A Mystical Connection

    Jesse, Daisy and Bo were sitting at the kitchen table eating lunch. It was a bright and sunny summer day. A cool breeze blew through the open windows of the old farmhouse. The sounds of chirping crickets filled the summer air. It was the kind of day where it seemed nothing could go wrong. Bo had just graduated high school, glad that he was done with school forever. The thing that everyone was happiest about was Luke would be coming home from the Marines in three months. With it being such a short time until Luke came home nobody expected the event that was going to happen next. Everyone looked up when they heard a car pull to a stop in front of the farmhouse. There was a knock at the door and Jesse got up and answered it, he filled with a deep sense of dread when he saw an uniformed officer standing there.
    “Are you Mr. Jesse Duke?”
Jesse nodded.
The officer handed Jesse a telegram and a small black box. With a shaking hand Jesse raised the note and read it:

Mr. Duke

We regret to inform you that Sergeant Lukas Keffer Duke, of Division D, has been killed in action, when his division was bombed.

Jesse paled and gave a soft cry. Bo jumped up from his chair and snatched the note from Jesse’s hands and read it, Daisy read over Bo’s shoulder paling as she read the note. Bo looked up at the officer.
    “This is some kind of lie. Luke ain’t dead.” Bo said angrily.
    “I am sorry son.” The officer said then turned back to Jesse. “His remains will be sent back here in one week. It has to be closed coffin due to the nature of the accident. All we had to identify him with was his tags.” The officer motioned to the box.
Bo grabbed the box and opened it. Luke’s tags sat there darkened with ash and soot. Bo picked them up with a shaky hand, still unable to believe that his older cousin, his best friend was dead.
    “You are lying Luke is NOT dead!” Bo yelled at the officer.
Daisy had gone back to the table and sat down, leaning her arms on the table and burying her head in them, crying. Jesse put a soft hand on Bo’s arm.
    “Shh Bo, it’ll be okay.” Jesse turned to walk back to the table, feeling he couldn’t stand any longer, the news of Luke’s death had hit him hard.
    “Luke can’t be dead. He promised that he would come home and Luke wouldn’t break that promise.” Bo said.
    “I am sorry but he is dead.” The officer said softly.
    “You are lying. This is just all some kind of sick joke. Get off our farm now.” Bo said.
The officer sighed and turned and left, he hated to tell soldier’s families that their loved one was dead, hating to see their pain. Bo slammed the door and turned to face Jesse and Daisy. He looked at them for a moment then down at Luke’s tags that he held in his hands. He closed his eyes to fight back the tears, part of thinking to was true Luke was gone the other part refused to believe it, he could still almost sense that Luke was alive. Bo clenched his hand shut tight around Luke’s tags, he had the strongest feeling that Luke was alive, alive but in some kind of danger. Bo ran into the bedroom that he and Luke had always shared since they were babies. He threw himself onto his bed, burying his head in the pillow and cried.
     Jesse went into the room a short time later to check on Bo, the news of Luke’s death seemed to have hit him hard, Jesse figured that was due to the fact that Bo and Luke were so close. Even though they were only cousins they seemed to have a deep brotherly bond that tied them together. Jesse figured it would be hard for Bo to accept that Luke was gone. He sat down on the edge of Bo’s bed and put a gentle hand on his shoulder. Bo rolled over and looked up at his uncle.
     “Luke is not dead.” Bo said firmly.
Jesse shook his head. “I know it is hard to accept Bo, but you must accept that Luke is dead.”
     “I won’t accept it because it is not true.” Bo said, sitting up on the bed.
Jesse put a hand on his shoulder. “I know that you were close to Luke and how much this hurts, it hurts all of us, but you have to accept that Luke is gone.”
     “He isn’t gone though I can . . . I can . . .” Bo started to say unsure of how to say that he knew Luke wasn’t dead. “It is like I can still sense him.”
     “That is only wishful thinking, and just the memory of him that you will always carry around with you in your heart.” Jesse said.
Bo shook his head. “No, it is more then that. Why are you so willing to believe that Luke is dead?”
     “Because it is the truth.” Jesse said softly. He hadn’t expected Bo to take thinking Luke was still alive this far, he had thought once Bo had calmed down and the news sank in that he would understand it was the truth.
     “It is not the truth.” Bo jumped up off the bed. “Stop trying to tell me that it is the truth. It is not the truth. I know that Luke is alive . . . but it is like he is in some kind of danger. Why won’t you listen to me before . . . it does become true.”
     “Bo just calm down.” Jesse said softly.
Bo just looked at Jesse and ran out of the room and from the house, slamming the screen door shut as he left. Jesse sighed and went to check on Daisy.
     Bo finally stopped running and dropped down to sit beneath a tall old oak tree. Tears burned in his eyes and he was nearly out of breath for having ran for so long. He leaned his head back against the tree. This all seemed like a bad dream. Many time he had nightmares about Luke being killed in Nam, but he knew this time that he was awake and this was different he didn’t truly believe that Luke was gone.
     ‘It can’t be true Luke is not dead.’ Bo thought to himself.
He couldn’t put into words why he was so certain that Luke was alive, it was just like there was some kind of connection between him and Luke and connection that was hard to explain or even understand. Bo closed his eyes, his thoughts of Luke.
     Luke sat in the cold dank cell. He wasn’t the only one in the cell; there was at least twenty others in the cell with him. He leaned his head back against the wall, flinching slightly as a large old rat ran across his foot. This was like something out of his worse nightmare, he could barely believe that it was truly happening, that he was truly a prisoner of war. He wondered if anyone knew he was a prisoner or if they all thought he was dead. He wondered if he would ever be able to go home again or if he would die in this rat infested hellhole. Luke thought about how he had been taken prisoner, even though it had happened so quick that he barely knew what was happening, parts of it stuck out in his mind.

