My entry into Renderosity's 2024 Writer's Contest. Image was hand drawn and then coloured in Photoshop. -- Beware the Multiple Eyed Flutter. It never closes all its eyes at once. Always watching, always there. With poisoned spikes, it has a deadly strike, only one shot to end a life. With six wings it can reach great heights making it hard to escape. You know it is present when you hear that rather distinct fluttering noise, a specific chime like tune that can only be made by the particular flapping of its six wings. Beware indeed. Beware if it actually existed. Smirking to yourself, you close that silly book, planning to leave behind that fantastical creature between the pages. Putting the book down into your lap, you place your left hand into a small bowl on the table beside you, your fingers pinching together to pick up a few peanuts. It was that moment when you hear a strange chiming noise. Was it the neighbour's wind chimes being set off by the wind again? But no, wind chimes sounded more like a music tune, though sometimes off beat. This chime you could hear was a lot more…sinister. Panic begins to bubble up inside of you as your instinct tells you something is very wrong. You visibly stiffen in what should have been a comfortable, cushy chair and yet that very chair seems to be trying to suck the life out of you. Afraid to even move, only your eyes scan the room in a radar like sweep, trying to locate the source of this terrible sound. It doesn't take your eyes long to pick up on the movement as it locks in on a creature bopping around in the air as a fly might, zipping this way and that. Unlike a fly, this creature is about the size of your palm, has six round colourful wings, three antennae, spiked legs, a trunk like nose and quite a few eyes that refuse to blink in sync. While you hope it hasn't spotted you, its many staring eyes tell you otherwise. Could you make a break for it? Your eyes dart between the doorway out of the room and the Multiple Eyed Flutter that appears to actually not be a creature of fantasy. You'd have to get out of the chair and run a full eight feet or more to make it. The Multiple Eyed Flutter on the other hand was only three feet from the doorway and you have no idea how quick or direct it could fly. Sure, it seemed to be all over the place now, but you didn't know if that changed if it zeroed in on a target. Your eyes note that the Multiple Eyed Flutter was now four feet from the doorway which would have been good news if it wasn't for the fact it was because it was coming in your direction. Panic inside of you increases rapidly. You had to do something or else you'd be dead. You were sure of it. A dangerous creature like that couldn't be trusted. You felt like running wasn't an option, it was too risky for you, there was almost no way you'd beat such a death monster to the door. Your eyes jump to the lamp that is on the table to the right of you. That could work. It was in short reach but would give you a long reach and it was sturdy. By the time your eyes jump back from the lamp to where the Multiple Eyed Flutter was a moment ago, it is no longer there. Freaking out silently, your eyes scan the room, trying to locate the creature. To your horror you realize the Multiple Eyed Flutter has landed on the table by the bowl of peanuts, the bowl your left hand is still stuck in. You want to move your hand and yet you’re afraid to make any sudden movement. Pulling up its little trunk, the Multiple Eyed Flutter picks up a few peanuts from the bowl and eats them. Looking quite happy, the Multiple Eyed Flutter gives a happy toot and starts to gobble the rest of the peanuts in the bowl. The chiming noise of its wings for some reason no longer sounds sinister. Rather eager to get all the peanuts, the Multiple Eyed Flutter eats them all, even the ones out of your left hand. The fear that was inside of you has faded away. You realize that just because the Multiple Eyed Flutter could hurt you, didn't mean it would. Having natural poison spikes didn't make it a monster. What makes a creature a monster is its intent. -- Inspiration: It is easy to be afraid of something that has an ability to hurt you. However, anything can hurt you and being so afraid can end up causing you to hate, to lash out, to hurt or even to kill. It is not the fault of any other creature that it has an ability to defend itself. Unknowing the intent of another, it can happen that we assume the worse and make the other the enemy. But it is not fair, nor right to attack another just because we are afraid. As I have written in this short story, the main character (written in a way that the reader can self-insert themselves as this character in emphasize anyone can be afraid and panic based on that fear) is planning on killing the Multiple Eyed Flutter when they feel they cannot run away from the creature, solely because they read in a book that this creature was dangerous. It becomes clear at the end though that the Multiple Eyed Flutter is not a threat and that the only threat in the room was the main character’s fear.