Janet Dugan noticed that the clock behind the bar read 7:38. She checked her watch for confirmation. Eight minutes late. So, he wasn't prompt. But at least he wasn't over-anxious. No need to panic yet.



"Buy ya a drink, pretty lady?"



Janet turned to face a bearded man of about forty with a baseball cap on his head and a Budweiser in his hand.



"Thanks, but I'm waiting for someone."



"An' here I thought you was waitin' for me."



"Sorry", Janet muttered, smiling nervously as she turned back to her Diet Coke. The man remained standing behind her for a few more seconds, then shrugged his shoulders and went back to where his buddies were shooting pool. Janet heard his friends razzing him in the background and she couldn't help but feel a little sorry for him. It must be hard for a man to approach a woman in a bar, or anywhere for that matter, she summized. They always try so hard not to show their insecurities that they come off sounding cocky and obnoxious - which more than anything else is probably the reason their fear of rejection is so often realized.



Listen to me, Janet scolded herself. I sound like I'm an expert on the mating ritual and I haven't even been laid for close to a year. Ever since she'd broken up with Alan ten months ago, Janet had been searching desperately for a replacement. She was lonely, but she didn't want to settle for just anyone. Not that she was Michelle Pfieffer or anything. Her thin, shoulder length brown hair, small hazel eyes and long, pointy nose made her rate herself about a 6 1/2. But she had a pretty nice figure if big boobs and long legs weren't a pre-requisite. She was petite, occasionally called cute, but nothing special. And as an Administrative Assistant for a Fiber Optics Company, with practically no family or friends to speak of, Janet didn't feel her life was interesting enough to attract too many men. She was truly beginning to feel like a loser. Which, she figured, was probably why she had answered a personal ad in the first place. She had felt confident in her decision to plunge into " 90's style dating" at the time, but now, she was starting to worry - not about putting herself in an uncomfortable, or even dangerous situation, but about being stood up.



It was 7:53 now and still no sign of him. She was wearing the dark red suit and black and red scarf she had told him about over the phone. She had described herself to a tee. There was no way he could miss her, unless...unless he already came in, didn't like what he saw and took off. God, how humiliating that would be! But he wasn't even a half an hour late. She refused to let her mind run away with rejection fantasies until he was at least an hour late. But she wouldn't wait more than an hour. She promised herself that. Anything later than an hour definitely counted as being stood up.



Janet took another half-hearted sip of her Diet Coke, then decided to go to the ladies room for a lipstick touch-up and a change of scenery. When she entered the cramped, disordered restroom she went straight to the mirror and began to study herself under the fluorescent lights. She smirked and shook her head, in sync with the toilet she heard being flushed in the stall directly behind her.



Janet watched as a beautiful, young blonde emerged, wearing tight stone washed jeans and a fuzzy pink sweater. Janet scooted her purse over so the woman would have room to wash up. The blonde smiled politely as she ran her silky hands under the water, while Janet brushed her mousy hair and compared their appearances.



Now there's a woman who's never been stood up in her life, Janet figured. She checked her watch again and after seeing that the stand-up deadline was looming close, she decided to pack it in and go home.



But the moment Janet left the bar and stepped onto the sidewalk, she heard a man's voice call out her name. Her heart fluttered with anticipation as she spun around.



"I'm so sorry I'm late, Janet. I mean, you are Janet, right?"



Janet nodded dumbly as she looked down into the eyes of her almost too-late date. But she couldn't focus on his eyes. All she could see was the wheelchair he was seated in, and the stumpy half legs that grotesquely rested there. Shaun extended his arm.



"I'm Shaun Burke. It's great to finally meet you."



Janet shook his hand, looking straight down at the pavement, and mumbled that it was nice to meet him too. She was in shock. Shaun hadn't mentioned a word about his disability on the phone.



As if reading her mind, the man in the wheelchair explained, "I know you're freaked out by my 'condition', and I'm sorry I didn't tell you about it on the phone, but I was afraid you'd never agree to meet with me. I don't know, maybe I'm crazy, but I figured that once you met me and got to know me, you might be able to overlook my...handicap. What do you think Janet? Are you willing to give it a shot?"



