\n Aspis was twisting and turning in his bed.  Dressed only in the thong while he slept, he was gripped with a dream.  The dream was terrible.  He had his eyes clenched, and his face clenched a face showing disgust.  His muscles flexed and became defined in his teenaged body.

\n Aspis was suddenly in the village square.  Everyone however, was scowling, but they were looking in the direction of the church.  The people have moved into a half moon configuration, and they were looking like they were waiting for something.  Then they took out the man who was his goal.  Dressed better than the other people of the villages, they stood him in front of the Church wall.

\n For a time, the birds were singing.  But now they stopped.  It was a bright day.  But now the calm before the storm. Then the next five minutes were pregnant. Suddenly, everyone started to pick up stones and pelted them against the man who he so wanted to meet.  "No, stop," he would say.  "He's innocent, stone me!"

\n They wouldn't stop, and as his quarry started to bear his punishment, he yelled as stone by stone hit his body.  And as many stones hit him, he tried to yell.

\n Aspis, now Amos, woke up, sweating and breathing quickly.  He wondered why they were stoning the most intelligent man in their village.  Was it a sign, was it a message?  He quickly swallowed.  It was still a dark night, and he fell back into his bed. He covered his head with worry.  Why?  And why did he blurt out like that?  He drifted back into a troubled sleep.

\n  

\n The next morning he ate his breakfast that Mother Maeg sat before him. "A stoning, eh?" she said.

\n "Yeah, they stoned him for something I felt was my fault," said Amos. "What does it mean?"

\n "Well, we are a special nation here," said Maeg.  "There are a couple of offenses that merit capital punishment.  They are all linked to Adultery, well most of them.  The others are linked to murder and general mayhem."

\n Amos frowned and felt little.  In actuality, he felt selfish and small.  "I haven't met him yet, and I already feel like something terrible might happen," he quietly said.

\n Maeg felt his pain, "I don't know what to tell you, but if you have seen this man get pelted with stones.  Perhaps you should rethink your desires.  Is it what you want?  Do you even know what he wants?"

\n Amos finished his porridge, and left the house, dressed up in his shirt, hose, and new shoes.  He had to think. He just knew that this man had the answers to his questions, and especially, his burnings.  But then again, what Maeg said cut him to the heart.  It was hard.  He never met the man yet and already he wanted to jump into bed wih him.  To feel that closeness, connectedness, completeness.  If only he could see him.  That could answer his questions and he'd be right as rain.  But he felt confused, anxious.  It's been almost a fortnight since he had first seen him . . . 

\n Amos didn't watch where he was going.  He was so lost in himself that he bumped into a man.  He tripped and fell down.  "What??" he asked.

\n "Excuse me, do you need help?" said a voice.  "Here let me help you up."

\n "No, it's okay, here," said Amos.  He clasped the man's arm and he clasped his.  Amos lifted his head and saw his face.  And his heart melted.  The same color of eyes.  The same blue eyes that burned with the fire of youth.  The same white skin.  The same color and style of hair.  "I'm pretty much alright . . ."

\n Then Amos Fainted.

\n "Oh, wonderful."