Our Beast

So I wrote this.




Gary Glen had been waiting for this day his whole life.
Teeth thrashed and clenched like eating utensils, clattering through the darkness of the cave where Gary Glen faced his greatest fear and the icon of everything he hated.
He gripped his sword in his sweaty palms, perspiring through a combination of fear and determination coupled with the journey he'd endured, his shield an improvised ragged board he'd found in a broken down hut near the beast's lair. The walls echoed with his footsteps as he progressed further into the darkness, torches flickering out around him as if a great mighty wind had been blown through the cavern, the work of The Beast no doubt.
A flicker out of the corner of Gary Glen's eye and he wheeled around on the spot brandishing his sword out in front of him, throwing his training to the wind and flailing wildly like a child.
"Calm your mind" Gary Glen's mentor's voice whispered in his ear
"Ok" Gary Glen said to himself, breathing deep and inhaling the murk around him. He settled his mind and listened to the empty space around him. Shuffling. Creaking. Dripping. The cave sounded strange. Almost, artificial. Gary Glen wasn't entirely sure about a lot of things but he was certain this cave was not a natural formation and The Beast had created this environment with a purpose in mind, he would have to be sharp and focused to fell this foe.
Suddenly the wall behind him exploded and a great meaty fist sailed over Gary Glen's head, barely missing it's mark and sending debris flying in every direction. Gary Glen spun once again but this time his sword moved with precision and poise, parrying the fist to the floor and slashing at it's palm. Every cut rung out a dull clang as his sword left small scratches and marks on the tough skin. Giving the fist his attention Gary Glen didn't see the glow of hundreds of degrees of burning gas coming towards him as The Beast breathed in the fumes in it's chest and belched them forward in a large cone. Barely a chance to pull his shield up Glen Gary rolled forward, extinguishing the fire burning his cheap armour but sending him tumbling into the wall.
The Beast let loose a husky chuckle and advanced out of the black to where Gary Glen lied, sprawled and upside down on some wooden support beams. The Beast placed a steel foot on Gary Glen's arm and destroyed his shield with it's giant fist. Splinters stabbed into Gary Glen's arm and he reeled with pain, thrashing and squirming in an attempt to escape The Beast's wrath.
"Stop" The Beast growled "Get OUT!"
"DIE!" Gary Glen choked through cries of agony and swung with all his might, taking The Beasts arm off at the elbow and rending his mighty blows useless. The beast stumbled backwards seemingly unaffected by the loss of it's limb but more surprised at Gary Glen's bravery. Not wasting any time to stand around and think about his next move Gary Glen ran out of the cave the way he came vaulting rocks and mess left by the beast never letting up the vice grip he had on his sword, his other arm hanging at his side leaving a train of blood as he went.
"His power is an illusion little brother" echoed Gary Glen's mentor "His power over you is nothing more than a construct of your own mind."
Gary Glen dove into the nearest room and rolled into the corner, crouched and ready to charge should The Beast enter his line of sight. Through the buzzing sound in the caverns he could make out the shuffling of The Beast searching for it's quarry, knocking down parts of the cavern in it's rage and destroying everything it had created.
More torches in the room struggled to stay lit and obscured Gary Glen's vision. He'd learned as much as he could, he'd studied and fought and watched until he could attend no more but it was never enough. It was never going to be enough.
"I'm going to die here" though Gary Glen "I'm going to die here and my brother will never be free, my mother will go unavenged and this Beast will infiltrate and deconstruct someone Else's life."
The Beast had defeated Gary Glen's older brother in combat, rending him unable to fight ever again and capturing his broken body to hold captive in his sinister lair. Gary Glen had done his best to fend for himself without the aid of his sibling but having no parents to care for him he'd given in to living on the streets and begging for or stealing what he needed to survive. A tear of his shirt and Gary Glen bandaged up his arm as best he could, even enough to keep the blood of his hand was enough.
