He read the note, refolded it and placed it back in the album. As he climbed the stairs to the attic he wondered why Scott had changed his mind and not returned it here the night before. Opening the trunk he placed the album inside, shut the lid, and left it in the middle of the room as he returned downstairs.
He spent most of the day working at his computer. Establishing a home office had been a good idea. The extra time at home had been a lifesaver as they refurbished the house. Now it allowed him the freedom to do as he pleased during the day.
By the time Scott returned home from his work and they had prepared and eaten dinner James had forgotten about the album still being downstairs. That night the dream returned. It was short and like an old loop movie kept repeating. The blond man sat in the chair, the note in his hand, tears streaming down his face. He would stand, walk to the door, open it and stare into the night. He would return to the chair, sit, read the note and repeat the process at the door. James wasn’t sure if the dream itself was repeating or the man was simply repeating his actions.
“James, wake up.” He did. Scott was lovingly wiping the tears from his cheeks, his fingers caressing then lingering upon them. “Is it them again?”
“No, just the blond one. He was reading the note and crying.” He stopped, the memory of the open album on the table that morning filling his mind. “Why didn’t you take the album back to the attic last night?”
“I did. I didn’t put it back in the trunk, I just laid it up there on a box. Why?” Concern filled Scott’s eyes as he gazed down at his lover.
A shiver passed through James, “It was on the table this morning, open to reveal the note.” He pulled Scott down to him and held him tight. “How did it get back there, Scott?”
Scott could feel James shaking as he returned the embrace. “Is it still there?”
“No, I took it back upstairs and put it in the trunk.”
Scott raised up, “Let’s go up there, I want to read that note again.” They slowly climbed the stairs to the attic. The trunk sat in the middle of the floor, open. And empty. The looked at each other and James nodded slowly.
The album lay open on the table, the note prominent in the center. Scott removed it and read through it twice before turning to James. “His name is William. Can you remember anything about that first dream, the one you had the night you called me William?”
“Just what I told you before. They were by the tent on a blanket.” He turned the pages to the photos of the camping trip. “Do you believe me now, Scott? I’ve never really believed in ghosts or the paranormal but there is something going on here.”
“I know I was skeptical at first but you are right. I know I put this damned thing upstairs. And you said you did again today. How did it get back down here, and why is it always opened to the note?”
“I think the answer is in the note itself. We have to find out who these guys are. Also what happened that made William leave and obviously never come back.” A thought came to his mind. “What happened to that abstract we got at the closing on the house?”
“It’s in the file cabinet in your office. Why?”
“It would have the names and other information about every body who has owned this house. We never looked at it when we got it.” They walked to the office. It didn’t take them very long to find what they were looking for.
James Morrow owned the house from 1921 until his death in 1957. At various times during his ownership he rented rooms to other gentlemen. There was no mention of a wife or any other family. Also there was no mention of a lover or partner. James wrote down the name and pertinent dates. “I’m going to the library tomorrow to look up old copies of the local newspapers.”
They went back to bed, the album left in it’s place on the table. As they lay cuddled together Scott said, “That is the same furniture. Maybe you should check into the woman from the sale. She may have a connection to this.”
“You’re right, it is too much of a coincidence for her to have all three pieces. She must be connected somehow”
They slept fitfully, James almost afraid to go into deep sleep and more dreams and Scott wanting to keep a protective ear open for any signs of distress.
All of the old editions of the local paper were on microfilm. James sat at a machine while the library assistant retrieved the requested rolls. He had decided to work backwards. The lady from the estate auction, Anna Henning had passed away six months before. The interesting fact, another coincidence?, was that she had been preceded in death by her husband, William, whom she had married on June 20, 1946. He printed the obituary.
James stared at the wedding photo. It had been no coincidence. The smiling man standing next to the radiant Anna was very familiar, both from photographs and dreams. James could imagine the curly dark hair covering the broad chest under the tuxedo shirt. He could see the outline of the thick cock in the folds of the trousers. He printed the announcement also.
James Morrow had passed away on June 20, 1957. His body, sitting in the chair in the front sitting room, had been discovered by the cleaning lady. The cause of death was listed as natural causes. No immediate survivors were listed. A memorial service had been held and then cremation rites were accorded. This was printed also.
He spent several hours but never found any information on William Henning other than the marriage announcement. He put the copies in a folder, thanked the assistant and went home. The album lay open once again with the note standing up in the center. “What are you trying to tell me James?” he shouted towards the album.
He sat in the chair, the album lay across his legs. He closed his eyes and let his mind empty.
The smooth man was sitting in the chair, he darker one by the door again. “You know you don’t love her. If you go there she will do whatever she can to get you to stay.”
“I have to make her understand. I love you with all of my heart, James but she is carrying my child.”
The smooth one narrowed his eyes and stared long and hard at his partner. Finally he said “Are you sure it is your child?”
The darker one walked over and stood in front of the chair “You are still hurt because I slept with her. In answer to your question, yes, I am sure it is my child. She was a virgin.” He took his lover’s hand. “I don’t know why I did it, I’ve told you that before. It just happened.”
He stood, “But did you enjoy it William? Was it the same as when you are with me? Let’s go upstairs and I will show you the love you truly need.” They walked hand in hand to the stairway and then up it side by side.
In the bedroom the smooth one removed all of the dark ones clothing and kneeling before him brought him to erection with his mouth. He then lay on the bed, his ass at the edge, his legs in the air inviting his lover to come closer. The dark one knelt beside the bed, his face between the cheeks of his partner’s ass, one hand stroking his partner, the other stroking himself.
He stood, one hand holding his thick erect cock the other probing his partner’s hole. He removed his fingers and placed his cockhead against the opening and pushed slowly. The smooth one writhed on the bed calling out in a deep, guttural voice. The dark one leaned forward, his hips moving slightly, his face buried in the crevice of his partner’s neck. The smooth one bucked his hips up off of the bed, pushing himself against the dark ones hips. The pace and force of their movements increased until the dark one threw his head back and yelled out as he pushed in as deep as he could, his one hand pumping faster and faster on his partner’s long cock. As the dark one convulsed with his orgasm the smooth one’s cock erupted in several long thick ropes of cum.
James opened his eyes. His jeans were undone, his hand wrapped around his own cock and cum dripped from his hand to the floor. He sat for a few minutes and then went to the downstairs bathroom to clean up. He was on his knees cleaning the floor when Scott came home.
They sat at the dining room table. Scott read through the copies James had made at the library then James relayed his daydream, omitting his reaction to it. “It looks like you have your answer now. William left James to marry Anna.”
“You are right. It is time to put the album away and forget about this entire thing.” James did not feel as convinced as he sounded. He did take the album back up to the attic and returned it to the trunk, including the copies from the library he closed the lid and slid the trunk back into the corner.
Life returned to normal, the only remaining evidence of the incident were the three pieces of furniture in the window of the front sitting room.
Several months later James had one of the dreams again. The men were in a cabin, a mountain range visible from the windows. They made love on an old four poster bed, a fire in a stone fireplace on the other side of the room. As they twisted and turned in their desire the fire cast a warm glow over them. After their orgasms he woke, his underwear wet and sticky. He slipped out of bed and walked to the bathroom.
After his shower he went down to the kitchen for a glass of juice. As he passed by it he glanced at the calendar on the wall. It was Friday, June 20th. A shiver ran down his spine. He walked into the front sitting room. The lamp was on, it’s light shining on the open album on the table.