The Devil's Due

Chapter One:The Beginning

(Authors note: This is my first story I had the idea to write this a while ago but have just started writing feel free to criticize as much as you'd like. I am a new author and have never written any stories before so it will help me develop my writing skills P.S. Hope you enjoy.)   

There was once a boy names Lucas, he lived on a military base with his mother and father and his six older siblings. Even though Lucas was born and raised on a military base he was not like his siblings, Lucas hated war and all that came with it. The only time Lucas wanted to kill anything was when his father would take him hunting, this was the only time Lucas was able to bond with his father in any way. Apart from hunting Lucas and his father were nothing alike some might even say they were polar opposites. Unlike his siblings who always followed orders as if they were drones in a colony of ants,  Lucas would hardly ever do as he was told and the only one in his family who wouldn't scold him for his individuality was his mother who would always take his side in a dispute between Lucas and his father. 

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It was 1 month before before Lucas' 18th birthday Lucas and his father were out hunting together without any of Lucas' siblings as is customary in the family. "Remember to steady your rifle and slow your breath before you take the shot Lucas." said Lucas' father. "I know I'm not dumb!" Lucas hissed under his breath to his father. Bang! the bullet flew through the air hitting it's target straight in the heart. Lucas went to one knee and prayed to the animals spirit to thank to for giving up it's life to feed Lucas' family, as Lucas did this his father scowled at him and said "You should pray thanks to me for teaching you how to hunt." After Lucas finished his prayer to the animal's spirit he then tracked the blood trail to the body not 10 meters away due to the clean kill. As Lucas crocheted down to clean the animal his father stopped him laying his and on Lucas' shoulder "I got this for your birthday coming up but I though now is a good time to give you this." This is said as his father hands him a new cleaning knife. It has a bone handle that felt smooth yet rugged in his hands.     

~~~ 

it was now just a bit over a week before Lucas' birthday and as she does with all her kids birthdays Lucas' mom went out to buy ingredients to bake his birthday cake. On her way to the store she saw an elderly man struggling to walk his groceries home and so being the kind person she is she helped him, it was now beginning to get dark but she still had to get the ingredients to have the cake ready for Lucas' birthday. As she was coming out of the store Lucas' mom ran into a man who was wearing a ragged jacket, as she ran into him she dropped her wallet and he picked it up and gave it back to her and said groggy. "Be careful a lady like you shouldn't be out so late are you walking home with anyone or are you walking alone?" "I'm walking with my husband" she said hesitantly hoping he doesn't call her bluff. As Lucas' mom was walking home she was confronted by a mysterious figure, the figure turned out to be the man she ran into earlier he had a much more intimidating expression on his face and he was brandishing a knife. She was in shock and just handed over her wallet without hesitation when told to, when the thief noticed she was wearing a locket he demanded she hand it over she refused begged him not to take it as it was a gift from her eldest son who was drafted to the war effort a few months ago. Without a care the thief grabbed the locket but she fought back and in the struggle she looked down to a now burning pain in her stomach to see the blade of the mans knife forced into her stomach with blood running down in streams puddling on the ground mixing with the tears from her eyes and with her dying breath she says. "God keep my family safe." The man runs away leaving the knife at the crime scene as Lucas' mother falls to the ground with a lifeless thud.

~~~

The next morning Lucas' family was worried as his mother did not return the day before, just as Lucas' father was getting ready to go to the police station to report his missing wife he was greeted by two policemen, one he knew my name as they were long time friends, the policemen with a solemn look of sadness and pity said. "We regret to inform you, your wife has been discovered and identified as the victim of a homicide case." "We will not go too much in detail as to spare you the pain." Apon hearing this Lucas' father clenched his face in his hands as to try and hide what he believed to be his weakness, tears immediately running down his face with every breath a measly cower in the tone of his voice. sadness turned to fear, fear turned to disdain and disdain turned to anger. With this he punched through the glass of his open door bloodying his hand with cuts and scratches, then he grabbed the cop's jacket pulling him inches away from his face, a mix of snot tears still running down his face like an infant having a tantrum and a hatred in his eyes for what ever they were to lay gaze on as if at that moment he rejected all that is good in the world. He then said in a measly and angry whimper "who did this? who killed my wife, my love, my everything?" understanding what pain his old friend must be experiencing at this time the policeman did not react to Lucas' father's outburst as it would only worsen the situation.  And with that the Policeman sighed and said. "I am deeply sorry but we have yet to find any suspects, we just began our investigation into this murder just please try your best to calm down." "Calm down who the fuck do you think you're talking to a preschooler!?!? This is the murderer of my wife we are talking about!" Lucas' father then stormed off out the door pushing the policemen side to go who knows where, While all this was happening Lucas was in the corner in a fetal position back against the kitchen wall silently crying and lightly rocking back and forth to avoid anyone hearing him as he overheard the whole conversation.    

~~~

(1 week after the murder of Lucas' mother) In a cruel Ironic fate it was Lucas' 18th birthday. It took Lucas' father two whole days to return after storming out on the house in a fit of sheer anger and sadness off to who knows where. Ever since that day Lucas could tell a part of his father died the night his wife was murdered, Lucas could tell by the emotionless gaze of his father who now glared at Lucas every morning leading up to this day. The day went on as every other day had for Lucas since the death of his mother. The night of his birthday, rather than sitting down to a cake and a family full of smiles, or what Lucas considered to be a smile as his families often strict nature from being born and raised on a military base, Lucas was greeted by his father's emotionless gaze. Finally Michael the now oldest sibling who lived with Lucas and the others spoke up. "This is ridiculous I get it we need time to grieve the death of mother but now is not the time it's Lucas' 18th birthday he snapped at his father." "Why should I celebrate the cause of my wife's death?" stated Lucas' father now in a much fierce tone of voice while simultaneously slamming his clenched fists on the table while jumping to his feet. In the matter of seconds the emotionless gaze toward Lucas by his father changed to anger and pained scowl  of a man who had lost everything as if he was staring at the man who had murdered his wife behind bars. And just like that with the ferocity of a tsunami he pointed at his now 18 year old son Lucas and said. "You will go to the front-lines of this damn war and I will see to it personally  that you kill every single damn enemy man woman child I do not care until every one is a lifeless corpse on the side of the road to repent for what you have caused and yes it is because of you that my wife is dead, she died for nothing more than to get your spoiled ass ingredients for your damn cake!" Now with shock and disbelief at his father's words sounding like venom to the boy who only wished to live a happy peaceful life, Lucas could do nothing but run to his room face a mix of red from fear yet pale of disbelief of what had just happened. 

~~~

It was the next morning Lucas' father woke up in his recliner empty bottles of random alcohol he was able to find around the house scattered around him. Little did anyone realize with the grief of the death of their mother, Lucas' father had been drinking non-stop since that day in an attempt to die in his sleep of alcohol poisoning, yet to his dismay he woke up non-the less, head aching constantly with the only memory he was from his outrageous rage and guilt filled tantrum toward his innocent son retained from the previous nights. He got up and went to check on Lucas as he was worried. Michael walked out of his room to see his father in shock standing in Lucas' room holding a piece of paper with the words "I am sorry" written on it and Lucas no-where to be found he walked over to the now open window looked around to see the only things missing were Lucas' rifle and the knife he had given him just the other week.