrane came back and squeezed him even harder.

The next week after that, he was nearly solid one moment and then flickered out almost down to nothing the next. He kept flickering like that, as a tired light bulb all evening. It made love making difficult but they managed. Michael knew he must persevere. He must. Justin, he thought that week, you'd better be right about this!

The 4th Month...

It got colder.

Michael was now quite sure the wardrobe was enchanted. One day he opened it up and there was a thick, white parka with lovely soft lining and white fur edging around the hood and cuffs in there. He had never seen it before. Pinned to the coat was a note in curly writing:

Dear Mikey,

It's getting along in the year and the frosts are coming so I thought I'd send this along for you to snuggle up in when you have your walks around the woods. Besides, Justin would absolutely kill me if I let you get the sniffles. Stay toasty, sweetums!

Your Auntie Em.

How strange. Mikey was quite sure he had no idea who this Auntie Em character was but he thanked her nonetheless and the coat too, just to be on the safe side. He had long since stopped taking possible or confirmed enchanted inanimate objects for granted.

The coat was indeed wonderfully warm for when he needed to get out of the house for a bit. It was now for pleasure walks or to get wood; the garden had all but died off or frozen by now. Inside, the Dutch doors were both closed now and the fireplace was almost always going. Michael spent more and more time writing. He still kept up the comic but he tried out a short story or two as well.

Michael was excited about this month. Not only was it his last, it was a five week month and not only that; the last Wednesday was also the full moon. He didn't know what all that meant but what he did know is that he would get to see Ben 5 times that month. And that made him very happy.

Ben continued to fluctuate wildly. But even at his dimmest, he would never actually disappear, so eventually they just stopped worrying about it and took it easy when they needed to.

Time passed. Michael wrote. The cottage got cosier inside as it got colder outside. He moved the typewriter to a special spot nearer to the fireplace. And dreamed of Wednesdays.

The last Wednesday of the fourth month...The castle...

"Sire, we are about to take Sir Ben to your brother. The same instructions as always?"

"Yes, yes...Wait! No!"

The guard waited.

In his mind, an off key voice sang through his mind:

If I had one wish, dear

I'd spend all the night through

With you in my arms, Ben

The whole long night through

"Sire? What are your orders then?"

"I want you to drop Ben off at the cottage and lock them both in. Wait until he's out of earshot until you do so. Then just come home. Let them have the night together. Whatever is supposed to happen tonight, will happen. If it doesn't, it doesn't. Either way it won't matter if they spend the night together. So just leave them alone. I'll go myself to fetch them tomorrow."

"It shall be as you wish, Prince Justin."

The guard snapped his heels together and went out.

The Cottage...6:00 PM...

"Hello, Mike. How are you doing tonight?"

"Same as always. Horny and missing you. But it makes for good writing. Come in. Are you cold?"

"A bit. Nothing a bit of YOU, won't fix." He smiled wolfishly.

Michael drew him in and shut the door against the cold and the dark.

He sat him down by the fire. "There is that better?"

"Mmmmm, much! But I still prefer a little BODY HEAT!" Ben crushed him to him and kissed him one of his patented killer kisses. Michael could feel his willpower slipping away.

"Wait! Don't you want some dinner first?"

"The only thing I want to eat is rather high in...protein!"

"Ben, no! Wait! This is our last night together here. I want it to be special. And besides...after tonight...things might...change."

"Change? What do you mean?"

"Remember that letter you delivered for Justin? Remember I said there was something in there that I would tell you about later? I should tell you now."

"Well, the way I see it you have a choice... You can tell me about some boring family letter..." Ben began to unbutton his shirt one...button...at...a time. "Or you can watch me do a private strip show for you...while I give you a lap dance. Your choice."

Michael gulped. Well, really, which one would you pick?

One lap dance and several rounds of fantastic sex later...

"God, I can't believe it's almost midnight already!"

"Yeah." Michael felt that familiar stab of pain that came whenever Ben had to leave.

"What's the matter, babe?"

"Same old...same old. Oh, Ben! This is our last night together before...well, before Justin said my time is up. Oh, can't they leave us alone, just to sleep, just once?" Michael sat on the edge of his side of the bed and buried his head in his hands.

Ben came up behind him and put his arms around him. He started to lazily play with his nipples something they both knew that drove Michael crazy. This time was no exception. Michael threw his head back, revelling in the sensations and Ben kissed and sucked on his neck right where he knew it got to Mikey the most. Michael groaned.

He enjoyed it for another few seconds and then pulled away abruptly. "Now, now, big boy, don't go starting something you can't finish."

"Ben stilled his busy hands. "Yeah, you're right. But remember what we agreed on a long time ago, Mikey. No matter where this crazy world places us, as long as I'm in here..." He placed his hand on Michael's chest over his heart. "...and you're in here..." he took Mike's hand and put it over his transparent chest. "...we'll never be apart. Not really."

"Oh God, how did I get so goddam lucky!" Michael cried, kissing Ben passionately for several more precious minutes.

