SquidgeWorld Archive

River foolishness
By ciejye

The rain had drizzled down for the better part of a week. The logging camp and everything that surrounded it was drenched. The men at the camp still went about the business of felling trees but the mud made it difficult to drag the logs anywhere. Still the work was getting done somehow though it was a lot harder to do so than before.

In the midst of all the logging one little boy and one teenager moved with the stealth of an Indian though the woods. They trekked though the woods silently each movement paused if they heard a noise they had not expected, and then when all appeared clear again they moved on.

“J-J-Jason isn’t gonna l-l-like this.” Jeremy stuttered. “H-H-H-He said to s-stay i-i-i-in the t-t-t-tent.”

“Jason isn’t even going to know if we’re careful little brother. And I am tired of being trapped in the tent with nothing to do. I will take full responsibility.” Joshua spoke with the confidence only a teenager can have. A confidence that nothing could happen to them because they were together and the teenager was in charge. “Besides this is the last time we are going to be able to go swimming this summer. It’s going to be too cold in another week. It’s already snowing on top of the mountain.”

Jeremy was forced to agree and he was tired of being stuck inside all day long. They wouldn't get any more wet than they already were if they went swimming. So the brothers pushed on to the river still imitating Indians when moving and trees when they stopped at each sound.

Two second after they arrived at the river’s edge the boys were stripped to their skin and both dove into the moving water. The few birds around took flight at the twin screams as the bare skin met the icy water.

“C-c-c-c-c-c-c-c-c-c-c-c-co-o-o-o-o-o-ol-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-ld-d-d-d-d-d!” chattered Jeremy as he surfaced near the shore.

“J-j-just a b-b-b-bit!” Joshua chattered back to his brother as he felt his male parts crawling up inside his body. ‘More than a few minutes in here and I won't have to worry about fathering children.’ He thought then blushed at the naughtiness of that thought.

The boys frolicked in the water with an abandon of children everywhere. The icy water seemed to be warmer as they got used to it and even though they didn't mean to they got farther and farther from the shore and closer and closer to the swift moving center of the river. Joshua was not concerned about the logs that might come down the river since they were upriver of the logging operation. Still he kept an eye out anyway just in case. Jeremy was simply a boy in the water. He had learned to swim when he was just a little boy (not that his brothers considered him much more than that now) and took to the water like a fish. Unfortunately, even a fish has to know its depth.

Jeremy splashed his brother with repeated movements of his hands; his laugh filled the air as he did. Joshua laughed just as hard and with his head turned he got closer to his little brother then grasped him under the arms and tossed him up and over his head back into the water. Into the middle of the river! Jeremy went under and immediately realized the water was moving a lot faster than it was before, he screamed as his head surfaced and he saw how far down river he was from his brother. “JOSHUA!!”

It only took Joshua a few seconds before he realized what had happened, and began to swim after his little brother. The current was with him and together with powerful strokes of his arms he was able to close the distance between them. When Jeremy went under the water for the second time it was his brother’s strong arms that pulled him up from the water and held him close. “I’ve got you.” Joshua said as he held his brother tightly and tried to swim to shore.

Jeremy held tightly to his brother and tried to kick. The warmth the two boys had felt before was gone and now they were simply chilled and tired as they tried to make it to the shore. But as exhausted as they both were they were not able to make much sideways progress. “KICK!” Joshua yelled over the roar of the river. “KICK HARD JEREMY!”

“I’m t-t-t-t-trying!” Jeremy yelled back though he was exhausted and only wanted to sleep he kept kicking his feet his grip never diminished.

A moment later both boys heard a sound that struck fear into their hearts. The splash of log as it hit the river from the floom ahead. Joshua and Jeremy froze for a moment then began to scream at the top of their lungs, as they hoped against hope that they would attract the attention of one of the loggers, at the same time they tried to slow their progress by swimming upstream against the current.

*****

Luck was with them this time, and Big Swed was at the waters edge. He heard the cries and paled. Immediately he raised the flag to stop the logs from coming down, but knew at least one or two more would come before they stopped. He yelled at another logger as he pulled off his shirt and boots and pointed to the boys who got closer and closer with each passing moment then dove in the cold water. Mike saw the boys and slapped his partner Franklin on the arm. Franklin ran up the mountain to get Jason while Mike uncoiled a rope and made a lasso with the end. Mike then threw the rope to Big Swed judging the distance to get it ahead of him.

