Devil's Playground

Chapter 1

Plot bunny by Heather S.  Originally cowritten by Teagan but she dropped out about a 1/4 of the way through.

The land was rich. In the ultimate show of life, crops sprang up from the ground towards the sky. It was lush, it was free, it was the source of food and pride in the Pennsylvania Dutch Country located in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

"Stupid land," Justin muttered under his breath. He'd been working in the fields for the past five hours if his calculations based on the position of the sun were correct. Five hours in the boiling hot sun wearing long black trousers and a white linen shirt. Luckily his mother had given him a straw hat to wear, or he'd definitely be feeling the effects of the sun on the soft, pale skin of his face. Wiping the sweat on his brow with his sleeve, Justin glanced down the field to where his father was supposed to be working. Currently, he was speaking to Ezekiel Parish, their neighbor. Ezekiel's son, Ezekiel Parish the II was working a few yards away.

Looking over, Justin felt the familiar tingle in his stomach. It happened every time he saw the younger Ezekiel. He couldn't understand it. Justin had mentioned it once to his mother, and she had gone into a long tale about how Ezekiel was from a family of sinners. They didn't follow the true way. His father and mother engaged in sins of the flesh because they had too many children. He couldn't imagine having 15 brothers and sisters the way Ezekiel did. He could barely stand Molly sometimes, let alone imagine another 14 of her. Anyhow, his mother told him that because he was such an upstanding and moral person, that he was susceptible to feeling the outpour of impurity.

Justin just thought that living with all those younger siblings, Ezekiel had more germs. He wasn't about to tell his mom that though; she'd start shoving all of her homemade remedies into him and those were just disgusting.

"Justin!"

He looked up suddenly and saw his father gesturing towards him. Jogging over to him, he greeted senior Ezekiel properly and respectfully before turning his attention to his father.

"Justin, Ezekiel says that he and Mary need butter. Coincidentally, your mother was just telling me that we were running low as well. Your mother has the soured cream ready and waiting in the house."

"Father, you know I hate - "

"Nein! Do not argue. Just go, do!"

Staring at his father, he bowed his head in obedience and began walking towards the barn. Craig Taylor was a strict man. He stuck by the beliefs of the Old Amish order, and thus, expected his family to do the same. Justin would be punished later for speaking publicly against his father, of this he was sure.

It wasn't his fault. Butter making was such a tedious process. It took forever to get the cream out, then to let it sour. Ok, sure, he didn't have to do any of this, but the churning was bad enough. Churning took forever. His arms would get so sore! Then, after churning, the process still wasn't over. After the churning was complete, you had to drain the buttermilk. After draining the buttermilk, you had to rinse the butter. If the whole process wasn't done perfectly, his father complained about the taste of the butter. Then, he would have to do EVERYTHING all over again.

He stopped by the house to get the tub of cream that he was to use for butter making and trudged to the barn with it to get to work.

As he ladled some of the cream into the churner he thought about the discussion his father had brought up at dinner the other night.

"Ezekiel mentioned to me that he's looking for a husband for Rebecca," Craig Taylor mentioned.

"Really? How wonderful! Goodness gracious, I remember when she was just a little girl! She is so resourceful! Why, at the last bazaar everyone was eager to trade for some of her quilts! Whoever he matches her with will be very lucky! Why, just the other day Mary was telling me about how Rebecca had cooked dinner all by herself!" his mother, Jennifer had replied.

"Well, as luck has it, Ezekiel said Rebecca expressed interest in Justin," Craig continued, pride bubbling in his voice.

Justin's fork had clattered onto the plate. Marriage?! Ok, sure. He knew that he was nearing the age of engagement within their society, but still. It hadn't occurred to him that it could happen.

"Oh really? Well, that's lovely!" his mother was clearly excited by his news. "It's the eve of October! This would all be just in time for a wedding!"

"Mother, Father, I don't want to get married yet!" Justin cried out.

His mother gasped and his father stopped bringing his fork to his mouth mid-motion.

"What do you mean you don't WANT to?" he asked, his voice dangerously low.

"I just...it's just...I don't feel I am ready for such a responsibility. I am happy living in our house and working the land with you."

