Chapter 1
In the Forest, One Year Post Apocalypse

The mist lay close to the ground in the Ozark forest on this particular October morning. The sun would be up soon. Jack sat motionless in the tree stand as the young buck sniffed the air, searching for any evidence that a predator might be in the vicinity. The kernels of corn that littered the ground in the small clearing were all that he could smell, and he was hungry. He snorted and pawed the ground twice and then, looking directly at the corn, slowly moved into the clearing and lowered his head to feed.

The arrow from Jack's bow was swift and sure. The buck would never know the taste of the corn. The kill was as clean as it was silent.

To Jack, it seemed like he had hunted all of his life. Growing up on a small farm just outside of a small town in Arkansas, his first kill had come when he was only eight. Jim Marsden, his father, had expected all of his children to be able to hunt and contribute food for the family table. To poor people like the Marsdens, the hunting and killing of game was not a hobby, but rather a necessity. Often, a successful hunt meant the difference between their family having a full meal, and going hungry.

Jack climbed down from the tree stand and leaned his bow and quiver against an oak. He stood there for a moment reviewing his work. Clint and he would have a good dinner this night with a lot leftover to keep them fed for at least a week. Taking his knife from the scabbard on his belt, he bent down and started to cut the skin off one of the deer's legs so that he could get a good cut of meat to carry back to camp. After they ate, they would come back for the rest of the meat.

If you had met Jack before the alien invasion, you would have known just by looking at him that he was an outdoorsman. His auburn hair was just a little too long and hung out from under his badly worn ball cap. At six feet tall [1.85 m], he was lean, weighing no more than 170 lbs [74 kg]. He had not shaved since he went on the run from the aliens but did trim his beard with a pair of scissors so that, while full, it also remained short. His clothes were really just what he had always worn; jeans and a soft cotton shirt, covered this time of year with a camouflage jacket. A good pair of waterproof boots completed his outfit. Only the infrared heat of his body would reveal him to any prying alien scanner.

***

Back at their camp, in a small cave behind a bluff shelter, in the side of a hollow, fourteen-year-old Clint was using a little flour to make beaten biscuits. Without being told, he knew that Jack would be back soon with some sort of game. Even if he didn't get a deer, Clint knew that Jack was such a good hunter that he would not come home empty handed. It had now been a year since the alien invasion. At least they could still raid the remains of the local Walmart for food and supplies, but even those were beginning to run low.

Thanks to the thick growth of oak and hickory around the mouth of the cave, their camp was almost invisible. A small stream flowed down the middle of the hollow so that water was not a problem. Further on down was the Buffalo River, and beyond that, the much larger White River flowed past. Even from the air, being in the cave had kept them from being detected. Only when they came out to cook, like he was doing now, were they vulnerable and they only did that once or twice a day, making only the smallest fire that they could and still get the job done.

***

A year ago, Jack had found Clint wandering alone down the country road that ran past the Marsden farm the day after the aliens had hit their little town. The aliens had either killed or captured almost everyone in the vicinity.

The boy had been down in his family's storm shelter cleaning it out for his mother when the alien attack had occurred. The steel door to the little underground shelter had kept the aliens from detecting his presence. When one of the alien craft had spotted his mother and two sisters, though, one of its shots had hit a tree and dropped a large limb across the door to the storm shelter, trapping Clint inside.

Unfortunately, his mother and younger sisters were not so lucky. When Clint had finally gotten the tree limb off of the door to the storm shelter, he found his home smashed and his family gone, only God knew where. Pausing as he ran in the direction of the town, the smoke and fire that he could see in the distance, as well as what he somehow knew were alien craft in the sky circling the area, let him know that it was not safe to go there.

Retracing his steps, Clint spent the night in the storm shelter. When it was morning, he headed out of town away from whatever was happening there. Half in shock, he had run into Jack who had just returned from an overnight hunting trip only to find no one at his own family's farm.

Jack had joined the Army right out of high school and spent two tours of duty as a combat sniper in Afghanistan. Using his binoculars from a low hill, he had observed the destruction of the town. He was loading his truck with camping gear and supplies, preparing to quit the area, when Clint had come stumbling down the road that day.

It was one of those instant bondings; both had needed someone. With Clint, it was more obvious as fear and shock shown on his face. For Jack, having trained as a sniper, his emotions were more hidden and buried beneath a false calm exterior that he had learned to project in combat.

That first night together they had hidden in an old hunting cabin in the forest that covered much of Searcy County. Jack had made a small fire and prepared a couple of dried, one-course camp meals for their food. As darkness fell, he had broken out two sleeping bags and stretched them out on the floor of the cabin, assuming that they would sleep side by side.

Jack had stood in the light of the Coleman lantern and slowly stripped off his clothes until he stood there in nothing but his boxers. His lean muscular body was outlined in the dim glow of the lantern.

Watching the show, Clint looked at the 25-year-old former Army sniper and swallowed hard. Deep within himself, he somehow knew that he was gay even if up until then he had had no experience with another boy, or man.

Jack could see the tenting in the boy's briefs as Clint stripped off his clothes. Looking at the boy, he knew he liked what he saw. The kid was lean and muscular, with the beginnings of well-defined abs and biceps. Jack could see that he had a "treasure trail" that ran from his navel down into his briefs, although he seemed otherwise to be hairless below the neck. He stood about 5' 9" tall [1.76 m] and weighed an easy 160 lbs [73 kg].

Jack reached out his hand and took that of the boy to pull him close to him. Then he embraced him by wrapping both of his strong arms around Clint. It was too much for the boy. All of the day's tensions welled up inside of him and his body shook as sobs wracked his thin frame and he buried his face in Jack's shoulder. They must have stood there like that for several minutes while it all came pouring out.

The next thing that they knew, they were naked on the sleeping bags and devouring each other's rock-hard cock. Somehow, Clint knew that he wanted Jack's cock and Jack knew that he wanted the boy's cock. Wordlessly, they lay on the floor on the sleeping bags in a 69 position, lost in sex. They climaxed almost simultaneously with cum flying in all directions. Afterwards, the boy lay in Jack's arms. Drained of tension, sleep came quickly.

In the coming days, they would always sleep nude with the two sleeping bags zipped together. While they did not sleep on top of each other, they did sleep so that each could always feel the other's warm body only an inch or two away. Almost every morning when they awoke, the hand of one held the hand of the other. While they probably would not have known the word, theirs was truly a symbiotic relationship where two were needed to make one.

***

When Jack strode into the clearing where Clint prepared the biscuits, he set the deer-meat on a flat stone by the fire. Clint stood and the two embraced, grateful to find one another safe again. A year may have gone by, but they still heard the alien craft overhead from time to time. Caution was always the word of the day.

Clint set about preparing the frying pan for the meat he sliced off of the hunk Jack had brought. He had just a few herbs gleaned from the Walmart in town. Dropping a glob of lard into the pan, he waited until it was hot enough to melt it before placing the meat into it.

Meanwhile, Jack got cleaned up from his hunt and settled down near the fire to watch Clint adding the herbs to the meat. Jack had a glint in his eye as he watched the boy's muscles ripple under his shirt. He had an idea bedtime would come a bit early on this night.

Clint was careful not to burn the meat Jack had labored to provide for them. Nonetheless, he had not missed Jack's wandering eyes checking him out. He could barely wait until the meal was over before they retired to the cave for the night. He hoped Jack was as horny as he was.

***

Once inside the cave, Jack turned down the sleeping bags while Clint began stripping off his clothes. The boy had never been ashamed of his body and had needed very little time to feel comfortable being naked in Jack's presence. He stood there with his four and a half inch [11 cm] rock-hard cock standing out from his body. Clint closed his eyes and ran his hand down his torso feeling his abs quiver at his own touch before reaching the small tuft of pubic hair above his cock. Slowly, he scratched an imaginary itch on the side of his ball sack. His longing for sex consumed every inch of his young body.

When the boy opened his eyes, he could see Jack pulling off his cotton flannel shirt. Reaching down, he unfastened the snaps on his boots and stepped out of them. The young hunter bent over and reached into a backpack on the floor of the cave to retrieve a tube of lubricant. Shirtless, he turned toward the boy and smiled. Then, as he unzipped his jeans he said, "Looks like you're ready for a little action before bedtime. Am I right?"

"Yes," answered Clint. "You wouldn't believe how horny I am."

"Oh, I would believe; it hasn't been that long since it seemed like I was horny all the time myself. Sex is one of the few things that these damn aliens can't take away from us," replied Jack.

