Monster Age

by GR Griffin

  The duck, Kenny, snapped upright. The branch slipped from his grasp. His bill opened, but not a peep escaped his lipless mouth. Fleck watched, shocked, holding back all forms of movement and sound as ice grew around his feathers, starting from where the finger met his back. Ice spread over his body, inclosing him for head to toe.

  Kenny’s valiant battle against this monster from the shadows lasted no more than five seconds, ending with him being frozen in ice. His face was locked in fear; eyes wide and gazing out lifelessly. Gazing at Fleck.

  The smartly-dressed komodo dragon took playful steps around his victim, chuckling to himself, eyeing the frozen monster like an angler sizing up their catch of the day. His movements left no prints, nor did they alter the drift of snow falling around him. Not a single flake defiled his seamless appearance.

  “Oh, how I do love me a good chase,” he said joviality. “Cleans the cobwebs out.”

  Fleck clamped a hand over their mouth, stifling the whimper that wanted to escape. Their senses were going crazy, telling them to run as fast as they could. Fighting that urge was harder than sitting back and watching.

  The shadowy stranger stood before Kenny and gazed into his eyes, which were stuck solid in the last place it was looking before oblivion seized them.

  He hummed thoughtfully to himself, scratching the hairs on his chin. He whispered, “Where were you…?”

  Fleck watched as he brought his hand up, pointed both fingers at the frozen monster’s eyes then traced them to the bush… and where they hid. He looked to the side and caught, in his peripheral vision, the half-eaten biscuit with fresh teeth marks.

  His smile got brighter. “Well, well. I was starting to wonder when fresh meat was going to turn up.” He pointed at the ground and a blue laser shot from his fingertip.

  A pillar of water erupted from the snow that froze instantaneous, followed by another in rapid succession. It shot across the ground, approaching whoever was hiding within that bush.

  Fleck burst from the bush, diving to the side a split-second before their cover froze in a cascade of water and ice. They landed shoulder first, feeling the sheet of white crumple underneath them and the air leave their lungs.

  The shadowy figure slowly turned to see his new friend. If he did not know they were there, they did now. “Been a while since we had new guests around here. Guess the outside world hasn’t caught on as much as I thought.”

  Digging their hands into the snow, Fleck pushed themself up onto their knees. Their kneecaps were chilled. Both of them made eye contact.

  “Wait a minute…” His smile faded for a brief moment, then reappeared just as quickly. “Oh my goodness. Oh my goodness!” He stepped back and forth excited, clutching the back of his head in disbelief. “A human. I can’t believe it – a human! Here! Years I’ve waited for a new friend to arrive, and I get my very own slice of mankind. A rather small slice, but a slice nonetheless.

  “Who might you be?” he asked, then immediately afterwards clutched his forehead. “Wait, don’t tell me.” He closed his eyes and searched the deepest recesses of his mind. “You have an… interesting name. A unique name. Something that sounds free, free-spirited. Begins with ‘F’… Frithswith!” There was a pause. He remained still with his grin smeared across his face. “Nah, just kidding. Your name’s Fleck.”

  Fleck jerked their head up, proving that he was correct.

  As they rose, the figure cleared his throat into his hand. “So, what brings a creature from the real world to this little fantasy in the sky? I’m sure you’ve seen it yourself by now: a world created by magic pretending to be the real deal, and failing on every level. The food we eat, the water we drink, the air we breathe, the ground we walk on, the sights we see; all synthetic, constructed, and artificial. This world is one big illusion; one big daydream, and I am no different.

  “For I am the illusion. I am the deception. I am the trick your eyes play on you. I am the icy chill on your back. I am… Vail. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Fleck.”

  Fleck switched from Vail to the frozen Kenny, then back to Vail and asked what they did to him.

  “He’s okay, just taking a little cryo-nap. He’s perfectly fine in there, trust me.” He accentuated his point by sliding his hand across the substance that trapped poor Kenny. “Since monsters are mostly made up of magic, my ice spells integrate with their physiology, rendering them nice and tranquil without hurting them.”