Janet smiled calmly as her thoughts raced around her brain. This man wasn't asking her to overlook bad teeth or a receding hairline. This man had no legs! But God, was she really such an unfeeling shrew that she couldn't even give him a chance? She never thought of herself that way, so why was she reacting so unkindly? And he did seem perfectly charming - and actually quite handsome...from the waist up. Oh God, why hadn't she left the bar five minutes earlier? She swallowed. "Shaun, I would be happy to get to know you better. Would you like to go back inside?"



Relief brushed across Shaun's face as she spoke the words. But as Janet made a move to open the door for him, he made a quick suggestion. "You know, it's such a beautiful night. What do you say we 'stroll and roll' over to Blendon Park instead of suffocating in a smoky, old bar?"



The idea was fine with Janet. She'd been humiliated enough inside that bar, with everyone thinking she'd been stood up. Now, if she were to walk back in with this...this poor man as her date, well, the fact was she would feel more comfortable going to the park as Shaun suggested.



The walk to the park was laden with small talk and strained silences. The walk through the park was somewhat more engaging.



"So how did you get here, anyway?" Janet asked as she walked along side Shaun's electric wheelchair past other, more "normal" park couples.

"My brother", Shaun replied with an unmistakeable tinge of disgust in his voice. "That's why I'm late. He was supposed to drop me off an hour earlier, but he was too busy tuning up his corvette to leave on time."



"You came in a Corvette?"



"No, that's one of Craig's many cars. He brought me in the 'crip mobile', as he calls it. I call it a van."



"God, that's terrible...I mean, what he calls it. I take it you and your brother aren't exactly the best of friends."



"Yeah, I guess you could say that. Here, why don't you sit down on this bench, so we can talk eye to eye." Shaun brought his wheelchair to a halt and Janet sat down.



"I hope you don't mind me asking", Janet said tentatively, "but how did this...I mean how did you..."



"How did I become a freak?"



"That's not what I meant"



"No, it's okay. It was an accident that happened a long time ago. I really don't like to talk about it. Maybe once we get to know each other better...I mean, if you think we could see each other again..."



Janet scanned the handsome features of the man sitting opposite her. He had striking blue eyes that were enhanced even more by the blackness of his eyelashes and brows. He had a perfectly chisled nose and soft, full lips that still seemed somehow masculine. And his thick, black hair was more than just a little enticing. If only he were....If only he weren't disabled. Of course, if he had two normal legs, he'd be way out of her league and wouldn't even be talking to her right now. Maybe she should get to know him better.



"I'd like to see you again", she half-whispered, staring at the ground on the verge of blushing. "But we've still got the rest of the evening to get better acquainted."



"Actually, I'm afraid we don't. My brother's supposed to be back at 9:30 to pick me up. It's my grandmother's 75th birthday and we're having kind of a party for her, so I've got to get back."



"Oh, okay. Is he picking you up at the bar?"



"Yup. Feel like escorting me back?"



"Absolutely."



Throughout their brief stroll, Janet began to feel like a TV interviewer, asking question after question about Shaun's background, his interests, his family. Most of his answers were unnervingly vague, but she figured, like most men, he just didn't like to talk about himself. They arrived in front of the bar at 9:36.



"I guess he's not here yet", Janet commented as she noticed there were no vans parked nearby. "Would you like me to wait with you?"



"What time is it?"



When Janet informed Shaun that it was past 9:30, a dark scowl creased his face.



"Why, what's wrong?"



"Maybe nothing. It's just that my brother is the asshole of all assholes and if he pulled up here at 9:30 and I wasn't here, there's a good chance..."



"You mean he'd just leave you here?"



"In a heartbeat. But look, Janet, I'll be all right. You go on home. I'll give you a call later this week."



"I can't just leave you here. Are you sure he's not going to show up?"



"No, of course I'm not sure. He could just be running late. Trying to predict what Craig is going to do is like trying to predict the lottery numbers."