The boy stood there looking at the half naked young man who was his friend and companion and, as always, liked what he saw. At six feet [1.80 m] tall, with well-muscled shoulders and chest, even Jack knew that he looked good. For a man of twenty-five, his abs were still well defined from hard work and the time that he had spent in the local gym before the invasion. In this primitive existence in the woods, even if he didn't shave his face, he still liked to trim and shave his body hair as he had done consistently since his Army days. The ash-blond color of the shaggy hair of his head and beard matched the closely trimmed pubic bush that topped his three inch [7.5 cm] flaccid penis and his hanging ball sack.

Jack let his jeans drop to the cave floor and stepped out of them. Slowly, he moved closer to the boy so that they were only inches apart. Clint reached out his hand and ran it slowly down his friend's muscular torso stopping only long enough to tweak the young man's nipples. Then, the boy leaned up against his chest so that their bodies touched… no, merged, becoming almost one as he wrapped his arms around the young hunter. Jack shuddered as he felt the boy's smooth chest and his heart beating up against his own body. Somehow, he knew that his penis was now hard. Looking down, he could see Clint's cock twitch involuntarily in anticipation of the sex to come.

Without speaking, Jack opened the lubricant and rubbed some on his own cock and that of the boy. Each took the other's hard, and now slippery, organ in hand and started running their closed fingers up and down. The silence was only broken by their moans of pleasure. It seemed like only moments before they both climaxed, shooting multiple bursts of cum into the air. Then, they stood there hugging one another for some time as their passions cooled, their tensions now gone for the time being.

Later, both of them slept soundly through the night.

***

In the early pre-dawn, Jack suddenly awoke, alert to danger. Remaining perfectly still, hardly breathing, he listened with his hunter-trained ears trying to discern what had awakened him. Clint still breathed softly into his shoulder, nestled against his side.

Carefully, so as not to awaken the teenager, Jack gently disentangled himself and slowly stood up, certain the danger was not immediately at hand. Walking softly and carefully towards the entrance, his heightened senses told him an alien craft was somewhere overhead. Apparently, he had heard the ship's engines in his sleep.

Careful to remain covered by the rocky outcropping overhead, he cautiously poked his head out and looked up. Barely visible in the early morning twilight, he could just make out the silvery side of an alien craft moving slowly towards the town that they usually raided for supplies.

Alarmed now that they might be discovered to be in the area by the obvious removal of items from shelves, Jack hurriedly dressed and nudged Clint awake.

"Wha…" began the teen, before he saw Jack hold his finger to his lips.

Softly, Jack whispered, "There's a ship going towards the town that we've been raiding. I think we should move further away until it's safe. Get dressed quickly."

Fully awake now, Clint made short work of donning his trousers and shirt before slipping on shoes and socks. A camouflage-patterned hunting jacket completed his travel gear. Meanwhile, Jack was shoving items in two back-packs for them and making sure the fire was well out and any food was either in their packs or sealed up.

Outside the entrance now, they pulled branches over the entrance and secured them with stones. Cleverly, Jack had suggested they weave small metal fragments into the mesh to add to the visual disguise in the hopes it would also confuse the alien tracking devices. So far, they hadn't had any intruders.

Then they were off. Jack had discovered another cave further up the mountain around the other side and headed off in that direction. He thought it likely that it was actually an old mine, since there were still some discarded bits of ore near the entrance that had most likely been left there almost a hundred years ago when prospectors had searched this area for silver. He hoped that he was right and that they could find it a dry refuge with tunnels where they could escape if need be.

After about twenty minutes, Clint, who had left hurriedly without any time for morning needs, spoke softly, "Jack, I need to stop for a minute." His young bladder was demanding relief. Jack, noticing a certain bulging in Clint's trousers, suddenly realized his own need.

"Okay, ten-minute break for necessities, then back on the trail." Leading them a way off the path and into a thicket, Jack walked to the side of a small clearing and opened his fly, followed immediately by Clint, copying him move for move. As the streams started flowing, they couldn't help but cross them, over and over. Chuckling softly, they finished and buttoned up.

Turning back to where they had set their packs down, Jack reached into Clint's and pulled out two small packets. These were the trail-packs of ready-to-eat food one could munch on while hiking. They were high in protein and fiber with enough calories to sustain a person for many hours. They each ate a few hands-full, then washed it down with a drink of water from a canteen before setting off again.

Walking more slowly this time, Jack told Clint about the other cave/mine and said they were headed there. He thought it should only take about half an hour to reach it and that they ought to be safe once inside. Privately, he hoped this would be true.

Munching on some trail food and walking in silence now, Clint began to think about the morning and realized this time had seemed somehow edgier than the other times that the aliens had been in the area. He thought hard about how Jack had been acting and decided that he seemed more alarmed than before. Concerned now for their safety, Clint closed the distance between them to chat with Jack.

"How did you know they were here this time?" the boy asked.

Jack was slow to respond, then said, "I awoke with a feeling that danger was nearby, then I heard the hum of their engines. I went to the cave entrance and glanced skyward. That's when I saw the craft moving in the direction of the town. I felt a cold dread for some reason; I don't know why. But I just knew we had to leave for the time being, and fast."

Clint thought about that for a minute before asking, "Was there something different this time that alarmed you so?"

"I can't say what it was, but, yes, something just made my skin crawl." He picked up the pace a bit then, leaving Clint silent and trying to keep up.

***

Arriving at the upper cave around mid-morning, Jack walked right into the opening with Clint close on his heals. After several feet, Jack paused long enough to dig out a flashlight which he then switched on. Grabbing Clint by the coat, he tugged him along next to him as they went further into the tunnel, for that's what it was. He had been right; it was a mine. He told Clint to walk the way he did, along the side of the tunnel where it was rock, not dirt, so they wouldn't leave tracks.

Jack remembered from his pre-teen days of exploring in the area, that the old mines often had safe-rooms close to the entrances that had heavy doors on them, solid enough to mask small noises they might make. Searching with the light, it wasn't long before he found one. Together, they were able to push the door open, and stepped into the room. A quick sweep of the light and they saw it was mostly empty but for a little crude furniture. Turning, they swung the door on its hinges into a closed position and secured it as best they could.

Clint looked at his watch. It was just 10 o'clock in the morning. He felt cold, perhaps from fear. Looking around, he spotted an area notched into a wall and elevated about two feet off the floor. Figuring this probably had been a sleeping nook, he investigated it for suitability before putting together a sort of pad to lie on. There were some remnants here and there in the cave that together made a passable cushion.

Jack watched what his young friend was up to while he set up the cave for temporary residence. He decided a quiet cuddle-nap sounded like a good idea. They could warm each other and have reason to not make noise at the same time. Jack figured if they hadn't heard anything by late afternoon, he would scout down the mountain to see if it looked safe to return to their home.

***

By the time that Jack and Clint had completed setting up camp in the old mine, it was almost noon. Their activities had warmed the room some and Jack decided to strip down and clean up before trying out the bed. He dimmed the electric lantern so that there was only just enough light to see to move around in the room. Then, he stripped his clothes off and using a small bar of soap worked up a lather on a rag that he wetted from a small pail of water. Slowly and deliberately, he wiped down his nude body while never taking his eyes off of Clint.

For his part, the boy's eyes never left Jack's naked body, either. Without a word being said, he walked over to where Jack was standing. The young hunter set the rag down and helped Clint get undressed. By the time he was naked, they both had rock-hard boners. Taking the damp rag, Jack began to wash the boy. Slowly, he worked his way down Clint's chest and belly. Reaching his pubic area, he took the boy's hard four and a half inch [11 cm] boner in his hand and began to massage it. Clint closed his eyes and stood there, loving the attention that his cock was getting.

"Lie down and spread your legs the way you like to do," Jack whispered in his ear, as he gently continued stroking him.

Clint lay back on the pallet, looked up at the young hunter, and smiled. Jack positioned himself between the boy's legs and extended his tongue, licking the boy's cock from the small tightly drawn up balls to the tip of his mushroom-shaped glans. Jack could tell that, as always, this sent a shiver of pleasure through the boy. He needed no further proof that Clint was lost in sexual gratification. He continued to pleasure him the way that he wanted to be pleasured himself.

"Oh, god, that feels so good!" Clint moaned quietly in the ear of his lover.

Seconds later, his whole body went stiff. Jack knew that he was having his happy moment, so he kept the rhythm going until the boy was done. A few seconds later, Clint began breathing heavily and his whole body went limp. Jack knew instinctively that the boy was coming down from his orgasm. He pulled off of Clint's cock, making a slurping, popping sound as he did so.

