Author’s Note: This is another of my Jane Thompson ‘what if’ stories that’s been hounding me night and day, demanding it be written. The issues within this story are much darker than in any of my previous stories, told by a seventeen-year-old boy who witnessed the horrible treatment of the children by two families, if said children made it known they would not participate in any forced marriage. Reader beware: While what takes place is not told in great detail, it nevertheless can be disturbing. Also, there are flashbacks throughout the story, which may seem a bit confusing at times. ~ Jamie Lee ~

The Webster and Dorman families were first brought together when the oldest son of the Dorman family rescued the oldest daughter of the Webster family. Then two years later, the then oldest son of the Webster family rescued the then oldest daughter of the Dorman family. Love developed between each couple in the ensuing months, which led to marriages when they each turned eighteen. Because the families were brought together by the first two marriages, more love interests developed between the children of the two families, which led to more marriages between the Webster and Dorman families when the children reached their eighteenth birthdays. But a little over one hundred and fifty years later, the then head of the Webster and Dorman families believed everything told of those first marriages to be lies. They were lies because no one married because of love, only opportunity and obligation. So those first two marriages had to have been forced. And it was at that point the love that had blossomed as a result of two rescues, that had brought two families together, was perverted, and a little over one hundred years of hell began for children of the two families. A hell that was Family Punishment for any Webster or Dorman child who failed to comply with The Family Obligation of marriage when they turned eighteen. And love be damned.

Seventeen-year-old Stephen William Webster and his nanny, Better Wilcox, finally blow the whistle after the murder of thirteen-year-old Rachael Dorman because she refused to be forced into a loveless marriage. Stephen and Betty must be hidden because people from the Webster and Dorman families are hunting him, thinking he is running away from a forced marriage. Betty makes contact with three of her former University sorority sisters, and together they formulate plans to hide Stephen at the one place unknown to either the Webster or Dorman families, the Winsome Girls’ School for Wayward Boys. Jane Thompson’s home.

It was a pleasantly warm morning, with the suggestion of a breeze, a clear blue sky, and the sun was between its rising and apex positions. Station workers were busy getting ladened carts into position so their contents could be quickly loaded onto the 10:50 when it arrived; they would then quickly unload everything from the 10:50 destined for the station.

The platform was awash with people, some waiting to board the 10:50 when it arrived, and some waiting for those arriving on the 10:50. Most were standing around by themselves or in small groups, or going in and out of the station. Some were even sitting on the benches placed up against the wall of the station. One man sat alone on one of these benches, his knapsack by his side. Nothing about him wouldn cause anyone to take a second look his way. He was polite when addressed, but otherwise, left alone. Everything about the man had been planned, even the name of Chester Thorton.

He was clean shaven, and his auburn hair and beard were neatly trimmed, both streaked with gray. This they decided would make people think he was in his mid to late 50s or early 60s. His skin was tanned and weathered, hopefully making others think he spent his time exclusively out-of-doors. It was clear his clothing was faded, but clean, so others might think his wardrobe was limited. Even the knapsack beside him showed years of use, with faded and dirt stained canvas and worn straps. His shoes also had the look of being worn for a long time. It had all been planned to make him seem invisible, to hide the seventeen-year-old boy actually under the facade, one Stephen William Webster, the oldest son of the Webster family. He and the oldest Dorman daughter would be forced to marry when both reached their eighteenth birthdays, a marriage, as all the marriages between the Websters and Dormans for a little over the past one hundred years, of The Family Obligation. And love be damned. But running away from a forced marriage wasn’t why he was hiding behind Chester Thorton, his reason was much more serious. His reason was to save his life.

As he sat patiently waiting for the 10:50 to arrive, he constantly scanned the crowd of people on the platform, hoping not to see any of those he knew who were hunting him in order to take him back for Family Punishment, and his death. He and his nanny, Betty Wilcox, were being hunted because the families believed they’d left so Stephen wouldn’t be forced to marry the oldest Dorman daughter when she reached her eighteenth birthday. The families didn’t know the truth, thankfully, that Betty and Stephen had left because Betty had turned over fourteen years worth of videos, on thumb drives, to the one person she trusted in law enforcement, Judge Ruth. They had taken Family business to Outsiders and had broken a family law of never revealing Family business to Outsiders.