"Well, why don't I wait with you for a little while, and if he doesn't come, well, we'll figure something out."



"That's very sweet of you, Janet. I'd appreciate it, thanks."



Twenty more minutes passed with no sign of Craig, and Shaun was becoming noticably agitated. And, of course, Janet was not overly thrilled with the situation either. Her feet were starting to ache and she was running out of small talk. Finally, she insisted on giving him a ride home. "We can fold up your wheelchair and put it in the back", she suggested, "after all, you can't miss your grandmother's 75th birthday party. That's a real milestone."



He half-heartedly agreed, and the two of them got into her '94 Ford Tempo.



"You're going to have give me directions", Janet commented as they pulled onto the street. "I know you said you live near Briarwood, but I'm not real familiar with that area. In fact, I've always been embarassed to drive through there in my piece of crap car...all those Mercedes and Cadillacs. Your family must do very well."



"Well enough".



"So, you're 24...are you going to get your own place someday, or is living together some kind of family tradition or something?"



"The latter. And one of many. Oh...turn left on that road right there."



Janet followed Shaun's directions through a long woodsy stretch that was much further outside of Briarwood than she had anticipated. After awhile she began to wonder if she'd ever find her way back home again. And, she began to wonder if Shaun's family was really as wealthy as he had implied. As far as they had driven past Briarwood now, she was sure she'd be dropping her date off in an old log cabin. Not that whether or not he had money was important. She just didn't like her mental pictures of things being disrupted.



After about 10 more minutes of driving in silence, Shaun instructed Janet to turn left and pull up in front of an ominous iron gate. He asked her to press the buzzer. A recipricol buzzing sound responded and Janet moved her car slowly through the opening. As the gate doors spread evenly apart, an image of St. Peter flashed through Janet's mind; this was almost exactly like the scene she'd imagined when she had pictured what getting into heaven would be like. Of course, she doubted that in heaven, the gates squeaked this badly.



It was at least another quarter mile before they reached the house - if you could call it a house. It looked more like a castle that had been neglected by its king. It was huge and ominous...regal yet uncared for...gray, and scary in the night. She loved it and dreaded it in the same emotion.



As Janet was helping Shaun out of the car and into his wheelchair, she felt a sprinkle of rain splash her nose. "Great, just what I need", she muttered, then said to Shaun, "I think you better draw me a map on how to get back out of here. Now that it's starting to rain, I'm really gonna have trouble."



"I feel so bad about this, Janet. Making you come all the way out here. Let me make it up to you. Why don't you come inside and have dinner with me and my family."



"Oh, no thanks. I had dinner before I even went to the bar. And besides, I really should be getting home."



"What's your hurry? C'mon on in and at least meet my family. Then you can decide if you want to stay."



"Won't your grandmother be upset that a stranger has invaded her birthday party?"



"First of all, you're not a stranger to me. Not completely anyway. And besides, that old bat's so senile, she probably won't be able to tell you from one of her own grandkids."



"Shaun, I can't believe you would talk about your own grandmother that way!"



"Just stating the obvious. Come on, let's go inside"



Before she could answer or object, Shaun's wheelchair was zipping toward the front door and Janet felt she had no choice but to follow him.



When Shaun attempted to open the door, he realized it was locked, and began pounding on the it with an open hand. When the door finally opened, Janet saw a tall, scruffy man with long, brown, stringy hair and an unshaven face that seemed to bear a permanent scowl. The man look down at Shaun, half snorted, then simply walk away. As Shaun wheeled himself through the open door, he tilted his head back toward Janet and whispered, "That's my brother, Craig."



She whispered back, "Guess he's not too sorry about leaving you stranded."



"Guess not.", Shaun said aloud, making those words the beginning of his vociferous announcement. "Everyone, I'd like you to meet my date, Janet Dugan. Janet, this is everyone."



Janet stood cold and still with a polite smile freezer burned to her face. Warmth, however, radiated from at least half of Shaun's family as they rose from their living room seating.



"How wonderful to meet you, dear" was the first of the vocal greetings that besieged her. It came from an older woman who must have been the grandmother. She introduced herself as Babs.



