Here you are the whole story about Frankenstein. The idea for the moment is to read it and listen to it at the same time.
Instructions to listen to the audio:
1. Click on the link of each chapter
2. Go to "archivo" and then "descargar"
3. Listen and read the story at the same time
Enjoy your reading!
Frankenstein
by Mary Shelley
24th April 1825, 14.00 hours, on the edge of the frozen north, 9 degrees latitude, 81 longitude.
A
very strange thing has just happened. I was on deck looking out across
the endless field of ice, when an enormous being, the shape of a man,
but almost 8 feet tall, suddenly appeared out of the mist. For a
moment I thought I had made a mistake. ''How could any creature be
alive in this place?" I said to myself. Then, about 500 yards behind
him, a man of average size appeared and, by the way he was angrily
beating the dogs which pulled his sledge, he seemed determined to catch
the giant. Then they both disappeared into the mist as suddenly as
they had appeared out of it.
25th April 1825, 10.00 hours
During
the night a storm came from the south and broke the ice up into
pieces. I was certain that the two beings I had seen must have died in
the cold. However, when the storm finally ended, I went out on deck,
hoping that I might see them again. All around the ship great pieces of
ice were moving up and down on the angry waves. Then I saw him, the
smaller of the two men. He was lying on the broken sledge in the centre
of a large piece of ice, about 20 yards from the side of the ship.
His dogs were lying dead around him.
I
called some of my men and told them to get a small boat and bring the
dead man on board. I felt I had to try to find out who he was and bury
him properly. My men finally managed to climb onto the ice. Then, one
of them began waving his arms and shouting.
"He's still alive! Prepare hot water and a bed!"
By
some miracle the man is not dead, but it is impossible to communicate
with him. He is so weak that he is hardly breathing at all.
28th April 1825, 12.00 hours.
Three
days have gone by since we rescued the unknown man. We still do not
know who he is. We have not seen the giant since then, although I think
he must be dead. The man we saved is very thin. He hasn't eaten for
days. Will he live?
At
times, we are sure he is dead. At others, he seems to have
unbelievable strength. He often sits up and cries out in his sleep. One
night he stood up with his eyes full of fear and anger and started
screaming.
"You won't escape me! I’ve got you now!"
I am very curious to know what brought him to the frozen north. Was it because of great madness or a great hate, or both?
29th April 1825, 10.00 hours.
The
man with no name spoke for the first time today. He could only say
short sentences. His name is Frankenstein. Victor Frankenstein. He was
chasing someone, most probably! the giant I saw on the 24th. He calls
him 'the murderer'. But why was he chasing him? And why did he risk his
life to catch this criminal? Many questions still remain unanswered. I
hope to hear the whole story in the next few days. I am afraid, though,
that it will be weeks before he can even get out of bed. He is lucky
to be alive. Most men would not have survived the Cold. Only a deep and
mysterious passion keeps him alive.
Chapter 2
"(This
story was told over a period of five days. During that time
Frankenstein was hardly able to speak for more than a minute without, a
rest. At times he could say no more than a few words, but slowly the
terrible story was told: This is a warning to those who think that they,
like God, have the right to give life and take it away.)
I
spent my childhood in Geneva, Switzerland. I had everything that a
child could want; a mother who adored me, two younger brothers, Ernest
and William, who admired me, and a perfect friend, Henry Clerval, who
was possibly the most loving and faithful friend that anyone could hope
to have. I also had a sister, Elizabeth, who was not my real sister but
a girl my parents adopted when she was very young, because her family
was too poor to look after her. Elizabeth was four years younger than
me, and although we were like brother and sister, a love grew between
us that was much greater than the love a brother and a sister usually
feel for each other. Finally, there was Justine, a loyal and caring
servant, who was more like a sister to me than a maid.
As
I was growing up, two things happened which changed me forever. The
First happened one day as I was walking in the mountains around Geneva.
