"The Third Parent" by Elias_Witherow

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My name's Matt In my childhood wasn't normal, not by
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any stretch of the word. Something happened to my family
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that's almost impossible to understand, But I'm going to try
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my best to explain those five years. Five years of
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my life I spent in terror. Five years we all
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lived in fear. Five years we'll never get back. My father, Spence,
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wasn't a very strong man, both physically and mentally. He
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was the type of dad who often let our mothers
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speak for the both of them. Now. He wasn't a
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complete pushover, but he often was content to just go
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with the flow rather than to alter it. He worked
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hard and dedicated his free time to us his family.
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He made sure our needs were taken care of, his
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soft assurances the unseen foundation of our family. My mother, Megan,
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was the head of our house. She was outspoken, independent,
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and extremely loyal to all of us. She loved my
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father's quiet ways, and even from a young age, I
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could see the chemistry flowing strong between them. My little sister,
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Stephanie was a year younger than I. She looked up
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to me, and my father always told me it was
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my responsibility to look after her. We got along as
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best we could, and even though I gave her all
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kinds of brotherly hardship, I did love her. We lived
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in a suburban, middle class community. Complete stock photo of
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the American Dream. My father worked a respectable nine to
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five job when my mother taught yoga classes out of
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the house. It was a neat life, organized and structured.
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Everything was discussed, considered, and acted upon. As a family.
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There was a good home to grow up in. But
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that was before he showed up. That was before the
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third parent. July nineteen eighty nine, I was sitting at
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the dinner table waiting for my father to finish cooking.
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It was his turn tonight, and my stomach roared for
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his rosemary chicken. My sister, Stephanie, lay on her stomach
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in the living room coloring. Her golden blonde hair fell
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across her shoulders and waves, and she looked up at me, smiling.
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She extended what she had been working on, and I nodded,
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completely unimpressed. She sniffed at me and continued her sketch.
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My mother walked into the kitchen, pulling her hair back
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from her freshly showered face. Everyone gone, my father asked
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from the stove, My mother nodded, Yes, Spence, the house
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is ours again. Has so much better teaching yoga in
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the basement, so much cooler. I'm glad we finished the
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basement over the winter. My clients are relieved as well.
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It's a scorcher out there today. Mom, can you sit
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down so we can eat? I begged from my spot
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at the table. My mother turned to me and laughed, Matt,
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the hungry six year old this side the Mississippi. Why
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don't you ask your dad to hurry up? He's the
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one cooking. I placed my forehead on the table. Dud,
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I'm gonna die. Stephanie looked up from her coloring book. Matt,
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don't be crazy, You're crazy, I muttered, not looking up.
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Nah Ah, she said, sticking her tongue out at me.
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All right, all right, my father said, turning from the stove.
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In his hands, he held a steaming platter of chicken.
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Come sit down, staff, the food's ready, I ordered. My
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sister the side of the seasoned meat, causing me to
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salivate as she pulled herself up from the floor. My
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mother taking a place beside me, we all froze. As
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someone knocked on the front door. My mother and father
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exchanged puzzled looks. My dad placed the food down on
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the table and told us all to hold on a minute, groaning,
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and watched him walk to the front door. He peeked
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through the keyhole, and I saw him visibly tense, his
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whole body cementing like a statue. Spence, who is it?
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My mother asked. My father slowly turned back round to us,
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all blood draining from his face. His eyes were wide,
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and I saw fear dilate his pupils. He licked his
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lips and shot Stephanie and me a look. Spence. My
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mom pressed, her face contorted with concern. No, this can't happen,
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not again. I heard my father whisper, staring off into
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the distance. The door shook as another series of knocks
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echoed through the house. My mom stood, her voice cracking
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with contagious fear. Spence, who is it? What's going on?
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I'm so sorry, my father mumbled, catching his stomach, his
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face a pale sheet. I I I have to let
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him in. Before any of us could say anything else,
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my dad turned and opened the door. Dying sunlight blinded me,
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and I squinted to see who our unnounced visitor was Hi,
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I'm Tommy Taffy. It's good to see you again, Spence.
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I watched as my father slowly backed away from the
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open door. A man entered our house and shut the
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door behind him. My young mind tried to make sense
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of what I was seeing, but even at that young age,
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I knew something wasn't right with this unexpected guest. He
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was about six foot and had a shock of golden
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hair cut tight along his scalp. He wore khaki shorts
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and a white T shirt that said HI and red
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cartoon font. But that wasn't what caught my eye. It
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was his skin. It was completely devoid of pores, a
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perfectly smooth, creamy texture that looked almost like soft plastic.
