I spent the next day walking in the valley. I stood near the river. The water came from a glacier (a very large, slow river of ice). The glacier moved slowly down from the high mountains. Huge mountains were all around me.
The sides of the mountains were very steep. I saw broken trees on the ground. Everything was very quiet. Sometimes, a large piece of ice fell. It made a loud sound like thunder.
This was the sound of an avalanche (a large amount of ice and snow falling down a mountain). The ice broke into many pieces. These beautiful scenes made me feel better. I was still very sad. However, the mountains helped me forget my problems for a short time.
At night, I went to sleep. I dreamed about the white mountain tops and the green woods. The next morning, the good feelings were gone. I felt very sad again. It was raining very hard.
A thick mist (a thin cloud near the ground) covered the mountains. I could not see the mountain tops. I decided to climb to the top of the mountain. This mountain was called Montanvert. I remembered this place well.
The view of the ice always made me feel happy. The big mountains made me forget my worries. I did not take a guide. I wanted to be alone with nature. The climb was very steep.
The path turned many times. I saw many broken trees on the path. The snow and ice broke these trees during the winter. Stones often rolled down the mountain from above. This was very dangerous.
If a person spoke loudly, the sound could start an avalanche. The trees were short and dark. I looked at the valley below. The rain and clouds made me feel very unhappy. I thought about humans.
Humans have many feelings. Animals only think about food and water. But humans worry about many things. Our dreams and thoughts change every day. Nothing stays the same for long.
It was noon when I reached the top. I sat on a rock. I looked at the sea of ice. A mist covered the mountains. Then, a light wind moved the clouds away.
I walked down onto the glacier. The ice was not flat. It looked like the waves of a sea. There were many deep crevices (deep, narrow cracks in the ice or rock). I spent two hours crossing the ice.
The sun was bright on the white peaks. I felt a little joy. I spoke to the spirits of the mountain. I asked the spirits to make me happy. Or, I asked them to take me away from life.
Suddenly, I saw a figure. A man was running across the ice toward me. The man moved with great speed. He jumped over the deep crevices easily. The man was very tall. He was much taller than a normal person.
I felt afraid. The cold wind helped me feel strong again. The man came closer. I saw his face. It was the monster! I was very angry.
The monster looked very ugly and horrible. I hated the monster. I wanted to fight him. "Devil!" I shouted. "Why do you come near me? Do you not fear my anger?"
I wanted to kill the creature. I wished that his death could bring back the people he had murdered. "I knew you would be angry," the monster said. "All people hate unhappy things. I am the most unhappy thing in the world."
The monster looked at me. "You created me," the monster said. "You must help me. If you do your duty, I will be good. If you help me, I will leave you in peace."
"If you refuse, I will kill more of your friends," the monster said. I was very angry. "You are a monster!" I cried. "I want to kill you."
I jumped at the monster. The monster moved away easily. "Be calm," the monster said. "I am stronger than you. My body is larger and faster. But I do not want to fight you."
The monster said that I was his king and he would obey me. "I should be your Adam," the monster said. "But you treat me like a fallen angel. I see happiness everywhere, but I am alone."
"I was good before," the monster said. "Misery made me a bad person. Make me happy, and I will be good again." I told the monster to go away. I said we were enemies.
"How can I move you?" the monster asked. "I am miserably alone. You hate me. All humans hate me. The cold mountains are my only home." The monster said humans would try to kill him.
The monster said he would stay angry if he stayed unhappy. "But you can help me," the monster said. "Listen to my story. Then you can decide. Even a criminal can speak before he is punished."
I felt very bad. I remembered that I had made the monster. I cursed the day I created the creature. But I also felt a little pity.
I wanted to know the truth. Did the monster kill my brother? I decided to listen. For the first time, I felt that a creator has a duty to his creature. I had to make him happy before I complained about him.
"Come to my hut on the mountain," the monster said. The monster led the way across the ice. I followed him. We walked to a small hut. The air was very cold.
It began to rain again. We entered the hut. The monster was happy, but I was sad. We sat by a fire. Then, the monster began to tell his story.