Gone From Darkness - 2. Part 1

I awoke to find myself unaware of my location, confused with my surroundings. I found the mere notion that I was puzzled over my situation quite comical. I mean, how could I NOT know who I am, where I am, or where I’m from? That’s just absurd! Why, just a few minutes ago I had been…… Wait a minute….. Where had I been? I don’t remember that either. Who am I for that matter?

Ok, let’s calm down here. First thing’s first, find out where I am. I first realized that I was laying on the ground, on a small hill. I rose to my feet and took a panoramic view of the scene before me. Other than a small pond a few feet away from me, I saw nothing but grassy, rolling hills in every direction. Birds flew around a tree off in the distance. Looking up, I saw the blue sky, bluer than I’d ever seen the sky before. That is, of course, assuming I’d ever seen the sky before. At that point, I wasn’t sure of anything.

I bent down for a drink of water before I began my walk. I smiled at the reflection in the water. I saw in it a handsome boy, about fourteen years old, with light brown hair and sky blue eyes. I cupped my hands in the water and drew out a handful of water to drink. It was cool and refreshing. As soon as I tasted it, I felt my muscles pulse with energy.

I no longer felt worried of how long it would take me to find someone in this mysterious, hilly plain. I was sure I’d find someone and, hopefully, begin to piece together the moments of my life which I’d forgotten.

Although I was unsure of my direction or my destination, I felt that the only point of reference, the only target I could really aim for, was that distant tree. So, I began walking toward the tree. Each step seemed effortless to my young body, the ground so soft, that I wasn’t sure if I was touching it at all as I walked.

I sifted through my mind, looking for details regarding my identity, and was discouraged to find none. Faces of strangers flashed through my mind from time to time, but I decided that I would simply absorb the faces right now, rather than trying to put a name to them. Hopefully, I guessed, as time went on, they’d come to me on their own.

As I neared the tree, I noticed a small figure sitting against it, facing away from me. I decided to veer diagonally from the straight path I had chosen before and circle around him in order to get a better look at the only figure I had seen in the short time I’d been in that mysterious, grassy field.

A boy, appearing to be the same age as myself, began to take shape as I decreased the distance between us. I could tell his age just by studying the way he presented himself. He was sitting in such a careless manner, one leg bent at the knee, the other laying flat on the ground. One arm was planted on the ground, the other he used to pick at the acorns on the grass between his legs.

He had light blond hair, which wisped in the light breeze of that warm, sunny day. Though I had not yet gotten close enough to distinguish his facial features, I was quite sure that he was a handsome boy, inside and out. I could feel a subtle aura of grace surrounding his presence.

As I finally reached the boy, he turned his head toward me and smiled. “Hello. I’m….” His voice trailed off. It appeared he was as confused with his situation as was I.

“Don’t know you’re name either, huh?” I asked.

“No…” He got up and stood across from me, and we looked each other over. He was a very handsome young man, tall and lean, with blond hair and emerald green eyes. He wore silver rimmed glasses that served to compliment his good looks even further. He had a very familiar look about him, as if I’d met him before, yet I knew nothing of days past. He extended his hand to shake mine.

I followed with my own and as soon as our hands clasped in a gentle handshake, a small electric shock went through our hands. A light tickle traveled up from my hand to my arm, dancing over my neck and reaching my mind at last. A vision went through my mind’s eye, as if our touch had allowed us a sort of psychic connection to each other. A voice inside my head startled me as it whispered to me the name of the lad who stood before me.

“Luke.”

My expression changed from that of happiness at finding someone in this barren field, to one of surprise, the same look my new acquaintance shared. I knew his name.

“I…” my voice trembled, “I think your name is Luke.”

He nodded to me and said, “Then yours must be Matt.”

Great, we know each other’s names but not our own. I asked the question that both of us were thinking. “Where are we?”

“I don’t know,” Luke said.

Just then, another vision came to me. It was of a large lake, with a log cabin sitting not too far from its banks. A small sailboat floated next to the dock onto which it was tied.

I felt a gentle pull, and looked over in the direction of its source. I got the feeling that the cabin was in that direction. North, south, I had no idea which direction was which. All I knew was that we would draw nearer to our destination by taking the course I was pulled toward. I nodded my head in that direction and said to Luke, “This way. Come on.”

