Chapter 16

I then started to laugh as I realized that I was stronger than it. The look of anger on its face was nearly priceless. “You are nearly unworthy of fighting as weak as you are,” I told it.

Again, its face turned red as anger seemed to take hold of it. It then smashed a fist-like appendage into my chest that shocked me. Damn, I thought that actually hurt.

Alright, I thought, it’s on again, throwing a doubled fist into the face of it. This time I saw a grimace as it was hurtled even further away.

This time I had to wait for a lot longer before it came raging out of the darkness. It stopped before me as I held up a hand.

“Really,” I said, “you need to stop this before you are destroyed. I can see that I am far stronger than you.”

A growl issued from the entity’s lips as it posted before me. “You will never be stronger than me.” This time I actually saw the energy blast and blow it tried to hit me with.

I deflected the blast back toward it, then blocked the swift fist headed towards me.

I just as fast threw a fist into its mid-section, hearing a grunt of pain. Even as it doubled over, I tried to hit it with a doubled fist, it caught me with a fist of its own.

Shit that hurt more than I thought it would, pissing me off even greater. OK, I thought, it seemed that I needed to get serious before I got hurt.

I guess it wasn’t expecting to come back immediately with as powerful punch that dropped it. “OK,” I said, “time to stop playing, punching it again as it tried to rise.

This, of course, caused it to roar as it headbutted me to my knees. Though I had expected it, it still hurt more than I thought it would.

It took all I had to stay on my feet. I could also see and feel the entity suddenly grow confident. No, I thought as I felt my anger rise, then I hit the entity with almost everything I had.

I was glad to see that this actually hurt it badly. This time I waited, though I didn’t feel it returning.

I felt my tired and bruised self being drawn back to the house. I almost fell off the couch when I saw that my daughters and Alice were there.

I tried to get up, then only groaned as I felt the pain all over. Shit felt like I had run into a wall at full speed. Damn, this was worse than I thought.

“Dad?” A worried Trina asked. “You were so cold, we thought that it had killed you.” Trina said next to Bell, both with tears falling.

I looked at them as I grasped both of them in a fierce hug. I then looked at Alice as there were tears in her eyes also.

“I know how powerful you are, this fight helped greatly to strengthen you. You will need far more though for the coming last conflict,” I heard Shemie’s voice, which hit me like a fist.

That’s when I felt that something was not right with Alice. I wasn’t sure as it was barely there and she was hiding it.

She saw the look of concern on my face as she quickly turned away. “I see that I am unable to hide it from you. Yes, there is something wrong. Alice is dying even after what you did for her. Though there is really nothing that you could nor can do,” Shemie said.

“As powerful as I am, I,” I stopped as Alice shook her head no.

“It is inevitable, just as much as life is. My dear heart, you are not a god, even as powerful as you are, this is not a gift you possess,” Alice said.

I could barely see as the tears started, it wasn’t fair a damn double dose of torture. I was about to start cursing and damning god as how much of a dick it was. I was to the point now that I was starting to not give a shit about anything.

That’s when I heard a voice in my head that I was choosing as hard as I could ignore. ‘Til the irritating voice continued to annoy me.

I thought it was god after all these years trying to talk to me. WHAT! I screamed in my mind. You here to fucking gloat, to rub my face in it again? You know what if this is god? Fuck you like you have me twice now.

A moment later I was somewhere else, though I couldn’t tell. Do you hate me that much? I heard a disembodied voice ask.

Why the hell shouldn’t I, I screamed. You are a piece of filth not worthy of anything from me!

I heard a gasp that sounded suspiciously like Shemie. Oh fuck you, I yelled using her voice to trick me! I fell to my knees as I felt the huge weight of the decades of pain push down on me.

I felt a soft hand touch me, almost reaching to fling it away, though something stopped me. I sighed as I saw it was the image of Shemie, bringing renewed tears, you still torture me.

“Bill, it’s me,” she said softly.

Yeah right, nice try you piece of shit. With the power you have, you can do almost anything. I’m not falling for it. I know she is dead, and you’re going to take her away again, so I have got one thing to say to you: fuck OFF!

Again I heard Shemie gasp, Bill!