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 Luke’s tags fell off as he pulled himself up out of the soft mud. The side of his face was already starting to bruise where he had been punched. He felt a rough pair of hands grab him from behind and haul him backwards. He tried to struggle to break free but couldn’t. He got a glimpse at the chaos that had broken out in the small compound. Most the other men in his division were lying on the ground dead, or being taken prisoner.  His hands were tied tightly together with a thick piece of rope. He noticed someone bend down and pick up his tags; it seemed odd to him that the person slipped them around his own neck, though he didn’t voice anything about it. He was shoved over to where the other troops of his division where being held captive, they looked as bewildered as he did. They had been attacked just shortly after dawn. Finally, the fight seemed to be over, but Luke and the others all knew that it was only the start of their ordeal. A long rope was used to tie all the prisoners together in one long line. They were forced to march through the woods, down a long secluded trail. Luke didn’t even bother to try to fight to escape. A couple others had tried and had been shot and killed, their bodies dumped along the trail.
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     Luke’s thought turned to his family, he prayed that he would someday be able to see them again. His thoughts suddenly turned to Bo and he felt as though he could almost sense Bo’s presence in the cell with him. He knew that wasn’t possible, but it gave him a more relaxed feeling to be able to sense Bo that way. Luke thought perhaps it was because the bond that the two of them shared, they had always been close, closer then most brothers. A lot of people mistook them for brothers, and said they could almost be Siamese twins because of the way they acted, some said they most have been Siamese twins in a past life.
     Luke unzipped a pocket on the left leg of his pants and pulled out a ring, he kept in a pocket most the time for fear of losing it. He held the silver band tightly between his fingers as he looked at the ring. It was a silver band and etched on the top was the symbol for eternity, embedded with tiger’s eye, for luck. Bo had given him the ring the day he left Hazzard, for luck and to help him remember home and their friendship. Luke stared intently to the ring, falling into a daze.
     Luke walked along a small path through a thick fog, and he saw Bo asleep under a tree. Luke ran over to Bo, grateful to be seeing his cousin again. He noticed that Bo looked different having aged slightly over the years, his body having filled out with muscles and he wore his hair longer then Luke had ever remembered. Luke knelt down in front of Bo and put a hand on his shoulder. Bo’s eyes fluttered open and looked at Luke with a shocked, yet joyful expression.
     “Luke . . . they said you were . . . dead. I didn’t believe them I KNEW you couldn’t be dead you promised to come home and I could just feel that you weren’t dead.” Bo said quickly.
     “Whoa slow down Bo, let me get a word in here okay?”
Bo nodded, just grateful to have Luke home. “When did you get home anyway?”
     “I told you to let me get a word in edgewise didn’t I?”
Bo smiled and laughed. “Sorry I am just so glad to have you back.”
Luke smiled and gave a small laugh, but his smile quickly faded. “I am not really here, I don’t really know what is going here. I think this is some kind of astral plain.”
     “What are you talking about?” Bo asked.
     “I am not here I am in Vietnam still and you are still in Hazzard. But I think somehow, maybe because we are so close that we are able to see each other and talk to each other because of what has recently happened.” Luke said.
     “They said you were killed in action, that is not true  . . . is it?”
Luke shook his head. “No it is not. I have been . . . taking prisoner. I am a prisoner of war.”
Bo paled slightly and tears of worry formed in his eyes. Luke noticed Bo’s tears and pulled Bo into a brotherly hug.
     “Don’t cry Bo, I’ll be okay. I will keep my promise I will be coming home.” Luke said.
Bo returned Luke’s hug and bit back his tears. “I miss you Luke.”
     “I miss you to kiddo.”
Luke stepped back and smiled at Bo, he hoped they could meet like this again soon, knowing that Bo would be the only one who could help keep his sanity while he was a prisoner or war. Bo watched as Luke vanished, fighting hard to keep from crying, he slid Luke’s tags around his neck, vowing to himself to never take them off until Luke came home. Bo took a deep shuddery breath to hold back the tears that burned in his eyes; a couple tears still escape and rolled down his cheeks. Bo wiped his tears away with the cuff of his sleeve and walked back towards the Duke’s farmhouse.
     Bo slipped the tags underneath his shirt, thinking it would be best for now if Jesse didn’t know he was wearing them. Bo walked inside and saw Jesse on the phone, he wondered who is Uncle was talking to, he wanted to tell him what had happen, but decided to wait. Bo wondered if Jesse would believe him or tell him he was dreaming. Bo knew what happened wasn’t a dream, he hoped that he could get people to believe him. He wished he knew how to save his cousin, the thought of Luke being a prisoner of war made his heart shudder. Bo decided to go and talk to Daisy. Bo walked down the hall to Daisy’s room and knocked on the door.
     “Can I come in?” Bo asked.
     “Yeah.” Daisy said, her voice sounded distant.
Bo opened the door and stepped into the room. Daisy was sitting on her bed, with her knees drawn up tight against herself, and her arm wrapped around her legs. Dried tears stained her cheeks and fresh tears watered in her eyes. Bo sat down on the bed next to her. Daisy looked at him with an almost puzzled, she had out of anyone Bo would be taking this the hardest and yet he seemed to be remaining perfectly calm.
     “There is nothing to be upset about Daisy.” Bo said calmly.
     “How can you say that Bo? Hasn’t it sunk in yet that Luke is dead?”
     “Luke is not dead.” Bo said firmly.
     “Yes he is Bo, accept it.” Daisy said.
     “He is not dead Daisy. I know that he is still alive. I can still sense him and . . .” Bo started to say but was cut short by Daisy.
