Three Fingered Willie

When the rescuers finally entered the ward, all but one cell was intact."

"Oh no!" the nurses cried out, "Not him!" Stan parodied in a falsetto voice.

"The cell that was torn open and exposed to the elements was Willie's cell, 3 fingered Willie, and he was gone!"

Scowling down at the children, Stan asked, "Do you know how Willie got his name?"

poor family. His father was a drunk and his mother was taken by small pox. The boy and his brother Ben were never really loved. Neither of them ever got more than a mouthful to eat from the old drunk. One day, half out of their minds with hunger, they went by old man Webs place. He raised chickens and sold them at the local market. Well, Willie and Ben snuck in to the hen house and tried to make off with one of Webs finest fouls. The chickens all started squawking and woke old Web. Web ran out in nothing but his overalls and grabbed the big axe he kept in the tree stump by the barn. The same axe he used to cut the heads off the hens before they went to market. Ben just wouldn't let go of the only meal he and his brother had had in days and he froze in panic when old Web cornered him by the barbed wire fence. Willie was half way through the needle sharp fence and he begged his brother to drop the bird and run, but Ben just stood there. Old Web was crazy and he swung the ax and left Ben bleeding on the ground. Willie tried to squirm free of the wire fence, he knew he was next.

'I'll teach you to steal my hens!' old Web bellowed, now mad with hate.

"Willie struggled to free himself from the fence, but his shirtsleeve was caught tight on the sharp metal. One last swoop of the ax hit Willies hand, and cut off his thumb "and forefinger. There they lay in the dirt next to his brother's body. Willie's screams could be heard for miles as he ran into the woods holding his bludgeoned hand."

"Willie wandered the woods for days like a zombie until the sheriff got hold of him. He was in shock, babbling and failing something fierce from the blood loss. No one was able to calm him down. When the sheriff went to find Willie's dad, the rickety shack they had lived in was empty and not a thing was left. Now, totally abandoned, they had no choice but to commit the poor boy. They were never able to find out what happened Web surely wasn't talking and Willie was mad as a jester. He just kept muttering, over and over; 'I have no one to play with. Will you play with me?'

Stanley sighs heavily, then takes an old worn red handkerchief from his pocket and wipes his brow. He reaches down for his glass and asks Billy to crack the window open for him. Bill, wide-eyed and quivering from the story, gathers enough strength to say, "Who, me?"

"Yes, you." Stanley mimics with an evil scowl. "It's mighty hot and dry in here. Some fresh air will do us good." he said.

Bill gets up and cautiously meanders to the window. He stands there staring deep into his own reflection in the still, black pane of glass. The night, dark as pitch, reveals nothing.

"Come on, boy, we haven't got all night!" Stan bellows.