A couple of nights ago I had a dream. This dream affected me so much that not only did I feel inclined to write it down (as I have several other dreams in this blog), but to write a short story based on it. This story expands some of the experiences of the dream and builds upon it. I will be posting it in two parts. Here is part one:
EXCERPT FROM THE JOURNAL OF DR. NICHOLAS FRANKENSTEIN
as transcribed by Zorikh Lequidre
I was determined not to repeat the
mistakes of my brother.
I and my learned colleagues ventured
into the North American wilds to find a secluded spot where we could
educate my creature while gradually acclimating him to human
contact. I told him that we were going to investigate the local
flora, a project that seemed to interest him. With this in mind we
built two cabins in the woods a reasonable distance apart. I wanted
him to have his own space, to which he could retreat and have the
benefit of privacy and the dignity of possession. His cabin was
large, and he took to filling it with plant specimens, until it was
nearly as foliated on the inside as the outside. I took this as a
sign that he liked our choice of environment, and congratulated
myself on what I thought was my correct instincts.
After some days a local tribe paid us a
visit. They had a curious command of the language, which I
attributed to their isolation and limited contact with the civilized
world. They were bundled in unfamiliar skins with decorations of long
hair and fur, which I took to be of the local fauna. Being as this
region was so remote, I attributed my unfamiliarity with them to an assumption that the wildlife of these woods must be uniquely adapted to the environment and had not yet
been collected in sufficient quantities to fill the zoologial gardens
and natural history museums of my acquaintance.
I informed the natives that I had a friend who
wished to met them. Using the broadest of gestures and the simplest
of words, I brought forth my creature from his cabin and introduced
him to the natives. They smiled at each other, touched hands, and made
eye contact with genuine delight. They were quite welcoming to the
creature, a far cry from the ironically uncivilized treatment given
to my brother's tragic creature by civilized man. I felt this was a
very good sign, and again felt confirmed in my belief that I was
doing the right thing.
I kept the meeting brief, as I did not
want to push my luck, and escorted my creature back to his cabin. His
face revealed an amazement, as if he had not expected such an
encounter. He seemed almost a little confused as to what to make of
it all. I attributed this to the differences between the natives and
my colleagues and myself. I expected that he had not realized that
humans came in such varieties.
Again I congratulated myself. The
species of man comes in a wonderful variety of shapes, sizes and
colors, and we must learn to recognize and appreciate the unique
values of each of them, or we are doomed to destroy ourselves. The
xenophobia of the unenlightened masses comes from lack of contact
with the varieties of the world, and plays to the fear of what is
different. This is a logical fear, as our simian ancestors
justifiably feared the unknown. Therefore we must raise our children
in an environment of diversity and understanding. That is the hope of
mankind.
With this revelation warming my heart,
I settled in for the night's sleep. This confirmation of my natural
inclination was an unexpected result of this experiment. I drifted
off to sleep wondering what other discoveries I would make, to what
new visions into the human psyche the creature would introduce me.
I failed to sleep through the night,
however. Some sensation, like a premonition, or perhaps an intuition,
awoke me. There was something present, not quite stirring but
definitely present, outside our cabin. I rose from my bed and
cautiously peered out the window. The night was brightly lit by the
nearly-full moon, and in the clearing I saw about eight or nine creatures, each one a height that rivaled that of my creature, standing perfectly still.
Had I never seen the clearing before I
would have assumed they were some sort of stunted trees, or other
natural formation, standing, loosely grouped at the edge of the
ground, their stillness being so perfect. But there was a sensation
emanating from them. It was not quite a sound, but more of a wave, a
vibration, that affected me in a most curious manner. One might think
that this was merely the natural feelings of fear, uncertainty, and
trepidation, but no, I was quite familiar with those feelings
already. This was rather more a feeling of comfort, as if I was drawn
to them. I approached them and found myself before them faster than I
thought I could traverse the distance. I wondered if they were capable
of moving without my noticing, or if perhaps my perception of time
and distance were being somehow affected.
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PART 2!
Here are some versions of the original story to enjoy:
...and just for fun...
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