  Fleck responded that they were not looking for any trouble, nor were they there to harm whatever system he had going on here. They just wanted safe passage to the Forest.

  “Safe passage? You mean as in leave? Oh sweet child of mine, why would you ever want to leave such a wonderful place like this? A long time ago, I was just like you, stumbling around a bland and empty world, seeking meaning in my life yet finding no answers. But with the right mind-set, I was able to make this world a paradise that I’m proud to call home. And I know, given time, you will call it home too.

  “I’ve made many, many friends – all of whom I’d love you to meet – but I’ve got a special place reserved just for that one extra special person who’ll be the greatest buddy in the whole wide Outerworld. I believe I’m looking upon that extra special person right now.

  “When I’m finished with you, Fleck, any thoughts you have on leaving will become your worst nightmares. You’ll be having so much fun that you’ll never, ever want to leave. You’ll want to stay here and do nothing but be my best friend… forever.”

  As fast as the speed of light, Vail zipped forward, stopping in front of the child. Fleck barely had time to gasp in fright before Vail nipped them by the shoulder of their coat and effortlessly lifted them off the ground. He brought his other hand up, the fingertip glowed with a blue light, the same one that turned Kenny into an ice cube.

  “Time for you to take a long nap, sweetheart,” he murmured.

  Desperately, Fleck pried and punched at the fingers latched to their coat, but his grip was as strong as titanium. If their show of defiance had any effect on Vail, he expressed it by smiling wider. The glowing fingertip drew closer to their chest, ready to encase them in ice. The more the distance narrowed, the more Fleck fought.

  Vail’s finger was an inch away from Fleck’s chest when he stopped. “Wait,” he said as he pulled it away, extinguishing the orb. “Oh, of course. How silly of me.” Then dropped the child. “That wouldn’t be a clever idea, considering you’re a human and all. You got all that optimum body temperature and blood flow and all those organs rolling around in there. Freezing you wouldn’t go down so well. It would start with a slight discolouration in the skin as the veins clam up and your lungs gasp for air, followed by some discomfort as your blood begins to chill, lowering that body temperature your kind are famous for, leading to a bout of extreme pain as your organs shut down one by one, including your heart.” He shook his head. “Some first impression that would be, am I right?

  “They say that the dead make the best listeners, but whoever said that obviously never tried having a thoughtful conversation with one. Since I can’t freeze you, I guess I’m going to have to convince you to stay the hard way.”

  All of a sudden, the sky above descended upon them, draping the bitter world in a veil of mist. Ice Island vanished under a shroud of thick fog, reducing the distance to twenty meters all around. Fleck was stunned by how rapidly their situation changed while Vail remained as still as his ice-covered friend.

  “It doesn’t matter where you go, Fleck. You can go that way…” Vail pointed west. “Or that way.” Then in the opposite direction. “Or this-a-way.” He pointed both thumbs over his shoulders at the path that lay ahead. “Or back the way you came.” With a flick of the wrists, he pointed his hands like guns back the way Fleck had travelled. “Either way, you’re going one way…”

  A gust of wind and snow flew in like a tidal wave, curving around the child but encircling both Vail and Kenny. His body fazed into the white. Fleck shielded their eyes as
the gust attacked them with talons of sharp cold.

  His last words were carried off in the wind. “My way.”

  The gust lingered, then dissipated as fast as it came. Fleck unshielded their vision, and found that Vail had vanished all the same, along with his frozen captive.

  Their sense of direction was completely lost; everywhere blanketed by grey, cold mist. The vastness of Ice Island was gone, not even the nearby wood could be seen, nor the pillars of ice, or the stump, the bushes, or their half-eaten snack. Fleck felt isolated from everything.

  Their heart continued to race from the fate that they had just avoided. The danger was gone, but a chilling sensation in their gut told them that their nightmare had only just begun.

  Birgir was right. This was a bad idea.

