Like so much garbage, Charles was tossed into the pit-like dungeon in his sleeveless undershirt and
boxers.
Confused, the man looked through the small peephole to see the guards turning away and laughing as
they happily marched out of sight. He then turned back around to find himself surrounded by wolves,
wolves of varying colors, from all black to all white and mixed shades. They all remained perfectly
docile as they plodded around the equally calm man that saw fit to only stand perfectly still in place.
As Charles began to shuffle amongst the pack he suddenly heard something that resembled someone
speaking. He gawked all around before an old, Middle-Eastern man came waddling out of the shadows
within the dungeon. He was a raggedy looking fellow from head to toe. His grey, scraggly beard drew
down past his chin.
"I am here because of the king, my dear friend." The old man said as he approached Charles.
Charles stood and watched as the old man stepped up to him. "Who is the king?" Mercer asked.
The old man looked dismayed as he opened his mouth and replied, "I would not praise his gods, so
here must I die, with the beasts."
Charles stared oddly at the old man for a few moments before another figure emerged from the
shadows. The figure had the brightest eyes that Charles had ever seen. They were so bright in fact that
the man had to squint just to shield his vision from them. Much like the old man, the bright-eyed
individual was wearing tattered clothing; a brown cloth-like material that covered only their body with
nothing protecting their feet.
The closer the person came the more Charles could make out a face behind the eyes. The face was
that of his son's. But rather than light up with gleeful enthusiasm, Charles just stood still and stared at
his child with a most mystified glare.
"Son, what happened to you?" His voice cracked.
Placing his hand on his father's left shoulder, Isaac calmly said, "I am here because of the king, dad."
"These beasts were to devour us, but the Lord has spared our very lives." The old man humbly smiled.
"Praise be to God in heaven."
But Charles was neither impressed with the familiar old man or the wolves that circled him. He just
wanted to keep his eyes on his son for as long as he could without the brightness blinding him too
severely.
Isaac withdrew his hand from his father's shoulder before turning and pacing around the wolves.
"I am here because of the king." Isaac uttered in a downcast tone.
"Boy...what were you up to?" Charles' heart began to beat out of pace. "What on earth were you doing
to end up like this?"
"Perhaps he should have bought that dog." A slick voice spoke behind Charles.
Charles spun around to see a black-furred wolf actually standing behind him on two feet. It was only
five inches taller than Charles, and yet as jolting as it should have appeared, the man was completely
unfazed by the sight.
He turned back to see both Isaac and the old man drop to their knees and begin to pray out loud in
unison, "The king put us here! Very soon, we will see the king again!"
In subtle awe, Charles stood in front of the wolf and watched as his boy and the age-old prophet lifted
praises to the heavens above.
"What were you doing in this world, son?" He desperately whispered.
"Fear not for Isaac," the wolf behind him patted Charles on the shoulders, "his time in hell will be short
lived."
Isaac then got up from off his knees, approached his father and whispered directly into his face, "Tell
mama I'm sorry."
Charles only grabbed Isaac by the shoulders and shook him screaming, "What were you doing, nigga?"
"Soon and very soon...we will see the king."
Charles' eyes popped right open at that very second to the soft sound of a woman singing, 'Soon and
very soon we're going to see the king.'
The top of the man's head was layered in bandages, as well as his chest and stomach which ached
whenever he moved too suddenly.
"Oh my," Audra twirled around surprised with a red and white stripped apron around her waist. "Praise
the good Lord, you've finally awakened!"
Charles stared all around the hospital room like he was on another planet. His head hurt so badly that it
felt like it was about to pop wide open.
"You should lie back down." Audra came over to his bedside. "You've been out cold for days now."
Charles looked at the woman in an almost frightened manner. He began to scoot away from her in his
bed the closer she approached him.
"No, no, I'm not here to hurt you." She gently reassured. "My name is Audra. I volunteer here at the
hospital. Just wait here, and I'll go get—
But before she could even turn, Charles caught Audra by the hand and held her as tight as he could. At
first, Audra tried to free herself, but after a moment or two she calmed down and stood still.
Charles held her as his eyes jittered and a tear dropped."What was my boy up to?" He grunted.
"Sir...I don't know your boy. I was just in here fluffing some of your pillows." She innocently remarked.
Charles continued to glare into Audra's eyes before he asked again, "What was my boy up to?"
Audra managed to release herself from Charles' hold before she rested his body back onto the bed
once again.
"Now, now, just relax." She said. "We had another gentleman wake up earlier this morning before he
went home to be with the Lord not too long after." Audra patiently explained. "Don't you go and work
yourself into a tizzy."
Charles was still sleepy. His eyelids felt like led weights. He kept on slipping in and out of
consciousness, and yet, the last thing he wanted was to succumb to slumber once more. He watched
as Audra opened the blinds and went back to singing.
"I...I can't feel my legs." He whimpered ever so pitifully."
Audra immediately stopped singing and handed the man a compassionate frown. "Wait here...I'll get a
doctor."
The very thought that he was still alive had all but escaped him. It never once registered inside his
conscience.
"Where are you, my boy?" He whispered with quivering jaws. "Lord...where's my child
at?"
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