Indian Summer - 4. The Ghost Cat

I sat bolt upright in bed, awakened suddenly out of a sound sleep. The house was silent. The bedside clock told me it was midnight. I knew I had to go to the clearing.

I got dressed and went upstairs. Putting on a coat, I slipped quietly out the back door into the warm summer night. The coat was more suited to cold weather, but I knew I would need it.

The nearly-full moon made movement easy in the open, but I would need a light in the woods. Dad had a headlamp in the shop. I found it and put it on. I also took a battery-powered lantern. I knew I would need it too.

I entered the woods. The trees cast shadows that gave the nighttime world a primeval atmosphere. Nocturnal animals rustled in the brush and the grass. Turning on the headlamp, I followed the path to the clearing.

Turning off the light, I stood still and listened. The only sounds were the murmur of the creek and the chirping of crickets.

The clearing was bathed in moonlight, but the trees cast shadows around the edge. One of the shadows moved into the light. Across the clearing, the Ghost Cat stood in the moonlight looking at me. He retreated slowly into the woods. I knew I had to follow him.

Turning on my headlamp, I walked into the woods where the mountain lion stood waiting. For a quarter mile, I followed him along the creek. I'd never been this far before.

The Ghost Cat stopped and looked at me again. Then I knew why I was there.

"Tocho!"

"I'm over here."

I looked back. The Ghost Cat had vanished.

Following his voice, I found Tocho about a hundred feet away at the bottom of a talus slope.

"I fell down that rocky hillside and hurt my leg. I think it may be broken. I'm cold."

I turned on the lantern and set it beside him. "Are you hurt anywhere else?"

"My head hurts."

I checked him over for other injuries. His head was bleeding a little on one side. I tore my shirt into strips and wrapped his head.

Putting my coat around him, I made him as comfortable as possible.

"Don't move. I'll go for help."

Retracing my steps to the clearing, I found Benny holding a flashlight.

"Where is he?" he asked.

"A quarter mile upstream where there's a rocky slope down to the creek. I left a lantern with him. He thinks his leg is broken. He has a head wound."

"I know where that is. You go wait with him. I'll go back to the house and get help."

I returned to stay with Tocho. He seemed disoriented and was trying to get up.

"Don't move, Tocho. Benny will be here with help soon."

I checked his pulse. It was regular and strong, and his head wound wasn't bleeding. I took his hand in mine and squeezed it gently. That was when I realized we no longer needed to be having sex for our spirits to join. Physical contact was enough. I could feel his pain, and I knew he could feel my concern. I concentrated on thoughts about being with him in the warm sun by the creek and the nature we enjoyed together. He squeezed my hand and relaxed.

It was probably about a half hour before Benny arrived with the rescue team. Because I was concentrating so hard on keeping Tocho relaxed and quiet, it seemed like only minutes. The rescue team put him on a Stokes litter and transported him to a waiting ambulance.

Wearing a borrowed sweatshirt, I watched with Benny and his father as Tocho was loaded into the ambulance. His mother was helped into the passenger seat so she could go with him to the hospital.

"How did you know to go look for him?" Benny asked.

"He woke me up."

"How did you find him, Pahana?" their father asked.

"The Ghost Cat led me to him."

Then I had a question. "Benny, how did you know where to find me?"

"You called out to me when you found him."

We all understood without question, and for the first time I realized I would have to explain this to people who wouldn't understand.

Then the sheriff arrived, and he had some questions.

"Were you with him when he fell?"

"No, I was home sleeping."

"How did you know he needed help?"

"I had a dream."

"How did you find him?"

"I don't know. I just knew where to go."

"Let me take you home now," the sheriff said kindly. "Your parents will be wondering where you are."

My parents. I hadn't once thought about them.

************

It was two-thirty when the sheriff pulled into our driveway. The house was dark.

The sheriff rang the doorbell, and my father answered the door. A look of consternation appeared on his face when he saw who was there.

"This young man has been a hero tonight," the sheriff said as Mom showed up behind Dad putting on a bathrobe. "He needs something warm to drink, and maybe something stronger if you see fit."

