It was a dark and stormy night

Preface. This story is different from my previous postings. In this one I have attempted to both paint a picture and create a mood. I have opted for a somewhat more dramatic presentation in order to accomplish this. 

As there are as many different likes and dislikes as there are readers I have no idea whether there are many who will like this story. It is somber. If I were forced to guess I would say the majority will not care for the story. However, if I have managed to succeed in my telling of it, I think you will find it very erotic. Then again, that is only my opinion. I find it very hard to be objective in judging my own work. It is easy to look at stories from other authors and criticize them. With my own I cannot seem to do that. I get too wrapped up in them. 

To those of you who read the stories posted here, both by others and by myself, I would ask a favor. As we receive no pay for them, I would request that you take a few minutes and write a short or long review about them. If something really worked for you, mention it. This is the only way we who write have any idea what you would like. If you didn’t like it please try to tell us why. While I write for my own pleasure, you can have a big influence on what and how I write. I can only speak for myself but I cannot express the high I feel when someone is kind enough to let me know they enjoyed one of my stories. Feel free to email with comments, criticisms, and suggestions. I will try to answer all of them. Put something about the story title in the subject line so I don’t delete you accidentally. 
Here, for your enjoyment I hope, I present the following.
Fritz 

It was a dark and stormy night
It was a dark and stormy night. The wind blew the rain sideways against the windows and I could hear it moaning in the trees beside the house. It had originated in the Gulf of Alaska and when I glanced at the weather monitor I could see the temperature was dropping rapidly. It now stood at thirty four degrees and was still going down. It would soon be snowing. Along with the noise of the wind I could hear the waves crashing onto the rocks below the house in which I lived located on the Washington coast. The weather forecast called for eight to ten inches of snow but I was sure it would be much more. The monitor had said the wind was fifty eight miles and hour with gusts to ninety. I was glad I didn’t have to go out. The remote road I lived on would probably have trees blown across it.

I poured some brandy in a snifter and walked over to my desk. The fireplace popped and crackled and was a welcome relief from the weather. I sat down and taking up my pencil, tried to come up with a story plot but my mind would not concentrate on one. All I could think of was the darkness that was trying to engulf me. It was out there, just beyond my vision, trying to catch me with my guard down. Just when I thought I could make it out, it would retreat, waiting patiently for me to slip. It had been lurking out there for some time now. I was afraid. Afraid of the darkness. Afraid of what I would do when it overcame me. Although it was warm in the house, I shivered. I wished the darkness would go away. Go away and let me write my next novel. Go away and let me live in peace. Go away and let the sunshine into my heart. It wouldn’t leave. It just stayed out there. Ever vigilant, ever watchful, ever patient, waiting and waiting to capture me. I loathe the darkness, I hate the darkness, I rail against the darkness but it pays me no mind. It just stays out there, just out of my vision and waits. I know it will capture me soon. I am afraid.

I sat at the desk jotting down ideas and then discarding them. I already had a wastebasket full of them. None of them looked like I could make a story out of them. My publishers had called today and to say they were getting impatient was putting it mildly. They correctly pointed out that the novel I had promised them was now almost a year overdue. I had told them that there was a conflict in the middle of the plot and as soon as I could work out a solution I would finish it. I don’t think they believed me. The truth was I hadn’t even an outline so how could there be a conflict. I just sat there sipping my brandy and trying to keep the darkness away.
Over the wind and waves I thought I heard something. I listened. I heard it again and realized someone was knocking on my door. I went over and opened it. The rain was now mixed with snow. On my porch stood two young men who looked to be about twenty. They were dressed in jeans, sport shirts, light jackets and tennis shoes. They were shivering violently. The taller of the two had blonde hair, plastered down from the rain, blue eyes and was very slender. It looked like the only thing keeping him on his feet was his companion. The companion was about three inches shorter, say five foot ten inches and was much more athletically built. He had broad shoulders, curly brown hair and brown eyes. Through chattering teeth he asked if they could use the phone.

“Of course you can” I replied while grabbing them and pulling them through the door. “But first we have to get you warmed up. You look like you’re about to freeze to death.” Closing the door I led them to the bathroom. “The fastest way I know to warm you up is with a hot bath.”

As I started filling my large sunken bathtub I told them to get undressed. The shorter started to help the taller one and all of a sudden I knew they were more then friends. It wouldn’t have been obvious to most people but to my experienced eye I knew they were lovers. After I had them in the tub I told them I was going to fix them a hot drink. I went into the kitchen and grabbed two large mugs and mixed up some cocoa with a shot of Crème de Cocoa in it. While putting both mugs in the microwave I wondered if they would be able to help me dispel the darkness. When the microwave beeped I took the mugs and placed them on a tray and headed for the bathroom. As I went past my desk I grabbed the cordless phone and added it to the tray. I walked in and setting the tray on the edge of the tub handed each a mug. Although the mugs were not filled to the brim, they were shivering so violently I worried that they would spill most of it before they managed to drink any. 