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His face was a pool of gentle pink, his mouth
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a cheerful cut along his cheeks, revealing a white strip
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of teeth, But they weren't teeth, it was just a
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smooth edgeless row, like he had a mouth guard on.
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His nose was just a slight rise out of his face,
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like a doll void of nostrils. And his eyes, his
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eyes were twin puddles of sparkling blue shining out at
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us from his flawless, eerie face. They were wide, like
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he was in a constant state of surprise, and they
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shifted around the room to look at us in quick
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jarring motion. His smile widened and he raised a flawless
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hand to us at the table. Hi, I'm Tommy Taffy.
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It's good to meet you. I noticed he didn't have
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any finger, nails or skin defects, no wrinkles or bruises, nothing.
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It was like he was a living, talking, human sized
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doll spent. My mother croaked, recognition blooming in her eyes.
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It's gonna be okay, Megan, my father said, voice shaking,
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Just be polite to our new guest. Okay. The man
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Tommy cocked his head towards my father. Ha ha. My
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dad took a step back, raising his hands. I mean
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our new friend. The frozen smile never left Tommy's molded face.
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There was no humor in his strange laugh. It sounded
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like he was clearing his throat or imitating a really
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bad chuckle. It was too pronounced, each syllable sounding too deliberate.
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My father forced a smile onto his face. I meant
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he looked desperately at my mother, who offered him no help.
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Her body froze in an absolute fear. I meant meet
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meet your new parent kits. Stephanie, who was standing by
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our mother, frowned. He is not our dad, you are.
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Why does he look so funny, Stephanie? My mother hissed,
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gripping my sister's shoulder. Tommy laughed and walked forward to
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crouch in front of Stephanie. It's not nice to make
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fun of people who look different, is it. My sister
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looked at her feet, blushing. Tommy tasseled her hair. It's okay,
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buck up, kiddo, We're going to get along, just fine.
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I'm going to help your parents raise you. It's a
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big job being a mommy and a daddy. Sometimes mommy
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and daddy's need help. Tommy turned to my parents that
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ever present plastic smile stretching his face. I help their
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mommy and daddies raise them. Isn't that right? Spence? Meghan?
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Meghan pulled Stephanie away, as my father nodded nervously that
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that's right, kids, he did. Tommy smiled and turned to me.
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I was still sitting at the table, taking the odd
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scene in. I didn't understand what was happening. Didn't know
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who this weird looking man was or what he wanted.
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What he was saying didn't make sense, but my parents
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seemed to know him, so I kept my speculations to myself.
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And you must be Matt, Tommy said, walking over to me.
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I didn't look at him, and fanning my eyes to
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stare at my empty plate. I suddenly wasn't hungry anymore.
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I could feel the strange man beside me, his presence
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filling my head. I licked my lips and filled my
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heart begin to race. I didn't like this intruder, or
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something about him felt dangerous. Tommy walked behind me, chuckling,
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his hands sliding over my slender shoulders. Oh, it looks
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like we have a shy one. That's okay, I'll help
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him with that, he said to my parents. His fingers
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dug into my skin and I winced, but kept my
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mouth shut. Don't touch him. My mother hissed, eyes going wide.
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Tommy looked up at her mouth stretched, ha ha. My
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dad outstretched his hand alarmed. Eh, don't be so rude, megan.
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Tommy continued to stare at my mother, who nervously lowered
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her eyes. Are you staying for dinner, Stephanie suddenly asked,
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breaking the tense silence, the eerie doll man let go
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of my shoulders, one of his hands sliding across my
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cheek and into my hair. Oh yes, I'll be here
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for quite a while. And that was how Tommy Taffy
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entered our lives. At six years old, I didn't know
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any better than to seriously question what was happening. Even
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though my parents acted unsettled at his arrival, their constant
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assurances that he was a friend pushed away any lingering
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doubt that I had. As the days turned into weeks,
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I began to grow accustomed to Tommy's presence in our house.
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My initial fear slowly receded to wary caution. I soon
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learned that Tommy didn't like company. Whenever my mom had
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her yoga classes, Tommy would pull her off into a
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corner and whisper something to her. I would watch all
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this with silent eyes. I would see my mother's face
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grow pale, and she would nod, whispering back unknown assurances.