A muted air horn, caused by distance, sounded, bringing Chester back to the present. Chester looked at his watch, it was 10:45, same as the clock on the station wall; the 10:50 would be on time. Upon hearing the muted air horn the crowd on the platform started to separate into two groups, those waiting to board the 10:50 and those waiting for those arriving on the 10:50. Even though it would be five minutes until the train arrived, it was enough time for Chester to think back to the day Chester Thorton came into existence, and the look on Betty’s face when she realized who was really sitting and casually talking to Venessa Lancaster, a world renowned makeup artist. The thought made him chuckle to himself.

After Stephen and Betty had witnessed a recent brutal Family Punishment, they started talking when they returned to Stephen’s education room and decided it was time to get the authorities involved, knowing they were breaking the Family Law of no Outsiders being involved in Family Business. During their talk they also realized once their videos had been handed over to a trusted law enforcement person, they could not return to the Webster home or their lives would become extremely short lived. After suffering through Family Punishment.

Stephen watched as Betty took out her cell phone and made a call, all the while wondering who she was talking to and if it was safe talking to that person. To Stephen it all sounded like jibber jabber, but afterwards Betty explained it was a code her Sorority had devised when someone was in trouble and needed help--it kept the University Administration, and others, ignorant of the help that was on its way. Because the Webster and Dorman children were homeschooled, no one thought it strange when Betty made it known she was taking Stephen to the public library so he could do some research on a paper he was writing. And because Betty was now a trusted employee, and had been for over twenty years, no one followed her or tracked her car; Betty had been followed for a short time after she was first hired but that ended after about a month into her employment. She also found tracking devices attached to her car during that period.

After they left the Webster home, carrying the appropriate supplies, Stephen never questioned Betty when she drove right past the public library and to a part of town that housed many of the warehouses in the City. He didn’t question her when she pulled into the parking lot of one warehouse with a sign on the front that read, Vennessa Lancaster. Neither did he question her after they walked inside and the smell of paint, acetone, oldness, and coffee assaulted his nose. He did pay attention when they walked to the back of the warehouse and met a very beautiful woman about Betty’s age.

“Okay, brain dead, what’s with all the cloak and dagger stuff? We haven’t done that since University,” Vennessa Lancaster teasingly asked Betty.

“Brain dead? Who’re you calling brain dead? Who pulled your chestnuts out of the fire for the chem test you didn’t study for? Who pulled that dick off you before he could do any damage--I hurt my hand doing it. Did I get any thanks for that one? Hell no, just your vomit on my brand new shoes. Brain dead, humph!”

Stephen was shocked at the venom in both women’s voices, until he saw the big grins imerge and they locked the other in a huge hug. He knew they were okay when he heard them both say, “Gawd, it’s good to see you again.” Betty introduced Stephen and then the three sat down while Betty filled Venessa in on why she needed her help, without revealing a lot of detail. The less Venessa knew, the less she could tell.

“My gawd, Betty, what the hell kind of family have you gotten involved with, they’re all crazy.”

“Yeah, they are, Venessa, but beggars couldn’t be choosers at the time. Plus, the money was so damn good at the time. And once I got in, I wondered about getting out after many of the things I’d seen. Look, I’m not worried about myself, you and I know we’ve enough Sorority sisters who would pull their eye teeth to help hide me. But it’s Stephen I’m worried about. He can’t go to any other family members because they’d just bring him back. I have an idea where he could go, but right now he needs to be hidden in plain sight. He needs something so if his family is standing right next to him, they won’t recognize him.”

Betty never told Stephen that Venessa was a world renowned makeup artist, a person who’d won numerous awards for her work, and was constantly sought after by the big movie producers.

