CREATIVE WRITING COMPETITION: THE MONSTER IS BACK
Read the very last lines of the novel by Mary Shelley.
(…) Some years ago, when the images which this world affords first opened upon me, when I felt the cheering warmth of summer, and heard the rustling of the leaves and the warbling of the birds, and these were all to me, I should have wept to die; now it is my only consolation. Polluted by crimes, and torn by the bitterest remorse, where can I find rest but in death? “Farewell! I leave you, and in you the last of human kind whom these eyes will ever behold. Farewell, Frankenstein! If thou were yet alive, and yet cherished a desire of revenge against me, it would be better satiated in my life than in my destruction. But it was not so; thou didst seek my extinction that I might not cause greater wretchedness; and if yet, in some mode unknown to me, thou hast not ceased to think and feel, thou wouldst not desire against me a vengeance greater than that which I feel. Blasted as thou were, my agony was still superior to thine; for the bitter sting of remorse will not cease to rankle in my wounds until death shall close them for ever.
“But soon,” he cried, with sad and solemn enthusiasm, “I shall die, and what I now feel be no longer felt. Soon these burning miseries will be extinct. I shall ascend my funeral pile triumphantly, and exult in the agony of the torturing flames. The light of that conflagration will fade away; my ashes will be swept into the sea by the winds. My spirit will sleep in peace; or if it thinks, it will not surely think thus. Farewell.” He sprung from the cabin-window, as he said this, upon the ice-raft which lay close to the vessel. He was soon borne away by the waves and lost in darkness and distance.
THE END
Now, imagine that (for unknown reasons that you can find out) Frankenstein has come back!
SITUATION: It’s 2013. You are either a scientist (WHAT KIND?) or a computer nerd living in (CHOOSE WHERE) and have seen him (say WHERE and WHEN). Write down an e-mail to (WHO?) telling him/her what you have just witnessed. (max 200 words)
WRITE THE EMAIL DOWN BELOW AS A COMMENT. WE’LL THEN CHOOSE THE WINNER OF THE CONTEST IN CLASS.
Dear St. Peter,
How r u bro? Hope all right, I know that I promised that I’d start to use technology but ’cause of 2 b******s I’ve brokeN my new fantastic PC; that’s y I’m writin’ u, I would never ever come back to this planet any more. However, as I was tellin’ you, I was walkin’ down a canal with my new PC, a daddy’s gift for my b-day, I was in Amsterdam and I was surfing, looking for a coffee shop to visit 2morrow. It was maybe 3 or 4 am, I was a lil bit stoned and drunk but the worse was behind me, at any rate that’s what I thought, after a few minutes of walking, a strange fog raised around me. ” It’s ok, I’m still high, just don’t give a damn!”. As I said, I was walkin’ when this fog raised, np, I’m high, go on Jesus, u’re the son of god, what the hell could ever happen to you apart from crucifixion that is unlegal now? Well, after a few meters I heard a girl’s scream, no problem, I’m Jesus, I can help her, or maybe she just want to catch holys attention, I’m here for that… I was about to switch off my PC and fly thru that voice when I saw this horrible thing that was eating that horrible girl, the horrible monster looked like the monster of Frankenstein novel, but maybe it was a Daddy’s joke, it was very scary, very ugly, but that girl! God damn how horrible was she! Not even the evil or my dad while having a bad trip can immagin to create such a tremendous thing, I was so shocked seeing that monstrous girl that I petrified and unfortunately my PC, poor guy, fall into the canal’s water where I was flying on. I tought “Oh my God!” “She’s so disgusting!” less then a second leather my smartphone started ringing: ”DAD”:”Yo whassup boy? U call me?” ” I’ll call u back in a few seconds man, I gotta take a pic!” So I turned the camera on to take a pic of that girl, I was about to take the pic while, placed the lady, the mobile phone exploded. Boom. Destroyed; she was so ugly that the iPhone prefer to explode than catch her. But damn, I payed 750€ for that stupid iPhone and when i need it, it explodes, me and Steve Jobs will have to talk…
I hate this planet! I’ve tried to paint a canvas of that ”human” being, I’ll make it see u when I AM back home.
