In an elaborate Victorian style building, a fierce lightning storm is brewing yet the sunroof has been opened. Inside the building, it is revealed to be an elaborate lab outfitted with a network of crude electrical wires and tubes containing glowing green liquid. A handsome blonde scientist looks over his complex notes on his table with his signature “Victor Frankenstein” on them one more time before turning to a photo of a beautiful woman with kind smile. “This is for you mother....” he whispers while touching the photo before turning a crank which lowers what looks to be an operating a large metal slab covered by a white sheet revealing the outline a tall, muscular male figure chained down. Once the slab is submerged into the pool of the green liquid, the scientist takes a deep breath before turning a switch. At the top of the open sunroof, various lightning rods are prop up and it is clearly seen that the wires are attached to them, and the opposite ends are submerged into the green pool. Just after he puts on a pair of dark goggles and pulling his rubber hood over his head, a cascade of thunder bolts is caught by the lightning rods charging them up, then the electricity makes its way down into the green pool causing it to illuminate so brightly that a huge beam of light can be seen from outside. The scientist looks away while curling up wincing and groaning as the pool below bubbles and seemingly boils. Once the electricity ceases and the blinding light is gone, the scientist looks down at the now still pool which is now blue and it slowly bubbles more and more until something literally catapults out of the water screaming and then lands a few feet away flopped onto its side breathing heavily in a panicked way. It is male figure still concealed in a white sheet and bound in chains, but it managed to wriggle itself free by breaking apart the chains and tearing itself out of the sheet before staggering to its feet and revealing itself. “It’s alive...” the scientist gasps while all this happens, but his awe quickly turns to horror when the figure turns to look at him. It is a creature covered in what looks like stitches and varying shades of skin making it appear like a ragdoll made of actual human parts with now frayed black hair with a single streak in it, one gray eye and the other dark brown. The creature looks at his own hands in both confusion and fear before looking at itself in the mirror, then let out a blood curdling scream before turning to the scientist and reaching out pleadingly. “H.... H-Help me.... Help me....” he begs, but the scientist scrambles backwards and responds by picking up what looks like a stick and swings it around. “GET AWAY FROM ME!! GET AWAY, YOU HIDEOUS MONSTER!!” the scientist hollers. The creature looks at him in shock but still pleads “Please- AHHHHH!!” the scientist repeatedly whips him while chasing him out. As the creature attempts to get away, it bumps into things clumsily and even causes dents in stone walls before knocking over a bookcase indicating its strength. It also manages to get hold of some kind of brown cloak which it uses to shield itself against the scientist’s blows until it finally runs out of the door and into the wilderness right in the middle of a heavy downpour. Once he is far enough, the creature falls to his knees and breaks down crying while wrapping himself with the cloak. He is interrupted though by the sound of screeching up above the trees. He looks up while listening, then climbs the tree to follow the sounds. He discovers a screeching mother ural owl shielding her little white hatchling from the relentless storm. The creature looks at the mother and hatchling with sympathy before shielding the mother owl and her youngling with his large arms. The next morning, the creature remains in the protective pose even in his sleep and the storm has passed. He is awakened by the chirps of the little hatchling. He notices that the mother owl is laying completely limp and does not respond to her hatchling’s chirps or nudges. The creature nudges and strokes the mother owl’s head, but upon realizing that she has passed on, he looks at her frame with pity. Later that day, the creature has set up the owl’s resting place by burying her and covering her grave with stones, then topping it off with a single daisy. He gives the mother owl’s grave one last look before stroking the head of the now orphaned baby owl in his front pocket and turns around to walk away. After some months pass, the hatchling has grown up to be a beautiful albino ural owl and flies through the skies carrying something. She lands softly beside the creature who has become very haggard and dirty from living in the woods, and his cloak now being tattered and moldy, along with now sporting overgrown dirty hair and beard to match though his eyes are still as gentle, and kind as ever as shown by how he lifts a log up to help free a fox. “Back from hunting already, Ghost?” he pets her as she hoots affectionately “Huh?” Ghost pushes what looks like a slab of meat towards her companion, and he picks it up examining it. “There’s no way YOU carved this out of your prey.” he smells it “And it doesn’t smell like your usual prey. Ghost, where did you get this?” The owl sunk her head between her shoulders while shuffling her talon sheepishly. “Ghost, last time you took from people, it ended with them coming at you with guns. You shouldn’t take what isn’t yours. Now, she me where you took this.” he said to her. She nodded while hooting and took to the skies guiding her beloved caretaker through the woods to clearing where a huge cabin with a smoking chimney. From the open window, he can see a huge plate of meat cut like the slab Ghost brought him. He also notices a man walking around. They followed him stealthily through the woods to the other side of the cabin revealing a field of turnips which two women are attempting to harvest while an old man with a cane stood around “Maybe if we try pulling together...” one woman said to the young man, and they grabbed one together “Ready? One... two... THREE!!” they try to pull together. The old man taps the ground with his cane and frowns “It’s no use, my dears. The ground is too frozen. It’s gripping the turnips like iron vices. We will have to try again tomorrow when it’s warmer.” “If it’s warmer, papa.” one woman lamented. “And we need these turnips SOON. The deadline is in three days and if we don’t have them harvested, washing and boxed, there goes our salary, Agatha.” the other woman reminded them “Damn this early