"Justin, the time has come for you to accept the duties that we all must take on when we become men. I am happy that Rebecca expressed interest in you. As it is, Ezekiel himself does not feel that you would suit her."

"What? Why would Justin not suit her? That's ridiculous!" his mother exclaimed.

"No Jennifer, it's really not. I mean...look at him. Ezekiel brought up some good points. Justin is so fair and slim. He isn't built like a strong man. Ezekiel questions his ability to provide for the family and work. For the life of me, I don't understand what is wrong with him. The boy won't bulk up," Craig complained.

"It's not his fault, he takes after me," Jennifer conceded.

Justin had just sat through the rest of the meal fading into the background. His parents spoke as if he wasn't there, so it didn't matter either way. He didn't want to get married! He just didn't. He couldn't explain it! There wasn't any specific reason; he just never felt the need to fulfill some destiny that was laid out for him.

Looking out the barn doors, sighing in frustration, he saw young Ezekiel moving bales of hay down from their family's barn. It appeared that he was going to feed their horses. The tingling in his stomach started again. Ezekiel was working shirtless. He was sweating from the physical labor, his muscles bunching and rippling with each movement. Surely Justin was too far away to become susceptible to any of his germs. Unconsciously leaning forward to get a better look, he didn't notice his pelvis come closer to the stick that he had to pump in the butter churner.

Jumping, startled at the sensation as his crotch came into contact with it, he stopped churning momentarily. 'What was that about?' he thought to himself. It hadn't been a bad feeling. It left him feeling, unsatisfied. Empty. Like something was unfinished. Leaning forward again and churning, he felt it again, only this time, it was stronger. His trousers became stiffer and he felt an uncharacteristic stiffness down there. He couldn't explain this. His father had mentioned to him during a talk that the Lord would let him know when it was time to create life with his wife, but he wasn't married yet. Was this a sign from Heaven that he would soon be married? Churning again, keeping the smooth up and down movement of the plunger even and uniform, Justin closed his eyes feeling something akin to pleasure now.

It was soft, a little tickle he felt in his belly and with each stroke of the plunger it intensified and grew. He found his breathing became labored, much like when he was plowing the fields, except this was nothing like that at all. This was, incredible.

Moaning a little, and groaning from the building pressure he felt, Justin opened his eyes and it happened. Young Ezekiel had picked up his shirt, and shaking the sweat from his hair, he wiped the rest of it off his chest with his shirt and stretched. Justin saw a blinding white light and felt an explosion go off throughout his body. Falling to his knees from the intensity, he fought to catch his breath and calm himself down. He felt an odd wetness and stickiness in his pants. Confused, he just assumed he was sweating from all the work.

"Justin, what is going on here?" Craig asked, walking into the barn.

"I-I didn't feel well. I fell."

Looking at his son suspiciously, Craig walked over and pressed a hand to his face. Justin looked flushed and was indeed sweating profusely.

"Perhaps you should go home. Too much time in the sun can be bad for you. You can resume work tomorrow. I will finish up the butter," Craig paused to scan the barn. He looked over at the corner that Justin used for woodworking and examined a rocking chair that his son was currently working on. He smiled, "This is coming along beautifully. If everything goes as planned, perhaps it can be a wedding present for your in-laws."

Getting up off the ground slowly, Justin grimaced but nodded. He watched as his father walked over to his work table. He tensed because he knew what his father would see. Sure enough, he saw his father's shoulders tensed and he knew what was coming.

"What is this?" he asked as he lifted a bust of Molly that Justin had been working on.

"It's...it's..." Justin couldn't speak. They'd had this conversation a million times.

"We've talked about this before. You know the teachings in our way of life. In the commandments, the Lord said, "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image..."

"Father, I know...I -"

"Go home, Justin. We're going to sit down and have a talk tonight. You, me, and your mother."

"Father, I -"

"GO! We'll discuss this later!" Craig barked, throwing the bust on the floor and stomping it to pieces. Justin turned and ran towards the house.

He heard his parents talking in hushed tones before he saw his father get home. He was so nervous. First of all, he was positive that if his father had seen him doing…whatever it was that he had been doing minutes earlier, he would have been in a lot more trouble. Justin might not know what had been happening, but he knew that it probably wasn't right. Secondly, his father, being the strict and straightforward man that he was, would not let the bust thing go. Trouble was coming, and there was no way to stop it.

