The Monsters Inside Us: Fiction and Real

I’m over at author Kristina Stanley’s blog this week talking about some of my favorite characters – monsters! In some movies and books the monsters are obvious. But are the monsters inside us? Come share!

And if you haven’t met X-10, the villain of A Human Element, I dare ya….

Exclusive X-10 Interview…Evil lurks within…

Did you have a happy childhood?
What’s happiness? A word you people use when you have nothing else to say. An empty word representing your pitiful emotions. I didn’t have a childhood. I grew up in a room, alone except for pathetic doctors who made me take tests over and over. And then I killed them all. That was a day I felt happy. Killing takes away the loneliness.

Who are you opposing and why?
Laura. She gets to live a life I never had. A life with a name. I want a name. Charlie. It’s a nice name, right? But I’m the freak while Laura looks normal. I hate her for that.

Do you think maybe medication could help you? This vengeance thing isn’t healthy.
Medication? Yeah, I’ve had medication. That decrepit doctor pumps me full of drugs to dull my powers. I feel powerless and weak. Like you humans. Like Laura will feel someday, and her stupid lover. You’re annoying me. I don’t like to be annoyed. I don’t need to be near you to kill you, you know.

Okay, okay. So what is it you plan to do once you reach your goal?
When I escape for this pit I’ll kill that bitch, Laura. But I’ll never kill her from my mind’s eye. This one has to be done in the flesh. Soon her time will come. And she will know what I am. She will watch her lover die and then I will watch her die. I’ll squeeze her perfect limbs between my hands and hear her cry out in pain. Lovely.

What would your mother think of all this?
I didn’t grow up with a mother, you idiot. I never needed a mother. Mothers are something you humans whine to. I killed my mother before she could have a chance to raise me as a human. Ripped her apart when I was born. I was more powerful then, as a child, than she would ever be. Serves her right.

Nice. So how would you describe yourself?
Tall and handsome (laughs). More powerful than any one on Earth, with amazing powers of telepathy, healthcpc.virusinc.org/xanax/ telekinesis, and strength. I am the ultimate puppet master of you people. I’m invincible. You can’t kill me. I have the power to heal myself. I hate wearing your human clothes too. I enjoy being naked and admire my bulging muscles. See?

Hmmm, yes. So who are your closest allies?
The people I kill. That fat guard whose neck cracked so easily. He was an ally. His truck got me far down the road until it ran out of gas. And the scientist who imprisoned me. He was an ally. When I ripped out his throat he left me his stash of food to gorge on for energy. He served his purpose. The doctor who delivered me and sold me to the government. He was my ally when he led me to Laura. But then he had to die for that.

EXCERPT WITH X-10:

X-10 hovered over the doctor’s body. His anger drained away and he felt relief. He returned his mind to his body in the car. He needed to rest before continuing north. Travelling with his powers expended such energy it left him weak. But he needed to leave the car and hide out. He walked into the woods, breathing deep of all the life around him. After heading half a mile into the woods away from the dirt road, he found a hollow and lay down on the ground covering himself in a mound of leaves.

Within a few minutes his body heat warmed him inside his cocoon and X-10 slept. It was his turn to dream of the girl. He chased her as he always did, toying with her before he shredded her throat. But this time she stopped running and turned to walk back towards him. He stopped in his tracks, amazed she would do that when she knew he would kill her.

“Charlie, come with me. I know what you are. We are the same.”

He shook his head, wanting to hate her. How did she know he wanted to be called Charlie? His mission had been to kill her. It had always been so. If it changed now what would he do? What would he become?

“Don’t give into hate.”

“What do you know about hate?”

“I know hate. And it’s short lived. Love lives forever.” She held out her hand. “Come.”

“No!” He rushed towards her but she disappeared and he was left alone, as he had always been.