The Beast of 1977 (Book 1)

Much like a foreseen tragedy that no one had the power to prevent, evening fell hard and cruel upon Cypress. The severe, five degree winter wind lashed through just about every living soul like the steel tip of a slave drivers whip. With only a few lampposts that shined their dim, orange hue down onto the ground, Isaac stumbled his way through the alley, making only frequent stops to vomit into any trash can that he could rush to first.

He was sleepy, hungry, thirsty and angry all at once, and judging by his wide open coat, the oppressive cold was apparently the last thing on his haywire brain. Inside his body raged a hellacious war of good vs. evil; one man's divine struggle to fight off the demonic presence that dwelt within; an ongoing battle against the dark force that longed to inflict limitless devastation.

Back and forth his regrets wandered: Karyn had a sad story of being lonely in a new country, while Lynnette was always on his back for working at Larry's Garage. Karyn hung on to his every word, while Lynnette went on and on about how Isaiah needed new clothes. He screwed Karyn, but made love to Lynnette.

With each and every maddening ramble, Isaac found himself wanting to just end it all right there in the alley, beside all the other garbage.

"You look like you're lost, friend."

A medium-sized man with a shabby looking German shepherd by his side warmly stated from behind Isaac.

Surprised, Isaac spun around and tried to see into the man's face, but not only was it dark outside, but the dirty looking individual was wearing a filthy hood that was concealing his facial features.

All Isaac could make out was the smoke that would exit the man's mouth whenever he spoke.

"Get the fuck outta here, man." Isaac slurred, trying not to fall against the trash cans that he was standing in front of.

"I apologize for troubling you, sir." The man's kindly, raspy voice continued on. "It just seemed like you were ailing."

"Man, I said get outta here!" Isaac barked back. "I ain't feelin' good!"

The ragtag man only remained in place. The chain in which he was holding his dog was rusted beyond recognition and looked as though it were ready to snap in half at any moment.

"Are you sure you want me to go, sir?"

Frustrated, Isaac began to advance towards the man, only to have the dog growl the instant the young man's feet moved.

Just then, two red eyes appeared from inside the man's dirty hood. Startled, Isaac staggered backwards into the garbage cans and held his hands up in a helpless defense from the man's sudden awful appearance.

The filthy one looked up into the pinkish sky as light flurries began to rain down. "Look at you, boy." He said in a more malevolent, hissing voice. "Sniveling like a mere rodent. You have a job to do."

Isaac's body was wracked in pain, but not to the point where he couldn't get up and run away. Immediately, he got to his feet and started for the opposite direction.

"Don't you dare move." The ragged hobo warned, pointing his trusty dog at the young man.

Out of fear Isaac ceased every movement in his body before turning and shuddering at the sight of the two evil eyes that stared him down like a feast.

"I...I gotta go." Isaac whimpered while violently shaking in place.

"I have waited for this moment for quite a while, and so far, you have not disappointed me. Now, I want that bitch and her child dead."

"Who," Isaac asked with a whine.

"Do not trifle with me, boy." The man impatiently remarked. "You know you want to kill her."

"No I don't, man." Isaac stammered.

"Don't you remember when you thought that Isaiah wasn't yours? You believed it to be Larry's at first. Then...then you changed your mind and accepted the bastard seed as your own."

"He is mine!" Isaac furiously stomped on the snowy pavement.

"You killed those girls; those sweet little bitches. Now, go on and kill that black trash and her child. You don't want her to get away with that, do you? Get away with having another man's baby? Go on, it's not like anyone could pin it on you. Just like the other night."

As if he were being dragged down, Isaac dropped to his knees in agony and moaned all over the ground. He beat his fists into the snow while gritting his teeth.

"Get away from me! Who are you anyways?"

"I am Unknown to you, but every man, woman, boy and girl comes to know me eventually."

"I didn't mean to do any of this!"

The insidious individual chuckled and said, "Your mother cried the day she went to the hospital. She cried for you, boy. But you were busy running the streets. How does that make you feel?"

Isaac looked up into the sky and held out his hands to the heavens, pleading for mercy to fall upon him.

"Either you kill that bitch, or I will." The man lurched towards Isaac.

"I can't kill her! I fucking love her!"

The dirty man reached out with a clawed right hand, lifted Isaac's face to his and asked, "Did you love her when you were inside another woman?"

Enraged, Isaac snatched his face away from the man's claw before spitting at his face. The dog stared up at its master with the most bewildered look on its face.

"I am not your enemy, child." The man reassured Isaac before taking his claw and using it to scratch Isaac's right hand. "Kill her, or I will, boy."

grabbed his hand and held it to alleviate the pain. When he looked back up, he discovered

"I am Unknown to you, child." Isaac heard the

his hand and onto the ground as Isaac got to his feet. He then looked around the alley to see nothing but a stray

which was shining brightly into the backyard; it

As both wrong and ugly as it felt, Isaac couldn't shake the aching stir of how blood tasted. He realized that it wasn't him that longed for the substance, which was exactly why it turned his stomach each and every

through the backyard and onto the steps that led to the house. Before his hand could reach the doorknob, he stood and watched as the supposed broken lock on the

there, she hysterically scampered into the living room where the television was playing the opening theme to The Six Million Dollar Man. But no matter how much and

spin around like a dog chasing after its own tail. It was such madness that the young lady began to cry, believing that she was

about to head back into the bathroom along with Isaiah, Lynnette began hearing something rattle from

weapon pointed

abruptly screamed. "How did

words to express. He just shut the door behind him and

"Uh...I just came by to see

"Isaac, how were you able to get that damn door open?" Lynnette continued to question while

his way into the living room.