Luke put up no arguments. Considering the surroundings, going in any particular direction held no better odds than another. So, off we walked in silence, over countless rolling hills. I was sure we walked miles and miles, but despite that, my legs never seemed to tire.

As we really had nothing yet to talk about, we walked in silence, looking at each other occasionally as we walked. I couldn’t shake the feeling that I knew this boy somehow. I hoped my memory would improve with time.

After what seemed an infinitely short and endlessly long time at once, and upon reaching the apex of the umpteenth hill we’d crossed that day, the same cabin that had manifested in my mind appeared before us in the distance. There it sat, at least a mile away, at the base of the hill upon which we were standing. It looked exactly as I had envisioned it.

I looked at Luke and exclaimed with relief, “Finally!”

First we walked, then skipped, and finally ran down the long, gentle slope until reaching the bottom, laughing and pushing each other around playfully as we went.

Luke reached our destination first, raised his arms in triumph and proclaimed “I won!”

I just smiled, laughing along with him, and we continued toward the cabin.

The house was larger than it seemed now that we were up close. It was a two story log edifice, perfectly kept, with large windows, a chimney on one side, and a very inviting door, one that seemed to call to us. In the back we could see a large body of water that stretched on for miles, yet it almost seemed like it started right where the house sat, as if it was made just for the inhabitants of this magnificent home.

A dock extended from the edge of the lake, providing a home for a very sleek, well-built sailboat, one not unlike the one from my vision, no doubt belonging to the owners of this house.

We walked up to the door, and just to the right of it, an intricately cut wooden sign proudly displayed that it belonged to “Matt and Luke.”

Luke and I looked at each other incredulously and I commented, “Apparently this is our home.”

Luke nodded and turned the handle on the door, and it opened right up. He pushed the door back and found a very elegant interior awaiting exploration.

We walked over the threshold and began investigating each of the rooms, which were lovingly decorated with grand furniture, immaculately kept hardwood floors, and huge windows, whose light illuminated each room’s vibrant colors, from the brown of hardwood, to the reds and greens of furniture, and more. The kitchen was gigantic, with marble countertops and shiny silver appliances.

Luke looked in the fridge and exclaimed, “Whoa, this place is loaded! There’s enough food in here for months!”

I smiled to at his youthful vigor. It was nice to feel young again….

Another vague fragment of a memory sped through my mind, but was too fast for me to examine fully. I saw an older man and woman laughing and talking together in a room not unlike those in this house, but I was unable to get a sense of what it was about.

I couldn’t shake the familiarity of those thoughts. I could tell Luke was having them too, as he looked extremely thoughtful, as I suspected I did, from time to time as well.

Feeling tired, I suggested for us to find a place to sleep for a while. In what appeared to be a den, we found a spacious office with bookcases covering the walls, a desk towards the back and a couple couches closer to the entrance.

We decided to look upstairs for more comfortable sleeping arrangements, and were pleased to find a master bedroom with a king-size bed.
I picked one side and laid down for a rest. I don’t know why, but I was horribly tired at that moment. Just as I began to nod off I saw Luke join me, sliding under the covers of the other side of the bed. I quickly fell into a peaceful slumber.


During the night I vaguely recall having a dream. It was a most vivid dream, with beautiful colors, smells, and textures. My senses were more heightened than I’d ever before experienced. Granted, I couldn’t really recall what I HAD experienced prior to arriving in my present situation, but I just knew that the level upon which this “dream” worked was beyond description, almost supernatural. Though I experienced such strong sensual input, the subjects of the dream were still rather obscured.

I vaguely recalled two male figures, which appeared to be in their mid teens, talking to each other casually, yet with very loving and emotional expressions towards each other. I felt a very strong bond between the two of them, perhaps like that of the bond between brothers? No, that wasn’t it. Maybe cousins or best friends? Could have been.

One figure put his hand lightly on the other boy’s shoulder, and the two boys leaned their faces closer and closer, and just as their lips were about to touch, the dream faded into nothingness.

Well, I think it’s safe to say those two boys were not brothers, as I’m quite sure they were about to kiss each other just as the dream faded. Were they lovers? No….. Boys didn’t love each other, did they? I wasn’t sure.