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Then Tommy would turn that ever present smile plastered on
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his face and walk upstairs until the class was over.
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My parents told Stephanie and I that we weren't to
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talk about Tommy to our friends outside of the house.
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Tommy wasn't a part of our lives. I don't know why,
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but both my sister and I obeyed. Another thing I
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noticed was that Tommy never ate. He would sit at
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the table with us, but never partook in the meal.
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Stephanie asked him once if he was ever hungry, and
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Tommy just smiled at her silently and stroked her head.
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During the evenings, he would gather our family into the
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living room and give us a short lets on how
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to be a good person. My parents never spoke during
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these talks, just sat next to us nodding. Tommy told
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us not to make fun of others, to love our
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friends and enemies, and always help those in need. He
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told us that's why he was here with us to
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help my parents raise us. That we could come to
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talk to him if we ever had a problem at
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school or didn't know how to handle certain situations. It
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went on like this for a month, and that's when
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my mother lost it. August nineteen eighty nine, my father
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had just arrived home from work and I was sitting
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at the kitchen table during my homework. My mother was
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cooking dinner, and Stephanie was practicing her dance for an
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upcoming school play. She was going to be a ballerina
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and had three weeks to learn a few simple spins
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and twirls. She had been diligently practicing over the past
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few days, but just couldn't get it right. She was young,
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and her temper was getting the better of her. That's
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when Tommy decided to help her. He had been sitting
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on the couch watching her, when suddenly he rose and
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stood behind my sister, placing his hands gently on her shoulders.
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Let me help, sweebee, he cooled, his voice, carrying a
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cheerful note. My mother spun around from the stove, and
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I saw her visibly tense. She didn't like Tommy touching us.
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She gripped the wooden spoon in her hand until her
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knuckles went white, watching as Tommy crouched and cupped Stephanie's
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body with his He took her hands in his from
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behind and guided her arms and waist. His cheek pressed
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gently against my sisters. Tommy let her learn on her own.
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My mother said, her voice shaking. Tommy didn't even look
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at her. Just kept guiding my sister. I could hear
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my father coming down the stairs, freshly changed from a
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day of the office. Tommy spun my sister, and for
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the first time, she nailed the twirl, her little feet
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twisting her body in a complete circle. Tommy clapped his
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hands once and then leaned down and kissed Stephanie on
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the cheek. Good girl, don't do that, my mother shrieked,
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dropping the spoon, her face drained of blood. I jumped
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in my seat at the table and swallowed hard. I
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didn't know why my mom was getting so upset. He
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was just helping her. I also knew deep down that
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it was a bad idea to yell at the new
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member of our family. He was the gut instinct of
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a child, a gentle warning that rumbled in my head.
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Tommy stood. My father was standing at the foot of
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the stairs, now frozen, unsure what to make of the confrontation. Megan,
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what's wrong, he asked. My mother's eyes never left Tommy Spence.
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I can't do this anymore. I can't keep pretending everything
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is all right. We know what this monster is, we
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know what he did to our town all those years ago.
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I want him out of our house. My father's eyes
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went wide. Panic bloomed in his face. Meghan, he licked
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his lips, eyes darting back and forth at all of us.
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Don't be rude. Tommy has been a big help. My
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mom gritted her teeth. Stop that, stop pretending we want
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him here. I can't watch this. I want him out.
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Very slowly, Tommy walked into the kitchen and stood in
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front of my mother. He looked down at her, his
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perfect blue eyes shining like crystal moons. His voice was
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like frozen silk. Megan, would you come down to the
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basement with me. I need to have a few words
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with you. My mother took a step back. Get away
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from me, get away from my family. You're not welcome
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here anymore. She turned desperate eyes to my father. Spence,
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do something. My dad raised his hands in a gesture
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of helplessness. I could see he was terrified. Stephanie was
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watching from the living room, her lip quivering, eyes watering.
250
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I suddenly wanted to go comfort, but I felt glued
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to my chair. Come on now, Megan, just a quick word,
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fuck you? My mother spat. I gasped, heart dropping into
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my stomach. I never heard my mother swear before at it.
