A cold wind was felt from the depths of the valley, spreading like an icy blanket across the entire meadow. The first snowfalls of winter would not be long in coming, there was no doubt about it. Gray clouds were already threatening to unleash their fury on the fields surrounding the small town of Geneva, causing a storm that would keep people from leaving their homes in the hours to come.
There wasn't a soul in sight on the path that led from the main road to the woods. Victoria, who had spent the last half-hour traversing fields that were familiar to her from her childhood, was well aware of this.
The only sound that could be clearly distinguished was the fierce wind crashing against foliage that swayed incessantly, as if it were about to take flight at any moment.
Wouldn't it be better to leave and come back another day? The idea crossed her mind for a second, but in the next moment, she dismissed it.
A carriage had brought her to these estates, but as soon as she got out, she told the coachman that she didn't need him to wait for her. So, he had left. Of course, it wasn't a long walk back to return, just a couple of kilometers on foot. But Victoria preferred to come alone to these places, among other things, because she didn't know how long it would take to find what she was looking for. And now that she was here, it didn't make much sense to turn back.
So, she gathered her courage and, with renewed energy, decided to head briskly towards the steep cliffs looming before her.
Until then, she had been making her way through desolate fields, following a dirt path to some extent that marked a route to follow. But as the slope began to steepen, the vegetation at her feet became more abundant, forcing her to be twice as careful with her steps.
She didn't have a clear destination, only that she had to climb the mountain.
This wasn't due to any primal instinct telling her she was on the right path. No, it was something much more rational. She still remembered the encounter she had had just a few days ago in the same area: At that time, she hadn't dared to climb the hill, quite the opposite. Upon realizing that someone was watching her from a distance, from the heights, she had run away after experiencing the shock that had kept her rooted in the same spot for a full minute.
She didn't speak to anyone about the matter, not even when she returned to her family, even though she knew it was her duty to come back and sort things out.
She was searching for a monster... or rather, a creature. A being she had created herself two years ago and now, she saw it clearly, had neglected for too long.
A couple of days earlier, while she was walking in the area, she thought she saw it among the rocks. It was a terrifying coincidence, or at least it seemed that way at the time, when panic and memories of her past experiments took hold of her. Hours later, in the apartment where she spent her vacations with her family, she began to see it all as an opportunity to make amends for the disaster wrought by her wrongdoing.
Okay, she couldn't go back and prevent her past self from giving life to that being. But what if she took care of it now? She couldn't kill it, as it went against her principles. She also didn't feel capable of taking it with her and presenting it to her acquaintances as her greatest experiment to date.
So, what then? Show it to the scientific community and let some other fool take credit for her achievement? Despite having the favor of several of her professors, it was still frowned upon for a woman to engage in research. And Victoria had her pride. If she couldn't enjoy the fame she had earned herself, she preferred that no one knew about her exploits in the laboratory.
Putting aside these musings, since she concluded that it would be better to think of a solution to her problem after conversing with her creature, she focused on reaching the summit of those hills. And when she finally did, she barely needed to take a last look around to find her.
That being had been waiting for her, as if they had been connected by the same desire to meet in that specific place and moment.
"Finally, we meet," Victoria murmured, though the wind carried away her statement, making it inaudible.
Not caring that she couldn't be heard, she took a few more steps until she stood just a couple of meters in front of the creature.
A creature that, by the way, hadn't moved an inch since it was spotted. Was it frightening? The answer was yes, but not exactly in the same way it had been on that cursed night, on a laboratory table, when it began to move for the first time.
It was still tall, too tall. If it didn't reach six feet, it wasn't far off. Its skin was covered in scars that refused to fade, at every joint where she had sewn its limbs, although the deathly pale color had been replaced by a slightly darker tone, perhaps due to continued blood flow over the years, as well as prolonged exposure to sunlight.
This being wasn't even a dozen steps away from rotting, although its appearance didn't speak well of it either: with disheveled hair, a dirty face, and old clothes, it was more than obvious that the life it had led wasn't easy.
Victoria's heart beat stronger, expectant for what would come next. Her legs wanted to run once again, even though she knew it was a good sign that the creature had shown no sign of violence toward her despite being within reach.
She opened her mouth to say something, but the being beat her to it.
"Are you Victoria Frankenstein?" it inquired in a deep, monotone tone, without even a slight hint of surprise or frustration.
Where had it gotten her name? Not only that, since when could it speak?
"I am," Victoria replied. It was absurd to deny it; she wasn't there for that.
"I didn't expect to, but I saw you the other day and was waiting for a chance to speak with you. I thought there might be a possibility that you would return."
"And if not, would you not bother to cross the wall and venture into the city where I grew up?" Victoria wondered. On one hand, she was fascinated by the fact that this monster had the intelligence to track her to her hometown. On the other, based on this last thought, she didn't believe that any of this was a coincidence.
"It's opportune," she noted, remaining defensive but trying not to show it, responding to her creation's statements with the same neutrality in tone it had used. "I've also wanted to talk with you for some time."
"Well, in that case, let's talk... But not here. It's cold, and the story I have to tell will be long. I don't want you to catch a cold by staying out in the open." Turning her gaze to the side, she indicated to Victoria, "I know of a cabin about a hundred or two hundred meters from here, among those trees. Some laborers used it before, but now it's abandoned, and I'm using it as a place to live."
Was it trying to lead her to a secluded place to kill her in the same way as...?
Victoria was baffled. She was amazed by the consideration the creature showed, offering her shelter to avoid the wrath of the overcast skies; it showed an ability to empathize. But to what extent? She was also realizing that it possessed a keen intelligence, and if it was aware of what she had done to it, it must hold some resentment. So, could this be a ruse to lure her to her death?
However, Victoria decided she didn't care.
To die in the cabin or in the middle of the field, what difference did it make? No one would be a witness to the event anyway. And besides, she deserved it.
Victoria wasn't lying when she said she wanted to talk, or in this case, listen to what the creature had to say. But if there came a point where the monster decided it was best to spare words and proceed with a new crime, she was willing to accept it, such was the self-loathing she had been accumulating during all those months of quiet remorse.
"Let's not waste any more time," she said, sealing her fate at last. "Guide me there."
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