“Hmm...what did you have in mind, Betty?” Venessa got up and walked over to Stephen, having him stand in front of her. She ran her hands over his face, turned his head this way and that, before saying, “He’d make a very beautiful girl.”

The shocked look on Stephen’s face caused both women to burst out laughing, until Stephen said, in an old man’s voice, “Darling, that ain’t somethin’ you’ll get away with on this ol’ sod.”

After Stephen said that, Venessa looked at Betty and told her, “You know, he does a very good imitation of an older man. Does he do any other voices?”

“Venessa, please, don’t get him started. He once imitated one of the City officials, and got a pothole patched after we hit it in my car, causing him to hit the roof inside when his side of the car dropped into that pothole.”

Venessa laughed before telling Betty, “Well, why don’t you leave Stephen with me, let the two of us talk, and you go do what you need to do. Come back in, say, three hours to pick him up. Sound good?”

“Yeah, sounds real good. That will give me enough time to do what needs doing, and set things up so Stephen can stay safe. So, see you two in three hours.”

Stephen watched as Betty finger waved, turned, and walked out of the warehouse. “Now Stephen, let’s you and me talk,” Venessa told him as she fetched a coffee for herself and water for Stephen.

Three hours later, give or take a few minutes, the front door to Venessa’s warehouse studio opened and in walked Betty. As she walked back to the actual studio, she heard voices, Venessa’s and a man’s voice. An older man’s voice, judging by his intonations and gravelly sound. When she reached the studio she saw Venessa sitting in one chair and the man sitting in another chair of the several nearby.

“Oh, hey, Venessa, I’m sorry to intrude, I didn’t know you had company. But...WHERE IS STEPHEN?”

The conversation between Venessa and the older man stopped when Betty walked into the studio, with Venessa looking like a deer caught in headlights when Betty shouted her question. “Oh my gawd...Stephen...I forgot about him,” Venessa replied in a somewhat panicked voice, drawing Betty’s attention to her so she wouldn’t see the older man trying not to laugh. “Oh my gawd...where’d he go, I got lost in conversation with Mr. Thornton, there, and forgot about him.” Playing her part well, Venessa jumped out of her chair and started racing around first the studio, opening and closing every door there, all the while yelling, “OHMYGAWDOHMYGAWD.” She then ran out of the studio proper and could be heard opening and closing every door outside of the studio. When she came back she sounded very contrite, saying she couldn’t find him anywhere.

Betty’s back was to Mr. Thorton when she heard in a child’s voice, “That is a verwy pwetty dwagon, isn’t it?” Venessa immediately covered her mouth with both hands to stifle the laugh that was trying to escape. As Stephen and Venessa watched, Betty did a slow turn until she was facing Mr. Thorton, and asked in a voice that could cut steel , “What did you just say?” Venessa let out a snicker, despite her hands over her mouth, and Stephen repeated in the child’s voice, “That is a verwy pwetty dwagon, isn’t it?”

By now Venessa could no longer hold back the laughter, and it erupted from her. Seeing the expression on Betty’s face, Stephen joined in, giving a, “Hi Betty,” at one point when he had to take a breath. Both saw the stunned expression on Betty’s face, and watched as her legs started to give way, causing her to start falling backwards. Venessa quickly grabbed a nearby chair and shoved it into the back of Betty’s knees, causing Betty to sit down hard in the chair instead of falling onto the floor on her butt. By now both Stephen and Venessa were laughing with abandonment, both needing to wipe tears off their cheeks several times.

When the laughter died down, Betty, still looking at Chester Thorton, asked, “Stephen, is that really you? This isn’t some con to make me think you’re my Stephen, because Stephen has been caught?” Tears started rolling down Betty’s cheeks, thinking what would happen to Stephen if he’d been taken back to the Webster home. Stephen understood Betty’s reaction and quickly got up out of his chair, and going over to Betty, kneeled before her, took both of her hands in his and told her, “Yes, my sweet Betty, it’s me, Stephen. No one has found me or will find me now.” He held Betty as she cried, her thinking about the horrible things they’d do to Stephen if he was ever caught. Venessa walked over to the pair, and it became a group hug to comfort Betty. Betty was extremely worried about Stephen being kept safe.