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It scared me stiff. Suddenly, Tommy grabbed my mother by
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the back of the neck, the smile never leaving his face,
256
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and yanked her to the basement door. Spence, stop him,
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help me, my mother screamed, helplessly, trying to remove Tommy's
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iron grip from her. Tommy shot my dad a look
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that froze him where he stood. I'm sorry, Megan, we
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need to do what he says, he cried. Stephanie was
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now openly crying, hands at her sighs, tears running down
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her face. I felt sick as I watched Tommy open
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the basement door and drag my mother down into the darkness.
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The door slammed close behind them. He was silent for
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a few minutes, and then then the screams began. I
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00:17:23.799 --> 00:17:28.160
never heard my mother scream before, and the sound of
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it shattered me. My father ran into the kitchen and
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scooped me up into his arms, then snatched up Stephanie
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into his other one. He marked us upstairs to his
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bedroom and dumped us on the bed. We sat huddled
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like that for hours, none of us speaking a word.
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My mother continued to scream. Finally, long after the sun set,
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00:17:57.079 --> 00:18:02.240
we heard the basement door open. Mom's sleeping in the
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basement tonight, Tommy called out. March nineteen ninety one. Two
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years passed after that night. My mother never resisted or
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00:18:21.160 --> 00:18:23.519
talked back to Tommy again. When she came out of
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the basement the following morning, I expected to see her
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00:18:25.759 --> 00:18:29.839
covered in bruises and blood, but I could see no
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00:18:29.960 --> 00:18:35.759
visible signs of violence. I was too young to understand
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what had happened, why my mother now walked with a
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limp and would for the rest of her life. She
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didn't speak to my father for a month. Even then,
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it was just enough to get by, I'd asked my father.
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Crying a lot during those two years, I didn't know
285
00:18:50.279 --> 00:18:52.039
what happened to my family, but I kept my mouth
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shut and obey the rules. Listen to Tommy, don't talk
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00:18:57.200 --> 00:19:02.480
about Tommy to others. Things went calm during those two years.
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Tommy continued to give us life lessons and be part
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of our home. No one but my family knew he
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was living with us. He was our secret, the dark
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00:19:12.160 --> 00:19:15.839
star that hung above our heads. I learned to smile
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00:19:15.920 --> 00:19:19.079
around Tommy, as did my sister. If he thought we
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were happy. He seemed more relaxed that night, my mother
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challenged him. That changed everything. Every couple of months, Tommy
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00:19:30.359 --> 00:19:33.400
would assert his authority over my parents. He would test them,
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00:19:33.559 --> 00:19:36.599
stretch the limits of their patience and nerves. Most of
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00:19:36.599 --> 00:19:38.839
the time, my father and mother would humbly submit to
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00:19:38.880 --> 00:19:41.559
whatever mine games he played with them. Most of the time,
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he would do or say something to Stephanie or myself
300
00:19:45.039 --> 00:19:49.799
always made me uncomfortable. Sometimes he would have us sit
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00:19:49.920 --> 00:19:53.160
in his lap while he stroked our hair. Sometimes he'd
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00:19:53.160 --> 00:19:57.160
sing strange songs to my sister about love. Sometimes he
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00:19:57.160 --> 00:19:59.720
would make us take a bath together while he watched.
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I always put on a brave face during these times. Stephanie
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00:20:04.960 --> 00:20:09.079
was young still, so she wasn't as bothered as I was.
306
00:20:10.640 --> 00:20:13.400
It was uncomfortable. I would look at my parents for
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00:20:13.480 --> 00:20:17.000
guidance with pale faces. They would nod silently, and I
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00:20:17.079 --> 00:20:21.680
continued in whatever activity were forced into doing. It was
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in the early part of nineteen ninety one when the
310
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next awful thing happened to my family. Tommy pushed the
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00:20:28.599 --> 00:20:32.400
limits once again. I rubbed sleep from my eyes and
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00:20:32.440 --> 00:20:35.359
looked at my racecar clock on the wall. The glow
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00:20:35.440 --> 00:20:38.920
in the dark hands read two am. I could hear
314
00:20:38.960 --> 00:20:41.160
something in the hallway outside of my room. It sounded
315
00:20:41.200 --> 00:20:50.880
like someone crying. It was Tommy. I checked the dark
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00:20:50.880 --> 00:20:52.720
corners of my room to make sure he wasn't there
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00:20:53.119 --> 00:20:55.920
watching me sleep. When I was assured he wasn't, I
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00:20:55.960 --> 00:20:58.480
pulled the covers away and slipped to the floor. I
319
00:20:58.519 --> 00:21:00.519
crept to my door and looked out into the darkness.
