The bar smelled like old cigarettes and beer and stale sweat and 
I knew there would be trouble tonight. The Man had been feeling 
restless for days. He'd been more agressive when he took me at night. 
He'd stalk me around the room, or push me out of the truck and tell 
me to run into the woods.  Then he'd find me and beat me for a while 
before taking me. He'd order me to struggle and to beg him for 
mercy.  He'd taken to having me wear a long sleeved shirt to hide the 
bruises covering my body. Tonight was different, though. He'd paced 
the floor for an hour before grabbing me and hauling me to the van. 
The place looked like one of those bars where people spent their 
lives. The older people looked like they'd spent their time hard at 
work, hating every moment about it. And the younger people looked 
like they'd missed their chance to go to college.  To maybe escape 
this town they'd spend their whole lives in and hate every moment of 
it. The air outside was dry and dusty and it had worked it's way in 
here. The only way to be here long was to start drinking and keep 
drinking. 
    The Man went up to the bar and leaned on it. It creaked under his 
weight and he ordered two beers. He yanked my hand and brought me 
next to him handing me a beer. Downing half of the bottle in one gulp 
he began to scan the room. This was one of the parts I would later 
realize he liked best. Finding his victim. I knew he'd want someone 
who'd be able to fight back. Or at least try.  And I knew, maybe 
before he did, who he'd pick. There was a college age guy over in the 
corner, shooting pool with his buddies and a couple of girls. They 
looked like those kids who rules the school, terrorizing the other 
kids and probably the teachers as well. But of all of them, this kid 
stood out somehow. He had buzzed hair and a tribal tattoo peeking out 
from beneath the sleeve of his tight t-shirt. His jeans were tight, 
and if he had any brains at all, he'd realize how gay he looked. 
Weird. For so many years gay guys had worked to become just like the 
kids who tormented them in high school and now the high school jocks  
spent time trying to shave their chests and look like gay guys while 
defending their sexuality. 
    The Man saw the grooup a few seconds after me and perked up a 
little when he saw the guy. He pushed off the bar and jerked his head 
for me to follow. He walked over to the pool table and nodded at the 
three guys and the two girls. "You guys wanna bet?"
     The smallest of the three men looked at the Man and gulped at 
his size. I could tell the girl who was with the tattoed guy was 
turned on by the size of my Man.  She looked briefly down at his 
crotch to see if his dick size matched his biceps. 
    "Sure," the guy with the tattoo said.  "I'm Jim." He reached out 
his hand I saw him wince a little when the Man shook it. He 
introduced himself to the others. Jason was the second guy, slightly 
overweight, probably the 'funny' one and the skinny kid was Rick.
    The Man neglected to introduce me and the others noticed, but 
said nothing. Jim racked the pool balls and broke confidently getting 
stripes. He got a few balls in before he missed a simple shot.  The 
girls headed off towards the bar, bored with the game.  
   I knew nothing about the Man's ability to play pool, but he was 
good, clearing half the table quickly. The other half, he took his 
time with. Pacing the table, looking for the most difficult shots and 
easily sinking the balls. By the time hae dropped the 8-ball, Jim and 
the others looked like they'd shrunk six inches each. The Man 
finished and looked up smiling. "That's, what? $100 dollars each?  
That was the bet, right, nothing?"
   I gulped and nodded and he held out his hand, waiting. Jim 
swallowed and said,"Look, we haven't got the cash, ok dude?  Sorry.  
It was just for fun."  
    "Fun?"  The Man didn't raise his voice, but Rick flinched and he 
other two men were thinking fast. Trying to figure out how to pacify 
this huge man before them. "I don't give a shit about fun guys."  He 
sat down on the edge of the pool table, the cue in one hand, his 
other playing idly with the balls Jim hadn't even gotten a chance to 
sink. "See, the way I figure it there's only one kind of guy who goes 
back on a bet and that's an asshole. You guys assholes?"  He picked 
up a ball and tossed it gently in the air catching it.  "Watch." he 
ordered.  They did.  He squeezed, the veings in his forearms filling 
with blood and the ball cracked, turning into dust.  He let it fall 
through his fingers and when he put the pool cue down I could see the 
indentations from his fingers pressed into the wood. He collared the 
three men in his arms, as if they were all buddies, Rick and Jason in 
one hand, Jim in the other. "Come on nothing."  And he walked them 
out. They could have yelled or screamed or started a fight but sensed 
it wouldn't have done any good. The Man was going to get something 
from them for thier loss. They probably figured he was just gonna 
beat them up a little for reneging on the bet. I knew better.