  With shaking knees, Fleck continued onwards, flying blind. They walked on nothing but flat, even snow, running into no trees, rocks, signs, buildings, anything. Five minutes passed. Ten minutes passed. Nothing except flat ground.

  The child feared that they had become lost when, up ahead, a dark apparition formed. A colossal wall of rock as high and as wide as the shroud would permit. The foot of Black Ice Mountain. In the centre, a large, black spot grew in clarity the closer they got. They found out that it was a cave, it must have been an entrance to the mines. Held up with rectangular frames of thick timber, saturated with lengthy icicles. To the side lay two mine carts with a discarded, blunt pickaxe resting against the one in front. Whatever contents they held were buried under years of fake white.

  They remembered what Birgir said, and it gave them hope. Locate the mines and you can make it through in less than a day. The less time spend in this barren place, and with that scary guy, the better.

  Fleck went to run, but stopped.

  They saw him.

  Vail. His back against the pillar on the right, with his arms folded and one foot propped back. He turned the saw the human at the same time they did, almost as if he expected them all along.

  His face lit up. This guy smiled more than Sans, and that skeleton never stops smiling. “Ah, you made it,” Vail greeted, kicking off the pillar and opening his arms apart. “Step on in, kick your feet up, make yourself at home!”

  Fleck was as still as Kenny was when he got layered in ice. The shortcut was there, but so was him – blocking the way similar to a dragon guarding his cave of gold. Was the risk worth it simply to save a few minutes?

  They did not think so. They turned to the right and continued parallel to the mountain face, walking away from the mine.

  “Where are you going, Fleck? The front door is over here.” Fleck ignored them as they hiked. Both he and the cave were swallowed by the blanket of grey. “You’ll be back.”

  There needed to be another entrance, one in which they could avoid Mister Friendly with. They followed the rock wall, searching, hoping for another way in. They looked back at the footprints they had left in their wake, acting as a trail for anyone to follow. Surprisingly however, Vail had not given chase. Guess he was not that desperate for a new friend after all.

  Two minutes later, another dark, empty hole appeared up ahead, digging into the rock. Fleck had found it: another entrance to the mines.

  Wait.

  The sight of it was familiar. Too familiar. The two mine carts nearby, with the pickaxe budged up against the first. The wooden arches, slicking with hanging spikes of ice.

  The realisation was like a kick to the stomach.

  It was the exact same cave entrance from before.

  Vail was there, against the same log of wood, tossing a baseball up and down in his hand that sported a catcher’s mitt. “You like baseball, right? All kids love baseball, I’ll even bet you’re the hot shot on the little league team. How about a nice, friendly game with all of my friends?”

  Fleck span on their heels and ran in the opposite direction, heading away from the mountain.

  His voice echoed from behind them. “So… not a big fan, huh?”

  The sprinted at full pelt, refusing to slow down for anything. Sweat formed under their thick insulation. The falling snowflakes whipped against their face.

  They tripped, stumbled, and fell, landing on their hands and knees. Staring down, they took a moment to get their energy back, drawing in mouthfuls of cool air. Sweat and saliva stained the snow.

  Fleck pulled their gaze upwards. The sight before them made them wish they had heeded Birgir’s warnings. Either there were two identical mountains with identical mine openings, or this was the same one for the third time in a row.

  The mine carts were there. The pickaxe. The frames. The icicles. And in the middle of it all, the sharply-dressed komodo dragon.

  “Will the third time be the charm?” Vail’s familiar voice reached out and made their bones rattle. The baseball and glove were gone, replaced by a deck of cards that he flicked from hand to hand in impossible fashions, first across his chest, then over his head, then behind his back and around his tail. “Are you going to play nice now? I can do this all day.” Taking all the cards in one hand, he pushed them into his vest pocket. “You know what, how about I make the decision for you?”

  Vail raised his hand and clicked his fingers together; the snap echoed outwards for miles on terrain that they could not see.

  From far away, an indistinct rumble grew. Fleck stood their ground. The din rose and the ground quaked as if a stampede was heading their way. The mist around them turned from grey to a blinding shade of white.