Big Swed grabbed the rope and kept swimming. He stood a head taller than most loggers and was from Sweden where the summer waters were colder than this. He swam to the boys as they neared the place where the logs were dumped into the river and grasped for them. He almost had hold of Jeremy and if the boys had been wearing clothing he would have been able to get purchase on something. But as they were nude they slipped away. Big Swed did not give up, the boys were nearly under the floom when he was able to grasp them again. This time he got hold of Joshua’s arm and was not about to let go. He pulled the boys close to him and slipped the loop of the rope over their heads and one arm. Then with powerful strokes that told of his might as a swimmer he steered them toward shore.

Franklin found Jason as Jason headed down the floom to see what the hold up was. “Joshua and Jeremy are in the river!” Franklin yelled when he was close enough. Jason took off at a dead run down mountain, Franklin fell in step but was soon out distanced by the large logger.

Jason reached the edge of the river just as Big Swed grabbed for the boys and missed. Jason nearly leapt into the river but Mike and Franklin held him back. “We need you to help pull them in!” Mike shouted at his boss as he tried to keep him from the freezing waters.

Jason hated to wait but he had to agree that it was best since at that time Big Swed had reached the boys for the second time and pulled then to his large chest. Jason almost wept as the rope was placed around the two waterlogged boys. Then together the three men pulled the boys and their guardian angel away from the logs to the shore.

The moment they reached the shore Jason gathered the wet naked boys to him and hugged as if he would never let go. His eyes were wet with unshed tears. Jason held one hand out to Big Swed while he clung to the boys with the other. The large blond man clasped the hand of his boss and friend. “Thank you, thank you!” Jason repeated over and over as his fingers tightened on the Swed’s hand.

“Ja, they are okay now. Scared only.” Big Swed returned the grip then released. “Is all over but the spanking.”

Jason hugged his brothers to him for another moment as another man brought blankets and draped over the back of each lad. Jason pushed the boys from him and checked them other carefully. Joshua blushed at the scrutiny while Jeremy just wanted to be back in his big brothers arms again. The trip down the river had scared him beyond belief but now that he was on the shore again the fear began to abate.

“Why were you in the river?” Jason asked sternly.

Joshua and Jeremy told their brother about their decision to go swimming and the horseplay that caused them to end up where they were.

“WHAT do you think you were doing!?” Jason roared at his brothers as he planted a hard swat to each of their blanket-clad bottoms.

“Come on fellas, I’m buying.” Mike said with a laugh, as he knew the brothers needed some privacy “Hot coffee for everyone!”

The men headed up the mountain to the camp and left the two wet boys with one angry older brother.

“You could have been KILLED!” Another swat joined the first. “GET back to the cabin NOW!” two more swats followed as the boys yelped and scrambled up the path to head for the cabin.

Jason knew he needed to calm down before he dealt with this disobedience. If he punished the boys right at that moment he would hurt them.

****

The walk to the cabin gave Jason the time he needed to calm down. And true to his word, Joshua tried to take all the responsibility for the swimming excursion. Jason was not buying any of it.

“Did your brother go with you? Did he get in the water and swim?” Jason demanded as they reached the cabin and stepped in. Jason closed the door hard as Joshua nodded. “Then he is responsible for his own actions.”

Jason crossed his big arms over his chest and frowned at his brothers. “What you did was disobedient and dangerous. You both could have been killed and would have been had Big Swed not been able to save you. You have seen what those logs can do to a man. You were told to STAY in the tent and you disobeyed me. You know what comes next.” The two heads nodded, as they stood shamefaced before their brother. They were going to get a spanking there was no doubt about that, a good long sound spanking from the sounds of it.

“We’re sorry, Jason.” Joshua said softly.

“SORRY!! What good will sorry do when your little brother is drowned or crushed by logs! You are supposed to watch out for him! NOT get him in trouble! I trusted you Joshua!” Jason boomed at his teenaged brother.

Joshua hung his head as the tears fell from his face. He was ashamed of himself. Everything Jason said was true, it was all his fault.

Almost as if he had heard his brothers thoughts, Jeremy spoke up “I-I-I-Its not Josh's f-fault. I-I-I-I w-w-went th-th-there t-t-t-too. I-Its m-m-my fault a-a-and I-I should b-b-b-be p-p-punished.”

“No!” Joshua didn't want to be spanked but he was not going to let his baby brother take the blame for him.