Luke stirred just as I was done interpreting my dream from the night’s slumber. We looked at each other and smiled. “Morning,” I said.

“Same to you,” he replied, giggling.

“So….. Ready to explore a little more?” I queried.

“I think we should eat first, I’m famished!” he exclaimed.

“Fair enough,” I agreed. At that, we dashed down the stairs of the cabin, heading toward the kitchen. I was amazed at how awake and alive I felt that morning, considering how tired I had felt the night before. Well, you know what they say, sleep does a body good. Unfortunately, whoever “they” is, I couldn’t say for certain at that point in time.

Luke and I made an extravagant breakfast with pancakes, eggs, bacon, toast, orange juice, and milk. It was a fabulous meal; we ate hordes of everything until we felt stuffed to the gills.

After we cleaned up the breakfast mess, of which there was quite a bit, we noticed that it had grown hot very rapidly. The sun wasn’t even at its highest in the sky and already my body cried out for a dip in the cool waters at the edge of the property.

I sighed and wiped my brow, which was already starting to bead with sweat. “Whew it’s hot,” I declared. “Let’s go for a swim.”

Luke smiled and replied, “All right. That sounds like fun.”

Luke and I quickly finished the rest of the dishes and searched the house for some swimming gear. I found some towels, but not a swimming suit was to be had. I quickly pulled Luke out of the house and towards the beach, hoping he wouldn’t notice right away that we were going to be skinny-dipping on that hot, summery morning.

Upon reaching the shore, I quickly and confidently started stripping off my clothes, looking back at my newfound friend and urging him with a smile to do the same.

Luke was much more reluctant than myself to disrobe, and turned his back to me while he slowly took off his clothes. Though he didn’t say anything, I looked away when he got to his underwear, which he quickly threw off, then dashed into the water, going in deep enough to cover himself from the waist down.

I smiled at Luke. He seemed very self-conscious. In an effort to calm his nerves, I urged, “Relax. There’s no one here to see you naked.”

Luke put his head down and peered up at me. “No one here but you.”

I just laughed at his bashfulness. Though I could understand it, I was used to being naked around others, as I’d been required to shower in a room full of boys after swimming practices and meets when I was in middle and high schools. I continued stripping until I had not a stitch of clothing on, and then walked down the beach and into the water.

I waded right up next to Luke, who had backed into the water until it was up to his chest, and replied, “I’m not sure if you know this, but….” And I whispered in his ear, “We’ve got the same equipment.”

Luke gave a nervous laugh and his face seemed to flush a little. It was obvious that he was very insecure.

I was quite sure that he did indeed know that we were equally equipped, as I’d noticed him giving me looks from the water as I undressed, but I wasn’t surprised. We’d both reached the age of curiosity. I was no less curious of his body as he was of mine, but I chose to give him the privacy that I knew he needed at that moment. I could tell he was grateful for that gesture, too.

I decided not to broach that particular issue, and encouraged Luke to have some fun with me. We swam and splashed for some time, laughing and smiling for hours. We had a blast!

As we relished our playful swim together, another memory appeared before my mind’s eye; one that warmed my heart. A family of four played at the beach. A husband, wife, and two boys enjoyed a day, much like the one we were having, experiencing the thrill of swimming through the waves of the ocean.

The father rustled the protesting boys out of the water, as they had already spent a good deal of time playing in the sea during the day.

The father walked back with his boys towards their spot on the beach, where a blanket laid and a beach umbrella stood, as well as two beach chairs, one of which was taken up by the beautiful young woman that was the man’s wife. The husband sat down next to his wife and they watched as their boys settled into a spot just out of reach of the waves of the sea.

There, they took their pails and shovels and began to construct a small but ever increasing sandcastle, with towers on top of the corners of their creation. They made little windows in the towers by carefully pushing their small, delicate fingers into the sand. They even dug a moat surrounding the entire structure, poured water into it, and watched as the water traveled through the paths made by those two creative lads.

The father appeared to be very proud of his two young sons, and was happy that he could provide for their safety and love. He also looked over at his wife. I immediately sensed an emotional rift between the couple. They most definitely loved each other, but something was missing. Something kept them at arm’s length.

