Whispering Monsters
The band of riders rode into the small town of Escondido, California just after sunset on October 8, 1888. Their horses were jet black stallions and the leader of the group had the largest steed of all, standing eight feet tall and weighing 3500 pounds. The massive creature had a bright red blaze on his face and when he exhaled, steam seemed to come out his nostrils.
Dozens of townspeople that included men, women and children were dragged out of their homes and tied to stakes in the ground. The leader stepped down from the large horse. He stood seven foot two inches, weighed 400 pounds and was as ugly and he was huge and had a grotesque face that was scarred and discolored. He was known as the ‘Whispering Monster’ because of the soft way he spoke.
The Whispering Monster recited the following incantation as screams of panic and fear filled the evening hours. He channeled pure evil into spoken words; “Behold! Rust erodes the mystic sword of Michael and the faithful Archangel is deplumed and dropped into the void. The thunderbolt lies frozen in Jove’s hand. Like pale meteors, the angels will fall like rain from the skies. Even Jehovah himself is powerless. Never forget that Satan is king of the physical realm.”
The band of riders poured kerosene over their prisoners and lit them on fire. While their flesh was burning the horses stomped on them until there was nothing left, but indistinguishable pieces of charred flesh and broken bones. When the evil ritual was completed, their screams of demented pleasure echoed across the countryside as they rode off into the darkness. Lightning flashed and thunder roared to acknowledge their depravity.
Not far away in a secluded area on the unspoiled lands of Rancho Buena Vista and Rancho Guajome, near the small town of Vista, California, Lucas Paladin looked up to heavens when he saw the lightning and felt the thunder vibrate through his body. This was his call to duty so he walked into the other room where his two Colt 45 Caliber Peacemakers with the cross insignia on the pearl handles were holstered and hanging from a wooden hook. His bullets were made from a combination of gold and silver recovered during the third crusade in the year 1190 and made by Italian Monks in the Monastery of Saint Benedict just outside the city of Norcia, Italy. His eight-foot whip was made of kangaroo hide because it was many times stronger than cow hide and Lucas was so adept with it that he could snap a fence post in half with a flick of his wrist.
Twenty years earlier, Lucas was only four years when his mother, father and two older sisters were victims of one of Lucifer’s marauding gangs. His father was the town preacher in the Ramona Valley, located along the stagecoach route between the San Diego and Julian. The locals were enjoying a festive Saturday evening dance when the gang rode it. Lucas’ father told him to hide in the root cellar and to be quiet. As the evildoers killed and mutilated his family, the young boy peered out through a small crack in the wooden door.
A man sniffed the air like a dog that picked up a scent and growled, “I smell something, there is still one left.” He walked over and lifted the trap door and saw Lucas cowering in the corner, “Time to join to the others, my little one” and raised his sword to kill the young boy.
He never got the chance because Jonas Abraham stabbed him through the heart and his body disintegrated into a pile of smoking dust. Jonas then turned his attention to the other miscreants, killing them by bullet or blade. When a dozen piles of smoking dust were lying on the ground, he offered a helping hand to the young boy, “My name is Jonas Abraham; I am a Reckoner.”
Lucas responded, “I don’t know what that is.”
Jonas Abraham helped Lucas Paladin bury the remains of his family and the townspeople and over the years, Jonas trained the young boy to become a ‘Reckoner.’ A Reckoner was an individual appointed by Michael the Archangel to fight Lucifer’s Legions. After years of tutelage, Lucas had finally accumulated the skills and proper mindset to become a Reckoner.
Jonas took on the additional role of mentor and confidant to his protégé and when he arrived at the ranch, Lucas was already saddling his horse, Tesoro, a golden Palomino, “How are you doing?”
“I heard the call, I was just ready to ride out,” Lucas responded.
“The legions are growing stronger with each passing day,” Jonas said.
“I know, it seemed like I don’t go more than a few days before I see the lightning and hear the thunder.”
“One of Satan’s lieutenants called the ‘Whispering Monster’ is responsible for this latest attack,” Jonas informed Lucas.
