Modern Monsters

Maalik the Troll

Female Reader x Male Monster

They said it was such a shame to walk away from twenty years of marriage. For you it hadn't been a marriage in a long time. Walking away from it and escaping it was the best decision you had made in a long time.

For a while, you picked up the pieces and put a new life together for yourself. Your daughter was in college so you decided to move closer to her school. One day when she was visiting she brought you a brochure for cabin rentals up in the mountains.

"Look, I can take care of the house, break is coming and all I really wanna do is save up. Why don't you go rent a cabin and write that book you've always wanted to."

You smile at her, touched by her thoughtfulness and maturity, you're not sure who she got that from. "Oh, that was so long ago."

"And?" She grins. "It can be closer."

You sigh and look at the brochure. For years, your dream was to be a writer. You used to frequent fanfiction sites and fan blogs back when you were young. Time has a way of taking things away and being teased relentlessly by your ex-husband about your hobby didn't help. You had all but given up writing.

"It used to make you so happy, Mama," your daughter says. "And once you're done. We'll go and celebrate!"

You take the brochure and her words to heart. You've rented a cabin for the entire month to write your novel. Even if you didn't write it would still be an amazing getaway for you. Although, you were used to having your daughter or someone around. You weren't sure you would be used to being alone for so long.

The cabin was nice, it was all one room, save for the bathroom. The closet was big enough for all your things and that was it. The refrigerator was small, but you didn't bring much anyways. As you unpack and get comfortable you find you enjoy the quiet. You've not been alone since you were eighteen, this was your chance to learn about yourself again.

You set up a space for your writing near the window, that way you could look out into the forest when you wanted to. Outside there was a firepit and a stack of logs already chopped. During your first night, you start a fire and sit out there with a cooler full of beer. The woods are quiet and all you hear is the crackle of the fire.

The next morning you get up and set to work. For a while, it feels like nothing will come. You can't think of anything to write about and straining over it only makes things worse. You've written, maybe, half a page around one in the afternoon. You give up, feeling defeated. Back when you were young and your daughter was just born, you used to spend hours writing while she slept. Any small noise would wake her so writing was one of the few things you could do. The words use to flow from you like a broken sink. You couldn't stop the process. Now? God, now it was like trying to squeeze syrup from a stone.

You go outside and decide to take a walk. There's a path that cuts through the woods, so you follow it. It's narrow and winding, but walking makes you feel better. You eventually come to a pond where there is a waterfall running down into. You're amazed, it's so beautiful. The water looks so clear and crisp. You take off your shoes and wade into the water. You feel invigorated stepping inside you, you wish you had your swimsuit with you.

As you wade around the pond you get closer to the waterfall, curious to see behind it. Once you get close enough, you see something standing behind the water. Their dark body blends in with the rock behind the water, but you can see their shape and their eyes as they peer out at you. You stumble as you try to run, nearly tripping and falling into the water. You don't stay long enough to find out what was there, you even forget your shoes. You run all the way back to the cabin, your heart hammering and you're unable to catch a breath.