"JUSTIN!" he heard his father call from the living room. Cringing, he got up and made his way there.

His mother and father were sitting in the room in their rockers; his mother was covering her face with her hands, sobbing.

"Justin, with everything that is happening, your mother and I have come to a decision," his father paused and Justin just watched from his perch on a stool. "Recently you've been going against our teachings and beliefs more and more. You've always been a precocious child. We wanted to believe you'd grow out of it, calm down as you got older. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to have happened. In light of the possible engagement, it's time for you to partake in a tradition called Rumspringa."

Justin's mouth went dry. He didn't know what this tradition was, but if his mother's quiet sobbing was any indication, he was sure it wasn't good.

"What is that?" he asked quietly.

"As you know, you haven't been formally baptized. None of the children are. We wait until you're old enough to make a decision for yourself. If a family so chooses, when they turn 16 their child can be released into the world for a period of time. They can experience all the things they want. Then, when their time is up, they decide whether or not they want to be baptized and welcomed into the colony. Your time has come for this. Through Ezekiel I have made contact with Elisabeth Chanders. Do you remember her?"

"Yes, she was the daughter of Theresa and John. She hasn't been around lately."

"Well, she went on Rumspringa. Unfortunately for her poor parents, she chose to live life in the Devil's Playground. She has apparently changed her name to Daphne. The girl has agreed to meet us outside the county's limits. She will take you to Pittsburgh, where she lives, and you will have a year Justin. One year to experience life on the outside. When the period of a year is up, you will come back here and choose. Pack your bags. The buggy is ready and waiting. You have little time," Craig said, standing up.

"You mean, you're kicking me out?" Justin asked incredulously.

"Oh Justin," his mother sobbed, "we love you. We truly do. Believe that and take it with you. But your father is right. You need to see…to experience, so you know you can truly be happy here. God be with you," she finished, kissing him on the forehead.

Numb, Justin walked towards his room. Packing what he could into a small satchel he had for traveling, he glanced around one last time.

Turning to leave, he bumped into his little sister who was clutching a little rag doll to her chest.

"Justin, mama says you're leaving for a while. I'll miss you."

Bending, he kissed his sister on the cheek, and held her close.

"I will miss you too, Molly."

"Take Becca; she's my favorite doll so I know you'll be safe."

Smiling, Justin took the doll and stuffed it in his bag. Kissing his little sister on top of her head, he walked out to meet his father by their buggy. As he threw his things in the carriage, he looked at his home one last time.

"What am I going to do out there for a year?" Justin thought as he hoisted himself on the buggy's bench next to his father.

Well, he was about to find out.

Justin sat between his parents in the buggy nervously clutching his tapestry bag. His father drove the buggy in stony silence while his mother wept quietly. He felt horrible to have caused his parents such grief. Now he was being forced to leave his home and enter a world he knew nothing about, and live among strangers for an entire year. If truth be told he sometimes felt like a stranger within the colony too. He didn't have any friends or fit in. He wasn't ready for marriage but he was even less thrilled about taking his leave. Justin knew it wasn't really a punishment, he knew all about those. He was being ripped away from everything he knew, and thrust into a world he wasn't entirely prepared for and that terrified him.

Daphne leaned against her car smoking and enjoying one of the last mild nights of October. She stared out into the corn field and had no regrets. It had been three years since she left the colony and she hadn't looked back since. That life of blind obedience and servitude just wasn't for her. She had to admit she was a bit surprised when she was contacted to meet Justin on the old county road. She remembered Justin being a shy, quiet boy. Their families were somewhat close. Daphne didn't mind guiding Justin through his Rumspringa period. If he chose to turn his back on his old life she could easily see them being good friends. She had honestly liked Justin and couldn't wait to show him everything. It boggled the mind how much one missed out on living in the colony. After three years even she was still adjusting to all the modern technology. She stubbed out her cigarette as the Taylor's buggy drew up several feet from her red Jetta.

For Justin the trip was entirely too short.

"Justin, my son, may the Lord be with you on your journey, protect you and keep you safe. May the lord return you to us a more wise and well adjusted man. Don't disgrace the family, Justin."

Justin lowered his head. "Yes father."