Clint pulled himself up and put his arms around Jack's neck pulling him close. There followed a long passionate kiss of the kind that only two people who truly love one another can manage.

The boy pushed Jack down on the pallet and lowered himself over his lover's still hard cock. Looking him in the face, there was only a brief gasp as he lowered himself onto the waiting organ. Slowly, he went up and down on the rock-hard member. Jack loved this and moaned every time that he did it. There was only a bit of resistance at first, but as he loosened up, Clint inched Jack's hard penis all the way into his young rectum. Once Jack was fully inside of him, it seemed to make him go into overdrive. Seconds later, the young hunter exploded inside of the boy.

Afterwards, when they lay there in each other's arms, Clint asked, "How'd that feel?"

"Any better and I would never pull it out," replied Jack with a laugh as he playfully tweaked the boy's left nipple.

As they drifted off for a nap, Jack wondered what he would find later when he went back down the mountain on a scouting mission. Time would tell.

Chapter 2
Surprise Discoveries

Gradually they both drifted off into the nap. Not long after that, Jack woke and checked his watch where he saw it was just after one in the afternoon. He thought about their home and wondered if there were any aliens scouting in the woods. Then he remembered his kill this morning. The deer was sure to give off the aroma of a fresh kill when the sun rose high enough to shine on it.

With a feeling of needed haste, he gently placed a quick kiss on Clint's lips. Feeling Clint respond, he knew he was waking up. "We need to go back down and collect the deer I killed this morning before aliens have a chance to smell it. Let's get dressed and get it done as soon as we can," Jack told him softly.

Then they rose and began dressing. Jack searched the packs and drew out a couple of coils of rope with which to make a sling to carry the carcass between them. Then they were off.

Jack took a different route back down the mountain so they wouldn't leave as strong a scent in any one location. Clint admired the way Jack could do that without getting lost. He wished he'd had forest training when he was younger, too.

Making good time, Jack was glad the rising sun had begun to warm the air because it meant the breeze would be coming up the mountain keeping them upwind of any aliens and keeping the scent of the deer away as well. In less than forty-five minutes they came upon the site of his hunt from this morning. Quickly and quietly, they formed the ropes into the sling they needed and loaded up the deer, being careful to make sure the wounds were not going to drip blood on the ground.

Moving slowly at first, Jack began by going a little further downhill before turning back upward. Clint noticed they took an altogether different route this time. Jack was moving laterally around the mountain while only climbing slowly.

After about a half an hour, Jack stopped for a rest. Carefully setting the deer down so as not to leave any blood, they found a fallen tree to sit on while they munched on some of their trail food. Jack knew that even though Clint had a nice set of muscles growing on him, nonetheless, he wouldn't have stamina equal to his own and they would have a few more stops like this one before they arrived at their new temporary shelter.

"This trip, we'll double-back a couple of times just in case the aliens do have a way to track us. Hopefully, we will be able to confuse them enough so they can't find us at the mine," Jack told Clint. At least he hoped the tactic would work for them. He didn't like the idea of having to face one or more of those monstrosities with little more than his small 9mm pistol and his bow and arrow.

Clint considered what Jack had said and realized the wisdom of it. He also knew he would be tired and sore by the time they made the mine entrance. Nodding, he finished his snack and rose, ready to get on with it.

Almost two hours later, and sweating from the effort, the two young men arrived at the mine's entrance and went straight into the safe-room. By not stopping outside first, Jack hoped to limit any potential aroma to the inside of the room. He knew the door was pretty tight but that the air wasn't stale so he assumed the builders had provided ventilation. He could only hope the outflow was far enough away that no one would associate any smell with the room inside the mine.

Placing the deer by what seemed to be a food preparation area of the room, the two young men stripped off their clothes for another clean-up. They were both sweaty and had the deer's scent on them. This time, though, they kept their activities strictly utilitarian as they were both weary from their exertions. Jack was pleased that they had the deer because it meant he wouldn't have to go hunting for many days, hopefully not until long after any alien hunters were around.

After a brief rinse of the soap, they dried each other and then lay down in the nook for a short rest. An hour later, Jack was up again. This time, he didn't wake Clint. He wanted to do a little scouting to see if he could find evidence of what the aliens were up to. Dressing quietly in fresh clothes, he then jotted down a note to Clint: Gone scouting. Will be back before dark. Please dress the deer and cut off some meal-sized hunks for wrapping and storage. We'll talk about new ways to preserve and store it when I get back.

Then he slipped out the entrance and headed down the mountain in yet another direction from any they'd taken yet. After a few double-backs, he then turned his direction straight for the town and headed down at his best pace. Ignoring the location of their home, he wanted to learn as much as he could before returning to Clint. In less than a half-hour, he could see the trees thinning and knew he was nearly down to the lowlands.

Then he altered his direction to skirt along the thinning trees without coming out of the woods completely, thus maintaining some cover. Soon he saw some buildings and knew he was in the outlying part of the small town. This was a farm and he could just make out a road leading in the town's direction. Following this, he soon came to the rest of the town and stopped long enough to find a good spot from which to study the town for a bit. Given the thin vegetation, he decided the best spot would be up in a tree and so climbed up a stout one with enough foliage to hide him from prying eyes, then settled in to watch for a while.

After about twenty minutes, having seen and heard nothing, he decided it was safe enough to scout around the town if he was cautious. Heading further along the road from within the trees, it wasn't long before he could see the center of town. There was the Walmart they had been looting this past year. Sitting in the parking lot was an alien craft, probably the same one he had seen early this morning. As he watched, he saw two aliens come out of the store and could hear them twittering to each other with that eerie noise they make. God, were they hideous! He felt his gut rise in his throat at the mere sight of these creatures.

Just then, he noticed a large dog come around the corner of the building heading for the door. It stopped when it spotted the aliens, growling. Jack thought that this wasn't the first time the dog had been in the store and hoped it had left evidence of its own raiding so as to mask the removal of items by Clint and him. The aliens heard the growls and became very animated. Squealing the way that they do, they managed to attract the attention of a third alien guarding the spacecraft, who then joined them as they prepared to take the dog down.

Jack looked on in horror as he saw the three flanking the dog. Too late the dog realized its danger. When it tried to evade the trap, Jack saw how fast these aliens were when they wanted to be. Crap! he thought, we can't outrun them! He could see that there was no hope for the dog.

Whining now, the dog was clearly in a panic as it scurried around looking for an out and found none. The first alien reached the doomed canine and snatched a leg just as the second alien reached them. This one produced a small device that it pointed at the dog. Jack heard a humming sound and saw a dull light shine on the dog, which then collapsed to the ground. The third alien came up just then and they all started shrieking to one another, excited for some reason.

Then Jack saw first one, then the others grab a hold of a leg and pull. The dog convulsed as three legs parted from its body. Then an alien grabbed the head and gave it a quick, sharp twist, and the dog breathed its last. The other two immediately began tearing into the carcass.

Fighting his impulse to vomit, Jack quickly and quietly reversed his approach until he was out of sight. Then he took off as fast as he could, feeling tears wetting his cheeks. Poor dog, he thought. It was just trying to survive and they'd killed it! And ate it. He thought sure he'd throw-up yet.

Taking a more direct route this time, he made for the new temporary shelter. He wanted to be away from the scene he had witnessed as quickly as he could be. About twenty minutes later, he heard the alien's craft lift off and fly away in the other direction. Relieved, he increased his pace as much as he could, anxious to be back with Clint in their hide-a-way. He felt that a few days hanging out at the mine would be just fine with him!

It seemed like almost no time and Jack was opening the door to the safe-room, having first called out to Clint so he knew it was him.

***

Entering the safe room, Jack blinked, trying to adjust to the half-light of the almost black space. As things came into focus, he was surprised to see Clint pressed up against the far wall, shaking in fear. Then, something gray-white off to the left moved slightly and caught his eye. Quickly turning his head to face it, he was shocked by what he saw. For a moment he just stood there, not sure what to do next.

It had to be another form of alien! It was relatively small standing only about five feet [1.50 m] tall. Its skin was an off-white and could have been made of plastic, it was just that smooth. It had large dark colored eyes, a small mouth, and an abnormally large head compared to the size of its body. Obviously, it wasn't one of those insectoid creatures that Jack had just seen killing that dog back in the town. In fact, it looked like one of those aliens of the kind that he'd seen pictured in movies and on TV for years; you know, the kind that were said to abduct people, and do experiments on them.

Jack started to go for the Glock 9 pistol that he always carried in his belt for just such emergencies, but suddenly realized that he couldn't move. He jerked frantically, but nothing happened. Frozen to the spot, for the first time in his life, fear of the unknown crept up his spine.

