Bone Horse

A kelpie, my memory in its panicked state doesn’t remember too much lore on the monster. Although from where I’m standing it doesn’t appear like one. Supposedly they’re half horse half something else that feasts on flesh. Once the gorgeous beast entices a human to ride upon its back a magic seals your fate forever by making it impossible to get off the horse as he plunges into the inky depths of the water. Once the child, man, or woman is drowned, the kelpie eats his meal. All this I know is at the forefront of my mind and yet as the horse tosses its mane all I can do is let out a faint breath. Whether it is fear or awe that causes my breathlessness I know not. I know it can only be a selkie one by the untold beauty this animal wears and two by the location of this animal it trots upon the grainy gravel resting just out of reach of the great black lake and lastly, reason three, it is late at night and the moon shines down upon the fluorescent silvery white back of the beast. Those are the exact characteristics of the creatures of horror in the lore told inside my village.

I know I shouldn’t have left my hut in the dead of night to wander the shores. Apparently this creature has been at home here in this lake since before my grandfather’s forefathers and maybe even before them. The fae are to blame, my father says. “Wretched creatures, those fae, them and those ilk, creatures like the selkie prey upon poor farmers with impunity. We can’t do nothin but sit and wait to be next.” My father says a lot of things, but whether I believe all of it, however, is another story. I know the kelpie wasn’t stuff of legend due to how many children have gone missing these past months, it seems the selkie has been hungrier than usual for some reason and has been feasting upon more and more women and children. We, the villagers, assume the children and women are its favorite for some reason maybe due to purity my father also says with conviction.

Either way I had not in fact meant to leave my bed in search of adventure, but for a sweet lullaby being sung to me from some unknown source. I can see another youthful girl like me was also enticed here. She stands with her gold locks billowing in the breeze in nothing but her nightgown. I am startled to see much the same is the case for myself. My own red locks flow without restraint. A thrill of fear runs its course through me. If my father or any other villager saw our hair unswept up into the bun and state of undress we would be given a swift beating and a scolding that would leave us very shame- faced.

I hunch my shoulders against the chill of the next breeze as it sweeps its way through the briny shores and into the village. With a start I realize just how far I’ve wandered from the village. I don't even remember getting from my bed to where I currently stand upon the shores. Close enough to the black waters that upon the next wave the water licks at my toes and I yelp the water is not only frigid but it burns.That completely shakes me from the reverie the siren’s song had me in. The next wave that comes to caress my unprotected toes misses, because I leaped a few paces back. I hear a nicker and look to see that the once stunningly gorgeous horse whose beauty was painful to gaze upon, had come ever closer still in that steady trot across the shore towards me and the other girl. Clare I remember again, her name is Clare she is Ebbot’s daughter. Her father is also a drunk and hits her sometimes. Whenever this happens she usually hides with me inside the barn behind my house. I have my own reasons for hiding.

Clare has wandered farther down the shore, I know she is still inside the lullaby’s thrall. The monster horse is still trotting towards us and I leap forward. I could’ve run like my blood urges me to, panic nearly consuming me. I can’t leave Clare to this fate though and there is no retreating for if I do she will surely die. I would then truly have no one, Clare is my only friend in the village and she protects me from the other children who call me a freak. Story about why that is at a later time right now I must save Clare. I hop in front of her hoping that it would stop her, however she continues forward, nearly walking overtop me. Her eyes are glazed and she has a blank look on her face.

I say her name and start with surprise, with the lullaby continuing inside my ears my hoarse voice is loud to my ears. She keeps walking. The siren horse slows to a walk and nips the air with its teeth seemingly agitated, maybe because it’s guessed I am no longer in its sway. It’s close enough now to us that the whites of its eyes would be visible.. If it had any. Where whites would be, if this were a normal white horse, there was only black. Depthless, ageless, and angry, hunger seemed to seep from those black eyes. I didn’t think it was possible but as nightless as that water had been, those eyes seemed to take on a whole new shade of black. If eyes could have an evil air to them these were it. Upon seeing them I felt the blood drain from my face and my feet plant into the gravely wet soil.