Daisy smacked Bo across the face. “Would you stop with that Bo, I don’t want to hear it. Can’t you just accept that Luke is dead?” Daisy asked, practically yelling at Bo.
Bo sighed softly, his cheek stinging slightly where Daisy had smacked him, he realised there was no way anyone was going to listen to how he knew that Luke was still alive and he doubted that anyone would believe him. Daisy started to cry and looked at Bo.
     “I am sorry Bo, I didn’t mean to hit you.” Daisy said, and thought to herself that Bo’s believing that Luke was still alive was the only way that Bo could deal with Luke’s death.
Bo didn’t say anything, he just pulled Daisy into a comforting hug, allow her to cry on his shoulder.
     Bo sat on Luke’s bed polishing the tags, not taking them off from around his neck. He didn’t hear Jesse come into the room. Bo heard the floorboards near the bed creak and looked up. Jesse looked at Bo with sad, pain filled eyes.
     “Take those off.” Jesse said.
Bo shook his head. “No. I am not going to take them off until Luke gets home.”
     “Luke is dead, he is not coming home Bo.”
     “Luke ain’t dead Uncle Jesse.” Bo said, and told him about what happened earlier.
     “That is just a dream Bo, it never happened, you juts have to accept the facts Luke is dead and that is the truth.” Jesse said.
     “No it is not. Luke is still alive . . . he is a prisoner.” Bo said.
     “I don’t want to hear anymore about it. Now take those tags off and I NEVER want to see you wear them again.” Jesse said firmly.
     “Uncle Jesse Luke is not dead, can’t you still feel his presence?”
     “I said I don’t want to hear anymore about, if you don’t stop it with your silly dream and wishful thinking I’ll take you to the barn and I’ll take the switch to ya until you accept what is real and stop it with this nonsense.” Jesse said.
Bo stood up and faced Jesse. “You can go right ahead and do that, it don’t matter how long or how hard you hit me, I will not change my mind on what I know is true.”
     “Get it through your thick head boy, Luke is dead.” Jesse said firmly.
     “He is not. Stop trying to tell me he is dead. If you don’t want me saying what I know is true stop telling me what you think is true.” Bo said, raising his voice more then he meant to.
     “Don’t raise your voice to me.” Jesse said angrily and backhanded Bo across the face, hard enough to knock Bo backwards onto the bed.
Bo brought his hand up to his lips and could feel the warmth of blood on his fingers. He looked up at Jesse with surprised eyes, his uncle had never hit him that hard in that way before, he had spanked him a number of times when he was a child, but never hard enough to really hurt him and never hit him to draw blood. Jesse looked down at Bo, suddenly realising what he had just done, he knelt down in front of the bed.
     “I am so sorry Bo.” Jesse said. “I know it is hard for you to accept that Luke is gone and I shouldn’t be trying to force it on you.”
     “But Luke ain’t . . .” Bo started to say, but was silenced by Jesse who put a finger over Bo’s lips.
Jesse pulled Bo into a hug. “I didn’t mean to hit you Bo, I hope that you can forgive me.”
     “I do.” Bo said softly, returning his uncle’s hug.
Jesse took the tags into his hand for a moment, Bo worried for a second that Jesse was going to tear the off. Jesse slid the tags under Bo’s shirt.
     “If you are going to wear them, don’t let me see them.” Jesse said.
Bo nodded. “I wasn’t going to.”
Jesse nodded in understanding and got up and left the room, thinking perhaps come the day of Luke’s funeral that Bo would accept his older cousin’s death.
     Luke couldn’t see anything with the thick black bag that had been tied over his head, it was all he could do to breathe. He answered their same questions over and over again, his head was swimming in pain and fear. He was starting to think that he would never go home, alive that was. He bit his lip to keep from crying out in pain each time he was struck with the whip. His shirt was tattered and bloodied from all the constant whipping that was being done to him. His whole body screamed in pain, He was tied by his hands and suspended a few inches off the ground. Not being able to see what they were doing and planning to do next to him scared him, his heart beat wildly with fear, but he refused to let his fear show. It felt like hours to Luke before he was taken down, he tossed haphazardly to the ground, his hands were still tied and the bad was left over his head. Luke felt a blanket of cold darkness start to slip over his mind and fought to retain consciousness. Luke’s thoughts drifted to earlier and he prayed he could keep his promise to Bo and return to the farm, alive. He knew most everyone, everyone but Bo that was, thought he was dead. It gave Luke and almost peaceful feeling to know that Bo knew he was alive and in way was there with in him in spirit. Luke slowly slipped into the darkness.
     Bo had fallen asleep, resting on Luke’s bed, which made him feel closer to Luke then laying on his own bed. Bo walked through the dense fog, eerie sounds floated through the air around him. Bo took a deep breath and tried to block the sounds, he caught sight of someone laying on the ground and rushed towards the unmoving body knowing it was Luke. Bo was filled with a deep worry, fearing the worst, fearing Luke was dead. He knelt down beside Luke’s still form and slipped the black bag off of Luke’s head. He felt for a pulse and gave a sigh of relief when he found Luke had a strong and steady pulse. He cringed at the sight of the blood that covered Luke’s chest and back.
     “Wake up Luke.” Bo said, in a soft but firm voice.
Luke gave a soft moan and slowly opened his eyes; he smiled when he saw Bo.
     “How you feeling?” Bo asked.
     “Sore.” Luke said.
     “Yeah you look like hell . . . what else is new.” Bo said jokingly.
Luke smiled. “Gee thanks.” He could see the worry clearly in Bo’s eyes, he knew Bo was joking around to ease the tension on the situation.
     “I wish I could get you out of here Luke but . . . nobody will believe me that you are alive, they keep telling me that  . . . you are dead. Uncle Jesse said this was all just a dream . . . I know in a way it is but it is also real, it is so hard to explain and nobody will listen.” Bo said.
