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Doesn't matter why you're being targeted. Michael still reels from his father's behavior, and it chooses to interrupt a dream of his. Jacob, quickly to the rescue again, recommends getting the \"facts\" his father uses against him from the source, and that's going to require a call to an ordained friend...","description_bbcode_parsed":"It's an absolute nightmare to be the target of persecution. Doesn't matter why you're being targeted. Michael still reels from his father's behavior, and it chooses to interrupt  a dream of his. Jacob, quickly to the rescue again, recommends getting the "facts" his father uses against him from the source, and that's going to require a call to an ordained friend...","writing":"Dreamer\n\nShortie by Micah Weil\n\n\tThe Kentucky summers were always good to him. The warm sun beat down on him, warming up the leathery membranes he called wings in a very pleasant way. The humidity didn't bother him in the least; at the most, he had plenty to snack on as it buzzed by. Michael looked up at the passing clouds and sighed rather happily. So many summers passed in these woods. So many great memories. This was just another chance to enjoy it.\n\n\t\"Mike!\" He knew that voice...an old school friend of his, back when he was young. He watched as the little brown doormouse came bounding out from the bushes. No older than 10. \"I found some firewood Mike. I think it's enough. We'll be able to camp out tonight.\"\n\n\t\"It's good enough, Chester,\" he said and pointed at the little stone circle on the ground. Just like his father had taught him, it would keep the fire from becoming too dangerous. He smiled as the mouse took the twigs to the future site of their camp fire. \"That's right.\"\n\n\t\"It'll be warm tonight.\" He stopped once they were down and turned to look at the bat. \"...when'd you get so tall, Mike?\"\n\n\t\"Huh?\" He stopped. He remembered camping with Mike years ago. It'd been a long while. Why hadn't the mouse aged? Why was he asking those questions?\n\n\t\"I...I don't know, Chet.\" He walked over to the river.\n\n\t\"You are...you are taller.\" Michael looked into the water's reflective surface and saw an adult looking back at him. \"...you're also stronger looking.\"\n\n\t\"...what is...?\"\n\n\t\"And yer also lookin' queerer, fag.\"\n\n\tHis veins went icy. He turned around slowly to see a painfully familiar face staring back at him - at eye level this time. The fur was grayer, everything was wilted, but he knew what he was looking at. He was looking at blood.\n\n\t\"Well, fag. What do yew have to say fer yerself.\"\n\n\t\"...fuck off, Dad.\" He turned away, determined to enjoy the summer. \n\n\tThe woods slowly faded away as his father spoke. \"No, boy...yer mine.\" He yelped as the old man struck him across the back. He staggered, and a bit of the ground gave way under him. He stumbled back so he didn't fall over. \n\n\t\"Are you out of your fucking mind?!\" He growled as he turned to the older bat, who struck him across the face. Again, the ground behind him shifted, crumbled away. He looked over his shoulder to see fires jumping up, as if they were trying to grab him. \"You're going to get me killed!\"\n\n\t\"Heh...as smart as you are gay.\" He gave Michael a shove.\n\n\tHe nearly fell off balance, forcing himself to take a step back towards the flames. \"What?!\"\n\n\t\"Yer a faggot...faggots burn in Hell.\" He struck him again, right in the chest. Michael stumbled back. The ground gave way underneath him and he found himself falling. His fingers grabbed at the remaining hard edge, keeping him from falling. The flames licked at his feet. He looked down to see the giant maw, trying to consume him. \"Heh...that's what yew get fer goin against God's will.\" Michael looked up to see him standing over him. A foot came down on his left hand, causing him to howl in pain and lose his grip.\n\n\tThe old man chuckled. \"See you in Hell, faggot.\" His foot came down on his other hand...\n\n\t\"NO!\" Michael shot straight up in bed, eyes wide open. His voice echoed off the walls and came back to him; he gripped his large ears to stop the ringing. He looked around. He was back home, in his apartment, at night. It'd been all a dream. He slowly let go of his ears, hands dropping to his side. \"...no...\"\n\n\t\"Mikey?\" He shut his eyes. \"Mikey, what's wrong?\" He felt Jacob's slender fingers glide over his back.\n\n\t\"...him...it's...\" He brought his knees up to his chest, hugging them tightly as he tried to calm down.\n\n\t\"...was it a bad dream?\" The skunk's arms wrapped around him. \"Mikey, talk to me.\"\t\"I'm...not going to Hell.\" His eyes watered up. \"I'm not going to Hell.\" He turned to look at the skunk sharing his bed. \"Not because of...\"\n\n\tIt was almost instinctual; he knew what was happening. Jacob wrapped his arms around Michael and held him close; tighter when the bat finally gave in and started bawling. \"Michael, it's okay...it was just a dream.\" He kissed the top of his head. \"It's okay...\"\n\n\t\"It felt real.\" The bat sobbed. \"He struck me...and...