A louder blast of an air horn brought Chester out of his rumination, making him see the 10:50 had arrived and was slowly pulling into the station. Those waiting for arrivals backed up toward the station, giving those about to board the train room to get near the edge of the platform. Chester stayed seated and watched, watched those as they got off the train. Hoping none would be any of those hunting him. As the last of those arriving left the train, conductors started checking and punching tickets and allowed people to board.

Chester had chosen a bench that would put him near the door between the fifth and sixth passenger cars when the train arrived. He reasoned that his pursuers might think because he traveled so far, he’d sit close to the dining car, not wanting to walk the distance from the back of the train. But Chester didn’t need the dining car, he never had, as he carried something to eat with him and only had an hour and a half to his final destination. He waited until the line for his chosen door was down to three people before standing, picking up his knapsack, and opening a side pocket to take out his ticket. When it was his turn to show his ticket, he exchanged pleasantries with the conductor, before the conductor checked his ticket, punched it and bid Mr. Thorton a pleasant journey.

The platform was level with the bottom step of the passenger car, so Chester walked onto the train car before actually stepping up into it. Turning right after the second step, he stepped into the fifth passenger car and started looking at the eight seats he had decided to choose. He looked at the far end of the car and saw the first four seats were already taken. He then looked to his immediate right and saw the first two seats also taken. But he was in luck when he looked to his immediate left, and saw both of the first seats empty. Stepping into that row, he opened his knapsack and took out a book, before closing it, placing it in the overhead rack, and sitting down in the window seat. As he looked out of the window, his mind again started drifting back to the events which put everything in motion; though they actually started the day Stephen William Webster was born.

Stephen and Betty’s decision to go to the authorities occurred just after the murder of Rachael Dorman, the thirteen-year-old daughter of the Dormans. Her crime? Making it known she had no intention of going through with t
The Family Obligation of marriage to someone she didn’t love. Tony and Charlotte, her birth parents, tried the usual punishments, groundings, spankings, withholding privileges, to make Rachael change her mind, but none of that worked. She wasn’t going to change her mind. No way in hell was she going to comply. Tony and Charlotte then knew there was only one way to force Rachael to comply, so they notified the Webster family and called both families together.

After the families were called together they met in the basement of the Dorman home, the place in both houses where Family Punishment was conducted. After everyone was assembled, Rachel was dragged down the basement stairs by three young men, almost carried because she had been a witness to Family Punishments and knew what she faced, so was fighting the three young men. While forcefully held by the three young men, her birth father asked her again, “Will you comply with The Family Obligation of marriage when you reach your eighteenth birthday?” Rachael, never the one to mince words, told her ‘father’, “GO TO HELL!”

Rachael’s ‘father’ nodded to the three young men and while one firmly held her, the other two stripped her completely naked; she resisted so fiercely they had to cut her clothes off her. They then dragged her to the apparatus used for Family Punishment and secured her arms and legs to the arms and legs of the apparatus. The apparatus was an articulating device that resembled a giant ‘X’, which articulated through 360 degrees both vertically and horizontally. It was suspended from the ceiling with thick chains that could be moved by ways of tracks in the ceiling. The thick chains holding the bottom also went into tracks that allowed the bottom portion to be positioned as needed.

“Alllll aboard,” broke through Chester’s rumination, as he realized the train was about to leave the station. He felt a slight jar as slack in the couplers was removed by the engines and the train started to move slowly out of the station. He looked out of the window at the ground next to the tracks, and watched as it passed by slowly at first, then became a blur as the train picked up speed. Chester reached up and wiped a tear off his cheeks, as his mind went back to Rachael’s punishment.

