The Creature

He couldn’t help himself. He sat, admiring the creature as it danced around him, remaining hidden under the shadows of the trees. Skittish but curious, it glided among the bushes, circling the man who sat in an open patch under the bright moonlight, hoping for a glimpse. The creature emanated a loud humming sound, vibrating the surrounding forest. The man felt it too. A sweet, calming sensation reaching his feet and climbing to his head, like his whole body lost circulation. He let himself fall over, unable to feel his limbs as if he were just a brain. He giggled, lying on his back, staring up at the ocean of stars and the bright moon.

He desired to see the creature. The creature that nobody saw, but many sensed. The man imagined a colorful little creature, playful and energetic, like a puppy. He had come out here many nights to feel the ecstasy of this creature, but tonight, he desired more, needing to witness the source of his joy, to follow it back to its hiding place where there would be more. He let out an ecstatic laugh, imagining many creatures vibrating in unison, sending him out of body, lifting his spirit above this dull earthly realm. He giggled.

People said he was crazy. The village elders told him to stay away from the creature. They said it was dangerous, a kind of demon. Demons made people hurt themselves. This creature made people forget themselves. This creature was an angel sent here to provide temporary relief from his difficult human existence.

He giggled again, the stars growing brighter as he floated toward them, his mind empty and his heart happy. Up he went, floating further into the starlit sky. He closed his eyes. In this moment, he was satisfied. No wants, no needs, no people to question his decisions or tell him what he could or couldn’t do. He was free. Free from life itself.

He opened his eyes again. The creature sounded further off now, and the sensation faded. No! He wanted more. He wanted to lie here for hours and let this feeling transcend him. He remained like a statue, focusing on the dimming stars, trying to prolong the sensation. Within seconds he lay back on the dull earth, in the dull grass. He stood up. “Come back!” He screamed into the dark. It was dead quiet. “Come back, please. I need you. Stay!” He fell to his knees, hot tears streaming down his face. He knelt there, arms outstretched for an hour before returning home, exhausted and melancholy.

He returned the next evening, an hour earlier, with a bag of fish in his hand. He had heard rumors that this creature liked fish. Whether it was true, he didn’t care. He had fish and a hope that he could rope the creature and follow it back to its den. He placed the fish in a pile on the edge of the clearing, hiding a rope he fashioned into a loop underneath. He ran the rope through a nearby tree and back to where he sat.

The sun set as the lightning bugs came out. He waited, rope in hand. The last of the light just faded from view when he heard the familiar rustling in the distance directly in front of him. The rustling grew closer and closer until stopping just before the clearing. There were no stars on this cloudy night, and he could barely see as he waited for his eyes to adjust. The creature moved along the bushes, slowing as it neared the fish. It stopped directly behind the pile. Come on, come out. Let me see you. He gripped the rope tightly, not moving. Nothing happened for several seconds. Did he see a glimpse of it peeking out from behind its cover? He couldn’t tell. The creature moved again, pacing back and forth in front of the fish. The hairs on his neck stood up. Could he be the first person to see this creature? The first person to catch one? The first to train and domesticate one?

He heard the sound as he felt the wave hit him, starting at his hands and traveling quickly to the rest of his body faster than he remembered. He giggled, letting go of the rope as he fell over sideways, his mind forgetting his plan and focusing on the sky above as he felt himself rise toward the kingdom in those clouds.

He sat up as the sensation subsided. He slammed his fist into the ground. The fish were gone. Of course, they were gone. The creature would not take the fish without immobilizing him. He needed to rig the rope to close around the creature when it grabbed a fish.

He arrived the next day several hours early to set up his trap. A cage held above the fish by a heavy pole that he secured into the ground. He threaded the rope through the pile of fish and attached the rope to the cage. He waited.

The sun disappeared beyond the horizon and, right on cue, rustling came from deep in the woods. He sat still again, sure of his plan. The creature hopped about in the dark underbrush for several minutes, circling him just out of sight. He followed the creature, rotating in a circle, hoping that it would peak its head out so he could glimpse its beauty. It came to the fish, still hidden, and strode quickly back and forth. He had decided he would capture it and follow it back to its home.

He heard the undulation and laid down as euphoria engulfed him and he floated again toward a starlit sky. Closer and closer he went, the crescent moon within reach. His mind wandered to all the wonderful things he would experience once he’d caught several of them. He could charge people for this feeling. He could grow rich and leave this dreadful village with its small-minded people and travel the country, showing off the creature. He could train it to perform tricks and satisfy him any time he desired.

As the feeling faded, he heard a high pitched crying sound from where the cage was. He stood up quickly and stumbled forward, the feeling still holding on to his legs. The cage rattled and slid back and forth, and a high pitched squealing cry came from inside. Yes! The man had caught it. He had done something nobody dared to do. He approached the cage and held it down. The creature let out a fierce, deep growl, and he jumped back as the cage slid again. He placed his hands on it. Even with the light from the moon, he couldn’t see into the small holes of the cage. The creature continued to cry, its terror growing louder every second. Was it calling for help? Would the other creatures show up here? He fancied that idea, but knew it would be more beneficial to find their nesting place so he could come back and cage them all.

