Prequel to Cutthroat Committee: A Street Novel

By Lamont Berry

The trilogy is a series of three short stories: “Alter Ego,” which was written in 2009 and misplaced; “Big Mama Sweets Revenge Queens Court”; and “I Am Boogeyman” was later written in 2017 and merged in one as The Trilogy. Enjoy as past, present, and future are combined.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Dec 4, 2020
• ISBN: 9781645843962

Book preview

The Breaking Point

They constantly teased him for his stuttering and his name.

Damian, Damian, nobody would want you, you’re the son of Satan!

N-n-n-noooo, I-I-I-I-I’m-m-m n-n-not-t-t.

Is he retarded?

Yeah, that’s why he talks like that and st-t-tuuut-t-teeer-rs, right, rain man? He is our toy, bogus man, bogus man, bogus man!

S-s-s-s-s-t-t-t-toooop-p-p c-c-cal-l-l-l-ling me that, my name is Damian!

Let’s see if he got the mark of the beast on him like in that one movie. They jumped Damian and went in his hair to see if 666 was in his head.

It’s not there, let us go, you better not tell if you know what is good for you!

They did not know Damian’s anger was boiling, and they were about to suffer. Damian found a carton of gasoline and began pouring it on his tormentor’s home. He lit a match and watched as the house and its occupants were engulfed and consumed by the flames and Damian’s rage and anger. Damian stood in a trench as his eyes were attracted to the flame to a moth. He got joy and satisfaction in knowing his tormentor would not torment him again, but soon the fire was going to consume him and burn his soul, and he was going to cast out to exhale in the belly of the beast; his demons would make his mind their very own playground, and they would have their way with him. He would be sentenced to his own personal hell, and only the Lord knows for how long Damian would pay for his sins.

The Reinvention

Y ou have a lot of anger, my son, why is that?

Y-y-y-yoooouuu is not my father!

Yes, I am, my son, Damian, you are my son and you are reborn in name of Christ. Your name is no longer Damian, you are a new creature and creation.

What is my name father? It is Shawn Pitman, my son, you are named after two great men—Shawn, a good friend of mine, and Pitman, your grandfather—but there are two sides of every coin. I love you, my son. I am sorry for not being there for you, my son, forgive me.

W-w-w-wh-h-haaaatttt the f-f-f-f-fuuuuccckkk! So many thoughts raced in Damian’s mind; the dream felt real. Hey, go back to sleep! the still voice said. He heard his angels and demons, and sometimes they would disguise themselves. Maybe I need a fresh start a new beginning. Today I’m no longer Damian. I’m now Shawn Pitman. A silent menacing voice echoed in his Shawn’s subconscious: You will always be Damian." Shawn slowly stripped the identity of Damian as his father suggested; he became a new person, but in the process, he began killing off his sinful nature and urges.

Cast to exile, Damian was cast to hell and sentenced to a life sentence of torment.

Well, you have failed the task that I put before you.

But, Master, he had—

No excuses! For your insolence, you must be punished.

I’ve been nothing but loyal to you.

I don’t care about the past, it’s the future.

You must give me another chance, I promise.

I must not do anything, for your punishment. I cast thee down to cell of flames where you will spend eternally tormented day and night for all of you, his failure shall be an example, and failure is not an option.

Please, Master, have sympathy on your most loyal servant. I’ll do whatever to remain on earth.

No, you must suffer for all eternality, ha ha ha! You shall pay! Oh yeah, one more thing, I strip you of all your powers, now you’re as weak as a mere mortal—begone.

Agh! Agh! I’m burning, please just one more chance. I will do anything to get away from this torment.

Curses and Blessings, Damian Becomes the Boogeyman

F ree and feed my inner beast, set it free from its cage. I’ve been let loose from my shackles, just to lose my sanity, but my peace of mind is steady, separated from my humanity, my thoughts override my body. To tame a beast, you must become a beast. I feast on the carcass of my demons, and my enemies become my prey. Introducing…I am Boogeyman—reality’s worst nightmare.

Identity crisis. Shawn is questioning his identity.

"When I look in the mirror, I don’t even recognize my own refection. It’s like I don’t know who I am anymore. How did I let this happen? Why is this happening to me? Most of the time, at night, I was constellating so many thoughts and not enough answers. I don’t even know whom