Page 32 of Remorseless Sinner

They were bigger, stronger.

I remembered the individual sounds of Saul’s ribs breaking. One by one.

“Don’t fuck with us,” the leader said.

But Saul didn’t stay down.

Every time he got back up and every time he had a new strategy, a new tactic, the dark unsettling gleam of his eyes shining out despite each bone that shattered.

It started to unnerve them.

“Fuck man”

“Why won’t you stay down,bro”

“Stop getting back up”

They were cowards, really, looking nervously at each other, already edging away at the sight of this guy whose eyes didn’t look normal. Not really. There was something off, somethingwrongabout the way he wouldn’t give up. . .

There was slick sweat on the hands of the boy holding me tight, sliding like a slug train along my skin.

But there wasn’t a bit of fear on Saul’s face.

I think I knew what he was then. What those gleaming eyes must mean, the way pain didn’t stop him, and I should have gone, I should have run when he came up the last time with that jagged piece of glass. . .

“Why didn’t you leave?” Saul asked me later.

But that was before.

Before I knew how far he’d want me to fall.

Damn him!

Flames were licking at his feet, climbing up his pants, roaring across the old carpeting.

He wouldn’t notice the pain, would he, not as long as he was focused. . . not at long as he was determined to get what he wanted. . .

“Agree to let me go and I’ll letyougo,” I ordered.

“No,” Saul said. “Never.”

I screamed in frustration.

Tendrils of smoke began to lick the walls, swirl around the tightly closed windows.

And still Saul looked at me. He bent and picked up the cot that was rapidly crumbling and held it up.

“No, Saul, don’t—” I began, but he held the flames over his T-shirt and they caught.

“Fine, god, stop, you fucking psychopath!” I cried. “Get out of the way and I’ll let you out.”

His eyes were bright in the flames, a dark unknowable fire in them.

“Stand back,” I warned again.

And I darted forward to unlock the door and then run away, but I was still a few steps away, the key outstretched, when Saul pushed out and the door swung open.

He had been free the entire time

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