Fat Bearded Beast

In the presence of men, the Fat Bearded Beast has the ability to change its appearance, and desire to eat at will.

[Fiction]

Dino Island - The Town

Seven sailors and their Captain walk through the streets looking for food, rum, and beautiful women. With a walking stick and a couple of gray hairs in his bald head, the Captain is eager to find the Devil’s Blood. With ease, the sailors and the Captain find all they were looking for. They were content with enough food to feed a battalion, enough rum to make hundreds of sailors drunk, and enough women to make even the gods jealous. At least for today.

Old Pal might be the same age as the Captain. His dementia had reduced him to being treated as a bum. In his spare time, Old Pal roams the streets and brothels, telling his adventures when he was young to drunk sailors or any other drunk fellow. Almost everybody is familiar with the story of the Fat Bearded Beast, but nobody believes such abominations nowadays. Apart from his distant memories, the only material possession Old Pal has is a little box filled with 28 bronze coins hidden somewhere.

The story had even crossed the oceans and reached many other islands and ears. Among them, the Captain. Tired of sailing the seas catching nasty pirates, it was time for one last true adventure. He had no reason to believe in the tale, but the promise of a new youth after drinking the Devil's Blood was enough to make the Captain obsessed with the idea and put everything on the line. Everything.

After many shots of rum and a few fist fights, here he comes. Old Pal is willing to share the story. And it goes something like this:

“Deep into the heart of Dino Island, the bold explorer will find a magical pond… Whoever drinks these waters -the Devil’s Blood- will be restored to youth, with all of his knowledge, previous strength, and wisdom. 

But don't be fooled. Because the explorer will be tricked again and again by a creature called Fat Bearded Beast. The Beast will take the form of what you desire the most at the moment, and if you look back... it's over. 

The Beast will feast on your guts and will use your bones as toothpicks.”

Well, the rum is almost over, and the Old Pal should better head home. But before he leaves, remember this:

“The Beast was a man in a previous life. Long has been his days alone on the island. And if the explorer wants to come back alive... He must take a woman with him, a young one, of course. But you better be specific with the woman you take, because she must have a particular attribute.”

Last shot of rum…

“Big. Fat. Titties... yes! you heard me well! Big fat titties!

With that, the explorer will be able to distract the Beast and kill it.

Good luck.”

But Old Pal can’t get up. Too much rum again. The sidewalk will be his bed again.

Dino Island - The Wheat Valley

A map. Food. Guns. Weapons. A couple of bottles of rum, and one last sight of the shore. Seven sailors and their Captain walk straight into the heart of Dino Island without raising too much attention from the people. One behind the other, and all behind their Captain.

A great valley, in some parts, wheat has been planted, and a couple of trees here and there. A pretty easy trail to follow. After three hours of walking, the sky turns black. Clouds hide the sun and thunderstorms break the peace in the valley. The warm farewell of the beach was crushed by the rain and wind that hit the explorers' bodies with no mercy. For a couple of young sailors, this is the first time they have had to face this kind of pouring rain. The warmth leaves their bodies and the cold starts to bite their bones. In this valley there's no place to hide. The rain falls over the explorers like arrows from the sky. Most of the sailors take with them something of relevance to the success of the expedition.

And then, here it comes... 

In this valley, the Beast comes to take a bath once in a while in any small lagoon that is formed thanks to the rain. To its surprise, the Beast hears human voices in the distance. It senses their need for warmth. This might represent its opportunity to eat human flesh. Fast as the wind, and precise as a spear, the Beast reached the sailors from behind without attacking them yet. They must look back first, then the Beast can attack. Their bodies are wet and cold like the night. The best the Beast can offer is something warm. Something like a bonfire and a place to hide in the middle of the rain. Like magic, the Beast creates some fire under the rain. The smoke rapidly reaches the last sailors. The last sailor calls for the Captain. But before the Captain answered the call, the sailor looked back to assured that he smelled smoke and maybe with it, the possibility of somewhere to rest. The last thing the sailor saw was a creature surrounded by fire running towards him with its mouth wide open. The Beast grabbed the sailor by the shoulders and started biting the head and sucking his brains. The Captain looked back as well as the sailors only to see the sailor being eaten bit by bit by something born out of nightmares. None of them tried to do something. They doubted if their bullets could do something against the Beast. By the order of their Captain, the sailors kept advancing forward in despair.