Holy shit! he thought to himself as he fought back panic, what's this thing going to do with us? I can't even move to defend Clint, or me.

The white alien walked slowly over to where Jack stood immobilized. He stopped and looked him in the face, taking in every detail of the young Earthling. For a second, he glanced over at an equally frozen Clint, and then Jack and the boy could hear a calm voice in their heads saying, "Do not be afraid. I'm not going to harm you. The insect-like aliens that have been destroying your kind on this planet are our enemies as well as yours. I am what you would call a scientist. I have specialized in the study of alien life forms and their cultures, what you might also call their civilizations. I have been observing you, as well as others on this planet, for some time. However, I felt that you needed my help to make sure that you remained safe."

"The reason that you have not seen me until now is that my space craft has cloaking capabilities. To your eyes, I was invisible while I was watching you."

"My kind only communicates through thought. That is why you are only hearing me in your minds," explained the alien.

Reluctantly, Jack began to let down his guard, though still not sure that the alien meant what he had said. Both the young hunter, and Clint, stood there gaping at the alien. Still frozen in place, they stared at it like the marvel that it was to them.

The alien raised its hand, and gently touched Jack on the cheek. Suddenly, he could feel his consciousness being shared with the alien.

"As an act of good faith and to help you fight the insectoids, I want to give you something that will make the fight more even and hopefully help to keep you alive," said the alien in Jack's mind. Still half afraid, Clint seemed on the verge of panic as he, too, heard what was being said.

Jack felt a surge of energy rush through his body. His eyes experienced a momentary burning sensation. For a second, he thought that the alien had tricked him.

"The pain will pass. It is only your body reacting to what I have given you," came the explanation."You now have the ability to focus your energy as a weapon. If you stretch out your hand and aim it at something, you can destroy it with your thoughts. Use it wisely, your human body is frail. If you use it, it will deplete your energy quickly so that you can only use it once or twice at a time and then you will need to replace the energy you have used," cautioned the alien.

Next, it took Clint's hand and said, "To you I give the ability to create heat where there is none. This will enable you to have warmth or make fire when you need it. Again, you must only use it sparingly. It will take energy from your body."

Like Jack, the boy felt a moment of pain and then there was a sensation of strength and well-being that built deep inside of him like nothing that he had ever felt before.

The gray-white alien turned and moved away from Jack and Clint. He stood there in the doorway of the safe room for a moment and looked back at the two Earthlings.

"I must leave you now. My shuttlecraft is nearby but I need to go. Even cloaked, my ship can be detected with certain technologies that the insectoids may possess. Take care and keep safe. I will return when I can," said the alien and then he was gone.

Abruptly, Clint sat down on the edge of the sleeping pallet. Jack staggered a few steps and sat down next to him. They leaned against each other, breathing hard, as if they had just run a fifty-yard dash. Each felt overwhelmed with the feeling both of exhaustion and exhilaration over what this little alien creature had said he'd just given them.

Slowly they began to return to normal. Then, eager to discover just what it was that the alien had bestowed upon them, they began experimenting. Seeing an old wooden box in a corner, Jack held out his hand and stretched it towards the box. Thinking hard that the box was bad, it then proceeded to blow apart, scattering debris all over them. Both ducked involuntarily, then looked first at the box, then at each other. The box had been obliterated!

Then Clint looked over to the food preparation area where he'd been carving up the deer earlier. There was a hunk already for their evening meal. Staring at it, Clint willed it to begin cooking. There was another sudden whoof and the meat burst into flame! Quickly, Clint jumped up to put out the flame.

Jack had stood up when Clint did, and now, looking at Clint, he said, "Clearly we need to practice these abilities until we can control them properly!"

Feeling in agreement, Clint just nodded at the suggestion. Moving towards the door, Jack said, "Let's investigate further down into the mine and see what might be there. Perhaps we'll find something to practice on."

Then they both grabbed flashlights and coats, and proceeded out the door, turning in the direction opposite the entrance. Taking the lead, Jack started down the dark tunnel.

In about two minutes they came to a fork in the tunnel. Pausing, Clint looked at Jack, then at the tunnels. Jack looked like he was trying to remember something, then pointed to the left. In explanation, he only muttered something about a draft coming up. Then he bent over, gathered some small rocks and made a sign pointing down the tunnel.

Then he and Clint started down into the darkness.

After about ten minutes of careful walking, Clint's flashlight started to flicker. Banging it against the palm of his hand, he started to cuss under his breath. Stepping up to him and placing his hand on the boy's shoulder, Jack said softly, "Easy, just switch it off. We'll save the batteries for later. Mine will be enough for now."

Still a little irked, Clint turned it off and stuck it in his coat pocket. Following Jack now, he found a new perspective on the tunnel. All the shadows looked different since the light source was a short way ahead of him. He was about to comment on it when he stumbled on a small rock. His foot sliding the wrong way, he stuck out his hand to deflect his fall to the side. As his hand reached the tunnel wall, it gave way, opening into another chamber.

Instantly Jack was at his side picking him up. "Are you alright?" he asked.

"Yeah, I think so," Clint said, "just my pride hurt."

Just then, Jack noticed the opening in the side of the tunnel and stared at it, dumbfounded. "Gosh," he muttered, "look at that!"

Clint turned to look where Jack was pointing. The flashlight shone into another room, this one appeared to be a store room for supplies. As he checked it out, Clint's jaw dropped. "Oh my God!" he said in shock.

There in the room, albeit poorly illuminated by the one flashlight Jack was holding, they saw tall stacks of what appeared to be supplies. There were crates marked in an old stencil painting technique showing the contents of each. Shovels, picks, buckets, blankets, shoes, and every other manner of needs for mining.

"But how…" began Clint.

"I don't know," said Jack. Looking in a little further, Jack exclaimed in a whisper, "No way!"

"What?" asked Clint, while trying to crowd in further next to Jack. Jack pointed up to the side of the opening on the inside. Stepping through the doorway, with Clint right next to him, the light shone upon an oil lantern hanging from a peg driven into the wall. With one on either side of the doorway, it looked like they could have good bright light for assessing the contents of the store room.

Jack started to reach into his jeans pocket for a lighter but stopped short. "What's up," Clint asked, wondering if his friend was having some kind of internal debate.

"It's just that… well, why don't you light those wicks? Just be very careful! You know; use your powers!"

Excited now, Clint studied the first lantern. Cautiously, he raised the chimney and made sure the wick was out far enough to burn effectively. Confident that it now was, he concentrated on the wick, staring at it as though he would will it afire with his mind.

At first nothing happened. Then a brief spark followed by a whoof! They both felt the heat from the flame as it started to climb.

Alarmed, Jack pulled Clint away so it wouldn't spread glass over them if it shattered. Then he had an inspiration. Letting loose of Clint, Jack concentrated on the flame of the lantern. Then he envisioned the flame as being only smoke, the fire gone. Poof! The flame bent rapidly and went out, as if a giant had just blown on it.

"Sorry," Clint said softly.

"It's okay, Clint," Jack responded, we all learn eventually, just not all as easily. You didn't know; how could you have?"

Then they started back through the doorway. They would come back later to inventory this room to see what they had found.

Before continuing down the tunnel, Jack studied the new opening paying particular attention to the edges of the 'doorway'. Picking up a few pebbles, he laid out another arrow in the doorway pointing down still, in the direction they were headed.

"I think that room was closed and camouflaged on purpose," Jack said.

"Why would they do that?" Clint found it as incredulous as anyone would.

"I don't know, but the evidence suggests it. I want to look for any more such caches that we might be able to find."

Then he proceeded cautiously on down the tunnel, with Clint following a little closer now. It was not long before Jack paused next to the wall on the opposite side of the tunnel. Clint crowded up behind and tried to see what had caught Jack's eye.

Just as Jack reached out a hand, Clint saw the faint line on the wall leading up and down. Jack gently felt along the line checking for give. Not until he reached the top of the arch, did he feel any movement. Moving both Clint and he a bit on the uphill side of this new marking, he began a careful, but relentless, push. A moment later the false door gave way. Both boys gasped at what lay inside.

In the dim light from the one flashlight, they could see an open space with what looked like carved basins in the floor with sides rising up near to three feet. Stepping through the new opening, they both turned and looked at the frame from the inside. Yep, there were the same lantern setups. Carefully this time, Clint adjusted the wicks of the two lanterns after first raising their chimneys. With slowly growing intent, they saw first a wisp of smoke, then they smelled something getting hot just as Clint touched the wick. Poof! They had flame!