Xoxo, your god, Jesus <3
Sorry I found some mistakes: it’s “what happened this morning” and “I swear” 🙂
To: Britney <3
Dear, I’m Paris! You can’t believe what happen this morning to me! I sweat , I’m not mad! It’s real! I was jogging, like every day, with Thinkerbell, my lovely Chihuahua, and…I’m already shocked…I saw a man with a big dog. He was throwing a big stick and the dog was bringing it back, nay from a distance it seemed a stick but, when I walked up a bit, I could see that it was an human harm! I held back a scream and one part of me wanted to run away, but the other part doesn’t: that man was so mysterious… and eventually I walked up even more to him, so that I could listen what he was saying. He was talking with the dog in a very melancholic way, but sweet, like a father who talk with his son: “You are the only one who love and appreciate me” he said to the dog and it licked his cheek. I felt almost sorry for him! But suddenly he raised his eyes and I could see that they were yellow! And also his skin was strange: it was green and with a lot of scars. He or it wasn’t a man, was taller than 2 meters!! He walked up to me shouting and I ran away! It looked like that monster of a book that I always had to read for school’s lessons but I didn’t do: I searched on Internet and it’s Frankenstein! Please you have to help me, I’m desperate and terrified. His dog was a monster too, it ate my baby, my dog!
Paris
Pretty gruesome story!!
Dear Edward,
I would rather write to you this letter in a happier situation but I must tell to someone what happened to me and you, as my beloved friend, are the right person!!
Here are the facts: I was working hard in my laboratory at the new biological prothesis two days ago. My two assistants, Mark and Nicole, were absent. I was almost finishing the prototype when suddenly I heard noises behind me. I thought that Mark was joking with me and so I turned myself smiling. At that scene, my smile turned itself in a grimace of terror. I know you won’t believe me if I tell you what I’ve seen at that point, but you must trust me! Do you know the legend of Frankenstein, the miserable scientist who create a vindictive monster??Well, it’s all true!!It was the monster!!! He grabbed my neck and raise me over the table with only one hand as if I were a doll!! However, the most frightening thing is the following one: he threatened me saying that if I don’t help him to create a new horrible being, a female monster like him, he will kill me. Please, help me!!
David
If I were you I would obey him!!But please be careful!
From: William Gray
To: John Whatson
Object: Dangerous experiments
6 December, 1895
Pembury
Dear Jhon,
I’ve seen, in all my life as a bio scientist, a lot of strange and various things, which normal people wouldn’t believe even if they saw them. And you, my friend, my colleague, must know it more than anyone else; I’m saying this ‘cause you probably can’t imagine what I’m going to tell you.
You know all ours studies and discoveries about how life is connected with electric impulses? Our experiments about restoring life to dead animals? We promised not to tell anyone about this, ‘cause the world isn’t prepared for discoveries like these yet, which could easily be the most outstanding and innovative of the century (if not of the millenium). But what if I tell you that we weren’t the first to manipulate life? I know, it’s shocking, but not as much as the story that comes below.
This night I was as usual returning home from the laboratory after a day of hard work, and I was nearly there when I met a man, quite high and hardy with a large coat and a hood that covered almost all his head. He called me by name, and said very “unusual” things. He said he had watched us for a long time, he was aware of our secrets experiments, so he came to alert us of the danger and how much immoral was the mission that we were trying to accomplish. He seemed to me a trustworthy man and in some way even very wise, so I decided to invite him to discuss about it at home. When he removed his coat, I noticed the hundreds of scars and wounds he had in all his body, and at first I was…afraid. He told me there were no reasons to worry about it, but those words couldn’t help me relaxing.
I wanted to make thousands of questions, but he stopped me and said that before I should have heard his whole story. It didn’t take long before I recognized that he was the “monster” that Mary Shelley had written about, the creation of the damous doctor Frankenstein. I thought it was only a science fiction novel, but now I have to make a second thought about it.
He told me his whole life from when he could remember. After the death of the doctor, he returned “home” and started to live in the shadows of cities, surviving as possible in the hope that maybe, one day, he could gain a normal life as every other man in the world. He started to learn a lot of mankind’s knowledge by spying schools and universities; after seeing all the experiments we were making, he thought that it was better to inform us of the dangers, hoping we could have even accepted him and tried to understand his situation.