Suddenly, Ben broke away and yawned hugely. "I'm sorry, Mike. I have no idea where that came from."

"That's OK. Are you feeling OK?"

"Yeah...I think so. But I think I'd better get my shit together. I have a feeling I'm going to fall asleep on the way back to the castle."

"OK."

Ben dressed a little sluggishly and Michael packed his knapsack that he always brought with him. They went downstairs. Michael packed in his finished writing as always and they sat down to wait.

As midnight approached, Ben yawned more and more frequently. He dozed. Midnight came and went and there was no knock.

"That's odd. They're usually so punctual." Michael shook Ben awake. "Ben! It's time!"

Ben awoke but his eyes were dozy and glazed with sleep. "Is it time?"

"Yes! But no one's come! I'm going to check!'

Michael went to the door and opened it. He went out on the porch. The porch was empty, the yard was empty, even the path leading into the forest toward the gate was empty.

The cold blast of air was enough to finally shake Ben out of his stupor. "Brrrrrr. Is anyone there?"

"No. How strange. They're usually banging down the door, not letting us have a single extra minute." Michael came back inside.

With the cozy warmth back, Ben began to get dozy again.

He yawned hugely. P'raps they're not comin'."

"Of course they're coming. They always come."

Ben shrugged and yawned. They sat on the couch and waited. Ben rested his head on Michael's shoulder.

"Love you Mikey," he said. He fell asleep again.

"Love you too, buddy," Michael returned fondly.

Fifteen minutes later, Michael decided, what the hell, if they were going to be late, he was going to take advantage.

He shook Ben. "Ben! Ben! They haven't come! Let's go to bed!"

Ben didn't wake.

Michael shook harder. Nothing. He shook and yelled. Ben opened his eyes sleepily, smiled widely, goofily, and then fell back asleep again.

More than a little alarmed now, Michael opened the front door wide open and came over to shake Ben awake. But this time it was only enough to rouse Ben to a state of semi-consciousness.

"Is it time yet?"

It's past time. I'm taking you up to bed! If they want us bad enough, they can come and get us!"

"Yeah! You tell ‘em Mikey!" He heaved himself off the couch and lurched toward the stairs. "Is it time yet?"

"Time for bed." Michael said.

"Mmmmmm...Like the way you think, Miiisster Mike." Ben gave Mike a big sloppy kiss.

Michael was puzzled. This was odd. Ben was behaving almost like he was drunk, or too sleepy to think straight. He closed and barred the door quickly and before Ben could fall back asleep again he propelled him toward the stairs. "Up to bed, big guy."

"Feel strange Mikey. So tired. Help me up?"

Michael did, with an arm around Ben's back. Strange. Ben felt almost like he was heavy.

At last, they made it to the top and into the bedroom. Ben's eyes widened briefly at the sight of the bed.

"Ahhhhh!!! I never realized how beautiful that bed is until just now, Mikey!" He flopped down on it. "Ohhhh, and how soft and deeeep it issss. Soooo niiice..."

He was practically asleep again.

"Ben! Wait! Don't go to sleep yet! Help me take off your clothes first!"

"Mmmmm...Always tryin' to get me outta my drawers aren't you...Miiisster Mike!?"

"Yup! That's me! Help me out here!" But Ben was too clumsy to work any laces or snaps or buttons or anything, so Michael just ended up taking off his shoes, socks and pants and leaving his underwear and shirt. Finally, Ben flopped back onto the mattress again.

"Ahhhhh!!! So soft! So good! So good! Mikey...'m scared..."

"What is it buddy? What's wrong? I'm here!" Mikey lay beside him.

"Somethin's...wrong. So...tired. He sighed deeply. "Never...been...this tired...Something...wrong..."

"Ben! What do you mean? What's wrong!!?"

"I...I don't...know....Can't...stay...awake anymore....What's...what's...happening......to me?"

He put his hand on Michael's chest again. "Remember...I'm...always.......in...............here..." He passed out.

"NOOOOOO!!!!! Ben!! NOOOOO!!!" But this time, no matter how much Michael shook him, no matter how much he yelled, Ben wouldn't wake.

Michael screamed in horror.

Without warning, Ben Faded to the lowest he'd ever gone and at the same time, he...whited out. It really was the only way to describe it. His entire body and the clothes he was wearing lost all color and distinction. He looked like a 3-D version of an uncoloured colouring book picture or even a big hunk of glass. Michael had never seen this before.

"NOOOOOOOO!!!!!" he screamed again. "WAKE UP! WAKE UP! WAKE UP!!!

But Ben wouldn't wake up. He lay there, clear as crystal, as still as death.

Michael panicked. He hyperventilated. He didn't know what to do. Help. He had to get help. He forced himself to get his breathing under control. He tried to pinch Ben's nose to see if he was breathing. His hand went right through as if he wasn't there. He leaned right in. There was a bit of a pause and then a light exhale. Oh, thank God! He was alive!

That fact alone helped Michael calm down a great deal. As long as he was alive, he could get through anything.

