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THE RITE OF MANHOOD II
By: Erik Paul leapt to his feet cheering as the entire audience erupted in approval. The small, pale boy had just succeeded in pulling his larger opponent across the goal line. As the final sword flashed, ending the match, Paul reflected back on his own fourteenth birthday, where he had been the smaller, paler boy who won the match against a much large opponent. He could still hear the scream of despair, louder even than the cheers of the audience, as his opponent realized that he had stepped backwards over the goal line and had lost the match. Paul remembered turning his head to watch just as the headsman's sword flashed. He remembered the "thunk" as the boy's head was detached. He remembered watching the head and body drop to the stage, seemingly in slow motion, and the great gush of blood that poured forth. He remembered watching the headsman place the boy's head on the growing pile at the back of the stage and the attendants pushing the body into the pit at the front just before he was led off stage to have his own wounds tended. Paul had not turned around and had tried not to hear his opponent as he won his matches on his fifteenth and sixteenth birthdays. He had felt a sense of relief at sixteen, knowing that he would never again have to compete. That he had won his most important match. As a three time winner, he would become a father and his line would continue. It was with mixed feelings that Paul waited for his oldest son's turn on the stage. As a victor in the Rite of Manhood, Paul had married nine women and already had sired twenty-seven children, with three of his wives currently pregnant. Nate was his oldest son and Paul was proud of him. Nate was big and strong for his age and Paul had trained him rigorously for the contest. When Nate was nine, Paul had built a contest platform at home. He had made it as close to the real platform as possible so that his sons would have plenty of experience before they faced the contest of their lives. Paul had made wire restraints in various sizes to match the size of his sons. Each boy had his own restraint and sometimes they would sleep wearing them to get used to the feeling and to toughen their skin for the real match. Paul had made a striped connecting strap identical to that used in the real Rite of Manhood. Three nights a week he had insisted that all of his sons practice the Rite. He had trained them in strategy. He had worked on pain tolerance so that they might continue despite the pain of the restraint digging into their flesh as they pulled. He had made the restraints of larger gauge wire than the real ones so that there would be no real damage to them as they pulled, but there was real pain which they needed to learn to ignore. All of the boys who turned fourteen, fifteen and sixteen today had come to participate in the rite. They had all been taken back stage to prepare and opponents had been chosen by lot within each age set. Paul was beginning to wonder when Nate would appear. They must be nearly through with all of the fourteen- year-olds. The pile of heads on the stage was already large. Paul had noted that most of the boys seemed not to have practiced much for this critical contest. The boys who had practiced seemed to achieve quick victories, quickly pulling their opponents across the line. Their contests were decisive, but not very exciting. More fun to watch were matches between two lesser skilled boys. They knew how critical the contest was. They knew the consequences of defeat, but they frequently stood and screamed in pain as the restraints cut into their flesh, unwilling to pull their opponent and feel yet more pain. Some of these contests lasted ten minutes or more before one boy would stumble backward across the goal line and the headsman would step forward. Finally, Paul was filled with pride as he watched the curtain go up at the left end of the stage and Nate stepped out. Nate was, of course, naked for the contest. He was tall, strong, and well built. Paul thought he was the strongest and best looking boy yet today. He seemed self assured as he strode toward center stage and turned to face the audience. His pale blue eyes found Paul and shone with confidence as their eyes met. The curtain then rose at the right side of the stage and an even bigger and stronger looking boy stepped out. Paul's heart sank as he saw Nate's opponent. He looked like he should be in the fifteen or sixteen year old contest, rather than fourteen. Paul saw that Nate's legs seemed to be shivering in fright as he watched his huge opponent stride toward him. He was nearly a full head taller than Nate and outweighed him by fifty pounds or more. Paul knew that if the bigger boy was as untrained as most of the boys today, Nate would still win the contest easily. He just needed to regain his confidence. The boys shook hands and then turned to receive the audience's applause. The officials stepped forward and knelt before the two boys to attach their restraints. Paul knew that they will be of thinner wire than Nate has experienced before, but that his toughened skin and long training will help him to resist the pain. This time the restraint will cut and will draw blood as the contest begins. Even the winner will require medical treatment after the contest, and many winners are permanently damaged by the restraints. The officials then led the boys to their respective goal lines. They stood there with their backs to each other as the officials fastened the brightly striped leather cord which would connect them for the contest. The boys knew the rules and stood ready at their marks. The master judge counted slowly backward from ten and the bell rang as he reached zero. It was immediately clear that both boys were practiced. They both made a quick step forward to throw their opponent off balance. The restraints dug in and Paul could see the first drops of blood on both boys. The boys then worked slowly, step by step, to try to drag their opponent across the stage to the goal line. The audience cheered as the boys pulled each other back and forth. Neither seemed able to gain more than a couple of feet before being stopped and dragged backward. There was more blood, and more screams of pain from both boys. Both boys were sweating as they struggled against their restraints and the pull of their opponent. Finally, the bigger boy seemed to be pulling Nate and inch or two at a time closer to his goal line. Each time Nate recovered, he pulled his opponent a shorter distance. Cheers from the audience increased as Paul screamed Nate's name hoping to urge him on to victory. It was clear that Nate was slowly losing the contest of his life. He was screaming in pain as the restraint cut into his flesh. There was more blood. Paul saw the headsman slowly moving toward the appropriate goal line to be ready for his final cut. Paul let out another yell, a yell of desperation as Nate's feet slipped out from under him on a puddle of his own blood. The larger boy took advantage of this and gave a mighty pull. A hush fell over the crowd as Nate's restraint ripped through his flesh. Paul looked as his son screamed in pain at his loss. He knows that he has failed the most important contest of his life. The larger boy turned and pulled the striped cord toward him, slack now that it had ripped through Nate. He looked in amazement at what he has done. The audience held its breath as the headsman steps toward the sobbing Nate lying on the stage, aware of his fate. Paul sighed with relief. His son would live. He had not been pulled over the goal. His head would not be added to the growing pile. But he wondered if his son might not have been happier losing his head. He would now spend the rest of his life knowing that he would never be a father. Knowing that his line would end with himself. Paul stared as the headsman casually kicked Nate's severed scrotum and testicles into the pit. If you liked this, please write me at: |