Cruel Justice

40

WHY DID IT ALWAYS happen like this? Sam thought. Why were the little boys always so mean, so unappreciative in the end? Didn’t they know he loved them? Didn’t they know all he wanted was to take care of them, to share something wonderful with them? Couldn’t they see that?

He pinned Abie against the door. He pressed his hand firmly against Abie’s chest, then leaned forward and immersed his face in Abie’s hair. Oh God! He smelled so delicious! So intoxicating! He loved this boy so much.

“I’ll give you one last chance to be good, Abie. Won’t you play with me?”

“No!” Abie screamed, tears in his eyes. “I don’t want anything to do with you. I want to go home!”

Sam reared back his hand and slapped the boy across the face, even harder than before. He grabbed Abie and pounded him against the door. “I was so good to you. I gave you everything you wanted. And how do you repay me? How?” He squeezed Abie so tightly his fingers left impressions on the boy’s skin, then pounded him against the door again and again.

“You’re hurtin’ me!” Abie cried.

“I’ll do worse than that.” He took his free hand and clamped it around the little boy’s throat. Abie gasped, but too late. He couldn’t get any air.

“I don’t want to do this, Abie. I truly don’t,” Sam said as he squeezed even tighter. “But you’ve left me no choice. You’re no use to me when you act like this. No use at all.” He pressed his thumb down against Abie’s larynx while tightening his chokehold.

Why did it always have to end this way? It could have been beautiful. They could have trusted one another—

But no. Abie had proven he couldn’t be trusted, just like the boy in the park, and the boy at the mall, and all the others. He couldn’t take the chance of their escaping once they made it clear they would talk.

They had to die.

Gritting his teeth, he squeezed even harder. Abie’s face was turning blue, and he no longer appeared to be breathing. It would be only a few more seconds now. …