The Creature Within

/ roughwighting

https://pixabay.com/illustrations/mythical-creatures-mythical-animal-7672039/JuliusHI always liked Stevie as a kid. He was kooky, and so was I. But I was in my mid-40s when he was born.

By the time Stevie was a teen, his intellect was genius level, and his nerdiness disturbed his two straighter-than-an arrow parents, so they put him in an advanced program at MIT and crossed fingers he’d be accepted by the other odd souls that hovered in the halls of techno academia.

Me?  His Aunt Lucia? Soon after, at the age of 64 I moved to a small island off Maui and found a lover who made me feel young again. It helped that Nathaniel was 15 years younger than me. But excuse me, I’m going off track of my story. You may choose to not believe me, and that’s okay. It’s no green skin off my back. https://pixabay.com/illustrations/seahorse-mythical-creatures-cute-1680372/SilviaP_Design

That probably doesn’t make sense to you until you read on.

Nathanial is long gone, and at 88, I hover between the living and the dead, situated here in my villa by the Pacific Ocean. I’m alone but rarely lonely, yet when I receive a surprise phone call from Stevie, my heart lurches at the idea of company.

“Great Aunt Lucia,” he begins. “This is Stevie. Stevie Robertson.”

“Only one person calls me Great Aunt,” I respond sardonically. For a boy so smart, he certainly lacks social skills. And of course, I use the term “boy” loosely. He’s in his 40s now.

Stevie asks to visit me: “I have a proposal I hope you don’t refuse,” he says.

That sets my mind awhirl. My first guess is that he needs money, but I’ll wait for him to arrive to tell him the bad news: I’ve used it all up.

But no, Stevie finds his way, via plane and boat, to my little abode and begins a story so surreal, so . . . kooky . . . that I decide I should believe him. He’s developed a pill that helps a person become the “animal – mammal or bird or sea creature – that is within you.”

https://pixabay.com/photos/unicorn-mythical-creatures-2875349/cocoparisienne“Stevie, I don’t have a creature inside me,” I insist. “In fact, there’s not much left to me at all,” I stare down at my decrepit body, hunched over from arthritis and age.

“That’s the point, Auntie!” Stevie exclaims. “The creature inside you is young. Vibrant. Viral.”

I’m astounded enough to ask, “How do you know that?” and then catch myself and continue, “Is this pill some derivative of LSD?”

I’ll skip the several days of persuasion that I needed. Suffice it to say that I finally agree. Because, as Stevie surmises, what do I have to lose?(to be continued)https://pixabay.com/illustrations/mythical-creatures-mythical-animal-7672039/JuliusH

Okay fellow reading adventurers. What’s your guess – what’s the creature inside of Auntie? Or better yet, what’s the creature inside of you? 

108 thoughts on “The Creature Within”

  3. I sincerely hope that the fantastic pill that Stevie developed doesn’t open up a Pandora’s Box of unintended consequences.

    What’s the creature inside of Auntie? Or, the one inside of me, perish the thought?
    Anybody’s guess. I’ll return to glean wisdom from other commenters, I hope.

    Again, a good one, Pam. A question for you: “Do you dream in technicolor?” (just curious!)
    😀

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  9. How intriguing! Well, she did mention green skin . . . so I like the ideas above of geckos or a dragon.
    I’ve no idea what animal would be inside me. I mean, how would one know? But fun to think about it. OK, waiting for the next chapter. 🙂

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  10. As is your specialty, you have intrigued us, your readers, with this tantalizing tale. What creature within would have green skin on her back. I like to think, since you are a Piscean, that it would be some form of mermaid. As for me? There is surely a dragon inside!

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  14. Thanks for another fun and creative story Pam. You and auntie share a wild side! My guess is the creature is a pissed off Ram, angry at not being let out in too long. Or maybe that’s just me projecting my grumpy old man issues! 😋

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  16. Because of the season, I’m betting on that cuddling chomping cute bunny hiding in your garden. Wait, you’re on a Pacific Island, next week? An albatross?

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    • Wow – two great gases into totally distinctive been different ones. A bunny 🐰 or an albatross! Stay tuned on the 21st to see if either of these become Creature Lucia. 😲

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  20. I’m thinking “mermaid” too but looking forward to your conclusion of another craftily created story from your amazing and awesome imagination! April 21st seems too far away. I want to say impatiently, “Are we there yet?” 🙂

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    • No doubt at all Jill. And when your creature comes out I bet the hummingbird in you would find where you were going up side and down side and every side very well.
      We’re just about ready to put our feeder out. Bet you already have yours ready and waiting.