"Isaac,

bug-eyed. "He's in the tub." Lynnette's heart skipped a beat. "I'm

few moments before looking down the dimly lit

"Uh...I gotta go away

Lynnette's entire body began to quiver at that instant. All of the sudden, the only

not to appear upset by the news. "And just where are you

"Someone told me to stay away from people, and that person was right. I got no business being around anyone right now, at

forehead and closed her eyes. "Get what straight, Isaac? What the fuck

no one will listen to what I have to say, and all that

push me away!" She

can't even explain it to myself." Isaac

at Isaac before saying, "I bet you got hooked onto some of Larry's shit, didn't you? You've done gone and got all fucked

coat pockets and started to pace the floor until he eventually

something inside of me, and it doesn't have anything to do with drugs." His voice began to break. "I thought my father could fix it, but all he could do was

is this, Isaac?" Lynnette wearily moaned as if she were completely drained of energy. "What is going on? I mean, you're losing your mind. I'm hearing these little girls screaming all over the house like the place is haunted or something. Why now are things

streaming down his face. "I'm so sorry, baby girl!" He wailed out loud. "I never meant

to her side while tears fell from her tired face.

think I was

"What is it about then?" Lynnette stomped her foot on the floor. "Because when I walk into my house and see my man holding our son, completely naked in the middle of the floor, then it's about something, and

open, Isaac advanced towards Lynnette saying, "Lynn, you

pointed it straight at Isaac's mortified face. It stunned even her to think that she could do such a heinous thing as point a deadly weapon at the only man she ever loved, or that even the notion of pulling the trigger would even enter her mind to begin with, but she was terrified of Isaac, more so at that

and calmly uttered, "You know what I told you a long time ago when I bought that thing for you. Never hesitate. When you get

to sob uncontrollably.

"I don't understand why you're doing this to me, Isaac!" She caught her breath. "All I ever

her face and looked up to notice blood oozing from Isaac's

Wiping her face dry, she stepped forward and asked, "Why...why is your hand bleeding, Isaac? What did you

Isaac wouldn't respond. Instead, he dropped his

her thumb over the open gushing wound. "How did you do this? Don't tell me that you've been bleeding

Still, Isaac would not react. The man just stood with his head pointed to the carpet. Lynnette was in such a distressful state that paying

her eye Lynnette could see the bathroom light flicker off and on as the baby began to whine; all the while

"You've lost a lot of blood, Isaac!" Lynnette anxiously pleaded while trying to remember just where she placed the bandages within the house.

But before she could finish her sentence or even take one step, Isaac abruptly raised his head and

falling to the floor in the process. That was when Isaac began to gnaw away at his own right hand with the

much so that she couldn't even budge while

eye the woman reached down and snatched up the gun

"Isaac!" She desperately yelled with all her might while pointing the weapon at his

former lover. Lynnette stood and watched in stunned horror as Isaac stopped biting away at his hand before collapsing to his knees in a heap. His clothes began to

snarled before thick, black fur

three shots into Isaac's head, exposing parts of flesh that dropped to the floor. But it was those same loud, painful shots that only seemed to anger the creature all the more as its growling grew more

With her gun in hand, Lynnette raced like a madwoman straight for the bathroom. But before she could even reach the door, it suddenly slammed right in her face. The lights in the hallway flickered off and

as it was to hear a

pushed, kicked and hollered at the bathroom door while watching the hallway lights continue to flash

the bathroom door and back to the edge of the living room she ran to watch the growing beast stretch out a snout. That was all the motivation Lynnette required to sprint back to the bathroom

on the other side of the door yell for his mommy, while behind her, what resembled a stampeding buffalo trampling across the floor, could be heard

gun, pointed it at the doorknob and fired. She used her right leg to kick open the door. She could feel the bones in her foot break, but that

Lynnette opened the door and slammed it shut behind her before snatching a naked Isaiah from out of the

There were no windows in the bathroom, which only meant that the

Isaiah's head into her sweat drenched blue blouse and

knocked together. She tried to stop crying, but the tears would not relent as the sweat that was saturating her face was also causing her to go blind momentarily. All Lynnette could see was Isaac's face stretch out and listen as he snarled at her like a mad dog. She wanted more than anything to die right

Then, just like that, the light stopped flashing, while the growling noises apparently ceased. Lynnette made sure to keep the baby's head stuffed into her chest while her own head bobbed up and down. The bathroom door stood still. With her breathing erratic and out of sync,

Just then, there was a bump at the door. Lynnette held what was left of her breath. Thanks to the busted lock, the door would never again close tight; instead it would only swing back and forth. A sniffing racket could be heard on the other end. Lynnette attached to her prayer that Isaac would be there,