A Different World

As the days passed, Todd struggled. He was often beaten by his uncle. He was able to hide most of the bruises. Usually the marks were situated on his back and buttocks. He was able to live with his uncle's punishments. All of it was worth it. Todd believed that they had to stay in Llanview where Marty was safe and living in a loving home.

It was the darkness that brought Todd to his knees.

When Todd was outside, in the dark, caring for the animals, his uncle would find him. He would bend him over the wooden fence. In a booming voice, he would tell Todd to drop his pants to his knees. His uncle would then remove his belt and proceed to whip Todd. Then, when his nephew was most vulnerable, Peter too would drop his pants.

There was always so much pain... so much degradation. Todd wanted to die. He wanted to be swallowed up by the earth, just like a decaying and dead animal. What his uncle did to him made him physically ill. It was painful and it was wrong. Todd wanted it to stop.

Sometimes at night, he'd be sleeping in his bed and his uncle would crawl in next to him. He would touch Todd and force him to do terrible things in the dark. Todd hated his uncle. He wanted him to die. He fantasized about hurting him... He fantasized about his uncle dying in some sort of terrible and painful accident.

Peter treated his beautiful wife Barbara like dirt. He slapped her often and called her all sorts of filthy names. Todd had never seen such violence... nor had he heard such disgusting words. Where was he now? What kind of life was this? This wasn't Boston. This wasn't even New York, where he had lived with his mother and siblings and had been unloved. This was some sort of terrible, vile world. But despite all that, Marty was well taken care of. She was happy. Todd couldn't take that from her. They couldn't go back to Boston!

Todd had come to love Barbara Manning like a mother. Barbara was the only adult who had ever been a loving parent to Todd and he wanted to protect her, but he couldn't. He was just a boy. He was unable to protect himself from the atrocity which was his uncle. He was forced to watch as his uncle demanded oral sex one night after dinner. He slapped his wife and thrust her down onto the floor.

"Suck my cock!" he demanded.

She turned away, her face tear-stained. Peter grabbed her face brutally, forcing her to take his member into her mouth. "Suck it, you whore!" Peter screamed.

Todd thought he was going to throw up his dinner as his aunt gagged on his uncle's throbbing meat. As much as he hated the disgusting incident, Todd knew more than anything that he had to keep Marty away from his uncle's farm house. He feared if she stepped into the yard, Peter might hurt her, too. He had seen the ugly sexual acts that Peter had forced upon himself and his Aunt Barbara. Todd would be devastated if anyone ever hurt Marty as he had been hurt.

Todd became sullen and angry all the time. When school started in the fall, he was not his usual self. When Marty approached him in the schoolyard, he scowled at her. He turned away when she tried to talk to him.

"What's wrong, Todd?" Marty asked as she touched his arm.

Todd shrugged away from her touch. He gave her a look of total disgust. "Nothing!" he cried.

Marty recoiled when Todd suddenly pushed her aside. She nearly fell to the ground as he rushed off toward the schoolhouse. He didn't speak to her the rest of the day. He appeared to be in his own little world.

When the school day ended, Marty ran after Todd. He was walking quickly to get home. He didn't want to be bothered. He had to get home right away and start his chores or risk another punishment from his sadistic uncle.

"Todd, can I talk to you?" Marty begged.

"Go away, Marty," Todd said as he tried to walk faster.

But Marty was swift, and she caught up to him. She was very determined. "I love you, Todd," she said as she tugged upon his sleeve.

He stopped in his tracks. "What do you want?" he asked with annoyance.

She didn't say a word. She just pressed her lips against his as she closed her eyes and she kissed him. Marty put all her love and tenderness into that kiss.

It wasn't like before when he had kissed her. It wasn't anything like that at all. Todd became angry and violent. He thrust Marty away from him, staring at her, his face set in an angry frown.

"Why did you have to go and do that for?" he growled.

He was wiping the kiss away with the back of his hand. "Ewwww... that's sooo disgusting. Don't ever do that again! Do you hear me, Marty? DON'T touch me!"

Marty wasn't answering. When he had pushed her away, she had landed hard upon her bottom. She had the breath knocked out of her.

Todd had kissed her before! What was the problem now? Marty could not understand.

"Todd... I- I-," she said as huge tears began to spill down her face. "I-I'm so sorry... I thought..."

"Leave me alone. Just get out of my life!"

Marty looked at him in shock and disbelief as she rose up off the ground. Todd didn't want her in his life anymore?! She started to tremble from head to toe. Surely he didn't mean it?! How could he?

As she stood there, stunned, staring at him, Todd was screaming. "Go away, Marty! Don't talk to me anymore... don't look at me... and never, EVER touch me! EVER! Do you hear me?!"

Marty was frightened and sad. She ran home crying. Todd stood there a long time after, his heart beating fiercely in his chest. He could still feel the warmth of her kiss. Why... ohhhh why had he pushed her away? He loved her... and she didn't deserve it. It wasn't fair, but he knew it was what he had to do. He had to protect her!

It was just as well that Marty wouldn't come around so much anymore. Todd would miss her; that he knew, but she would be much safer with the Wolecks. She had no place in the ugly world that had become his life. He had to go back to the farmhouse now and his heart was broken. With tears in his eyes, he continued on the path that would take him home.