Chapter 2 Sam Meets Sodus

After my eyes had travelled the length and breadth of the room, I was disgruntled. It was a creepy kind of place. Dreadful as the fortress of a murderer, whose belch could kill a dove. There was a clay pot on one end and it was oozing out smoke. As the smoke filled the room, it formed into a creature. Suspended in mid air, he flashed a menacing smile at me and disappeared through a little opening on the window. As a gentle breeze sat on the wings of the evening, the creature that I thought was gone emerged again from the evening shadows. He landed a blow on my head and mixed with thin air once again. My head was hurting and a great deal of darkness wrapped itself around me. I yelled as if I had mistakenly crushed my thumb against the anvil. As I fell on my knees, languishing with my hands on my head, someone coughed vehemently and cleared his throat. The fear of another blow descending on my head stung me with a dreadful sting. I jumped to my feet as if I had never fallen and glance at the direction that the commotion had come. I saw a horrible face on the wall. Sodus was the name of the present danger and his misadventure was a thorn in my flesh. “What are you doing here?” the cold creature barked, thrusting forward. I adjusted and took a few steps backward. It was reasonable to keep a huge distance that would not leave me reeling from another blow. Before I could blink, he brought me to my knees. He came out of the wall and buried a slap on my face. I lost my balance and landed awkwardly with my back to the ground. Before I could regain my footing, he stood over me with clenched fists. He was cold. His fury sat on the wings of the evening. He was going to kill me if I do not act quickly. His body language suggested that he viewed me as a worthless individual whose place was in the next world. He was right. I was an intruder who feels he does not deserve to die. Another shot at life should suffice. Keep my loved ones in my warm hands once again, silence the doubters and announce me to the ever changing world. I managed to sit on my elbow. I began to back step, going back the way I had come. The atmosphere was tense. But just as the creature was determined to take my life, I had the luxury of looking straight into his eyes. They could set a hundred legs on the run. Apart from his long tail that had enchanted spikes that were six inches long or more, he was horribly dressed and four arms stood out of his scaly body. Dressed in a purple garment and his head like an egg, his shoulders were almost reaching the head that sat on his neck. Shivered as I fought back tears, I went on my knees and cried, “Please, don’t kill me. Someone was after me!” “Is that why you disturbed me?” He thundered again, revealing his dark side. He crossed his arms over his body and threw out another question, “Who is the fellow?” His raised eyebrow gave birth to furrow on his forehead. He was mean. He was dark. He was hell. There was nothing refreshing about him and safety was not within my reach. “I have never met him before,” I stuttered, shivering. “He’s a troll. He is a large man! In fact, I don’t know what to call him…” He chewed his lower lip. He exhaled and thick smoke came out of his mouth and wrapped itself around the room. My hearts of heart died within me when I saw how manipulative he was. He was able to control everything inside the room by the mere wave of the hand. All hope of survival had begun to fade. Fate sealed. My death was around the corner and I could do nothing. Then I resulted to what I had been doing all along. Weep as a baby denied food and see if my tears could atone and deliver me from the jaws of death. “Please don’t kill me,” I cried aloud with hands stretched out and palms up. Now he was staring at me as if he was warning me to choose my next words carefully. Disturbing footsteps began to approach us. Sodus flung a glance at the door to see who the interloper was. Not long after, he returned his gaze to me. He seemed to have decided to take me out of the equation so that he could have ample time to prepare for whoever was on the way. “Whatever the case may be,” he spoke in a hurry. “My home is not a hideout. I don’t welcome weak people!” As he raised his hand to hit me, the creature on my trail smashed through the door and entered the room. “Don’t touch him, Sodus!” the giant growled. “He’s mine!” Red with rage, Sodus waved one of his hands at me. A wicked force carried me to one end of the room where I landed on heap of bones. Sodus swallowed hard and rode two or more steps closer to the frightening interloper. “Sam, how many times have I warned you never to break into my home?” Sodus spoke angrily to him. “See what you have done to my door. You ripped it apart. It’s unfair, you know it.” He glared his eyes. “How do you compensate me for this misdemeanor? How many times have I warned you not to do this?” Sam let out a long sigh. He replied, “Almost a million times, Sodus. You know I always have a reason to come here. Your house is reminds me of a hunting ground!” he flashed an exaggerated smile at Sodus. “Don’t be a fool, Sam. Let this be the last time you will disturb me.” He giggled and rubbed his hands gleefully together. “It’s all right! I won’t disturb you again, Sodus,” Sam assured. He pointed at me, “I chased that meal down here. He slipped off my hands in the field,” Sam disclosed. Sodus wore a frown and clenched his fist. He looked at me and turned to the fresh enemy. “Sam, there is something unique about our world. As great as we are, we cannot make things turn out the same way every day. Look at what you have done to my door. You destroyed it. Leave this meal as compensation for invading my privacy. I will forgive you.” Sam wore a frown and shook his head in disagreement. He said, “NO! I cannot let him go. Opportunity like this does not present itself every time. They come like the dutiful season that wrapped itself around the quiet hands of the earth.” “You are right. I know how painful it is to lose a good thing, especially when you want it so badly. But you have to accept your fate and leave my house,” Sodus responded. “I will have him and forget that you ever visited my house today.” Sam groaned hard. He glanced at my direction and our eyes met. He coughed a bit and spat on the floor. “Sodus, I see you want to deny me my spoil. I have nothing against you. You are a man of peace. Please do not stand in my way. Let me have my meal. I cannot leave here without him.” “You are looking for trouble, Sam!” Sodus warned. “You invaded my privacy. Show some respect and leave!” Sam was red with rage. He barked, “Then you leave me with no choice…” Sodus charged him. He unleashed a blow that swept Sam off his feet. Before the big man could regain his footing, Sodus grabbed hold of him by the neck and suspended Sam in mid-air. As the big man battled to free himself from the devilish grip, Sodus smashed him against the walls, so much that part of the building collapsed and Sam was lost in the rubbles. As Sam battled with the cruel hands of fate, Sodus roared, beating his chest vehemently. He pounced on the collapsed structure to fetch Sam and unleash his terror. He had barely removed four stones or more when a punch landed on his jaw. He elicited an agonized cry and fell like packs of cards. The blow that Sam dispensed was not enough to make Sodus crack. Sam was out of the rubbles and had regained his footing. But before Sam could snatch a breath from the wings of the evening, Sodus turned to the clay pot on the extreme and made some incantations. The smoke emanating from the pot began to form into vile creatures. Devils that were about nine inches tall or more began to pour out of the pot. Chanting warfare songs, brandishing their weapons—swords, spears and short-handled battle-axes. The little devils attacked Sam. As they punished the giant with their weapons, the big man smashed a number of the creatures with his feet. Running out of patience, he drew a wood from part of the collapsed house and began to use it on the little devils. As soon as the little men fell stone dead, they would form into smoke and disappeared back into the pot. Sodus, not satisfied, suspended himself in mid air and transformed into four giant wing creatures. Sam could not stomach the onslaught of the birds. They tormented his flesh with their talons, and their beaks wrote frustration on his face. The giant was overwhelmed. Sensing danger, Sam began to retreat and soon was in full flight. As he ran very fast, his legs betrayed him and the earth received him. He picked himself up immediately and faced the exit with a good speed, as voices of triumph that almost brought down the apartment gave chased. Immediately they disappeared into the darkness, I crawled into the next room and slammed the door behind me. Quickly I threw myself on my feet and looked about. As I moved to the other side of the room to find my way, I stumbled and landed awkwardly on the floor. By the time I regained consciousness, I was in another world—a graveyard.