Frankenstein: A Short Story

“I wish I could tell you it was safe. We’re not of the jungle yet,” Jayme stated. As much as it would make her feel better and make her daughter feel better, Jayme never sugar coated life for her daughter. She wanted her daughter to be able to face whatever came her way with open eyes not rose colored glasses.
Her daughter peered up at her with worried hazel eyes. “It’s not gone?”
“No, it just fell down the stairs,” Jayme said, directing her daughter back to the bedroom. “A friend distracted it in such a way I could come get you. Let’s go.”
“What are we going to do?” Shelly asked. “Is there a plan?”
“No,” Jayme started. She spoke thoughtfully, while trying to lighten the mood. “We perceive that it can be hurt, though don’t know what actually

hurts it. It has this weird scream when its in pain, high pitched like some sort of wild animal or an old high school friend. It screamed once…wait…no… I think it screamed three times.”
Stopping at the end of the hall, Jayme’s’ eyes widened at the realization that she came to. It screamed three times. She remembered hearing its’ scream for the first time after the lights went out and after she ran out of her room, swinging her door. It screamed another time when she shook her door. And another time when she shook her door. Still the cause of the screams couldn’t be the door, but maybe its’ something attached to the door… Her mind made the connection.
“Shelly!” Jayme ordered as she hurried to her own room to do the same. “Go to your room and get the chimes off your door!”
“What?” Shelly asked confused.
“Just hurry,” Jayme said. “I’ll explain later.”
Shelly ran the opposite direction to her room across the hall. She swung her door open, ringing the chimes as she did so. And as the chimes rang, a low wail came from the bottom of the stairs. The young girl turned to those bells and pulled them off her door, running back to the top of the stairway joining her mother, who was also holding a set of chimes.
“What did you figure out mom?”
“It’s like a dog,” Jayme said. Holding up the chimes she held in her hands she added. “And these are its’ dog whistle.”
“Are you sure it will work?” Shelly asked her mom worriedly.
Jayme shook her head. “No idea. That’s why I want you to shake your chimes from up here while I head down the stairs.”
Shelly stared at her mom in fear. “Don’t go mom. I don’t want to lose you.”
“You’re not going to get rid of me that easily,” Jayme joked. “I still need to embarrass you with your boyfriend.”
“Mom.”
“I’ll be back.”
Both mother and daughter began shaking their chimes. Jayme started down, taking each step one by one, stopping occasionally listening to the creature below. It continuous moans and wails rolled up the stairs meeting her at each step, but otherwise it didn’t seem to be moving. She continued down cautiously until finally she reached the bottom of the step causing the creature stumbled into the kitchen. When it moved away, it revealed the prone form of Marco. Calling upstairs, she said. “Shelly! Come down stairs!”
Jayme continued to shake her chimes, though her arms was growing tired. She kneeled down at the fallen man, feeling for a pulse at his neck. Shelly ran down the stairs, her chimes ringing out loudly as she rushed up to her mom. She pointed at the man on the ground. “Who’s he?”
“He’s the friend I mentioned,” Jayme explained. She shook her head wryly. “He has a weak pulse. Sadly, it looks like he’s knocked himself out again. Wouldn’t be surprised if he has a concussion. Anyways, take my chimes and shake ‘em.”
Shelly took the chimes and began ringing them out. “Why? What are you going to do?”
“I don’t have a plan. I just know I’m going to do something,” Jayme said picking up the cattle prod that Marco dropped when he passed out. Standing up, she lit the prod up, looking at the electrical currents snapping between the two metals bits at the end of the pole. “And it’ll probably be something completely and utterly stupid.”
“Mom…”
“Look,” Jayme said. “If anything happens to me. Go out the back door. Run. Don’t turn back.”
“Why don’t we escape together?!” Shelly asked. “Leave here, use a neighbors’e phone, and call 911. You don’t need to be the hero!”
“Huh?” Jayme asked confusedly. “I’m not trying to be a hero. I’m just trying to stop this monstrosity from getting out. It could get out and hurt someone.”
“Leave it for someone who’s trained!” Shelly argued.
“I don’t think there’s anyone who’s trained for this,” Jayme said calmly as she looked into the kitchen. No light shone in the kitchen, not even the odd flickering blue light from upstairs. As Jaymes’ eyes adjusted to the dark, she made out the shape of the Death beast. Once more, the creature slumped down on its back legs, holding its claws against its head. “I’m going on.”
Jayme hurried into the kitchen, and then slowed to make her way round the strange creature.

Slowly she made her way to the kitchen sink. Setting the prod down on the counter she bent down opening up one of the cabinets searching for a big bowl. She pulled of one the Tupperware bowls that they used for salads and stood up with it and took over to the sink. She filled it up with water and then carried the bowl over to the creature, throwing the water all over its shaggy hair. It shook like a wet dog getting out from a bath. And still Jayme seized another bowl full of water and poured over the creature. Grabbing a dry dish cloth Jayme wrapped it around the handle of the prod. Snapping the prod on, she stabbed it into the dripping wet hair of the creature. She felt a bit of the electricity coming through the rag. It ached, but she grit and bore it. The creature jerked up into a manlike position, standing on its hind legs, its front legs jerking to it sides. She kept the prod in place watching the creature jerk around until the battery on the prod began to smoke. She dropped the prod and inched around it back towards the

stairs
“Mom, is it…dying?” Shelly asked.
“I don’t know.

We should probably do what you suggested, now.” Jayme shrugged. She knelt down by Marco grabbing one of his arms, pulling it over her shoulder. “Put down the chimes. Help me with him.”
Shelly placed the chimes on the bottom step of the stair, then knelt down grabbing the other arm of the man and put it over her should. Both women stood, and then turned around facing the kitchen one more time. Jayme scoped the scene, noticed the creature still convulsed and then told her daughter. “Go.”
The teeanged girl headed to her left going to the back door. First, she unlocked the back inner door and then the security door on the side of it. However, before the two women and the unconscious man stepped outside, there came another noise behind. She heard a loud piercing whine, like a tea kettle.
Jayme turned her head and looked behind them. The creature stopped convulsing or maybe it vibrated faster than it vibrated before since a light glow emerged from its body indicating a higher level of heat. Then it stopped, the creatures arms dropped, the light dimmed, and the creature’s body began disappearing bit by bit from top to bottom in little puffs of smoke. Finally the creature completely

disappeared.
Meanwhile, Jayme had been extremely astonished at the sight before that she didn’t notice the shift in weight behind her. Marco also heard the loud piercing whine coming from somewhere behind him. He also noticed that his arms were being held by others. He pulled away slightly from the girl in front of him who he realized was probably Jaymes’ daughter and turned back to see what was going on. He eyes didn’t adjut to the dark for when he gazed upon the figure of the creature glowing brightly with its’ leg pointed out to its’ sides. Then he watched as the legs drops, the light stopped and the creature slowly disappeard into the air.
“Oh boy,” he muttered.
Jayme looked back. “You’re awake?”
He grimaced. “Looks like I’ve been missed something.”
“Looks like you did,” Jayme nodded in agreement.
Shelly came forward. “Is it gone?”
“I’m thinking, yes.” Jayme answered.
Her daughter sagged to the floor. “Oh good.”
“Well, looks like I’m out of work,” Marco stated. He looked at Jayme grinning. “Now have any ideas on how to get me home?”