Quite shocked during the whole story, I thought carefully and then decided to invite the man to pass the night in my house, and told him we would have discussed tomorrow with you the numerous doubts: about the discovery, about him.
I know, it’s hard to believe my words, but I ask you so.
Come to the laboratory tomorrow, as usual, but make sure not to tell anyone about this story, and the existence of this man. I’m writing to you late at night to pour out my anxiety a bit. I know you too have a lot of questions.
See you tomorrow morning,
the earlier the better,
I’ll wait you there.
William
Dear William, I think you’ve been rather impulsive & you’ve put your (and our too) life at risk! I’ll keep your story sectret but I’m noy joining you in this adventure. There are limits scientists should not overcome & you should have learnt the lesson by now 🙁
Hi Sven! I got some crazy stuff to tell you! But, please, I beg you, don’t put it on your ‘Monstruos_Meetings-club.com’ blog. That’s true stuff dude! I know it will sound fake but I swear, I’m not jocking, listen up.
Yesterday night (it was about midnight) I just went out because I needed to walk Bill, and the streets were desert. I had just taken a narrow road, when I suddently stopped because I realized I went out without my jacket, and now I was shaking.
– Damn… didn’t think Strandhill to be so cold in March… We should go home now, Bill. – I said, and I turned back.
But I slammed my nose right on the tallest, hugest, stoutest man I ever seen in my life. I immediately started apologizing, but when I saw him in the face I jumped back and fell down. Bill ran away barking. He couldn’t be human. He looked everything but human. He had ripped clothes dangling by his shoulders and arms, huge and horrific scars all over his body, grayish skin, huge hands, and a serious face. But he had a kind and calm expression, that kinda confused me. I was about screaming, but the man started talking first.
– It’s cold, sir. You shouldn’t go around wearing only this pullover. – he said, although he not even had a shirt -Here, take my jacket. – and he pulled a jacket out of his backpack and put over my shoulders (I was literally freaking out, but I sitted still).
After some minutes of silence we finally started to spoke each other, and after a while I had the feeling that he wasn’t dangerous, somehow. I started asking to the man something about him and why he was there, and you couldn’t believe to what he told me!
[…] …and after some days after he jumped off the vessel he was still alive. He had a lot of time to think about everything happened those years, and, he didn’t say me why, he had decided to live, and live in peace the rest of his life. So, at that point he had to get to the mainland, but a giant squid tried to eat him and the man fought against him until a herd of dolphins come to help him. The giant squid died and the dolphins brought him to the nearest land, Ireland. There, he wandered for years around the island, doing nothing but helping who needed help, like shepperds looking for their sheeps, people in danger, cats on trees… and he eventually got here.
I know it could sound weird, so don’t put this on your blog.
You know, he looked like a moster, and certainly life din’t treat him well, and people probably always treatened him the same way I did, like a monster. But when we left and he said me goodbye he had a kind and tender smile on his face that, althought his monstrous look, made me smile back to him. After all he said he had been through, I’m glad to see he found peace.
Take care
Josh
Dear Josh, your story is amazing 🙂 & I couldn’t help but publishing it! The best monster ever
Yours Sven
To Teddy Pain(T-Pain)
Hi man, I’m David Guettà , I’m one of the most Dj in the world, I’m really sorry, I know that my officer contacted you last week but we have just found the singer for my new single. I hope we work together in the future, I can’t refuse this opportunity; I found a singer with a strange metallic voice, perfect for the sound that I would have for this song. I met this man last Saturday, I was playing in a exclusive club of Miami next to the beach; the concert was perfect, there were a lots of people and beautiful girls. I finished at 5 a.m as usual; I went out from the disco to make some autographs, the exit was crowded all the girls were screaming at my apparition but I heard a strange and very powerful voice that covered all the voices near him. I was struck! I came immediately towards him; he was very high and he’s huge shoulder and he was 50 cm taller than the people near him; even if he’s incredible ugly. I gave him a note with my phone number printed on. At Sunday the man called me, we met , he sing and I immediately understood his potential so I asked him to play with me. He was very touched at my offer, he started crying and laughing at the same time; it was a very movingly scene. The only regret is that I can’t do the video of the song that I’ve planned; he is to ugly to be watched in knickers!
Sorry again, I will certainly see you at Tomorrowland, bye guy!
