Monster in the Lagoon

“There’s a monster in the lagoon.” The old man murmured in a shaky voice. “It comes out at night and eats those who wander too close to the water’s edge.”

The young boy gazed at the old man with wide eyes as raucous laughter erupted from the table next to them. Men in silver armour held their bellies as they laughed hard, their tankards spilling as they rocked this way and that. The boy watched from his stool; his eyes wider than ever as the knights gestured to the old man.

“You’re a fool.” One of the knights said, his hair as golden as hay and flowing like water across his shoulders. “There’s no monster in the lagoon, only drunk farmers tripping over their own feet and drowning.”

“I’ve seen it.” The old man announced, his face turning beet red as he turned to the knights. “It’s covered in scales as black as night, a-and is as quiet as a cat.”

“You’re a liar as well as a fool.” The knight with golden hair said, his words making the other knights erupt with laughter once again. “If there was creature that lives in the lagoon, how come no one else has seen it?”

“I… I don’t know.” The old man admitted, his face turning redder by the minute as the knights exploded in laughter once again, the stench of alcohol emanating from their mouths as they cruelly imitated the old man.

“Oh no, we better run home before the darkness steals our souls.” One of the knights said through a fit of giggles, wiggling his thick fingers in the face of the old man.

“Don’t listen to this old codger, kid.” One of the other knights announced, steering the child to sit beside him. “He probably thinks fairies are real.”

The old man clenched his fists, his heart hammering in his ears as he watched the king’s men mock him. He gritted his teeth, biting back his response, knowing that whatever he said he would regret the next day. Instead, he dumped a bunch of coins on the table, grabbing his cloak and hat, and stepped out of the tavern into the cold night. In his wake the knights jeered at him, falling to the floor in laughter as they drank more and more. The old man continued, ignoring the urge to turn back and give those foul men a good talking to, his lips twitching as he muttered to himself.

When he reached his small wooden house, he pulled open the door and slammed it behind him, pacing across the wooden floorboards as he continued to mutter. Before long he knelt before the fireplace and attempted to make a fire, his old fingers fumbling with the matches as he tried to light the kindling. He whooped in triumph when the logs ignited and settled into his armchair with a book that had been resting on the mantelpiece. His head began to droop as he drifted into sleep, snoring loudly as it echoed through the little house, his dreams filled with the season of spring.

He awoke with a start, his body jolting forward as he sat up, his eyes blinking into the darkness as he looked down at the glowing coals still warm in the hearth. He rubbed his face, confused why he was awake at this hour, only for an alarming sound to reach his ears and make him sit as still as a statue. Listening intently, he could hear crying, a low moan of mourning that rung out through the night and sent a chill through him. He leapt from his chair, slipping his jacket and boots on before grabbing the axe he had left leaning against the hearth and slipping out his front door.

He stood stock still and listened once again, using his ears to identify which direction the sound was coming from. He turned his body, following the sound with his figure, ending up facing the darkness of the woods. He gulped, his hands tightening around the axe in his hands as he stared at the depths of the trees. He had trudged through the acres of the woods around his home many times before and he knew that only a few yards from his house was the lagoon; a large black mass of water that had given him many strange experiences. His stomach dropped, his mind reeling as he recognised that the sound was coming from the direction of the lagoon. He prayed he was wrong, turning to look back at his warm cozy home before gritting his teeth, grasping his axe ever tighter in his fingers, and leapt off his porch, thundering into the forest in the direction of the crying; the sound getting louder the deeper he trudged.

With each step he could feel his apprehension growing as every inch of himself wanted to turn back; but, whenever he stopped, sure he would turn around to abandon the wailing, he would feel the guilt push him to continue deeper into the woods. He knew he couldn’t leave someone in danger and as he pushed his old legs harder, running as quickly as they would allow, he breached the trees with a gasp and a huff. He came to a stop, his chest heaving as he gazed at the lagoon, the dark expanse stretching before him beneath the moonlit sky. There, on the soft banks, was the boy from the tavern, his head in his hands as he sobbed loudly, the water of the lagoon lapping at his knees. The old man stepped closer, his axe raised as he stared out at the water, his heart hammering in his chest as he reached the boy.

“Boy,” He whispered as loudly as he dared. “We need to leave.”

“She killed them.” The boy sobbed in a hoarse voice looking up at the old man with red puffy eyes and tear-stained cheeks. “She killed them all.”

“Who-?” The old man began, his eyes skittering down to the boy only for him to spot the people the boy was speaking of.

Floating in the water, thick shiny armour stained with blood, were the soldiers from the tavern. Their bodies tattered and shorn as their flesh floated by across the surface of the water. The old man swallowed hard, his insides twisting with disgust at the brutalised corpses, his eyes spotting a tangled mess of golden hair still attached to the top portion of a soldier’s head.

