The Demon in the Doll

Chapter 1

Hello. My name is Buddy Griner, and I guess you stopped by to hear my life story. You probably want to know how everything got so fucked up.

Well, it all began on a normal Saturday night. It was late August, and the start of school was right around the corner. I was at the kitchen table eating fried chicken with Wanda Griner and June Griner. Wanda was my birth mother. I had come out of her vagina roughly sixteen years ago. She now worked at a funeral home as a receptionist/secretary.

June was my second mother. She was a professor at the local university. In fact, she was the head of the gender-studies department. All the other professors thought she was a big deal. They were always laughing at her jokes and stroking her cock whenever she said something the least bit witty.

I never learned about my actual dad. His sperm came from a test tube. But I figured that he must have suffered from acne. Because I certainly had a bad case of it. It was on my face and back and chest. I was a fucking mess. The kids used to make fun of me. They said that I was so ugly that I couldn't even get laid in a whorehouse. I laughed along with everybody else, but it kind of hurt...if the truth be known.

Anyway, I used to eat a hell of a lot. On this particular evening, I had already devoured my fifth piece of chicken when I asked for another drumstick.

Wanda ruffled my hair. "You're always so hungry. It's like trying to feed a black hole."

June rolled her eyes. "He needs to get a goddamn job. It's time he learned how to contribute to the family."

"But he's too young. He should concentrate on his studies."

June sighed heavily. "Concentrate on his studies? This boy is the C-minus posterchild." She turned her angry gaze on me. "You have a terminal case of white privilege. If you were black or Hispanic, you'd be slaving away in some fast-food shithole. So what makes you so special?"

I shrugged. "I'd love to make a few extra bucks. No big deal to me. I certainly prefer work to studying."

Wanda said, "But what about your future?"

I shrugged again. "I've got a funny feeling that I'm simply not university material."

June cackled like a witch. "You can say that again!"

Wanda handed me a piece of chicken and patted me on the back. "This is a tough world. What are you going to do without an education?"

I said, "You never went to college."

June said, "But your mom had beauty. All the men couldn't keep their hands off her."

"What do you mean had beauty? I can still turn a few heads."

I changed the subject. "I'm thinking about joining the Army. Then again, I might become a truck driver. I haven't made up my mind just yet."

June said, "Those are solid ideas, and there is nothing wrong with honest work. University isn't for everybody."

"So it's settled. I'll never be a college boy." I whistled through my teeth. "Thank Christ! That's a big load off my mind."

Wanda handed me a piece of chicken and punched me on the arm.

June said, "What has your dermatologist been saying?"

I said, "How do you mean?"

June said, "Well, you've been seeing him for well over a month, but I haven't witnessed any real changes in your complexion. You're still covered with zits and boils."

As you can gather by now, June was always a bit of a bitch. But I didn't hold it against her. Some people simply have no manners. They just say the first thing that pops into their head.

"The doctor says that he's going to move me off of antibiotics next week."

"What does that mean? Is he giving up on you? Is the case that severe?"

"No. He's putting me on the heavy-duty artillery."

"Can you speak more plainly? I'm still not following you."

"The antibiotics aren't very effective. So he's giving me something called Accutane. It's for the stubborn cases. He says it's going to dry my skin out and give me a permanent case of chapped lips."

"Permanent? You mean forever?"

I shook my head. "Not forever. Just for the time I'm on the pills. I'll return to normal when I stop taking them."

She sighed heavily. "That's not what permanent means. The definition of permanent is literally forever."

I grinned at her. "Don't hold me to such high standards. I already told you that I'm not university material."

She poured herself a large glass of wine. "Vocabulary was never your strong suit. Nor were you ever good at math. I still remember weeping when I saw your standardized test scores. But you're as strong as a horse. A regular Samson."

I made a muscle and kissed my bicep. "It's my best quality. Plus I can run like the wind."

Wanda frowned. "You're hitting the alcohol pretty hard tonight, professor. You've already had six cans of beer."

"That's right. I've had six cans of beer. And now I'm going to drink a bottle of wine. Is that OK with you, Mommy? After all, it's Saturday fucking night. Is there a law against having fun? Do I ever try to stop you from smoking your weed and enjoying your pain meds?"

"I'm just bringing it to your attention."

"Duly noted, senator."

"No need to get all sarcastic."

"But I like being sarcastic. It's still a free country, isn't it?"

Wanda changed the subject and put her hand on my arm. "I think you're very handsome, and in a couple of years, the girls are really going to notice how special you are. Just be patient."

"Don't hold your breath, kid."

"June! Be nice."

I smiled at Wanda. "That's OK. I like Mom J's sense of humor. She always makes me laugh."

That's what I called my mothers—Mom W and Mom J. And back then, I felt love for them both...in my own way. But like I said, shit got all fucked up.