Going to the other side he repeated the procedure. With both lamps burning brightly, they turned as one and gazed on the sight before them. Now that they could see the extent of the room, they realized they could also hear (and smell) a water source trickling through the cavern. Clearly this was intended to be a bathing chamber. Against one wall they could see a hearth with a grate designed to let one heat kettles of water.

Thinking this would take a long time, Jack suggested, "I could sure use a good soaking bath. You want to see if we can fill up the bigger basin and whether you are able to heat the water without vaporizing it?"

Enthused, Clint nodded vigorously. Walking around the good-sized chamber, he paused several times to light other lanterns that were hanging on pegs set into the walls. Soon the chamber looked a lot more inviting.

They could see the water source was an underground stream that had been tapped into in order to collect the water there. This resource had been further developed with a basic piping system to feed whichever basin one desired. It was only necessary to turn a couple of simple valves and water began running into the nearest basin.

Studying it first, Jack selected one valve to fill the larger basin, then another to allow the water to begin flowing into the system. Seeing that it would take a while to fill, they headed back out into the tunnel to look for more possibilities to explore later. They identified several more suspicious looking outlines and then they knew they had really found something. Feeling more enthusiastic than they had for many months, they went back to the bathing chamber.

Jack pointed out some large boulders in the room and asked Clint to see if he could warm those up without damaging them. Clint moved towards one to work on it cautiously. Meanwhile, Jack saw one such boulder that was in the middle of a pathway and decided to try his own powers in an attempt to move it out of the way.

Not wanting to look the reckless novice, he took his time to mentally feel out the rock before trying to 'nudge' it aside. In a very short time, he had it sliding gently out of the way without embarrassing himself, since he was just as much a novice at this whole 'powers' thing as Clint was.

By this time, Clint had two boulders all but glowing, radiating warmth in their vicinity, and had moved on to the third. Checking on the water flow, Jack saw that it was about half full, and proceeded to check out the rest of the room more closely. Moving beyond the water source, he found an opening in the wall behind a particularly large obelisk-stone and switched on his flashlight again to check it out.

Moving a short way inside this new opening, Jack immediately saw that this appeared to be a natural chamber, not one carved by men with tools. He decided not to go any farther just now, and turned back to where Clint was just starting on his fifth boulder. Jack leaned against the obelisk and studied what Clint was doing. Jack admired Clint's form and profile. Damn! he thought, that boy has one fine ass! Jack could feel a stirring in his loins and reached down to adjust himself. Continuing to appreciate the view, Jack started a tent in his jeans and it wasn't long before Clint noticed.

"Like my technique, Jack?" Clint asked the veteran. Of course, he knew full well what it was that Jack liked. They had been together for about a year by now and knew each other pretty well. Rising from where he'd been heating this last boulder, Clint swayed a bit, and Jack was at his side in an instant.

"Whoa there, boy, no need to overdo it. Just sit here and rest while I redirect the water."

Clint found a short rock next to another pool to sit down on and realized upon doing so just how drained he now felt. "Whew!" he said softly. "That sure takes it out of a guy!"

Jack pointed out that the little alien dude had said it would. "Give it a rest for a bit before you try heating the water." Clint thought that sounded like a great idea.

Seeing that Clint was okay, Jack said, "I'm going back to the safe room and collect a few supplies. I should be right back. Okay?" Clint's eyes were closed and he was leaning back against the side of the pool, but he nodded that he understood and was ok with it.

Heading out and back up to the first chamber they'd explored, it didn't take Jack long to reach their new 'temporary' home. Just as he reached the door, he suddenly had a feeling like someone was outside the mine's entrance. Holding his breath, he tried reaching out with his mind to see if he had any sort of 'mental' power to go along with his ability to move or destroy things.

He briefly felt another's presence and immediately withdrew his concentration, but not before receiving the distinct impression that the other had given up and was moving back the way it had come. Still not sure what he'd just experienced, Jack quickly gathered his supplies, secured the door, then went back down into the tunnel. He wouldn't tell Clint about this just yet, he thought to himself. He wanted to think on what it might mean first.

Re-entering the bathing chamber, Jack saw that Clint had begun heating the pool and was already removing some of his clothes. Stepping over to him, Jack put his supply of soap and towels down on the step on which Clint had been sitting. Reaching out to Clint, he pulled him to his side and embraced him. Both young men desired physical contact by then. Clint because he was tired, but horny anyway, and Jack because he was unsure of the import of what he had experienced a short while ago.

Beginning a slow, deep kiss, Jack's hands began to slide down the small of Clint's back to the tops of his butt-cheeks. He knew that excited Clint to have a man feel his butt like that. Squeezing gently, Jack appreciated the muscle tone Clint was displaying lately. He knew that he would have another reason to enjoy it in a little while.

Clint almost swooned when Jack took him into his arms. Clint loved it when Jack played the protector and enveloped him in his arms in this way. He eagerly returned the kiss Jack had begun. In no time, Clint felt the rising of his manhood as it filled with his blood, jerking upward with each beat of his heart. In no time he felt as hard as the rocks around them. God, it felt good!

Jack realized this boy was resilient and almost back to his normal energy level when he felt the boy's burgeoning young staff poking him in his thigh, as it did a slow climb up his leg, leaving a trail of pre-cum as it did so. Knowing his effect on the boy was a big turn-on for Jack, his own penis was quivering as it strained to get harder than it already was. He felt a drop of pre-cum begin running down the shaft, only to tickle the hairs on his scrotum as it continued downward.

Clint was getting hornier by the moment and paused just long enough to test the water with his toe. "Just right!" he exclaimed.

They both shed whatever clothes they still had on and stepped into the thigh-high water. Clint led them over to the opposite side from where they were. Cautiously, they sat down on a step that was now under water and could be used as a bench upon which to sit.

Resuming the earlier kiss, Jack began roaming his hands over Clint's slender fourteen-year-old body, pausing now and again to gently squeeze and massage first one area and then another.

Clint was amazed at how horny he was feeling and blamed the hot water for it. A bit embarrassed by the copious pre-cum he was producing, he brought Jack's hand down to his submerged groin so he could 'rub and massage' down there, too.

Jack was getting really excited by the boy's enthusiasm and slid off the bench so he could lower his face towards Clint's stiff rod for a blow job. He enjoyed this part of their love-making as it was so easy for him to handle the boy's still growing member and yet give him great pleasure. In no time, Clint was gently pushing him off his tool because he didn't want to cum just yet.

Stepping out of the water, Clint spread out a large bath towel on the floor of the chamber and lay down upon it, surprised at how warm the room felt. Jack followed him out of the water and moved along side of him, his hands feeling him all over. My god, this feels so erotic! thought Jack.

In no time, Jack was moving Clint around for entry in the boy's back door. Clint found this particularly exciting as Jack was very good at hitting the 'magical spot' inside Clint's rectum. Horny as they were, it took almost no time for Clint to cum, what with Jack's cock pounding on his prostate gland. Feeling the strong contractions around his cock, Jack couldn't hold off any longer and burst out with his own powerful orgasm shooting up Clint's young chute.

Panting, they both rolled over separately and tried to catch their breath. Suddenly, Jack felt that 'presence' he'd felt earlier. Alert now like the woodsman he was, he looked at the lanterns and quickly concentrated on first one then another, snuffing the flame out with his new-found powers. With the last light, he pulled Clint up and over to the obelisk, and they both went 'round it and into the other chamber.

Alarmed at his friend's actions, Clint whispered in a very quiet voice, "What is it?"

Jack shushed him gently and held his hand tightly to keep him still. Listening, he had the feeling that whatever he was feeling, it still wasn't coming from inside the mine…yet. As it passed slowly, he had the feeling this was a little different from the earlier impression. Fearing the unknown, he began to shiver next to Clint, who was still confused as to what had just happened.

Chapter 3
We Go Exploring

At 25 Earth years of age, Twenzle was still considered a child by the long-lived race from Drahna, home world of the white aliens. He was in his final year of apprenticeship under the tutelage of his master, Frebytoo, and was soon to advance to the ranking of adult.

The current task that Frebytoo had assigned to him was to make contact with two young male humans he had just bestowed mental powers on and help them adjust. He was also to show them what fringe benefits came with specific abilities. But first, he had to find them.

***

Frebytoo was one of the leading Drahnan scientists who specialized in the human culture. It was his research team that had discovered the key to enabling the human mind to have the abilities that would have been thought of as ESP, or magic perhaps, by this and other lesser civilizations. They had found that the human mind was actually fairly advanced, but, as yet, the race had not focused on development of its own inherent capabilities. In a few short years, the humans would learn the secrets of memory, improving concentration, and how to enhance naturally an individual's higher brain functions, where idea-creation takes place.