There's no place for false smoke in The Wheat Valley.

Dino Island - The Windy Mountains

A map. Food. Guns. Weapons. No rum, and with their hearts running wild. Six sailors and their Captain couldn’t understand what happened moments ago. They lost a man in a despicable way in front of their eyes.

The Captain took a moment to remember something about the story. But nothing came to his mind, nothing about a Beast or a monster… It took him a couple of hours to decide to keep going, and with it, seal their fate. The next day, after a brief meal, everybody starts walking towards the mountains.

In the afternoon they covered a large part of the mountain and decided to sleep. It looks like everyone was at peace and forgot the incident. In the middle of the night, a strong wind hit their improvised tents. Like kites, the tents and their wet clothing flew away, leaving them with nothing to cover their bodies. The freezing wind keeps hitting their almost naked bodies under the moon. The Captain decides to leave the mountain and continue in the middle of the night. The light of the moon shows the way, but the wind keeps blowing. The sailors took all they could reach and see around them and follow the Captain.

And then, here it comes...

The Beast knows they are getting frozen and almost all of them would give anything for some warm clothes. The sailors start cutting branches and leaves to cover their bodies. The wind has no mercy, and there's no place to hide. The Beast saw the last sailor, and threw his own clothes at him. The pants hit the sailor in the back. The sailor looked down at his pants, filled with wonder. He raised his eyes, and the last thing he saw was a big mouth coming towards him. The wind was strong and deafening. Nobody heard the screams this time.

Early in the morning, the Captain decides to stop to rest. One behind the other, the sailors join the Captain. But only five of them. Everybody started calling the sailor, but there was no answer at all.

There's no place for flying trousers in The Windy Mountains.

Back in town, Old Pal finally wakes up. He heard the rumors of a group of sailors walking straight into the heart of the island. Immediately, Old Pal began questioning the people. He goes to the restaurants, little stores, brothels, the market, and to any person who is willing to talk to him. He couldn't believe it: “a group of sailors had entered the island, searching for the Devil's Blood.” At first he laughed, but then he recalled that few really knew about the Beast. He started to worry.

He was exhausted but determined. Old Pal decides to walk to The Valley to see if he can find something or someone alive. He was wondering if the Beast might be alive. It has been a long time since he escaped with his life from the claws of the Beast.

Hours later. Old Pal almost had a heart attack when he walked through the trail in The Valley. Human bones, flesh in pieces, skin everywhere, and a clean skull. Yes, the Beast is alive. Yes, the rumors about the sailors are true. And yes, they don't know about the Beast. Old Pal stood in front of the carnage and watched the mountain. He wonders if he can save them, or if he can do something in his condition and age.

As well as the Captain, he is old. If he decides to go, this might be his last adventure. A soft breeze pushes his hair towards the mountains, a signal, maybe. —Fuck it—, said Old Pal as he cleaned his nose and decided to walk straight into the heart of Dino Island one more time. Minutes later, he remembered the most important thing when it comes to dealing with the Beast. Old Pal returns to the town. But before that, he must go to the cemetery.

In one of the coffins, there is a little box filled with coins. Old Pal started to dig a couple of tombs with no luck, just dust and bones. He can't remember the name of the tomb, but he keeps digging and digging with a piece of wood. He checked the names, the crosses, the fresh flowers, his dusty memories until he reached a tomb with no name under a tree. After a few minutes, he finds the coffin. In its interior, no bones, just his little box waiting for him. He took it, shook it, and smiled with joy.

With his 28 bronze coins in his pocket, Old Pal heads to the brothel. At the famous brothel, "Our Mademoiselle", there was a new young lady. Her name is Sarah. Her breasts were round and big as the full moon. She was the ideal woman for this particular mission. The rest of the ladies were just too old…

She has a distinct and one-of-a-kind beauty. The beauty that can make empires turn on each other. The beauty that inspires art. The beauty that creates life. The beauty that makes men betray one another. The beauty that leads to destruction. The beauty that seduces any creature. The beauty that brings peace and warmth to any soul. The beauty that is capable of creating joy, lust, and violence, and the beauty that is above everything. A perfect wife, a perfect mother, a perfect lover, that's what we are talking about.

