26 Damn It All! (2/2)

The old man cleared his throat, bringing Darius out of his stupor.

”Young man, I am sure you know how to break the curse. Why don't you tell this old man? I may be able to assist you.”

Darius looked up at the old man's eye. This seemingly harmless old man had a child-like passion burning within his eyes.

Darius immediately felt like a woman being stared at by a rapist. He unconsciously covered his body and asked, ”Why should I trust you? What's in this for me?”

Darius was scared, but he was not stupid. The matron's teachings were torturous, but they had deeply ingrained themselves in his mind. That, coupled with his cowardice and his recent encounter with Lionel, made him raise his guard up against strangers because he knew that even seemingly benign intentions could conceal secrets far more nefarious.

”Relax, young man. This old man is harmless. Here is your hammer. Time is running out; the day's almost over. You should get started.” The old man waved his hand, resulting in the bubble landing on the ground. The hammer that was within was released, propping itself up against the wall.

Darius jumped up in fright. He realized that time was indeed running out. It was dark outside, and midnight was fast approaching. Ignoring the gaze of the old man, he quickly picked up the hammer. Darius was stunned for a second. The moment he picked up the hammer, he realized something was different. The hammer felt more familiar as if it were an extension of his arm.

It was a piece of metal, but Darius felt inextricably connected to it. If the hammer had had so much as a chip come off, Darius believed he would have felt it.

Darius shrugged these thoughts away and focused on the task at hand. With practiced ease, he brought the anvil out and placed it in a spacious area. Just as he was about to make his first strike, he hesitated. He glanced at the old man.

The old man calmly stroked his beard and laughed. With a wave of his hand, something in the room changed. Darius wasn't quite sure what it was, but he knew that something was different. He looked at the old man inquisitively.

”At ease, young man. Just a simple soundproofing spell. No one outside this room will hear a thing,” The old man said smiling.

If he was a serial killer, I would have sh*at myself right now. Wait, how do I know he doesn't want to kill me?

Darius sighed in resignation and raised his hammer. One form of death was definite.

Damn it all.

Boom

Damn this crappy life.

Boom

Damn this crappy hammer.

Boom

Damn this crappy fate.

Boom

Damn this crappy old man.

Boom

Damn my crappy fate.

Boom

”Damn it all!”