I wasn’t sure what it was that kept the pair apart, because at that moment, I was shocked back to reality by a rather strong wave which knocked me off of my feet, forcefully plunging me into the water.

Once the wave had passed, I was able to recover, and got back onto my feet.

“Are you all right?” a very concerned Luke asked. He slapped my back as I coughed up some water.

Though it seemed strange that I’d be knocked over by a wave in what appeared to be nothing more than a large lake, I didn’t think much of it.

“Yeah, I’m ok,” I replied. “Thanks.” I sighed and stretched. “I’m tired, I’m gonna go lay on the beach.” I turned my back to Luke and walked out of the water, towards our beach blankets, and plopped myself on top of one.

I watched Luke as he paused and looked at me, wondering whether he should stay and swim or get out and risk embarrassment, so he continued to swim a bit. I could tell that he felt rather foolish, swimming all alone, as he then quickly tired of wading around, and soon dashed out of the water, seeking the cover that his beach towel could provide. He wrapped it tightly around his waist so as to avoid any embarrassment from accidentally exposing himself.

I peered over at him as he tried to act casual, with his legs tightly together and a hand placed over his crotch for extra protection. I could understand his actions. He was, after all, a victim of sexual abuse at a very young age.

An ill feeling flushed through me as I examined that thought, and was unpleasantly greeted with a most horrifying flashback of a young Luke, at the innocent age of 8, sleeping soundly in bed, when a man quietly crept into his bedroom, slid under the covers, and began performing unspeakable acts upon the child.

I was utterly appalled that this boy’s uncle of all people could take advantage of a helpless child. It was sickening enough to make me put my clothes back on. Once discovering what I was doing, Luke followed suit, relieved that he would be covered once again, no doubt.

I winced outwardly at the horrible nature of the vision, which quickly startled Luke. He looked at me as if he’d done something wrong, so I tried to think of a way to recover.

“What’d I do?” he asked. As absurd a question as it was to me, I did not laugh. Instead, I did what I could to reassure him that all was well.

“It’s ok, Luke,” I replied. “I just….. I remembered something unpleasant from my life.”

Luke gave a concerned look and followed, “What was it about?”

I sighed and responded, “Oh, it was nothing. Don’t worry about it.” I couldn’t bear to tell Luke of what I’d seen. I figured he’d see it in time as well, so I felt it best to not speak of it, and wait for him to experience the vision when his mind was ready to see it.

As we walked back up the beach, I wrapped my arm around Luke’s shoulder, causing him to look up and give a shy smile. I returned the smile and we continued on into the house.

We spent the rest of the day lounging around, exploring new areas of the cabin, playing card games, and just enjoying the time we had together.

In the middle of the card game, just as Luke was due to throw a card down, he looked up at me quizzically. “You were an only child, weren’t you?”

“Yes, I was,” I heard myself say. “I always wished I had a real brother or sister to do stuff with.” I thought for a moment. “You are one too.”

“Maybe that’s why,” Luke deduced, “we got along so well since we were young.”

It amazed me how Luke and I seemed to just blurt out parts of our history without thinking, as if someone else were speaking for us, or maybe speaking through us.

Memories of Luke and I playing together when we were very young started to trickle into my consciousness, one by one: camping trips out in my parents’ backyard when we were eight, playing cops and robbers with little toy guns and bags of laundry which were designated as “loot,” swimming lessons together at the Young Men’s Christian Association in our home town of Oakland, California, Cheating off each other’s Math tests in sixth grade. We’d been the best of friends since as long as we could remember.

I enjoyed each memory as if I was living it that very moment, smelling every smell, hearing every sound, feeling everything I touched. I didn’t know how I lost my memory, nor how I was recalling it, but it was a welcome experience. Every memory I discovered helped me piece together the murky past in my mind.

By the end of our card game, we knew everything about each other, from our earliest memories until the end of our childhood. I eagerly awaited more memories as I packed up the cards and started looking for something else to do.

As we sat together in a comfortable silence, staring off into the large blue waters of the large lake, I again experienced another vision. Luke and I were about fourteen years old, and were playing around on the beach as we were today, and decided to take the small dingy my parents bought for me on my fourteenth birthday out into the bay.

