The Nibelungen

The swamp creature was the only one of its kind. It had no name, no family, no friends. It lived in the depths of the swamp, hiding from the sun and the moon. It had a slimy body, a long tail, and a mouth full of sharp teeth. It fed on fish, frogs, and anything else it could catch.

It was lonely, but it did not know it. It had never seen another creature like itself, or any creature that could talk or think. It only knew how to hunt, eat, and sleep. It did not have any emotions, any dreams, or any memories.

One night, it saw something strange in the sky. It was a bright orange ball, bigger and brighter than the stars. It was curious about the ball, so it swam to the surface of the water and looked at it. It felt a warm sensation in its chest, something it had never felt before. It liked the ball, and wanted to touch it.

It tried to jump out of the water and reach the ball, but it was too far away. It tried again and again, but it always fell back into the water. It became frustrated and angry, something else it had never felt before. It hated the ball, and wanted to destroy it.

It roared and thrashed in the water, making waves and bubbles. It bit and tore at the plants and animals around it, making blood and guts. It did not care about anything else, only the ball.

It did not notice that the ball was slowly changing its shape and color. It became smaller and darker, until it disappeared completely. The swamp creature stopped its rampage and looked at the sky. It saw nothing but darkness and stars. It felt a cold sensation in its chest, something else it had never felt before. It missed the ball, and wanted to see it again.

It waited for the ball to come back, but it never did. It waited for days, weeks, months, years. It grew old and weak, losing its teeth and scales. It stopped hunting and eating, losing its strength and size. It stopped moving and breathing, losing its life and soul.

The swamp was silent again.