You’re one of the most WHAT in the world? Nuts? I think you need more sleep & … less chemicals. Was tha monster high or you mean tall? 😉
T-Pain
to: Police Department of Los Angeles
I’m Anne Hathaway, Frankenstein is back and he kidnapped me. I’m his prisoner luckily he’s not enough intelligent to understand that I’m not drawing as I told him, but I’m writing a SOS message . Please , save me, unfortunately I don’t know where we are because in the room where I am there are no windows, I’m quite sure we’re still in Los Angeles because I can hear the sound of the traffic. This morning I was at the studios because I had to work for my new movie, at lunch time I had a little break, sitting out of the stage enjoying the sunny day. Suddenly a big man hit me and a big dirty hand covered my mouth and a strong arm wrapped my hips I looked around to figure out who was, and I saw Frankenstein with a pair of sun glasses and a hat, I thought it was a joke and Frankenstein was a mask until he star running with me trying to wiggle out of his arms. Please believe me is a true story and I’m scared to death, help me please.
Anne Hathaway
Dear Ann,
What are talking about? Drawing? Are you a painter or you rather meant drowning? I do not understand but we’ll come to rescue you, don’t worry I’m one of your fans 🙂
Hello Mr. President of the sciences John, I’m writing this e-mail because it happened something extraordinary, but before I say this, I would like you know who I am.
I am geophysicist a Finnish ,Eerikki Korhonen, and in particular I work on experiments and studies on geothermal energy.
For this reason, I’m often traveling all over the world, because I think that discover new places could give some good ideas and suggestions on my experiments.
Now I am in Iceland, and I’m here for three weeks by now.
Yesterday, after finishing my way out with my colleagues, I decided to go see the geyser for my curiosity.
Around me there was nothing, but at a certain point I saw something run and hide behind a rock.
I thought it was an animal, but when the creature reappeared, it stared at me for a long time, and then, it ran on.
I couldn’t believe, in fact, to my eyes: it was really the famous Frankenstein monster and I’m absolutely sure, because it had all the features!
At this point, John, I’d like to ask you how is it possible that this monster is still alive and mostly because it never showed for all this time.
I’m a bit confused.
I’m waiting for answers as soon as possible.
Eerikki Korhonen
I’m speechless and I haven’t got a clue. I’m flabbergasted! Are you sure it’s him? Didn’t you have too much to drink last night? 😉 Take care!
Dear Paul,
I’m writing to you because yesterday evening happened a really sad thing.
I’m an important philosopher, as you know. I spent all my life at home to study and to make some intelligent aphorism. I’ve unfortunatelly never seen a girl and this is my biggest regret. Yesterday morning I was walking in the centre of London and in a bookshop i saw a fantastic book: Frankeistein! I immediately though that this book could give me others insipartions for my work. I bought it and when i went to home i started to read it. The reading was really fast: 2 hours. The book was really satisfactory for my work and the monster of the book was really lovely! When i finished the book i went to the supermarket where i met a beautiful girl. The luck was with me, it was the best day of all my life: I read an amazing book and I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY OF MEETING A GIRL! She said me ‘Can you come with me at home?’. I accept and when we were at her home she got undressend. I become red but finally i was going to make love. At one point, while i was kissing her, one thing broke the wall and take away the girl. This thing was the monster of the book: Frankeistein. The scene was really appalling and i’m sad. The monster that i thought lovely is the creature that stopped one of my best moment.
See you soon, Matteo.
Dear Matteo,
you’re definitely the evidence that too much time spent on books may ruin your life 😉 Stop dreaming about girls & monsters & go out & enjoy life!
Paul
Dear Ibra,
I’m Alberto the geologist from Italy your best fan. I’m writing to tell you a strange thing that happened to me last week when I was in Iceland! My team and I were studying a volcano near Reykjavík when suddently we heard someone screaming from a cave near to us. I wanted to go ahead working because the sky was so darkbecause a high storm was coming but my friends decided to went in that in it. They go for first. I was frightened and I prefere to wait them out. It was only 5 o’clock in the afternoon but it was all black and it also starts raining. To cover me from the rain I went under a tree. After 10 minutes that I sent them a message to know how were they but nobody answered. Several minutes after I saw a man that was exiting from the cave that looks like the monster of Mary Shelley! When he went away I found the dead bodies of my friends!