“Get out of the water, boy.” The old man warned, his voice wispy with fear as he extended his hand. “We need to leave, now.”

A rushing noise filled his ears as the water lapping at the boy’s knees pulled away and then came barrelling back towards them. Exploding from the depths of the lagoon was a ginormous slimy creature, its black scales glistening with swamp water as the algae slid from its hide. The old man urged his body to lift the axe still held tightly in his hand and hurl it at the creature writhing towards him, but his body did not move, instead he stared in horror as it slithered closer, his limbs weighed down by fear as panic held him in place. As the creature rose, its long body coiled and curved until its slitted poisonous yellow eyes stared down at the old man and the boy.

“Why are you here?” It hissed, sharp deadly fangs shimmering like pearls in the moonlight as its jaw opened with a menacing hiss.

“We-.” The old man choked, his throat betraying him as he tried to speak.

Beside him the boy whimpered, his eyes filled with tears as he hung his head once more, mumbling to himself as sobs racked his body. The old man managed to clear his throat, words squeaking from his lips as he looked up at the monster.

“We mean no harm.” He managed, the words husky from his taut throat.

“Liar!” The creature hissed, its fangs flaring as it lunged towards the two humans.

The old man felt his grip rip open as his axe went flying across the swamp, its sharp head plunging itself in the mud a few yards from them. A silent scream formed in the back of the old man’s throat as the creature rose before him; its electrifying eyes boring into him as its powerful head suspended itself over him. The old man’s legs shuddered, his eyes gliding up the creature’s iridescent scales before meeting the creature’s stare, his legs finally giving way as he fell to his knees.

“Please…” He sputtered in a whisper. “Spare the boy. He is young and foolish; he doesn’t know any better.”

The length of the creature’s body writhed under the dark water, its black loops churning the water and making it crash against the boy and the old man; despite the creature’s writhing, its head stood deadly still, its eyes never shifting as it gazed down at the old man. He blinked up at the creature as tears formed in his eyes, his mouth drying out as the words formed easily in his throat.

“I-if… If you must kill… Kill me.” He stammered, his body shaking with terror as he and the creature stared at one another. “I am old. I’ve seen the world, and I have nothing left. Please, just don’t hurt the boy.”

The creature’s body slowed and began to settle as its head lowered, its lamp-like eyes leveling themselves with the old man’s dusty brown ones.

“You really mean no harm?” The creature whispered softly, its voice rumbling through its powerful body to reach the old man’s partially deaf ears.

The old man felt his throat tighten, refusing to let any sound pass through as his breath shortened. The creature was just inches from his face as he attempted to answer, the words catching in his throat as he gaped soundlessly. Instead, he shook his head, the creature’s gaze softening instantly. They stared at one another, the moon shimmering above them as the only sound that echoed around them were the sobs emanating from the boy. A calmness spread across the old man as he gazed at the creature, his fear ebbing away slightly as they stared at one another.

“Leave.” It murmured. “Leave the swamp and never return.”

The old man nodded, feeling flooding his feet as he grabbed the boy’s shoulder, heaving him to his feet and pulling him towards the tree line. Adrenaline rushed through him as he steered the boy away from the water and towards the safety of the trees, his eyes never leaving the creature.

“Tell others of the danger that lies in the swamp.” The creature hissed as its body began to writhe once more and slowly sink beneath the surface of the water.

The man nodded, vowing to himself that he would warn anyone and everyone from ever entering the woods when a group of soldiers burst from the trees to his left. Their armour clanged loudly as they hit the water with a splash, their swords raised high as a handful of them strung bows to fire arrows at the beast. The creature recoiled, watching as the men trudged deeper into the lagoon as the arrows flew in an elegant arch. The arrows landed uselessly into the water as the monster in the lagoon twisted and twirled its enormous body out of the firing range.

“Leave me be!” The creature yelled angrily as it dove in and out of the water until the soldiers finally reached it, their swords slicing easily into its soft underbelly.

The creature shrieked in pain, its cry echoing deep in the old man’s chest, making his ears ring painfully as he stumbled, falling to the ground and pulling the boy with him. Standing, he grabbed the boy again and turned to see the creature react immediately. Its dark head whipped towards the soldier who had cut its underbelly and with an angry hiss it barred its fangs, letting its ivory teeth sink deep into the armour as it bit down on him. Using its powerful jaws, it lifted the soldier into the air and shot into the water, dragging him below the surface as it tail flung out towards the rest of them, barrelling into the soldiers as they ducked and dodged the powerful strike.