I felt cold as an evil presence made itself known, no more did that lullaby kiss mine ears, instead a raspy voice spoke, “Child you look cold come closer so that I may warm you.” The horse had stopped about ten feet from me and when that ancient cruel voice had spoken I felt like melting into a pool of goo and just sobbing. I am so scared all I can think of doing is running and yet my feet are planted and are not obeying my commands. It is like this demon devil has used its magic to keep its prey firm upon its back has stretched to encompass me in the form of my feet being glued to the shore.

I scream, panic swept through my voice like a wave, Clare’s name upon my lips as I watched helplessly. She steps forward having during the horse speaking crept closer, oblivious to the creature’s nature. Her pale hand stretches forward and touches the horse’s dip in its back. I watch completely frozen, blood pounding in my ears as the horse’s lips pull back in a feral grin, completely un-animal like. “Come sweet child let us ride the shores until the sun sets this world ablaze. I tire of this and I am hungry.” I toss a quick glance to Clare whose stands facing me one hand upon the beast and hating myself for it I step back.

Coward I scream in my head. My fear screams that I will die with her if I do not run. The world stops spinning as if this was the moment everything in my life has led up to. The water stops moving, the moon’s silvery glow brightens, sights, smells, sounds, heighten. I smell a tangling metallic scent coming from the Kelpie for there was no doubt now as to what lurk beneath that pelt, although what beast lurks beneath the horse no one alive knows.

In three seconds my world halts and then with a lurch things resume their motion and nothing would ever be the same again for me. The kelpie snorts and swings his head back to glance at Clare still hand touched to that dip in his back. After a few deliberating moments the animal returns its focus back to me. “One will feed me for tonight, but I shall return for you.”

I shivered at the malice lacing those words. The kelpie looked stunning from far away as if a unicorn shining in all its ethereal beauty, up close, however, it was terrifying. Those eyes for one which were so encompassing I hadn’t the chance to observe the rest of the horrifying animal, such as the bloody pointed teeth that were revealed by the feral smile given earlier. The bits of flesh stuck in between those teeth was where that metallic smell was coming from.. Blood. Likely Clare’s soon. The mane was unique in that it resembled a horse except for the water dripping from it constantly even though from what I can guess by how long this animal has been out of the water entracing us, the water was magical, because it never dried. I noticed there was a bridle fitted onto the beast, but it was thin and white like its coat and therefore hard to see.

A whimper came out of me. I had no idea how to save myself let alone Clare. I will not leave, I will not allow her to die, and if that was to be our fate eaten by a Kelpie, so be it. I have heard that removing that bridle can sometimes free the trapped victims or give the remover power over the kelpie or it will kill it. It’s hard to say there are so many varying stories in regards to fae monsters, there’s no telling what would happen if I somehow managed to remove it. Some say that doing so could turn the remover into a new Kelpie. Either way I am left with no other option and will just have to try.

If I somehow managed to save Clare and kill this fiend, we would be heros in our village and the king may even take notice of the pests inside his kingdom and send soldiers to help us. Wishful thinking there as is the expectation that I may get out of this alive. If it were that easy to kill or control a Kelpie we wouldn’t have so many lose and killing as they please. I need to face it Clara and I were so royally screwed. The Kelpie without a backwards glance turned and headed for the water, Clare walking seemingly content with the fact that once she was beneath those darkened waters she would never surface.