"Lovely to meet you too", Janet managed to say as she shook the woman's liver-spotted hand.



"I'm Jocelyn", announced the voice of small, strikingly beautiful dark haired little girl. "And this is my mom, Leona. She doesn't talk much."



The frumpy, wire haired woman that Jocelyn had motioned to forced a slight grin, then averted her eyes to the floor.



"And the grouchy old fools who don't even have the decency to rise and meet their guests", Babs crowed as she eyed the men sitting rock-like in their respective comfort zones, "is my son-in-law, Elijah - he's married to my lovely daughter Leona, whom you just met; my grandson Craig - I believe he's the one who let you in the door; Of course you know Shaun. And the obnoxiously rude teenager sitting there with the headphones is my third grandson, Casey. Does that take care of all the introductions? Good. Now let's get my party started. At my age, I could drop dead before I blow out the candles. You are going to stay for dinner, aren't you dear?"



"Well, I..."



"Oh sure you are, come on over and sit down. Craig, get Janet a chair from the parlor." Babs led Janet toward the dining table and Craig sauntered away, grumbling, but quickly returned with a chair. A wheelchair.



"What the hell is that for, Craig?", Shaun angrily asked his brother.



"It's a chair. What does it look like, freak?"



"Well, she's not going to sit in that. Go get her a regular chair."



"Fuck you. It's a chair. She can sit in it. What the hell's the difference?"



The rest of the family watched the scene like it was a spirited tennis match, and Janet was growing increasingly uncomfortable. She didn't want this argument to continue, and since the fight was about her, she felt compelled to say something. "Shaun, really, this chair is fine. As Craig says, a chair's a chair. I don't mind at all. Really."



Craig smiled at Shaun. Shaun glared back at Craig. And silently everyone shuffled to their respective places at the dining table. There was a large, silver tray in the center of the table, the lid still securely on top. Curiously, there was already an extra place set for Janet...or for someone. They couldn't have known she was coming could they? Before she had time to ponder the question, Babs stood up to make a toast.



"To my 75th birthday!", she announced, raising her glass of wine. And to my lovely family and it's newest member.", she cackled while staring straight at Janet. Which also made everyone else stare at her. But before Janet could even attempt to respond, glasses were clinking and bottoms were up. Shaun reached over, touched Janet's knee and whispered "See, I told you the old bat was senile."



"I heard that young man!", Babs screeched. "And my mind is as good as my hearing." Laughter erupted, and Janet felt that the rocky course of the evening had finally hit a small patch of easiness.



Leona served everyone their salads in silence, and while they ate, Janet focused on the silver tray in the center of the table. Whatever it is must be getting cold by now, she thought to herself. Not that it mattered much, since she had already eaten her dinner hours ago. But since she'd probably have to take a few polite bites, she hoped it was something light. She was having enough trouble finishing her salad. Of course, no one else at the table seemed to be having any trouble finishing. When Janet looked up from her plate, which still contained several pieces of lettuce and a cherry tomato, she swallowed hard. All eyes were on her, and every plate was as clean as if it had just come out of the dishwasher.



"Aren't you going to finish your salad dear?" came the syrupy voice of Babs from the head of the table. Everyone waited for her answer.



"Actually, I think I'm finished", Janet said meekly. "I want to make sure I have room for the main course". At her last sentence, several pairs of laughing eyes shot knowing looks across the table, and Janet was sure she heard snickers coming from Craig and Casey.



"Really, dear", Babs scolded in Janet's direction, "you shouldn't let good food go to waste. There are lots of starving people in the world ya know. Now go ahead, dear, clean your plate."



Janet could feel herself blushing, much like she used to do when her mother would threaten to spank her in front of her friends. She looked to Shaun for some sort of help or support, but he quickly looked away. Everyone at the table was just sitting there, in silence, waiting for her to finish her salad like a good little girl. 'Uncomfortable' couldn't even begin to describe how Janet felt. But she didn't want to offend anyone. Or make a scene. So carefully and awkwardly, Janet picked up her fork, stabbed a piece of lettuce and put it in her mouth while everyone watched. And smiled. And eventually, applauded when the task at hand was complete.