“Do you want to come along?” Lucas asked.
“I would, but I’m on my way to Los Angeles, there’s another group of marauders that has been hitting churches and missions along the coast. The leaders are Bassface and Scumsucker.”
“I’ll see you later, God willing,” Lucas commented.
“The Whispering Monster is one of Lucifer’s up and comers, be careful with him,” Jonas warned.
“You trained me to be careful, I won’t forget now,” Lucas replied, “Want to ride together to the fork in the trail?”
The two Reckoners rode side by side for several miles without speaking a word then went their separate ways. Many men who joined Lucifer’s legions were weak-minded and morally bankrupt cowards who found courage being in a lawless mob.
The brutal reality was that they feasted on the innocent and defenseless to nourish their depraved souls. They relished the notoriety that came with being a member of Lucifer’s Legions and the mindset of these defective human vermin was simple; offer them something free and they would pledge their allegiance to the devil without hesitation.
These miscreants wore bright red sashes with the initial L embroidered on them around their waists to let people know who they were and arrogantly laughed when they saw the fear in people’s eyes. Women would hide and men would step aside when they walked through town. The red sashers tortured, killed and sacrificed anyone with impunity.
The Legion leaders were much more powerful and wise than their minions and while they did not fear the Reckoners, they had a profound respect for their fighting skills. The Whispering Monster was a Caym/Camio, a high president of hell who commanded 30 legions and was one of the most ruthless of them all.
Lucas saw the small town of Broken Wheel Junction in the distance and tapped Tesoro on the neck, “Let’s see what awaits us.” The horse broke into a speedy gallop.
The town was eerily quiet and this aroused Lucas’ suspicions. As he rode down the middle of town, Lucas noticed a dozen stakes in the dirt and charred corpses tied to them. He slipped his pistols in and out several times to make sure that they moved free and easy. When he entered the saloon, Lucas noticed a dozen men wearing red sashes sitting at several tables. Each man glared at him with intense hatred as he sauntered over to the bar.
“Whata’ you have” The bartender growled.
Lucas noticed that the man behind the bar was also wearing a red sash and responded “Sarsaparilla.
“This hombre wants a Sarsaparilla!” The bartender boomed out.
Everybody laughed and when they stopped, Lucas added, “If you don’t have that, I’ll take milk.”
Once again, everybody laughed and Lucas patiently waited for them to stop before he spoke again, “There is only one thing that I like better than bringing frivolity into an unhappy world,” “You know what that is?”
“What’s that?” The bartender asked.
“Killing red sashers,” Lucas said and picked up a shot glass. When the bartender reached for a weapon beneath the bar, Lucas grabbed him by the hair and slammed his head into the bar with such force that he crushed the man’s skull, killing him instantly. When another man by the tables reached for his pistol, Lucas snapped his hand off at the wrist with a flick of his deadly whip. The rest of the men stood up and spread out in front of Lucas who calmly stated, “You going to unleash those barking irons or just stand there and look stupid?”
Lucas threw a shot glass into the air, drew his pistols, shot nine men, holstered his weapons and caught the glass before it hit the floor. Before leaving the bar, he pulled a card out of his pocket and set it next to the dead bartender. It read; Have Reckoning Will Travel.
The Whispering Monster was in his mountain sanctuary when one of his underlings came walking in, “I have news, sir.”
“What is it?” The Whispering Monster demanded.
“Some of our men were killed.”
“How many did we lose?”
“Ten,” The underling responded.
“By whom?” The Whispering Monster inquired.
“It was a Reckoner.”
“Do you know which one?”
“He rides a golden Palomino,” The underling answered.
The Whispering Monster gritted his teeth and clenched his fists in rage, “Lucas Paladin.”
“Should I send one of the legions to go after him?” The underling asked.
“Only if we want more dead men, I’ll handle this myself,” The Whispering Monster vowed.