Jennifer embraced her only son hugging him tightly to her chest sobbing. Call it mother's instinct but she had a feeling she was going to lose her baby boy. Deep in her heart she knew he wouldn't return to her.

"Jennifer!" Craig barked. "Let the boy go."

She forced herself to release her grip. She reached behind her and presented Justin with a handmade quilt. It was one of the ones Justin and Molly had helped her make.

"This is a gift for your host family."

Justin took the quilt and kissed his mother goodbye. He hopped down from the buggy and went around to say goodbye to his horse. Justin reached out and rubbed Cinnamon's velvety nose. He patted her neck and she nuzzled his face tickling him.

"Goodbye, sweet girl."

He reached into his pocket and presented her with a sugar cube. When Craig's gaze landed on Daphne he made the sign of the cross and was quick about making a U turn in the middle of the deserted street. Justin gaped at her as she picked up his bag and placed it in the back seat of the Jetta.

Daphne had chosen to wear tight jeans and a belly tee. Lucky was written in gold sparkly letters across her chest. Justin pondered her shirt. Did she really consider herself lucky to be away from the colony and her family? He supposed everyone had a difference in opinion. Justin also didn't fail to notice she had sparkly ornaments in her ears and of all places her belly button. They stood there by the side of the road; Justin was struggling not to cry.

Daphne rubbed his arm. "Hey Justin, its ok. I was pretty freaked out when I first left too. I'll make sure nothing bad happens to ya."

Justin smiled slightly. "Thanks Elisabeth uh er I mean Daphne."

Daphne laughed. "Come on, let's get going."

She opened the car door for him and he hesitantly got inside. Daphne took the bundled quilt that Justin was gripping like a life line and tossed it in the back with his bag. She climbed behind the wheel and glanced at Justin who was practically trembling. She leaned over and buckled his seat belt for him. She remembered her first ride in a car. She had been so excited and had loved it. She drove every chance she got now. Justin on the other hand looked like he wanted to bolt. Daphne started the car and eased onto the road. They had a somewhat long drive to Pittsburgh.

"So Justin, how old are you?"

"Seventeen," Justin squeaked.

Daphne hazarded a glance at him and saw that he had the seat and door in a death grip. His face had gone as pale as milk.

"Uh Justin, it's kind of a long way to Pittsburgh. You might want to ease up on your grip."

Justin whimpered quietly. He definitely didn't like this; it was way too fast. He felt nauseous and dizzy. He'd give anything to be in Cinnamon's saddle right about now.

"Can you go slower?"

"Jesus. this is nothing. I'm going 35; if I go any slower you might as well just get out and run. I happened to like my first ride."

Justin curled up in his seat looking like a small boy. He tried to relax and ignore the fast moving scenery outside his window. Daphne's hand hovered over the radio knob for a second. She thought some soothing music would help him take his mind off the motion. Then she realized she'd probably traumatize him even worse so she put her hand back on the wheel.

"Just whatever you do, please don't puke in my car." She noticed he was looking a little green.

"This is your car?"

Daphne grinned and patted the wheel. "Yep she's mine, I'm still making payments but it gets me where I need to go."

"So I'll be living with you?" Justin asked.

"Uh no I mean, I'd love to have you stay with me but I live in a teeny apartment with a roommate. I'm taking you to Debbie Novotny's house. You'll be staying there with her and her brother Vic.

"Oh," he said quietly.

Daphne could hear the sadness in his voice. "Oh don't worry, I'm not going to abandon you there. I'll come over all the time to bug you."

"What are they like?"

"Um well, Vic is cool. You'll like him. He likes to cook a lot; maybe he can teach you a few things. Deb well uh er she takes a bit of getting used to. She's just kinda over the top personality wise, you'll see. Oh and when she hugs you and she will, it's best just to go limp, don't fight it. You'll be able to breathe eventually."

When they entered the city limits she crowed, "Welcome to the devil's playground, where hopefully you'll never want to leave."