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  25. The comments are interesting to read as well. I find it incredible that you dream in color. I rarely dream or don’t remember dreams anymore. But as a Piscean, I would guess a mermaid. I’ve collected and been fascinated with butterflies my whole adult life. Flitting from one thing to another. This is an EXCELLENT question! Ready for the next chapter.

    Liked by 1 person

      • I just read your Feb 3 post about your dresser drawer. Comments were closed and I can see why. There were SO many. As a reader, and I have always been a voracious one, I’m very finicky about what I read. Also, as a Virgo, I’m very critical. I have quit books partway through way too often. A lot of us write. That doesn’t make us writers or at least good writers. I’m also not prone to give false praise. Another Virgo trait. 😦 You, my friend, draw us in and don’t let go until we beg for more and get it. I went on and on but deleted so much here. It’s gonna happen. 🙂

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        • Awww, thanks Marlene. I didn’t know comments were closed in that post. I was AMAZED at the response, because I was rather shy about opening up my feelings there so much. Shows the value of being true to ourselves while writing — and that includes fiction!

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  26. Lucia will be a butterfly. Me? Even though birds are not my favorite creatures and I have little interest in them (I enjoy interacting more with mammals and underwater creatures), I think I must have some kind of a bird in me, based on my lifestyle and interest in being free and traveling the world…

    Fun story, Pam. I’m looking forward to the rest.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Ahhh, a butterfly would be beautiful for Lucia. And perhaps she’s a rather unpleasant human caterpillar now and will surprise everyone with a change. As for you? An osprey, perhaps. Beautiful bird with a wide wing-spread for long-distance trips.

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  27. Doh! Cliffhanger!! The first creatures that came to mind were flying monkeys of Wizard of Oz fame. Hopefully, Luchia’s inner creature isn’t a flying monkey. Hopefully, my inner creature isn’t a flying monkey.

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  30. This is one of the more interesting posts I have ever read. It speaks to all we do not know about ourselves, the power of the unknown, and the ability of the young to spark change in a positive way, which creates new understanding Thank you for sharing.

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  32. I so enjoyed how this story flowed so beautifully into the question Lucia is now facing; does she take the pill or not and, if so, what will she be? I personally envision a fox. 🙂

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    • Hi foxy Layla! You’re the first person who guessed a fox. Fascinating! And yes I can see that aAunt Lucia is quite Fox-like in many ways. 🦊 Personally, I’m pretty sure she does take a pill.

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  37. Green skin – I’m thinking dragon, but maybe you threw those images in to throw us off the track. I can’t wait to find out. I always thought I’d love to be a bird and fly above the world.

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  39. Great thought provoking story Pam! I wonder what that pill is… Writing is certainly one way to find out what the creature within us is, and dreaming is another. But a pill, hmm. I only tried LSD once as a youngter and “became” a dragon midway through the 8 hour trip that resulted from it. Being a dragon was interesting certainly, until I tried to exit a window to crawl down the brick exterior – a newly acquired dragon ability I thought I had. Thankfully my more seasoned veteran pill takers convinced me to stay inside. So for me, maybe the creature inside is a dragon?

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  41. What a cliff hanger! I can’t wait to see what happens. But in the meantime I’ll take a wild guess. I’m thinking Great Aunt Lucia could be just about anything she chose to be. I like her spirit and sense of adventure. She mentioned green skin so I’m thinking that’s a clue. But then again she lives on the edge of the Pacific Ocean and I can imagine her leaping and playing in it as a happy dolphin. But since I’ve gotta consider the color green perhaps she is a mermaid. She could hook some young fella then, couldn’t she? I’ll bet she’d enjoy herself in that incarnation! As for me? My spirit animal is a tiger.

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    • Roooarrrr! Hi tiger Linda. I really appreciate your thoughts on wonderful feisty Great Aunt Lucia. I agree – she’s a ‘character’ for sure and could be whatever she chooses. I can’t wait to share with you what that ‘creature’ is on Friday. THANK you for your comments. And keep on roaring!

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