“You? How?” She stared at him, baffled. A feeling of fear was snaking its way through her body and she had a feeling she wouldn't like the things he still had to say.
Sam shrugged his shoulders.
“I told you I was a bad guy back then. Young, tough, foolish—I did a lot of bad stuff. Alfred Davenport, Caesar's dad, was our leader. If I was evil, he was worse. Sick in the head, and he brainwashed us. He taught us how to take the town back. We started causing trouble—bar fights, killing men like chickens. We hid in the woods, but they knew. Still, they did nothing. We disrupted carnivals, kidnapped their wives and kids, then let them go battered. We burned shops, even looted the bank. But they stayed quiet. Until one terrible night," he paused, getting up to pour whisky. He returned, offering her a glass.
Selena shook her head.
“No I don’t want it!” She said curtly.
“You will need it.” Sam said, his eyes regarding her pitifully. . She’s very strong. He thought. She’s handling this well.
“I don’t want, dad,” she said again Sam nodded his head. He sat down across her, put one of the glasses on a table, took one to his lips and grimaced. He cleared his throat.
“"I needed that!" He started, "We went into town for our usual marauding and chaos. But this time, the people fought back—turned into werewolves and killed fifteen of us. The rest of us ran back to the woods, shocked. Days passed, and we couldn't shake off the terror. How could people turn into beasts? It gnawed at us. Why should animals own this sweet, moneyed town while we suffer? We decided to take it by any means. It started as a thought, then grew into a plan. Alfred Davenport, who had come from a family of skilled werewolf hunters, led us. We attacked Wolf Creek, killing them all. They had no chance. Those who turned into wolves were shot with silver bullets. The rest were swiftly dealt with. Some kids escaped, but we didn't care. We had the town we wanted. It was gruesome. There was a lot of blood."
Selena flinched. She drew in a long, slow breath and grimaced. Because she knew Sam still had a lot to get off his mind, she kept quiet.
“We the ‘Seven Elders’ led twenty, hard, strong pistol-shot men into the town and wiped them all out. Alfred Davenport took along with us his son; Caesar.”
At the mention of Caesar ’s name, Selena turned cold.
“Caesar was part of you people?” She asked bewildered.
Sam nodded his head and smiled. It was a sad one.
“He was there, all right. He was very little then. Let me say about five or six thereabout. You see, Caesar’s got the thrill of the kill even before he was born. He was a born killer and had the urge for blood. His father knew the kind of son he had. And that’s why for whatever reasons, he took him along that night,” He lifted the glass to his lips, finished the drink, put the empty glass on the table, picked the one meant for Selena, and lifted it to his lips. He was getting really hammered now. But he was not worried. Today is the day for truth. He sighed heavily and went on. “We raped the women, Selena. And the little girls too. We raped them all and cut them up.” he turned his face down, suddenly ashamed to look at her.
Selena's jaw dropped. Her face was white and she looked terribly sick. Her eyes were glinting with reproach, loathe and disgust.
“Go on,” she said tightly, seeing that he had suddenly kept quiet.
“Selena…….i think it’s best I stop…..” but she caught him off.
“If you don’t finish what you started, dad, I’m never going to forgive you,” there was a deadly glint in her eyes that told him she meant what she had said.
“Alright, alright. But I must warn you. The details are gory.” He wailed, his old leather face looked a shade of purple and worn out. “After killing the men and raping the women. We cut them all up. Father Rupert, Lionel, Alfred, Hatton and I participated in raping the women. Hank Woodman raped the boys and took off their scrotums as triumphs. He ate the penis raw.” his voice was shaken badly now.
Selena felt like throwing up. Her head was pounding with a violent headache and she was feeling very hot. Priest Rupert, Lionel, Caesar’s father, Sheriff Hatton and Sam…... .Sam, her own loving, sweet and kind father, was a rapist. They were all rapists.
“God! How! How could you people do these things?” So the reasons for all these werewolf attacks are because of you guys?” The whole town's been punished for the sins of seven foolish men who couldn’t control their selfish urges?” She wailed, staring at Sam the way you will stare at a mad person.
