Awakening the Beast

Pain racked his body as he fell to the ground. His head bounced off the asphalt of the parking lot, and he was sure that there was another cut there, but he couldn't feel it at the moment. His body was beyond the point of registering pain, it was channeling it.

He picked up his head and began to crawl.

"You guys better go while you have the chance," he said to the thugs around him.

"Yeah right," one said.

"Whatever," another one replied. "Any last words?"

Not yet, he thought.

There was a trio that stood around him and they kicked him a few times when he was down. He was beyond feeling the pain now, he wasn't sure were he was at. His mind was somewhere else.

Just about there, he mumbled.

"So big man, you think you are tough now?" a voice laughed. "Come on and teach me a lesson."

"I would," he sputtered out. "But, right now I have a pressing engagement to tend to. Once I am finished there then I will come back and teach you guys a lesson."

"Think he's going loco?" another voiced asked.

"Beats me," another one chimed in. His voice held an edge of hatred that consumed him.

"No," the first one corrected. "Beats him."

They all chuckled over that, and continued with the kicking. They didn't realize that they were waking the beast within and would pay the ultimate price for it.

"You boys were warned," Akimoto said.