The Beast of 1977 (Book 1)

Late afternoon, the following day

Isaac didn't lie when he told Lynnette that he would be going job hunting. He had been up since five a.m. racing from one end of Cypress to the other in his father's car in search of employment.

If it wasn't Dairy Queen then it was other shops or even the local car wash scene. When he had exhausted every ounce of patience and ink in his pen from filling out countless job applications, he fled town.

It took him well over an hour to reach Summit County. His slow timing wasn't due to the snow covered roads, the city cleanup crews did a fairly decent job in removing a lot of the snow that had fallen overnight, it was his fear that caused a lackadaisical right foot to barely touch the gas. The brooding expression on his exhausted face would have suggested that he would have rather been anywhere else in the world at that stage than to be on the long road that he found himself traveling upon.

The bright sun caused its rays to glare off the white blanket of snow that covered the vast farmland he was passing by. The strong shimmer would have caused anyone else to pull down the visor to shield their eyes, but instead, Isaac chose to allow the warmness to soothe his emotionally battered skin, hoping to gain a measure of calm from the breath of God in the process.

Just up ahead, a few yards to the left, Isaac caught sight of a small diner with a rotating sign on top of the roof that read 'Scats'. Right then, Isaac's stomach began to grumble all over again, just as it had been doing all day, off and on.

He pulled his father's car into the full parking lot, parked and glanced over to his right to see the same green Monte Carlo sitting only two spaces down. He turned off the vehicle's ignition and listened as it putted and sputtered for at least a minute before finally shutting down. Then, with about as much determination as he could assemble, Isaac loosened his black Sunday tie, climbed out and marched towards the diner's front door as though he were heading straight for an old west showdown of sorts. He unzipped his stuffy coat and snatched out the bottom half of his white, button down dress shirt for more comfort.

The instant he opened the door, The Eagles', 'Hotel California' could be heard playing on the cheap stereo system that was mounted on a table in a corner behind the lunch counter. The aromas of French fries and eggs pleasantly filled the entire restaurant.

"Just go ahead and have a seat anywhere, sweetheart, and I'll be with you in a moment!" A perky, young white woman said while carrying hot plates of food from one end of the diner to the other.

Isaac wasn't in search of a seat; his eyes were transfixed on the hungry characters that inhabited the busy establishment. From left to right sat nothing but white people of different ages, sexes and sizes, not one minority face could be found.

As Isaac began to lurch deeper into the diner it suddenly donned on him to look towards the women's bathroom. She was there; her car was still parked outside. She was the only person in the world that Isaac knew that drove a bright green Monte Carlo.

He stood at the counter, only a few feet away from the women's restroom. The young man patiently watched as two young white girls came out, laughing and giggling about a boy they both liked from school. The longer he waited, the more some of the patrons started to gawk his way, wondering just what the peculiar black man was doing leaning near the women's bathroom.

Suddenly, after watching three more women step out, from behind the door a dark skinned black woman appeared, wiping her hands dry with a paper towel.

At the snap of a finger, Isaac snatched her by her right arm and harshly whispered, "We need to talk."

The startled woman dropped her wet towel to the floor while looking up at Isaac as though he were bigger than life itself. Isaac could tell that she no more wanted to see him than he did her; but even she had to realize that their meeting was as inevitable as the coming of another day.

"I didn't know you were still here, Karyn." The young waitress smiled as she walked behind the counter. "Were you two going to have supper together?"

"Yeah, we're gonna have a seat for a moment." Isaac adamantly replied before practically dragging Karyn over to an empty booth and sitting down.

The two of them sat and stared each other down with cold, steel glares in their amber eyes, as if they wanted to explode all over the other at any second. Karyn pressed her quivering lips together as tight as she could. In a disgraceful manner, she cut her eyes away from Isaac's firm face.

"Well," the waitress said as she approached the table with a pencil and pad in hand, "what can I get for you two?"

Without even looking in her direction, Isaac sternly responded, "Give us a moment. We still gotta think about it."

The waitress turned up her nose and simply walked away, leaving two frightened individuals awaiting the other's words to exit their throats.

you find me?" Karyn stuttered in a raspy, Jamaican dialect while rapidly blinking her

I knew that you would be right here, at

Isaac." Karyn snapped before taking off her winter hat and slamming it down

and I fucked, I've been going out of my damn mind. And don't you sit there and look at me like

sat back and lowered her sullen eyes as though she were

"Hell yeah I know! You turned

pointed. "Before you even say another word, just stop, and listen to yourself. How do you know for sure what you saw dat night?

burning skin to sit and listen

a mental hospital because I was acting like fuckin' fool. Everyone, from my psychiatrist to my dad, convinced me that it was all in my head, and I believed it, too. That is until I

hands to the side and looked out the window to her right at the blue sky and fading sun that was beginning its timely descent. In a downtrodden tone, Karyn said, "I came

up his fists while his dark face took on a more sinister, disgruntled expression.

Karyn twisted her head around and said, "Don't talk to me about pain, Isaac. I've had to live with dis for fourteen years.

has to be a cure, dammit!" Isaac angrily said out loud. "There has to be someone out there that can help the both of us! Why didn't you

people dat sort of ting, Isaac, lest I too end up in a mental institution. Besides, I'm not de one who chose to cheat on my girlfriend.

Out of a sense of both anxiety and frustration, Isaac covered his face with his gloved hands and wiped tears

I'm trying to keep myself together, but it's getting harder every day. Sometimes...I don't even know what day it is. Everything

a minute." Karyn hastily interrupted. "When was the last time you had a blackout, Isaac?"

know, I think I had one yesterday in church. One minute my

was expressionless, as if she had seen her own existence

the fuck is a cycle? What are you talkin' about?" Isaac helplessly threw his hands

hands trembled on the table. "It wants to

Isaac loudly resisted with huge tears falling from his eyes. "Do you mean that I'm gonna...change

months or even years. I went a full four years without changing before. I figured dat maybe it went away, dat is until de blackouts. It's like de demon takes over for a little bit. Sometimes anger, spilled blood or even pain will arouse it. Isaac...when

Slowly, Karyn began to slide out of her seat, all the while keeping a cautious eye on Isaac. "Stay away from people, Isaac. Don't go back home." She sobbed as she stood up and started

arm." You need to tell me how to stop

Everyone in the diner stopped what they were doing to watch

of me!" Karyn barked

the diner before following in behind

Isaac chased after Karyn, only to miss her by inches

Isaac insanely yelled as he pounded on the driver side window. "Please help

rather than stop, Karyn only put the car in drive and tore out of the parking lot and onto

key, but all the vehicle wanted to do was sputter and whine. It

Isaac pulled the hood's release lever, got out of the vehicle and inspected the supposed dilemma. Desperately, he pulled a few hoses here and there while

trouble." A heavy, velvety voice said from behind. Isaac spun around to see a stocky, middle-aged white man dressed in a fancy coffee colored long winter coat, a smoke grey fedora

think it's the carburetor." Isaac

"Well, I can tell you right now that this is no place to be stranded after dark, my friend, especially when all the truckers get here. I have a shop right down the road from here. I could get your car looked at if you want." The man kindly

a mile away, to think twice about taking a ride