Strange Creature

A creature unlike anything I had ever seen stepped into the room. I do not wish to describe what it looked like, but you can be sure that it filled me with horror.

“Kill it. For God’s sake!”

“Very good sir.”

In an instant the creature was gone. There was a very brief sense of relief followed by a nagging remorse. I knew it was wrong to create and destroy life so recklessly. The whole thing had come about for one reason and one reason only: I was a weak man.

I had underestimated the power behind every foolish whim. Certainly I had an obligation to the creatures of my fancy. There were consequences to my actions; each of them having a life of their own.

But it was not simply the moral obligation to take responsibility for the life I had created. It was also the fact that this life had taken a completely unexpected shape. It presented questions that needed answers and I started to cry because I knew the answers would never be found.

“Handkerchief Sir?”

“Thank you” (sniff)

“Would you like a pacifier sir? Something to take your mind off all the worries of the world?”

“Oh, that’s very kind of you. I would like that very much indeed.”

“Very good sir. Could you open your mouth sir? There you go sir. You have only to suck sir. Suck way, suck away.”

And suck I did. On the pacifier. And then I fell asleep. And in my dream I was in an empty room with a single door. The door cracked open and the same terrifying creature stepped into the room. But in my dream I was powerless. I couldn’t make it disappear. So I shouted and shouted for it to go away, all for naught.

The creature was frightened by the shouting, or was it about to attack? It started to laugh, but perhaps it was crying?

I wasn’t sure how to react. I tried to apologize for my foolish behavior. But instead I began to beat the creature. I brought my fist down upon its head again and again and again, but as it is so often in dreams, my attack seemed a feeble one. There was little force behind my fist and I couldn’t quite land a punch. So I stopped fighting the creature and waited with dread to see how it would react. My wait was a short one, for then I was quickly taken out of my slumber.

“Sir, sir! You must wake up!”

“I’m awake. What is it?”

“Wake up sir! Wake up!”

“I’m awake damn it! What is it for God’s sake?!”

“Please sir! Please wake up!”

“This is absolutely ridiculous.”

But I saw very quickly that it was useless to say any more. My servant had a new master.



The master put his hand on the servant’s shoulder.

“It’s useless to wake him.”

“But-“

“Put it out of your mind. There’s nothing more we can do for him. He’s been consumed by the creature.”

This was a lie of course. I was perfectly fine. There I was, fit as a fiddle. I’d made peace with what I’d done. And after all, there was no creature any more. I’d destroyed him and that was that.

THE END