The old man’s heart hammered in his chest as he watched the scene before him, the creature’s vicious attacks countering the even more vicious attacks from the soldiers. The creature pulled the king’s men below the surface and ripped them to shreds as arrow upon arrow embedded itself into its thick hide and swords dug into its beautiful scales. The old man blinked as he watched in awe, his eyes catching a glint of metal between him and the ongoing fight. He focused on it, spotting his axe shimmering in the mud, its wooden handle standing straight up and pointing towards the sky.

The old man felt his heart begin to beat faster in his chest as he looked between the axe and the writhing creature not far from him. He looked down at the boy still clinging to his hand as the boy himself watched the battle unravelling before him. The man looked at the axe once more before his brow solidified. He turned to the boy once more and with a tight grip the old man dragged him behind a tree, kneeling once he had done so.

“Stay here.” He commanded with a tight squeeze of the boy’s shoulders.

He rose with an aged creak before turning and running as fast as his old bones would let him towards the glinting axe and the writhing battle behind it. He stared straight ahead, his eyes tracking every movement of the beast from the lake, its dark scales beginning to turn a deep crimson as more and more wounds began to be slashed across its body. The old man felt his lungs begin to burn as he heaved, his legs pounding beneath him as he barrelled past the axe, his old fingers gripping the handle tightly as he passed. The axe came loose from the muddy ground as he rushed past it, heaving it into both hands as his legs started to wobble beneath him.

Mud squelched beneath the old man as he thundered closer with each heavy step, his aching arms raising the axe above his head as he zeroed in on the monster, his eyes squinting through the mess of blood and iron to spot the glittering black scales. As the old man drew closer the glimmer of a yellow eye emerged from the battle, catching the old man’s own brown ones amidst everything. They stared at one another for a singular moment, fear, anger, and sadness flickering through the beast’s eyes for what felt like an eternity. With a yell of effort, the old man pulled the axe down as powerfully and violently as he could.

His body crashed into the midst of the battle as the head of his axe embedded itself deep into the neck of a soldier. The soldier wailed in pain, blood seeping from the wound and staining his armour as his eyes rolled back. The old man wrenched his axe from flesh, the soldier falling lifeless to the ground with a splash, the old man whirling his weapon around into the side of another soldier, allowing the beast writhing beside him to sink its deadly teeth deep into the soldier’s armour. With powerful arcing swings the old man ploughed down soldier after soldier, the creature tearing them to pieces and dragging their bodies beneath the surface of the water until the only two who remained were the creature and the old man.

The old man heaved, his body aching as he stared at the last soldier dead at his feet. He took a deep breath, letting the axe slip from his hand, turning to face the monster in the lagoon. It gazed at him with its yellow eyes as he stared back in the silence. He blinked, noticing blood from the corner of his eye and as he focused on the creature’s side he saw arrow upon arrow protruding from its body. Blood seeped from each wound as long and painful sword slashes gaped across the creature’s underbelly. Its body shuddered, its large mass weakening as its strength finally faltered, its head crashing towards the ground as it heaved and winced in pain. The old man lumbered forward, catching the creature’s head in his lap as he let its heavy weight rest on his aching body.

“You helped me…Why?” The creature rumbled, its heart hammering through the old man.

“You let me go.” He murmured, placing a creaky hand on the creature’s snout, gently stroking its beautiful scales and making the creature shudder. “You gave me a chance to live even though I could’ve been lying. It was more than what those soldiers gave you.”

The creature’s eye gazed up at him, its pupil widening to the point that he could see his own reflection staring back up at him from the darkness. Above them the sky began to weep, rain falling gently from above and splattering all around them. Thick raindrops plopped against the creature’s scales and dripped across its body, mixing with the creature’s blood before splashing to the ground. Then, to the old man’s surprise, the creature’s body began to shrink, its deep dark scales turning to pale skin stained with blood and covered with gaping wounds as its tail split itself in two to form two bony legs that curled themselves up to a human chest. The creature’s head shrunk as well, turning pale and sickeningly thin as a human nose, mouth, and face formed from the creature’s head. The only part of the creature that didn’t change colour was the long dark hair that cascaded from the head and across the body curled before the old man.

Lying in the man’s lap was a young woman, her body thin and sick as her ragged breathing shook her body. The old man slipped his jacket from his shoulders and draped it across her pale skin, rain immediately soaking through his pyjamas and making them stick to his skin. Her body continued to shiver, blood staining the old man’s clothes as she continued to bleed. He slipped his arms underneath her attempting to lift her from the ground. Behind him he heard a loud crack making him whip his head around to look behind him. Emerging slowly from the woods was the boy, pale as a sheet of ice and shaking violently with fear. Held aloft in his hands was the old man’s axe.