As Mom took me to the kitchen, the sheriff outlined the situation to my father.

I sat down at the table and suddenly crashed. I began to shake uncontrollably. Tears came to my eyes. I put my head down on my arms and cried.

Mom came over and gently rubbed my back.

"I'll make you some hot chocolate," she said, when I'd settled down a little.

I sat in silence as Mom prepared the hot chocolate for me. I could hear Dad thanking the sheriff for bringing me home.

My parents sat down at the table. I drank some of the warm drink and began to feel better.

Mom started to say something, but Dad signaled for her to wait.

"The sheriff told me what happened. I'm very proud of you, and I know your mother will be too. Do you feel like talking about it now, or do you want to wait until morning?"

"I'm okay with talking about it now. It would probably be good for me. But I'm gonna tell you some things that will be hard to believe."

"We trust you to tell the truth," Dad assured me.

They listened quietly as I told them the whole story. As I told it, I realized I would have a hard time believing it if it hadn't happened to me.

When I finished, they sat in silence absorbing it all.

"Why didn't you wake us up and let us help you?" Mom asked.

"Because you wouldn't have believed me or let me go."

They knew I was right.

"That's a lot more detail than the sheriff told me," Dad observed. "He said you had a dream and somehow knew where to go."

"And if I'd told him the whole story, what then?"

"I think you handled it correctly," Dad assured me. "Things will be clearer to him once he talks with Tocho."

"I also think Tocho's parents and Benny will be able to explain it in a way others will understand," I replied.

Dad thought for a minute. "There are a lot of things in this world we don't have an explanation for. Your mother and I are going to accept this experience as one of those things. But if you have another of these situations, please share it with us. We will help you."

I had tears in my eyes again. "Thanks, Dad."

Mom stood up. "Now, we all need to go to bed and try to get some sleep."

I didn't think I would be able to sleep, but I was instantly out like a light.

************

That afternoon, Mom drove me to Tocho's house. He'd been treated at the hospital for a sprained ankle, abrasions, and a mild concussion. When we arrived, he was resting in bed, his bandaged ankle elevated on a pillow. While our mothers got acquainted in the kitchen, Tocho filled me in on some missing details.

"I was out in the woods watching animals and listening to nature. I fell asleep, and when I woke up it was dark. As I started back, I slipped and fell down that rocky slope. I was out cold for a while. When I came to, the Ghost Cat was standing there. He disappeared, and in a few minutes you were there."

"How was I summoned before you regained consciousness?"

"I don't know."

"How did I know what to take with me?"

"I don't know."

"Why was I summoned instead of Benny?"

"I don't know that either."

"Okay, I'm just gonna accept all of this because otherwise I'll go crazy trying to figure it out."

Tocho agreed. "That's the best way."

I gave him a mischievous grin. "Are your injuries gonna interfere with your sex life?"

"Probably not, if we're careful. Wanna give it a quick test?"

I closed his bedroom door. "It's an important part of your therapy."

************

Towards evening, I walked up to the clearing to think in peace and quiet about the events of the early morning hours. I thought about how important Tocho had become to me, and how he could have been gone if things had happened differently.

Then I thought about the Ghost Cat , and wondered about his role in all of this. There were so many unanswered questions. I finally had to accept that there was no rational explanation. So how about an irrational explanation, I thought with a smile.

I glanced towards the woods where I'd seen the Ghost Cat the night before. He was standing there looking at me. Our eyes locked. I understood everything. Then he was gone.

************

"There's something else about Tocho's injuries you should know," Benny told me when I visited the next day. "The x-rays they took of Tocho's leg showed a recent hairline fracture; however, the fracture was completely healed. Although the doctors passed it off to a previous injury, Tocho has had no other opportunity to have a broken leg."

He paused to let me think about that for a minute. "You have a reason for telling me this, but I'm not quite with you."

Benny continued. "Please tell me everything that happened while you waited with Tocho after I went for help."

"Well, first I checked his pulse. It was strong and regular, so I made sure his head wound wasn't bleeding. He was struggling to get up, so I took his hand to try to calm him. I immediately realized we had a full spirit connection. I could feel his pain and distress and confusion. I knew he could feel my concern, which wasn't gonna help. So, I focused my mind on our best experiences exploring nature. He squeezed my hand and settled down. I continued with that until you arrived with the rescue team."

