The Monster Within Us E-Book

David Krüger

• Herausgeber: epubli
• Kategorie: Abenteuer, Thriller, Horror
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Beschreibung

"The monster Within Us" In a future where genetically manipulated creatures rule the earth, homeless Simon Klawitter fights for survival. When a giant rhino unexpectedly enters his life, Simon sees the chance to take part in the most dangerous race in the world - a brutal competition through the streets of Gelsenkirchen in which only the fittest survives. But the race is not only a test of physical endurance, but also of moral limits. Behind the monsters that terrify humanity is a powerful genetic lobby that determines the fate of the world with its experiments. Simon not only has to assert himself against the beastly creatures and corrupt police officers, but also against the monster within himself that human greed and the fight for survival conjure up. "The Monster Within US" is a dark, gripping thriller that explores the limits of power, science and humanity in a destroyed world.

Leseprobe

Title:The Monster Within Us

Author:David Krüger

Biography:

David Krüger was born in Hamburg in 1983 and grew up in a rough neighborhood, where he was confronted with the dark side of life at an early age. Even as a child, he was drawn to dark stories and spooky tales, which he searched for in the forests and dark corners of the city. After school, he worked in various jobs - from craftsman to night watchman - which gave him a broad range of experience and the inspiration he needed for his dark stories.

David Krüger began writing in his free time when he discovered his passion for dark, apocalyptic worlds. Without any academic training inInspired not only by literary studies but also by a keen power of observation and his personal life, he began to develop stories that primarily dealt with the dark side of human nature and the consequences of technology and power. In 2015, he published his first thriller, which immediately caused a stir.

Chapter 1: The Fall into Nothingness The rain splashed in thick drops on the greasy asphalt. The neon lights of the broken billboards cast flickering shadows in the alleys of Gelsenkirchen-Nord. Simon Klawitter crouched on a rusty metal staircase, dragging on a half-smoked cigarette and staring at his motorcycle. It was old, rusty and seemed ready to fall apart at any moment, but it was all he had left. At least until tonight.

"Hey, Klawitter! Are you in, or are you a fucking coward?" Janis, a skinny guy with greasy hair and a voice that sounded like a circular saw, was standing at the bottom of the stairs. His hands in the pockets of his torn hoodie, he grinned crookedly. Simon spat out the cigarette and crushed it with the tip of his boot. "Shut up, Janis. Of course I'm in. Just because you can't get your ass up doesn't mean I'm backing out." Janis laughed briefly, almost barking. "Good, man. Because I need my money back, and II don’t want the cops to get us.” The street races were illegal, but for guys like Simon they were the only chance to make a bit of money - or at least not to starve. His stomach was growling. He hadn't eaten anything proper for two days, apart from a piece of bread he had found in a trash can. But now was no time for self-pity. He swung himself onto his motorcycle, pulled his leather jacket tighter around his body and kicked the starter. The engine roared loudly, a cloud of black smoke rose from the broken exhaust. "Stop talking and take me down." Janis jumped on the pillion and they drove off. The rain was pounding relentlessly and Simon had to concentrate to avoid the potholes in the road. The city was a run-down hole where only the rich in the center still led a somewhat clean life. The rest of them - like Simon - fought for every damn day. The race track was an empty parking lotbehind an old factory. A group of about twenty people had gathered, including drivers, spectators and a few shady characters who were taking bets. The air smelled of oil, petrol and cheap booze. “You’re late, Klawitter!” One of the organizers, a beefy guy with a bald head and a gap in his teeth, looked at Simon critically. “Your bike looks like it’s about to die at any moment.”

“Don’t worry, Kalle. This thing will last longer than your damn dentures.” Simon got off without waiting for a reaction. "Big mouth for a guy who's always broke," Kalle muttered, but he let Simon have his way. The race began with a loud shout from one of the spectators. Simon shot forward, the bike vibrating violently and the tires skidding on the wet road. Next to him another engine roared and a rider on a shiny machine narrowly overtook him.

“Fuck it,” growled Simon and gave moreGas. The wind whipped his face and he felt the cold rain seeping through the holes in his jacket. The route led through deserted streets and narrow alleys, past crumbling buildings and angry homeless people who cursed as the motorcycles sped past them.

Less than a kilometer from the finish, Simon heard a loud crash behind him. He didn't turn around, but he knew that one of the riders had crashed. "One down again," he muttered, his heart racing with adrenaline. He was almost there when another rider hit him. Simon's bike lurched, he tried to keep control, but the impact was too strong. With a screeching sound, the bike slid to the side and crashed into a lamppost. Simon was thrown from his seat and landed hard on the asphalt. A sharp pain shot through his ribs and his head pounded. Rain pelted his face as he lay motionless, the motorcycle smoking beside him. “Lost, you bum!” The other driver, a guy with a tattooed skull, laughed derisively as he passed Simon.