“Enough!” Jason’s voice cut though everything. “You are BOTH to blame here and you are BOTH going to be punished. Jeremy go stand in the corner, Joshua come here.” Jason pulled a chair out from the table and sat down on it.

Joshua moved closer to his older brother as his younger brother went to the corner. It only took a moment before Jason had Joshua over his knees and the blanket was gone. Not just pulled up but gone. Joshua blushed deeply at the thought of his naked body over his brother’s knees but all thoughts of humiliation flew from his head as the first hard spank fell. Joshua knew at that moment he was in for a real blistering. The first swat almost made him lose control of his bladder and there were still many more to come. Each swat felt as hard as the first on his chilled bottom that quickly grew warm then hot as the spanks fell on it. Joshua tried to stay calm and take it like a man but as the bank of swats fell on his bare backside Joshua came to understand certain truths. First, he was not a man; men do not take their baby brothers out swimming when there is the potential for danger. Second, there was no way he was going to get though this spanking with his dignity in tact. His bottom hurt and each spank delivered to it simply added to the pain and multiplied it. Once he had wrapped his mind around those two facts he simply let nature take its course and sobbed.

Jason felt his brother give way to the tears and tightened his hold around the squirming youth as he continued to spank him soundly. His work hardened hand landed with great force on the teen’s hapless bottom again and again as he painted the cheeks first pink, then red, then crimson in color.  Over and over his hard palm met the wiggling target, each rounded cheek received its share of the spanks. The sit spot and top of the thighs were also apportioned a measure of the discipline. Special consideration was given to the crease where the legs met the bottom as it too was blazed with fire.

Joshua sobbed and promised anything just so the spanking would end. He knew he had done wrong and he was sorry oh how he was sorry! He would never swim again; he would never even look at water! Just please please let the spanking stop. Then as suddenly as the callused hand started the spanking it stopped. Joshua almost laughed with joy that the spanking had ended. But then he froze at a movement.

Jason had stopped the spanking but not because it was over. No, he stopped because it was time to go to the next level. One hand still held his brother over his knees while the other hand reached to his own waist and unbuckled the wide belt that he wore. He pulled it free from the loops and folded it in half. The belt was wide, it would easily cover half his brother’s bottom with one stroke or all of Jeremy’s if Jason were to use it on his little brother.

“Jason NO, please not the belt!” Joshua cried as he realized what his big brother intended. “PLEASE!” he begged as he increased his efforts to get away.

“You could have died little brother.” Jason whispered softly like the wind though the leaves, a voice he normally only used with their youngest brother when he was awakened with a nightmare. “You both could have died.” And with that Jason brought the belt down hard on his brother’s already crimson backside.

Later, Joshua would be teased that his shriek of pain could be heard on the other side of the mountain but at the moment he was too busy to worry about that. He tried to levitate off Jason's lap, to kick himself free, to do anything to avoid the punishment of that strip of leather as it blazed its way over his bottom several more times. Then it was over.

Jason set the belt on the floor beside him and pulled his brother into a hug. Joshua was too upset to notice anything but the fire in his bottom at first. But then he succumb to the comfort of the man who had just stoked that fire. Jason rocked and soothed his younger brother until the latter calmed down a bit and the sobs were not so harsh. Then slowly Jason set Joshua to his feet and gathered the blanket around him again. Together they moved to what had always been Joshua’s corner of the cabin and with a final hug of love and forgiveness Joshua was turned to the corner.

***

Jason took a moment before he turned to the frightened boy who stood in the other corner of the cabin. Jeremy looked so small and pale, his skin was so white against the darkness of his lashes and hair that for a moment Jason felt his resolve falter. But then he remembered the sight of that dark head headed for the logs and clamped down on his emotions. Jason knew better than to call his youngest brother from the corner. Jeremy had had time to think and after what he had heard he was likely to try and run from the cabin. So after a moment more Jason walked to the youngest Bolt brother and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Come on now Jeremy.” He said softly. Then led the boy to the chair and his fate.

“P-P-Please d-d-don't sp-sp-sp-spank me J-J-J-Jason. I-I w-was r-really s-scared.” Jeremy pleaded. “I-I-I-I p-promise I w-w-w-won't d-d-d-do i-i-it again ever! H-H-H-Honest I-I won't. p-p-p-please. I d-d-don't want a-a sp-sp-sp-spanking.” The lad was in tears even before Jason removed the blanket and positioned the little body over his knees.