\"\n\n\t\"He's down in West Virginia now,\" he assured him. \"He's in that god-forsaken trailer park, with his bible and his hate. He can't hurt you anymore.\" He ran his fingers down his back. \"And if he thinks he can, he's gotta come through me, first.\" He kissed his cheek. \"Now, tell me what happened?\"\n\n\tHe seemed to calm down a little bit. \"I...I was back home. Went camping with Chester.\"\n\n\t\"Chester? You mean Reverend Chet down in DC?\"\n\n\t\"Yeah.\" He nodded and sighed. \"He was still little...said I looked bigger. I...I think I was...as I am now. Then his voice turned into...\"\n\n\t\"...your father called you a fag, right?\"\n\n\t\"Mmhmm.\" He whimpered. \"Slugged me, tried to throw me down into a large fire.\" He looked into Jacob's eyes. \"Then...well, the screaming and what not which put us here to begin with.\"\n\n\tJacob nodded and kissed his forehead. \"I think you should call Chet tomorrow.\"\n\n\t\"H-huh? Why?\"\n\n\t\"I think he'd like to know where he's been.\" He gave him a squeeze. \"And I think he can make you feel a little bit better than I can right now.\" He smiled and laid back down. \"...do it in the morning, though. I think the only calls he wants at this hour are from God.\"\n\n\tMichael smiled and laid down next to him. \"Okay...if you think it will make me feel better.\"\n\n\tThe phone's insistent ringing finally brought the dormouse in from the balcony where he had cobbled together a small garden. \"Chester,\" he told himself. \"You are the living stereotype of a preacher.\" He wiped the dirt off his hands with a washcloth and picked up the phone. \"This is Reverend Chester. How may I be of service?\"\n\n\t\"Chet?\"\n\n\tThe voice on the other end of the line caught him completely off guard. He sat down at his desk, a smile on his face. \"...Michael. Oh man, it's been a while!\"\n\n\t\"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry I haven't kept in touch as of late...\"\n\n\t\"It's all right. I'm not mad. I've been pretty busy myself. Now, what's on your mind?\" There was no answer. \"Mike?\"\n\n\t\"...had a dream about my old man last night.\" The answer was filled with fear. \"...you know...the ones I've been having since...\"\n\n\t\"Yes. I know.\" He sat up. \"The situation hasn't changed, Mike. The advice I gave you the first two times still stands.\"\n\n\t\"I know...but it has changed.\" There was another moment of silence.\n\n\t\"...how?\"\n\n\t\"You were in it, Chet.\" The doormouse sat up a little more, his arms resting on the desk calendar before him. \"...the words came out of your mouth, then he...\"\n\n\t\"Your father was excommunicated.\"\n\n\tA stunned gasp echoed out of the phone. \"...what?\"\n\n\t\"Your father's hatred and bigotry got him kicked out of the church we grew up in. As far as I know, even some of the fringe churches are steering clear of him. I don't know, haven't heard hide nor hair of him since I left for DC.\"\n\n\t\"...so...that means...\" His thought trailed off. \"What happened?\"\n\n\t\"It happened just as I came out of seminary.\" He sat back and took his glasses off. \"God...this is a painful memory.\"\n\n\t\"You don't have to talk about it if it is.\" Mike was quick to respond. It made the preacher nervous.\n\n\t\"No. Mike, these dreams are affecting you. You have to know.\" He sighed. \"We all came together after one of your father's blow-ups - a REALLY big one. Called in from the surrounding counties to talk this over, and we all decided...\"\n\n\t\"Unanimous?\"\n\n\t\"...no. I was the deciding vote.\" They sat there in silence. Chester stood up and turned to look out of the sliding glass doors that separated his office from his balcony. \"...I admitted it later. My decision was partly out of my own hatred.\"\n\n\t\"I don't understand.\"\n\n\t\"Mike, he's your father. He should love you unconditionally, not hate you because you like men. That's not what the Bible says.\" He paused. \"...that's not what I read, anyway. The Bible preaches love and tolerance...that's what my decision was based on. I couldn't let your father get away with his bullshit, though. That's why I'm in DC now. I couldn't take the glares from the people who disagreed with me...\"\n\n\t\"It's okay, Chet.\" Michael chuckled. \"...I wish I could give you a hug right now. You sound like you need it.\"\n\n\t\"I'll take you up on it when you visit next. Besides, you sound better.\"\n\n\t\"I do feel better...in some perverse way. Thank you, Chester.\"\n\n\t\"Just remember one thing for me, Mike. The only one allowed to judge is God. If I had to give my opinion, though, I'm certain they'd let you into Heaven.\"\n\n\t\"Thanks, Chester.\"\n\n\t\"Talk to you later, Michael. Don't be a stranger.\" He smiled and hung up.\n\n\t\"Satisfied?\" Jacob said as the bat put the phone down. Michael turned to the skunk and dove at him, wrapping his arms around the skunk. Jacob chuckled and rubbed the smaller male's back. \"I love you too, dear.\" He knew that would have helped; he'd heard about it months before. The news, he knew, would make the nightmares stop. The bat squeezed him tightly and sighed. \"C'mon. We'll go down to the corner and get a coffee. You've had a long night.\"\n\nEnd\n\n","writing_bbcode_parsed":"Dreamer