Although it had been a beautiful sunny day, it suddenly became very
dark and I saw lightning in the sky. I looked for a tree to shelter
under because I knew, it would soon start raining. Eventually, I saw a
large tree with strong branches covered in leaves. I was only a few
yards away from it when the tree was struck by lightning. It burst into
flames and burnt down in a few seconds. This experience made me
realize the incredible power of nature. I began to think that if this
power could destroy life, it could also create life. At this point in
my life I decided that I wanted to understand that power and find a way
of using it. Somehow, I was sure that the mystery of life itself was
in that power.
The
second thing that changed my life was my mother's death. I loved her
very much. She was the kindest and purest person I'd ever known. She saw
life as a gift from God. It was her love that kept our Family very
close. During the last few weeks of her life, I stayed with her the
whole time. One day, as I was reading to her, she took my hand and
gently pulled me towards her. As she looked at me her eyes were, as
always, full of love and gentleness.
She stopped for a moment to find the right words. She was very weak and could only speak in a whisper.
"Victor,
you must take my place now. You should keep our family together and
look after your brothers. You love Elizabeth and you know that I have
always wanted you to marry. As soon as you finish your studies, I want
you to promise to come back and make her happy, as I know she will make
you happy."
After
speaking these few words she fell back on her pillow, exhausted. Three
days later she died with a smile on her lips, sure that I would keep
my promise. Thank God she never lived to see what happened to her loved
ones.
I
was too young, and too selfish perhaps, to understand the importance
of what my mother had asked of me. All I wanted was to get away from
that place of sadness and concentrate on my studies.
That
summer I sat my university entrance exams and did brilliantly. I got
the highest marks in the country and won a scholarship to study natural
sciences at the University of Ingolstadt, one of the best universities
in Switzerland. I had heard about the famous Professor Waldmann and the
research he'd been doing there. Some said he was about to discover the
secret of life.
I
knew it was difficult for my father, who had still not got over my
mother’s death, but I could see that Elizabeth could help him more than I
could and so I decided to leave for Ingolstadt as soon as possible. I
packed my bags and said goodbye to my family, promising to write often.
When I went to kiss Elizabeth, she held me away from her and looked at me.
"Yon will write, Victor, won't you?"
"Of course I will, my dearest. Believe me."
"I
feel there is a fire inside you that will not let you rest. I am
afraid it will burn you up unless you are careful. Promise you will be
careful, Victor. We have lost our darling mother, and nothing can
replace her, but we are still here and need you just as much as she did.
Don't forget that."
She smiled and hugged me tightly.
God be with you, Victor. May He keep you safe and bring you quickly back to us."
I arrived in Ingolstadt 24 hours later.
Chapter 3
I
am ashamed to admit it, but I soon forgot my promise to my mother. At
first, I wrote every day. Then as I spent more time on my studies, I
wrote fewer and fewer letters. I knew that my family would be worrying
about me, but my desire for knowledge made me selfish and insensitive.
Professor
Waldmann was an old man, yet his mind was as sharp as a razor. What he
said excited me because I could see that he was about to make a
discovery that would change the way we see the world forever.
After
the first lecture, I decided to speak to the professor and ask him to
let me help him in his research. In order to really help him, though, I
first had to study every paper he had written.
For
the next two months I worked night and day reading his research
writings. With every word I read, I felt I was closer to knowing the
secret of life.
When I had finished reading the last paper, I went to see the professor.
The
professor lived and worked on the top floor of one of the university
buildings in Ingolstadt. I was very nervous as I climbed the old wooden
stairs.
The
door was open, so I walked in. I called his name, but there was no
answer. I went straight into his laboratory. No one was there. Although I
knew it was wrong, I wanted to see how far he had gone with his
research. His work was like a puzzle with some of the pieces still
missing.
"Frankenstein."
His
clear deep voice echoed around the room. I jumped with fright and
turned towards him. He looked angry, and I saw at once that he was very
ill.
"Frankenstein, have you come to spy on your professor?
Or are you here simply to pay a sick old man a visit?"
"I
had no idea you were ill, Professor. If I had known, I ..." ""You came
to learn my secrets. Don't you realize the danger of what you are
doing? Do you think you can take my place?"
