A Terrifying Encounter

A beast-like creature skulks around in the dark of a cave. He paces there waiting, waiting till he detects his next victim. Spotting his pray, the creature takes off with lightning speed down the mountain toward the poor unsuspecting pet.

      The yellow JubJub lies in the field of flowers with a smile spread across her face. She takes a deep breath to smell the sweet smell of the wind around her, but wait. Something is wrong. The air smells horrid! It smells like her grandmother’s cooking. The innocent JubJub opened her eyes to see a threatening Monocerous standing directly over her with his mouth curled into a devilish smile. The Monocerous roars into her face as she freezes with fright. Thousands of thoughts fly through her head as she desperately searches for an escape. His favorite food is JubJubs. I’m a JubJub! At least he can’t paralyze me with his roar; I’m immune! Who am I kidding? I’m already paralyzed with fright. How do I get out of this? Think, think, think!

      Gaining courage, the Yellow JubJub whispers to the ferocious monster, “Dear Mr. Monocerous, you wouldn’t want to eat me! I’m so small in stature. Why, I bet that if you were to eat me, you wouldn’t feel the slightest difference in your hunger.”

      Snorting thunderously, he says, “You dare try to fool me into letting you live? You are quite delicious looking, and I won’t pass up a meal for anything.”

      “B-but what if you find a bigger, meatier, more delicious JubJub? You’ll be so mad at yourself for having eaten me because then you wouldn’t have room for the other JubJub,” she replies in horror.

      The beast lets forth a monstrous laugh that shakes the very earth around them. “Ha-ha! That is where you are wrong, little one. I, the Great Engror, am always hungry.”

      “H-hello Engror, it’s very nice to meet you. My name is Kelari.”

      “No, I don’t believe it is. Your name is lunch.” Engror added the remark with a menacing smirk placed upon his face. Then, suddenly, Engror let forth another earth shaking roar into the sky. Glaring down at Kelari, Engror opened his mouth and clamped it shut around the back collar of her sundress.

      Kicking and screaming, Kelari desperately called for help as all of her hope for rescue quickly diminished. Engror quickly trotted back to his lair and lay Kelari down into a poorly constructed cage made out of bones. Shaking violently, Kelari curled into the fetal position in the middle of the cage and started rocking back and forth. Engror took one look at her and just laughed his monstrous laugh again as he turned to prepare his feast.

      “Normally I would have struck you on sight and eaten you raw, but I feel like I’m in the mood for a more properly prepared feast.” Engror strode over to a pile of logs and snorted rays of inferno onto the wood to ignite a cooking fire. Engror turned around and slowly stalked toward the cage. “As you know, I have a sweet tooth for JubJubs. I can’t wait to bite into your shiny yellow flesh and taste your natural sweetness. Now stay right here, little one, as I go get some spices.” Engror traveled to the back of the cave and ducked into a self-carved additional room.

     Kelari peered around the moist cave frantically in her recognition of her only moment to escape. Coming up with nothing, Kelari sighed and leaned backwards onto the bone bars. What am I to do? This is hopeless! I’m going to be lunch for this greasy monster and it’s all because I went to the forbidden flower field in front of the ferocious cave. Wait! My amulet! What did my mother say about it? That if I was even in trouble just rub it three times and tell it my problem? Well, what else can I do? I hope this works!

      Kelari pulled out her hidden purple amulet necklace and gazed upon its beautiful markings. There was an intricate black design on the front that swirled into the markings of some protection spell. Her mother said it was put there long ago by a nature goddess to protect her hundred times great grandmother. Kelari rotated her tiny hand over the amulet three times and exclaimed, “I’m about to be devoured by the Monocerous Engror! Please take me home!” Nothing happened. Kelari looked around the room searching for the slightest bit of change or flicker in the air. Nothing occurred. Deterred, Kelari slumped back down in the cage and began to weep.

     “What’s with this crying?” Engror inquired. “I love despair! I thrive on it! Go ahead; you are only whetting my appetite further.”

     “Why do you have to be so mean? I’m a poor defenseless creature and you are trying to eat me!”

     “I’m not trying, dear; I’m going to eat you.”

     “You will do no such thing!” said the female voice from the mouth of the cave.

     “Mother!” cried Kelari with tears streaming down her face.

     Engror turned on his hooves to face Kelari’s mother. Instead, he faced an entire village of JubJubs. Taking a step back Engror demanded answers. “Where did you come from?”

     “We came from our village to save my baby girl! Now, we will let you live if you release her!”

     Engror snorted out of amusement. “Give up Kelari? I’m the Monocerous of the mountain! I’m the Great Engror! I can take most of you out!”

     “True,” responded Kelari’s mother, “but you can’t take us all out. Fighting us will only lead to your defeat!”

     Engror pondered what had just been said. He glared over all the heads of the villagers and then at Kelari, who was staring wide-eyed with wonder at her mother. Turning back to the angry villagers, Engror realized he was outnumbered. “Fine, I will release Kelari, just let me be.”

     “You must promise to leave these lands. Leave these lands and never come back. We don’t want you threatening our peaceful lives anymore!” cried Kelari’s mother.

     Engror’s eyes flared in anger. “Fine, I will leave! Be warned, though, I am not the only Monocerous that skulks these lands!” And with that Engror leaped over the villagers and dashed off into the setting sun, never to return.

     Kelari’s mother ran over to the cage and release Kelari from its captive hold.

     “Kelari! I am very upset with you. How could you wander off without any protection? To the forbidden flower field, no less!” Kelari’s mother frowned in disappointment at her now safe daughter.

     “I’m sorry, Mother, the flowers just looked so pretty and I wanted to lie in them.” Kelari bowed her head and stared at her feet, ashamed.

     “It’s all right, baby girl. Just don’t ever do that again! Got it?”

     “Yes, I got it. Mother, how did you all find me?”

     “Your amulet, sweetheart. If you are ever in danger, I can hear you.” Kelari and her mother embraced each other and then the whole happy village walked back to their homes in peace.

The End

Message from the author: The subject I discussed in my story is a serious one. The Monocerous is a ferocious creature with flames surrounding his hooves. He is a dangerous animal whose favorite food is JubJubs. He eats other pets as well. A passing Blumaroo once said, “Please stop the Monocerous from eating all my friends. :)” His deafening roar, while it has no effect on JubJubs because of their immunity, has a special power that paralyzes its pray to make the attack all the easier. Once, a Monocerous directly said, “I once ate 16 JubJubs in a week.” Frightening, isn’t it? Beware, loving mothers and fathers, for your children’s sakes! This is no laughing matter.