"Good girl", Babs soothed, "Now, Leona, clear the table."



The dowdy, forty-something woman rose without speaking, and followed her mother's orders. There was no small talk, and no offer to help the woman with her chore; Just seven intense faces staring down at the empty spaces where their plates had been. Janet wanted to offer to help Leona, but she was afraid to bring any more attention to herself. So she just sat their in silence with the rest of the "party-goers".



Janet hazily watched Leona return from the pantry with a stack of empty dinner plates, which she carefully set in front of each individual. She then took her place at the table.



Janet did her best to focus her attention on Babs, who was now making another announcement. But the statements seemed to bounce off Janet as if she were wearing a word-proof vest. She was feeling strange. She wasn't just feeling awkward anymore, she was feeling lightheaded. Almost tipsy. What was Babs saying?

" ...Thank you, Oh Lord for bringing us Janet on this very special night. And thank you for this sumptuous meal, laden with painstaking preparation, for which we are about to partake."



Janet was feeling disturblingly dizzy, but she still managed to mutter an "Amen" at the closing of the prayer. To her surprise, however, she was the only one at the table who did. She could have sworn she'd heard the others say "Hail Him" But maybe she just wasn't hearing right. She was beginning to feel her salad dressing rising in her stomach.



She leaned over the left wheel of her chair, to Shaun."I'm really feeling sick", she whispered in his ear. "I think I need to get some fresh air." Her plan, of course, was to get to her car and race home without ever looking back. The strangeness of her date and the bizarreness of Shaun's family were just too much to deal with. Especially when she was feeling more nasueous by the minute. But Shaun wasn't willing to let her go so easily.



He didn't whisper his response. "Janet please don't disappoint my family. Look how happy they are to have you here." Janet looked around the table. The only one smiling was Babs, and it was a mawkish smile, but Janet still had the odd sense that the others would be upset if she left. And Shaun was practically pleading, "Can't you please just stay for the main course?"



Janet glanced again at the ominous sliver tray in the center of the table. She couldn't even begin to think about food at this point, and her generosity was at its limit. She would have politely excused herself right then and gone home, but she was worried she wouldn't be able to drive in her faint condition.

Besides the rain was still coming down in buckets and she wasn't even sure of her way back. "Alright. I'll stay for dinner.", she relented. "But then, I really do have to go."



Everyone looked abundantly relieved, including Shawn. Babs was so elated, she literally let out a "Yipee!"; Right before she said, "Leona, please serve the main course"...and Leona lifted the lid from the silver tray.







Janet stared blankly at the center of the table. She was immediately overcome with nausea, so bad that she literally tossed her salad right there on the dining room table. She felt so dizzy and so sick. Could she really have seen what she thought she saw on that tray? Her face was submerged in her own vomit and she felt herself starting to cry. She was so afraid to lift her head again. To see that...atrocity again. But she had to. She had to be sure she wasn't hallucinating. She had to be hallucinating, didn't she? Slowly Janet lifted her head, to reveal an inextricable face stained with vomit and tears. She barely heard the laughter of her hosts.



"Oh, God"! The words spewed from Janet's mouth as if she were spitting a bug from her tongue. She hadn't imagined anything. Lying on the tray in front of her was exactly what she thought she had seen: a baby. A dead, decaying, hideous baby with peeling skin, exposed bones and the most vile thing of all, a rotten apple shoved heinously inside its mouth.



"Hail Him! Hail Him" The unrelenting chants seemed miles away. Everything was fuzzy and the room was beginning to spin. Faster and faster. And then she passed out.



'You gave her too much", Babs scolded, pinching Leona's arm.



"At least she didn't give her the wrong salad plate", teenage Casey piped in. Remember when mom was supposed to give that red-headed chick the chipped plate but she screwed up and gave it to Craig? That was so funny watching him puke and...."



"Silence!" The command came from Elijah. "It's time. Let's get her down to the cellar."



"But she's passed out", Craig said anxiously. "Don't you want her to be awake for the ceremony?"