     “It’s okay Bo. I know if you could you would get me out of here. It helps just to have you here like this. I don’t know what I’d do otherwise.” Luke said.
Bo smiled softly and gave Luke a brotherly hug. “I’ll always be here for you Luke.”
Luke returned Bo’s hug. “I know.”
He couldn’t even put into words how much Bo being there meant to him, he knew it was the one thing that was saving his sanity.  He knew Bo’s friendship was constant and unwavering, and was grateful for that now more then ever. Luke pulled away and looked at his younger cousin.
     “Take care of yourself Bo. I’ll be home soon as I can, I promise.” Luke said.
Bo just nodded, with no idea really of what to say. In an instant everything around him changed and he was back in the bedroom at the Duke farm.
     The next few days passed much the same. Bo and Luke continued to be able to see each other, sometimes for minutes at a time other times only seconds. Luke watched as other men around lost their sanity broken by being a prisoner. Everyone, even the captors, were surprised at Luke’s calmness and how he kept his sanity never given in, never breaking. Nobody had any idea that was because of one thing, his bond with Bo, a bond so tight they were almost one. Jesse pulled into a deep depression and avoided Bo most the time because how Bo didn’t seem phased by Luke’s death and kept insisting that Luke wasn’t dead.   After a couple days Daisy started to do the same thing. It bothered Bo that they were ignoring him, avoiding him as much as they could and that they were so willing to accept that Luke was dead and not at all willing to believe that he could still be alive. Bo gave up even trying to say anything and kept to himself throughout most the day he would do his chores and then spend the rest of the day sitting in the bedroom, just waiting to be able to see Luke. Soon the day of “Luke’s” funeral arrived.
     Jesse pounded on the bedroom door and when Bo didn’t respond he threw the door open.
     “I told you I am not going.” Bo said.
     “Don’t you start in an that again Beauregard Duke.” Jesse said sternly.
Bo frowned, he hated being called by his full name, Jesse only ever used it when he was very angry at Bo.
     “I am not going. I am not going to pretend that I think Luke is dead.” Bo said.
     “I have had about enough of that. If you don’t go what are people gonna think?”
     “I don’t care what they’ll think.”
     “I tell you what they’ll think, they’ll think you don’t even care enough about your cousin to show up.” Jesse said.
     “They can think whatever they want to think. I know the truth.” Bo said.
     “I have heard enough of that Bo, you have been acting this way for long enough. You are going to Luke’s funeral even if I have to hog tie you.” Jesse said angrily.
Bo jumped off the bed and looked at Jesse, with anger flashing in his eyes. “I am not going. You can’t make me go either.”
Bo went to walk past Jesse when Jesse grabbed him by the arm. Bo flinched slightly at how tightly Jesse gripped his arm. Bo twisted his arm pulling out of Jesse’s hold.
     “You are going. Do you understand?”
Bo shook his head. “You can’t force me to go to a funeral for someone I don’t even know. It is not Luke you are burying it is some stranger. Why aren’t you willing to listen to me when I tell you Luke is alive?”
Jesse smacked Bo hard across the face, hard enough to cause Bo to stumble backwards. “That is all just in your head Bo, can’t you get it through your thick skull that Luke is dead? I guess the only way to get it through to you will be to take the switch to ya and drag you to the funeral so you see that Luke is dead.”
Jesse grabbed Bo roughly by the arm and dragged him to the barn. Bo was afraid of how hard Jesse would actually hit him in his state of grief stricken rage.
     Jesse shoved Bo through the door his blue eyes blazing with anger. Bo just looked at his uncle, not wanting to believe that this was really happening. Bo swallowed hard when he saw Jesse pick up and old strap that was off Maudine’s harness, though he refused to give in and go to Luke’s funeral.
     “Why don’t you just accept that Luke is dead?” Jesse questioned his voice full of anger.
     “Ain’t I allowed to think what I want? I know what is the truth.” Bo responded.
     “No you don’t. You are not thinking clearly. You need the truth pounded into you is that it?”
     “That is not it, why won’t you listen to me?”
     “Accept Bo, stop acting crazy.”
Jesse raised the strap and swung it at Bo, the whole scene seemed to pass in slow motion to Bo. Bo bit his lip, to keep from crying out, as the strap connected firmly against his left arm. Jesse grabbed Bo by the shoulder and spun him around. Bo tried to struggle to break away but Jesse held him firmly. Jesse struck Bo twice across the back with the strap, before Bo managed to break free. Bo turned to face his uncle, his eyes wet with tears of pain and hurt. Jesse’s face paled as he realised what he had done.
     “Bo, I . . .” Jesse started to say, but before he could finish Bo ran out of the barn.
Jesse went back into the house to get Daisy to go to the funeral, deciding to just let Bo be, though he was still angered that Bo refused to go to Luke’s funeral, he knew he couldn’t force him.
     Bo wasn’t sure how long he had been running, but he didn’t feel that he could run any further. He was by the stream that ran through the Duke farm land, by sat under the large old willow that sat on the bank of the stream, he leaned his head back against the tree and allowed the tears that burned his eyes to flow. Bo heard a twig snap and looked up, seeing Luke standing before him. Bo wiped the tears from his eyes and looked away from his older cousin. Luke sat down next to Bo.
     “What’s wrong?” Luke asked.
Bo didn’t reply or turn to look at Luke. Luke put a hand on Bo’s shoulder.
     “What is wrong Bo?” Luke asked again.
     “Do you think that I am crazy?”
     “That depends . . .” Luke started to say, but his sentence was cut short by Bo.
     “I am serious.” Bo said, turning to look at no.
Luke could see a scared emptiness in his Bo’s eyes, and his heart ached for his younger cousin. “No, I don’t think you are crazy, Why?”