Frebytoo had been studying these two humans for their ability to thrive outside of the structured society into which they had been born. But with the recent sightings of the other alien species, which was now their enemy, he decided it was time to enhance their abilities to help them survive.

Thus it was that earlier this day he had met with and enhanced the young humans with certain powers. Unfortunately, it was known by the enemy that he was the foremost expert on these humans and was much sought after for his knowledge. On this day, he had been playing cat and mouse with the alien hunters and had slipped away from them long enough to meet with the boys. However, he knew it wouldn't be long before they picked up his trail again and so had to cut short his time with the young humans.

Frebytoo decided to assign Twenzle to the education of the two about how their new gifts worked. He gave the young Drahnan the coordinates where the boys had been and sent him off to find them.

***

Twenzle had landed his scout ship some distance away from the location Frebytoo had given him and had activated the enhanced cloaking device to keep the little craft hidden from the enemy, then headed out on foot. He was dismayed, then, when after only about an hour of walking through the wooded area, he began to pick up mental images coming from the enemy aliens. Apparently, they were still looking for Frebytoo, having learned that he was headed in this direction. This meant that they weren't too far away, and he would have to be very careful not to be discovered by them.

For another hour, Twenzle led them on a path he hoped would, at the least, move them farther away from the boys than they were now, and, at best, cause them to become discouraged and abandon their search altogether. He then doubled back a short distance before striking out on a more direct route to the coordinates he'd been given.

Twenzle was very near to the mine entrance when he suddenly felt the presence of his enemy. Cursing in Drahnan under his breath (remember, he's still very young and immature), he ducked behind a large rock and concentrated on masking his own presence from them as he had been taught to do. It seemed to work and they kept moving through the woods, not paying any attention to the mine, or Twenzle, at all. He gave them another 30 minutes before moving out from his position and heading for the mine's entrance. Along the way, he kept stretching his mind out to test whether or not they were still in the area. He was rewarded with no contact whatsoever. Then he entered the mine cautiously and headed down towards the room Frebytoo had described to him. When he got there, though, it was empty of the humans. Knowing they had not come out while he waited for the enemy to leave the area, he reasoned that they might be further down into the mine and so began his decent.

***

Jack was trying mightily to get his shivering under control. It had certainly been warmer in the baths than where they had run to here, and he began to wish they had taken time to grab their clothes, and his Glock 9. He whispered to Clint to ask if he could warm them up just a bit and Clint began to concentrate. Shortly, they both felt noticeably warmer.

"Good job!" Jack said, praising the youth. Then he proceeded to explain in hushed words what had spooked him.

"Earlier, when I went up to the safe room, I felt this presence in my mind. It's hard to describe, but I just knew that there was someone outside the mine, and that they weren't friendly towards humans. Just now, I got the feeling that someone was actually in the mine. But it's different this time; I don't sense any malevolence towards humans at all. In fact, it kinda reminded me of the little guy who gave us these powers."

In less than a minute, Jack felt Clint jerk as if he'd been given a small shock. Looking at him closely, Jack saw this far-away look in the boy's eyes. He noticed the boy's lips moving as if he was talking silently. He was about to say more to him, but just then he felt a stronger presence in his mind! He froze where he stood, petrified, thinking about that poor dog in town and what had happened to it.

"Be at peace, humans," Twenzle said in their minds. "I am speaking to your minds by the use of telepathy, or the act of communicating mind-to-mind. I am the apprentice of the one who visited you earlier and bestowed upon you gifts of powers to do things with your minds. I am called Twenzle. My Master has sent me to guide you in the use and development of your new mental abilities. I am in the corridor just outside the bathing chamber. May I have your permission to enter?" asked the short white alien.

There was just enough light showing from the flashlight Jack had grabbed on the way around the obelisk to see Clint's face. They made eye contact and both nodded at nearly the same time. Then they stepped back around the stone and into the bathing chamber. Instantly Jack felt warmer from the energy Clint had expended earlier to warm the chamber. Jack guided Clint's hand up the wall to the nearest lantern so that the boy could made quick work of lighting the wick.

Immediately, they looked toward the entrance and found themselves staring. Before them stood a slightly smaller version of the white alien they had met just that morning. This had a calming effect on them, to see what looked familiar (or was that mental influence from Twenzle?). They walked closer toward one another, stopping near some stone benches.

Taking the clue from each other's body language, they sat at nearly the same time. The boy noticed this alien had a little trouble managing the height and stone seat when he sat down. They had the immediate impression that this alien would have liked a thick padding on the bench. Jack looked at Clint who looked back at Jack. They displayed surprise and asked each other if they had just heard something about padding. Then they turned and looked again at this smaller alien, who spoke out loud now, saying, "Yes, lads, you heard my thoughts. This is just one of the many things I am here to teach you. First, younger one; would you please light the other lamps in here so we may see each other better?"

Clint started to get up to do as requested when Twenzle took his wrist and gently pulled him back down to the seat. "No, with your mind alone, if you please."

Jack looked worried then, recalling the first time Clint had tried to light a camp lantern. He needn't have been concerned, though, as once again he felt Twenzle's presence in his mind and knew that Clint was there, too. He seemed to see the alien showing Clint how to approach the fuel and wick of the lamps. With just a gentle nudge, the wick began to burn. A smile spread across Clint's smooth face then and he beamed at Jack.

"I could feel the flame beginning that time," he said to Jack in triumph. "I knew how to control it, thanks to Twenzle, here," Clint said. Then he proceeded to make quick work of lighting the remaining lanterns around the room.

"Well done!" said Twenzle, with a degree of pride.

Then the three of them began looking over one another, gaining a familiarity with their looks and features. Neither Clint, nor Jack, had bothered to dress after their bath and neither felt uncomfortable being nude in front of this stranger. There was something inherent about him that just implied safety.

"We should adjourn to your main chamber back near the entrance," Twenzle said. "There is an immediate need to take care of near there."

So, the two young men gathered up their clothes and began dressing. When they were ready, they proceeded out into the corridor.

"We need to secure the entrance to this mine. I have already had to mislead the enemy, who still seeks my master. We must assume they will eventually stumble onto the entrance and investigate. Jack, your new abilities will come in handy and this will be your first lesson in control."

They stopped first at the safe room, lighting a camp lantern to take with them. Clint made quick work of it, with no superfluous flame spreading beyond the chimney. Then they got coats and started towards the entrance. Within a dozen feet or so, Twenzle stopped them and asked, "Can either of you feel any presence outside?"

With brows furrowing, they both concentrated on 'listening' but came up empty. Twenzle 'joined' them, with all three together, so he could demonstrate reaching out with his mind to learn what he might. They picked up on what he was finding; there was the sound of an owl up in a tree alert for its next meal, a deer munching on some leaves nearby wary for predators, the impression of cold, but no hint of higher intelligence.

Then Twenzle stretched his mind further, having reduced the focus on the immediate area. He explained silently that by 'un-focusing' his mind, he could extend his detection range.

Just then they all three jerked in surprise. They had brushed the consciousness of an insectoid alien. Both humans were revulsed at the barbaric thoughts they 'heard'. Quickly, Twenzle retreated from the alien. But he thought there had been a beginning of recognition.

"I am sorry, my new friends. In trying to educate you, I may have brought attention to your hide-away. Now we must work fast. Follow me outside, if you will." Then Twenzle walked to, and out of, the entrance, stopped and turned around.

Imitating their new friend, Jack and Clint turned to survey the entrance area. Twenzle said, "I think we should seal the entrance with a simulated cave-in. Jack, this will be up to you with your new abilities. Study the area carefully and picture which areas of rock you think should be brought down to cover over the opening, but don't do it just yet.

Jack did as he was instructed and studied the various outcroppings, boulders, roots and the like. Fixing the best mental image in his mind he thought he could, he said as much to Twenzle.

"Okay, friends, let us return to the other side of the opening and retreat a short distance into the mine." Then Twenzle led the way back through the entrance and proceeded about a dozen feet or so towards the safe room.

Turning to Jack, he studied his face for a bit, then linked up with his mind.

"I want you to bring down the entrance, yes, but try to make it look natural. Also, we don't just want a visual deterrent. Bring down enough material on the inside to ensure a time-consuming excavation if they should try to re-open it, but do it carefully because we may need to dig it out ourselves. Now, I'll monitor how you use your power while you do the job." Then Twenzle withdrew just enough to give Jack the impression that he might be gone completely, and waited.

