Legend

Shah was seven when he first heard about the Animal Man; he was eleven when he first saw it. He and three other friends had dared to jump over the wall which had broken glass merged to the mortar on top of it. Inside they wandered around the tiny, desolate home for a while until they caught glimpse of the local legend. Through one of the windows they saw the hairy Animal Man, walking briskly across the room. The sight was petrifying, but one that diluted over the years, as they would return occasionally to see it. Today, it was not one of those visits; today he was here to kill it.

He chose dawn because that was when he felt himself the most active. He was twenty seven, and like most of the guys in the locality, spent the days jobless, smoking by the riverside and discussing football. The wall still held the glass, but he had mastered evading the sharp points. As he walked towards the house, he could hear the namaaz in progress in the masjid across the river. Dawn had that quality – everything was heard. But no sounds came from the house; it was so always. Almost.

Shah remembered clearly of the fanfare when someone had previously tried to hunt the Animal Man down. The whole village would gather outside the high wall. Parents would prohibit the children (and themselves) from going any closer; not knowing the kids had already jumped over the wall before. Till date, seven men and a woman had attempted entering the isolated house. None except one had come out alive – Chandhu, now known as Chandhu the Lunatic. He was the only one in history who attempted it along with someone else. His companion’s corpse was, like custom, found within the compound after a day. Chandhu had walked out shocked, and did not talk for a few days. When he finally opened his mouth, the whole village listened, intrigued. All he said was “It’s harmless.” Even after years, he still says the same words, as he wanders across the village in his torn attire, sporting a long beard that supposedly carried creatures, as told by mothers to scare their children who were reluctant to eat food. As if Animal Man was not a legend good enough!

Shah too had grown up intrigued by the legend, like any other villager. The decision to hunt was a secret one, and so, there was no one around, though the fanfare had been long dead about the affair. For him, the glory was incomparable, to be the one who killed the Animal Man.

He had heard the house was unlocked. It was. A smell of rot dwelt inside. The house had only three rooms, he knew. His hand was firmly gripped on the aruval he carried, while a push-dagger remained creased between his ankle and shoes. The hall room was, as expected, dark. The sky was still gaining red outside, and the open windows stood waiting for illumination. He walked towards the only door he could see, heart pounding hard. He had been revelling on the thought of facing the village, triumphant; but the darkness had engulfed the sensation for now. He could feel sweat around the wooden handle of the aruval.

The second room was tinier. It had a broken table too, but not the Animal Man. The stench had grown stronger; Shah even thought he heard movement ahead. Another open door stood looming at the end. He could see pale light in the room it led to. It was the room that had the open windows, and those windows faced the dawning sun. Shah felt his pulses race, was it adrenaline or anguish? He inched ahead, making sure he did not disturb the eerie silence that persisted.

He peered in at the doorstep. His heart leapt at the sight.

Three windows stood open, with iron bars between them. Leaning onto them, holding a couple of the bars, stood Animal Man. Right in front of him, facing the rising sun. He could make out only the silhouette of the towering figure, hairy like a bear, more than six feet tall. The sight intimidated Shah. He wondered if this is how all brave men felt, that fortitude did not accompany them all the way. He gripped the aruval and raised it above the elbow. The Animal Man turned.

The face wasn’t visible. But Shah was taken aback by its reaction. It crouched where it stood, with its hands covering the head. There was no sound. The whole room seemed like a black and white, silent movie scene, except that it was real. The creature stood, apparently panic-struck seeing the human. The human stood confused. Shah wondered if it was a trick. He had clearly seen dead bodies being retrieved from this very compound on multiple occasions. Surely it’s a tactic. Shah imagined being the village’s hero, being felicitated for his deed. The awkwardness of the situation had brought back his sensation of being a celebrity. Suddenly he felt determined.

He screamed out, trying to intimidate the figure. It crouched further. This time he raised the aruval and ran forward. The figure did not move. Not until he was too close. As he swung the sharpened aruval, the creature raised its head, still defenseless. The metal sliced the neck imperfectly, yet effectively. Shah heard the flesh tear, splashing dark liquid around. The hairy mass was still silent, but clearly gasping for breath. He swung the blade again, this time with more precision. The Animal Man’s head hung lower and the towering figure splat down, still bleeding. The daylight had gained prominence in the room. It helped Shah see the grounded figure, clearly dying. The Animal Man. The legend for decades. He had killed it. The struggle was far from challenging, but he had done something no one had ever done. He had slayed the Animal Man.

He looked outside through the window. The river was now seen, reflecting the orange rays from the horizon. He would take a bath in it soon, he thought. Suddenly, he felt movement near to his feet. He looked down. He gripped his weapon and perched to check. The hairy corpse was shrinking. And at alarming pace. He had never seen such a phenomenon. The hairs were reducing too. Soon it was the size of a normal human. In fact, his size. Breathing heavily, he looked closer. The dead body now sported hair like his. He turned the body to face it. The features grew in quick pace – his features. As he watched in shock, the body transformed itself into him. Astounded, Shah stepped backward, and felt the aruval slip off his hand. The last thing he sensed was the enormous amount of hair grown on his own hands, unnoticed. He tried to scream, in vain.