"She'll be awake", assured Shaun as he wheeled away from the table. She's number 13. She's the final offering. We can't let her sleep through the festivities."



"Well that's a good boy, Shaun", Babs encouraged. "I'm glad you no longer feel sorry for our breeders."



"That was only one time" Shaun reminded her. "And I didn't feel sorry for her. I loved her."



Everyone, including little Jocelyn, errupted with laugher. Until Babs spoke: "Just don't try to help this one escape or your legs won't be the only thing Craig cuts off."







The rancid taste of decaying flesh brought Janet out of her mini-coma. Somebody was shoving something into her mouth...something horrible. Her wrists and her ankles ached and she could barely focus her eyes. Who? Who was doing this to her? Why?



As her vision began to clear, Janet focused in on the face of Shaun. What was he doing? Why was he putting food in her mouth and then forcing her to chew and swallow? She let out a moan.



"Welcome back, beautiful", Shaun said as he carved another piece of meat and shoved it toward the back of Janet's throat.



A croaky "what" was all Janet could manage to utter as she gagged on the lump of gristle that was inching its way down her esophagus.



" What , what? What am I feeding you?", Shaun asked mockingly. "You know what I'm feeding you, Janet. You saw it on the tray."



It took less than a second for Janet to make the connection and she choked hard on her realization. After weakly struggling to get up, she discovered the hard way that her wrists were chained to a dark, damp wall and her ankles were chained to a dark, damp floor.



"There, there, Janet. It's okay. You're not going anywhere." Shaun spoke to her soothingly as he cut another piece of baby steak. "And don't worry, you don't have to eat the whole thing. Just enough to consecrate our seeds."



It was at that moment Janet realized it wasn't just her arms and ankles that were sore. "What...What did you do to me?" she asked pitifully .



"Oh nothing we don't do to all of our breeders. Of course, they've always been awake to enjoy it before. But my idiot mother gave you too much "fairy dust" and you just wouldn't wake up. We slapped you, we screamed bloody murder in your ear, we tried everything. But you were out like a light. And we had to make sure you were inseminated before midnight, so I guess you just missed out on all the fun. Are you mad?"



Janet's head was spinning violently. " Who is "We"?"



"You know, me, Craig, Casey and Elijah. We've been waiting a long time for you, Janet."



"You...you raped me? All of you?"



"Now c'mon, Janet. Rape's a harsh word. We were simply performing the necessary duties to please our master. And now everything is as it should be. So don't you worry, beautiful. Everything will work out according to HIS plan. Now c'mon, eat up."



This time, when Shaun shoved another piece of rancid baby flesh into Janet's dry mouth, she spit it right back in his face. That's when she felt painful 'whap' that seem to pierce her jaw and make the entire left side of her head vibrate. It was the first blow of many.







Janet spent the next eight months chained down like an animal in Shaun's basement. She rarely saw anyone but Shaun. He fed her and sponge-bathed her and cracked her upside the head on a regular basis. Not once did he let her out of her chains. At times, she was forced to wallow in her own excrement for weeks. She thought sometimes about the life she knew before, and how she had taken it so much for granted. She thought about her mother, her only real family, who must be going out of her mind wondering how her precious daughter could have simply disappeared off the face of the earth. She wondered how her mother was doing, and about her friend Nikki, and the guys at the office. Somehow she knew that those things would never be a part of her life again. The only life she knew now was that of undending torture and unmitigated pain.



For months, Shaun had had been Janet's only source of information. When she would hear the creaky noises of the basement elevator, her heart would always be mixed with both relief and dread; Relief because she might get fed or even cleaned up. Dread, for what else Shaun might do to her.



Every once in a while, Janet would catch a glimpse of little Jocelyn peeking at her from behind a crack in the wall. But whenever Janet tried to speak to the child, she ran away. Janet felt nothing but disdain for Shaun and his twisted clan, but she couldn't help but feel sorry for Jocelyn. What kind of monster were these people raising her to be? And what about her own child...the child that was growing inside her. Was he destined to be a monster as well?