Dad took me out on the boat only a couple of times, as his hectic work schedule didn’t allow him much free time. He was a very well known prosecutor for the District Attorney’s office. I usually only saw him at breakfast, if I got up early enough, or on some weekends. He was a good father, when he was around, but he did have some expectations of me that I wished never to reach. My dream was to be with Luke until we were old and gray. His dream was to see his only son grow up to be as successful as he, and to have his own wife, family, and career. He was not disappointed.

Luke was excited at the idea of sailing, as he’d never been out on a sailboat before. It wasn’t much of a boat, just a mast, a rudder, and two planks to sit on. For us though, it would become an escape from our parents, who we were almost constantly rebelling against, simply because that’s just what kids do.

It was a perfect day for sailing: sunny, warm, and windy. We couldn’t have asked for a better day. So, we gathered up all required equipment: life jackets, oars in case the wind died down and wasn’t able to get us back into shore, some food, and a couple other miscellaneous items, then walked out to the dock in back of our house.

I showed Luke how to pilot the boat and pack up the sail when it’s docked. He was visibly excited over it, and was even more thrilled when I told him that I could convince my father to take us out on his 25-footer.

“You wanna steer for a bit?” I asked Luke, who was sitting at the bow, staring out over the water.

Luke looked back at me with the most adorable, excited look I’d ever seen, smiled broadly, and proudly pronounced, “You bet I do!”

My shipmate then got up abruptly, causing the boat to shift violently. I quickly shifted my weight to the other side to help balance out his movements.

“Whoa there, tiger!” I joked, “Slowly.” I laughed as he more timidly walked towards me. He squeezed his cute little bubble butt in between me and the hull of the ship, as I was sitting off center, and I enjoyed the contact for a moment. I smiled at him and grasped his hand in mine, and we kissed each other lovingly.

It was our first kiss. Up until then, I wasn’t so sure that we were any more involved with each other, beyond the typical adolescent exploration. I knew for sure at that moment that we were, indeed, much more connected than that. I loved Luke, and was certain that he loved me.

As I broke contact with his sweet-tasting lips, I smiled at him and stood up, moving to the bow, and then we were off again, our boat navigating to the will of its pilot, my lovable Lucas.

We had a fun day sailing around the bay. We laughed and joked, talked and ate, genuinely enjoying our time together. We spent a lot of time kissing and caressing each other. It was really sweet, being out on the water with him. We created memories together that I would never forget.

“Hey Matt?” Luke asked as the past faded from my mind and I was returned to the present,

I looked up as I put the deck of cards down, finding a mischievous look on my companion’s face. “Yeah, Luke?”

“Let’s take the boat out tomorrow,” he suggested,

My jaw dropped in surprise when the realization of what he’d just said hit me. Had he just experienced the same vision as I did?

He smiled in a way that left me totally confused about the answer to that question. I just kept staring in confusion.

“Sure,” I said, though I’m sure he could tell I was focused on something else. “Sounds good.”

He kept smiling until I got up, and then we both went to bed. I couldn’t wait to get on that boat again. It’d been a long time since I’d been out on the water. It was going to be a real treat for the both of us.

The following day of sailing was a truly wonderful excursion. We had a blast, letting the wind blow through our hair, the sun cast its warm rays upon our bodies, and the moment consume us.

We took turns steering during our trip, as we’d done in my vision. This time, though, there was not a single boat in the water, save for our own. It was truly a reliving of the past.

We had a big lunch, which I had prepared before our departure, a truly satisfying meal.

I offered Luke the rudder at one point, and he smiled like he’d done in my vision, and to my surprise, got up as quickly as he’d done in the dream, sending the boat into a shift once again.

“Whoa there, tiger!” I exclaimed. I couldn’t resist the temptation to play out the same moment I’d seen in my visions.

He steadied himself, and then proceeded with greater caution, sitting down tightly beside me. If he didn’t have the same vision as I did the previous day, he was doing a great job of fooling me. We were, yet again, sitting together, thigh to thigh. The contact was as great as I remembered it.

I lovingly grasped his hand in mine, and we had our second “first kiss.” It was even more spectacular than it was in my memories. I felt our souls mesh and become one. It was truly magical. I knew, once again, that I was in love.