320
00:21:01.440 --> 00:21:03.839
I could see a figure standing on the floor by
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00:21:03.839 --> 00:21:07.480
my sister's closed door, a person. I squinted in the
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00:21:07.480 --> 00:21:09.680
black and realized it was my father, with his hands
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00:21:09.680 --> 00:21:15.839
over his face. He was sobbing his back against the wall. Dad,
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00:21:16.039 --> 00:21:19.359
I whispered. My father looked up and immediately showed me
325
00:21:19.400 --> 00:21:22.839
back into my room. I just stood there as my
326
00:21:22.920 --> 00:21:26.079
eyes adjusted to the night. My father's face was a
327
00:21:26.119 --> 00:21:30.640
mess of blood and bruises. Go back to bed, Matt, please,
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00:21:31.200 --> 00:21:34.880
he cried. I took a hesitant step out into the hallway.
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00:21:35.960 --> 00:21:38.720
What happened to your face? What's going on? Did Tommy
330
00:21:38.799 --> 00:21:43.200
do that? My father's eyes went wide and he shushed me. No, no,
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00:21:43.359 --> 00:21:46.599
of course not. Don't say such things. Tommy is a
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00:21:46.720 --> 00:21:51.200
He's here to help us be a better family. I
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00:21:51.240 --> 00:21:53.200
walked closer to my dad and froze. As I passed
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00:21:53.240 --> 00:21:57.640
my sister's door, I could hear muffled cries from inside.
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00:21:57.680 --> 00:22:03.240
I could I could hear fear, Dad, I whispered, pointing
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00:22:03.240 --> 00:22:09.079
to the door, what's wrong with Stephanie. My father wiped
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00:22:09.119 --> 00:22:12.480
a trail of blood from his lips, eyes watering, anguish,
338
00:22:12.519 --> 00:22:16.559
stretching his features, Come here, man, I crawled on to
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his outstretched arms. As something loud banged against the wall
340
00:22:19.839 --> 00:22:23.000
from my sister's room. I jumped and my father curled
341
00:22:23.039 --> 00:22:25.960
me up into his chest. I could feel tears dripping
342
00:22:26.000 --> 00:22:33.039
onto my head as he fought back misery. Tommy's in there,
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00:22:33.119 --> 00:22:38.279
isn't he? He said quietly. My dad stiffled, yes, sir.
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I looked up into his bloody face. What did you do? Dad?
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My dad tried to smile, but his face wouldn't cooperate.
346
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He he wanted to do something with your sister. I
347
00:22:55.359 --> 00:23:02.160
didn't like. I told him no. As he spoke, I
348
00:23:02.200 --> 00:23:04.519
realized I could hear my mother crying from the bedroom.
349
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My dad cupped his hand unt of my chin. We
350
00:23:09.480 --> 00:23:15.240
can't say no to Tommy, okay, remember that? My sister
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screamed from her bedroom. A shrill piercing cry that shook
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00:23:18.599 --> 00:23:23.079
me to my soul. I gripped my father's arm. Why
353
00:23:23.160 --> 00:23:32.799
is he here, I whispered, Why can he just go away?
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My father was silent a moment, and then he lowered
355
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his mouth to my ear. Listen to me, Matt, this
356
00:23:39.440 --> 00:23:44.279
is very important when you grow up, do not have children.
357
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He follows those with children. I shifted in my father's
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arms as something was dragged across the hard wooden floor
359
00:23:54.279 --> 00:23:56.880
from the other side of the wall. My father gritted
360
00:23:56.880 --> 00:23:59.960
his teeth, more tears spilling. We don't know who he
361
00:24:00.160 --> 00:24:02.440
is or what he is. He came to our town
362
00:24:02.480 --> 00:24:04.480
when we were little boys and little girls, just like
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00:24:04.519 --> 00:24:07.440
you and Stephanie. Your mother and I lived two houses
364
00:24:07.480 --> 00:24:14.599
down from one another. Tommy infested our street. I don't
365
00:24:14.640 --> 00:24:19.880
know how he was everywhere. Always he'd be at my house,
366
00:24:19.920 --> 00:24:22.279
but also across the street and also at your mother's,
367
00:24:22.519 --> 00:24:24.880
all at the same time. I don't know what he wants,
368
00:24:24.960 --> 00:24:26.880
what his purpose is. He just showed up one day.
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00:24:28.480 --> 00:24:33.240
He just showed up. He couldn't go away. God knows.
