章節 2: the Abraham Analogy part I[Grinberg]

on the city's local prison there is a criminal from the past. a man awaiting for his freedom to be given. Damian Grinberg is the name.

he is one of the many colorful infamous names that forms part of the collection of the most dangerous men that has ever stepped inside of this prison.

there is a reason why he haven't left on the last twenty years. he used to work for a local mafia boss. he used to be the right hand man. he even went to prison for his boss. the boss promised to take care of his son.

Damian is also known as, 'the Blue Devil.' he took that deal right away. he never expected to spend twelve years on prison, nor for those twelve years to turn into almost twenty years. he regrets that choice so much.

if there is a question of why he is the Blue Devil, it is because he used to go on a rampage at night killing many rival gang members. he became a devil at night, he became the Blue Devil.

Damian changed on prison. he is now more tranquil. more peaceful. the fire on his heart cooled down for a while. he became a friendly old man well respected and loved by other prisoners and guards alike. they call him 'the smiling grandpa.'

Damian may be muscular and on good health. even when is about two meters tall. the wrinkles on his face. the white hairs on his beard and hair. to be on his sixties, almost hitting his seventies. he seems well. his deep green eyes hide the scars of the soul.

not so long ago Damian was visited by an old friend. that friend was the prison director. Roy Wilson is the name of that old friend. he came forward.

Roy Wilson is a man of mystery. there is almost nothing that is known about his personal life. and as the director of a dangerous prison he is strict. jet he allows illegal things to happen inside as long as they aren't too obvious.

Roy Wilson has made sure that Damian has a good time in prison. but Roy is not a perfect citizen or boss. as he has used Damian services to deal with people. to eliminate those who are obstacles on his way.

Roy seems like a gentleman. he usually dresses like a modern cowboy. he has this gentle smile that brings false sense of safety to others. deep inside hides a devil.

"I am your friend. and as your friend I am sad to see you leaving. I hope you can adjust to the outside world."

"thanks Mr. Wilson. I am thankful for your service."

Damian awaits for his freedom. there is fear and anticipation on his face. others are honestly happy for him. he has earned his freedom. Damian earned his reputation as a figure of fear by getting the blood of others on top of him at midnight.

the Blue Devil's infamy knows no limits.

it is a shame that Damian is going to be alone on the world once he leaves. all the members of his gang either died, were send to jail, or left the city.

Damian's boss died many years ago, it was lung's cancer. there is no person who can spend the rest of their lives on that kind of job. it is now that Damian feels regret for living that reckless life.

the only thing that Damian left out there was a son. the only family member to who he can return someday. the only pride on his life. but sadly that pride didn't last a lifetime.

just two months ago he was told about something horrible. he learned that his son became a gangster. a brutal and bloody mafia boss. a sadistic monster.

that news affected him. Damian felt like everything was falling apart. he felt like this was just a punishment for the stupidity of his youth. he was punished by the heavens.

Roy asked Damian if he wanted to have one last conversation before leaving. Damian told him that there was nothing for him to talk about. then Damian made a comment making it clear that he may return later.

leaving forever isn't Damian's intention. he plans on coming back sooner than later. Damian feels like it is his responsibility to put an end to his son's cruelty. he feels the need to stop his son's reign of terror.

Damian is going to kill his own son. he feels like it is his duty as the person who gave birth to that monster. as the person who allowed his son to become a monster by abandoning him when he needed him the most. Damian has to kill his own son.

since the first time that Damian stepped inside of this prison. Damian has never think about leaving nor forgetting his duty. but for once he thinks about going to the outside. there is someone he needs to stop.

as the moment for Damian to leave this cage gets closer, the anxiety caused by the unknown becomes even more terrifying. there are no words to explain the fear that comes when you change your lifestyle after twenty years on a cage.

for someone like Damian leaving isn't freedom. he has spend so many years inside that the cage became a home. leaving only adds a different kind of chains. it becomes unclear where Damian will end at the end of this tale.

every second that passes, dies slower than the previous second. every minute that ends comes as a warning for the next minute to come. just like that time keeps moving without asking for permission.

once the right time comes Damian leaves. he takes some of his personal belongings. after saying goodbye to the last guard. Damian is finally outside. no one came to receive him nor to welcome him to the world. he was all alone.

the prison is barely on the boarder of the city. there is a sign that reads, 'Welcome to Solaceville.' now lets go to some history classes.

some say that the name of the city comes from the last words of the city's founder. it is said that he was a civil war Hero. after the war ended he took some land from a family he killed with a crew of bandits.

everything went wrong on the land. those who believe on the paranormal believe the land was cursed by the family's rage.

one day when the land was barely the home of few men. at night the founder got inside of the local bar. he asked the bartender for some shots of Vodka, one bottle of rum, and a handful of bullets. the bartender followed the instructions.

the founder took his gun out. he stay in there drinking for a while. after two hours he stopped drinking and looked at the clients inside of the bar.

"the town people kept asking me about the town's name. so far I had no name on mind, but I finally found one. it is Solace-Town, because here is none to be found. for blood and filthy coins I changed the solace of many for the greed of few."

after saying those words he took his own life with his gun. well that is enough history class for the day. welcome be to 'Solaceville,' the place on which the filth is blamed on a fake curse and on the name of some dead people.