She walks on the balcony, raising expectations and wild desires among men. But Sarah was the daughter's owner. For that reason, she was not part of the "duty" like the rest. She spent most of her time locked in her room, reading cheap novels and poorly written stories. She always looked at the distance through her window with interest.

Dropping a couple coins here and there along the way, Old Pal gets to her door. He knocks at her door.

—Miss Sarah, I'd like to have a word with you— Old Pal said, and with kind words, she answered. A conversation with laughter and questions from both sides started. She didn't open the door, but she knew Old Pal well enough to always call him by his name; Franz.

The deal was simple, and the story even more so. She believed the story. It was not the first time she heard about it, and she accepted the remaining bronze coins in exchange. Under her door, Franz slithers the coins one by one.

Next day, it was early in the morning when they met at the cemetery entrance. She was wearing a long light blue dress, white gloves, and a little umbrella. While Franz had a few provisions and some dynamite. Hours later, they found the first remains of the man killed by the Beast. Her face denoted fear and a hungry intrigue. Franz knew she was on his side, so he just had to follow the trail, kill the Beast, and claim the price and return. No big deal. 

Dino Island - The Vile Swamp

A map. Some food. Some guns. No weapons. No rum, and filled with fear. Five sailors and their Captain were pointing fingers at each other. They lost another man, but no one knew how.

In front of them, a swamp. Broad, from west to east. They couldn't see the end; a dense fog covered the other side. The Captain took the lead and jumped into the swamp. With water up to their shoulders in some parts, mud in others, and swimming when they could, the sailors followed the Captain. A bright sun accompanied the Captain and the sailors and drove away the fog. Standing up or swimming in the mud represents a mortal deal.

And then, here it comes...

The Beast moves freely under the bodies of the sailors, knowing that one of them might need some help in the future. The sailors watched the captain dive into the water to cross the dense algae. It took him more than three minutes to reappear above the surface. The sailors doubt. One by one, each sailor takes a deep breath and dives into the water. The Captain looks around the swamp for a moment. Calm waters. One sailor finds his way and reappears, followed by another. The other sailors struggle under water. The algae covers the light. One of them gets scared. He lost his way and started looking around for the other sailor. Over his head, there is only algae. The lost sailor keeps looking around. He tries to make his way among the algae, but it's impossible. Then, he looked back, and it was over for him because the Beast had pulled his legs deep into the waters. Moments later, a stain of blood covered the algae. The last sailors joined the others, but the other never appeared. The Captain, filled with anger, started screaming at the sailors. Everyone thought it was an accident.

There's no place for weak lungs in The Vile Swamp.

A couple of kilometers back, Franz and Sarah came across the remains of the second body. Bones covered in blood and nothing more. The Beast sometimes enjoys dressing their victims' skin. From this point, they change direction to reach the deepest part of the swamp. Franz knows the agility of the Beast in the water. The first time he crossed the swamp, he built a boat to reach the other shore.

The trail was difficult to follow, even more wearing a dress, but they found the hiding place where many years ago Franz's team left the boat. The boat is damaged in several places, but it’s strong enough to float. With an improvised branch as an oar, Franz moved the boat across the swamp.

Dino Island - The Cave of Birth

A map. Some food. No guns. No weapons. No rum, and filled with sorrow. Four sailors and their Captain reach the shore. They lost another man in what they thought was an accident.
According to the map, they would have to find a way out through a cave. Despite the fog, the captain found the entrance. A stone-arch that looks man-made welcomes the explorers. A few meters into the cave, all the sailors stop to admire the rock walls that fade into the darkness. But for the Captain, this is not the first time he walks through a cave. With little to great difficulty, all the explorers advanced, searching for an exit. Soon they realized that the cave was more like a great rupture across the mountains.

