Strange Fantasies

What Is This Mystery?

There is a creature---seemingly ageless---capable of compelling...

It roams all places---through plains and forests, over mountains, and across the seas.

No one knows its name but it visits all peoples.

Its form becomes what is necessary for each individual; though, many folk see it as the same creature.

There are few reliable records of its nature and accounts from individual people can vary upon retelling.

Here are the few fragments we can offer that have any semblance of believability.

~~

My name is August Valli and I am the banker of Rancelle township.

I first met the creature when I was but fifteen years old.

It appeared before me, as best I can recollect, as a friend of mine---Gregor---but not really him...

It changed as I spoke to it, became a darkness, compelled me to follow it down the river bank into the water, where I met a beautiful woman...

~~

August was found in the water and three people did see him talking to the air...

~~

I am Mary of Capilan village and I help the nuns with their duties.

I was startled awake one night last year by a fear that I sensed before me, but only its outline, like a man with no body...

He spoke to me and compelled me to follow him from my home.

I was strangely trusting and found myself, in the morning, in the basement of the church.

~~

Mary was found in the church's basement---behind a locked door...

~~

My name is not important but you can find it out from anyone in Vauxain City---I was their Chief Magistrate...

The creature is real, as real as rock, but takes on forms to suit its prey.

I met what I thought was my wife returning from shopping but it was far too early---no shops were open and I'd just left her, sleeping in our bed...

She greeted me as usual and compelled me to follow her to the Hill of Remembrance where we had a picnic breakfast...

~~

That gentleman, one Peter Swan, was found in a stupor on the Hill of Remembrance...

~~

I am Bressilia Vougette from Hespas.

I knew the creature for ten years, in three distinct forms---my son, my mother, and a man from a foreign country.

Each appearance seemed completely normal until it suddenly became a void---a felt presence that could not be seen but compelled me to do things I can not mention...

~~

We include Ms. Vougette's words only because of the fine reputation she holds in her community.

~~

It may be wondered why the few accounts we present as marginally believable are so short.

This is how we received them---they all seemed willing subjects, eager to tell their tales, yet what you've read is all they said---each falling deeply asleep after their last words...

What follows is a statement from a man whose opinion we could well distrust, except for the remarkable fact that each of the people whose brief accounts we have shared have met with this man and vouch for his understanding of their experiences.

He was able to have each of them tell him much more than we here record but he will not release his records.

His statement:

~~

"I am a Psychologician---capable of determining the inner states that lead to what commonly is called hallucination.

"These people are quite normal and are only displaying what all people experience but never admit to themselves.

"What they say in their stories is true."

~~

This is all we can report...

Even though we have barely begun a proper analysis of this phenomenon, and even though we have a statement from a proposed expert who in fact did gain the approval of certain people as trustworthy, and even though we may doubt much about these experiences, we are compelled.........

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you liked this story, please consider giving it a vote...

If you can't wait for me to put all 31 stories here (one per week), head over to nfaa.wordpress.com and look in the left side-bar to find all the stories---that side-bar also has a free book of poetry, a free novel, and a free fable :-) {NOTE: if you're on your phone, you'll have to use your general "Menu" button and find something like "Request Desktop Site" to see the left side-bar :-)

Next story on Tuesday (USA-time), June 14th :-)