Archive for Creatures

We no more than set foot in the cave when it appeared. Some monstrous worm or insect, or something of both. The size of an elephant. Chittering, squelching, buzzing, the sounds of rage at our presence. It reared, teeth spinning in the circular mouth that opened in its head. Then came down two terrible claws. There was a sharp scream beside me, but it was short. Then I noticed one of the claws was slick red. The smell of copper and offal filled the air. 

Alternative names: Keepers, Sentries of the Old Ones, Wardens.

I’m entering the cause of death for that family as “animal attack, unknown.” Thing is…and this has to stay between us…thing is, I know what killed them. But there’s no way I’m making it official. I’d lose my job and no other coroner’s office would ever hire me again. The evidence is undeniable. The fur samples we found around the farmhouse tell us what kind of animal did it. Bats. The bite marks on their bodies tell us. They look just like bats…except bigger. Bigger than any bat in existence.  

Alternative names: Cave Devils, the Swarm. 

GURUVILU. Monstrous animal of some lakes in the kingdom. The Mapuche say it swallows men. They do not agree upon its shape. Some make it long like a serpent; others nearly circular like an extended cow hide. – Father Felipe Gomez de Viduarre, Historia geografica, natural y civil del Reino de Chil

Alternative names: El Cuero, Hueke Hueke, The Leather, Mata-Mata, Gla’akini.

 (Unique Entity)

I know what I saw. No threat to stay silent from the alphabet agencies can change that. We found the crew of the Ever Grace after they’d been in the water for about three days. We’d radioed our location and were about to start lifting them into the helicopter. Then the water turned green under them. Then pink. Then blue. Faster and faster. Brighter and brighter. And they started going under. They didn’t even have time to scream. Just there, then gone. Then something came out of the water. A tentacle but not like an octopus or squid. No suckers or anything like that. Smooth, oily, the changing colors following across its surface. It swiped at the helicopter again and again. Our pilot is a bad ass. He’d been in Iraq during the worst days to be in Iraq. We were lucky to get out of there. 

I saw it just beneath the surface. An anglerfish, big as an orca. Larger. The dead white eyes, set just above the mouth lined with sabre-like teeth, seemed to regard me. Then I saw them, men, a dozen of them, writhing against the monster. No, not against it. Part of it. They gaped and reached and struggled against this thing that was part of them. Each face distorted pain, jaws dislocated from screaming, eyes threatening to escape their sockets. I reeled back. But then…they were gone. Then there she was. Dead five years but as full of life as during our happy years. Before the cancer. Arms and legs open, begging for me to join her in the water.  

Alternative names: Sirens

The beams from our flashlights fell on Courtney, sprawled on the rocky shore. A fish, or something like a fish, big as a car, was at her head. Blood and something yellow trickled from its lips as it sucked on her head. Her eyes and tongue bulged as her body twitched. I screamed. The fish seemed to notice us then. The long whiskers that held Courtney untangled from her, and shot into the air, lashing at us. Then the fish slid water, dragging her with it. 

Alternative names: Dobhar-chu, Mamlambo, Nommo, Sirians