Jack reached out to the rock surfaces, 'feeling' them with his mind. He could tell where the weak areas were, and where he would need to nudge them a little harder. Then he began to apply pressure. There was nothing at first, then they noticed some dust particles appearing, followed by a few small pebbles.

As they watched, Clint observed the concentration displayed on his lover's face. He was a little nervous for him, knowing how intense he could be at times. Then they heard a low rumbling sound, like a train approaching in the distance. Suddenly, the roof came down. Their view was then blocked on their side, but they could still hear the sound of rock-fall coming from the outside. Clint turned to look at Twenzle and saw a satisfied look on the Drahnan's face; indeed, almost smug he thought.

As Jack finished, he looked to Twenzle for guidance and the little guy mumbled, "Very good, indeed!"

Twenzle turned to look at both of his students and said, "You both will soon be very tired from your expenditure of energy and will need food and rest. I suggest a return to the safe room where you can cook up some of that poor animal that Jack killed yesterday. Then I recommend a good soaking in the bathing chamber with the water about as hot as you can tolerate. Afterwards, I am sure you will eagerly retire for a well-deserved rest."

And so, the rest of the day proceeded accordingly. They made quick work of eating some trail food. Then, while the guys were in the baths, Twenzle went exploring beyond the obelisk. He didn't return right away. Indeed, the two lovers had an extended soak, with only a little physical contact, as by then they were both becoming very sleepy. They finally got out, dried off and returned to the safe room. They were asleep in each other's arms when Twenzle returned, having come through the bathing chamber where he had snuffed out the lamps. He made up a sleeping pad and retired.

***

Clint awoke the next day, thinking to himself, How can we tell when it's day or night outside? I don't know if it's time to get up or not!

Figuring that it didn't really make that much difference, he decided to rise and begin his day. Jack snored lightly next to him. They had been holding one another's hand in slumber, but when he woke and rolled over, that ended. His maneuvers had not disturbed his lover so he made for the latrine first off, being sure to wash his hands with their supply of soap and water. Then he came back to the food preparation area. All of his activities of the previous day had drained him of his reserve energy and he figured it was high time he replace what he'd used. Nosing around in the supplies, he found nothing comparable to a typical breakfast, but he smelled the deer meat they had yet to finish processing for long-term storage. Just then, his stomach growled extra loudly.

Grinning to himself, Clint got out one of his cooking knives and sliced off three generous portions. Thinking that he would like to test his peaceful powers capabilities, he then chose a frying pan and some lard, then he moved everything out into the corridor and down towards the bathing chamber.

Stepping into the doorway, he paused and reached out with his mind towards the lanterns in the chamber. Feeling them mentally, he exerted his new mental energy and, poof! All lanterns lit at the same time. Grinning to himself, he looked around for a handy stone to use for heating the venison on. It didn't take him long to locate just what he was looking for; he'd found a flat stone with a surface about two feet by two feet and about three feet high.

Setting his materials down on another nearby stone, he started brushing off his cooking stone and checking for cracks or splits. Finding none, he set about concentrating on heating the rock to a high enough temperature for frying. Once he'd achieved that, he set the frying pan down on it and added some lard to melt. He found that he had to re-apply some heat every few minutes to maintain an even enough heat for proper cooking of the meat.

After about three or four minutes, having turned the meat once, he added some crumbled spices and then removed the pan from the stone. Sitting on a handy bench seat, he proceeded to apply himself to his breakfast. The aroma had made his stomach grumble even louder so he was glad to be feeding it now.

He was just finishing his slice of the meat when he heard a sound from the doorway and looked up to see Jack standing there with a ravenous look on his face. Clint saw that he carried a thick slice of the venison, so he got up and added more lard to the pan, then proceeded to heat up the stone again. While it was heating, he stepped over to where Jack had stopped to watch him and planted a big good-morning kiss on his lips. Jack leaned into the kiss and almost forgot his empty middle. Damn! This boy is almost food enough for me! He really fills this void I carried around for several years.

They broke the kiss after about a minute because Clint heard the lard begin to sizzle in the pan. Suddenly he started to chuckle.

"What is it?" Jack asked.

"I forgot to stop the heating of the stone while we kissed and apparently you got my engine revved up because now it's too hot!" said Clint with a grin.

Clint noticed movement from the doorway and looked over to see the alien standing there looking amused (at least he thought that was an amused expression). "Good morning," he said to Twenzle. "Do you eat meat?"

"Greetings again, new friends. Thank-you for asking, Clint. We do not usually partake of the flesh of animals, but circumstances leave me with limited options. For the time being, I would be very glad to accept your offer of food," said Twenzle.

After removing Jack's slab of venison, Clint made ready to cook up another for Twenzle, who stopped him. "This time I want you to try another method of heating the meat. You see, you are using too much energy by first heating the stone, which then has to transmit the heat to the pan, and then to the meat in the pan. I want you to concentrate on building the energy directly into the meat, and not the stone. You have to start gradually and then build up to the right energy transfer. With this method, you will have to pay closer attention to the task, and not let anyone distract you." Then they both looked at Jack, who just winked at them.

Following Twenzle's instructions, Clint made quick work of the third slab of deer meat. He was amazed at how easy it had been. "I can tell that it took a lot less energy doing it this way!" he proclaimed.

Then he cooked up the fourth slice and made it well-done so they could divide it up and eat it on the trail later.

After they had all satisfied their need for food for the morning, they proceeded to take care of any other needs before getting down to the business of the day. They agreed to meet back in the safe room shortly to plan their activities for the day.

***

"Jack, you explored beyond that obelisk yesterday, did you not?" asked Twenzle.

"Indeed, I did. I walked for about fifteen minutes before turning around. It seemed to me like the cavern on the other side was not at all developed like this is here and in the bathing chamber. Why do you ask?" Jack answered.

"While you slept, I explored it on my own. The obelisk contains a mark put there by my people. We have been in here before. What the marking tells me is that the cavern tunnels on beyond come out somewhere else before long. I believe our time today will be best spent finding out the lay of the land in there and see if we can ascertain how far away the other exit may be. Do you have any objections or ideas?"

Jack thought for a moment, then looked over at Clint, who shrugged. Looking back at Twenzle, he said, "I seem to have time on my hands so I'm game. Why don't we put together a snack to take along before we go, and re-load our canteens with water from the stream. Then we can leave."

Suiting actions to their words, the three were ready to set out in short order. Jack took the lead, followed by Clint, and Twenzle brought up the rear. To save battery power, now that they had a way to light torches, they had made up several to use on this excursion, and Clint kept them burning. It didn't take much energy because he only had to nudge the fuel a bit to keep it hot enough to remain lit.

At times, when the passage was wide enough, Twenzle saw Clint step forward next to Jack and take his hand. Jack seemed as enthusiastic for this as Clint did. Twenzle could see that truly, they cared a lot for one another.

Then as the passage narrowed, Jack would give Clint a slap on his rear and the boy would drop back in line.

After almost an hour of walking through the passage, Jack came to a fork in the tunnel. Twenzle stepped up then and pointed to a small marking over each of the openings. "This one," he began, pointing to the marking over the left tunnel, "leads further into the mountain. While this one," pointing to the right one now, "leads to the outside."

Jack suggested, "Why don't we secure the exit before we explore any deeper?"

There were no objections and off they went. Almost immediately after beginning down this new tunnel, they became aware of a different smell; sort of earthy, like garden soil.

Twenzle offered, "You smell the water outside, my friends. We are close to the exit."

Jack immediately began to stiffen at the prospect of exposure outside. "Be calm friends; Jack; if there is an alien presence outside when we get close, I will detect it and stop us before there is any danger."

In less than a minute, they rounded a corner and saw a soft glow of light up ahead. The next corner showed them a spot of blue. They knew then that it was daylight outside. Jack slowed and cautiously approached the opening. Peeking out the opening, he saw a lot of trees, but no aliens.

Chapter 4
Learning More About New Abilities

Cautiously, Jack, Clint, and Twenzle looked out of the shaft from the relative safety of the newly found second entrance to the mine. The opening was well concealed behind a wild stand of overgrown privet that was no doubt the result of seeds dropped by birds. No one would ever have suspected that the entrance to an abandoned mine lay buried deep within these bushes.

Twenzle 'spoke' to the two Earthlings telepathically saying, "This is not far from where I left my ship. Do not worry; it is cloaked so that the enemy will never find it. The cloaking makes it invisible to the eye as well as to what you would call 'radar.' Come with me; I'll show it to you so that you can recognize a friendly ship if you see one.

