Portals To Another World

▪Calm monster▪

It was like something out of a horror movie. Ugly, black, and writhing in its place, it's massive eyes red and sunken. It's skin pale and yellow tinged. Crouching with its hands on the rock floor for balance, I see it's sharp teeth snapping the air like a wolf at pray, but it is not advancing towards me for it's distracted by the water that separates us. The water is dark and murky, not blue but greenish black, it's staring at the waters surface. The monster goes quiet and still, just looking at it's own reflection. The red eyes darting to the different features of it's face. I realise I've been holding my breath, not knowing if it's seen me or not, I exhale quietly. It's between me and the exit of the cave. There's no other way out. I'm stuck here with it until it sees me, then I'm dead for sure. I look past the monster trying to spot a way past it. But no, I'm truly stuck here.

I steady my breathing, ready to run for my life, suddenly a low growl comes from the monsters throat. It lifts a big taloned hand, my heart beats fast and I hear it pounding in my hears. It's going to rip me to pieces.

The monster raises it's claws and let's out a loud echoing shriek of outrage. The talons glint in the dim light as it brings them down to scrape at the water. To scrape at it's own reflection. The water splashes and sprays over me. I curse myself in my head for letting out a little yelp as the water gets in my eyes, the monsters red eyes snap up at the sound searching the cave until finally landing on me. But it still doesnt move towards me, there's something in its eyes like it's waiting for something, we stay staring at each other for awhile. Too scared to move my gaze, I hold it's steady stare. Suddenly it leaps over the small body of water and bounds towards me, I stumble backwards trying to get out if it's path, my back hits the wall painfully and knocks the air out of my lungs.

As I'm gasping for breath the monster stops two feet away from me and just stands there, still staring at me with something I can't quite put my finger on in its eyes. Not viciousness, not hungry like a wild animal, but... Curiosity? Why would it be curious?

It makes a quiet noise like it's choking, it lifts a taloned claw and touches it's face, I frown at it's actions wondering what it is doing. It pats all along it's forehead, feeling it's face as if trying to see what it looks like. When it prods its sharp teeth it yanks it's hand away and let's out sharp yelp of pain.
Then I realise what happened, it cut it's hand on it's own fang.
My frown disappears as I fully piece togehter what is happening.

It doesn't know what it is.

I look at it's eyes again knowing this, fear.
It's scared.
It doesn't know it's a monster.
So terribly frightened, now it doesn't seem like a monster to me, it now reminds me of a small child who just hurt another by accident.
It brings it's hand down to the ground once more and looks up at me, tilting it's head like a dog, I stare right back at it but this time not threatening but calm. I calm my breathing and channel my calmness into my eyes. Trying to show it I won't hurt it.
It seems to pick up on this and slowly, so very slowly, sits back and crosses it's legs under it.

I slowly raise my hands to beside my shoulders to show I have nothing and I won't hurt it. I take a shaking step forward, it growls lowly and I whisper,
"Hey, it's okay, I have nothing, I'm not going to hurt you."
This seems to calm it a small bit and I take another step forward, then another step and another. Until I am standing right in front of it. It's massive height towering over me, it's sunken eyes searching mine. My breath wobbles and I try to seem calm so it doesn't get spooked I take a step closer, ready to turn and run if anything bad happens. It's lifts out a hand and brings it close to my face, I try not to flinch out of instinct as I reach out and gently place my hand on its.
The claws retract in much like that of a cat and the monster seems to relax, I look down at my hand on its hands and am mesmerised by the contrast. Human hand on that of a monster, my pale smooth skin resting on white, almost yellow, scratchy skin. It pulls away and I step back, it moves over to the cave wall and touches its claw against it. My frown is back as it starts scratching the wall in short strokes, after a few minutes it waves for me to come over.

With caution, I walk over to the wall and see that the monster has carved writing in the stone. I look up at the monster but it's just staring at what it has scratched into the wall. I lean in to see it better until I can make out the spidery lettering.

I am no monster. I was trapped in this body. You are the first to not run.

Yo, I'm actually kinda, sorta, maybe, proud of this...? Idk if anyone's reading this but wdyt?