Justin was bombarded with so many feelings he was literally on overload. He had never seen so many tall buildings or people and cars. He had to admit he was a bit excited to be in a big city. Seventeen years of nothing but corn fields tends to do that to a person. He liked the city lights; they were pretty, all different colors and sizes. Daphne turned off from the city streets and onto a more residential one. Justin noticed that all the houses were smaller than his. He had a huge room in a two story farm house. He didn't mind though. He was just glad he'd have a place to stay and not have to fend for himself. Daphne pulled up in front of a small cozy looking home. When the car stopped Justin couldn't get out of his seat fast enough. The whole way there he prayed he wouldn't vomit. He took deep breaths of the night air and his stomach settled a bit. Daphne passed him his things and started towards the house.

"Wait, can I have just a minute?"

"Sure." Daphne knew how hard this all was for Justin. To Justin everything seemed to be happening incredibly fast. He was feeling more than a little overwhelmed. He hoped that Debbie and Vic were kind and that they liked him. He vowed to be on his best behavior. Daphne linked arms with him and led him to the house that was to be his home for the next year. She knocked on the door and it was flung open by a big boisterous lady with shockingly curly red hair.

"Well it's about time you two got here." Deb had her fists on her hips. "Well, aren't you just the cutest thing? You must be Justin."

Justin was quickly engulfed in one of her famous big bear hugs. He had remembered what Daphne had said and went limp.

"Uh Deb, you might want to let Justin go. He's not feeling so well, turns out he doesn't ride well."

Deb released the small gasping boy. "Oh the poor thing, well come in. I'll get you something fizzy to settle your stomach."

Daphne dragged Justin into the house. Vic was sitting at the kitchen table. Justin handed Deb the home made quilt.

"This is for you. My mother wanted to give you something for taking me in."

Deb rubbed her hands over the quilt. "Oh this is beautiful, Justin. Your mother must be a lovely lady with a good heart."

"She is."

"I call dibs on the quilt," Vic said.

Deb shot him a perturbed look. She sat a glass of ginger ale in front of Justin who just looked at it.

"Well go on, it'll make you feel better."

Justin tentatively raised the glass; the tiny bubbles tickled his nose and face. He took a sip and coughed. Daphne patted him on the back. He didn't particularly care for the drink but out of respect for his hosts drank it anyway.

"I've got your room all ready for you. You'll be staying in my son Michael's old room."

"Thank you for taking me in Mrs. Novotny."

Deb cocked a brow. "While you're under this roof its Debbie, got it kiddo?"

Justin's gaze dropped to the table top fearing he had already offended her.

"Go easy on him sis, the boy looks just about done in."

Justin smiled at Vic. He had a feeling he would like this man.

"Mmm will you look at that smile, pure sunshine.

Justin happened to notice that Debbie's shirt also had something written on it, it read 'I love cock.' He thought it was kinda weird to proclaim she liked chickens but he figured to each his own. He didn't particularly like chickens and hated to gather eggs.

"Daphne, why don't you take Justin up stairs and help him settle in," Vic suggested.

"Sure come on, Justin."

When the kids had gone upstairs Deb said, "Cute little shit, ain't he?"

"Definitely easy on the eyes."

"That kid is going to have a hard time of it, not to mention he's gay."

"My gaydar is working perfectly, sis."

"Well at least Justin is better mannered than the last one."

Vic shuddered, "Cody, don't remind me."

Daphne wrinkled her nose when she saw the old wall paper that was in Justin's room. "Uck, well I guess beggars can't be choosers. Oh come here, there's something I want to show you." She grabbed him by the wrist and led him across the hall. "You're gonna love this, indoor plumbing!"

As Justin looked around the room a big grin spread on his face. He got giddy at the thought of no more pumping water. No more tepid baths by basin. The absolute best thing was no more cold jaunts to the outhouse. Daphne was in awe of his big beautiful grin. He was a very handsome boy. Justin tentatively turned on the sink. The water flowed instantly and it was clean. He ran his fingertips under the water.

"Amazing," was the only word he could think of to say.

"That it is. Over here is the shower and the knobs that control it. It's not hard it's pretty simple to figure out."

Daphne gestured to the toilet. "Need I say more?"

They both took a moment of silence to appreciate these special modern conveniences. Daphne led him back to his room. He sank down on the bed. He was exhausted; it was a lot to take in all at once. Daphne plopped down on the bed next to him.

"It'll get better, it just takes time. Aren't you gonna unpack?" she asked.

"I can do it tomorrow. I didn't pack a whole lot."