"No, Professor. I simply want to offer my help."
"Offer your help! You think you are very clever."
"Professor, you know I am your best student, possibly the best student you've ever had. Why won't you ..."
"That is the trouble. You know too much."
"I don't understand."
"I
know you have learned everything that has taken me all my life to
discover. I also know that you can see where the last piece of the
puzzle should go, and I can't, Frankenstein. I can't!"
"Why, Professor? I can help you. Together we can work more quickly."
"No,
Frankenstein, my life is over. For weeks now I have hardly been able
to get out of bed. In less than a month I will be dead. I need at least
two more years to complete my research."
I said nothing. It was easy to see that he wouldn't live long.
"Take me back to my room."
When
he was back in bed, he spoke to me again. "Frankenstein, I am going to
destroy my work." I was so shocked I could not speak for some time.
Finally, I said, "But, but, Professor, a whole lifetime's work! You
can't..."
"It's my work and I will do what I like with it."
"But why?"
"Because it is dangerous."
"Is it dangerous to find out the meaning of life?"
"No. What is dangerous is to be able to create life."
"But think of what this will mean to medical research. It's a revolution!"
"Yes, but if the wrong people get hold of it... No. I must destroy everything before I die. You understand, don't you?"
My
mind began to work very fast. I had to stop him from destroying his
work. Then, I thought of a way. I have an amazing memory, greater than
even the professor suspected. I would try to remember everything as we
destroyed it and write it down later.
"You are right, Professor. I was wrong but now I understand. I will help you destroy you work."
I could see that he did not believe me.
"But how do I know you will do it?"
"We will do it together, Professor."
"I have misjudged you, Frankenstein. Leave me now and come back tomorrow. I am tired."
I
worked with the professor for the next two weeks. In this time I not
only learnt everything that he had discovered, but I also saw how close
he was to breaking the code of life.
The day he died he called me to his bedside.
"We have destroyed my work. Now you must forget everything that you have seen. Swear it."
I muttered something to myself and he seemed satisfied. Then he lay back and never spoke again.
Chapter 4
I
wanted to create a perfect being, the son every father dreams of:
intelligent, handsome, loving and kind. I should have known that
something would go wrong, but I was so sure of myself that I would not
turn back. Professor Waldmann had discovered how to create a man. What
he had not discovered, and that was the missing piece from his puzzle,
was how to give it life. For me this was the easiest part. I had known
how to give life even before I had known the basics of physics. I had
seen it that day on the mountain when lightning burned a giant tree.
Electricity was the secret.
I
knew what the answer was, but I did not know how to find it. I worked
without a break for six months. I managed to persuade the university to
let me use Professor Waldmann's laboratory after his death. It took me
only a week to put everything back as it had been before.
What
I had to do was to find a way of controlling the electricity without
burning the body. For my experiments I had to use real bodies which I
could only get by stealing them from hospitals. I tried many times but
it was a while before I succeeded in my experiments.
Then,
my only task was to find the perfect body. I thought that all the
bodies I found from the hospitals were ugly, so I decided to use
different parts from many bodies in order to create the perfect man. I
used Professor Waldmann's brain in my creature, as he was one of the
cleverest men I had ever known.
When everything was ready, I was exhausted. I could barely walk. To keep myself from going mad, I spoke to myself all the time.
All
I had to do was to wait for lightning. It was the stormy season, so I
knew I would not have to wait long. Then, on the same day that I
finished my preparations, the storm came.
I
sat in my laboratory, filled with a new strength, trembling with
excitement. I looked down at my creature, lying there lifeless. He was
not as handsome as I had hoped. His legs and arms were too long and
scars on his head showed where I had put in the Professor's brain. As I
looked at him. I spoke to him as if he were already alive.
"With your mind we will work together and explore the .... secrets of life. I will be like a father to you and ..."
At
that moment, I heard thunder outside. I ran upstairs onto the roof. I
could see flashes of lightning in the sky. I used a kite to attract the
electricity that I needed. I saw a flash and electricity traveled down
the string of the kite. I was too nervous to go back into the
laboratory, so I waited on the stairs for a while.
