AGALMATOPHILIA

_-:46:-_

The room is filled with dozens of adult men, drinking, strange smelling cigarettes burning between them as they share a massive rolled smoke, Josh wanders around, self consciously pulling at the bottom of the mini skirt Don had told him to wear.

The men pay no attention to Josh, or the other young boys as they walk around half naked, offering more alcohol to the men, and sometimes Josh would see the children lead men away by their hands.

He knew they were going to work for their food that night, luckily, Josh had not been subjected to any late night working like his fellow peers had, Don drunkenly waltzing up to him from behind, scooping Josh up and swinging him around.

"Everyone! Everyone, I'd like to introduce you to someone very special," Don places the squealing boy atop the table, every eye in the room suddenly focused on Josh.

He pulls his skirt, fiddling with the sleeves of his sweater.

"This is my beautiful doll, Joshua, and he's one of my most valued workers,"
Don beams, patting young Josh atop his curly mess of hair, pulling him closer.

"He's clean looking," one man compliments. "How much?"

Don tongues the inside of his mouth, looking to Josh, then back at the man Josh has never seen before.

"You want to pay for him? Really?"

Josh steps back, almost off the table.

"Ten thousand, two hours," the man smiles, it's not a smile Josh would run towards, he turns to his uncle with pleading eyes.

Josh had never been anything but the little doll, walking around his new home, doing odd chores here and there, Josh didn't think Don would sell him out.

"A quick ten for him? Reasonable, but I was kind of hoping," Don pulls Josh from the table. "More than one would pay for a virgin?"

Josh doesn't understand what's going on, what a virgin is, but he's scared.

The boys he bunked in with had told horror stories of being sold out, how painful and bruised their little bodies had been once returning back to their bunks.

At the word virgin, way more men than Josh expected began to step forward with offers of money.

It becomes so loud and confusing that Josh begins to cry, until a gentle hand cups his chin.

He looks up into green eyes, bottom lip quivering.

"I'm not going to hurt you, little doll," the man assures, Josh believes him, he seems nicer than the rest.

"Then, the brat is sold," Don shoves Josh in the back, sending him flying into the green eyed man.

The man takes Josh's tiny hand, pulling him from the crowd, they begin towards the bunks.

"What's your name, little doll?" The green eyed man asks, an inviting smile on his lips.

Josh stutters out his own name, shivering and crying, the man stops.

"What's wrong?"

"I shouldn't talk to strangers," he mumbles back as a response, the green eyed man shushing him gently.

"I don't think it's strangers you should worry about, perhaps it's the ones closest to you that you should truly be afraid of,"

Within a few months, Josh had been sold out numerous times, the words of a unknowingly violent, yet intriguing stranger, fills Josh's head every day.

He had trusted who he had called an uncle, only to be just like every other kid to him.

Josh begins to seeth, stew in an deep, boiling anger about his treatment, his only friends treatment.

When Josh's tenth birthday is spent naked, trapped under the lard only body of a man he didn't know, Josh knew he had to make a change.

In the quiet of the night, the young Josh gathers all the children he had almost raised, and rushes them towards a broken window, urging they go get the police, an authority figure who could destroy this place.

Once the last boy is through the window, Josh turns, walks then sits upon his bunk, staring blankly at the floor.

He had freed the boys, yes, but he hadn't freed himself, he knew escape, freedom wouldn't be enough.

Young Josh strolls through the hallways, pouring gasoline behind himself, he walks into Don's room, the door creaking open.

Don lifts his head, dreary and sleepy eyed, he stares at the silhouette of a tiny Josh.

"Little doll?" Don rubs his eyes, trying to block out the light invading his room. "What are you doing up?"

Josh only stares, before strolling in, he begins to dump gasoline upon the bed, over Don, over this picture of a naked Josh he kept upon his night stand, Josh drowns everything.

Spluttering, coughing at the strong scent, Don, in his sleep deprived state quietly asks what the young boy was doing.

Josh drops the empty cans of gas, stepping back into the doorway, he swallows a lump in his throat.

"For what you've done, you will burn Don, you will burn forever," Josh flicks a lighter with shaking hands.

"And for the record," Josh raises the lighter high. "My dad didn't miss me at all,"

Soot covered, bare foot, a shivering Josh walks away from the direction of a blazing butcher shop, police, fire brigade and ambulances rush past him, too preoccupied with the fire to notice the child strolling down the street with a hatchet within his tiny hand.

He sees his old house, the toy store, so Josh enters through the back, his feet steady walking up the stairs, the smell of dinner still lingers within the air.

It's the bedroom to the left, his fathers room, that Josh approaches, nudging the door open with his weapon.

His father, asleep, rolls over, barely opening his eyes, he sees Josh standing there, a glinting metal by his hand.

"Josh...?" It's a weak call, before his father sits up. "Joshua?!"

"You didn't come look for me," Josh's reply is cold, sharp, monotone.

"Joshua, I did, I searched every day, I swear I looked, I even went to Don and he said he hadn't seen you, where have you been?"

"With Don," Josh grimaces, twisting the hatchet within his grip, his father still hadn't noticed as he stepped closer. "But you don't have to worry about me ever leaving again,"

His father breathes a sigh of relief.

"I'm here to stay, William,"

His father throws questioning brows in his sons direction.

"And for the record," Josh whispers, his father leaning closer.
"I talked to a lot of strangers, they were better fathers than you."

——
Okay okay so I know I've been dead.
A lots been happening in my life, study, I have a partner now like an actual proper partner like who'dve thunk it right?

But yeah I hope these are okay for you guys, hope there's still people out there...

I'm happy, I'm doing well, no one cares but I'm alive finally.

So yeah, stay alive, stay safe, I love everyone who's been reading this far ❤️