We were very tired when we got home that evening, having just enough energy to plop into our bed in a heap of twisted limbs. We were asleep before our heads hit the pillow.

The next day was an extraordinarily uneventful one. We weren’t in the mood for exploring, were too exhausted physically to go sailing again, and had played just about every card game we could think of to try and pass the time.

By dinner, we had grown painfully bored with our surroundings and lonely for the connections of others. It was great that we found each other, and we’d had wonderful times together, but we knew there had to be others out there somewhere, and that evening we decided that the following day, we would go searching for others. There had to be more people around, as it was absurd to think we were the only people on the entire planet. Though I was wary of whom we might find, I was sure that we needed to take the trip and find out what else was out there.

It began to grow cold that night, after the sun went down and the blanket of night was upon us.

“We should get to bed, we’ve got a lot of walking ahead of us tomorrow,” I said to Luke. He agreed and we headed upstairs this time, finding a king size bed in the master bedroom, looking warm and inviting as we began to feel the sleep overcoming us.

As Luke and I undressed in silence, the house seemed to chill fairly quickly, and I found myself rushing to throw my clothes aside and jump under the covers. Luke was acting with an equal amount of haste, and soon we were both down to our underwear and snug under the covers.

At first, we maintained space between ourselves. I tried to get comfortable, but no matter how snug I pulled the blankets around me, no matter what position I laid in, I felt a chill unchanging.

I looked over to Luke, who appeared to be just as cold, but was less outwardly apparent in his efforts to warm up. I could see him shivering slightly in the moonlight, even noticed the goose bumps on his shoulders.

With great care, I slowly edged myself towards my bed mate, inching closer and closer until we were almost touching. I began to feel the warmth of his aura seep into my body, as well as I could tell that Luke was less cold than he was.

As I laid there awake, sleep seemingly unable to take me, I had another vision, one that brought warmth and love into my heart. I experienced the two young boys that Luke and I were, 13 and at the beginning of our adolescence, beginning to come into their sexuality. I saw the excitement they experienced of having another boy sleeping beside them, saw the feelings it aroused inside them. I saw the thoughts each one of them harbored. The fantasies they entertained, but were still afraid and unsure of what would happen had they played those fantasies out..

I saw the torment it brought them, the worry and fear of being outcast that was their reality. They knew what they felt for each other was, in the eyes of others, unnatural and morally wrong. Each boy’s mind was at war with itself, waging happiness against normality, love against acceptance.

“Hey, Luke,” my 13 year old self whispered to the young Luke.

“Yeah?” he answered in return.

“Turn around.” I suggested. Luke complied and we were laying face to face, staring thoughtfully at each other.

I reached over to Luke and caressed his cheek, causing him to smile. I moved my hand down to his smooth chest and stomach, enjoying the soft feeling of his skin.

I could feel Luke’s reaction as well. I experienced every sensation as if I was him. The feelings of my hand on his skin were explosive inside his body. For the first time in his life, someone else’s touch caused him to become sexually excited. It was a most wonderful sensation, coming alive by someone else. He had never before felt anyone love him so strongly. It was an overwhelming experience.

I then started pulling at his boxers, and he shifted his weight until he was free of them. He reciprocated, helping me out of my underwear as well. We looked at each other’s young, soft, smooth bodies in wonderment, this being the first time we’d ever seen each other naked.

We laid back and looked each other over before continuing on. I found his body to be the most amazing sight I’d ever seen. Every curve, every bend, every finger and toe was perfect. At that moment, I wasn’t satisfied with looking at Luke. I wanted more. I yearned to touch his body, and to experience the thrill of having my own touched in such an intimate way.

I looked Luke in the eyes, reassuring him that it was okay. He was nervous and bit his lip in anticipation. I slowly reached my hand out and touched his chest again, slowly working my way down his stomach, and finally embracing his most intimate parts.

With one last look, he in turn caressed my own hardness, and as the pleasure we invoked in each other began to increase, the vision began to fade into nothingness, bringing me back to the present.

