The Beast of 1977 (Book 1)

The 5th Dimension's, 'Up, Up and Away', rang out triumphantly throughout the glorious, blue sky as Isaac sat calmly in the Indian style upon a huge rock.

Surrounding the rock were ten children of varying races, all seated Indian style as well. The little girls were wearing pink dresses while the boys were adorned in black and white tuxedos.Isaac was wearing a black and white tuxedo himself, the same one that Lynn noticed in the window at Clancy's.

Upon his face, in the warm mountaintop, Isaac wore a peaceful smile, one that perhaps he wore long before he and Lynnette ever had a falling out. A serene smile that he took with him everywhere before ever meeting Karyn.

All ten children that sat below Isaac were all holding hands while rocking back and forth to the melodious tune that just would not stop playing.

For Isaac, it was a song that he hadn't heard since his youth, and yet adored with all his heart.The young man sat with his hands folded as his normal looking eyes took in all the spacious and wondrous surroundings that were the mountains; mountains that he had never once visited in his entire life.The man pondered on and on until he heard the soft pattering's of what resembled feet creep up behind him on the rock he was sitting on. Isaac subtly turned around to see a ragged looking German Shepherd trot up beside him.

The animal stood for a moment before turning to Isaac and saying in a male's human voice, "I see you made it this far."

Unfazed by the uncanny creature, Isaac, with his head still pointed at the beauteous mountains ahead of him simply replied, "I guess so."

"I can't say that I'm surprised, you were always a trooper. Your mother even knew that."

Smiling ever greater, Isaac said, "Yeah...I remember her saying that, too."

The dog looked down at the children below before turning back to Isaac. "How long do you think it'll be before you fucking die?"

Still smiling, Isaac dropped his head and exhaled, "Oh, I don't know. I figure I have at least another week or so. How long do you think I have?"

The dog began to pant before saying, "It is unknown, my friend."

Isaac wrapped his left arm around the dog's body and patted it on the side while humming the song that he loved ever so much.

The two enjoyed each other's company for as long as the intruder that was creeping up behind them both would allow. It was the naked phantom, and unbeknownst to both Isaac and his canine companion, its ghastly presence was lurking closer than expected.

"Don't look at him, Isaac." The dog warned.

But all the animal's warning seem to do was incite curiosity inside the young man. Without thinking, Isaac gradually turned to see the phantom's face, a face that he had never managed to see in times past.The man had red eyes and fangs that were drooling blood all over the rock that it had ascended. Isaac looked over to see the dog gone. He then glanced back to see the phantom's hands.

With the same hands, the phantom grabbed Isaac by the throat and proceeded to strangle the life out of him.Isaac tried with all his might to pull away from the slathering demon, but no matter how hard he tried, the phantom was entirely too strong to withstand.

Suddenly, and without warning, both the music and children all vanished. With every passing second, Isaac was finding it more difficult to grasp even a single breath.

"I don't know where Isaac is!" Isaac unexpectedly heard Lynnette's hysterical voice scream out loud.In fact, the sound of her voice was so clear and audible that it sounded as if she were right behind him, or at least very near.

Isaac shut his eyes and re-opened them to see nothing but total darkness all around him. Gasping and spitting for air, the man looked up to see the phantom pull away and sink into the wall behind it until it vanished away completely.

Isaac couldn't tell if he was asleep or even alive at that point, all he wanted was to breathe again. Hearing Lynnette and Isaiah scream and cry caused Isaac to fight even harder to regain his breath.

Unexpectedly, he decided to hurl himself off of the soft foundation that he found himself lying on. Once his body connected with something hard, Lynn's screaming ceased, and a series of footsteps slowly began to creep towards his direction.

Isaac wallowed about on the ground like a wounded animal, unable to even let out a simple grunt, let alone a word. He coughed and panted while listening to his helpless son cry out for his mother to return.

Isaac heard what sounded like something twisting. He held his fleeting breath and waited until the sound ended. Like an explosion, stinging light from an opened door blasted into his eyes. Isaac covered his face for a second or two before removing his hand to see Lynn standing at a doorway with a baseball bat in hand.

"Who the fuck is in here," she shouted out.

Without hesitation, Isaac opened his mouth and muttered, "It's me, Lynn. It's me."

Lynnette cut on a light. Isaac covered his face all over again and only removed two fingers to see that he was inside the warm confines of Lynn's bedroom. He himself was completely naked.

