Surrounded by a crowd, Kate stared at two men cuffed to cages on a stage. Standing in front of a microphone was the dark man from her dreams before Boulder.
Reading from a rolled up paper, "Know you that this is a true bill to which I, Randall Flagg," boomed from the speakers, "have put my name on this thirtieth day of September, the year nineteen hundred and ninety, now known as The Year One, year of the plague."
"Flagg's not your name!" interrupted Flagg's speech, "Why don't you tell em your real name?"
Not missing a beat, "Know that these men, Lawson Underwood and Ralph Brentner, are spies here in Las Vegas with no good intent," Flagg continued.
"That's the kettle calling the pot black," thought Kate.
"With seditious motives, who have entered this state with stealth, and under the cover of darkness-"
"They took us at noon on the Interstate, how's that for stealth and the cover of darkness," again interrupting Flagg's little moment.
"Know you that the cohorts of these men were responsible for the sabotage bombing of the helicopters at Indian Springs and therefore responsible for the deaths of Carl Hough, Bill Jamieson, and Cliff Benson."
"Wrong," she thought, "Trashcan Man was responsible." How did she know that?
"It is the sentence then that these men shall be put to death in an appropriate manner, to with that they shall be pulled apart."
Trying to stop these injustice, Kate tried to worm through the crowd, but it was too thick for her. Murmuring from the back floated towards her ears. The crowd started to apart away. Someone on a four wheeler was towing something big.
"Rath!" she thought.
However disappointment of seeing a living decaying man on a four wheeler towing a nuclear bomb didn't improve her mood. Someone walked towards the decaying man making him stop. She couldn't hear the conversation, but did hear, "Larry! Larry! The Hand of God!" Looking up, she watched as the outline of a hand picked up the bomb and bright light filled the night sky.
Sitting up and studying her surroundings, the only light she saw was from the campfire which revealed that Rath was gone again.
Hearing footsteps behind her, "Rath, you must stop sneaking up on me," turning around.
Her eyes widen to the sight of the man-beast from her nightmares standing before her.
"I'm not that weakling," it snarled walking towards her.
Walking backwards, her eyes shifted to her crossbow waiting for her to grab. Darting towards it, a hand grabbed the back of her neck preventing her from getting the crossbow.
Pulling her eye level, "Did you have plans for this?" holding her crossbow, "Guess not," slamming it across the ground.
Her hopes shattered along with the crossbow.
Slamming her to the ground, it sat on top of her pinning her hands above her head. It twitched as its breathing assaulted Kate's nose. Cupping her breast, it howled in pain rolling off her.
Getting up, she ran into the woods. Where to, she didn't know as long there was distance between her and that thing. Remembering that Rath said something about looking for shelter for the winter, she ran uphill.
Something tackled her causing them to roll down the hill. Again she was in the clutches of the beast.
"My brains may get fried," it hissed, "at least I'll get the best fuck of my life," ripping her shirt off.
Convulsing in pain didn't stop the man animal from shredding her pants off. Bending its head back to howl in pain, it stopped.
Smiling, "Someone saved me the trouble of killing that smiling bastard," staring at Kate, "Time to really have some fun," ripping her underwear off.
"No," she choked as the image of Collins Smith flashed through her mind.
"Sarge, your treatment of the ladies has not changed along with your looks," stopped the man beast from spreading Kate's legs.
Staring at Rath, "Soldier, you still haven't learned to mind your own business," getting up.
"Small threat," remarked Rath, "A real small threat, Pol," holding a small cylinder.
Before Rath could release the bo staff, Pol's surprising speed allowed him to tackle Rath. The cylinder flew from his hand as his back slammed against the ground.
Kate's mind wasn't on the death fight between two reunited enemies. It instead took her back to a time when she was seven years old clutching her blankets and staring at her bedroom door.
The creature under the bed and behind the closet door didn't hold the same fear then the creature outside her bedroom door.
The child welfare lady said this was in Kate's best interest. Was it her best interest to be afraid of the bedroom doorknob turning, answer that she never got. Even when the image of a ten year old boy trying to save her two years ago didn't bring no comfort to her. That was her brain trying to handle the situation.
Footsteps creaking towards her door snapped her mind back to the staring at the bedroom door and hoping that the knob wouldn't turn. The knob turned bringing a mixture of fear and the disappointment of being right.