     “Everyone else seems to think that I have lost because I think . . . know that you aren’t dead, and because I wouldn’t go to your funeral . . .” Bo said, his voice trailing off.
     “You aren’t crazy . . . at least not in that aspect.” Luke said, speaking the last part jokingly.
     “I think that Uncle Jesse is ready to commit me to the nuthouse. He thinks that I have totally lost it. When I wouldn’t go to your funeral he . . .”
     “He what?” Luke asked.
Bo bit his bottom lip not sure if he could tell Luke what had really happened, afraid that even talking about it would start the tears again and he didn’t want to cry in front of Luke.
     “He just got upset.” Bo said.
     “Maybe you should just have gone to keep him happy.” Luke said.
Bo shook his head. “I couldn’t be a part of the lie . . . I could pretend to act as though I thought you were dead.”
Luke gave Bo a brotherly hug, which made Bo flinch and pull away. Luke was shocked by Bo’s actions.
     “What . . .” Luke started to say then saw a smear of blood on his hand. “What happened Bo?”
     “It’s nothing.” Bo mumbled softly.
     “C’mon Bo, you can tell me anything, you know that.” Luke said.
Bo took a deep trembling breath and told Luke about how Jesse had reacted when he refused to go to the funeral. Bo felt a couple fresh tears slid down his cheeks. Luke just pulled Bo into a comforting brotherly hug, not really knowing what else to do or say.
     “I want you to come home.” Bo said softly, his voice barely above a whisper.
     “I want to come home, I just can’t come home yet. Even though I can’t be there in person a part of me will always be there with you and I will be there for you whenever you need me.” Luke said, hoping his words didn’t sound too stupid as they there the only way he could think of expressing how he felt.
Bo didn’t say anything, a cold blanket of exhaustion had slipped over his mind and he fell into a deep sleep feeling safer and protected as he rested his head against Luke, praying that soon Luke really would be able to come home, because only then would life go back to normal.
     Bo awoke to find himself laying on the ground, he sat up quickly and looked around, his heart sinking to find that his cousin was gone. Bo sighed and stood up, brushing the dirt from his clothes.  Bo walked back to the farm, and saw many cars parked in front of the old farmhouse. Bo snuck around the farmhouse to his bedroom window, unnoticed by anyone inside the house. Bo was glad to find the window open and quietly climbed through the window, relieved that the bedroom door was shut. Bo opened the closet and pulled down an old photo album/scrapbook from the top shelve and sat down on his bed. Bo flipped through the pages smiling at all the old memories that surfaced as he looked at the pictures and articles that had been cut of the newspaper, and kept telling himself there would be more good times as soon as Luke returned home. Bo brushed the tears away from his eyes, even though he knew Luke as alive now he also knew that anything could happen to Luke, being as he was a prisoner of war.
 A few hours later when the wake died out, Jesse heard a soft rustling in the bedroom and went to see who was in there. He saw Bo putting away the book in the closet. Jesse sighed sadly and motioned for his young nephew to sit down on the bed.
     “Bo, we need to talk.” Jesse said.
     “About what?” Bo asked, as he sat down on his bed.
     “About what happened earlier today.” Jesse said.
     “I don’t want to talk about that.” Bo said.
     “You really should’ve gave to Luke’s funeral everyone kept asking where you where, assuming that you of people would be there. I just told them that you were having trouble dealing with Luke’s death.” Jesse said.
     “Why won’t you believe me when I say Luke ain’t dead?”
     “Bo you have to accept facts. I know it hurts that Luke is dead. I know you two were very close, but you just have to come to terms with the fact Luke is never coming home again.” Jesse said.
     “He is still alive. I know it is hard to believe it is just like we have some kinda connection kind of a sixth sense.” Bo said.
Jesse shook his head said, thinking that if Bo didn’t soon give up “believing” that Luke was still alive that he would take him a psychotherapist, though he prayed it would come to that. Jesse stood up and left the room, closing the door behind himself.
     Minutes later Bo left the room and overheard a conversation between Jesse and Daisy.
     “How is Bo doing?” Daisy asked.
Jesse sighed and shook his head. “No better then before. He still insists that Luke is alive.”
     “It is just hard for him to accept that Luke is really gone.” Daisy said.
Jesse nodded. “I he don’t get better sooner I think I will have to take him to a psychotherapist.”
Bo frowned not saying anything to reveal that he was standing in the shadows listening. ‘I think that I’ve lost my mind because I know Luke is alive and they believe that he is dead.’ Bo thought to himself.
     “Do you think that is necessary Uncle Jesse?” Daisy asked.
     “If he don’t start to accept soon that Luke is gone I don’t see any other way. We have to help him deal with the truth. He has to deal with the pain and not live out the rest of his life believing some lie his mind made up to deal with Luke’s death. It is not like we are going to lock him away in a nuthouse just get him some help, if that is what it takes.” Jesse said.
     “Where should we start trying to get Bo to see the truth?” Daisy asked.
Jesse thought about her question for a moment. “I think we should pack up Luke’s things, put it away in the attic or give it all away, just to get it out of the house so Bo can see that Luke is gone.”
Bo’s face paled and he ran back into the room and slammed the door. Jesse and Daisy jumped at the sound, figuring that Bo had just overheard them talking. Jesse went and knocked on the closed bedroom door.
     “C’mon Bo open this door.” Jesse said.
     “No sir. I am not letting you give away Luke’s things and I ain’t going to see some nut doctor.” Bo said, leaning against the door, preventing it from being opened.
Daisy stood beside her uncle, and talked to Bo through the closed door. “Open up this door Bo. We need to talk.”
     “No way. I heard you two talking. You refuse to believe that Luke is still alive.” Bo said.