This thought alone pissed me off, these bastards were so unafraid of us puny pathetic humans. Even our king can’t be bothered to save his subjects. No wonder the beasts of fae killed us without a second thought we were expendable even to our own king. No longer, No this word reverberated within my skin and bounced around inside my skull. It clanged through my very being as if a string attached me to the other, the side of fae. This word felt important and a tightness began inside my chest as if I was already underwater drowning. I got to a point where I clutched at my chest and whispered the word, the word that would change everything, “no”

The Kelpie stopped its trek towards the depths and my friend with it. He didn’t turn around just...stopped. Once the word was out I felt better and straightened. It was so relieving to have the word out that I said it again, “No” The word felt imbued with magic for some reason or I was just so full of panic that I couldn’t think clearly or understand what was really happening. The kelpie continued to stand there as if waiting for something. I was curious how far this magic, if that's really what it was, could go so I said, “ Turn around and let my friend go back to the village.” That same flow of energy continued to lace my words and flow from me to the sound.

The kelpie very slowly turned around and waded back to shore once upon the beach Clare started walking still in a trace back towards the village. The monster turned hate filled eyes to me and I flinched. That seemed to break the fragile control I had on it and it lunged forward fast- faster than any beast has a right to move. I felt teeth meet my flesh and rip, blood spurted out and soaked the sand at my feet. My arm exploded in pain and felt like thousands of needles jamming into my arm as if every nerve in the dang thing was on fire. The kelpie hissed in anger and bared its teeth in my face. The acid breath that filled my nostrils was salty and tangy. Water from its mane splashed my face. “ Fine then you die, suma Estrar bron velaris ton tucka”

The kelpie snaps its head forward and latches its teeth on my waist and pulls me in. As fast as I thought the horse moved on land it was even faster in the water when it wanted to be. Soon water is up to my chest and true fear like never before is all encompassing. I know what happens next and am not braced for the biting cold almost enough to numb the pain lacing through my arm and abdomen. Even if my lungs were working through my panicked huffing, it mattered not as I am sucked under fast enough to cause whiplash. I didn’t catch enough air before it was gone.

I don't know how far we were going but I could feel its teeth tearing into my side as I was pulled deeper and deeper. The water began to burn now it was so cold. If this beast didn't kill me the cold would. I felt the water slap my face and pound my eardrums and my left one popped at the level we had sunk to. I had felt so much fear this night I wondered if it was possible to just shut that function off. All of a sudden the swimming and flesh tearing stopped and there’s a moment of pure silence and darkness. All of a sudden brightness illuminates the all consuming darkness. It's not a light to save me, but one to show the horrors of what I was to face.

My lungs were burning with lack of oxygen and the cold threatened to suck in a breath. The horse came nearer to me. Some part in the back of my mind noticed we were at the lake bed and there were a great many bones littering the bottom. I simply sank to the floor and lay there arms floating beside my head watching tendrils of my hair floating lazily before my eyes. If only I could float away with them. The silvery light that wrapped around the Kelpie on the land illuminates the water now and my blood that caresses its depths. I am dangerously close to taking a breath of the foul blackened water, when the kelpie trods the liquid bringing itself to my face. I flinch as its hooves morph into hands and it grabs my face.

Secured into place and unable to turn my head, the horse's face is looking into my soul and its teeth nash into my lips, likely splitting the skin, but I can’t seem to bring myself to care. I am barely conscious at this point and am glad of it. I do not want to bear witness to my flesh being torn from my body. Once this beast has its mouth over top my to my horror air is being forced into my lungs. As rancid and foul tasting the air is my body’s urge to live trumps any complaints and once more my vision clears. This horrible beast has given me more air so that I may live longer to bear witness to my torture and pain that it’s inflicting. Revulsion fills me and I almost blow the air given to me out, but unfortunately my lungs won't allow it. Some part of me really doesn’t want to die.

The kelpie pulls back and grins at me for it is no longer a horse. It begins to morph from a muzzle filled with teeth to a flattened skull with no skin over top. Its body began to change as well, clearly the stuff of nightmare for its head wasn’t enough. Its torso and back became longer until it was long and spindly, also just bone with no skin the arms and legs elongated into tips until the whole body was about nine feet in height and the hands and feet were just points that split into two pinchers. The color of the bone of its body was silvery white much like the horse’s coat. I couldn't help it, but to my horror a warmth spread between my legs. The water surrounding didn't betray me, due to how dark it was with my blood. Pretty sure either my new level of fear or maybe it's evilness could scent the urine, but its new flattened head lifted and laughed. It was a gurgle sound and it traveled very oddly through the water. “Ah Suma you are scared of me.. Yessss you should be afraid.”