I sighed, I know it’s not you, so please leave me alone, thanks to IT. I just don’t give a shit anymore, once was bad enough, but twice and Alice is dying also, no thank you.

A new voice came from out of the air, what if they stayed with you? It can be made to happen.

Yeah right! As if you are going to do that for a nobody like me that you absolutely hate. Have hated all my life, thank you, but no, you back-stabbing piece of shit!

Then it was quiet for a few minutes as I looked for a way out, then gave up waiting for my life to be snuffed out.

It wasn’t long after that I felt a soft hand on my shoulder. What is it you want, Bill? It, as well as I want to know.

I think that you know what in the hell I want. That thing it will, l never grant it, so no point in talking about it.

It can happen, you know, it needs you, you have been groomed for this moment a long time. So, what is it you want, huh?

I want you, Alice, my daughters, hell, my family. All things that, I know that, I haven’t been ‘good’ enough for. If it was possible, I’d do everything I could to end this. Nothing I want though will ever be granted. Even if it is that shit, I will just take it again as soon as I am finished. There’s no promise or contract written that I can trust that IT will honor.

Bill, I am afraid that you are wrong there.

NO, I’m not, there is no power that can force it to comply, so no, I’m not. Looking up, I shouted, just let me go, so I can tell everyone goodbye.

I never realized that you were as hurt as you are. I will grant you all that you wish; a deal.

I narrowed my eyes, no, after all this I will die as soon as I am finished. I don’t trust you to keep your word or promises.

Alright, all is granted, may I make you my champion?

No, I do this for myself and my family, not you or the earth. I watched as it nodded, then I was back in my house.

I fell to the floor far more tired than I had been when I left. God, I was beat as I looked at Alice, then did a double take. I wasn’t the only shocked one.

“Momma?” I heard from beside me.

“Mom? Is it really you?” I heard from the other side of me.

I watched as both my daughters ran to her, almost afraid to touch her, as if she’d disappear if they did.

I was speechless, unlike both my daughters who were all over Shemie. A few minutes later, a shimmering beside Shemie appeared. I was still trying to speak when Alice appeared.

This time my mouth was wide open as both women walked to me and closed my mouth. I started to shake my head when both of them put a hand on me and shook their heads no.

“You were always so stubborn Bill. Just accept that we are both here,” Shemie said.

I stared at her with wide eyes, “You, more than anyone else, should know why I can’t accept it.”

I watched as Shemie sighed, “I know dear, but that was years ago.”

“Maybe for you, not me. Every day I am still alive, is a tortured reminder. The last draw was losing you, after that. I can’t really give a shit about too much,” I spit out.

Alice had moved closer though she had stopped. Both women were looking at each other slightly befuddled.

“I thought that you having both of us and your daughters would be compensation enough,” Alice said.

I turned and looked at her with a shocked look. “It is a small amount, remember I lost everyone. My family, then my brother again, that nearly destroyed me. Then I lost Shemie, who had almost completely healed me, plus two daughters I didn’t know I had,” I said with a look of extreme pain on my face.

They were both about to speak again when I just flashed out. I really wasn’t in the mood to listen to more pain being heaped upon me.

Then the real shit happened when I appeared in front of the home Shemie and I shared. This was the last thing I needed as he collapsed in the front yard.

The next thing I knew I was waking up in a white room. I was hooked to a lot of machines that weren’t really showing anything.

Then there was the fact that I was strapped down with, I guess, industrial strength straps. I pulled at them, ripping them lose, shaking my head.

The thing that got me the most was the little ass that walked in a moment later.

“It took a while, but we recovered most of the memories about you and the program, Bill Black. Now then I suggest,” he started.

“No, I don’t think so,” I said as I severed the contact, then I shut his ability off. I also had to do the fifty or so nearby.

Damnit, I thought, here I thought I had done most of them. I got up walking by the drooling idiot who had thought he was more than me.

Again, I flashed out, thinking of a park I had been in on the other side of the U.S. I was hoping that I could think more here as, at my house it was so, thought chaotic.

I was only there an hour before I started to feel more that knew of the program. I sighed as I started in on another four hundred, shit this had spread quickly.

I then set a type of protection around me, I hadn’t before. I just hoped that I got all of them plus all the new files I had found.