The Monster

• Agustin Hardjawana
• Short Story
• 2018

The grotesque monster’s claws, clenched tightly around my waist. I peered meekly behind my shoulder, risking a quick look. Unfortunately for me, the terrifying towering beast saw my spying eyes… What would I do now?

The monster’s face twisted and distorted, turning it more malicious than ever. How did I even get into this horrific state in the first place? My pale white face was filled with fear and anxiety. I managed to not fill my eyes with the salty tears that tingles my sensitive tongue. The only thing I wanted to do was to go home, to be at my hospitable house, ready to welcome me at anytime of the day.

I froze fearfully, and looked directly into its staring eyes, which was intensely focused on my head. I strayed afar at how much I missed my cookies and milk. The monstrous beast suddenly stirred ,causing me to jerk abruptly upright. The gnarled face revealed sharp shark-like teeth, threatening me to be slashed brutally to death. Terrifying, revengeful and horrifically grotesque, my ugly nemesis, stood up contracting it’s spine leisurely, standing upright as tall as the Eiffel Tower. The savage beast picked me up the wrong side up, bringing me to a pitch dark cave.

The cavern was filled with various glittering rocks and minerals, and the deeper the monster went into the carved and eroded cavern, the more glamorous it was. The crystals and gems, blanketing the walls, shone brightly, illuminating in the darkness and dullness of the pitch black cave. Sometimes, I would stare at bright white light, my eyes blinking faster than ever, trying to throw the brightness of all of it off. Finally, after what seemed an eternity, the green filthy hands, lifted me down, and I managed to stretch my limbs and even my head! Suddenly…

The aroma of cookies and milk, rushed quickly into my nostrils, sending signals to my instinctive brain. Wait what? Was I dreaming? Why did I smell my afternoon tea? A voice snapped me out of my brain thoughts.
“Salutations very very very little petite girl. My name is Groce, because I am very gruesome, and no one wants to touch me. When I was holding you as softly as a cotton bud, I was trying to find my way into your brilliant human brains, finding out what you had for tea. So then, I transported the scrumptious milk and cookies, to my red and white checked dining table, so I can have my pleasant afternoon tea with you.”

My voice dried up in my neck. I stared curiously at the beast.This welcoming and friendly monster did not have very good ideas for inviting people into its breathtaking and cosy cavern, but definitely had an astonishing surprise at the very end of the adventure. Now, this was indeed a very amicable day! All afternoon, I was sipping my milk and gobbling up my delectable morsels.

I certainly should have not judged this monster by its cover!