"Screw it..." Simon coughed, his voice hoarse. He lay there as the rain soaked his body. Everything was gone. His motorcycle was a wreck, and the few bucks he could have won were history.

Janis came running, panting, stopped and stared at Simon. "Dude, are you dead?" Simon blinked the rain from his eyes and snorted. "Is that what you want, you asshole?"

"No, but if you don't get up, the cops will come. And then we'll both be in deep shit." With a labored groan, Simon pushed himself up. His back ached and every breath felt like a knife stabbing his side. "That's it. I'm out."

"Out?" Janis raised her eyebrows. "What do you want to do? Sit on the street and wait until someone gives you a joboffers?" Simon said nothing. Instead, he limped away into the darkness, police sirens blaring behind him.

Chapter 2: The Giant in the Night The night was silent, except for the occasional trickle of rainwater splashing off the ruins of the factory roofs. Simon dragged himself through the alleys, every movement painful, his clothes soaked from the fall and the rain. He had no idea where to go. His head was pounding, his stomach was growling, and the cold was creeping into his bones. "Shitty life," he muttered, kicking a rusty garbage can, which fell over with a clatter. A pair of rats scurried away and Simon sighed. "You have it better than me, you little bastards."

He sat down on an overturned pallet, took off his wet gloves and massaged his bruised fingers. The street lamps flickered as if they had had enough too. Simon closed his eyes briefly to escape the stabbing pain in his head when a strange noise caught his attention. A deep grunt, followed by aheavy pounding. It was not a human, that was clear. Simon opened his eyes, stared into the darkness and listened. The pounding became louder, the grunting deeper, accompanied by a metallic clink.

"What's going on now?" he muttered and slowly stood up. His hands felt for a piece of pipe that was lying next to the pallet. Not that he thought it would help much, but it was better than nothing.

Then he saw it. At first it was just two glowing dots in the darkness, then a massive shape took shape. A huge rhinoceros stepped into the beam of a flickering street lamp. The animal was larger than any normal rhinoceros, with skin that looked like it was made of iron plates and a horn that glowed as if it were bio-lighted. "Holy shit..." Simon stumbled back a step. The rhino was a monster. Its eyes glowed red and its breath formed small clouds of steam in the cold night air. It had a few scratches on its body and the remains of chains were hanging from its legs.were obviously torn. The animal snorted, shook its head and came closer. Simon instinctively raised the pipe as if he had a chance. "Stay where you are, you giant beast! I may be a failure, but I won't let a monster crush me!" The rhino stopped and looked at him. Simon could feel his heart racing, but the animal didn't take another step. Instead, it lowered its head and began sniffing at a pile of garbage, as if it were looking for food. Simon slowly lowered the pipe and exhaled heavily. "Okay, okay... so you don't want to take everything apart right away. Good for me." He looked at the animal more closely. The remains of the chains looked like they belonged to a high-security enclosure, and the scratches suggested that it had escaped from somewhere. "Well, are you a runaway, huh? You come from some genetic lab or something, huh? The rich are always breeding this kind of crap." Simon laughed dryly and shook his head. "Great. Now the monsters are runningalready through the streets.”

The rhino raised its head, its glowing eyes fixed on Simon. It took a step toward him, and Simon tensed. "Hey, hey, relax, big guy. I'm not dinner."

But the rhino didn't do anything threatening. It just stood in front of him and snorted again, this time almost... expectantly. "What do you want from me?" Simon looked around as if he was expecting help, but the streets were empty. "I don't even have anything to eat, damn it. You're just as out of place as I am."

The animal came closer and Simon could now see a large wound on its side that was slowly bleeding. "Shit... you're hurt." He scratched his head as if he could find a solution. "What do I do with you now? I can't take you to my villa. Oh, wait, I don't have one." The rhino suddenly lay down on the ground, right in front of Simon, and panted heavily. It seemed exhausted. Simon stared at it and rubbed his temples. "Thecan't be true... now I have a huge problem, and it's lying on the street in front of me."

He sat back on the pallet and looked at the animal. "Great. So you're my new roommate, eh? You could have at least been smaller. Maybe a cat or a dog. But no, of course you must be a giant."

The rhino closed its eyes as if it wanted to sleep. Simon sighed deeply. "This is going to be the shittiest plan I've ever had, but... well, maybe you're my ticket out of this shithole." He leaned back, took off his wet boots and put them aside. "If we both survive, big guy, I'll make you a damn star. But until then, you have to make sure the cops don't catch us."

The rhino didn't answer, but Simon had the feeling that it had understood him. That night, in the midst of the rain and the dirt, something began that Simon couldn't even begin to understand.could.