370
00:24:33.400 --> 00:24:40.279
My father tried. Is that how Grandpa died? I asked,
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00:24:41.240 --> 00:24:43.680
I never met my grandpa. I just knew he had
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00:24:43.720 --> 00:24:51.240
died years before I was born. My father nodded, yes, man, Tommy.
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00:24:51.720 --> 00:24:54.400
Tommy had to teach him a lesson. He had to
374
00:24:54.440 --> 00:25:00.799
teach the entire street a lesson after that, after that,
375
00:25:02.960 --> 00:25:06.920
why can't you just just kill him? I whispered, ever
376
00:25:07.000 --> 00:25:11.720
so softly. My father brought his mouth closer to my ear,
377
00:25:11.759 --> 00:25:17.440
his voice barely audible. We tried, We tried everything. We
378
00:25:17.519 --> 00:25:19.720
burned him, we shot him, we caught him into pieces,
379
00:25:19.759 --> 00:25:23.200
but it never worked. He always came back knocking on
380
00:25:23.240 --> 00:25:26.480
our door, and someone, someone had to pay. Someone always
381
00:25:26.559 --> 00:25:29.920
had to pay. If we didn't follow his rules, someone
382
00:25:32.119 --> 00:25:36.279
had to pay. Tommy was our secret. He was our
383
00:25:36.319 --> 00:25:41.160
invisible monster, hidden from the outside world. Deaths were covered up,
384
00:25:41.240 --> 00:25:44.240
abuse was buried under the rug because we knew. We
385
00:25:44.359 --> 00:25:50.039
knew if anyone said a word, Tommy would make it
386
00:25:50.240 --> 00:25:57.279
bad for whoever had to face his punishment. I digested
387
00:25:57.279 --> 00:25:59.279
all this with the understanding of an eight year old.
388
00:26:00.079 --> 00:26:05.000
The only thing I could think of was when is
389
00:26:05.039 --> 00:26:12.039
he going away? My father kissed the top of my hand.
390
00:26:12.880 --> 00:26:16.839
Three more years, the bedroom door suddenly opened and my
391
00:26:16.839 --> 00:26:20.720
father jumped, tumbling me out of his arms. Tommy stood
392
00:26:20.720 --> 00:26:24.839
in the darkness, his face perfectly composed, except he was
393
00:26:24.880 --> 00:26:29.119
breathing hard. His plastic looking face scared me. His two
394
00:26:29.119 --> 00:26:34.920
blue eyes glowing out of the black Tommy jabbed a
395
00:26:34.920 --> 00:26:38.680
thumb over his shoulder at the now silent bedroom. She's
396
00:26:38.720 --> 00:26:49.960
going to sleep like a log tonight, September nineteen ninety three.
397
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We had one year left, one more year. I could
398
00:26:55.880 --> 00:26:59.079
almost see the desperation in my parents' eyes grow every day,
399
00:26:59.119 --> 00:27:02.960
begging the cawnd to advance. We were almost through the nightmare.
400
00:27:03.799 --> 00:27:05.680
I thought a lot about what my father had told
401
00:27:05.720 --> 00:27:09.680
me that horrible night in the hallway. Thought about but
402
00:27:09.759 --> 00:27:11.799
he must have gone through as a child, what he
403
00:27:11.880 --> 00:27:16.640
must have experienced. I wondered how bad things must have
404
00:27:16.640 --> 00:27:20.839
gotten for Tommy to murder my grandfather. I realized now
405
00:27:20.880 --> 00:27:24.240
that despite all the awful things Tommy was doing, my
406
00:27:24.400 --> 00:27:29.200
father's submission was keeping us alive. His agonized silence kept
407
00:27:29.240 --> 00:27:35.400
Tommy's wrath at bay. Looking back, can't imagine the mental
408
00:27:35.440 --> 00:27:42.200
torture he endured during those five years. Stephanie didn't talk
409
00:27:42.319 --> 00:27:45.559
much after that night. In March. I noticed her charismatic
410
00:27:45.559 --> 00:27:51.839
personality declined drastically, and suddenly she was an unsmiling, silent child.
411
00:27:52.680 --> 00:27:54.960
I don't think she understood what happened to hers she
412
00:27:55.079 --> 00:27:59.200
grew up. I think her minds slowly began to build
413
00:27:59.240 --> 00:28:04.279
a wall, locking that night out from her mind's eye.