I laid there watching Luke sleep, wondering if he’d just experienced the same vision as I, wondering what would become of us tomorrow, and the next day, and the next. I drifted off to sleep thinking about what we’d find tomorrow, in our trek across the seemingly infinite nothingness that was our world. I only hoped we’d find more answers to my ever-growing list of questions about my newfound memories.

My suspicions that Luke was having similar dreams were confirmed the following morning, during a noticeably quiet breakfast. It was obvious by Luke’s body language that something was disturbing him to his very core. His eyes were distant, his body very tight. He reacted to every sound as if it was the boogie monster trying to scare him. I decided to let the silence consume us for the moment, to give Luke time to sort things out.

As we finished eating, I started a conversation. “I think we should go do some more exploring this morning.”

Luke swallowed what he was chewing and nodded. “Sounds like a plan. But which way do we go?”

I wrinkled my brow. Truthfully I had no idea which way to go. The only thing I knew is that we couldn’t go towards the back of the house. Last time I checked, I was unable to walk on water. So we decided to follow the natural flow of the river that broke away from the lake behind our house, that way we could be sure we weren’t going in circles. We also figured that walking along a source of fresh water would bring us to civilization. After all, everyone needed water to survive.

Around what felt to be mid-morning, we grabbed a couple of backpacks we found in the house, filled up some bottles of water, and then took off.

Our journey was long, but very satisfying. I had never seen such a beautiful day. The warm sun shared its vibrant energy with me. I felt invigorated as a cool wind gently flowed around me. It was as if I was drawing strength and comfort directly from nature.

Rolling hill after rolling hill, we followed the river for hours searching for civilization. I smiled when we passed a wooded area. I could hear the birds chirping in the trees, and even spotted a deer drinking from a small stream. It was beautiful.

We continued on along the river, even as it began to get dark. We knew that unless we found shelter, stopping would not do us any good.

Just as the last of the day’s light began to vanish, and my soul was growing worried, the light of a city shone in the distance. It was the first sign of human life we had seen since we found each other days before.

That light gave me a renewed sense of strength, as it did for Luke, and we happily trotted, jogged, and skipped towards the light, growing in intensity as we neared. In no time at all we were standing at the entrance to a large community, with countless houses and buildings built on the hills of the land. The town was surrounded by large walls protecting it from the outside world. Towers were placed along the walls as well, undoubtedly used as protection from coming strangers.

The gates of the city opened when we were within a few feet of the great wall. I would have thought nothing of it, had there been someone there to greet us. As it were, we could see no evidence that such a person existed, thus we were amazed that this gate seemed to sense our arrival.

We stood at the gate and looked in, seeing the city in a bit more detail than before. Many people were walking around the streets, carrying this and that, smiling and happy. Some families stood in front of their houses chatting with others. The entire city seemed to emanate a very strong vibe of love and peace. I knew that we had found a safe place to seek help for our unexplained lack of memories. I just hoped the answers would come soon. I feared that I had left a lot of responsibility behind, wherever I had come from.

A man came out to the gate to greet us. He was a middle aged gentleman, perhaps in his 50s, wearing a brown robe that tied with a rope around the waist, and walked with a cane that reached his chest. He had a well kept beard, reassuring blue eyes, and a full head of dark blond hair, fixed perfectly and formally.

The man stood in front of us, folded his hands in front of him, and began. “Welcome, gentlemen. I am sure you walked a great distance today. Do come in. I’ll show you to your sleeping quarters.”

Though I’m sure my mother would have told me to not associate with strangers, I knew in my heart that this man wanted nothing more than to put us at ease, so I urged a nervous Luke and myself onward, following the strong, capable man through the streets of this city.

Everywhere we looked, people stood out and smiled at us, waved, and welcomed us to the Great City, as they referred to it. I couldn’t help but feel lucky to have found such a place, where it seemed all were accepted.

I always wished I could have been honest with my parents about who I was, but I knew how they felt about them, knew what they would have said if they found out I was one of those people.

My mother was a devout catholic, who thought ill of anyone who didn’t fit in with traditional Christian values. She would have been crushed to know that her only son was Gay. And my father, he would have killed me, of that I’m sure. He was a rabid homophobe up until his death, sputtering nasty words at every mention of someone “queer.”