Shortie by Micah Weil

\tThe Kentucky summers were always good to him. The warm sun beat down on him, warming up the leathery membranes he called wings in a very pleasant way. The humidity didn't bother him in the least; at the most, he had plenty to snack on as it buzzed by. Michael looked up at the passing clouds and sighed rather happily. So many summers passed in these woods. So many great memories. This was just another chance to enjoy it.

\t"Mike!" He knew that voice...an old school friend of his, back when he was young. He watched as the little brown doormouse came bounding out from the bushes. No older than 10. "I found some firewood Mike. I think it's enough. We'll be able to camp out tonight."

\t"It's good enough, Chester," he said and pointed at the little stone circle on the ground. Just like his father had taught him, it would keep the fire from becoming too dangerous. He smiled as the mouse took the twigs to the future site of their camp fire. "That's right."

\t"It'll be warm tonight." He stopped once they were down and turned to look at the bat. "...when'd you get so tall, Mike?"

\t"Huh?" He stopped. He remembered camping with Mike years ago. It'd been a long while. Why hadn't the mouse aged? Why was he asking those questions?

\t"I...I don't know, Chet." He walked over to the river.

\t"You are...you are taller." Michael looked into the water's reflective surface and saw an adult looking back at him. "...you're also stronger looking."

\t"...what is...?"

\t"And yer also lookin' queerer, fag."

\tHis veins went icy. He turned around slowly to see a painfully familiar face staring back at him - at eye level this time. The fur was grayer, everything was wilted, but he knew what he was looking at. He was looking at blood.

\t"Well, fag. What do yew have to say fer yerself."

\t"...fuck off, Dad." He turned away, determined to enjoy the summer.

\tThe woods slowly faded away as his father spoke. "No, boy...yer mine." He yelped as the old man struck him across the back. He staggered, and a bit of the ground gave way under him. He stumbled back so he didn't fall over.

\t"Are you out of your fucking mind?!" He growled as he turned to the older bat, who struck him across the face. Again, the ground behind him shifted, crumbled away. He looked over his shoulder to see fires jumping up, as if they were trying to grab him. "You're going to get me killed!"

\t"Heh...as smart as you are gay." He gave Michael a shove.

\tHe nearly fell off balance, forcing himself to take a step back towards the flames. "What?!"

\t"Yer a faggot...faggots burn in Hell." He struck him again, right in the chest. Michael stumbled back. The ground gave way underneath him and he found himself falling. His fingers grabbed at the remaining hard edge, keeping him from falling. The flames licked at his feet. He looked down to see the giant maw, trying to consume him. "Heh...that's what yew get fer goin against God's will." Michael looked up to see him standing over him. A foot came down on his left hand, causing him to howl in pain and lose his grip.

\tThe old man chuckled. "See you in Hell, faggot." His foot came down on his other hand...

\t"NO!" Michael shot straight up in bed, eyes wide open. His voice echoed off the walls and came back to him; he gripped his large ears to stop the ringing. He looked around. He was back home, in his apartment, at night. It'd been all a dream. He slowly let go of his ears, hands dropping to his side. "...no..."

\t"Mikey?" He shut his eyes. "Mikey, what's wrong?" He felt Jacob's slender fingers glide over his back.

\t"...him...it's..." He brought his knees up to his chest, hugging them tightly as he tried to calm down.

\t"...was it a bad dream?" The skunk's arms wrapped around him. "Mikey, talk to me."\t"I'm...not going to Hell." His eyes watered up. "I'm not going to Hell." He turned to look at the skunk sharing his bed. "Not because of..."

\tIt was almost instinctual; he knew what was happening. Jacob wrapped his arms around Michael and held him close; tighter when the bat finally gave in and started bawling. "Michael, it's okay...it was just a dream." He kissed the top of his head. "It's okay..."