“I don’t know what came over us, Selena. Maybe it’s because we were drunk. Or it’s because we couldn’t accept the fact that those people were taking good care of themselves. But what I can say is this. Those folks, whether animals or beasts, were still human. Hell, they had more human decency than us. And we killed them all. For doing absolutely nothing to us. We committed a great crime. And we deserved anything that happened to us.'' His eyes were gleaming with tears now. “God! We really messed up.” and he put his hands to his face and began to sob, a great body wrecking sob that shook his body.
Selena felt something wet on her cheeks and touched her face. She discovered that she had been crying. She sniffed and used the back of her hand to clean off the tears. She cleared her throat.
“What of Caesar?” She said breathlessly.
Sam stopped crying. He took his hands from his face. His eyes were swollen and bloodshot. He looked so old and tired. Selena didn’t feel any pity for him. They had done this evil thing. They don’t deserve any pity.
“Caesar,” he said weakly. “Caesar had his fun. Alfred made sure of that,” He shook his head “Alfred! He was one sick bastard. And Caesar, as I tell you, has been twisted from birth. His father made some sports for his son. He gave Caesar a girl tied to a big pole. Caesar was given a knife. As little as he was, we watched him cut that girl up,” his voice was shaking again. “Oh! She cried! She cried so much! Alfred came to him, whispering into his ears. I guess he was telling him to stop what he was doing to the girl. I guess he got tired of the whole thing or something. But Caesar kept on. He was horrible. He just kept on stabbing that girl in her guts. There was blood everywhere. The pole, the girl's dress, Caesar’s face, everywhere was red. I couldn’t stand it anymore and yet, Caesar kept on, it was as if there was something he was looking for in that little girl's body. He just kept on stabbing away with the knife in his hands just the way an explorer looking for a treasure stabs at a cave wall. I got mad and came to him and carried him away. And he started yelling and struggling, shouting that he wanted to continue with his game and that he was having much fun. Oh! God! I can’t say anymore. I’m spent.” and dropped back into the chair, his face white as snow.
Selena stared unbelievingly at him. She now finally understood that sudden feeling of premonition of danger she always felt whenever she was with Caesar or thought of getting involved in him. No wonder I couldn’t stand him as much as I tried. She thought. Her subconsciousness must have sensed that menacing evil in him, that center of him that wasn’t too clear to most folks. But she had sensed it. She looked at Sam where he sat huddled up and she could feel revolution and hatred moving through her.
“Where did you hide all these from me?”
Sam opened his eyes and looked at her. All the color was out of her face and he was alarmed to see how shocked she was. He sat upright.
“I don’t understand.” he babbled.
“Why did you hide all these from me?” The bitterness in her voice jolted him. “What if the marriage had worked out with Caesar? Imagine me getting married that evil and finding out all these later? How do you think I would feel?” Her eyes blazed at him “I’m sorry, child! I couldn’t bring myself to tell you.” he was looking at her now, his eyes pleading and beseeching.
Selena ignored him. Slowly, she rose up and walked to the door and flung it open.
“Leave dad! I don’t wanna see you again.” she said in a shaky voice.
Sam wanted to say something, but something had clogged his throat and the words wouldn’t come out. He got slowly to his feet. He looked withdrawn and defeated. He walked to the door.
“I don’t want your forgiveness, child, because I don’t deserve it. I’ve lived with my sins for a long time now and I don’t want no mercy for it. Anything that comes to me, I deserve it.” His vice was solemn and final.
“Good!” Selena snapped at him. “I don’t want to ever see you again. I don’t have a father. I don’t want your money or your kindness.” her eyes were hot and deadpan.
“Selena……” he began and found out he couldn’t say anymore. The viciousness and hatred in her voice shocked him. He stared at her, seeing the contempt in her eyes and he realized how he had hurt her by keeping from her what she should have known. He felt sorry for her. He pitied her. He knew Selena. He knew the kind of daughter he had. She was strong willed. Maybe she would forgive him later in the future………,..just maybe. But now, the room of forgiveness wasn’t open. He gave her one last, long look and went out of the house.
Selena watched him go and slammed the door shut. She went to sit on the couch and held her face in her hands. She was like that for a long moment. Then she had the binged sound of her phone. She jolted out of her thoughts and sat upright. She took out the phone and stared at the screen. It was Victor.
“Hey, pumpkin. Let’s see anytime you are free today. Bring me some papers. Love you,”
A great feeling of relief and unbearable joy flooded through her body. Without thinking of anything, she put the phone back into her purse and rushed out of the house.