I
don't quite know what I expected to find as I entered the laboratory. I
had not thought that far. I went to look inside the room. but saw
nothing. The body had gone. Had the experiment worked? Where was my
creature? It was only then that I realized what I had done. I had
created a monster and now it was somewhere out there.
I
sat for an hour not moving, until it got dark. Then, I saw it, half
walking, half dragging itself along. It was making strange noises like a
wild beast. It was coming towards me with its long arms stretched out
in front of it. When it was about two yards away, I saw the face, the
face that was meant to be the most beautiful face in the world. The
electric current had burnt the skin and it was yellow and wrinkled, so
that it was like the face of a skeleton, not of a young man.
I
was frightened. I screamed and ran away as I was sure he was coming to
kill me. I ran downstairs and into the street and wandered for hours
in the rain without being able to think. All I knew was that I had done
something terrible and that I hated my creature and wanted to destroy
it before it destroyed me.
I
didn't want to go home, so I went to stay with my dear friend, Henry
Clerval. Soon after that, I fell ill and it took me a month to recover.
When
I was better, Henry told me that Elizabeth and my father were very
worried about me and asked me to go home at once. The thought of them
made me happy and I quickly recovered. I planned to close the laboratory
and then go to Geneva.
Then, on the day before I was going to leave, I received this letter from my father.
Dear Victor,
We
have missed you terribly and really want to see you. However, I have
some terrible news which I felt I had to tell you before you arrive.
William, your brother, is dead. He was murdered. Please come quickly.
Your loving father.
Chapter 5
On
the journey home to Geneva, I thought about my life, and I realized,
too late perhaps, that the people I loved were more important to me than
all the science in the world. All those months of passionate research
and study seemed without any meaning now that William was dead.
My
father and Elizabeth were waiting to meet me at the station. Elizabeth
looked more beautiful than ever, despite the sadness in her eyes. My
father looked much older than when I had last seen him. He was very chin
and seemed depressed.
I
could see by the look on their faces that they were shocked at how I,
too, had changed, but they said nothing. My father kissed me on the
forehead, and I felt his tears on my face. After that, my darling
Elizabeth held me close to her and whispered that father was not well,
before saying in a load voice,
"You look tired, Victor. You’ve been studying too hard."
I picked up my bags and we went towards the carriage.
"Tell me about poor William. Did he suffer?"
"No,
thank God. He died in a few seconds, so the doctor" says. The killer
was a very strong man. They believed at first that it was the crime of a
madman, until we discovered that the silver locket was missing from
around William's neck."
"A madman?”
"The doctor who examined the body said that it looked as if he had been killed in a fit of wild anger."
We got into the carriage and then Elizabeth told me what had happened.
"Justine
and William had gone walking in the mountains. She sat down on a rock
to rest, while William wandered off on his own. When he didn't come
back she went to look for him and found his body in the mouth of a
cave."
"What did the police do?"
"They
questioned all the obvious suspects and they came and examined
Justine's room. In the pocket of the coat she was wearing that day they
found William's locket. So, they put her in prison."
"But what does Justine say? She denies it, doesn't she?"
"Of course."
"It can't be true. Justine would never do a thing like that and we will prove it in court."
"I sincerely hope so, Victor."
At that my father spoke for the first time.
"A curse has fallen on our family, Victor. First, your mother. Then, William. And now, Justine. Where will it end?"
"It will end, Father. I will make sure that it does."
He put his hand on my knee.
"You're a good boy, Victor. I hope you're right."
That
afternoon we went to see Justine in prison. Her trial was set for the
following day. She sat quietly on a wooden chair waiting for us. I
tried to comfort her.
"We will save you, Justine. We know you are not guilty of this horrible crime."
"I
am happy, Master Victor, that you at least believe that I'm innocent. I
know you will try to save me, but I'm afraid the people will want to
punish me."
"Don't say that, Justine."
I looked around at Elizabeth and my father.
