Fiction Friday- The creature

For this task I picked up one of my husbands sci-fi/fantasy novels- something which I’d never read and I must admit that I found it very difficult to not turn the page to find out what the ‘ghostly’ thing was!!  I think I’ve managed to create inspiration for a children’s piece of some kind?

‘Something fell soundlessly past their eyes into the mice.  There came a thin screech, a flapping of wings and a ghostly…..

figure glanced by their shadows.  The desert was shrouded in mist and all that could be seen were red eyes.  But not just 1 pair, there were 6.  And teeth.  Teeth that could have easily made a meal of the mice, but his creature chose not to.  Instead using its’ wings it settled on the ground by a tall cactus.  Using its claws to move the sticky, sharp spines, it quickly went to work in picking the cactus apart.  Mary and Robert could see  that this creature appeared to be hairy and had gigantic ears.  They found it difficult not to move, thinking that the slightest shuffle would disturb the creature and cause it to come and eat them instead.  It appeared to have gold detachable claws.  Robert noticed that as the creature went to feel away the tough protective layer of the cactus that a claw had been removed.  The creature quickly reattached the claw and continued to feed.  For a second the claw had been stuck, shining upwards towards the stars.

‘What is it?’.  Mary could only faintly whisper.  An obvious question and Robert was thinking the same thing.  ’It would appear to be some sort of bird, or bat?  Yes, it certainly looks like a bat, but obviously bigger’.  Robert could smell the warm sandy air as the creature began to flap its wings.

Hidden behind some rocks, Mary and Robert watched as the creature took to the sky.  In a short while it was gone.  ’What if Phoebe has been captured by one of those?  Did you see the size of it’s teeth?’.

‘It looked like a vegetarian to me.  No need to worry.’  Robert tried to reassure Mary and put his arm around her shoulder,’ we still have the invisible potion left if we need to use it’.

‘I just hope she’s okay’.  Mary looked into the distance.  ’Perhaps we should rest a while?’

‘Just a while then’, Robert yawned and they both unzipped their bags and took out a sleeping bag.

As they both lay down the silence felt uncomfortable.  No sound from the birds or breeze or anything.  Just an emptiness.  Mary reached for Robert’s hand but pulled it back and started to count sheep wondering what tomorrow would bring.

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