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KASIM

D eep beneath the earth, in a damp and musty chamber, a beast-like man dwelled.

The room was a dungeon with cold stone walls and a low, vaulted ceiling.

The only light came from candles which flickered flames, casting eerie shadows on the walls.

The beast of a man, named Kasim, spent all his time in this subterranean lair.

He hated the world above with its bright sunlight and cheerful sounds.

He hated the people, their laughter, and their love.

Kasim was a creature of darkness—a shadow that didn’t bother the world because he hated when the world fucked with him.

He didn't party, interact, and damn sure didn't do what most men his age did.

The sound of his door unlocking, and the guard letting him know his father called out to him, made his face twist. He didn't wanna be bothered today because it was just one of those days.

He spent his days pacing back and forth in his dungeon, his heavy footsteps echoing off the walls.

He would stop occasionally to glare at the candles, as if daring them to flicker out.

Kasim's hatred for the world was all consuming.

He blamed humanity for all the evils that had befallen him; especially his father.

He saw him as weak and foolish, and the people who entertained him were blind to the darkness he possessed.

As the years passed, Kasim's isolation only deepened.

He became a creature of habit, repeating the same routines day after day.

He would eat, sleep, and pace, never varying his routine.

But despite his physical strength, Kasim was a fragile creature.

His emotions were raw and exposed, and the slightest disturbance could send him into a rage.

His body was massive and muscular due to the many pushups he did daily as if he was in a prison cell.

He didn't get to spend his days out in the free world.

He would prefer the dope boy lifestyle over the life his parents provided.

He'd take the junky mother, pimp father, and host of baby mothers from the streets because being a Kingly came with torture.

Kasim headed out the door nearly blinded by the lights that had come from down the hall. He took the long trail down to his father’s cave, as he called it, and walked through the steel doors.

"Kasim, my weird son,” his father taunted with an annoying laugh.

Kasim didn't find shit funny, so he didn't so much as crack a smile. His father brushed him off and motioned for him to come take a look at the camera. Kasim walked over to see what his father was so eager to show him.

"We have a winner," his father boasted and pressed a single button that sent the alarm ringing.

The way he smiled, the excitement of yet another foolish winner, disgusted Kasim.

Kasim watched the girl that sat on the stool, looking around frightened by the flashing lights.

She didn't look like she belonged in a place like this, and she damn sure didn't know what she was about to get into.

However, Kasim looked over to his father, wondering why he picked her.

She looked sweet and innocent, definitely not cut for a Kingly.

"Why her?" Kasim asked.

"Because a bitch like her doesn't belong here," his father replied forcefully. "Her friend looks like trash, so I thought you'd have fun with this one. I'll have Samuel inform her to pick up her earnings tomorrow, and she must come alone," Mr. Kingly added, still watching the monitor.

He was right.

The girl didn't belong here, and the things Kasim would do to her would taint her.

"Why not Rahim or Tasim?" Kasim asked, referring to his brothers. He didn't want to ruin her innocence because again, she didn't belong.

"Don't question me in my shit. Just be ready because this one would pay a great price. I may just keep her for myself. She looks like a little slut." Mr. Kingly never took his eyes off the screen.

Kasim only shook his head and made his way back out of the door. He couldn't get his mind off the chick who would soon be tarnished.

Kasim stepped back into his chambers and eagerly stared into the flickering candle. He took a seat on his king-sized bed and pondered. He didn't understand why his father chose him for his antics. However, Mr. Kingly knew Kasim hated everything about people, so he didn't care to indulge.

Unlike his siblings, Rahim had a field day behind the walls of his erotic tunnel. Kasim would always hear the sounds of loud moans and women submissively begging him to pull out.

Tasim, on the other hand, was a bit different. Tasim was the one that loved pleasing women with just the touch of his hands. He was more the street dude that would sneak out to go hang in what he referred to as his “hood.” He would bring girls back and sneak them right past his father.

Then you had Shyim, the only sister of the bunch. Shy wasn't like most sisters or women for that matter. She was infatuated with the lifestyle of a Kingly. She was a daddy's girl that made sure men wouldn't make it out alive if ordered.

Mr. Kingly used his children as pawns in his cold and sick world.

Shy was his precious jewel that would kill at her father’s request. To the men who would pay a lifetime of their hard owned money, she was seductive, but to Kasim, she was a throat-slashing slut.

And it was all for the adrenaline rush that helped their father’s obsessive cravings.