"One clean strike. That's all I need. Just one brother. That's all."
He saw him through a crack in the wall, facing away from the room where Gary Glen was hiding. Somehow The Beast had reattached it's fist! He had something, something living.
"Brother!" Gary Glen shouted out foolishly. Clapping his hands over his mouth he ducked down hoping to avoid detection but it was too late, The Beast had sharp senses.
"Come out here boy! Don't you want to see your dearest brother?" The Beast chuckled it's husky smoke filled laugh.
"Ok! Just don't hurt him, I yield" Gary Glen admitted defeat and emerged from the room he was hiding in. Gary Glen's brother was in a bad way, The Beast had him sitting in a small wheely chair, bound to it with gnarled straps so he couldn't get up or escape. His brother tried to speak but struggled and stammered only managing short rough moans or blubs. Anger fired in Gary Glen's gut as he approached the idol of his fury, seeing it for the first time in many years and it was more terrifying then he ever imagined.
The Beast, when reared to it's full height towered over anyone Gary Glen had ever met, it's mouth twisted into a permanent sideways scowl billowing black and grey smoke out of one side. His skin wrinkled and leathery, hair matted and unwashed tumbling down it's back in a loose ponytail.
The Beast lumbered past Gary Glen's brother toward his enemy, his strides unsure and wobbly as if drunk or under the effects of a substance. Never the less Gary Glen froze in place holding his sword tightly, now with both of his hands. Fearless, The Beast approached Gary Glen and patted his cheek with it's fist.
"You've grown boy. You'd have grown up to be a nice fine lad had you listened to the right people. Unfortunately I gotta take you in now, so you don't hurt anyone else."
"Hurt anyone else?" Gary Glen shouted as he swatted The Beasts limb away with his sword "You're the one hurting people!"
The Beast reeled back and swing down with his fist, barely missing Gary Glen as he rolled to the side, bringing up his sword and taking off the arm once again, this time making sure it wouldn't go back on by hacking at the stump where the arm had been attached. Anger peaked in his mind and Gary Glen swung his sword into The Beasts great solid head smashing the sword into splinters.
"Splinters?" Gary Glen thought. His rage was too much to stop and wonder what trickery The Beast had laid upon this place. Gary Glen threw off his gloves and charged, knocking the discombobulated brute onto the ground. The Beast tried to rise but Gary Glen sat atop it's chest and headbutted it square between the eyes, smashing it's head into the floorboards and splattering blood across the decking and up the wall. The Beast eyes rolled around in it's head, a combination of surprise and mortal fear.
Gary Glen used a shard of his broken sword to nail The Beasts good arm to the ground.
"STOP!" The Beast gurgled, dazed "Please... he needs..." The Beast didn't get a chance to finish it's sentence as Gary Glen wrapped his numb, bloody hands around it's throat squeezing with a power he'd never possessed until now.
"Now you'll know what it's like for her" Gary Glen spat through gritted teeth, his zeal unstoppable "Now you'll know what it's like for him!"
With one final surge of his muscles Gary Glen poured his hate, sadness and all of his fear into his hands and squeezed.
"Son..." The Beast whimpered "Son... I'm afraid..."
The Beast shuddered, making one final attempt to free itself. It's life ended.
Gary Glen sat back relieved. Until he opened his eyes.
Teeth became dinner formalities. Swords became Baseball Bat's. Fumes and smoke became alcohol and cigarettes. Rocks and debris became unpacked furniture. Chairs became respirators and life support systems. Fire became pleading appeals and words of calming. A hulking, terrible fist became a comforting hand. And a cavern build by a horrible beast became and unfinished home of a father who was punished all too much for the mistakes he had made.
Gary Glen's brother bobbed in his chair, trying to roll towards the man who had just killed his father.

Mortimer Glen was found dead in his unfinished townhouse late yesterday with his disabled son Jeffrey Glen, who is now in protective care. Mr. Glen was found to have been strangulated to death.
His other son, Gary Glen, is being sought for questioning and identification of the body.
The killer is still at large.

By Reece Law