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Chapter 1
“So you thought you could fool us didn't you monster,” said an old man with white hair and a beard as he paced back and forth before me. He must have been at least sixty years old, and was dressed in what looked like a military uniform with a long dark coat and big black boots. He glared at me menacingly like a jailer conducting an interrogation.
“You've been hiding in plain sight all along,” he continued. “Waiting for the perfect opportunity to devour us all.”
“What?” I said blankly.
“Living with the Matsumotos, entering the education system, and even going as far to apply to become an exorcist was all part of your master plan wasn't it? What was next? Were you planning to work your way up the ranks until you could be alone with the heads of our organization, and then pick them off one by one?”
“Are you insane?” I asked.
“Don't joke with me monster!” He yelled as he banged his fists down on the table and made me jump.
“Geez, it was just a joke,” I muttered. “Don't you guys know how to joke?”
I took one look around the room and realized they weren't joking. Behind him stood his two lackeys who menacingly waved baseball bats in their hands while trying their best to intimidate me with their eyes. Isaac looked like he wanted me dead, and Nina was hiding behind Akito like he was a human shield.
Akito was probably the only one in the room who looked sorry for me, but I assumed he was just trying to get on my good side so that he could take another stab at my back.
I was tied up and I struggled against the ropes which had me bound to the kitchen chair, but they refused to budge. I took one hard look at the old man who was accusing me of being a monster in human form.
I'm sorry, you probably have no idea why this crazy old man thinks I'm a monster, so let me fill you in on the situation.
Ten years ago I was adopted by an old man who named me after his deceased son, Michael Matsumoto. He used to feed me stories of monsters, and heart eating naked ladies. He seemed like an alright guy at the time, but after a few things came to light, I don't know what to think anymore. He passed away a year later and I started living with his daughter and her family. My sister Katrina is like my best friend and her daughter is so cute, and I suppose her husband isn't so bad either. Everything was going great until I started high school. I met a cute girl called Annie, but her friend Isaac was insanely jealous and went out of his way to ruin our relationship. If that wasn't bad enough, her brother Tyson and a bunch of his friends Kurt, Katie, Nina, and Laurence accidentally unveiled to me that monsters are real and they're all monster exorcists. Sounds insane right? I thought it was all completely terrifying until they told me that their organization was bribing the school to give them good grades, and then I was begging to join.
They shot me down at first, but after I stalked them on a mission I finally got permission from their teacher Akito to join and begin training. I thought it would all be fun and adventure, but their boring teacher made me write assignments and meditate on rocks all day. It was almost worse than being stuck in school. I thought I had the potential to be a great exorcist, but as it turned out I couldn't even destroy a kitten monster which was super depressing.
Anyway, a bunch of dramatic stuff happened and there were raccoons and wolves, and me fighting with Isaac, and Nina fighting with Katie, Kurt fighting with Laurence, and everyone just fighting with each other for reasons I didn't understand. Eventually, Isaac and I put our differences aside and became buddies, but that's when a super crazy lady who was actually a fox monster decided to strike. Fifteen years ago, she murdered and ate the heart of my older brother (the original Michael Matsumoto) and it must have been super tasty because she came back for seconds! She hunted me down at school and even followed me back to our super secret exorcist base. I know I'm an attractive guy, but even that's a little obsessive.
All my friends did their best to defeat the monster, but she ploughed through every one of them. I have no idea who's alive or dead. Kurt, Tyson, and Laurence are missing, Katie was knocked out cold, and the last time I saw my future girlfriend Annie, she was lying in her own blood.
Eventually the fox monster got me cornered in the office and I was sure that I was done for, but that's when Akito decided to strike. I thought he had a great plan to beat the monster, but instead his best idea was to stab me with a knife and offer me as a peace offering.
Thanks Akito, thanks a lot. I was a model student and did everything I was told, and then instead of praising me he decided to back stab me instead.
It was so terrifying that I passed out and I'm not sure what happened after that. When I came to, the house was a mess and a bunch of guys I don't know started treating me like a monster, and even my buddy Isaac was suddenly trying to kill me. I thought he and I were friends, but maybe he found out about how I accidentally left his science textbook out in the rain, and then stashed the evidence under his bed. Sorry dude. But it didn't explain why the crazy old guy kept treating me like a monster in disguise. Maybe was just one of those angry old men who don’t like young people.
“I have to admit that it was a pretty clever plan,” the old man continued. “Probably the trickiest plan that I've seen in my time as an exorcist, but now the game is up. You're exposed, just drop the façade and show us who you really are. Unveil yourself monster!”
I stared at him blankly. If I really was a monster I'd transform and eat his face off, but I was nothing more than a regular high school student.
Akito coughed. “I think what Michael is trying to say is that he has no recollection of ever being a monster.”
“What are you babbling on about, how does a monster ever forget being a monster,” said the old man. "That's absurd. He's obviously trying to fool us. Look at that complete and utter look of bewilderment like he doesn't know what's going on. I know an act when I see one.”
“Like maybe he bumped his head and forgot everything,” said Nina. “I saw it in a movie.”
