Monster (Nine Years Earlier)
––––––––
HE WASN’T WITH his father when he died. His father would never have allowed him to witness such a moment of weakness, of utter vulnerability.
Monster knew something was seriously wrong when his father finally stopped showing up for his lessons. After twenty years, he’d never missed a single one, so something had to have happened.
Even when the cancer had ravaged his father’s now frail body, he still turned up on time, though Monster found it was him who led the lessons, instead of his parent.
But then one day, he didn’t show.
He was informed by Tudor Mattocks, his father’s right hand man. He laid his hand on Monster’s arm as way of comfort and said, “Your father passed during the night. I’m sorry for your loss.”
Monster nodded. “Thank you for te