"How long did it seem to take for the rescue team to arrive?"

I thought for a moment. "I'm sure it was at least a half hour, but it seemed like only five minutes or so."

Benny shook his head. "It was about an hour. Considering the situation, it should have seemed like an eternity to you. Do you have any other recollections during that period of time?"

"No, I don't. Why do you wanna know all this?"

"Because I believe you healed Tocho's leg."

Stunned, I sat down on the edge of the bed.

I turned to Tocho. "What do you remember?"

"Nothing. I remember you taking my hand and squeezing it. I remember feeling your concern for me. The next thing I remember is waking up in the hospital."

Benny continued. "You've heard the term medicine man with respect to American Indian culture. You need to understand that medicine in our culture refers to spiritual healing. The fact you could calm Tocho by your thoughts indicates you have strong medicine. However, healing a bone falls into supernatural physical healing, and that's not the same thing. If I'm right, you've tapped into something that isn't part of our culture and history."

"So far as I know, it's not part of my culture or history either. I don't have any idea where it might have come from."

Benny nodded his head. "The only thing we can do is wait and see if it happens again. In the meantime, this is not to be shared outside our family. And there's one other piece to this. That you and Tocho can have the spirit connection simply by holding hands indicates a closeness that is rare. And it's something both of you should treasure and take very seriously."

Tocho and I looked at each other as I replied. "I think we do."

************

"Do you play basketball?" Benny asked me as I was leaving.

"I've played it some."

"Tocho and I were supposed to play with Pedro and Mateo this evening. Brothers against brothers. Do you wanna take Tocho's place?"

"Sure! When and where?"

"In the evening at the state park beach. About seven o'clock when the beach officially closes and Pedro goes off duty. I'll meet you there."

************

The entrance to the state park was conveniently located across the county road from where I lived. A short walk down a paved entrance road put me directly in the day-use recreational area.

There had been the usual conversation with Mom, but it was less restrictive now that she'd thrown away the box she'd been keeping me in.

"Mom, I'm going down to the park to play basketball with Mateo, Pedro and Benny."

"When will you be home?"

"Probably about dark."

"Okay. Have a good time."

She even skipped the warning to be careful. Times were changing.

The other three were already warming up when I got there. I watched for a few minutes and noticed that Benny and Pedro were clearly experienced players. Mateo played with the agility of a natural athlete. I was going to have a hard time keeping up with these guys. I began to wonder about being a liability to Benny. He could probably do better without me.

Benny signaled me to join them. "Come on over and play. Don't worry about winning or losing. We do this for fun."

Sometimes, I swear that Benny could read my mind. After my experience connecting with Tocho by only holding his hand, I was beginning to suspect Benny might have some power beyond even that.

Benny and I lost the first game. With coaching from Benny, I was getting better by the end of the second game. We actually won the third game.

Benny had a suggestion. "Let's mix up the teams today. Pahana could benefit from both of you giving him tips."

I liked it best when Mateo and I were on the same team. Maybe Benny and Pedro were holding back, but Mateo and I worked well together. We played three games that way, and Mateo and I won them all.

Benny needed to leave. "I gotta go spend some time with grandfather this evening. You guys can keep on playing if you want to."

Pedro had a suggestion. "Mateo needs to go home too. If you wanna take him, I'll stay here and play one-on-one with Pahana."

Pedro and I had a great time playing against each other. After a few games, we took a break.

"I don't think it applies to basketball, but American Indians played early versions of many sports that we play today," Pedro told me while we rested. "For example, Lacrosse came from an Indian game known as stickball. I like to keep in mind that organized sports are another part of American Indian culture."

"I understand they played an early version of volleyball too."

"That's true. And Indians also played a rather bloody form of soccer."

We continued to play until the sun was below the horizon. I was ready to quit, but Pedro wanted to continue. "Let's play one more game."

"Okay, I'm good for that."

"Wanna make a bet on this one?"

