Sunday Scribblings - The Monster

Long, long, long ago when everything was fresh and new and man had just begun to be able to speak, there was a time of great cold and, as a consequence, great famine. Small tribal groups hunkered down in caves around fires and did their best to exist by hunting anything that was worth eating. Many died, but the more advanced tribes found ways to survive and it was the hairier not quite upright groups that suffered most of the loses. One of these groups, that still had not properly found their voices came across a fire dwelling cave group and saw that they seemed to have food and warmth. The leader of the semi-upright beings, was slightly more advanced than the rest of his group and he had cunning too. He communicated to his group and told them that if they attacked and killed the smaller cave dwelling group they would be able to snatch what food they had. They attacked and overcame the tribe with the cave.

Way out in space in the Milky Way, an explosion occurred. A small hard crystalline lump appeared and within it was something receptive to thoughts.

The huntsman had a magnificent animal pelt that he worked on until it was cured and he had a wonderful hide that he could wear when he was cold or could cover him whilst he slept. He was the tribe's best hunter and all admired his skill and the skin he had prepared. One of the lesser huntsman of the tribe, felt angry everytime he saw the skin. He coveted it, he wished it was his to keep him warm and he wanted the admiring glances that the other huntsman receiced. He thought about it often and imagined himself wearing it and turning up at another tribe proud in his skin carrying a carcass he would offer to them in return for letting him join their group. They would take a look at his magnificent pelt and realise his worth as a hunter. One night it all became too much, in the dead of night, he brought down a large stone on the head of the huntsman whilst he slept, then he rolled up the skin and disappeared into the night.

The mass in space had grown, it was hard and glittered and the kernel receptive to thoughts felt happy and stronger.

A king in the sandy desert wished to build a vast edifice that would celebrate his greatness. He spoke to his highest court officer and told him his ideas and demanded that the matter be acted upon immediately. Builders rushed to the Chief Court Officer's side producing plans for a vast structure. 'How will we be able to build such a monument in the King's life time?', he thought to himself. He mulled this problem over and needed to find a solution as the King was becoming impatient and it did not do to upset the King. Out of nowhere an idea burst into his head. An army could be sent into the next country and capture many strong men and bring them back in chains to work on the edifice. He went to the King, who immediately told the Head of the Army to arrange this invasion. The invasion was successful and the building work began.

The mass was becoming vast, the kernel was becoming more powerful and realised it could send out waves of energy containing thoughts.

A wounded soldier limped along a dusty road, he had been left for dead on the battlefield, his horse nowhere to be seen. In the distance he could see a village,did he dare approach it, he never got to make a choice. He collapsed at the side of the road. A man with a donkey came across him, picked him up and put him over the beast and led it into the village. The soldier awoke, he was lying on a pallet his wound dressed. A young man holding jars of healing salve accompanied by a mullah in his flowing robes approached him. The soldier stiffened, but the young man smiled at him and began to change the dressing on his wound as the mullah placidly watched and then indicated to a second boy who had entered to help the soldier eat from the steaming bowl.

In space the mass shrunk slightly and at the kernel a voice howled in pain. It felt angry and frustrated. Goodness was not beneficial to it.

Much time past, on the planet below there were huge wars, pestilence famine, people committed cruelties towards each other and lost respect for each other. Kindnesses were done, but as time passed there was more and more greed and jealousy. People became intolerant of other people's beliefs and ideas and money came to mean power. Forests were cut down, seas were polluted and terrible weapons were invented. Within this morass of anger and hatred occasional bright lights shone but never strong enough to diminish the irrationality of the most important people's anger, subterfuge and trickery. It was time for these solitary flames to stand together and condemn the greed and waste before the planet ended by dying.

In space there now hung this vast mass of bloated gaseous material that moved towards earth, its voice boomed out louder at every act of meanness, it gibbered in its insanity 'I am the monster, I am your worst nightmare and I am coming to get you'.

[Please excuse any inaccuracies regarding space in the above modern day fairytale, I just needed the vastness space to set the idea.]