“I hated my creator! Why was I alive? I wanted to stop living at that moment. I was very angry and I wanted to hurt someone. I wanted to destroy the cottage and all the people inside it.
Night came and I went into the woods. I was not afraid of people seeing me now. I made loud, scary noises because I was so sad. I was like a wild animal. It was a terrible night. The stars were cold and the trees were empty. Everyone else was happy and safe, but I was alone.
I ran until I was very tired. Then I lay down on the wet grass. I knew that no man would ever help me. I decided to hate all humans. Most of all, I hated the man who made me. I hated Victor Frankenstein for making me so miserable.
The sun rose the next morning. I heard the voices of men nearby. I could not return to my small house during the day. I hid in some thick bushes to think about my life.
The warm sun made me feel a little better. I thought about the cottage again. I decided that I acted too fast. Old De Lacey liked my voice. I should have talked to him more before the others saw me. I decided to return to the cottage and speak to the old man again.
These thoughts made me feel calm. I slept in the afternoon, but I had bad dreams. I saw Felix hitting me and the women running away. I woke up at night and went to find food.
After I ate, I walked to the cottage. Everything was quiet. I went into my small house and waited for the morning. The sun came up, but the family did not come outside. The cottage was dark and silent. I was very worried.
Then two men walked past the cottage. They were talking and moving their arms. I did not understand them because they spoke a different language. Soon, Felix arrived with another man. This man was the landlord (the person who owns a house and receives money for it).
The landlord told Felix to think about his decision. He said Felix would lose money and his garden. But Felix said he could never live there again. Felix said his father’s life was in danger. He said his sister and wife were too afraid to stay.
Felix and the man went inside for a few minutes. Then they left the cottage. I never saw the De Lacey family again.
I stayed in my small house all day. I was in deep despair. These people were the only people I liked, and now they were gone. I felt a lot of hatred. At first, I cried when I thought of their kind faces. But then I became very angry because they left me.
The wind began to blow very hard at night. I became like a crazy person. I took a dry branch and started a fire. I put dry grass and wood around the cottage. I watched the moon until it was low in the sky.
Then I screamed and started the fire. The wind helped the fire grow. The flames moved like snakes around the cottage. Soon, the whole house was burning. I ran away into the woods.
Now I was alone in the world. I decided to leave that place. I remembered the papers from the coat. I knew that Victor Frankenstein was my creator. I knew he lived in a town called Geneva. I learned about geography (the study of places and maps) from the lessons Felix gave to Safie. I decided to go to Geneva.
I walked toward the southwest. I used the sun to find my way. I did not know the names of the towns and I could not ask for help. I hated Victor Frankenstein, but he was the only person who could help me.
My journey was very long and difficult. It was late autumn when I started. I walked only at night because I was afraid of people. The weather was very cold. Snow fell and the rivers were frozen. I had no house and no friends. I felt more and more hate in my heart.
When spring came, the sun was warm again. The earth became green. One morning, I was walking through a forest. The air was soft and the sun was bright. For a moment, I felt happy. I forgot that I was ugly and alone.
I walked to the edge of a fast river. Suddenly, I heard a young girl running and laughing. She was playing a game. She ran near the water, but her foot slipped. She fell into the fast river.
I ran from the trees and jumped into the water. It was very hard to swim, but I saved her. I pulled her to the grass. She did not move. Suddenly, a man ran toward us. He was probably playing the game with her.
The man saw me and was very scared. He took the girl from my arms and ran into the woods. I followed him, but I did not know why. The man saw me and pointed a gun at me. He fired the gun. I fell to the ground in great pain. The man ran away with the girl.
This was my reward for being kind! I saved a girl, but a man shot me. I felt a terrible pain in my shoulder. I began to hate all humans even more. I promised to have revenge on all of them.
I lived in the woods for many weeks. I tried to fix my wound. The bullet from the gun was deep in my shoulder. I was very miserable and angry. I wanted to hurt people because they hurt me.
Finally, my shoulder was better. I continued my journey. I did not like the sun or the flowers anymore. I reached the area near Geneva after two months.
I arrived in the evening and hid in a field. I was tired and hungry. I fell asleep for a short time. Then a beautiful child ran into my hiding place. I looked at him and had an idea. I thought, "This child is very young. He does not know what is ugly yet. I can take him and teach him to be my friend."
I grabbed the boy. When he saw my face, he screamed. He put his hands over his eyes. I told him I would not hurt him, but he struggled. "Let me go!" he cried. "You are an ogre (a giant, scary person in stories who eats people). You want to eat me! I will tell my father!"
I told the boy he must come with me. But the boy said, "My father is a syndic (an important leader in a city). He is M. Frankenstein. He will punish you!"
"Frankenstein!" I cried. I realized this boy was part of my enemy's family. I decided he would be my first victim. I put my hands on his neck to make him quiet. In a moment, the boy was dead at my feet.
I was happy because I hurt Victor Frankenstein. I looked at the child and saw something on his chest. It was a portrait (a small painting of a person) of a beautiful woman. She had lovely eyes and a kind face. I liked looking at her, but then I felt angry again. A woman like her would only look at me with horror.
I left the dead child and found a barn. I went inside to hide. I saw a young woman sleeping on some straw. She was very pretty. I felt a lot of hate because she would never love me.
I decided she must be punished too. I took the portrait of the woman from the boy. I put it in the folds of the sleeping woman’s dress. Her name was Justine. I wanted the police to think she killed the boy. Then I ran away.
Now I am here with you on this mountain. I am alone and unhappy. No person will ever be my friend. But you can make a woman who is like me. She must be as ugly and horrible as I am. You must create this person for me. Then I will be happy."