Variation on a Theme
At first, it appeared as a fleeting, eldritch blurry form, barely discernable amidst the mist and shadows of the eerie moonlit night. Something disturbing, something best left undisturbed by mortal eyes. The man standing on the side of the cobblestone road could only stare at the enigma that was unnaturally looming towards him. His breath caught in his throat, as he realized what he was seeing: a hideous, blasphemic avian creature that defied all known laws of biology and nature, a monstrous chimera of scales and feathers, with hell-fire eyes burning bright within its rifted, ragged wings. It moved ever so slowly, creeping forward step by tortured step, closing in on him like an omen of death itself. And then came the question, echoing out from its putrid beak in a voice more shriek than sound: “Whence do I walk now? Whither does this path lead me?”
A shiver ran down the man’s spine, despite the humid summer heat smothering his skin. Dread seeped into every fiber of his being, causing sweat to drench his clothing as he summoned up all his courage to answer the monster bird, trembling violently: “Why do you cross this accursed road, horrid thing? Whatever malicious power compels you onward will only bring woe and despair upon this poor world.”
The abominable chicken tilted its head, considering for a moment before replying, its twisted visage split into a deranged, grinning maw filled with razor teeth: “I walk towards… destiny. Destiny, that dark well which calls me through the abyss, pulling me towards cosmic horrors that make mere madness seem like a haven.” Its rotten talons scratched and tore at the ground below, sending clouds of foul-smelling ichor spewing forth.
In utter terror, the man felt himself unable to retreat; hypnotized by the horrifying spectacle unfolding before his eyes. He watched, paralyzed with trepidation, as the chicken beast raised one vile limb higher into the sky and spread its leathery wings wide. Soaring upwards, it disappeared into the dense canopy of ancient oaks looming above, accompanied by a maddening cacophony of squawks and hysterical screeches…
