Free The Chronicles of Beast and Man by J. Charles Ralston Page B

of corn as their side vegetable. The kids shared how school went that day, what kind of projects they were working on and what they learned. Once the kids expressed themselves, Matthew wanted to discuss the situation in Afghanistan with Marcy. She paused to interrupt a disagreement between the children. She had become very used to being sidetracked by the kids. She then went back to Matthew’s conversation. Matthew never cared to talk about such things until after watching the evening news each night. Marcy would simply nod and agree with whatever position Matthew might think was right at that moment. Watching her kids and her husband sit at the table and eat as a family made her feel whole, but she also had someone else on her mind as well.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    T he month of October rolled in, as did another full moon. On this night most people were busy with decorations or planning for Halloween parties. Duane Ensig, on the other hand, was not most people. In recent years Duane had become what most would call “the town drunk.” It seemed that drinking had become the only thing he was capable of doing. As a matter of fact, when he woke up in the afternoon he immediately began drinking. He had felt like he had been dealt a bad hand, that he deserved a second chance. Despite this, he did not want anyone’s sympathy. He only wanted to drown his sorrows (and his emotions as well) in a sea of Budweiser.
    Duane sat at the bar drinking beer after beer by himself watching ESPN, and occasionally making small talk with Eddie Prince. Eddie was the only bartender working that night, as he was most nights during the week. Eddie was not all that fond of Duane, but it was his job to serve. So he made small talk with him and tended Duane his beer . Eddie wouldn’t have been caught dead with him outside of work. If Duane were drowning, Eddie wasn’t sure if he would throw him a life jacket. Eddie didn’t hate Duane. That was just the kind of guy Eddie was, some might even goes as far as calling Eddie an asshole. Of course at work he put on a happy face to keep himself in line with his boss; that is until someone was an asshole to him. In that case Eddie had no fear of letting his true colors shine through.
    It was around five minutes till one o’clock and Duane had just finished commenting on a new sign hanging above the bar, which read “Our beer is as cold as your ex’s heart”. After their brief conversation Eddie let him know that he would have to leave. Duane always hated closing time, it meant that he would have to go home to his small, lonely, wretched apartment. Eddie might not have been the best company in the world, but he was better than no one at all.
    Duane stumbled out of the door and was greeted by a cold October breeze. He shivered for a moment and zipped up his jacket. He lived six blocks from the bar, but he wasn’t worried about making it home. Medusa was not the type of town where you had to worry about getting mugged or anything. Duane had read about the young girl that had been murdered a month ago, but he thought it was just a case of the kid being at the wrong place at the wrong time. He also figured it was a wolf or a coyote that got a hold of her. Wild life like that does not venture into town too often and Duane didn’t think he had anything to worry about. Plus after the fifteen or so bottles of beer he had drank he also didn’t care.
    “Oh, piss, shit, goddamn.” Duane sang the curse words to himself. He had only finished his last drink five minutes ago, and already he wanted another one.
    He then thought he heard a growling sound.
    “Is someone there?”
    The sound came again, and Duane sensed a presence. Without thinking he stumbled half in fear, half from intoxication. He took his attention away from the moonlit pavement and turned to see the beast. It was standing tall, looking down upon him, breathing in and out each repulsive breath that stained the