The war between good and evil had been going since the Garden of Eden when God gave man free will and the ability to choose. In the ongoing battles between Lucifer’s Legion and Michael the Archangel’s Reckoners, the combatants could only use the skills they could develop with their human capabilities; there would be no divine intervention or satanic assistance. Lucas Paladin was one of the deadliest Reckoners and The Whispering Monster could claim the distinction on the other side. They were destined to meet; it was just a matter of when that epic event would happen.
There were designated areas for the Legions of Lucifer that Reckoners could not enter and areas for the Reckoners the Legions were prohibited. These sanctuaries allowed the warriors to replenish and re-supply, but they could only stay three days and then had to move back into harm’s way.
Lucas brutally killed twenty-three more ‘red sashers’ in Broken Wheel Junction before walking over to Ma Swalley’s boarding house and sitting on the front porch. He looked up to the sky and thanked God for the opportunity to do the righteous thing.
It was only a matter of time before the Whispering Monster came looking for him, so Lucas waited.
A young boy and girl walked over to where Lucas was sitting and the boy asked, “Are you a Reckoner?”
Lucas answered, “I am.”
The girl was next to inquire, “Are you here to fight the ‘Whispering Monster’?
“I am,” Lucas replied without a trace of emotion.
“He’s the biggest man that I’ve ever seen, I wouldn’t want to fight him,” The boy said.
“Want has nothing to do with it, I’m doing what needs to be done,” Lucas said.
“I’ll pray for you,” The girl smiled.
“All prayers are gratefully accepted,” Lucas replied, “Remember this, all it takes for evil to prevail is for people to do nothing and sometimes we choose our battles and sometimes the battle chooses us.”
“Which one is this?” The boy asked.
“The war chose me a long time ago and I choose to fight the battle every day of my life.”
“That doesn’t leave much time for fun and being happy, does it?” The girl inquired.
“This might not make sense to you right now, but I’ll do my best to explain it; Happiness is a fleeting and intense emotion triggered by external events, while contentment is a deep and lasting state of peace and satisfaction. I’m content and satisfied with my life. You should go home, I need to be alone right now.”
The two children walked away, and Lucas pulled his hat low over his forehead and closed his eyes. He did not have long to wait and felt the evil presence even before he saw the ‘Whispering Monster’ on his massive black horse come into view.
The massive evildoer road up to the porch and said, “Lucas Paladin?”
“Whispering Monster?” Lucas responded.
“Meet you at sunrise,” Whispering Monster stated matter of factly.
“I’ll be here,” Lucas responded.
That evening, Whispering Monster and his followers drank and partied through the night while Lucas rode out of town until he found a quiet place near a slow-moving stream. He turned to his horse, Sundancer and said, “If I don’t make it, I want to go back to the ranch, Jonas will take care of you,”
Sundancer shook his head up and down to acknowledge Lucas’ instructions. Throughout the night all types of animals gathered around Lucas’s campsite. This was God’s way of showing his support for the Reckoner.
Just before sunrise, Lucas rode back to Broken Wheel Junction. Residents fearfully peered out from their windows. From the other side of town, the Whispering Monster came in. When the two adversaries were within ten feet of each other, they dismounted and stood facing one another. Lucas stood six foot four inches tall and weighed 220 pounds, but he looked small compared to the Whispering Monster.
Lucas took off his holster and hung it over the saddle horn of Tesoro. He raised his hands to show that there was nothing in them, Whispering Monster did the same. Behind Lucas, the sky was clear and blue and behind the Whispering Monster, the sky was dark and ominous. This fight would be to the death. Lucas was lightning quick and Whispering Monster was powerful.
Lucas hit Whispering Monster six times in the face, but his powerful punches had little effect. He circled out of harm’s way while throwing a dozen punches and kicks that only seemed to amuse the Whispering Monster. When the bigger man finally landed a punch, it knocked Lucas back several feet. He couldn’t remember ever being hit that hard.
Ten minutes into the fight, Whispering Monster finally spoke, “When I get my hands on you, I’m going to crush you.”
Lucas took a deep breath and knew that he would have to dramatically increase the power of his punches and kicks if he was going to have any chance of victory. He focused all his energy into the next punch and waited for Whispering Monster to come into range. When he did, Lucas threw an uppercut that was generated from the power in his legs and caught the Whispering Monster under the chin and lifted him off his feet and put him on his back.