414
00:28:04.400 --> 00:28:07.000
My mother and father seemed to be extra compliant that
415
00:28:07.079 --> 00:28:12.000
last year. They engaged in Tommy's nighttime lessons with added enthusiasm,
416
00:28:12.079 --> 00:28:15.559
and my mom desperately made sure Stephanie and I reacted
417
00:28:15.559 --> 00:28:19.680
the way that made Tommy happy. But I didn't make
418
00:28:19.680 --> 00:28:24.079
it out unscathed. Tommy was sure to make his mark
419
00:28:24.160 --> 00:28:28.880
on our entire family. I was sitting in my room
420
00:28:28.960 --> 00:28:31.200
with the door closed. It was almost dinner time and
421
00:28:31.240 --> 00:28:34.599
everyone was downstairs getting ready. I could hear Tommy laughing
422
00:28:34.599 --> 00:28:37.880
from the living room. I looked down to the magazine
423
00:28:37.880 --> 00:28:40.039
one of my friends at school had given me. It
424
00:28:40.160 --> 00:28:43.279
was a Playboy. We had poured over the pages at school,
425
00:28:43.279 --> 00:28:47.119
giggling and oggling over the naked women scattered throughout the magazine.
426
00:28:47.400 --> 00:28:49.640
I'd never seen anything like it. It was my first
427
00:28:49.640 --> 00:28:53.119
exposure to that world. Made my heart race in ways
428
00:28:53.119 --> 00:28:57.359
I enjoyed, and I felt something weird but pleasurable stirring
429
00:28:57.359 --> 00:29:00.519
inside of me. I had asked my friends if I
430
00:29:00.519 --> 00:29:03.759
could borrow the magazine, and he had let me. I
431
00:29:03.799 --> 00:29:06.559
adjusted myself in my bed and poured over the nude photos.
432
00:29:06.960 --> 00:29:09.640
Couldn't believe women actually let people take pictures of them
433
00:29:09.680 --> 00:29:12.559
like this. I felt something stir in my crotch as
434
00:29:12.559 --> 00:29:15.559
I turned another page. My heart was racing, and I
435
00:29:15.559 --> 00:29:18.000
felt hot and my cheeks flush. I was on the
436
00:29:18.039 --> 00:29:21.319
last page or I heard something from the doorway. What
437
00:29:21.440 --> 00:29:24.359
you got there, Matt? I put my head up, jumping
438
00:29:24.519 --> 00:29:26.920
the magazine falling to the floor. Tommy was watching me
439
00:29:26.960 --> 00:29:30.519
from the door. I hadn't even heard him open it. Nothing,
440
00:29:30.960 --> 00:29:33.480
I mumbled, snatching the Playboy up and shoving it under
441
00:29:33.480 --> 00:29:40.920
my pillow. Tommy walked over to me. I hadn't heard
442
00:29:40.920 --> 00:29:44.160
you come in, I mumbled, blushing. Tommy reached under my
443
00:29:44.200 --> 00:29:47.680
pillow and pulled out the magazine. It's not nice to lie.
444
00:29:47.799 --> 00:29:50.319
I've told you that. Why were you lying to me, Matt?
445
00:29:51.359 --> 00:29:56.640
I swallowed hard, heart thundering against my ribcage. I'm sorry,
446
00:29:56.920 --> 00:30:01.359
I was I'm I trailed off miserably. As Tommy thumbed
447
00:30:01.359 --> 00:30:05.000
through the pages, he glanced down at me. Do you
448
00:30:05.200 --> 00:30:09.279
like this? I knew I couldn't light at him again.
449
00:30:10.119 --> 00:30:15.079
I nodded my skin flush eyes on the floor. Tommy
450
00:30:15.160 --> 00:30:19.880
smiled gently. It's okay to be scared. Growing up is scary.
451
00:30:20.319 --> 00:30:23.759
You're going to be such a handsome young man. He
452
00:30:23.839 --> 00:30:28.640
stroked my cheek with his other hand. Have you had
453
00:30:28.680 --> 00:30:33.279
your first kiss yet? Tommy suddenly leaned down and kissed me,
454
00:30:33.920 --> 00:30:37.240
his lips engulfing mine. I let out a squeal of
455
00:30:37.279 --> 00:30:39.240
panic as I felt his tongue slip into my mouth,
456
00:30:39.759 --> 00:30:43.200
his grip tightening. His mouth tasted of rotting fruit and
457
00:30:43.240 --> 00:30:47.720
decaying meat, a rush of filth that invaded my taste buds.
