"The Monsters"

Book Text
This book is titled "The Monsters - by Maria Scalius". It is a fictional account of a young couple and how they found shelter for the night in the Nektulos Forest.

It was a dark and stormy night. A young couple, having been lost for days in the Nektulos forest, now sought shelter from the rain. As they aimlessly wandered, a bolt of lighting struck the earth in a nearby valley. As they glanced over at the flash, they saw their only hope for shelter - a castle.

As the young couple quickly approached the castle, they were relieved to see candlelights in the windows. They banged on the front door and were shortly greeted by the butler. The couple was invited inside at once and told they could stay there for the night, only as long as the master of the castle gave his permission.

The young couple was led to what appeared to be a workshop of sorts and told to wait there. All manner of strange instruments lined the shelves of the workshop, which were all arranged around what appeared to be two coffins. The young man walked up to one of the caskets, fully intent on peering inside. At that moment, a shadow stretched out from the doorway

The shadow belonged to an old man who introduced himself as Lord Everling, owner of the castle. He told them they were welcome to stay the night if they so desired. He apologized in advance, however, for any noise that might disturb their rest. He explained that tonight he would finally complete his greatest creations to date.

The young couple expressed interest in his creation. Everling invited them to watch its completion, but asked them to stay out of the way. He then called in his assistants who gathered around the coffins. All of the women were of varying ages, from little girl to young woman, yet they all shared the same face. Everling introduced them one by one, explaining they were his daughters.

For the next several hours, the couple watched as Everling, assisted by his daughters, adjusted the various instruments around the workshops. When he was done, the hush in the room was deafing. A moment later, a bolt of lightning coursed down a rod, straight into the caskets. Lord Everling stepped over to the coffins and removed the lids, smiling proudly.

Inside the coffins were nothing more than dolls, just like a child would own. Everling asked the couple what they thought, and confused, they just nodded and congratulated him on his... creations. He told them he was overjoyed that they liked the dolls. He pointed out that the hour was late and that they should all retire for the night.

The young couple were both led to their bedchambers by the littlest daughter. The child told them that they may want to consider finding somewhere else to sleep for the night, for her father wasn't feeling well. Having seen how proud the man was of his dolls, they knew what she meant. But they also knew the dangers of the forest as well. They would take their chances this one time.

The storm broke with the dawn, and the young couple awoke. They had never felt better in their short lives. They thanked Lord Everling for everything he did for them and left. They trekked through the Nektulos forest, following a direct path straight to Freeport. They made it safely to the city, and have led ordinary lives there to this day. Well, ordinary save for one minor detail.

The couple has a reputation for purchasing clothing that are many sizes too small and even sometimes forgetting their own names. In addition to that, they have been reported to have an odd look in their eyes whenever they are in the company of small children. When asked what they're thinking, they just smile and say "I remember when I that small." THE END