     “Because he ain’t Bo.” Daisy said and feeling fresh tears start to slide down her cheeks. “You have to accept that Bo. Luke ain’t coming home.”
     “You’re wrong Daisy. You are both wrong. Luke is coming home. I don’t care if y’all think I am crazy, he is alive. I have spoken to him. He has been taken prisoner. As soon as he is free he will be coming home.”
Daisy and Jesse gave up trying to get Bo to open the door and walked away. Jesse sighed as he sat down on the couch.
     “I think the only choice is to take him to a doctor to help him accept that Luke is dead. He is not about to listen to either of us.” Jesse said.
Daisy glanced towards her younger cousin’s closed door. “Do you think that is a good idea? I mean if we do that he might never forgive us, not in the state of mind that is in now.”
     “We just have to take that chance to help Bo.” Jesse said, fully believing that it was the right choice to make.
     Luke kept stumbling and falling to the ground as he was led down a long corridor, by a chain around his neck as though he were no more the a dog. The two guards led Luke to a small room. The one holding the chain yanked downwards as hard as he could causing Luke to drop to his knees. Luke coughed and inhaled deeply trying to catch his breath. He stared around the room with wide frighten eyes. The room was filled with many deceives and instruments all designed for one purpose to torture the prisoners. Luke was practically drug across the cold hard floor over to the far wall. One guard clamped Luke’s wrists together and wove a chain through the centre. The guard hauled on the end of the chain, hefting Luke up several inches off the ground and fastening the end of the chain to the floor. A man in a more fancy uniform walked into the room and over to stand in front of Luke. Luke gathered all his strength and spat in the older man’s face. The man frowned and wiped the spit from his face, he glared at Luke coldly for a moment that lashed out and struck Luke across the face, hard enough to cause Luke’s lip to bleed. Luke flinched slightly, refusing to allow his pain to show. One of the guards turned a valve causing a stream off cold water to pour down over Luke’s head, the cold water caused him to shiver as it felt like it was soaking him to the bone. The other guard in the room put on a pair of large, thick plastic gloves that reached up to just below his shoulders, pushing over a metal cart with what looked like a car battery, covered in a plastic box, so only the prongs showed. Luke tried to hide his fear, knowing what they had in store for him, though his fear could still be seen clearly in his eyes. The guard connected what looked like jumper cables to the battery. He clamped one of the clamps into soft flesh, just below the front of Luke’s left shoulder. He smiled darkly at Luke as he snapped the other one in front of Luke’s face.  The guard clamped the other end to Luke’s left shoulder. Unable to disguise his pain Luke screamed, as his body bucked and jerked as the electrical current flowed through his body, heightened by the water. The guard pulled the left clamp away after a moment. Luke’s heart as racing and he was breathing in deep gasping breaths.
     “Who are you?” the higher ranking man asked.
     “Sergeant Lukas Keefer Duke. United States Marines Division D.”
The guard gave Luke another electrical shock. Leaving Luke trembling after.
     “Wrong. You are nobody. You have no name, you are but a prisoner.” The man said. “Where are you from?”
     “Hazzard County, Georgia.” Luke responded, only to receive another electrical shock.
     “Wrong. You are from nowhere. You have no home. You are nothing.”
They asked Luke several more questions, resulting in several more electrical shocks when he responded with an answer other then what they wanted to hear or took to long. By the time he was finally unchained Luke’s heart was beating was rapidly that he thought it was going to explode. He was drug back to the cell and tossed inside. Luke curled up against the wall in an almost fetal position waiting for his heart beat to return to normal. His thoughts turned to think of Bo the only person he could depend on now, the only one he had.
     Bo had fallen asleep leaning against the bedroom door, he woke up when he sensed Luke’s presence in the room with him. Luke stood a few feet from him, looking pale and trembling. Bo stood up and approached his cousin, as he did Luke collapsed into his arms. Bo held his cousin up, feeling Luke tremble, he was filled with concern for his older cousin’s well being.
     “What happened?” Bo asked.
Luke pulled away from Bo and told him all about the torture. “They want me to forget who I am. Though that won’t happen . . . not as long as I have you to remind me who I am.”
Bo nodded slightly. “You know that I will always be there for you. We are all each other has.”
     “How are things with Jesse and Daisy?” Luke asked.
Bo wondered if he should tell Luke not wanting to add to his cousin’s stress. He felt he could deal with most of things on his own and was not going to allow them to drag him to some doctor to make him forget about Luke. “About the same.”
     “If you ever need to talk I’ll be around to listen Bo, just as if I was there with you.” Luke said, feeling there was more to the situation with the rest of the family, but that Bo was refusing to talk about it.
Bo nodded. “I know.”
    A knock at the door interrupted them, and Luke vanished as the door opened. Bo bit back his tears and turned to see who was standing there, seeing his Uncle Jesse.
     “Bo . . .” Jesse started say, finding he couldn’t find the words.
     “What?” Bo asked, mildly annoyed at being interrupted.
     “I know all of this is very hard on you. It is hard on all of us.” Jesse said.
     “If you would open your mind to the endless possibilities that exist in this world you’d see that I am right Luke is alive.” Bo said.
     “Your mind is creating it’s own reality to deal with the pain.” Jesse said.
     “Why won’t you open your mind to things that you can not see?” Bo asked.
     “Bo, I won’t have anymore of that kind of talk under my roof.” Jesse said sternly.
     “You would rather I left the farm then?” Bo asked, his voice serious.
Jesse shook his head, he couldn’t stand to lose his other nephew, not so soon after having lost Luke.
     “Fine then. I won’t talk about him being alive if you stop trying to force me into believing that lie that he is dead.” Bo said.
     “You can’t live within this lie forever Bo.” Jesse said.