Damian is walking once more inside of such a filthy city. this time he has a clear goal. he is going to kill his own son. there is no need to be confuse, he loves his son. Damian cares about his son. but it is Damian's duty to stop his son's atrocious acts.

sometimes on the journey of the wicked man. the path is divided in two. the simple path of ignoring the consequences of previous mistakes, or the redemption path. the dark and twisted road of sacrifice is the one that Damian has chosen.

Damian asks himself if there is any other way. he doesn't want to kill his own son. but it is the right thing to do. this is the redemption road he took that faithful day in which he read the bible for the first time.

after learning about his son's actions Damian was lost. then he found a bible. he is no man of religion. but he took the book and he started reading. the bible fell off his hands. it fell open on certain page.

the page talked about a man named Abraham, who is asked by God to kill him own son. once more Damian isn't a religious man. but that day on a bible he found the answer to his worries. he knew it was an impossible task, but he took it.

Damian walks freely on the city. he looks up at the sky, like a newborn looks at something new for the first time. he feels strange on every step he takes. there is a feeling of not belonging here. like a phantom of the past walking on the present.

Damian feels so much sadness and melancholy. he feels like the world doesn't welcome him jet, for been from a different time. he is like a wild beast on his first time on the zoo.

after long hours of walking around of the city. Damian ends in front of a bar. the sign on the bar reads, 'the Devil's Cavern.' Damian feels a bit of joy. it is obvious that the name of the bar is about him.

someone remembers his days of glory. it is nice to know that you weren't completely forgotten by the world.

Damian gets inside of the bar. some smaller criminals look at him, they are curious to know who is the grandpa who walks with so much confidence. there are all kinds of people inside of the bar.

some of them are just your regular alcoholics who can't live without liquor. there are some criminals who came to relax on a place that feels like a home. there are some regular office workers that are slaved by their bosses and come for a break.

there are some broken hearts that came to drain their sorrows. there are some who came to celebrate an important date. and finally those who came to prove that they are no longer kids by drinking like men.

all kinds of colorful people you can find on a bar. all times of stories to tell. people from different origins with different pasts. different income, or understandings about society. they all came for one thing in common, they all came for some drops of liquor.

Damian keeps walking. he only came to see the bartender. he steps in front of him. the bartender is too busy to see the face of the new client.

the bartender is a man on his fifties some knocks away from his sixties. even so he has taken good care of his body. he seems to be barely on his forties. he has some minor wrinkles. a gray hair or two.

the bartender has a modern haircut. his hair is of a bright black color. he has a thick beard well kept. he has a cinnamon tone of skin. his eyes are light brown. he has muscles well hided under his clothes. he is wearing a tracksuit.

"who am I? you asked, don't tell me you forgot how the Devil himself looks like? don't name your bar after a devil, if you aren't going to look at his face." said Damian smirking.

the bartender looks up. some tears fall from his eyes. he walks towards Damian and hugs him as he thinks about the old days. he is glad for the Devil's return. he yields out of excitement letting everyone know that the Blue Devil has returned.

they all look at Damian. some regular office workers have no understanding of who is the Blue Devil or why he is important.

but those who know about the myth of the man who becomes a beast at midnight. those who's job are related to crime, those people understand who the Blue Devil is. that kind of people look at Damian with admiration. he is a Hero, or bogeyman to many.

the Bartender's name is Saul Del Castillo. as a child he was Damian's neighbor. he was a kid who used to follow Damian, he was like a big brother to Saul. unlike the Blue Devil, Saul never worked for gangsters. he was a menace, but he never did anything illegal.

when Damian went to prison. Saul was the only person who visited him. now that Damian is back. Saul is so glad. Saul asks his friend if he needs help with anything. Damian nods quietly. Saul takes him to a room that he uses as a warehouse.

in there Damian starts to talk about his son's criminal life. he tells his friend about his desire to end his son's life.

Saul grow up at Damian's side. he understands how hard it is for him to even talk about his own son's life. Damian suffered a lot on his childhood.

Saul asks Damian if he understands the weight of his words. he wants to make sure that Damian has the courage to take his son's life. if Damian has a single doubt. instead of helping that may end up hurting many innocent lives.

"I created that monster. it is my duty to put an end to his cruelty. i am aware of the meaning of killing my own son, but I am also aware of the consequences if I fail to do it."

Damian was barely holding his tears. he felt like he had no right no cry. not after failing to be a good father. he failed by not been there to guide his son from the beginning. now he looks at the consequences of his actions.

Saul left Damian alone on the room. he thought that maybe Damian needed some time to think by himself. some time to breathe.

Damian needed time to accept his new reality. time to accept that he is now free. if there is something that he learned on this few hours of freedom. then it is the fact that the world changes on the outside, but it stay the same on the inside.

no matter what happens tomorrow. on the inside the world is what it will always be. there is nothing new, old news. the old world of darkness, filth, and misfortune.

there is nothing else to do. nothing more than to end a monster that he created. to end a cycle of chaos, a cycle out of many. that is all this is about.

the pain that Damian is feeling right now has no name. he asks his dead wife for forgiveness for what he is about to do. of course Damian is not a complete monster, or a complete psycho.