Two boys, a man, an adventure to find “arrow heads”

It was a hot summer day and two boys played at the city park like boys do. Two boys around the age of 8 one of the greatest most imaginative times to be a boy, curious, rambunctious, innocent. They met a man at the park and he discussed Native Americans and arrow heads. The boys were excited when the man revealed he knew of place nearby where there were many arrow heads to be discovered and he could take them there and help them hunt for them. The boys were excited, they had seen arrow heads on television and in books at school and idea of going on a real exploration like archaeologists to find the real thing was an opportunity no 8 year old boy could pass up. They left the park and walked a mile together to where railroad tracks use to run through the woods, they traveled down the old tracks to an area where a creek once ran. The man told the boys the area where many arrow heads could be found was down in the dry creek bed.  The boys were excited they began searching profusely the dry, barren creek bed for any rock that was shaped or resembled an arrow head. The man lead them deeper into woods suggesting that more could be found further away from the area which once held the railroad tracks. The man engaged the boys in small talk the boys continued the search. The excitement was unbearable. During the small talk which the boys paid little attention to, the topic changed from Native Americans and arrowheads to stripping. He asked the boys if they had ever stripped. He described that it was okay for boys to be naked around others and not embarrassing. The boys tried to ignore him, preoccupied with the search. He methodically sent the boys in opposite directions to better the search. While the boys searched the man removed a pocket knife and opened it without notice. He instructed the boys to strip reassuring them that it was OK. The boys began to cry. He became louder and again told the boys to strip. He told them he didn't want to hurt them while displaying the knife for both boys to see. The boys looked around realizing that they were away from any person who could help, they could yell, but no one would hear it. The earth stopped spinning, the excitement gone.   

The boys removed each piece of their clothing as instructed by the man. He asked one of the boys to remove his underwear to which the boy refused. He approached the other boy with the knife and explained that if they did not remove all of their clothing he would kill them. As the boys removed the remainder of their clothing the man removed his. He explained again the natural appeal of the three of them together naked. One of the boys covered his genitals with both hands while crying. He instructed him to remove his hands. He sat down on a rock in the creek bed and instructed one of the boys to sit on his lap. The other boy stood helpless, naked, trying not to cry as the man had instructed.

Stop crying, stop crying, stop crying…

On the way home the boys knew that they had made a mistake. They had been told, taught to never go anywhere with a stranger. They knew they would be found to be at fault. They knew they could never tell anyone as they would be the ones in trouble. They wiped their eyes of tears, took a deep breathe, and never spoke of this again. They knew without a doubt that they could never cry about this, ever.

Those two boys who played every day in the park and were best friends for a summer, never spoke to each other after that day, they never looked into each other’s eyes again, and they never cried about this…

B