He set the tied rope at the end of the cage and lifted the gate. He was thrown off his feet and nearly lost grip of the rope as the creature bolted from the cage through the rope and into the bushes. Now he had it. It was his. He still couldn’t see it but knew it had to be a muscular little creature, his arms and body yanked forward with every bound the creature made. He let it bound, deep into the forest as he jogged after it, wrapping the rope around his chest to ensure he wouldn’t lose it. The creature scrambled, terrified, its shrieks sending birds squawking into the night. Further into the forest, they went. He couldn’t see much as the trees grew dense and blocked out the light of the moon. He should have brought a torch or some way to mark his path. Too late for that.

The creature grew tired now. Its crying had subsided, and he could hear its heavy breathing while it lumbered along at a slower pace. It zigzagged in the underbrush as the ground descended. Into a cave? A den? He believed the creature had to be close to its home now as it began pausing, maybe considering the consequences of bringing an intruder to its family. He doubted it. The creature probably wasn’t too intelligent.

Several minutes passed as the creature now walked casually down a steepening decline. It was pitch black now. He should have taken this creature home first, where it was light and he could have gazed upon its beauty. He couldn’t see anything now as his eyes tried to adjust to the darkness. All he saw were shadows, and he kept stumbling over branches and bushes. Further, the creature traveled, slowing to a crawl, but every time he tried to move close to look, the creature pulled the rope taut and he fell forward, scratching his face and hands in the underbrush.

After several more minutes of walking, he followed the creature out of the dense forest and onto a small slab of rock. Here the light from the moon shined on a small part of the rock directly in front of a cave just big enough for him to crawl into. The creature, still hidden in shadows, turned toward him and let out a low huffing sound. He froze, fixated on the area of light as he heard footsteps from inside the cave. This was it. He would finally see one. Maybe seeing it had a similar reaction to feeling it. Maybe he would transcend the world at the sight of one. Would they start their vibrations here for him to experience? Excitement filled his mind at the thought of how amazing that would be.

From the mouth of the cave, he saw a shadow appear, similar in size to the one he held captive. The creature moved cautiously from the mouth of the cave, inching toward the light. Its snout hit the light first, and slowly its entire body was lit up for him to behold. It was unlike anything he had ever seen. It was hairless, or rather, skinless. Its snout was like that of a boar, its teeth protruding from the mouth in all directions. Its cat-like body was all muscles with veins popping throughout. Four thin sharp bones stuck straight up from its back and its tail was only bones, with several spikes at the end. It walked on wrinkly, skin-colored paws with dagger claws. Its eyes gazed up at him. Their deep orange burning through him. He stepped back in horror. The creature stepped toward its mate and in one bite, the rope fell from its neck. The two creatures made a low gurgling sound as if they were choking on water, and then five smaller, uglier creatures emerged from the cave and stood behind their parents.

How could a creature with such a beautiful ability look so dreadful? He stared at the creatures as they stared back at him. Fear rose through his body. He glanced around into the all-encompassing darkness and tried to remember his way back. He had been so focused on the creature that he didn’t pay any attention. Maybe he could climb a tree and sleep till morning. As he began backing away, he heard the familiar hum, but much stronger this time. All seven creatures huddled together and their veins glowed a bright blue, their muscles pulsing. He turned to run, not wanting this anymore, but the feeling crawled up his legs and he fell to the ground, rolling onto his back. It traveled his body fast as he tried to move. His body became like a liquid. He couldn’t control it and he laughed loudly. His mind wandered, and he thought of the cave and the wonderful things that must be inside it. He felt his body move, sliding over the rock. He moved toward the beam of light. Was this it? Would he transcend reality as he knew it? The light grew brighter until he gazed directly into it. Heaven must be awaiting him. He didn’t need to die, all he needed were these wonderful creatures. He saw himself with the gods, a human being who wasn’t afraid of these creatures, who embraced them and their powers. He felt himself falling now, sliding down into utter darkness. It was cold here and there were grinding and snapping sounds all around him. Was this passageway to the gods? Was he in-between realms? More grinding sounds. He shivered now, like he was laying in ice. He was wet too. Water? Did he have to swim to heaven? Was it below him? This water was sticky like honey. Heavenly water. He smiled, thankful for his bravery. Thankful he wasn’t afraid of some creature that could do him no harm. He giggled and closed his eyes.

“I’m ready.” He said aloud. He felt warm breath on his face and wet across his lips. Kissed by a god. The warm breath moved up his head. This was it. He tried reaching out his hands, but he couldn’t feel them. He tried speaking, but only warm liquid spewed from his mouth. There was no light when he opened his eyes. The last thing he felt was a sharp crown placed upon his head and a loud crunch as his world went eternally black.