“Boy, put that down.” The old man instructed quietly as he turned his elderly frame to face the boy, placing himself as best, between the boy and the woman shuddering from pain in his lap.

“She… She killed them.” The boy said, his eyes never straying from the woman’s frame as he crept closer. “She killed them all.”

“She was defending herself.” The old man hissed, his hands gripping the woman sturdily as he lifted her gently from his lap and pushed himself from the ground.

The boy’s eyes darted to the old man and back to the woman, his wide frames flickering with understanding as he gazed at her, his feet stopping in their tracks as his brow furrowed slightly. The old man stepped closer; his hands extended before him to show he meant no harm as he approached the boy tentatively.

“Give me the axe.” The old man murmured gently as he gripped the axe handle.

The boy’s grip loosened as he relinquished the axe to the old man, the boy’s body quivering as he devolved into sobs. He collapsed on the old man, pulling the old man into a tight hug as the old man hugged him back, the old man’s hand rubbing the boy’s back as he sobbed.

“I’m sorry…” The boy whimpered. “I got them all killed. It’s all my fault. I’m so sorry.”

“Now listen here.” The old man instructed, pulling the boy away from him to look the boy in the eyes as the boy sniffled. “This wasn’t your fault. Those men chose to pursue the creature. They were idiots, the lot of ‘em.”

“I tried to stop them.” The boy hiccupped as he wiped his eyes. “I did.”

“I know.” The old man said reassuringly. “It’s not your fault that those men died.”

The boy sniffled some more as the old man pulled his handkerchief from his pyjama pocket and handed it to the boy. The boy took it and blew his nose hard before handing the gooey cloth back. The old man took it, hiding his disgust from the snotty handkerchief as best he could before kneeling before the boy.

“Now, that woman over there is very hurt.” The old man said, gripping the boy’s shoulders for a second time that night. “I need your help me get her back to my cabin so I can fix her up, do you think you could help me with that?”

The boy looked over the old man’s shoulder at the shuddering woman on the ground, his hands wringing one another in front of his chest. She looked back at the old man before nodding hesitantly, his eyes still red from crying.

“That’s a good lad.” The old man said, ruffling the boy’s hair before presenting the boy with the axe. “I can’t keep us all safe if my hands are full, do you think you could protect us?”

The boy looked at the axe, his eyes getting wider than the old man thought was possible before the boy gingerly gripped the axe’s handle. He pulled it up onto his shoulder and gave a stern nod. Without another word the old man rose from the ground, turned on his heel and hobbled over to the woman. The boy followed, his eyes scanning all around as he watched for anything that might harm his new charges as the old man gently scooped the dark-haired woman from the ground and into his arms. Together the boy and the old man made their way through the woods and back towards the old man’s cabin as the sky began to lighten with each step.

…

“There’s a monster in the lagoon.” The old man warned a pair of tourists. “It comes out at night and eats anyone who wanders too close to the water’s edge.”

The couple behind him gazed at one another with wide eyes as the old man hammered another sign into the tree. Like the other wooden signs he had already nailed to the trees, this sign bore a warning in big thick letters to stay out of the woods and away from the lagoon. The old man huffed as he banged his hammer against the nail a few more times.

“Stay out of the woods if you know what’s good for you.” The old man said before stepping away from the couple and hammered a nail into another sign on the next tree.

The couple whispered loudly to one another about how ‘crazy’ and ‘strange’ the locals were as they quickly walked away from him up the main road and deeper into town. The old man took no notice and continued his hammering, attaching all the signs he had made to as many trees he could find before stepping back and admiring his work. Behind him, a boy skipped up to him, a bag over his shoulder, stopping beside the old man with a smile.

“Hey grandpa.” The boy replied with a cheeky grin.

“Hey sport.” The old man said as he ruffled the boy’s hair, a chuckle leaving his withered lips as he reached down and gathered his tools. “What do you think?”

“Good!” The boy answered with a satisfied nod as he gazed at the long row of warning signs the man had been putting up all morning. “Do you think they’ll help?”

“Let’s hope they do.” The old man replied as he placed all his tools in a sac that he strung over his shoulder.

The pair disappeared into the woods, the boy chatting happily as they weaved between trees and wild hedges until the tree line finally broke and the two stepped out onto the banks of a murky lagoon. Perched on the shores of the lagoon was a half-finished cabin, planks of wood piled high beside it with tins of paint. The pair passed by it, reaching the lagoon shore as the boy continued to chatter his hands delving deep into the bag he was carrying and pulling large slices of meat out. He tossed them into the water, his voice ceasing only when he saw movement beneath the surface and from the depths of the lagoon, a dark creature emerged with brilliant yellow eyes.