The path got narrower until they reached a point where there was not enough light to guide them. The first they heard was like doves flying around, but then something attacked the sailors. Those weren’t doves, but hungry bats. Hundreds of bats attack the sailors and bite their heads, noses, ears, and arms. Hundreds of bats fight for some blood and fresh flesh. As well as the Captain, all the sailors fought back, grabbing the bats and crushing them one by one with their bare hands. In the heat of the fight, one of the sailors looks at a light as if it were an exit. Quickly, he called out the Captain and the rest followed him. There was no time to argue. However, like a swarm of bees, the bats were ruthless against the sailors. The bat attack was fierce. One sailor that lost his trousers back in the mountains was the most ambushed of the group. In despair, he jumped to the ground and tried to cover himself with mud. All his efforts were in vain, because the Beast was waiting for him.

And then, here it comes…

While the others were occupied trying to defend themselves, the last sailor got lost in the rocks and got confused about the direction to follow. A moment of silence. The bats appeared to follow the rest of the sailors. Down in the mud, the sailor finally got up. With screams, he tried to alert the others, but with no success. The unfortunate last sailor started following the rock in the wrong direction. A light illuminated his way, but when he looked up, the Beast opened his mouth and devoured the sailor. Meanwhile, on the other side the Captain finally leaves the cave. One after another, the three surviving sailors joined the Captain. All of them look at the cave, waiting for the last sailor. The last bat returned to the cave, but there was no sailor. The Captain ordered two sailors to get back to the cave and find the last sailor, but all of them refused. In a rage, the Captain hit one of the sailors in the face for their cowardice, but they refused to enter the cave again. All of them had severe wounds around their bodies. The Captain decided to abandon the last sailor. He probably got lost or got eaten by the bats.

There's no place for muddy bats in The Cave of Birth.

It was the first time Franz and Sarah saw the Beast. At the entrance of the cave, the Beast was devouring the sailor. First the head; sucking the brain and eyes. Then ripping the skin off from legs and arms and wearing them as gloves for fun. Next, the guts. They looked like a delicacy, because the Beast really shows happiness with every bite it takes and every groan it makes. Franz realized that the group must have reached the other side of the cave. They wait for the night until the Beast goes away to rest.

At dawn, they entered the cave. Franz's mind was both his best and worst ally. At moments he remembered the shortcuts that avoid the greatest dangers, but other times he used to recall what happened to his friends the last time he entered the island. Sad memories. Across the cave, there was a secret narrow passage that went deeper under the cave. During the summer, a man can cross it without problems. The only trick was that you had to breathe slowly because there were no air currents quite often.

He might not remember it, but in this cave was where, in his youth, he and his team were attacked by the Beast a long time ago. During their sleep. Screams alert the others. Blood painted the walls. With powder cannons they tried to retaliate against the Beast. It was a brave but wasted effort. One by one, they assault the Beast from every side. But its eyes are developed to see in the night with ease, its skin tough as a rock, and with the strength of ten men in each arm, the Beast was unstoppable. But, unusual as it might sound, a woman was also part of the team. The boss’ wife, of course. She screamed in the middle of the fight. And that is when the Beast saw her. The Beast stopped attacking the men and concentrated its focus on the woman. The Beast was like a wolf with no teeth. Enchanted by her beauty, the Beast was at peace. In their last attempt, the men threw the last dynamite at the base of the walls. Big rocks started to fall next to the Beast. In its desperation, the Beast ran against the men, throwing them far away. Franz was one of the victims. The next morning, just a few men were alive, but the island claimed their lives hours later. With a severe hit to his head, Franz forgot many things about his life. He was the only one who returned to the town.

Dino Island - The Dead Forest

A dirty map. Some food. No guns. No weapons. No rum, and filled with wounds. Three sailors and their Captain reach the beginning of The Dead Forest. They had lost another man.

