Thirst

 

Something moved in the pool of green liquid. A sphere came up. A head emerged. The form of a man was rising, taking shape in the slime. 

He screamed.

-We did it! It’s alive!

Met and Pict had been working on this project for ages. To create life, a human being from scratch. They had made it.

Magic. Alchemy. Science and Witchcraft. They had mixed it all to generate their creation. Here he was, muscular, strong. Alive.

-Hello! Met said. -Welcome to reality!

The man stood there, breathing heavily. He looked at his body, at his hands. At the two men watching him from the shore.

-Come! We have so much to show you!

He took a step closer, a bit unsteady. Another, then one more. Pict held a blanket out to cover him. He walked by as if they were not there.

-Hey! Where are you going?

He walked on. All the two scientists could do was to follow.

-You can’t leave yet! We have tests to do! Met tried to calm down the decided steps of the man creature.

-I demand you to stop! Pict said. No reaction at all.

They followed him down the slope, in towards town.

-This is not good, Pict said. -He shouldn’t go down there. That will be trouble for sure!

Met ran down in front of him, held his hands up.

-Stop! As your creator I forbid you to walk on! I command you to…

The man creature walked on like if he wasn’t there. Met fell aside.

Pict jumped up on his back to push him down. The creation was to strong, stronger than any man they had ever known.

He walked into town. The scientists stood back.

-Where is he going? Met’s voice was shaking, thin and weak.

-Let’s keep our distance. I don’t want to be accountable if anything horrible happens.

People stared. Some pointed and laughed, others ran out of the street in fear. He stopped in front of the tavern. Looked at it for a moment. He went in.

The tavern was empty. The bar man stood cleaning a glass when he saw the naked man walk over and grab a stool.

-Gimme a beer! He said, punching his hand on the bar.

-You… You’re naked. The bartender looked at him sceptically.

-That’s not my fault, the creature said. -Some stupid scientists created me out of some green slime up in the hill. Now I need a beer!

-Sooo… You’re saying you were just created? That means I can’t serve you, young man. You have to be eighteen to drink around here. I’d have to see some ID, pl…

The man thing grabbed the bartender by the collar, pulled him close to his face.

-I’m thirsty!

The bartender grabbed a jar, filled it. He didn’t want any trouble, especially not with someone stronger than he was. He was quite sure this guy was crazy as well.

The man creature drank his beer in one go.

-Another!

One after the other the beers went down. The bartender stood by, doing what he was told. 

The man creature got off his stool. Took a step to keep his balance.

-Aren’t you going to pay? The bartender looked annoyed, but surrendered.

-Do I look like I have any money?

He didn’t. He was naked, after all. The bartender let him go. Closed the door behind him, happy to be rid of him.

-Crazy fucking bastard, he said to himself. -There’s just too much drugs around these days.

Outside the towns folk backed away when he came out. Lots of people had gathered, looking in the windows of the bar. The man didn’t seem to notice them, or care. He walked back the way he came from, out of town. People shook their heads. 

-Steroids, one said. -Drives people nuts, you know?

-A nudist here in our town! said another. -Oh, my, soon the place will be packed of them! What about the children?

Met and Pict followed him from a distance, unsure how to handle the situation. They watched him walk up to the lake, out into the green liquid.

He sunk down, melted away and disappeared just the way he had arrived.

He was not thirsty any more.

 

 

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