After Rachel had been strapped to the apparatus by her wrists and ankles, one of the young men went and stood by the apparatus control panel, his hand resting on the main power switch. As everyone watched the naked girl writh to break free of the bonds, her birth ‘father’ stood before her and asked again, “Rachael, will you now comply with the Family Obligation?” The hatred in Rachael eyes could have cut through solid concrete with ease, but she only shouted in a venomous voice, “YOU GO TO FUCKING HELL!!” The man before her turned and nodded to the young man at the control panel. As everyone watched, he pressed the power button, then moved a lever until the apparatus was two feet off the floor. Operating two more levers, the arms of the apparatus were moved until they pulled Rachael’s arms as far to the left and right as they could without pulling her arms out of their sockets. Rachaels’s screams reverberated around the basement. They intensified as the legs of the apparatus did the same with her legs. No one showed any emotions, as everyone calmly walked back up the basement steps, leaving Rachael to her screams and torment. It was time for their dinner.

Even when the basement door was closed, muffled screams could be heard from Rachael. About an hour into their meal the screams stopped, though muffled moans could be heard. All through the two hour meal, no one ever mentioned Rachael, they acted like it was just another family gathering they were enjoying. There was laughter, jokes, and conversations about this or that investment and what gains were made from them. Not one word about Rachael was spoken until the two hours was up, and then all Tony said was, “It’s time.”

Once everyone was again assembled in the basement, one man stepped out of the crowd and stood before the apparatus control panel. A door opened and the initial three young men came out wearing white robes, taking up positions in front of and behind the apparatus. Tony nodded his head to the man at the controls and the man pressed the power button to reactivate the apparatus. When all was ready, he operated levers which moved the top of the apparatus forward and the bottom backwards. He then operated two more levers which lowered the top portion and raised the lower portion until the entire apparatus, along with Rachael, were a little lower than waist high; Rachael was now positioned face down. Operating one more lever and the lower portion of the apparatus rotated until it was at a ninety degree position, causing Rachael to let out a loud groan. As the group watched, Tony nodded his head and the three young men took up their positions, one in front of Rachael’s legs, one behind them, and the third young man standing in front of Rachael. When Tony nodded again, all three young men dropped their robes, showing they were completely naked and quite aroused. Tony looked at the assembled group before nodding his head again and the three young men started in on assaulting Rachael. And they showed her no mercy.

Anyone watching the video of Rachael’s punishment could see the three young men attacked Rachael for an hour before all three came. Each pulled out of her, picked up their robes and calmly walked backed to the room they initially came from. Those assembled watched as Rachael gagged, vomited, spit, and tried to catch her breath, before the apparatus was maneuvered until it was once again vertical. Tony waited a bit longer, standing off to the side, as Rachael gagged and vomited again before standing before her. Much of what Rachael had expectorated ran down her chest, along with what had been left in her mouth. There also was blood running down both of her legs. Tony stood before his daughter and asked her, “Will you now comply with the Family Obligation?”

The once loving girl no longer had the pretty blue eyes of a happy teen. What replaced them at that very moment was so filled with hate, that if they’d been lasers Tony would have been reduced to tiny fragments. Rachael swallowed several times, trying to get moisture to her throat before she said, “Old man, you better find some other fucking place to sleep. Because when I get out of here I’m going to slit your throat from ear to ear, then cut off your dick and balls and shove them down your throat.”

By this time the three young men had rejoined the group, Rachael’s next words were directed at them. She looked directly at them and said, “And then I’m coming after you three. And when I’m done with you three, none of you will ever shit or fuck again.” She then looked at the rest of the group and told them, “And then I’m coming after everyone of you fuckers. Fucking puppets who blindly follow this fucking pig standing before me. All of you will get yours.”

In both families, eighteen was considered to be an adult. Tony looked at the group, and those family members eighteen and older all nodded their heads. Seeing that, Tony calmly walked over to the control panel, opened a drawer beneath it, took out a revolver, walked back over to Rachael, and calmly shot her in the head. He just as calmly walked back over to the control panel, replaced the revolver in the drawer, closed it, and called the meeting over as he calmly walked back up the basement stairs. No one said a word, there were no tears, as everyone followed Tony back up those stairs.