The next morning, they ate the rest of their food. They expected to find something to hunt or to recollect along the way. Descending from the cave exit, the vegetation inspired some peace in the souls of the explorers. It was like a garden, like a dream, like something that doesn't belong on the island. The grass was perfect, the flowers raised their bright colors to the sky, butterflies, grasshoppers, bees, and other little insects filled this particular place with life. Enchanted with so much beauty, the sailors even forgot the pain from their wounds. Hunger, thirst, fatigue, worries, sadness, weaknesses, despair, everything bad in their hearts vanished away for a brief moment. Like a stairway to heaven that soon will end, the garden lost all its magic and wonder in front of their eyes. Big logs that seemed to touch the clouds stood up in their way. The soil is nothing but dust decorated with bones. Life is like an old memory in this place. From pleasure to pain, from a dream to a nightmare, from joy to reality. The Captain and sailors soon realized it was all an illusion and now they were walking through The Death Forest.

The aspirations of food or water soon fade away from their stomachs. A fire, or a catastrophe, or a curse; nobody knew what happened or what course fell over this place. The Captain wonders if even death dares to walk through this forest. A quick check of the map to realize that this forest is large and it will take them a couple of days to defeat it.

The hours pass by under the bright sun. The Captain and the sailors are eager to find some shadow or water. Like brave men they manage to hold back their basic needs of food and drink. In the night, exhausted, they fall into a deep sleep under the clear sky. The next morning, they kept walking with nothing to eat or drink. Everything around them was dust or dead. At noon, all of them started to crawl. The heat and the lack of water crushed their will.

And then, here it comes…

But this time, even the mighty Fat Bearded Beast doesn't dare cross the Death Forest. This time, the Beast just jumps and dances around in the garden, smiling and enjoying life. This time there's no hunting. This time, the Captain and the sailors are on their own. Cruel destiny, however. Crawling exhausted, screaming for help, calling for death itself. One sailor gave up. Thrown on the floor, waiting for the worms. Minutes later, the Captain and one sailor heard running water or something similar. Minutes later, the last sailor also becomes food for the worms.

There's no place for weak wills in the Death Forest.

Back at the end of the cave, Franz spent the day hunting little rabbits for supper. Meanwhile, she just sat down and brushed her hair all day long. His plan was to walk in the night through the Death Forest as fast as possible, or as fast as she could walk. The walk would be long and exhausting, but the danger of the deadly heat was even worse. With an improvised bag made with leaves, Franz packed some rabbit meat and a couple of coconuts. At midnight, they cross the magic garden and start walking through the Dead Forest. The hours pass by. Both walk as fast as they can. The bright moon shows them the way until they find the first sailor. No word was spoken when they found the body. But Franz realized that the Beast, for some reason, didn't follow the sailors until this point. Maybe there is no Beast in this part of the island. The sun started to rise. Franz realized that they needed another day to cross the forest. The heat of the day started to rise. She denoted tiredness, fatigue, and hunger. With an improvised tent made of leaves and clothes, both had to sleep and rest during the day. At night, they kept walking. With no more food or water, reaching the jungle was their only salvation. They found the last body. At the end of the forest, she fainted. Both have reached the Last Frontier. The moisture in the air and the noises full of life woke her up.

Back in the magic garden, an unusual scent reaches the senses of the Beast. It woke up old memories and forgotten desires in the guts of the Beast. This time, it was not hunger that drove the Beast, but lust. Beyond the Death Forest, it was a new territory for the Beast, one that had never been touched by the Beast. It never had the need to explore beyond this point. With plenty of food and water, there was no necessity to travel far. However, this time was different. It was the first time in decades that the Beast felt like a human being. The scent of a young woman had driven the Beast wild. Following the scent and the footprints, the Beast walks into the Death Forest for the first time in its lifetime.

Dino Island - The Last Frontier

Half map. No food. No guns. No weapons. No rum, and eager for water. One sailor and his Captain end their misery by arriving at the river and the beginning of the Last Frontier. A jungle full of life beyond their eyes. Both looked at their eyes and shook their hands as a sign of achievement. So far, the Beast and the island have taken the lives of six sailors. By blood or destiny, their lives led the way.

At the end of the map there was a small pyramid surrounded by drawings of animals and trees. Once the Captain and the sailor ate some fruits and drank water, they penetrated the jungle. At first, the vegetation was easy to cross and the animals were nothing but small. Hours later, trees and branches covered the way forcing them to cut them one by one. Meanwhile, the animals looked like strange creatures, making loud noises and running when they heard or smelled the explorers.

