Beastridden

The Beast, Explained.

In 1678, a child was born in rural Scotland. This child grew up, and eventually went by the name of Colin. Colin lived in a small village, spending his time helping his parents on their farm, taking care of his younger siblings, and doing work as a thatcher as often as time and opportunity allowed. He wasn't a very smart boy, but what he lacked in brains he made up for in kindness. He was well-liked by his neighbors, and beloved by his family. He was hard working, and always did chores without complaining. He also didn't complain that day, at 15 years of age, when he'd been sent to gather firewood in the nearby forrest. He was told to be quick, as dinner would soon be ready. He was told as well to watch out for the beasts that were known to roam the area, the beasts he'd been warned of fo many times before by his old grandmother. And like those many other times, Colin laughed it off. "No beast in these woods that are any match for me!" He'd announced, flexed his skinny arms, and then left.

Colin would never admit it out loud, but he much preferred the solitude of the forest to the daily life at the farm. Preferred the sound of birds chirping to the screams and shouts of his young siblings. Preferred the feeling of the dry leaves and soft moss under his feet over the coarse dirt he travelled on when venturing between neighboring towns, wheb he went to do work whenever times were tough. And they often were. It had been a long day and was now nearly sunset, but he wanted to enjoy the moment he had to himself as long as he could. He'd found a lovely green mossy patch on the forest floor and laid down, closed his eyes, and let the beautiful, sweet smelling wild surround him, inside and out.

When he opened his eyes again, it had gone dark. Pitch black, in fact. He didn't mean to doze off, oh what a mess it was! He was going to get a serious beating by the time he got back, he knew that. Especially if he came home empty handed. He struggled in the dark, hurrying to gather anything resembling firewood.

The dark and the cold made his mind play tricks on him, and he could've sworn he heard the sound of something moving above him, and then behind him. He assured himself it was but his imagination, and if anything it was most likely an owl or rabbit. And Colin sure wasn't afraid of either. But no, surely that was the sound of something treading through the leaves and twigs, was it not? Something, way larger than a rabbit. He'd stood still, and held his breath. Telling himself that whatever was out there, surely had to be more afraid of him than he was of it. Surely. And then everything was quiet. No footsteps, no birds, not even a slight gust of wind. Colin took a deep breath, and exhaled loudly. And before he could scold himself for being afraid of nothing, something came from behind and grabbed a hold of his body. Something animalistic and hungry. Sharp claws, digging into his arms, shoulders, hips, and scratching at his back and his head. It was so sudden and unexpected, he nearly forgot to scream. But scream he did, when he felt what felt like a dozen knives puncturing the flesh of his neck. Sharp teeth, penetrating. The pain was indescribable, and he was too horrified to think straight. He fell limp in the claws of whatever had got ahold of him, knowing it was too late to fight back. And even if he wanted to, he knew that he couldn't. He was powerless, and so very tired. Colin closed his eyes, one last time, and hoped that the end would at least be swift.

He was found shortly after, by people from town. When he'd failed to return at the expected time, his father had requested aid in looking for his hopeless boy. And they found him, thank God they found him. They'd heard his screams, and followed the sound. Found him alone, torn and bloody, yet still breathing. It was a miracle. They carried him back home, and treated his wounds the best they could. When his grandmother saw the damage done to him, she had no doubt.

"The beast." She'd said, voice trembling. "This is the work of the beast. He will be lucky to see the sun rise."