Monsters: Bunyip



Each day this week, I will be presenting a cryptid monster you might not have heard of during this "What the Freak Is It?" week on Ghost Hunting Theories. At the end of my presentation on the information regarding the creature, I will give you a flash horror short story based on the beast.

Aborigines have a legend of a monster called Bunyip ("water devil") that is said to hang around swamps, streams and low-lying wet areas.  Descriptions vary from a giant starfish shape to dog-faced, dark fur, horse-like tail, flippers, tusks, and duck bill. A truly mutant description. It was reported to kill aborigines and creatures along the watereways.

The origins of Bunyip are often believed to be a cultural "memory" of a now extinct marsupial and legends passed down through tribes.

Here is my fictionalized short based up on the legendary creature -


In the Murk
 


From the putrid waters of the seasonal creek, I emerged, head first, peeking out at the land, studying the scenery, looking for movement. My skills have evolved over time to note the tiniest movement of a mass among the swaying bushes and straggly trees.

Hunger roils in my belly and I am determined to have my meal, but I have a special affinity for certain food sources more than others and today I am feeling a desire for wallaby. I don't even let myself consider an Aborigine. They are so rarely found off guard in such muddy waters, but one can hope.

The Native People see me as a feared legend and few today believe me to be real. It is that very lack of belief that has allowed me to dine on Aborigine more regularly than in the past. They are a better source of nutrition because I consume their content, as well, taking on their knowledge and experience.

I am wiser now than just an ancient knowledge, I also know the thoughts and habits of all my prey. Including Man!

**For a collection of my short stories, check out "Don't Go There! A Flash Horror Anthology" where every story is timed so you know how long it'll take to read depending on your time constraints and the variety of many dozens of short stories cover the gamut of every horror subject possible with a special features section in the end that has short nonfiction stories of me being alone in places no one wants to be alone in. This is available in paperback on Amazon, Kindle and Nook (link above).**

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