"Sure, it'll make the game more interesting. What's the bet?"

"We have sex the way the winner wants to."

Now I knew who gave Tocho's his first experience. I hesitated a moment. The bet was a little open-ended, and I knew from Mateo that Pedro's preference was doing it rough, although I still wasn't sure what that meant. But I'd take the chance.

I smiled. "I'll take that bet."

Pedro played cat and mouse with me. He let me build up a lead and then stayed behind by one or two points right to the end. The final score was eleven to ten, and I wasn't the winner.

************

By the light of the moon, we walked to a nearby grassy area. We stripped, and I stood waiting for instructions.

"Bend over and brace yourself against the end of the picnic table."

I followed Pedro's instructions. He used his feet to move mine out a little more while he spread lube on his shaft and its target.

"Ready?"

"Yeah."

Pedro pressed his pole against me and slowly pushed all the way in. Grabbing me by my hips, he pulled back and then swiftly thrust all the way in. I gasped with pain and surprise. Then I took note of what our connection was telling me. Pedro liked giving pain, and what he'd done excited him sexually. To my surprise, the pain excited me as well. That took a few seconds to process, and by then he'd pulled back and driven in hard again. Because of the connection, our combined excitement was growing rapidly.

**You like that don't you?**

**Yeah!**

I gripped the picnic table tightly and braced myself more solidly. The pounding began. Soon, perspiration was dripping from my body as I struggled for balance. My boner dripped precum continuously.

Pedro's rhythm was steady, and I began to flex my elbows and push back against him with every stroke, trying to force his pole in deeper.

**Fuck!**

**Yeah!**

My sexual excitement continued to build. My body was getting tired, but my enthusiasm for what Pedro was doing to me was only getting stronger. He was pushing us both to the edge, closer, closer...

With both a mental and audible scream, I shot my load. Pedro took one last balls-deep drive and held himself tightly against me as he flooded me with his sperm.

Pedro slowly pulled out. His jizz dripped out of me and pooled with mine on the ground. I leaned on my elbows on the table, face in my hands, breathing hard.

"Fuck!"

Pedro laughed. "Is that the extent of your vocabulary?"

I stood up unsteadily and sat down on the bench, bent over, face in my hands again.

"That was incredible!"

"Wait a while, and we can do it again."

I looked up at him and laughed. "I don't think so. Not tonight. But you might talk me into it again another time. So, what would you have done if you hadn't read my pleasure?"

"I would have stopped. I like it rough, both ways, but my partner has to like it too. I'm not that rough when I can't make the connection. It's a lot more fun with guys like you. You sort of surprised me."

I reflected briefly. "I surprised myself too."

Pedro pulled on his clothes. "I gotta get home. Tomorrow's another work day. By the way, why don't you come down and join me tomorrow afternoon? I'd appreciate the company, and with Tocho laid up, I bet you're gonna have time on your hands."

"Thanks, I'll do that. What time is it, anyway? I was supposed to be home before dark."

"Almost ten o'clock. I can give you a ride."

"Thanks. Having you take me home will be better than trying to make an excuse."

************

Pedro and I said goodbye and shared a few comments about the games. Then I shut his car door firmly enough to be heard inside. The show had the desired effect.

Mom was in the kitchen. "Did you have a good time?"

I gave her a quick kiss. "Yeah, I did. Benny and Mateo left early, but Pedro and I played one-on-one and lost track of the time. Sorry I didn't get home before dark."

Mom smiled. "I knew you were with your friends, so I wasn't worried."

She might have felt differently if she knew what Pedro had done to me. I kept that detail to myself.

I took a quick shower and dropped down on my back on the bed. Lying very still, I began to play back the memory. My body jerked and twisted at the pain, but it turned me on. Hands-free, I leaked a continuous flow of precum onto my abs. My excitement continued to grow to the end. As I gripped the headboard tightly, I flooded myself with jizz.

Exhausted, I got a towel and cleaned myself up before crawling into bed. I fell asleep thinking about all of my experiences so far. Probably a dozen or more. Yeah, I was building up my experience inventory. Tocho was right. The more I screwed, the better it got.