"What has happened to you all? Why have you lost hope?"
That
afternoon I found the best lawyer in Geneva and we spent the whole
night preparing her case. When we had finished, I was certain that they
would find her innocent.
As I arrived at the courthouse, I was surprised by the crowds of people outside shouting.
"Hang
the murderess! Hang her and save our children!" Was this possible? Did
these people really think that this sweet young girl was a murderess?
Chapter 6
Although the lawyer presented his case very well, Justine was found guilty of murder. The judge ordered that she be hanged.
Our
family was again in despair. That night we sat around the fire, unable
to speak. The only sound we could hear was the crackling of the fire.
We sat before it and cried and cried until there were no more tears
left in us.
After
Justine had been hanged, I decided to spend a few weeks alone in the
mountains walking and thinking. I stayed in a small house used by
shepherds. I thought about my mother and I remembered my promise to
her. I decided to make a new start. I would finish my studies as a
doctor, marry Elizabeth and return to Geneva to look after the poor. My
life’s aim would be to build a new hospital and call it Saint
Justine’s Hospital for the poor.
One
wet and misty day, as I was walking near the place where William had
been murdered, I saw an enormous man in the distance. At first I did not
think of my creature, I had managed to forget him completely. As he
came towards me though, I knew it was him, I recognized his clumsy arms
at his ape-like walk and then I saw his skeletal face. Suddenly, I
realized who William’s murderer was, and I hated him more than ever
before. He had found my family and was planning to kill us all, one by
one.
Although
I was frightened when I saw him, I knew I had to face him. I picked up
a stone just in case he tried to attack me. He stopped a few yards
from me and spoke in a deep voice:
“Frankenstein, for that is your name, isn’t it? Or should I call you father?”
“Call me what you like”
“Why did you bring me into this world of hate, Frankenstein?”
I was surprised by how well he spoke
“It is not a world of hate, it is a world of love.”
“Love? What is love? You have shown me no love. The world has shown me
nothing but hate. I must talk to you Frankenstein, you are my only
hope of ever finding happiness. Come with me to my cave so we can talk.
I have a fire there and some fruits and nuts.”
I
hesitated for a moment, but finally agreed to go with him. I dropped
the stone and followed him. We came into a cave high up in the
mountains. Inside, it was quite warm and comfortable, he had made a bed
of leaves and beside it the fire was burning. He offered me some fruit
which I refused. We sat down by the fire and he immediately began his
story.
Chapter 7
“The first thing I felt was pain, a terrible pain. Then, I opened my
eyes and saw light. I understood nothing. I got up and walked around the
room not knowing what to do. I felt I had to find people. Then, I saw
you and I felt something for the first time. It was a feeling of hope.
But you ran away from me and I was left alone. I looked around and saw
food. It smelled good and I ate some. I was cold and put on some of
your clothes. It was dark and I was tired, so I slept in your bed.
The next day I went into the streets and the people who saw me threw stones at me. I ran away. I had to find a place to hide.
While
I was looking for a safe place, I saved a girl from drowning. I was
sure that people would thank me for saving her but they threw stones at
me. I couldn’t understand why people hated me.
One
day I found a house in the woods with an old hut against the back
wall. The hut was not used, so I stayed there. In the house lived a
blind old man and a young man and a woman. Through a hole in the wall
between my hut and their house, I could hear and see everything they
did. Slowly I began to understand the sounds they made.
One
day a beautiful girl came to the house. She couldn’t speak their
language, so Felix, the young man, had to teach her. In this way, I
learnt how to read and write.
As
time went by, I began to love these people. They seemed kind. One day
when the young people were out, I decided to talk to the old man. As he
was blind, he could not see my ugliness. I went into the house and I
asked him for some water. He was very friendly, so I told him I was
lonely and needed friends. The blind man explained that his family had
had hard times and knew what it was like to be lonely. He said his
children were kind and would accept me into their family. These were the
first and only kind words I have ever heard.
A
family! I wanted to hug him with joy and was about to put my arms
around his neck when the young people came in. They screamed when they
saw me, and Felix, who was carrying a large stick, started beating me
cruelly. I ran away as fast as I could.