Opening of the door was followed by, "Katie, are you a good girl?"
She didn't answer. Even covering her head wouldn't make her dread go away.
Closing the door, "Good girls always answer when asked," walking towards her bed.
His hand grabbed the blanket and pulled it off her.
"Trying to hide are we?"
Shaking her head was the response.
"Be a good girl and undress or do you want me to do it?"
Removing her nightgown and underwear, she knew want he would do if he had to undress her. Laying on her back as he undressed, he crept onto her bed and started to touch her between her legs. Biting her lower lip, her body was explored by his fingers. Tears were held back for he didn't like when good girls cried. This went on for seven more years until she broke his legs, robbed him, and runaway. Learning and playing cards kept her from going hunger until she crossed paths with Ty, a loan shark who knew her father. Of course her long history of failed relationships reminded her that happiness was a strange word to her until Rath bursted into her life and turned it upside down.
Now history repeated itself. She laid on the ground naked and scared. However this time the monster was being fought by Rath who seemed to fight her battles. The sounds of fighting brought her back to the present.
Lifting her head up, she noticed something wasn't right. Rath's movements were slow. Several times claws came close to slicing his skin opened.
Dodging to his left didn't work for he got caught and a forearm slammed into his ribs. Bones cracked as Rath dropped to the ground. Fingers wrapped around his throat and squeezed.
Lifting Rath up, "Wonder how I survived that electrocution from that bitch," tightening his grip, "That smiling idiot brought me back and gave me this new body," slamming Rath's skull against the ground, "plus you properly wondering how you're losing," moving his hand towards Rath's right thigh, "Simple that blade that entered your thigh," shoving his thumb into Rath's thigh, "had poison on it," pulling his thumb out and licking the blood, "Now to end this," slamming Rath's back against the ground and placing his foot onto Rath's chest.
Before his claws could taste the neck of Rath, something wrapped around his wrist. Before he could free his hand, his second hand got wrapped together with the first hand.
Turning around, he saw a naked Kate staring at him. Her hands were pointing at him. Her hair seemed to float through the air. Twisting her wrist, something shot from the ground and wrapped around his ankles causing him to on his back.
Tree sap filtered into his nose.
"Tree roots," he thought struggling to free his hands.
Slowly the roots started to break under the strain of Pol's strength. Finally snapping, his wrists came loose allowing him to slice his feet free. Walking towards her, rocks slammed against him. Still he kept coming. Even a force field didn't stop him from back handing Kate to the ground.
Pinning her, "Time to teach a bitch some new lessons."
Getting shoulder blocked off Kate, Pol rolled with Rath until a tree stopped their momentum. Kneeing Rath's broken ribs, Pol pulled him up. Gripping Rath's shirt. Pol's fist connected with Rath's face. Repeatly slamming and pulling Rath back caused Rath's shirt to tear from his body. Still barely standing, Pol continued punching Rath.
Pain shot through Kate's body as she watched the onslaught that Rath was going through. Then puzzlement went through her brain for Rath started glowing. Then her mind went back to an event during a failed date that she swore never happened.
Pulling his fist back, Pol's right fist got caught by Rath's left hand. Snapping his fingers closed, Pol's was shattered and he screamed in pain. Pol stumbled backwards alowing Rath's feet to ram against his body. Swifting his feet repeatly over Pol's body, Rath started to get the upper hand. Connecting with Pol's face, he sailed backwards hitting the ground. Rolling onto his stomach, Pol's attempt to get up was pervented by Rath's arms wrapping around his neck.
"Make a wish, Pol," remarked Rath snapping Pol's neck.
His struggle to walk towards Kate failed short as he dropped to the ground face first. Turning onto his back allowed Kate to prop his head onto her bare lap.
"You killed him," she said, "It's over."
Pointing, "Wrong."
Following his finger, she watched as Pol's body started moving.
Holding his palm out, "We end it together," he commented.
Gripping the back of his hand, her fingers landed between his fingers.
Getting up, Pol popped his neck back in place.
Staring at their, "The lovely couple can't stop me," leaping towards them.
Bright light shot from their hands and ripped through Pol's body. His screams couldn't stop his molecules from being pulled apart. The light stopped revealing no more signs of Pol.
"We did it!" shouted Kate turning towards the passed out Rath in her arms.