\t"It felt real." The bat sobbed. "He struck me...and..."

\t"He's down in West Virginia now," he assured him. "He's in that god-forsaken trailer park, with his bible and his hate. He can't hurt you anymore." He ran his fingers down his back. "And if he thinks he can, he's gotta come through me, first." He kissed his cheek. "Now, tell me what happened?"

\tHe seemed to calm down a little bit. "I...I was back home. Went camping with Chester."

\t"Chester? You mean Reverend Chet down in DC?"

\t"Yeah." He nodded and sighed. "He was still little...said I looked bigger. I...I think I was...as I am now. Then his voice turned into..."

\t"...your father called you a fag, right?"

\t"Mmhmm." He whimpered. "Slugged me, tried to throw me down into a large fire." He looked into Jacob's eyes. "Then...well, the screaming and what not which put us here to begin with."

\tJacob nodded and kissed his forehead. "I think you should call Chet tomorrow."

\t"H-huh? Why?"

\t"I think he'd like to know where he's been." He gave him a squeeze. "And I think he can make you feel a little bit better than I can right now." He smiled and laid back down. "...do it in the morning, though. I think the only calls he wants at this hour are from God."

\tMichael smiled and laid down next to him. "Okay...if you think it will make me feel better."

\tThe phone's insistent ringing finally brought the dormouse in from the balcony where he had cobbled together a small garden. "Chester," he told himself. "You are the living stereotype of a preacher." He wiped the dirt off his hands with a washcloth and picked up the phone. "This is Reverend Chester. How may I be of service?"

\t"Chet?"

\tThe voice on the other end of the line caught him completely off guard. He sat down at his desk, a smile on his face. "...Michael. Oh man, it's been a while!"

\t"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry I haven't kept in touch as of late..."

\t"It's all right. I'm not mad. I've been pretty busy myself. Now, what's on your mind?" There was no answer. "Mike?"

\t"...had a dream about my old man last night." The answer was filled with fear. "...you know...the ones I've been having since..."

\t"Yes. I know." He sat up. "The situation hasn't changed, Mike. The advice I gave you the first two times still stands."

\t"I know...but it has changed." There was another moment of silence.

\t"...how?"

\t"You were in it, Chet." The doormouse sat up a little more, his arms resting on the desk calendar before him. "...the words came out of your mouth, then he..."

\t"Your father was excommunicated."

\tA stunned gasp echoed out of the phone. "...what?"

\t"Your father's hatred and bigotry got him kicked out of the church we grew up in. As far as I know, even some of the fringe churches are steering clear of him. I don't know, haven't heard hide nor hair of him since I left for DC."

\t"...so...that means..." His thought trailed off. "What happened?"

\t"It happened just as I came out of seminary." He sat back and took his glasses off. "God...this is a painful memory."

\t"You don't have to talk about it if it is." Mike was quick to respond. It made the preacher nervous.

\t"No. Mike, these dreams are affecting you. You have to know." He sighed. "We all came together after one of your father's blow-ups - a REALLY big one. Called in from the surrounding counties to talk this over, and we all decided..."

\t"Unanimous?"

\t"...no. I was the deciding vote." They sat there in silence. Chester stood up and turned to look out of the sliding glass doors that separated his office from his balcony. "...I admitted it later. My decision was partly out of my own hatred."

\t"I don't understand."

\t"Mike, he's your father. He should love you unconditionally, not hate you because you like men. That's not what the Bible says." He paused. "...that's not what I read, anyway. The Bible preaches love and tolerance...that's what my decision was based on. I couldn't let your father get away with his bullshit, though. That's why I'm in DC now. I couldn't take the glares from the people who disagreed with me..."

\t"It's okay, Chet." Michael chuckled. "...I wish I could give you a hug right now. You sound like you need it."

\t"I'll take you up on it when you visit next. Besides, you sound better."

\t"I do feel better...in some perverse way. Thank you, Chester."

\t"Just remember one thing for me, Mike. The only one allowed to judge is God. If I had to give my opinion, though, I'm certain they'd let you into Heaven."

\t"Thanks, Chester."

\t"Talk to you later, Michael. Don't be a stranger." He smiled and hung up.

\t"Satisfied?" Jacob said as the bat put the phone down. Michael turned to the skunk and dove at him, wrapping his arms around the skunk. Jacob chuckled and rubbed the smaller male's back. "I love you too, dear." He knew that would have helped; he'd heard about it months before. The news, he knew, would make the nightmares stop. The bat squeezed him tightly and sighed. "C'mon. We'll go down to the corner and get a coffee. You've had a long night."

End

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