Now I’m in prison because the police didn’t believe me! Please you are the only that can help me tell this story to the mass media!
I hope that we will meet soon.
Alberto
Dear Alberto, I cannot help you as your story is unbelievable. Do you have any evidence, any photos? How can I involve the media if I doubt myself?
sorry mate 🙁
Ibra
Dear Robert,
Hi! I’m your friend Steven and I wrote this letter to say you that now I’m in Chamonix for a meteorological research: I left Liverpool yesterday evening.
With this letter I want to describe what horrible thing happened to me this morning. I left my hotel at 8 o’clock and I started hiking the Mont Blanc. When I was near to the top there was a thick fog but I recognized a man in the distance: he was Frankenstein, the man of the famous Mary Shelley’s novel. I was shocked, he was an enormous man with a horrible face and of a strange colur! He ran in my direction and I tried to escape but he hit me and I fell in a gorge. Here I stayed all the night with a leg broken, a huge bruise on the forehead and frozen hands because I lost the gloves in the drop. The night was terrifying because I couldn’t move and there was a strong, freezing wind.
Luckily in the morning two men saw me and they saved my life calling the assistance.
Now I’m writing to you in front of the hotel’s fireplace but I feel so sick because I took a heavy pneumonia.
Hope to see you again.
Steven
Dear Steven, it’s a miracle you’re still alive!Now take care & recover, don’t worry about our research.
Yours
Robert
Hi Kobe Bryant! I’m an Italian scout. I was yesterday morning in Germany at a basketball camp. I found all these players “normal”, but at a certain point was released from the dressing room a strange person. I have never seen a player so high. He seems so old, but he is 2,40 m high and he has 1.50 m of elevation. He never spoke, he said only when he started playing and when he finished “I’m back” with a strange, metal voice. He is a wonder, he dunks and scores when he wants. At the evening I did some researches and after an hour, watching photos I recognized him. He is the moster of Frankenstein!! I don’t know how he can be here, but I haven’t doubts. Kobe we have finally found the new Michael Jordan!! Talk about that in USA and offer him a contract. Not let you escape, he (or it, I don’t know) can change basketball!! I wait your answers.
Hey man! Sure the player was high (on drugs??) or did you mean tall? From what you say he rocks 😉 I’ll take care of it and find the right agent. Thanks for writing. Cool!
Hi Henry,
I’m writing to you to talk about an incredible story. I swear, I’m not crazy even if in these days I thought I was so several times. I’m sure that I really saw it.
As you know, I’m in Brazil in Manaus to direct an oil research for Shell petrol S.A society. With my team, we went to Colombia’s borderline, into the forest, where we started to do some perforation. I had a strange feeling, strange rumors came from the forest. I also found mysterious tools. As days passed by , I thought that someone was close to us and watched us carefully. One morning, some men went to find water and never came back. Two colleagues and I decided to find them. After two hours we dug up their death bodies in the vegetation. They had suspect wounds. Scared, we called for help with the radio and we waited close to the bodies of our colleagues. Suddenly I turned my back and I saw an unknown animal. It was tall and muscular, with no fur , and I stared in front of “him” while it gazed down on me. It was not an animal, it was a sort of man!! I shouted and he left. I told my friends what I had seen but no one believed in me. I saw him!
See you soon,
Luka
Dear Luka,
Strange NOISES in the forest? DEAD bodies? I can hardly believe you but I believe you met the Yeti! next time take some photos & you’ll make a fortune by selling them … provided you manage to survive 😉
Henry
HI guys, I’ve just read these e-mails and edited some mistakes. But the next ones
please DO NOT FORGET TO SAY: WHO YOU ARE &, why not, you can also choose to be someone FAMOUS ( or NOTORIOUS 😉 or write to a CELEB, why not? make it scary or funny!
cimy
Hi Paul, how are you?
I’m ok, or better, I was ok before this morning. I’m sure that you wouldn’t believe what I’m going to say, but unfortunately I’m not joking, so sit down and read carefully. I think you know the story of Frankenstein, the monster created by Mary Shelley, don’t you? Well, I saw that monster this morning.