"So spill why did you take the Rumspringa?"

"It wasn't my idea it was my father's. My parents were looking to marry me off." Justin shrugged helplessly. "I'm not sure I'm ready to get married. My father caught me making a bust of Molly."

"You rebel you."

"So what about you? Why did you leave?"

"I couldn't see myself as someone's obedient little wife."

"Did you stay with Debbie too?"

"No, I stayed with Lindsay and Melanie. They're friends of Debbie's."

"So um, what do you do?" Justin asked curiously.

"I have a job at a music store and I'm going to college. Out here in the real world an eighth grade education just doesn't cut it."

That interested Justin; he liked to read but there was never any time for it. The only book his family owned was the Bible. Justin pointed out Daphne's earrings "Did that hurt?"

"Yeah, a little bit but not as much as this." She rested her ankle on his lap exposing a blue butterfly. "It's a tattoo."

Justin hesitantly touched the wings of the butterfly. "It's pretty." He didn't even bother to ask how it was done.

"So I was thinking how about I take you to the mall tomorrow to get you some new clothes, so you won't feel so out of place."

"I don't have any money."

"I'll lend you some; it's no big. You can pay me back. We'll just pick up the basics. You said you didn't bring much, besides I love to shop."

Justin looked at her clothes. "Well let's not get too wild, ok?"

She playfully hit his shoulder. "Aw, you're no fun."

"What am I supposed to do?" Justin asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Here in this place, what is expected of me?"

"Justin, the great thing is you can do anything you want, when you want, without fear of being yelled at or punished. Smoke, drink, curse, have all the sex you want. This is your time to experience it all. You have to remember nothing is bad or evil here. Debbie works at a diner. She always needs help. She'll probably start you out clearing the tables then you can work up to waiter when you get the hang of it. Then you'll have some spending money."

"I don't mind helping out, I want to help."

"You know you're lucky your parents loved you enough to let you go and have this time. I heard some of the parents forbade their kids to go on the Rumspringa."

Justin frowned. "Why?"

"Probably too much of a risk of losing their kids. This life can be very tempting." Daphne touched his shoulder. "Look, I know it's a lot to take in. Why don't you kick back and relax, get some sleep? I'll pick you up in the morning. We should get there early to avoid the crowds. The mall gets pretty crowded and I don't want you to be uncomfortable."

"Thanks Daphne, you're a good friend."

"I guess I should get going unless you want me to stay. I'm sure it would be fine if I crashed on the couch."

Justin shook his head. "No, you don't need to do that."

"Ok, see you in the morning around ten."

After Daphne left, Justin looked around the room. The wallpaper was hideous but it was warm and clean so he really couldn't complain. He took his own quilt out of his bag and spread it out on the bed to make it feel more like home.

Deb stuck her head in the doorway. "How are you doing, Sunshine? Do you need anything?"

"No, I'm fine. Sunshine?"

"Your smile lights up the room."

"Oh." Justin blushed and dropped his eyes to the floor.

"Your fuckin' gorgeous ya know that? Well, I'll get out of your hair, if you need anything just holler."

Justin took out his small box of tools and placed it on the dresser. Justin patted the lid of the cherrywood box. He was glad he had the foresight to pack it. He could make just about anything out of wood. In the colony people had started coming to him to make their furniture. Justin pulled out Molly's doll and curled up on the bed. He hugged the small rag doll to his chest. He hated to admit it but he missed her already. Justin turned his face into the pillow and began sobbing. He missed his home. This place was strange and unfamiliar and he didn't much like it.

Justin happened to glance across the room. The small photo caught his eye. He dried his eyes with the backs of his hands. He got up to get a closer look. He had never really seen a photograph before but he knew what they were. Whenever they went to town outsiders always wanted to take pictures of him and Molly. His parents had forbidden it. He really didn't see the fascination that people had over them. Justin plucked the photo off the wall. It was a picture of the most handsomest boy he had ever seen. The boy had auburn hair and the most amazing hazel eyes. He looked to be about his age. Justin wondered if this was Debbie's son.