Working their way down the hill through the trees and underbrush made walking difficult, but they managed the steep terrain by going slowly. Just as they neared the small clearing where their alien friend had left his shuttlecraft, there was a low buzzing sound off in the distance. Twenzle looked up with a startled look on his face and frantically looked around for a place to take cover. Jack and Clint were momentarily confused and then realized that it had to be one of the insectoid patrol craft that was coming their way. It would be only a matter of seconds until it discovered them there among the trees.

"Can't I take him out by overheating his engine?" thought Clint back to their alien friend.

"Yes, that should work. Just like you Earthlings, all Drahnans do not possess the same skills or talents. I'm not sure that by myself, I could do that," replied Twenzle.

Without hesitation, Clint grabbed the alien's hand, held it tightly, and looked in the direction from which the sound of the approaching craft was coming. Twenzle and Jack could see him squint, hold out his free hand and concentrate. Then, without warning, the buzzing sound turned into a low pulsating whine as if something unseen had gone wrong with the engine of the insectoid's patrol craft. Suddenly, the whine turned into that repeated banging sound that metal makes when two pieces strike each other. Moments later, perhaps a mile or so away, there was a loud explosion as the patrol craft crashed among the trees. Even from where they were, they could see the smoke as it rose above the treetops.

Clint looked at his two companions and said, "We should be safe for now." Looking at Twenzle, he added, "Sorry that I grabbed your hand without warning, but I somehow knew that I needed more energy than I had in my own body alone. It took the combined strength of both of us to bring down that ship."

"We need to return to the safety of the mineshaft. If the insectoid craft was able to broadcast a distress signal before it crashed, they would send out another craft to investigate," said Twenzle.

All three of them then turned and retraced their steps up the side of the hill. Within minutes they were back at the entrance to the mine concealed as it was behind the privet bushes. With one last look around to make sure that no one was in the area, they disappeared into the darkness of the mine and safety.

***

Once inside, Twenzle looked from Jack to Clint, evaluating them to determine just how tired they were from their time in the forest. 'Interesting how much less stamina these humans have than we Drahnans do,' he thought to himself

Communicating with the two humans without speaking, Twenzle said, "Why don't the two of you make use of the small pool in the bathing chamber. If Clint heats it, I feel sure that you will find it most relaxing. After all, you probably need a rest after all that we have seen and done so far today."

The man and the boy looked at one another, knowingly. Suddenly, visions of sex flashed through both of their minds. Realizing that Twenzle was still part of their telepathic conversation, they blushed slightly, knowing that their thoughts were being shared with him.

The young alien responded with an amused expression on his face (or at least that's what it seemed like to Jack and Clint.) "Sex is not something of which we are ashamed of in my world. I find it interesting as a scientist that you find it so. Go, use the pool in the bathing chamber. I'm going to lie down for a bit. I think that I used up more energy bringing down that ship than you did. I will be rested shortly. Although I won't be with you, I will be in your thoughts, giving you some ideas for a better and more fulfilling sexual experience than you might otherwise have," advised Twenzle.

***

Minutes later, Clint put his hand into the water of the small pool in the bathing chamber. Now that he was beginning to master the use of heating things with his thoughts, it took only a minute for him to warm up the water to a temperature that was both comfortable and inviting for them to use. Eagerly, both of them stripped off their clothes, not wanting to wait any longer to immerse themselves in what had become their only luxury.

Jack eased himself into the warm waters of the small pool that was now more like a crude but effective hot tub. Clint followed with his eyes, never leaving his lover's body. Once in the tub, both of them found the submerged bench that had been built into the side of the pool long ago by the miners who had worked here. Slowly, they immersed their bodies in the warm liquid, just letting the water by itself relax them.

"Come closer," said Clint "Let me massage your neck and shoulders. You'd be surprised at just how much tension can be relieved. I learned that while playing football back in school."

The boy reached up and took Jack by the arm, carefully pulling his lover closer to him. Then, he slowly turned him around in the warm water so that the young man had his back to the seated Clint. Jack slipped down onto his knees in the shallow water so that the boy could use his hands to massage his bare neck and shoulders. The kneading of his stiff muscles felt wonderful. The warm water continued to swirl around his naked body adding to the relaxing feeling that swept over him, erasing the lingering tensions of the hard day that they had spent in the woods.

With half-closed eyes, Jack let out a sigh. Then, as though he were observing test subjects, Twenzle projected his thoughts to Clint in such a way that the boy thought that what came next was something that he had thought up himself.

Suddenly, he was filled with an overwhelming desire to massage Jacks' nipples. The boy's fingers found the brown circles and gently caressed them, causing both of them to harden instantly. As he traced a path around the hard little knobs at the ends of the nipples with his fingers, he brushed the tips gently, causing wonderful sensations to course through Jack's body. Only for a second did he wonder how Clint had thought of playing with his nipples. The erotic feelings increased as Clint's other hand reached down and found Jack's stiff penis and let his hand dance up and down the hard shaft. The young hunter's breath was hard and ragged in response to Clint's caresses. The boy could feel his erect organ throbbing in anticipation of what might come next. Any other thoughts were lost as sex and nothing but sex, dominated their thoughts.

Slowly, the boy eased Jack's upper body up against his own so that his friend's upper back rested gently on his chest. His right hand slipped down once again to Jack's hard penis and resumed gliding up and down the throbbing shaft. The boy's experienced hand quickly but delicately produced the maximum in sexual response.

As he continued to observe the two humans unnoticed, Twenzle smiled to himself. His scientific observations of human sexual behavior were letting him project ideas to these Earthlings so that they could get the most out of their sexual encounter without them realizing that he was influencing their behavior.

Jack moaned softly as Clint's hand continued to caress his erection. His eyes were half-closed as his mind drifted back to the many times that masturbation had provided relief from whatever was bothering him at the moment – particularly when he had been serving in Afghanistan.

It didn't take long before he reached what one of the best orgasms that he had ever had was. Ropes of cum shot from his cock and landed in the swirling waters of the hot tub. Unthinking, Jack let out a low yell of pleasure as the tension left his young body. Then, turning, he kissed Clint full on the mouth in a slow, lingering kiss.

Jack stood up in the water so that it only came to his knees, intent on sucking Clint's cock. He stood there a moment looking at the boy who was his lover intent on repaying him for the great sex that he had just experienced.

Suddenly, a bewildered expression came across the boy's face. He was looking closely at Jack when he pondered, "What's happened to your pubic hair? It's almost all gone"

The young hunter looked down and was equally surprised to see that his pubic mound was almost completely hairless. Gone was the full, if closely trimmed, mat of hair above his cock and balls. Reaching down, he ran his hand over his pubic mound, and as he did, what seemed like much of the remaining hair came away in his fingers.

"What the Hell's causing this?" Jack said out loud. Looking at Clint, he said, "Stand up. Are you losing your pubes as well?

The boy stood up, facing Jack. Looking down, it was obvious that his own pubes were gone.

Somewhat panicky, they both thought to Twenzle at the same time, "What's happening to us? Why is our pubic hair falling out? Will we be losing hair in other places on our bodies as well?

The young alien, now fully awake, cleared what passed for a throat before responding. "We have found that when an Earthling is given a Drahnan gift like the two of you have been given, it often affects the way that their bodies have reacted to what you would call puberty. The only thing that is noticeable is that they lose some if not all of their body hair. There is no other physical effect."

"Your boss might have mentioned that when he gave us these new abilities!" exclaimed Clint. "Are you telling me that I will never have pubes again?"

"It's too early to tell," replied the young alien. "We will just have to wait and see. Right now, I would say that the effect is most likely permanent, but only time will tell."

"Still, we might not survive without the abilities that we have been given," said Jack soberly. "Trading body hair for the ability to defend ourselves from creatures who want to kill and eat us is something that I'm willing to do any day of the week. After all, we need every advantage that we can get."

"When you put it like that, I would have to say that I agree. Sorry for my outburst," added a contrite Clint.

Having by now lost interest in sex, the two lovers got out of the pool, dried off, and dressed. Life since the alien invasion just got stranger and stranger.

***

Note to Readers:

This story is a joint project of Magnus and me. Unfortunately, my friend has been swamped since he was moving when the virus hit. With everything that's been happening, he has been unable to find time to work on our story. To do right by our fans, I'm releasing the first part of the fourth chapter that I wrote. I hope that Magnus will soon be able to contribute to the story by completing this chapter.

Here's hoping that a return to normality is just around the corner.

Keep safe, sincerely, Deda

***

To Be Continued