The result was a Praying Mantis Woodstock. Overwhelmed neighbors complained. His mother kissed him and told him he'd done a wonderful thing. But he must be careful in life not to take things too far, advice he has not heeded since. By high school, Andrew Vachss knew a great deal about cruelty.
Grownups hurt kids.
Kids hurt animals. Men hurt women. He'd seen too much already. And he no longer cared about being a scientist. At 22, he discovered The Beast.