All
hope of love and kindness had been destroyed. Then, one day, as I was
looking through the bag I had picked up as I left your house, I found a
book and in it was your name and address and a description of your
experiment. I realized that I was the result of that experiment. As you
were my only hope, I decided to go and find you.
I
avoided all villages and towns and traveled mostly by night. There
were many signs along the road. So, it was not hard to find my way to
Geneva.
When
I had recovered from my journey, I went down the mountain to look for
your house. I reached a small field with a little river flowing through
it. In the field, there was a small boy playing in the spring
sunshine. It was a beautiful sight. I wished I were that child. I went
up to him to ask if I could play too, but when he saw me, his happy
face became cold and angry and he shouted at me to get away from him.
He called me a monster and screamed that if I touched him he would
tell his father, Mr. Frankenstein, and he would put me in prison.
When
I heard the name Frankenstein I became angry. The child was screaming
and I was afraid people would hear him and come and kill me. I grabbed
him by the neck and made him stop screaming, but I broke his neck. It
was an accident.
I
put his body in a nearby cave and the chain from his neck in the
pocket of the coat that was lying there. All that happened just 20 days
ago.”
The
creature finished the story and I felt sorry for him but there was
nothing I could do. He could not become a member of my family. How would
I explain his existence? If people found out what had happened, I
would be put in prison for life. He was dangerous. He had killed my
brother and might kill the rest of us. I listened to the end of his
story and then spoke.
- “What do you want from me?”
- “I want you to love me, to give me a family”
- “I can`t”
“Then make me a wife, as ugly as me, to love me”
I thought about this. But what if they had children?
- “It`s impossible.”
- “But I am desperate. You should feel sorry for me.”
- “Feel sorry for you, who killed my little brother and …”
- “It was a mistake. Surely you can see that?”
Suddenly the creature began to threaten me.
- If you don`t make a wife for me. I`ll kill your family. I know from your book that you have a woman who loves you.”
- “You evil monster, so it was my diary you found.”
- “You also have another brother and a father. I will kill…”
- “Alright. I`ll do it, but I need time.”
- “I will wait. For as long as it takes.”
The creature began to cry with happiness and thanked me.
I
left feeling sad and desperate. Could I create another? Or should I go
and kill the creature I had made? Although he was mine, I felt I had
no right to kill him. To save my family, I would have to make him a
wife.
and
the monster couldn’t be part of his family, because there was no way
to explain his existence without being put in prison. Frankenstein
asked the monster what he wanted from him. The monster just wanted
Frankenstein to love him, to give him a family, but Frankenstein said he
couldn’t. Then he asked him for a wife, as ugly as him, to love him.
As Frankenstein thought about the children they could have, he refused
the request so the creature threatened Frankenstein, and he would kill
his family.
Chapter 8
I
could not go back to Ingolstadt to create a wife. There were too many
memories there. Besides, I wanted to go to England to see some
professors about some interesting research that was being done there.
Elizabeth
and my father were very sad to see me leave again. But I told them it
would only be for three or four months and then I would come back and
marry Elizabeth and I would finish my medical studies at the University
of Geneva.
I
spent one week in London and then went to the north of Scotland to
find a place as far away from the world as possible to do my work. I
finally rented an old house on an island where only a few other people
lived. It took me a whole month to set up the laboratory. The
instruments were carried over in a large ship.
I
knew exactly what I had to do. So I worked quickly. One evening as I
was near to completing my work, I saw the face of the monster against
the window of the laboratory. He had a wide ugly smile on his face. When
I saw him there I realised the madness of what I was doing. I grabbed
the wires connected to the woman and pulled them out. Then I took an
axe and destroyed everything. I heard a scream of misery from outside
and then the monster entered crying like a baby.
You’ve destroyed my only hope. You’ve broken your promise and destroyed my life. You will regret this, Frankenstein.
We shall meet again on your wedding night. You can be sure of that.
With this he left with a fearful scream.
