The Beast of 1977 (Book 1)

Nightfall was a hard and acrimonious plight in the quiet valley as the beast crunched its way across the snow and towards a crippled forest. Its enormous paws and hind legs stretched forward at a pace that would be quite unusual for a creature of its enormity.

It trekked along as though it was aware that food was near, even though its stomach was nearly full by that point in the evening. Its hot breath steamed out in front of it as the demon entered the dark forest roaring and growling an ever-present warning to anything that may be in its sprinting way. The withered trees were more of a nuisance that only stood in its path. One by one, the demon's hairy arms bumped and crashed against the oaks that dared stand in front of it.

The thing's shiny eyes pierced the sheer blackness of night; its sight was flawless. The temperature was well below the teens that evening, and yet, the demon's thick coat of fur provided the ever so perfect insulation that it required for lurking. As soon as the creature cleared the forest thick, its eyes caught sight of a brightly lit house just a few yards up ahead.

Like a charging steed into medieval battle, the demon trampled further towards the large home, snarling and snorting across a snowy, open field that young boys would often play football in.

***

"You've been on my ass ever since me and the girls got home this evening! And it's only eight o'fucking clock!" An angry, balding, middle-aged white man raged as he slammed the refrigerator door shut and advanced towards his shuddering wife.

His wife, who was adorned in a pink bathrobe, hairnet and slippers, stood in the middle of the kitchen floor, staring a distraught eye at her fuming husband while holding her cold arms together.

"I told you to bring the girls home at four o' clock, Gary! You know full well that they have to eat before seven!"

"Well excuse me all to hell for wanting to spend a little quality time with my own children!" Gary screamed while waving his arms in the air. "You're the one that keeps on bitching about how I don't spend enough time with them, and when I finally do, you jump all over my ass! What the hell do you want from me, Sarah?"

Sarah stepped away from Gary and began to pace the floor as though she were trying to think up something important to say at that instant; like she had something to get off of her chest, but didn't exactly know how to let it go.

Gary only backed away and rolled his eyes in blistering frustration. The backdoor was only a few feet to his left, and there was nothing more he wanted than to storm away.

"Gary," Sarah pathetically whimpered, "I think...I just think that you and I should get a divorce."

With a drained appearance on his face, the man stared deep into his crying wife's eyes. It was as if his very breath had inexplicably been snatched away. His skin grew a shade whiter.

With tears flowing, Sarah said, "You can't be surprised, Gary. It's been a long time coming. I can't talk to you anymore. If you're not in Cleveland then you're in New York! If it's not New York, then it's Chicago! You're hardly even home anymore! And you want to stand there and take credit for taking the girls out for ice cream?" She hollered while stomping her right foot on the linoleum.

who just sits around all day long and does absolutely nothing! Or you're instigating mother who just lets herself in our house every morning like she

"Oh, God, Gary," Sarah shouted at the top of her lungs, "This is

back, and with a smug expression on his face he asked, "A divorce, huh? Did Gloria Steinem tell you

eyes in defeat and exhaled as though the fight had taken

I guess I'll see your sorry

her left hand covering her mouth, Sarah carried herself back into the dimly lit living

angry storm clouds, he could see the destruction of their union from miles away, but he honestly never imagined that he would hear the word

pretending to be in need of sustenance. Gary didn't want Sarah to think that he too was falling apart. In an aimless blunder, Gary recklessly sifted past an open box of baking powder and a carton of milk in order to reach

Gary shut the refrigerator door and leisurely stepped over to where the basement door was

another raccoon or possum,

that was placed next to the sink; he then opened the basement door only to see nothing but darkness below. The noises had suddenly ceased. The longer the quiet down below reigned, the more Gary began to realize that whatever was at one time down there could have possibly run off the

to be two bright beams of wavering light appear in the blackness of the basement.

eyes in the dark, but the thing that was apparently skulking about on his basement stairs had a strikingly different kind of sound to

Even the light from the kitchen wasn't able to shine

forward. Before he could even let out a single scream, the beast tore into his face, ripping away at his eyes and mouth with its sadistically sharp fangs. All that could be heard was the bumping and thrashing of Gary's legs as they kicked from left to right, knocking over

Sarah, still seated on the couch in the living room, rolled her eyes in disgust at all the rumpus that she assumed

She immediately shot up from off the couch, carried her tired self into the kitchen and sighed, "What

looked at the open basement door and figured that Gary was downstairs; it was customary for

and keep it down?" She irritably

racket of what resembled something being torn apart, and snorting coming from the

broom lying on the floor. As she leaned forward to pick it up, her trembling left hand managed

light filled the top half of the basement, enough light for the woman to see an enormous, hairy animal ravenously eating away at her husband's

Without blinking, Sarah dropped the broom, turned and ran away, only to be chased down into the living room,

her soft flesh. Pieces of red hair were torn out of her head to where the woman was nearly bald. The demon then used its powerful jaws to