     “It is the truth. I am not going to change believing in what I know is true for you or for anyone.” Bo said flatly, his tone left no room for argument.
Jesse turned and left the room.
     The next morning Bo sat outside on the porch swing when Jesse walked out of the house.
     “C’mon Bo, get into the truck.” Jesse said.
     “Why?” Bo asked, sceptical of his uncle’s intentions.
     “I am taking you to see a psychotherapist.” Jesse said.
     “I am not going.” Bo said.
     “You are going, if I have to hog tie you and drag you there.” Jesse said.
Bo mumbled something under his breath and then climbed into the truck. A tense silence filled the truck as Jesse drove towards Atlanta.
     They sat in a small waiting room, Bo wished he was anywhere else, he hated going to the doctor to begin with and really hated the idea of being forced into going to a psychotherapist. The nurse called Bo’s name and Bo reluctantly followed her back into the doctor’s office.
     Bo sat down on a soft leather chair, across from a man sitting at an oak desk. The doctor was a short man, who looked be around Jesse’s age, he had a pair of small round glasses on, and wore a dark grey suit.
     “Hello Bo. My name Edmund Creedence. You can just call me Ed.”
     “Not meaning any disrespect but I would rather not be calling you anything as I would rather not be here.” Bo said.
Ed only smiled. “Your uncle told me off your problem.”
     “I have no problem, sir.” Bo said.
     “He told me that you are having trouble dealing with your older cousin’s death.” Ed said.
     “He is not dead.” Bo said defensively.
     “Your uncle told me that he was killed over in ‘Nam. He said the two of you were very close.” Ed said.
     “We ARE close. He was killed it was all a misunderstanding that lead everyone else to think that he had been killed.” Bo said.
     “Do you want to talk about how you know?” Ed said.
     “Why? You wouldn’t believe me no more then my family.”
     “I will not judge, after all I am an outsider to the situation.” Ed reasoned.
Bo sighed and told Ed about how he could contact Luke, their connection to each other so close that no amount of miles could stand in the way. Ed listened intently nodded occasionally and writing stuff down on a pad of paper in front of him.
     “You don’t believe me, do you?”
     “Bo, your mind is creating a world in which everything is how you want it.” Ed said.
     “It is not how I want it. I want Luke to be home.” Bo said.
     “But deep down you know that can’t happen.” Ed said.
     “Luke is alive, whether you choose to believe it or not.” Bo said.
     “You have to learn to accept the truth Bo. Get out into the real world and stop hiding in old memories. I know you want to believe that some how your cousin is alive, but you also know that is not possible because your mind knows he was killed. You know there is no way that he can come home.” Ed said.
Bo jumped to his feet. “How dare you sit there and tell me what I believe when you don’t know anything about what is happening. You have no idea what the truth is.”
Bo stormed out of the room, before the doctor cold say anything further.
     Jesse looked up as Bo stormed past, slamming the waiting room door as he left. Ed walked over to Jesse and handed him a small slip of paper, which had a prescription written on it.
     “I don’t know if I want to be giving him drugs.” Jesse said.
     “From the talk I had with it him I believe it is the only way of controlling his anger and to keep him passive.  Once he calms down he will be more open to the truth and will be able to begin to deal with the death of his cousin.” Ed said.
     “Thank you Dr. Creedence.” Jesse said, shaking Ed’s hand.
Ed nodded. “If he don’t start getting better in two weeks bring him back and I will try more therapy.”
Jesse nodded and left. He filled the prescription at a drug store located in the medical building and went out to the truck.
     Bo was sitting in the pickup truck waiting, Jesse could see the tears in Bo’s dark blue eyes. He climbed into the truck saying nothing the entire ride back to Hazzard County. Bo went to his room the second they got back to the farm. Jesse filled a glass with water and then took the glass and bottle of pills into Bo’s room.  Bo was sitting on his bed, he turned away from his uncle, and stared out the window, watching the curtains flapping gently in the soft breeze. Jesse shook two of the blue pills out onto his hand.
     “Take these.” Jesse said firmly.
Bo didn’t reply or make any movement to take the pills.
     “Take them or I will force feed them to you.” Jesse said.
Bo turned around and snatched the pills out of his uncle’s hand and popped them into his mouth, he took the glass of water, taking a sip to wash the pills down. Jesse went to brush back a lock of Bo’s blonde hair that had fallen across his eyes, and Bo jerked his head away. Jesse sighed and stood up, he hoped that in his efforts to help Bo deal with Luke’s death that he hadn’t shoved his young nephew so far away that he would lose him to. Bo took several more sips of water and set the glass down on the nightstand.
     “I’ll be back to check on you in an hour or so.” Jesse said, and left the room.
After a couple moments Bo could feel his body going numb, his muscles feeling weak. His mind seemed to be clouded by a thick fog, he felt as though he was asleep, yet he was awake and fully aware of everything around him. Slowly his level of awareness slipped away as though he were falling into a dream, he couldn’t focus on any thought. He laid down on the bed and closed his eyes.
     Bo wasn’t sure how long he had been asleep, though he didn’t feel that it had been for very long, when awoke from the feeling of hand on his shoulder. His vision was blurry as he opened his eyes to see who was there.
     “Luke?”
     “Yeah it’s me cousin.” Luke said.
Bo lifted his head from the pillows momentarily, and then just dropped back against the pillow.
     “What’s wrong Bo?’ Luke asked, his voice edged with concern, he noticed the half finished glass of water of the nightstand and wondered what was going on.
     “Uncle Jesse forced me into going to see a doctor.” Bo said, his voice soft and tired.
     “What kind of doctor?” Luke asked.
     “A psychotherapist. They all want me to think that you are dead . . . they want to force me into thinking that. Nobody believes me that you are alive.” Bo said, his eyes kept fluttering open and closed, keeping them opened seemed to be a tremendous effort. “You are all I have Luke and they want to take you away from me.”