Whispering Monster was stunned as he struggled to his feet and Lucas hit him again with a more powerful uppercut that knocked him unconscious for 30 seconds. The next punch by Lucas caused severe damage to Whispering Monster’s heart and he went into cardiac arrest. When Whispering Monster died, his body turned to dust and the sky above turned from dark gray to bright blue.
As Lucas stood over the remnants of the Whispering Monster, Jonas Abraham rode up and commented, “I thought I’d ride back to the ranch with you…good job.”
“It is only one battle, the war will never end.,” Lucas said as he mounted Tesoro and took the reins of black stallion and rode out of Broken Wheel Junction with Jonas.
Many years passed and the Reckoners and Legions continued to fight against each other in locations all around the world in the never-ending battle of good against evil. They evolved as America grew and expanded. Lucifer’s Legions infiltrated the schools, sports, government and various organizations to indoctrinate the weak and easily manipulated. While their methods changed, their mission had not. Lucifer’s Legions still wanted to destroy the foundation of America which was based on God, family, honor, duty and courage and draw people toward Satan.
It was the 250th anniversary of America and numerous activities were planned to celebrate the occasion. One of the events was a mixed martial arts exhibition on the White House grounds.
A heathen brute named Ivan Karloff was a mean spirited, narcissistic, foul-mouthed derelict who also had a podcast where he spread hate and division with his lies and anti-Christian rhetoric, In the Octagon Ivan didn’t throw punches, he served eviction notices from consciousness. He had a record of 36-0 and was the undisputed heavyweight champion.
Lucas Paladin was a direct descendant of the legendary Reckoner. He approached Dan White, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ultimate Warrior Championship (UWC) with a unique offer, “I want to fight Karloff on the 4th of July at the White House.”
Dan laughed, “He doesn’t want anything to do with fighting at the White House. I already asked him.”
“He just needs a little incentive, how does ten million dollars sound…winner take all?”
“Where are you going to get that kind of money?” Dan asked.
Lucas set a large suitcase with five million on the desk, “The other five when Ivan signs the contract.”
“I’ll make the offer,” Dan said, “Who is going to fight him?”
“Me.”
“You’re not in his weight class, he’ll kill you!” Dan was surprised.
“Just make the offer,” Lucas said, “I’ll handle the rest.
Ivan accepted the offer and during the pre-fight press conference on July 1st, he preceded threaten and insult everyone including the President. When he looked at Lucas, he growled, “You shouldn’t even be in the same ring with me, but you won’t be there long.”
Lucas responded, “The only thing that exceeds your overwhelming ignorance is your boundless arrogance.”
The two fighters went at each other and it took ten people to pry them apart. While his people held him back, Ivan ranted and raved while Lucas antagonized him, “You ‘re a sensitive fellow, aren’t you? After the fight you should get some professional counseling.”
The fight went on as planned and Ivan was like a raging bull from the beginning of the fight and by the sixth round, his face was a bloody mess. The crowd was stunned into silence, an unranked amateur beating the heavyweight champion was an upset of epic proportions. During the seventh round, Lucas beat Ivan to the canvas and the referee stopped the fight because the champion was defenseless. Ivan was enraged and refused to accept the decision and hit the referee and threw him out of the cage. Lucas reengaged and the two fighters continued to battle among the spectators. The fight continued across the lawn, through the hedges and into the rose garden. Before long, those who supported Lucas were fighting against those who supported Ivan.
The Secret Service tried to take President Trump away, but he refused, “There’s no way that I’m going to miss this fight. This is incredible!”
Ten minutes later, President Trump walked over to Lucas after the fight ended. Nine unconscious men were around him. “Thanks for a great show. If Pete Hegseth leaves, I know who my next Secretary of War is going to be!”
“Thank you, Mr. President.” Lucas responded, “Happy 250th birthday to America!”
Like they say in Vegas and in Heaven, always bet on the Reckoners. especially against the Whispering Monsters.
The End
