The River

It was by the river where I found the body. Patiently bobbing with the current and the edge of the river bank. It was by the river I realized something terrible had happened.

The body was mangled, as if some animal tore it apart just enough to keep its limbs attached. I heard stories of this River and how back in the early days of civilization the native tribes believed a demon lived in its waters. Waiting for passersby to come along so it can drag them into the current and feed upon them.

The creature was supposedly six feet tall with claws of a talon, teeth of a piranha, and skin of a swine. It bared little resemblance to a human besides it stature. It had no nose or ears, just yellow eyes surrounded by dark circles, as if its eyes themselves were indented inside the skull, casting a shadow around them. The natives said once it feeds on someone, it disappears for five years. A hibernation state, if you will.

I highly doubted these foolish tales, it couldn’t be possible. That was until I went by the river myself. Alone. And by the river is where I found it. The truth. I looked down upon my dead body and I realized I should’ve listened to the legends. I should’ve stayed away from this river. Unfortunately, now I cannot leave. Not for another five years.