"Isaac!" Lynn hollered wildly as she dropped her bat to the floor and ran to Isaac's aid.

Feeling as though his arms weighed fifty pounds each, Isaac lifted his right hand to touch not only Lynn's hair that was wrapped in pink curlers, but also his own sore jaw.

Weeping uncontrollably, Lynn screamed, "Isaac, did you just get here?"

Too stunned and disoriented to reply, Isaac rubbed his mouth and nose and listened as his stomach rumbled and churned. "I...don't know." He pitifully wept, sounding as if his mouth was full of cotton.

"Isaac, where were you last night?

"I don't...remember." He mumbled, holding his

tossed up her hands. "I

got up from off the floor and staggered his

he bounced spaghetti-legged from one end of the hallway to the other like a pinball, until he found himself face

any of that Ben-Gay?" Isaac sobbed, wiping excess waste

the medicine cabinet next to her and took out a half empty

away from her hand and squeezed out the remainder. He lathered his entire sore face

raged before tossing the empty container to

Lynnette wept, "You used the rest of it back in November after...after

some more!" Isaac yelled into her

stumbled backwards into the sink, holding her hands up in defense. Just seeing the fear in her eyes, Isaac quickly reclaimed what was left of his senses

much pain right now." He shivered while crying. "I don't know what happened. It's like every bone in my body is...broken. I

she had a choice in the matter,

You have to tell

can't remember a damn thing." Isaac held on tight to Lynnette's arms. "One moment I was driving, and then...everything went black. I need more Ben-Gay, and some

back to the bedroom where she gently laid him down onto the bed. The very moment Isaac's head hit the pillow, four knocks

"Who's that?" Isaac

know." Lynnette answered. "Just lie down

two men entered and conversed back and forth.In Isaac's ears, the discussion from Lynn's point of view sounded tense and jittery. He could tell that

the bed sheet and wrapping it around his naked body. From there, he hobbled his way out of the bedroom and into the living room to find Bruin and Fitzpatrick and Lynnette,

"Here I am, officers." Isaac miserably mumbled as he leaned

their jaws practically hanging to the floor, both Linus and Alan stared at Isaac as though they were viewing a miracle right

"Isaac...Isaac Mercer?" Linus'

me, sir." Isaac replied with his head shamefully hung

"Uh...Mr. Mercer, first off,

just

"We received a report early this morning that you were seen at

see Lynnette's eyes connect with his

said that you seemed to be having car trouble and that you hitched a ride with one, Leroy Cummins." Linus explained. "Mr. Mercer, Leroy

the baby along the way. Fitzpatrick attempted to help her back

went over to your father's house. He told us

"What about

we'd love to know just how you were able to escape Cummins' house.

When I woke up a few minutes ago, I was

handed each other skeptical glances. The young man held on to the wall that he was seemingly attached to with all his might.Isaac then noticed Detective Bruin gawking at him from top to bottom as

Mercer, how

Rolling his eyes, Isaac responded, "Man, I don't know, six one or

"Just procedure, sir," Linus

you sure you're okay?" Fitzpatrick pressed on. "Do you require

"No...I'm fine." Isaac sighed. "I

to ask, Mr. Mercer, we would like for you to come down to

Once the door was pulled shut, Lynnette gathered herself and gingerly got up from off the floor. From there, she laid Isaiah down

"Lynn, I really need some more Ben-Gay

news and those cops said that kidnapper was found in Cuyahoga Falls. Isaac, Cuyahoga Falls is an hour from here.

that was taking place fast enough. Most of what had occurred the day before, much like in past instances was a dark haze. He was aware that the small fragments of what he could recall would only get him

shaking body and

again." Isaac slurred before dragging his heavy body back

could hear Lynnette slamming cabinet doors and dishes from the kitchen as

was through vomiting, Isaac flushed the toilet and stumbled his way over to the medicine cabinet mirror.He had seen his face in the deformed manner in which it was at that

happened all over again, just like Karyn said that it would, except, it hurt a lot more at that instant than it did back in November. It

where he thought they were inside the bathroom along with him.Isaac shut his eyes and listened to his rumbling stomach gurgle

of sorrow the likes he had never experienced before in his life. It overwhelmed

his eyes and turned around only to see the entire bathroom floor flooded from one corner to the other in nothing but blood.Like a cat, the man jumped backwards into the mirror, nearly cracking it in half. His startled face grew a tone lighter. He had hoped that what he was seeing was