The Difference Between You And Me

Monster

From the shadows of a particularly tall tree I stood, a titan. Watching in awe as the little humans flew through the air as if they were born to do it. A quiet mewl of longing escaped my jaws as I imagined the freedom the little ones must feel as they swung from branch to branch. I longed to fly like they did, to be free from the harsh pull of the earth if only for a second.

This was another thing that separated them from me. Yes, I could look like them, but I could never truly be one of them. I was a titan after all. Their smell still intoxicated me, though I could ignore it to an extent. I regrow limbs when theirs never return, and there was the fact that I didn't need to eat like they did.

I thought back to the time when I first discovered I could become a human and how I visited a small human village, eating their food only for it to have the foulest of tastes and sit in my stomach, not going anywhere, forcing me to throw the food up or take the risk of getting sick. It was an unpleasant experience to say the least.

I guess there are limits to how human I can be. The looks are perfect, not unlike my titan form, but only a few of my internal workings were like that of a human.

Sending one last glance at the little figures as they cut down their last foe, I turned my back to them and slunk further into the forest, being extra careful not to make any noise. Making my way around the trees, I headed for the maze of underground passages I had discovered and used as a shelter at night when I was vulnerable. The tunnels were too small for titans but were perfect for my human form and was partially hidden by the undergrowth of the gargantuan forest.

Kneeling down, I pulled myself from my titan form and cheerfully skipped into the mouth of the cave, leaving my true form to steam and decompose on the mossy ground of the forest.

I always felt...a little wrong tearing myself from my own body, but it had its advantages and I was planning on using them to the fullest.

The tunnels were damp and dark to the point that I couldn't see my hand in front of me. It didn't bother me though. I knew every twist and turn of this maze and I smiled as I lightly used the soft pads of my fingers to brush the cool wall. I could always feel things better in this form. The rags leftover from my adventure to the human colony long ago hung off my frame. Torn ragged and infused with dirt, it only proved to be useful for a meager coverup for the outside addition to my body that humans insisted must be covered. It served to confuse me to no end as to why but I didn't mind because it allowed me to seem at least a little bit closer to those amazing little creatures.

A gentle slope of the ground indicated that I had arrived at my destination and a small smile lit up my face as I came around a corner.

Soft streams of light flooded into the cavern from a hole the size of a human head, in the tall rock ceiling. Light bounced off a small pool in a dip at the middle of the room and aided to spread the light around the space. On one side of the cave, I had placed all of the little human trinkets I found which covered the smooth stone. While the other side was bare with the exception of a pile of soft grass and my most treasured possessions.

A ripped cloak the color of the forest with a design of wings on the back, reverently draped over a protruding rock. The battered tools that the humans use to fly sitting almost patiently beside it.

I looked at them longingly, wishing I knew how to strap the metal to my sides or earning the right to wear the beautiful piece of cloth. You could tell just by looking at it. This cloak was worn by the brave, by those who deserve it. My gaze fell as I remembered.

I'm not one of those people. I am a titan. I have eaten humans.

I don't deserve to wear those wings.

These thoughts plagued me night and day. Refusing to let me don the cape and revel in the happiness and pride it would surely give me. Being even marginally closer to the amazingly, perhaps stupidly, brave humans who look their death in the eye and fight. The humans who wear these cloaks are different from the humans I've seen before. They do not scream in fear, they do not flee. I find myself wishing I was one of them. Flying through the forest beside them...but it is only a dream.

The light dims around me. Going from a warm orange to a cold silver. Exhaustion slowly sinks into my body at the loss of the sun, surrounding my thoughts with a thick blanket. My bare feet shuffle against the ground as I move towards the pile of soft grasses, hoping I get there before my legs collapse underneath me. I gently rested my head on the cool grass, watching the moons light reflect and bounce off the pond around the room with heavily lidded eyes.

Another day ends and here I am again. Alone, with only fleeting dreams as company.

Here I am, the monster.

PS: The cover was drawn by my friend Walowaffles and you should go check his stuff out. The stuff he draws makes me wanna cry out of jealousy.

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