It
took me three hours to clean up the place. I put everything into a bag
and threw it into the sea. I had planned to leave for Geneva that
night but by then I was so exhausted that I decided to sleep in the
house and leave early the next morning. Besides, I knew that he would
not harm Elizabeth or me until our wedding night. That is what he had
said and I was beginning to understand how my creature thought.
Early
the next morning, I put my bags into my boat and set off for the
mainland. It was windy and so it took me only two hours to reach the
harbour. To my surprise there were a lot of people standing on the quay
as if they were waiting for someone. I tied up my boat and was about to
leave when a man in a police uniform came up to me.
“Please, come with me to the police station. Sir”
“What’s the matter? I’ve done nothing wrong”
“We shall see, sir. A man has been killed and someone with a boat like yours is believed to be the killer.
The
policeman took me to the judge, who asked me questions about were I
had been earlier that morning. I told him I had just arrived from the
island. Luckily, one of the people who lived on the island arrived about
half an hour after me and told the judge that he had seen me leave.
So. I was no longer a suspect. However, the judge still needed me.
“I would like you to look at the body, if you don`t mind.
He`s a foreign gentleman and may be friends of yours.”
I went with the judge to se the body. Terrible thoughts crossed my mind. Who was this foreign gentleman? Surely not my father?
You
cannot imagine the pain I felt when I saw the body of my dear friend
Henry Clerval lying dead. The black marks of the monster’s hands were
around his neck.
When
I saw this I went mad. I had terrible nightmares in which I saw the
creature killing Elizabeth and Ernest. It appears that I was in a
terrible state for such a long time that finally they had to get my
father to come and take me home. When a saw him I got better but was
still very frightened.
“Father, we must leave at once. We must get back to Elizabeth.”
“Don’t worry, my son. We will be back in a week. Here is a letter from her that will make you feel better.
“She’s still alive, then ?”
“Of course she’s still alive”
He laughed as if what I had said sounded strange to him.
I asked him to read out Elizabeth `s letter to me.
Dear Victor,
How happy I am to know that you will soon be home.
Do
you still want to marry me? I fear that poor Henry’s death is not only
reason for your sadness. Are you in love with another woman?
If you are, I will understand. I love you but don`t want you to feel you have to marry me.
With all my love,
Elizabeth
Chapter 9
The Wedding
I
was unbelievably happy to see Elizabeth alive and well. I knew that
the creature was waiting for our wedding night. I was so afraid that I
did not sleep much and was always looking over my shoulders. I carried a
gun all the time. One day Elizabeth found it and asked me about it.
“I have enemies who want to kill me, Elizabeth I need this gun to protect myself.”
“Victor, you are still not well. You have no enemies. Everybody loves you. These deaths have just been accidents”
She thought I was mad. How could I explain things to her?
“when we get married, I want to leave Geneva and go somewhere far away, where no one can ever find us”.
Deep down I knew that the creature would always find me.
I would have to kill. The problem was how to protect my family while I looked for him.
Although I was afraid, we decided to get married. It was a perfect wedding, just as mother would have wanted.
After
the wedding we left for our honeymoon. We were staying in a hotel near
one of the lakes in Geneva. Everything was calm and peaceful and
Elizabeth was very happy.
I
has asked for rooms with good locks on them, as high up in the hotel
as possible. The manager found me rooms on the second floor. I had seen
no sign of the creature, so I thought that he was not going to come
after all. Perhaps he had found an ugly creature like himself to love
him.
We
went to our room at around 11 o’clock and when Elizabeth was in bed. I
decided to check outside one more time before I locked the doors. The
wind was blowing an d I could hear the noises everywhere. I imagined
him behind every door.
I
was at the end of the corridor which led to our room when I heard a
terrible scream. I knew it was Elizabeth. I ran with my gun ready to
kill the monster, but I was too late. Elizabeth was dead on the bed. I
saw the monster climb through the window. I shot twice but he had
already jumped into the branches of a tree and I could not see him in
the darkness.
I went back to Elizabeth, who was lying lifeless on the bed.
