Creatures On Fire

Terrifyingly Beautiful (Legend)

It was my own choice to study art. My family found this perspective doubtful though. How many times I've heard them saying that this job isn't profitable? As if money is all that matters. Well, perhaps to them it does. But not to me. I never listened to those claims and continued to pursue my dream to be an artist.

They eventually had no other option but to accept my final choice. As long as I created works pleasant to the eyes, they were fine with it.

What they didn't know was my true taste in art.

Horror. All that terrifies.

And no, I'm not talking about extreme horror and blood splattering everywhere. I've never been a big fan of this. What my heart belongs to are things that go bump in the night. In other words, monsters. Inhuman creatures that instill fear and terror into human hearts. What most people find appealing I find boring or even disgusting. No, don't get me wrong, there are things I like, too. For example, animals and nature. I've painted them lots of times, including our family cat. It felt so nice watching her sleep peacefully while I painted her portrait. But as soon as I separated from my family, the nature of my art changed, although I still continued painting sceneries and animals now and then. Now my focus was horror. Lucky for me, today many horror lovers are out there, so I could create my art without worrying it being judged the wrong way. And even if it would, it wasn't going to stop me from doing what I enjoyed.

I painted monsters. Lots of them. Different creatures, different angles and positions. Mythological and pop culture beings. Of course, I'm not the only one who loves horror genre, including monsters. Many people do. But I've never yet met any other colleague who had the same dream as mine.

I dreamed of painting a portrait of a real monster.

Unfortunately, some dreams are destined to remain as they are – just dreams. Why am I so sure? Well, I've read numerous reports of monster sightings and dared to travel to the locations they were supposedly seen. But all I got was peace and silence, not a single sign of a monstrous presence. I had no other option but to return to my place, frustrated. I guess some people write such tales just to get attention, and monsters simply don't exist. I've done such trips more than once, and each time I came back empty-handed. Yes, I risked my life in case if any non-human creature was real. I'm one of those crazy artists who would go as far as even sacrifice their own life to create an ultimate piece of art. And so far, I haven't approached my goal even for half an inch.

I've painted lots of monsters, many of which were creations of my own imagination. But now, it is not enough to fully satisfy me. Thus I was ready to accept that my dream would never come true.

Days passed one after another. I eventually managed to gain success with my paintings, and yet something was missing. There would always be a gap that would never be filled. Well, so be it. At least now I get enough income to sustain myself and fulfill my basic needs in this world.

I got another offer to get my art exhibited in one of the state museums, so I didn't hesitate to make a contract. As I returned to my town and now plodded through the streets, I started noticing that the sky was getting darker with each passing minute. I checked my watch. It showed just one hour after the noon, and even in winter it never got dark that soon. No, something was definitely wrong. It wasn't just getting dark too early. The darkness approached unnaturally fast.

Unsurprisingly, the town's inhabitants stopped their doings and froze in confusion. You weren't the only one shocked by the sudden change of day and night. Many instantly switched on the lights in their houses, and now the afternoon scenery looked like late evening scenery. Strange.