“I think you should wait until you’re teeth stop chattering before you try to call anyone” I said. “By the way, my name’s Mark Justin. Call me Mark please.”
The shorter of the two introduced himself through chattering teeth as Mike Dexter and his companion as Tim Elliot.

I added some more hot water to the tub. “I’m going to go get a couple of bathrobes while you warm up. In a bit we can put your clothes in the dryer.”
I went to my bedroom and dug out a couple of spare bathrobes and two pairs of sweat socks. I didn’t know their shoe size and thought the socks would be a fair substitute for slippers. I took as much time as I could. When I got back their skin looked a lot pinker and the shivering had dropped from violent to mild. I hung the bathrobes up and got out a couple of the large bath towels I prefer. 

“When you warm up you’ll find me at my desk.” Since the living area is one big room I knew they would see me as soon as they left the bathroom. 
I walked to my desk and picking up the brandy snifter sat down. As it warmed in my hand I sniffed the heady aroma and thought of my two unexpected guests. Although they were both cold and shrunken their cocks had both appeared about normal, say around six inches, maybe slightly more. Tim’s appeared the more slender. His chest was almost hairless, just a light blonde fuzz. Mike had lots of curly brown hair covering his chest and trailing down to his pubic hair. He reminded me of Eric, my last gay lover. God, it had been almost ten years since my wife had caught me and Eric in bed. I was thirty seven now. Where had the time gone? I wished I could go back to that time. The darkness didn’t bother me then. It was a time of joy and exploration of each others bodies and of happiness. I took a sip of the forty year old brandy, once again marveling at its smooth rich taste. I could hear them talking softly in the bathroom. I couldn’t make out what they were saying. I reached into the front of my slacks and rearranged my cock. Thinking about them and Eric had caused it to harden. I again considered what I had seen of them. Both looked to be in pretty good shape. Their stomachs had been flat and with no hint of a spare tire. Both had legs that were well muscled like runners or bicyclists develop. Their faces were nicely featured. All in all I would have to say they were two very attractive young men. Mike had a pleasant baritone voice. I hadn’t heard Tim’s yet.

After about fifteen more minutes had passed I could hear splashing. I figured they were getting out of the tub. All that time I had been thinking and wondering about how they could help me. Tim opened the door and started through. I could hear Mike say “The phone doesn’t work.” 

Tim walked across the floor and stuck out his hand. While I was shaking it I heard his voice for the first time.
“Thank you Mark. If you hadn’t been here I don’t know how much longer I would have lasted.
He had a pleasant tenor voice. Mike came walking up behind him with the phone and handed it to me. 
“It doesn’t appear to be working.”

I hit the browser button on the computer. After a few seconds the screen flashed up, unable to establish a connection.
“Looks like the phone line is out.” Picking up the remote I turned the television on. Snow filled the screen. “Cables out too.” 
About then the lights went out. They didn’t flicker, they just went out.
“Don’t worry; the auxiliary will come on in a short time.” By the light from the fireplace I led them over to some chairs. I could hear the auxiliary generator start. A couple of switches clicked and the lights came back on.

“Could I offer you a brandy?”
Shaking his head no Tim responded. “If we might get a sandwich that would be better.”
“I had spaghetti this evening and there’s lots left over. How about I heat it up and fix a salad?”
Mike smiled. “We’d sure appreciate that. We were going to have dinner down the road.” 
“What were you doing on this road?” I asked heading for the kitchen. 

They followed me and Tim explained. They had been to visit his brother and see his nephew who had just been born. On the way back to Seattle they had missed a turn. He’d lived in the area when he was young and knew the road went through so they had continued down it. They came to a tree across the road and when they tried to go back found it blocked also. He remembered a resort a couple of miles from where they were so they had set out for it.

“That resort burned down three years ago” I said. “You must have walked about five miles. I don’t know how you made that far it in these conditions dressed as you were.”

Mike shivered. “We were about to give up when we saw your lights. Even with the lights to go for I didn’t think we were going to make it.”
“If you’ll get the stuff out of your clothes I’ll put them in the dryer.” I had already put the spaghetti in the oven. We went back to the bathroom and they removed their billfolds and the like from their sodden clothing. “If you don’t mind waiting I can throw them in the washer first? That way they will be clean in the morning.”
Tim smiled. “I don’t mind. I like clean clothes.” Tim appeared to have one of those bright bubbly personalities that everyone likes. Mike appeared much more reserved

We headed for the washer and got it started. Returning to the kitchen I ground some beans and started the coffee. While I finished fixing dinner we chatted. They asked me if I was married. I told them about my wife. How I had gone on a book signing trip and when I returned she was gone. About the missing five thousand dollars and that my best friend Eric was also missing. How the police had been unable to find any trace of them these last ten years. They told me they attended the University of Washington, what they were studying and where they were from. When dinner was ready I served them and the conversation slowed. They dug in like they might never get another meal. Mike asked for seconds and as I filled his plate he said.