A swish brought Chester back to the present, as he turned towards the sound. A door between cars had opened, and he saw two young children precede a woman as they came from the fourth passenger car. “William, see if you can find two seats together and one across from them, okay?” The woman told the boy in the lead. “Okay, mom,” he replied, before saying, “Here’s two seats together, mom, and one right here,” he told his mom as he pointed to the two seats and the one opposite them. “Great! You and Cathy take the two seats and I’ll sit in the one seat, okay?” As Chester watched, the two kids turned into the vacant row and sat down, neither arguing over which seat they wanted. Their mom sat down in the single seat opposite them and started introducing herself to the woman sitting in the window seat. Both women started a conversation about their children, as Cathy and William busied themselves getting comfortable in their seats. Chester saw the boy had taken something out of the small pack he carried, and heard him ask his mom, “Want some, mom?” Chester couldn’t see what the boy offered, but his mom took some, thanked him, and offered some to the woman she was sitting with. Chester had turned his gaze back to outside the train when he heard, “OH, WOW! William, look at this.” Chester turned back to watch what had caused Cathy’s excitement, and looking out the other windows, saw a herd of horses grazing in a pasture. Chester looked at both children and saw they were now sharing the window seat, neither making a fuss about being crowded or not being able to see. Had those two been any of the Webster or Dorman children, they would have raised hell about both of those things.

Chester must have felt secure now that he was on the last leg of his journey, because the next thing he heard was, “Ladies and gentlemen, our next stop is Kingston, Road Island. If you’re leaving us there, we hope you’ve had a pleasant trip and hope to see you again. If you’re continuing with us, we will be in station for fifteen minutes. If you leave the train during that time, make sure to place the ‘seat occupied’ card in your seat and have your ticket with you. We hope everyone has a very pleasant day.”

Chester had fallen asleep for the hour and a half the last leg of his journey lasted, and it was a pleasant sleep for a change, not like some he’d had. He felt the train start to slow down and watched as plowed fields and pastures started turning into buildings and homes. As the train started slowly pulling into the Kingston station, Chester caught sight, out of the other windows, of a woman and young girl standing alone at the end of the platform. Once the train completely stopped, Chester stayed seated until he became the last to leave the train from the fifth passenger car. He stood, took his rucksack off the overhead rack, opened it and put his book inside, before stepping into the aisle and following those going out the door he’d entered through. He heard his name called as he stepped onto the platform, seeing it was the woman with the young girl who had called. He didn’t stride as he walked over to the woman with the young girl, but he did carry himself in a manner that fit the image of a man he appeared to be. He stopped a couple of feet in front of the woman and young girl, and said, “Hello, I’m Chester Thorton. You must be Ms. Thompson.”

“Hello, Mr. Thorton. Yes, I’m Ms. Jane Thompson.” Jane extended her hand and Chester did the same, giving Jane a firm handshake. “I was nice of you to come, Mr. Thorton, I’ve had the job open for some time and found it hard to fill. This young lady, by the way, is my ward, Jenny Stevens. Her Aunt and Uncle felt the need to have her taught the finer points of being a young lady. Do you have more luggage to acquire from the station, or have you everything?” Betty had told Stephen Jane knew why he was there, and they were to act like he was seeking employment with Jane. So their conversation had been loud enough for others on the platform to hear.

Chester looked at the pretty young girl before replying, “Hello, Miss Stevens, it’s a pleasure to meet you. And no, ma’am, I have no more luggage. I travel lite.”

When Betty left Stephen in Venessa’s capable hands, she’d arranged to meet Ruth Walinkiewicz at a place Ruth felt was secure enough that Betty could tell her why they were meeting after such a long time. Like Venessa, Ruth and Jane were old Sorority sisters of Betty’s, so Betty knew she could trust Ruth and Jane to not only do the right thing, but keep things to themselves.