“I don't want to spank you Jeremy I have never wanted to spank either of you, but Pa’s not here and I have a responsibility to see that you and Joshua are raised up right. And sometimes, little brother, that means I have to do things that neither of us like. Sometimes I have to serve greens even when you don't want to eat them and sometimes I have to spank you even when neither of us wants that. You have to learn Jeremy, that your actions bring consequences. And THIS is the consequence to this action.”

With those final words, Jason brought his already red and sore hand down on the bottom of his youngest brother. Jeremy being Jeremy screeched as if he had been branded with a hot iron but Jason simply held the lad tighter and worked his stinging palm all over the boy’s tiny bottom. As it had with Joshua, each spank added to the fire that the first one had lit and before too many more had gone by the fire blazed hot and burned true.

Jeremy, unlike his older brother had no misconceptions of bravo during the spanking. He sobbed from the first spank and the tears that ran could have put out a campfire. He kicked and squirmed like the little boy that he was, a naughty little boy who was getting a sound spanking for his mischief. Jason of course tempered the spanks to match the age and size of the child over his knees. There was no way he would spank Jeremy as hard as he spanked Joshua, that would have been abuse. But he wanted to get this point across and so he continued the spanking longer than any other he had given the child to date.

Finally the hand stopped falling, but as it had been with Joshua, Jason was not yet finished with the chastisement of his youngest brother. Jason leaned over and picked up the belt. Jeremy saw it in his brother’s hand and screamed for mercy “J-J-J-Jason NO! P-P-PLEASE N-N-N-NOT THE BELT!” came the clear cry from the red-bottomed little boy.

“Jason no!” Joshua turned and took a step from his corner. “He’s just a child. Punish me! It was my fault!” the blond begged.

“Turn back to that corner Joshua!” Jason order firmly his finger pointed to the junction. “Obey me little brother or so help me I will cut a switch and wear you both out with it!” As stern as his voice was his eyes held another story, they asked Joshua to trust him to know what to do.

The threat and the look in his elder brother’s eyes both worked, Joshua turned his nose back to the corner as the tears poured from his eyes.

Jason tightened his hold on his youngest brother and brought the belt down across his little backside. The belt was wide enough to cover the entire bottom at the same time. The crack of the leather filled the air and a quarter of a second later the small boys cry joined it. Jason held the child firmly as he brought the belt down twice more on the punished flesh then he stopped, dropped the belt beside him and gathered the weeping child to his broad chest. The swats with the belt had not been very hard, just enough that the boy felt the sting on his already punished backside. But it was enough for Jeremy who sobbed pitifully for a very long time.

Finally the tears slowed and Jason called Joshua to come to him. As before he held both his brothers, both his precious charges in his arms and he too added his tears to theirs. He wept for what could have happened and more he wept for what he still had; two headstrong, disobedient, precious gifts from their parents that he would never let go.

Jason pulled the boys from him a moment and looked deep into their eyes for a long time before he spoke. His voice was hard but filled with emotion. “You are both forgiven for your folly, and your restricted to the cabin and yard for a week.” The boys nodded their heads. They had expected that at least.  And if you ever.” Jason's voice broke and he stopped for a moment to collect himself before he could continue. He gave them a small shake. “If you EVER pull a stunt like that again, I will wear out a switch on your bottoms and give you a spanking every night for a week! I never want to lose either of you and if I have to I will spank you every day for the rest of your lives! I love you both too much to lose you to foolishness!” and with that Jason pulled the boys back into his chest for another hug that threatened their air supply.

“We love you too.” The boys sobbed as they tightened their own hugs around the neck of their eldest brother and surrogate father.

Finally after the last of the tears had been wiped away, Jason released his brothers. “Go ahead now while I check the soup and get some clothing on. Jeremy that means socks as well. You both need to get warmed up.”

Jeremy blushed at the admonition while Joshua rubbed his bottom gently with both hands. “I think I am already warmed up big brother.” He quipped ruefully.

“Just remember that little brother.” Jason turned from the pot to face his younger sibling. “Things could get a lot warmer if you don't.”

Joshua blushed at the connotation of the words and turned to the bedroom. “I’ll remember.” He said softly.

“I-I-I-I'll r-remember t-t-too.” Jeremy echoed his older brother’s words.

Jason smiled fondly at the retreating backs of his younger brothers. Yes, they would remember. The boys would think twice about ever disobeying their brother again. At least for as long as the sting lasted and the memory was fresh in their minds.
 

Fin