The Beast Within
- Chapter 12 -
"For God has put it into their hearts to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to give the beast their power to rule, until God's words are fulfilled"
"You are insane!" Sam grimaced.
"Now hand it over!"
Sam looked confused. What did he mean now?
"Give me your watch! You won't obey and eat, so hand it over!"
"What? No way! NO!" Sam yelled protecting his wrist hiding it from sight. He would have to fight him for it or beat him senseless, which the old man attempted next. From somewhere he had produced a police style baton and kept hitting Sam over and over again. The blows went everywhere, to his head, his shoulders. The pain was awful.
"Leave me alone!" Sam managed to say when he tasted his own blood on his lips. His head was in agony and his nose was burning, but he had no time to focus on the damage as much as trying to protect what little was left of him.
His vision blurred and his coordination slowed down.
"No..NO.." he grunted when the old man twisted his arm in order to get to his wrist. In a desperate attempt Sam flexed every muscle and tried to take his arm back but out came the Tazer again.
"Aaaahhhhh..!" Sam roared in agony rearing up like a stubborn mustang but then it clicked as the wristwatch came undone and the old man could strip it off.
"Give that back you son of a bitch" Sam warned, spitting out blood that ran down from his broken nose into his mouth as he talked.
"Give it back!" he roared again, even louder it seemed. For a second it looked as if he managed to startle the old man as he wondered where Sam took all this energy from. He backed away a few feet before Sam could get back at him. Now that the chain was much shorter, Sam could only do one step forward or back and he could not reach the old man anymore. He tried but the collar was crushing his throat.
"To Sam, the love of my life – Forever, Jessica" the old man read as he was inspecting the silver watch.
"What has it gotten Jessica, Sam? Where is she now?"
"Leave her out of this!" He cried and wiped his nose with the back of his hand, smearing the blood around his face.
"She must have loved you a lot giving you such a nice watch." He added callously.
"She did.." Sam whimpered in desperate protest now "She did…leave her out of this…!"
"Too bad she didn't see who you really are! A foul beast, a mindless tool of destruction. How could she ever love you, Sam?" It stung to hear his name spoken in vain like that. It felt like an insult.
"Stop..!" he barked spitting more blood, the rest now dripping down his bare chest heaving with resentment.
"Had she known who you really are, you think she would have given you this?" he held the watch in front of him like an unreachable token of hope, shaking it like a piece of evidence in a trial.
"I said STOP!" Sam roared unable to take more abuse. He wanted to drop down on his knees and just cry. Moan his misery and his fate that had treated him like shit, but instead he lifted his head and looked at the old man with the most spiteful look he could produce. Sam wouldn't be surprised if his eyes had turned pitch black as well but there was no indication on the man's face that he had "turned". Very suddenly Sam threw himself forward, the chain and the new padlock on it aching. His breathing turned into deep grunts as his neck muscles tried to resist the crushing grip of the collar. Sam roared at the old man he hated so much, trying to grab him, stretching his fingers too the very limit but being still an arm length away.
His determination and fury concerned the old man so that he made a cautious step backwards because for a moment it looked as if the new padlock might not resist the power that was trying to tear it open.
"YOU are the false prophet!" Sam yelled. "But the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet! The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur!" Sam quoted with a before unfelt joy and wickedness. He spit the words at the old man who seemed surprised at the strength that had possessed Sam.
"You will die!" Sam continued. Not "I am going to kill you" as usual, no, this was his very own prophecy.
"When will you accept what you really are?" the old man said with an arrogant undertone.
"Aaaarrrrrrr..!" Sam roared again fighting the restrains with every angry fiber of his body. The rage was exhilarating like a fresh summer rain shower, only much hotter. It felt like lava running through his veins instead of blood. Occasionally, white flashes of bright light flashed before his eyes scalding his very soul.
The chains moaned and the padlock cracked. The strong metal was resisting but Sam felt that it was giving way. Beyond all the noise in his head he heard the change in the padlocks very structure. He put all his might into it and pulled and pulled, all his muscles tensed that they felt almost numb, neglecting the fact that the collar was strangling him still. Finally it gave way and the padlock burst open, releasing the chain, making it longer again.
In a sudden surge he shot forward and the old man stumbled backwards, tripping over the bottom stairs landing on his ass. Sam got hold of his leg but the old man moved backwards quickly and up the stairs until he was out of reach.
Sam had become the raging beast that the old man had accused him off all this time and he was satisfied to see that he hadn't been wrong with his belief. God had not tricked him or even abandoned him. Seeing Sam like this, wild and feral, confirmed that his mission was just.
Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near.
He left the beast behind him and hastily left the basement, locking the door, and for extra measure pushing the standalone kitchen cupboard in front of the door.
It would be another few days until he would return to Sam with more food and armed with a shotgun.
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