As he stared at the photo he felt a tingling in his groin. It reminded him of what had happened earlier in the day when he was churning butter and watching Ezekiel. He let his hand rest on the front of his pants. He squirmed under the warmth of his hand. As he looked at the boy with the coral lips he rubbed the flat of his hand across his trousers. His breath quickened as he grew harder. He felt wicked and knew he was sinning, but Daphne said he could do anything he wanted and not get in trouble. He liked the delicious friction, it felt so good. Justin increased the pressure and the speed. His member was so hard it ached and he could feel that strange wetness. His fingers hesitated on the button closure at his waist. He was surely going to go to hell for this. Justin opened his pants and curled his fingers around his hard dick. His eyes fluttered shut as he touched himself. His hips bucked of their own violation. Justin felt the same tingle as he did before. His hand was slick with the sticky substance he had yet to identify. He hoped it was normal and that he wasn't sick with some kind of disease. Then it happened, he gasped and began shooting copious amounts of fluid. When his vision cleared and he was able to breathe normally again he felt a little embarrassed. He grabbed up some tissues from the nightstand and quickly cleaned himself up. Justin took his shirt off and hung it up in the closet. His shoes were set neatly by the bed. Molly's doll along with the photo rested on the nightstand to watch over him. He quickly said his prayers then crawled under the blankets and quickly fell asleep.

Justin was used to being up at dawn to begin all his chores. The house was quiet so he figured that people slept later here. He decided to unpack his clothes. When he pulled open one of the drawers on the dresser he saw some thin colorful books. He took them out, sitting cross-legged on the bed he began to leaf through them. Justin quickly discovered that they weren't really books because they had few words in them. They were filled with men in weird skin tight garments with bulging muscles. Justin found the pictures to be offensive to look at. Some of the pages were crusty with old unidentified stains on them. Justin wrinkled his nose. It was best to get rid of them. Justin wandered into the bathroom and started the shower. It took some work but he finally got the right temperature. He really enjoyed his first shower. Justin washed his long hair and scrubbed his body till he was pink. He reluctantly got out when the water grew cold.

Back in his room he carefully dressed for the day. He pulled out one of his favorite shirts. It was a robin egg blue; he fastened his suspenders and then put on his vest. He took the offending color books down to the kitchen where he threw them away. Justin went into the living room and explored. He noticed there were a lot of rainbows everywhere. None of the furniture was wooden, all of it was padded. As he walked back into the kitchen he noticed a lot of different little bottles on the counter. He picked one up and examined it. It had awfully long words on it and he was a bit frustrated when he couldn't make out what the words were. As he set the bottle down Vic entered the kitchen.

"I thought I heard someone down here."

"Oh I'm sorry, did I wake you? I'm used to being up this early."

"No, you're fine; I don't get much sleep anymore." He chuckled, "I figure I can get all the sleep I want when I'm dead. How about some breakfast?"

Justin's stomach growled and he blushed. "I'm a little hungry."

Vic busied himself in the kitchen, happy to have someone young and beautiful to cook for.

"Can I help with anything?"

Vic thought for a moment; he knew the boy would want to feel useful. "I'll put you in charge of making the toast."

Vic showed him where the bread was. Justin was surprised that it came from a store and not homemade. He was instructed on how to use the toaster. He pushed the lever on the side down.

"Now what?" Justin asked.

"They'll pop back up when they're done."

That intrigued Justin; he stared intently waiting for it to happen. Vic chuckled at Justin's youthful innocence and curiosity. When the toast popped back up Justin jumped a little.

"Oh! Golly that's neat." Justin smiled a huge smile.

They sat at the table and had breakfast. They talked about nothing in particular, just getting to know one another. Deb came down dressed in a different T-shirt and her diner vest. Since she had a little time to kill she decided to clean out the fridge. She had put it off long enough. Deb chucked out leftovers; some of it was beginning to grow fur. She found rotten vegetables, some pesto sauce that had gone bad and a few stale lemon bars that were hiding behind the orange juice.

Justin noticed that her shirt said, 'need head?' He pondered that one a moment; it didn't make sense to him. Everyone had a head so why would you ever need one. Justin gave up trying to figure out what it meant. He would make it clear to Daphne that he didn't want any shirts that had words on them; he didn't really like them.

Daphne was right on time. Before she let him go out the door she made him take off his vest and his suspenders. She rolled the sleeves of his shirt up a bit then surveyed her handy work. "Not bad, come on, let's get going."