A pincher arm reached up and grabbed one of my hands and pinned me to the lake floor. I started to feel light headed again, but the Kelpie leaned forward and gave me more air while biting lightly on my neck. The other pincher hand thing roved over my clothes nearer to my womanly area. Helplessness overtook me and I felt tears blend with the water. At least Clara got away. For now this bastard would return and terrorize more and more women and children doing these horrible things. It wasn’t even decent enough to make our deaths quick enough.

Anger like none I've ever felt before washed through me and I no longer felt fear or helpless.. Just anger. A voice that sounded nothing like me hissed through the water,” Get off me.” A calm disposition had replaced my face and voice, but beneath.. Beneath I was murderous. The kelpie had the good sense to listen to me for some reason as if he could sense the change in me. I don’t know why he listened to me. I was technically still powerless, I just no longer felt like it. I felt like making his blood sweep through the endless waters. I wanted to tear through his flesh like he had done to mine. The kelpie swiftly changed back into a horse and backed away from me. I said very calmly,” Go find me something sharp.” To my later surprise since at this point I am not really capable of anything other than this rage, the horse listened.

I was left in the depths for quite a while before I felt a nudge on my thigh.I looked down, so consumed was I in my rage I hardly noticed the horse return. He had nudged me with his snout and between clenched very tightly was a rusty old sword.It was pretty in an ancient way. The hilt was wrapped in silver and purple inlay. Its beauty captured me and the blade seemed to awaken at my presence for it glinted with a glimmer in the pommel where a violet jew rested. “Spare me, suma. Selkies must eat.” My attention snaps back to the selkie. A smile much like the cruel ones he had given me curls the corners of my mouth upward and the Kelpie skitters backwards. An exciting thrill shoots through me. This creature was afraid of me. “Are you afraid of me demon?” I taunt the horse with a questioning tilt of my head after a contemplative pause on the horses’ lips part he responds, “I am not the demon.” I smile again and ask very softly, “You dare to assume I am a beast like you?”

A shiver runs the length of the horses’ back and he says,'' You are like no human I know, Suma. You speak like a demon, and like one, you require no air and speak through water unlike any human I know of. Lastly you speak and I must obey, that is no traits of a human.” The Kelpie spat out the last word. I start and see that he has a point, this entire conversation I have been breathing normally as if I have gills. Weird, but a problem I will deal with once the threat of the kelpie has been dealt with. I swim closer and say, “Give me the sword now.'' The horse ducks his head but brings the sword forth.

“Spare me.” He looks up pleadingly. I laugh, a cruel wicked sound, “ why the hell would I do that? You’re a monster you would’ve killed me and may still do so later on. You’ve butchered countless others, innocents. Not only killed them for food as you claim, but torture them for sport. That’s why there’s been more killings not for food, but sport do you deny it?” The kelpie bares his teeth in hatred and responds,” Oh please as if you are going to be a saint my blood will be on your hands.” I chuckle and tell him I'm okay with that and the sword I’m holding warms as if by magic. It seems to call for blood and I struggle to stay the blade a bit longer. “You child, are no human, that has been made plainly clear, but even by fae standards you’re something else, something unnatural. Something that is similar to me for only like could command like. You are every bit as evil as me and mark my words you will soil the ground with innocent blood before long. My death is only the beginning for you, there will be more death at your hands, suma.”

I raise the sword and say,” You will not move a muscle when I strike you down, you will not flee or attack. You will accept your death with grace.” The selkie opens its maw and a keening cry echoes throughout the water. I raise the blade and the sound abruptly halts as I swing the blade and sever the head from its torso.