    The air was still dry and dusty outside, but it had cooled enough 
so that you didn't start sweating the second the air hit you. Rick 
was sweating though.  What is it about smaller guys that they can see 
things big guys don't. Rick knew the testosterone that hhis buddies 
produced was nothing like the Man had. He might have known it would 
go further than a beating.  I felt bad for him. The Man walked them a 
good distance from the bar and let his arms drop. 
    "So, tell me guys. What do I get for winning?"
    Jim smiled a dazzling smile that must have charmed a million 
girls before. "Look, I've got fifty and the others have some cash. 
Let's go back and have some beer. You guys can drink all night on us. 
The bartender will start a tab for us, 'cause we're locals. You can 
drink as much as you want."
    The Man pretended to consider for a few minutes before he 
casually said, "No."  His first punch put Jim down flat on his back 
and The second took Rick down easily.  Jason was the only one left 
standing and he swung at the Man. It connected with a loud crack and 
Jason just kept punching. Using all his strength and considerable 
weight he smashed the Man in the head, and chest.  And abs and 
everywhere else. He lashed out with a kick that connected with the 
Man's thigh.  After his inital fury, which would have left me a 
bloodied heap, he stepped back and saw the Man smiling, unaffected. 
    "Shit," he whispered. The Man sent a light punch into Jason's 
gut, doubling him over. He smashed his fists onto Jason's back, 
sending him sprawling to the ground. Brining his huge leg up, he 
stomped with all his weight onto Jasons back and I heard a loud crack 
as Jason's spine cracked into pieces. Jason howled and the Man 
clamped his hand over Jason's mouth. He reached his fingers into 
Jason's mouth and I thought I'd see his snap his jaw the wa he had 
the Trucker, but instead he yanked and pulled Jason's tounge out. I 
turned my head and threw up, sitting down hard on the ground. Jason 
gagged on blood and panicked when the man slapped him across the face 
with his own tounge.  He threw the tounge aside and picked Jason up 
over his head, pressing him easily up and down a few times.  I knew 
he was thinking about bringing him down across his knee, but he's 
already broken the back, so he tossed him a few feet away and watched 
poor Jason writhe in agony and shock.  The bulge in his pants told me 
he liked it but he'd already broken this kid down, so he crossed over 
to him, brought up his boot again and kicked at his skull.  Once, 
twice, by the third time it was over. Jason was a bloody, broken 
corpse. Rick was next. 
     It was over quickly. For the Man anyway, but for Rick it 
probably lasted too long. The Man lay down on the ground and pulled 
Rick in between his thighs.  Rick faced him, his small head resting 
on The Man's huge chest.  The Man straighted his thighs bringing Rick 
up into the air. Rick's small hands flailed uselessly, striking the 
Man's powerful legs. The Man squeezed and released, depriving Rick of 
air.  Rick began to grow limper and limper in the Man's grip. I heard 
one crack, then another and another.  Rick's face turned red, then 
blue and he tried to beg, but the air wouldn't come. The Man shifted 
and I heard a huge snap as Rick's sternum broke in the Man's 
unrelenting death hold.  Rick gave a gasp and he jerked for a few 
minutes before coming to total stillness.  The Man dropped Rick on 
top of Jason and then turned to Jim. He lifted Jim's limp body onto 
his shoulder.  "Come with us asshole. I have some special stuff in 
store for you."  He walked towards the van.  "Don't make me wait, 
nothing."
   I ran after him. There was nothing I could do anymore. I was 
becoming like him now.  Just the way he wanted.