cold...” “Now, now, Safie. We’re not out of time yet.” while carefully feeling the ground with his cane as he walked. “Maybe I can dig some out with the shovel?” the young man suggested. “But that will ruin the turnips, Felix.” Safie groaned. “Ruined turnips are better than none, my love.” he tried to reason. “They’re also not as profitable if at all.” Agatha pointed out. “Now, now. It’s supposed to be warmer tomorrow and it will only get warmer by noon, my children. The best thing you can all do is do what you are able to do today and wait for tomorrow.” Albert advised them while approaching the three of them still feeling the ground with his cane. “Very well, papa. I’ll gather the wood.” Felix sighed and went off. “Agatha and I will get the water. Or should one of us-” Safie began. “I’ll be fine, Safie.” Albert interrupted her “I’ve been alone for longer periods of time and managed. Both of you go while I watch the house.” With that, Felix, Agatha and Safie left as Albert went into the house. Ghost cocked her head around curiously as the creature stroked his messy beard “They don't seem dangerous... still, it’s best to be cautious and return the meat while the only one there is that blind old man.” Ghost protested with a harsh hoot and pulled on his sleeve with her beak. “Ghost, these people have it hard enough. Besides, this meat isn’t ours.” he scolded. She took a deep breath before giving a long relenting hoot. “That a girl. Stay here.” he firmly instructed. The creature crept up to the cabin making sure that the only person there was Albert. As he did, the chickens and goat took notice of him curiously, but resumed their business as he went up to the open window where the plate of meat sat. From there, he could see and hear Albert play some kind of wooden and threaded instrument beautifully while sitting next to another instrument that looked like a bookcase with several black and white keys. The song sounded familiar in an almost dreamlike sense, but the creature had no time to admire the music. He had to return the meat, then leave, but just as he was about to put the piece back... “Hello there, stranger. May I help you?” Albert asked smiling while looking in the creature’s direction, but not directly at him. The creature froze with his eyes bulging “... How did you know I was here?!” Albert laughed “I’m blind not oblivious. I’m guessing you’re a tall fellow hence why even while tiptoeing, I could your steps. And... I could smell you. You’re homeless, aren’t you?” The creature took a whiff of himself, grimaced then blushed “I’m sorry for intruding. I meant to return your meat to you. My friend Ghost took a piece not knowing any better. She’s an owl you see.” “That’s very kind of you, but you didn’t have sneak it back. You could have just returned it directly. I can tell you’re harmless.” Albert smiled. “You think so? Why?” the creature raised his brow. “Even the chickens are calm in your presence, so I am too. If anything, by the tone of your voice, I think you’re afraid of ME.” he pointed out. The creature looked away for a moment “I... haven’t had the best experiences with people since I... woke up. And since then, every time a person sees me, they either hit me or run from me. That’s why I stay in the woods.” “Why?” Albert asked with his smile now gone. “Because... I’m ugly.” he admitted. “Ugly? Is that all?” Albert asked while getting up and taking his cane. “I’m VERY ugly.” the creature explained sadly. “Well... Most homeless people do tend to look indecent and sometimes, to the point of looking frightening at first glance. No offense.” Albert walked over. “You don’t understand. I’m a monster. If you could see me, you would be horrified by my face.” he insisted. “Then let me see you. If I may?” Albert asked while raising his hand. The creature’s face went pale “No! Don’t! When you do, you’ll hate me!” “Nonsense! Even if you are as ugly as you say, that’s no reason to hate or fear you. Being ugly is harmless. Now let me see you. Please?” Albert requested. The creature relented and leaned forward allowing Albert to touch his face. He hummed upon feeling the worn hair and beard, but then froze for a moment when he felt the creature’s face. His fingers moved around slowly noting the stitch-scars. “Good Lord... I’ve never felt so many surgical scars on one’s face alone...” Albert gasped with his eyes wide. “I have them all over my body too. Even... my hands.” he sighed with shame as he raised his hands allowing Albert to touch them. “It’s like... parts of you were... removed then stitched back on.... You poor man. What happened to you?” Albert asked. “I don’t know. I don’t remember. I don’t even-” the creature cut off from the sound of a pail being dropped and a scream. The creature jerked around in terror seeing Safie and Agatha screaming at the site of him and Felix behind them dropping his wood. The creature hunched over while looking away and pulling his hood over in shame while whimpering. “MONSTER!!” Felix growled as he raised his axe. “Wait! Nobody panic! He’s not dangerous! He’s just a homeless man with scars!” Albert commanded, but his words were ignored as Agatha and Safie rushed inside and pulled him away from the window. “Get away from my family!!” Felix shouted as he approached the monster brandishing his firewood axe. “I-I’m sorry! I’ll leave!” the creature went on while taking a few steps back, but then Felix swung his axe missing him before chasing him into the wood “FLY, GHOST!!” Ghost did as she was told as Felix chased the creature through the woods while swinging his axe around. “How dare you attack my father while he was all al-AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!” Felix got cut off from his words when he took a wrong turn and wound up falling down a ditch rolling and then hitting the bottom with a horrible sounding ‘crunch’ followed by a holler of pain. The creature panted in both relief and shock as Ghost took a moment to perch on a nearby tree branch and look down the ditch from there. Felix who lay down on the ground face down trembling and twitching. The creature also look and was about to leave but Felix’s whimpering froze him in place “... Help me...” Ghost looked at Felix and then at her friend. “Help me... please...” Felix begged weakly. The creature closed his eyes recalling the moment when he asked that person for help the day he woke up and how he was greeted with getting violently whipped and forced to flee into the woods during a storm. He winced at the memory and opened his eyes with his mind made up.