I saw the marks oh the monster’s hands on her neck. He had learnt to kill and he would go on until I stopped him.
I
could feel no more sadness. All I felt was emptiness. The creature had
killed the person I loved most in the world. The only thing that I
wanted now was kill him.
People
in the hotel had heard the screams and the shots from my gun. A search
began and some people said they had seen an ape-like man but when they
went after him he escaped.
I quickly went back home, afraid for my father and Ernest.
The
news of Elizabeth’s death shocked my father so much that he, too,
died. Father and Elizabeth were buried beside the rest of my family.
Only Ernest and I were left now. The creature had done his work well. I
looked at the graves of all the people that I had loved, but I could
find no tears, I was cold and empty inside. Along with all my loved
ones, the creature had also killed my heart.
I
sat there alone in the graveyard, thinking. I had told Ernest to take
all the money he had and go far away, but I knew that the creature
would probably not go after him. It was between him and me now. I heard
manic laughter in the trees about thirty yards away from me.
“You
fool. Frankenstein. All you had to do was to make a wife for me, but
you wouldn’t even give me that. Well, now that I have killed almost all
of your family. I want to make you suffer.
I want you to know what it’s like to have no one, to feel pain and hunger, if you want to kill me, come and get me.”
It
was then that I decided to chase him. I followed him day and night.
Sometimes I was very close to him. But then he was gone and the chase
continued. This went on for months. This is how I got to the frozen
north.
Every
day, I got closer and closer to him. I used dogs and a sledge to move
faster. How could he got faster than a sledge pulled by five dogs? For
many days I followed him through the snow. I hardly slept. At one point
I was only one hundred yards behind him, but during the night a storm
came from the south and the ice broke up and I lost him. It was after
that that you found me.
There is no more to say. I know that I am dying. My only hope is that he died in the storm.
Captain
Walton, thank you for your kindness. I am glad I am dying. There is
nothing left for me to live for. I only want to be with my loved ones.
Please tell my brother what happened to me and that he is now safe.
Chapter 10
More from Captain Walton’s log book
10th may 1825, 10.00 hours
Victor
Frankenstein died this morning and we placed his body in an empty
cabin. This is the end of his strange and frightening story. I hope this
will be a lesson to every man, so that all those innocent people did
not die for nothing.
10th may 1825, 22.00 hours
An
extraordinary thing happened this evening. I went to the empty cabin
to arrange Frankenstein’s burial, but when I went in I saw the creature
standing over the body. He was crying like a child who had lost his
only parent. I think it is worth writing down his exact words.
“I
have killed you too. Frankenstein. I’ve killed my maker, my father.
Oh, how I wish things had not ended like this. I’ve learnt to admire
you so much, your patience, your courage.
You
are not as strong as I am and yet you survived the cold and the
hunger. I wish we could have been brothers. Frankenstein or, at least
friends. We had a lot in common, you and I. I may be ugly. But I know I
am stronger and cleverer than most men.
I’m
sorry for killing your family. If I could bring them back, I would. I
know that what you did was not their fault, but they were the only way I
could hurt you. I was not a monster when I was made. I was as innocent
as a baby. The world could have made me into a lion or a lamb, and it
made me into a monster.
I
hate myself for what I am. I am useless to the world and to myself. I
did not want to kill, but giving you pain was the only way I could make
you suffer. If only you had loved me.
Frankenstein. I was your child and I could have loved you.
Well,
it’s too late now. I will go somewhere where I can find dried grass
and sticks and build a great fire and I will throw myself on that fire
and kill Frankenstein’s monster.
The
creature wiped his tears and then ran out of the cabin and jumped over
the side of the ship. I watched him jump from one block of ice to the
next until disappeared into the distance.
This
is a true story and the whole world should hear it. It is a story that
carries a message to all those who think that the search for knowledge
is more important than people.
When
we sail back to Europe I will send these notes to Victor
Frankenstein’s brother, Ernest. He can then decide what to do with
them.
The End
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ReplyDeleteVery good story, i did not know!
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