“I think he’s lying,” said Isaac.
"Excellent observation boy!" Said the old man. "As expected of someone who will become a great exorcist.”
“I think I’ve heard about this,” said the depressed looking lackey with dark hair named Hugo. “There was the case of that hamster monster that spent its entire life in a pet shop and eventually began to believe it was a real hamster. Or at least he did before he began eating the staff one by one.”
“What nonsense,” said the old man. “All he needs is a good fire charm in his face and then he'll conveniently remember.”
“Hey, are you guys going to be much longer in the kitchen!” Yelled Tyson from outside the door. "I need to change my ice pack!"
"And is it alright if I just go in to grab a snack?" Asked Kurt from outside as well.
"Shut up! You children bring shame to the exorcist name!” Yelled the old man. “I’ve had it with your lack of respect and negligence of the rules, your inability to properly guard a monster, and your inability to submit your assignments on time with double spacing and the correct referencing.”
There was silence on the other side of the door, and I assumed Kurt and Tyson were busy reflecting on their actions until Kurt yelled. “Is that a no?”
I could see the old man turning red, and he looked like he was about to explode until Akito yelled. “Meeting in the living room in ten minutes!”
“For the last time I’m not a monster,” I exclaimed. “And you guys won’t tell me anything! Where’s Annie? Where’s Katie? And where's my lawyer?” I added the last one for dramatic purposes. I didn't actually have a lawyer, but the old man didn’t know that.
“Annie and Katie went to the hospital and the others are fine,” said Akito.
I felt a sense of relief wash over me, but that feeling of relief was quickly replaced by how angry I was at Akito. I tried my best to swivel my chair around away from him and pretend that he didn’t exist. Akito had started acting super kind like he was my friend ever since I came to, but I wasn't falling for the same trick again. He was probably just waiting until my guard was down before finishing me off.
Isaac had gone quiet. He was standing in the corner eyeing me up like he was trying to figure out the appropriate charm to exorcise me. I was shocked at how quickly the guy had gone from being my nemesis, to my buddy, and then wanting me dead. Maybe he was suffering from some sort of multiple personality disorder. Isaac seemed pretty good at hiding stuff about himself, so it wouldn't be a surprise.
“Hey Isaac,” I said in an attempt to reach out to him. “I thought we were friends.”
“Don't you remember Michael,” said Isaac. His gaze fell to the floor like he didn’t want to look at my face. “There's nothing I hate more than monsters,” he muttered.
His words hurt more than Akito’s blade in my back. I felt tempted to blurt out his secret (Isaac had the ability to sense monsters), but a part of me still believed that we could be friends once this whole misunderstanding had been worked out.
“That’s the spirit young man,” said the old guy as he patted Isaac on the back. “You can even have the first blast at this creature.”
He handed Isaac a piece of paper with a charm written down the side. Isaac looked like he was seriously going to use it before Akito dashed out and created a shield between the exorcists and I.
“Can we all please wait a moment?” Akito protested.
“Akito, are you protecting this monster?” Asked the old man.
“Hey sir,” said Hugo. “Didn’t everyone think it was strange when Akito decided to train a regular high school student?"
“By God you’re right Hugo,” said the old man. “He’s been conspiring with a monster right under our noses and we failed to notice!”
“I’m not conspiring with anyone,” said Akito. “But with his level of spiritual power and willingness to exorcise monsters using our techniques, I believe that if harnessed properly, he could be a useful ally in our fight against monsters.”
“Maybe they’re all in on it,” added Hugo.
“Shut up! That’s ridiculous,” said the other lackey with the glasses. “That’s my sister too that you’re talking about, there’s no way that any relative of mine would ever go against the organization.”
“Step aside Akito,” commanded the old man. “We need to deal with this creature.”
“Could you please wait!” Akito protested.
“You two, remove him!” Commanded the old man, and the two men with their baseball bats began to encroach on Akito.
“Wait, wait! I have evidence, if you kill him now then you’ll only regret it later,” said Akito. “I have books and papers, and I even took some photos. If you could all please just listen to what I have to say, I can prove to you all that it’s worth your while to keep Michael alive!”
His subordinates paused and looked towards the old man like they didn’t know what to do, and neither Isaac or Nina came to anyone’s aid. Akito and the old man glared intensely at each other and I could almost see the sweat begin to poor down Akito’s forehead.
After what seemed like forever, the old man finally relaxed and said. “Fine, I’ll listen to what you have to say, but,” he said while glaring furiously at me. “It won’t necessarily change my opinion on what to do about this creature.”
My eyes flicked between Akito and the old man. I was grateful that I wasn’t going to be electrocuted by Isaac’s lightning charm in the kitchen, but my fate now hung in the balance of two people who were obviously out to murder me. I thought I was lucky to have survived the fox attack, but I had a feeling that what was waiting for me could be even worse.
Support The Monster Exorcist
If you would like to see the next book finished faster you can always support me by buying my work, recommending it to your friends, or help me sell it through and affiliate program. Even just writing a positive review on Goodreads, Barnes and Noble, or the