Michael grabbed his parka. He leaned over Ben. "Stay alive! Whatever you do...just stay...alive! I'll be back, my dearest!"

He ran down the stairs, pulling on the parka as he went. He ran out the door and into the yard. He ran across the yard and down the path.

It was déjà vu all over again. His last night was his first in reverse. The full moon lit up the forest like it was day and iced the trees in silver. He was even amazed to see that the white flint stones were still there to guide his way. But why shouldn't they? He had never gone down this path except with Justin and so they'd never been removed.

Michael ran full tilt all the way down to the gate. There was no one there.

OK. Maybe they were a little ways away.

Michael grabbed the bars and shook and rattled them noisily. "HEY! HEEEEEEYYYYY! IS ANYBODY THERE! HELLLLP! HELP!" Rattle! Rattle! Rattle! "HELLLLLP! IS ANYBODY THERE! I NEEED HEEEELLLP!"

There was no answer. The forest was still and silent. There was nobody there. He was alone.

And then, behind him, he heard a growl.

Slowly, he turned around.

Standing in the centre of the path was an enormous white wolf. Disturbed by all the noise, it was investigating and growling. It showed its teeth. Saliva dripped from its mouth onto the ground.

Michael was terrified. He couldn't and didn't move a muscle. So, he thought, you're the one I've been hearing all this time.

The wolf growled louder and bared his teeth even more.

"YAAAAAAA-HOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!" Michael howled.

"AHHHHHHH-WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!" the wolf howled, sitting down.

Very...slowly, Michael began to make a wide circle around the wolf.

The wolf stood up again and moved toward him but again, Michael yelled "AHHHHHH-WOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!"

"AHHHHHHHHHH-WOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!" howled the wolf back.

Slowly...oh, so slowly, howling, Michael made it around the wolf. "AHHHHHHHH-WOOOOOOOOOO!!!!" he howled. He stepped back Stepped back again.

"AHHHHHHHH-WOOOOOOOOOO!" the wolf sat at howled to the moon again. Then he stepped toward Michael. Stepped again.

"AAAHHHHHHHH-WOOOOOOOO!!!!" Michael howled.

"AHHHHHHHHHH-WOOOOOOOO!!!! " the wolf howled in joy sitting down. As it did, Michael took two slow but big steps back toward the house. Once it was finished though, the wolf matched Michael step for step toward him. It moved when he moved and stopped when he stopped.

It was at this point that the white wolf went transparent. It came back solid. It flickered. It went transparent again for several minutes.

The wolf had FADES.

"AHHHHHHHHH-WOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!" Michael howled in terror, his eyes wide with fear.

"AHHHHHHHHHH-WOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!" the wolf howled back in joy.

Michael used the time to back away. He stopped.

The wolf got up, jogged forward, stopped.

Howling and backing up, howling and backing up, Michael followed the flint stones back toward the house. It had become a trail of terror. The wolf matched him step for step. It wouldn't leave him be. It was a nightmare.

It took forever. All Michael could think about was Ben lying up there, whited out, comatose, possibly dead. And he couldn't get back. Not without moving very...very...slowly....very...very carefully. He wondered if the wolf was responding to his white, furry parka. He thanked God and Auntie Em, whoever she was, for it wholeheartedly.

"AHHHHHHHHHH-WOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!"

"AHHHHHHHHHH-WOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!" A few more steps. Oh God. Was it starting to turn?

He howled again. Bought himself a few more steps. It was turning. He was almost back.

He howled again. The wolf howled back. He was in the yard.

The wolf caught sight of the house. He didn't like the look of it. He'd been avoiding that man-house for a long time now. He growled.

"AHHHHHH-WOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!" howled Michael.

The wolf just growled louder. He realized he'd been tricked.

Oh Shit! That wasn't going to work any more! Michael tensed and counted to himself...1...2...3!

He bolted.

Snarling and barking in rage the wolf chased after him.

Michael ran as fast as he could toward the house. But he was no match for the wolf. Even as he ran, he could hear the wolves enraged barking get closer and closer to him as he ran across the yard.

Across the yard. Onto the porch. The wolf was at his heels. Through the door and SLAM! But it was too late! The wolf was there and he managed to get his head in the door. Snapping and snarling, and viciously barking, the wolf made it impossible to close the door.

Michael pressed the door as hard as he could and at the same time desperately kicked out and kicked the wolf's head. The wolf whimpered and drew back and Michael was at last, able to slam the door shut. He barred it. He looked outside. The wolf was pacing the porch, a little dazed but not seriously hurt.

Michael took a few deep breaths and began to relax. He took off the parka and sat down in front of what was left of the fire. For a few seconds, everything was fine. Then, all of a sudden, Michael caught sight of some movement out of the corner of his eye.

The wolf had Faded transparent again. And in this state, snarling and foaming at the mouth, it came slowly through the door.

TO BE CONTINUED

Author's Note: Did I tell some of you this was going to be the last chapter? Oooops. I mean NEXT chapter is the last chapter. I promise....Well....cross your fingers.