I was riding my bike, when suddenly I saw someone very tall and strange that was walking in the centre of the road in front of me. I immediately saw that was a strange person, but I couldn’t imagine that was Frankenstein. However when I was passing him I noticed all THOSE scars in his face. Immediately I turned my bike and RAN to him. When I was near I could HEAR that he was speaking and I understood some words: he said “Victor”, “monster”, “miserable” and other incomprehensible words. Next suddenly he turned to me and started shouting something that I didn’t understand and I, panic-struck, started escaping on my bike from that horrible monster. He followed me for about 200 metres, he was incredibly fast, but at the end I escaped.
Maybe The monster wasn’t invented by Mary, but he was real, and he is still alive. What do you think?
I hope to hear you soon,
Luca.
To Julia
It’s true, it’s all true! Did you remember what I told you last day, about restorING life to the dead? I had discovered it is a possible process, but you didn’t believe me. You told me I was just obsessed with that novel, Frankenstein, but it wasn’t true, I was right Julia. I was terribly right.
Now it’s late for you to believe; I don’t think I’ll see you again: I’m stuck here, hidden outside the lab, behind a tree. I’m writing you from my phone. I had time only to scream: he seemed hideous and frightened, as tall and big as a mountain, as he walked into my room.
When I saw him I froze, I couldn’t think or react, in any way. He seemed to be studying me, with this chilling look. He’s exactly as Mary described him; I think she had the idea because she met him, as I just did. It was not science fiction, it was the reality, told by a young writer who nobody believed. She was trying to warn us.
I can hear him walking, as he wrecks the dry leaves on the ground. I can hear him breathing and exhaling his toxic wheeze.
I don’t deserve to die.
Please look after my children; I don’t want them to suffer.
Jake
Dear jake,
you scared the crap out of me! I hope you’ll be still alive but what can I do? Nobody believed me either. How can we find you? Hope it’s not one of your bad jokes. If only you had followed my advice and given up your crazy experiments…. but it’s too late now. Please come back!
Dear Carlo, I’m writing you because I’m so confused and scared for what I’ve seen and listened this morning.
As you can imagine, I’ve spenT all my morning in my office. It was about 12 when I began to be hungry so I decided to have lunch in that restaurant where we always go togheter.
When I finished lunch it was about 13 so I decided to have some relax and going in the park, when I was there I immediately FELT strange, usually the park is QUITE crowded but today there was a few PEOPLE.
I sat down on a bench and I stayED there some minutes, then a very tall men walked near me, I didn’t know who he WAS, when he sat down the bench started sinking in the ground.
I saw his face, he had lot of scarS, a sallow skin and his hands WERE different one from the other: HE LOOKED like a man made by lot of different pieces!
I was scared and I run away, so he started shouting “I’ll kill you, I’ll kill all of you so my revenge will be completed”
Searching on the web I’ve discovered he could be Victor Frankestein’s creature, we all think that he never existed, but now I thing we were wrong.
dear anonymous,
for sure you’re not English considering the typos, & mistakes ( you thing or think??). So I do not believe a single word you wrote although the style may have been caused by your shock. Give me more evidence otherwise I’ll trash your email as spam 🙁
Hey Sally, you couldn’t believe to what I have seen today.
Do you remember the novel of Mary Shelley, Frankenstein? What would you TELL me if I told you that THAT was not only a novel but was a real story?
IT Was half past six of yesterday afternoon, I was walking on the street when I SAW the monster. He was running, seemed that he was saying something but I couldn’t understand what he said. When I went closer to listen TO him, he looked AT me with ice-blue eyes and shouted:” Damn you Victor Frankenstein!!”. I was frightened and ran away.
I understand that it could appear strange but, please, listen to me. He is REAL. I’m sure that you know the strange death that in the history and contemporary time involve the members of Frankenstein’s families all over in the world. WHAT IF these deaths were not accidental? If Mary Shelley hadn’t invented anything? Try to think about it, even though she knew of the existence of the monster who could tell? Who could she tell it to? Who would believe her? Nobody.
I’m scared for you. Your life is in danger Sally Frankenstein.
Please pay attention. Is not a trick, he exists and he is still alive.
Hi my dear friend, thanks for your warning. I’m running away, you scared me but I believe your story, somehow I could FEEL the danger & the Curse. From now on I’ll be a ghost. Do not try to look for me, consider me dead.
Sally