     “Don’t worry I won’t leave you. There is nothing they can do to make that happen. As long as you don’t give up on me.” Luke said. “You are all I have to keep me sane.”
     “But the drugs . . .” Bo said his voice trailing off.
     “What drugs?” Luke asked.
     “I don’t know. Uncle Jesse made me take them.” Bo said.
     “It’ll be okay Bo. Everything will be fine, you’ll see.” Luke said.
Bo felt himself growing more tired with each passing second. “I can’t stay awake much longer . . . will you stay with me for a while, even if I do go to sleep.”
     “Yeah, I’ll be right here, don’t worry about anything.” Luke said
     “Thanks Luke.” Bo mumbled, and drifted back to sleep.
     For the next week Bo remained in a similar drugged state, the medicine seeming to take its toll on him. Jesse began to wonder if it was good idea, the medicine seemed too strong for Bo. Bo seemed to be barely able to move or talk, only staying awake for no more then an hour at a time. Also they didn’t seem to be doing any good, Bo still mumbled about Luke being alive. Jesse threw out the remainder of the pills, seeing no reason to keep drugging his young nephew.
     Early that Saturday morning, the phone rang, Jesse grabbed it on the third ring.
     “Hello?”
     “Hello, Mr. Jesse Duke?”
     “Yes, what can I do for you?”
     “I am call on behalf of the Untied States Marines, concerning your nephew Lukas Keefer Duke.”
     “Yes what about him?” Jesse asked.
     “It seems that a mistake was made. He was not killed in battle as he was thought to have been. He had been taken prisoner. The facility where he and twenty other men were being held, was found and seventeen of them were saved, including your nephew.”
     “Really? Is he okay?” Jesse asked, his heart jumping with worry and joy at the same time, Bo had been right all along about Luke being alive.
     “Yes. He is actually quite a remarkable case, he barely seems to have been phased by the ordeal. He will be flying into Atlanta, Monday arriving at eleven in the morning.”
     “Thank you ever so much.” Jesse said, and hung up the phone, he wiped the tears from his eyes and walked into outside.
     Daisy was hanging the laundry and Bo sat on he porch swing reading a car magazine.
     “Daisy come up here for minute.” Jesse said.
Daisy nodded and ran up on to the porch.
     “I just received a phone call about Luke . . .” Jesse said, turning to look at Bo. “I’m sorry that I didn’t listen to you. You were right along. Luke was mistakenly proclaimed dead, he had been taken prisoner.”
Bo smiled. “So he’ll be home soon then?”
     “Monday morning.” Jesse said, with a smile.
Daisy smiled. “I can’t believe it.” She said, her voice was filled with joy.
     “I told you so.” Bo said.
Jesse laughed softly. “Yes and we refused to listen to you. I should’ve known you and Luke have always had a real close connection . . . I guess you could call it a mystical connection.”
Bo smiled. “Yeah I guess you could call it that.”
     All the Dukes were at the airport to greet Luke when he returned. Luke smiled widely when he saw his family and waved to them. Bo was the first to see him cousin and ran over to him, pulling him into a brotherly bear hug. Bo stepped back and looked at his older cousin.
     "It is good to actually see you in person again cousin.” Bo said.
     “Exactly what I was thinking.” Luke said.
Jesse went over and hugged Luke, and then Daisy hugged Luke. Then the four of them walked back out the truck. Bo and Luke walked behind Jesse and Daisy by a few paces.
     “Thanks for keeping your promise and coming home.” Bo said.
     “I promised you that I would and I don’t break my promises.” Luke said.
     “I know. Still . . . it is just so good to have you back again.” Bo said.
     “It is great to be back.” Luke said.
     Later that night, after eating a large feast to celebrate Luke’s homecoming, Luke and Bo sat out on the porch swing talking.
     “Thank you for being there for me when I needed you most.” Luke said.
Bo smiled. “It was a two way street cousin. I needed you the most then to.”
     “I don’t know what I would’ve done if . . . you hadn’t been there. I watched everyone around being broken from the stress and the pain, they had nobody . . . I had you, if I hadn’t I’d be as broken as them. At times as I watched all those around me suffer I felt bad to not be sharing one hundred percent in their pain, I watched friends die in their, as well as during battle and at times it all became to much to bear. I wanted to give up I couldn’t handle it at times, but I had you, you were always there when I needed you. I knew I couldn’t give up, I couldn’t break my promise. I know what you were going through was hard to and I just wanted to break out of the prison and run back home. I knew that Jesse and Daisy were also hurting but I had no way to reach out to them. It is only out bond that was strong enough.” Luke said, mildly surprised that he had been able to find the words to express how he felt.
     “I wanted to take a plane and fly out there and search the jungles until I found you. I knew that would never work. I tried to make Uncle Jesse and Daisy see that you were alive but I guess they just had more trouble believing in the unknown.” Bo said then thought of Luke’s tags, he slide them off his neck and handed them to Luke.  “These belong to you.”
     “Thanks.” Luke said, glancing down at the ring he wore on his right pinkie finger, the ring you gave me really was a good luck charm.”
Luke took a deep breath, breathing in the fresh country air and listening to the chirping of the crickets. He was glad to at last be home with his family, having kept his promise to Bo to return. Some of the things he saw still haunted him, though he knew in time all the pain would fade. He knew he could talk to Bo and Bo would help him get past the pain. Their bond was as close as it had ever been, as close as it would always be. Even though they did fight occasionally, the anger never lasted long, their bond kept them tied together as though they were one at times. Their bond was one of steel, it could be bent and twisted at times, though never broken. Their minds and souls were connected at an even deeper level a level that created a mystical connection.