458
00:30:49.200 --> 00:30:52.519
I just cried, staring up at him with shocked panic eyes.
459
00:30:54.039 --> 00:30:59.119
Tommy smiled and whispered into my ear. That's okay. He
460
00:30:59.160 --> 00:31:05.079
suddenly sat up, releasing me. Come on, dinner's ready. Shaking,
461
00:31:06.200 --> 00:31:06.960
I wiped.
462
00:31:06.640 --> 00:31:09.440
My face and let him help me off the bed,
463
00:31:11.640 --> 00:31:16.680
and I wasn't hungry.
464
00:31:16.799 --> 00:31:22.519
July nineteen ninety four. As the days marks closer and
465
00:31:22.519 --> 00:31:28.279
closer towards July, my family developed a silent optimism, a
466
00:31:28.400 --> 00:31:32.279
desperate plea to make this all stop, to make it
467
00:31:32.319 --> 00:31:37.079
all go away. My mother and father made sure there
468
00:31:37.119 --> 00:31:40.359
was no reason for any hard lesson. They bent over
469
00:31:40.440 --> 00:31:43.720
backwards for Tommy, begging through clamped teeth that we all
470
00:31:43.839 --> 00:31:48.440
make it to July without another incident. Only July third,
471
00:31:49.039 --> 00:31:55.559
we woke up to find Tommy Taffy. What's gone five
472
00:31:55.680 --> 00:32:00.720
years to the day. We couldn't believe it. He'd simply
473
00:32:00.799 --> 00:32:04.119
vanished overnight. We checked the entire house, my mom weeping
474
00:32:04.160 --> 00:32:07.200
tears of relieved joy that the nightmare was finally over.
475
00:32:08.559 --> 00:32:10.880
Over checking every inch of the house three times over,
476
00:32:10.920 --> 00:32:13.000
we met in the living room, embracing one another as
477
00:32:13.039 --> 00:32:19.279
a family. Tommy had moved on. The sentence was over.
478
00:32:20.519 --> 00:32:22.480
My father called out of work and we went away
479
00:32:22.519 --> 00:32:24.839
for two weeks to the beach. During those two weeks,
480
00:32:24.839 --> 00:32:27.039
I kept expecting to wake up with Tommy standing over
481
00:32:27.119 --> 00:32:30.079
me that horrific smile on his face. But he didn't.
482
00:32:32.440 --> 00:32:37.799
It was over. My parents did their best to rebuild
483
00:32:37.799 --> 00:32:39.839
our family, fill in the cracks that had been made
484
00:32:39.920 --> 00:32:43.319
during those long years, and I love them dearly for it.
485
00:32:45.200 --> 00:32:49.119
Some monsters just can't be forgotten. I don't know what
486
00:32:49.160 --> 00:32:51.519
Tommy Taffy was or where he came from. I don't
487
00:32:51.559 --> 00:32:55.319
think I'll ever know what was his purpose? Why did
488
00:32:55.319 --> 00:32:57.680
he do those awful things to us? I pore over
489
00:32:57.759 --> 00:33:00.440
the possible answers and come my head splits and I
490
00:33:00.480 --> 00:33:06.359
find myself crying. Some memories too much to dig up.
491
00:33:08.240 --> 00:33:12.160
Some things are just left dead in the past. But
492
00:33:12.240 --> 00:33:13.960
I haven't forgotten when my father told me in the
493
00:33:14.000 --> 00:33:20.720
hallway that awful night outside of my sister's room. I'm
494
00:33:20.759 --> 00:33:24.920
thirty three now I've remained unmarried without children. I can't
495
00:33:25.000 --> 00:33:28.160
risk it. I can't risk that monster coming back into
496
00:33:28.160 --> 00:33:31.160
my life. I've never understood why my parents chose to
497
00:33:31.200 --> 00:33:34.279
have kids. They both had been exposed to Tommy during
498
00:33:34.319 --> 00:33:40.359
their childhood, so why oh, I have Stephanie and I.
499
00:33:45.839 --> 00:33:53.599
Maybe they didn't believe he'd come back, but I believe it.
500
00:33:55.799 --> 00:34:06.759
And I'm terrified because you see, yesterday, yesterday, my sister
501
00:34:09.000 --> 00:34:10.159
gave birth to twins.