Chapter 2

Later that day, Cain wandered into a bar holding a crumpled five dollar bill he found along the side of the road. He has pulled the bands from his arms and hands and stuffed them in his waistband. He goes up to the bartender to make an order.

"Hey bartender, let me get a beer."

"What brand, buddy?"

"Anything will do…..no…… make it a Hession. German beer would hit the spot right about now."

The bartender serves up a cold one to Cain as he digs into the pretzel bowl at the bar. He sits in the dim light pondering what he'd seen a couple of hours earlier in the car. An elderly gentleman sits next to him and begins to talk to him.

"Why so glum, chum?"

"You wouldn't understand.'

"Son, I've been around many years. When you're as long in the tooth as I am, you've seen and heard just about everything. Girl leave you? Lost your job? Come on, big guy, tell me what it is. Maybe I can help."

"O.K. smart guy. I have no idea who I am. Help me with that."

"What do you mean?"

"I woke up next to a dumpster this morning. It looked like World War Three happened around me, but I don't remember any of it. Some woman turned blue in front of me. I don't mean blue as in suffocating; I mean blue like a human smurf. I got away from her and ended up here. What kind of guy runs into problems like that?"

"Well, apparently, you do. Hahaha. You drink a lot last night?"

"Look old timer, I just want to figure out what's going on and go home."

"Let me get you another round. I know how it is to feel like you don't belong anywhere and to not know anyone. You need a friend right now."

"Thanks."

Two rough guys are playing pool behind Cain and the old man. The first guy looks like a typical thug, shaved head with a handlebar moustache, wearing a ripped denim vest so people can see his barbed wire tattoo around his arm. The second is a larger man, probably 350 pounds with a long dark beard, wearing an old t-shirt with a bull's skull on the front. As the bald guy is about to take is next shot, the old man gets up to go to the restroom and bumps into the bald guy.

"Excuse me, son."

"I ain't your son, grandpa, and if you don't watch yourself, you'll end up picking your teeth up off the floor."

Cain turns around on his stool.

"He said excuse me, there's no need for…"

"WHY DON'T YOU SHUT THE HELL UP, SASQUATCH? You keep running' your mouth and you'll end up getting hurt too!"

"Hey, I'm not looking for trouble.", Cain said.

"Well you certainly found it, asshole."

The old man smirks as he watches the large bearded man get up and approach them. Cain gets up off of his stool as the bald guy steps up to him, chest to stomach.

"You better sit back down before we make you sit back down."

"You are trying my patience, little man. This is your last opportunity to apologize to that man before I…"

CRACK! The bearded man breaks a pool cue over the back of Cain's head. The old man laughs a little, as the attack has no effect. Cain's face flushes red as he turns to the bearded man.

"THAT'S IT! I was going to let this whole thing go, but you had to push the issue. Now I'm going to…"

CRACK! A second cue hits Cain on the head with no effect. He turns to the bald guy who is standing there with a broken cue handle in his hand. With a slight growl,he throws the bald man across the bar into a wall, smashing a neon sign. The bearded man chargeshim only to be caught by the throat.He raises the man into the air with one hand, squeezing his neck.

"No mercy…"

CRACK! He snaps the man's neck and drops his fat, lifeless body to the floor. The bald guy is recoveringas he standsand is reaching into the back of his pants to pull out a pistol. Cain kicks the edge of the pool table with the bottom of his foot and sends it flying into the bald guy, who in turn sails through the wall and lays dead in the street. Screams are heard both in and out of the bar as people watch in horror.

Cain looks to the old man whose smile has been replaced with a look of disappointment. He drops his head and says…

"I'm sorry. It felt natural. What kind of beast am I?"

He turns and leaves the bar slowly only to run down the street to escape the scene. The old man reaches into his coat pocket, pulls out a cell phone, and dials a number.

"Yes, sir. It was him. Turn on your TV. You'll see."