The year was 1636 and it was a bright and sunny afternoon on the island. The cool breeze swept the sand into smooth waves. The crash of the waves and the sound of the birds were serene. Everything was perfect… too perfect. That is why the pilgrims named it the Island of Eden.

Life on the Island of Eden was idyllic. There was a freshwater supply, plenty of food, and a temperate climate. Life was peaceful for the pilgrims who landed here a few years ago from Britain.

But everything changed on that day in October.

“Come on Charles!” yelled Benjamin and his two friends. They were off to play soldier again in the woods.

“Boom! I got you Ben!” exclaimed Charles after pretending to shoot his friend. The young boy fell, grinned with pride. It happened as fast as lightning. Charles had been snatched and pulled behind a bush. “Ahhhhh!” screamed Charles frantically until suddenly going quiet.

The three boys stood frozen with fear. Their lips trembled and they whimpered softly. “What was that?” whispered Ben.

“I don’t know,” Samuel responded quietly. They tiptoed gently over to the bush and peered beyond the hedge. The boys spied a large scaly creature dragging their friend off.

Samuel let out a gasp. The creature stopped and turned. Benjamin pushed his two friends to the ground behind the bush. A fearsome yellow eye, glared in their direction, missing the boys by a moment. Only Benjamin saw the frightening alien eye of the creature that took his friend. The boys hastily returned to the village, terrified that they were the next target of the horrible monster.

“Charles is gone!” yelled Samuel as they entered the town square. “The monster took him and ran off!”

“Boys, boys, what’s going on?” Mayor Quimby asked as he approached the three boys.

“No, you don’t understand, Mayor Quimby. Charles was taken by a monster and dragged away,” explained Benjamin. “I saw it, I saw it.”

“Nonsense, there is no such thing as monsters on this island. But if it makes you feel better, if Charles doesn’t return then we will send out a search party.”

“He’s not coming back,” muttered one of the boys with a frozen look on his face.


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“Knock, knock, knock,” sounded Mayor Quimby’s hand on the door of James Frost’s home. The mayor gently pushed the door open. James and his family were sitting by the fire reading a scripture from the Bible.

“Mayor Quimby, what a pleasant surprise,” greeted James’s wife Rachael.

“Good evening, Rachael, may I have a word with James?” asked the mayor politely.

“Alright children, lets get ready for bed,” Rachael said as she led the children out of the room.

“Mayor Quimby, what can I do for you, sit down. Would you like a cup of tea?”

Mayor Quimby sat down beside James and began to explain the situation. “A couple of boys ran into town today and claimed their friend had been taken by a monster. I reassured them that if he didn’t come back I would send a search party. I checked in with the missing boy’s parents today and the last time they saw him was when he ran off to play soldier with his friends. The boy is actually missing and we need a search party. Would you mind leading the search party, I know the men would trust you to lead them.”


James sat back in his seat. The fire crackled as it died down in the background. “Of course, Mayor Quimby, it would be the least I could do. There isn’t much action as a retired general. I will gather up the men and leave tomorrow at sunrise.”

“Thank you, James, I appreciate it. Watch out for monsters,” chuckled the mayor as he walked out the door. The fire went out as the door closed, leaving James alone in the darkness.

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The search party prepared as the sun rose. James walked around greeting and explaining precautions to the men partaking in the search party. “We are looking for a boy named Charles. He is around eight years old. He has brown scraggly hair and a pale face. His friends claim that a ‘monster’ has taken him. We are probably dealing with a case of an angry wild boar. Good luck and keep your eyes open.”


A few days passed and there was no sign of the search party. The townspeople grew nervous. Ten strong and respectable men have gone missing along with the boy. The local priest, Father Mark, had been spreading rumors that God was punishing them for intruding on his haven. Some agreed with the priest, some did not.

The town had gathered for a mass to pray for the search party and the missing boy. It was during the ceremony that there was an abrupt pounding on the door. The mass had stopped, everything was silent.

“Open that door!” exclaimed the mayor. Hesitantly two guards shifted towards the door to open it. As they opened it a raggedy and filthy man fell into the aisle. It was James, the leader of the search party. He was covered in dirt and blood. His eyes glowed luminously as he muttered to himself.

“James, what happened?” asked his wife as she tried helping him up.

“Where are the others?” yelled a voice from the crowd.

James made a feeble attempt to get up but quickly fell again. “The monster… I have never seen anything like it in my forty years. Its eye stared into my soul. It was around six feet. It had skin made of tough scales. Its claws were tools of the devil. It killed all the men. I tried to save them but its skin is like a pelt of diamonds. It moved like lightning. I tried… I…” James stammered as he passed out.

“I knew it! It is a demon sent from God. The retribution has begun,” shouted the priest as he walked down the aisle. “God demands a sacrifice, and we shall give it to him.”

All of a sudden, a loud bang sounded on the door. The banging continued until suddenly going quiet.
“It must be another survivor!” Mayor Quimby yelled as he opened the door. There it was; the whole church saw it. The monster had been pounding on the door. Mayor Quimby couldn’t close the door fast enough. The beast took its victim.

The guards quickly closed the door, knowing they could do nothing for the mayor. Everyone was silent and in shock. Only the priest spoke. “We must sacrifice now. We shall cast out an offering of an unwed female. It must be Elizabeth Cullen.”



James woke to the whimpering of Mrs. Cullen. He looked around seeing everyone except for the priest and the guards.

“What is going on?” he asked his wife, Rachael.

“Father Mark and the guards have taken Elizabeth as a sacrifice to God. He said it was the only way for God to forgive us for our sins. They are up in the bell-tower now, it should happen any minute.”

James got up and limped to the church stairs. “I have got to stop this. Father Mark has gone mad. Where is the mayor anyway?” he asked as he approached the stairs.

“The mayor fell victim to the beast,” sounded a desperate voice from the crowd.
James climbed the stairs as fast as could to try and save Elizabeth. He opened the hatch as the priest muttered a ceremonial chant.
“This is madness! You must stop!” yelled James as he got up on the tower.

“Stop him! This is the only way!” commanded the priest. The two guards grabbed James. The priest turned around and saw the monster looking devilishly up at them. “It is time!” he yelled. Father Mark pushed Elizabeth off the tower.

“No!” shouted James as he broke free from the clasp of the guards. He dove for Elizabeth, knocking into Father Mark’s feet. He grabbed Elizabeth’s arm as Father Mark lost his balance and fell off the tower. All four of them looked from the tower as the monster carried Father Mark into the forest.

“We have to leave, we have to leave!” yelled James as he entered the main room of the church. “Make for the harbor before it returns!”

All of the town, men, women, and children ran to the boats. They filled the first boat with women and children, leaving the second boat to the men. The children whimpered as the heard the call of the monster.

“Go! Go! Go!” shouted James as he and the other men pushed the women and children safely out to sea. “Get in!” he called to the men as the monster broke into the clearly. They pushed off not a moment to soon. They drifted off listening and looking at the monster pacing the rough shores. That was the last they ever saw of the Island of Eden.



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“Look at this!” exclaimed an archaeologist two-hundred years later while digging on a remote island.
“What is it?” asked his assistant, looking up from his digging.
“Raptor remains,” said the archaeologist as he pulled out a raptor skull.