He was a man with very traditional values and very strict expectations, wanting nothing less than success from his child. I had to be great at sports, had to be a straight A student, had to marry the prom queen and have a boy to carry on his good name. That was the path chosen for me. That was the path I led, despite all the voices I had inside of me, telling me to follow my heart.

After all the twists and turns through the streets of the Great City, we finally reached our destination. Our guide turned toward us and said, “This will be your place of rest for the time that you are here. Everything you will need is here in this city. If there is anything you would like now, or any time during your stay, feel free to ask me, or any of the other townsfolk. They’ll be happy to answer any question you may have. I’ll arrange for a tour guide to show you the city soon if you like. Have a nice night.”

And with that, he left us to our own devices. We looked at each other and silently decided to look around the place. Our new abode was like a large apartment, with two very spacious levels, a kitchen, living and dining rooms on the first floor, and a bedroom, bathroom, and office on the second.

The apartment was not nearly as nice as “our cabin,” but I didn’t think we’d be here for very long, so I was sure we’d be fine there for the time being.

As we had a very tiring day, we both decided to head to the bedroom for a nice long rest. I could tell that Luke was slowly losing his timidity and gaining trust in me, as he was not at all shy about snuggling up with me in bed that night. We enjoyed a nice quiet sleep together.

Again that night, my mind was not at rest. I was greeted with a series of “dreams” that gave me many more pieces to the story that I was lacking.

The first was a lot like the previous night’s dream. Luke and I had several physical encounters since we first started experimenting when we were 13. We learned more about each other’s bodies each time. By the time we were fifteen, we’d gone all the way, giving our virginities to each other. I was in love, and I was certain Luke was too.

It was a beautiful experience, having my lover inside me, invoking the most amazing orgasmic pleasures I’ve ever experienced. Luke and I had grown very close, kindred souls living together in a world constantly trying to tear us apart.

As the bliss of our first complete sexual experience faded, I could tell that a dark cloud of a dream approached, though my mind could not yet lock on to the details of the memory before it faded away until another night, when I was sure it would rear its ugly head.

We spent the next day hanging around the apartment, as we had done the first day we stayed at the cabin. We mostly just discussed some of the memories we’d recalled, or rather, relived, during our time together.

We walked around the immediate neighborhood that afternoon, looking through the local shops and talking to the other townsfolk. Everyone was very nice, outgoing, and just generally pleasant to be around. I stopped at a local market and picked out a few things to cook that night.

I was always a great cook. I remember when my mother used to let me help her in the kitchen some nights, making different meals together. I never made any when my father was home, though. I didn’t want to seem like too much of a sissy. I rediscovered my culinary roots years later, and took great pride in making meals for my wife and kids several times a week, before.

I made us our favorite Italian meal that night. The herbs and spices were just right, the taste balanced to perfection. I’d never had a meal so delicious in all my years. It was simply amazing how well I worked when I wanted to impress Luke.

After dinner, we lounged in bed and talked about what we thought of the community we’d seen so far. I loved how I felt like everyone around me was family, even though I was sure I did not know them. I’d heard of tight-knit communities who grow very close, but never before experienced it until we arrived here.

As Luke and I prepared for bed, stripping to our boxers and sliding under the covers, another memory came into focus, only this time it wasn’t a flashback.

Luke and I traded thoughtful glances as we lay on our sides, taking in the events of the last few days. I loved the young man that stared back at me, through and through. I was sure he felt the same.

I stretched my hand out and caressed my lover’s cheek, much the same as I had during our first encounter, and he reacted to my touch physically. I was tremendously excited as well, my body crying out for relief.

I looked into my companion’s eyes, silently asking permission to love him, and with a blink of an eye, I had my answer. I engulfed Luke in a warm embrace, tickling his skin with my fingertips. Our bodies were alive with those same sensations we experienced in the past, but, in contrast to those flashbacks, reached an indescribable level.

Luke and I loved each other late into the night, missing no pleasure spot, leaving no bit of skin un-stimulated. We became one that night, our souls connecting, bringing about the most powerful spiritual orgasm, achieving a level of pleasure that our physical bodies could never reach.

We made love until we could no longer keep our eyes open, and slept together, bodies and souls entwined in an infinitely satisfying embrace.