  A blizzard erupted out and slammed into the human with the force of a wrecking ball, throwing them to the ground. Snow mercilessly barraged into their body and exposed face, drowning them in white. Fleck struggled for breath, the air growing colder beyond their imagination. Their protective layers could not defend them from neither the onslaught nor the severe plummet in temperature.

  Up ahead, the cave, which they turned away from, suddenly became their only chance of survival. Vail was there, waving the human to come to them.

  Inch by agonising inch, Fleck crawled to the mine. With every second that passed, it felt like their body heat dropped by a degree. The tears that escaped their eyes froze on their cheeks.

  Their body was tearing itself apart on the inside. The outside bared the intensity of a million knives stabbing into their skin. Fleck just wanted to crawl up and let it be over, but they pushed harder after glimpsing the colour of their scarf.

  Coated everywhere in snow, shivering with cold, and exhausted, Fleck crawled inside the cave mouth, escaping the snowstorm. Both Vail and Fleck did the polar opposite actions: Vail raised his arms and cheered, Fleck collapsed.

  “Way to go, kid, you made it,” Vail praised, smiling over the child. Fleck would retort, but they were too busy hyperventilating. “It may not look like much as first glance, but I can guarantee you, every turn will be the time of your life. You just take a moment to recuperate, and then the real fun begins. Tee-tee-eff-en.”

  With that, Vail stepped out of Fleck’s sight. When they turned their head to follow his movements, he was gone completely, again.

  Fleck remained flat on the ground until their breathing was under control and the numbness in their muscles went away. After minutes of waiting, both had dropped to reasonable levels. Fleck pressed both hands against the freezing stone and pressed down with all their might, wincing as they managed to straighten them. Working the feeling back into their legs, they shakily supported the torso they were attached to.

  Back on their feet, the child inspected their surroundings. Behind them lay the cave mouth, leading back out into the lethal storm – an unsurpassable wall of white. No way were they going back out there, just crossing that short distance alone almost killed them.

  Up ahead, the path curved to the right, lit up with scores of twinkling stones on both the walls and ceiling. If they listened closely, they might have been able to catch the smallest echoes from beyond.

  They had no choice. The only way was forward, deeper into the mines.
r />   Fleck was the fly, and they had just entered Vail’s web.

  Chapter 19: The Veil

  The twinkling of jewels and diamonds offered some slight amnesty from their situation – a beautiful, shining silver lining on a very large, very angry, very grey cloud right above their head, ready to drain its contents over them in a torrential downpour. The sheer satire of it all set in: once again Fleck had found themself trapped under a mountain, and must fight for their life if they ever wanted to see the sky again. Trapped under another mountain, a mountain which floated in the sky, a sky empire that they were also trapped in, serving two massive helpings of entrapment onto this child’s small plate, and they had no choice but to take it with a large pinch of salt.

  They followed the tunnel where ever it went, it was either that or retrace their steps to the unpassable snowstorm outside. Whether they liked it or not, they were trapped in Vail’s domain. He could be watching their every move right now, taking note of their every action, reading their very thoughts, corralling them down a path of his choosing – into a waiting trap. The silence gave a small misconception that Fleck was going somewhere, when the actuality was that this could be the same path treaded by all those who came here before. Was this human different, or were they merely the next link in an already long chain?

  Up ahead, around the next bend and against the cavern wall, words had been carved into the rock, made legible in the unearthly glow. Crudely scratched in, nary a single curved line to speak of.

  Not everything is as it seems

  Further graffiti revealed itself onwards, carved in a way that was both similar to the first sentence but also different.

  This place will play tricks on you

  Ignore everything your mind tells you

  You’re not actually thirsty

  Fleck was unable to grasp whether these markings were written by the same person or different people, but regardless, they all held the same meaning. They were warnings. The first two lines struck Fleck the most, that these very tunnels were not as they were or that they were pulling wool over their eyes. Did that mean that nothing here was real?