With intention or by accident, it all started in the Captain's mind. Maybe he was influenced by the allure of the jungle, or by the violence the animals fostered in his heart. But, it was only the Captain's desire to reach the Pyramid at any cost. From this point, he saw no reason to have a sailor under his command. Lost in his thoughts, prey of his ambitions, and victim of his actions, the Captain decided to get rid of the sailor. He was a loyal and strong one. Agile like a lizard, and with the help of the exuberant vegetation, the Captain erases the trail and leaves the sailor behind. When the sailor realized, he started to shout for the Captain with no answer. With tears in his eyes, the sailor kept shouting for the Captain again and again, but it was over for him. The vegetation and the wild animals did the rest.

There's no place for friendships in The Last Frontier.

Sarah was resting at the beginning of the trail. Tired but with a wonderful smile, she was fine. His dementia had taken away important memories. Walking along the jungle, Franz couldn't remember where to go to find the way. The bases of the pyramid lay from the beginning of the forest. A trail made of stone leads to the Pyramid entrance. After a few falls and misconceptions, Franz came across the stone trail. Large roots cover a great part of the stones, but it is visible. Both started to follow the trail until they saw the Pyramid in the distance.

After one day, the Beast finally crossed the Death Forest. It ate the two bodies along the way. When the Beast arrived at the Final Frontier, it lost the scent but it kept walking straight into the jungle.

Dino Island - The Pyramid and The Devil’s Blood

A place different to anything a man had ever seen before. There is an eternal youth among the animals, a perpetual beauty within the flowers, and an inexplicable strength that surrounds all material things. A place where the old don't exist because it's just an illusion for the mind. Here, the sands of time favor those who drink the Devil's Blood. A great door will welcome the explorers. A passage through the Pyramid leads to the main chamber. At the center, the survivors will encounter the pond from which the Devil's Blood rises. A red elixir with the taste of what you hate the most will give you what you desire the most; youth.

The hours pass by, and all three explorers get closer and closer to the Pyramid. But keep in mind that the Beast is making its way through the jungle as well. A fast end awaits the Captain.

Exhausted, both Franz and Sarah reached the pond. —This is it!—, yelled Franz while jumping with joy. She was more prudent and waited to see what happened because something was missing. The taste was despicable. The first sip made Franz throw up, but he tried another time. With great difficulty, he manages to drink a couple of sips from the Devil's Blood. At the first moment, nothing happened. He looked at his hands and at his reflection in the pond, but he remained the same. Old and tired. She looked at him with worry while her heart started to beat faster. He drank more from the pond, and during his last sip, the Captain entered the chamber. But he was crawling, slowly, with his sight on the floor. Nobody said anything. All gathered around the pond when they heard a loud scream coming from the outside world. The Captain stood in front of the pond, ignoring his surroundings and wounds. The last thing he did was to see himself in the Devil’s Blood and smile. Exhausted, his soul soon joined his sailors'. Franz showed no pity for the Captain’s death. He took the Captain’s jacket as a prize.

Running wild without stopping through the passage, the Beast arrived and saw her for the first time.

—This is why you are here, miss. Please, stay here and don't move. I'll do the rest…— Franz said to her.

The scent was stronger and stronger with every step in the nostrils of the Beast. As he leaves her, only the pond remains between her and the Fat Bearded Beast. But while he runs to find a place to attack the Beast, she manages to drink a sip from the pond, just before the Beast stops. Her beauty enchanted the Beast. Its eyes showed mercy and happiness for the first time.

Waiting behind a wall, Franz holds the only cartridge of dynamite that he carried. It was just one shot. It was everything or nothing. The Captain's body remembered in the Beast its desire to eat. Its eyes regain their wild nature and its desire to attack. But it saw her, even in that moment, her beauty invited the Beast to forget everything. With a quick snip of the dynamite wick and a quick rub against the rock Franz manages to light the dynamite and throw it just next to the Beast's right foot. Sarah, filled with a mixture of fear, desire, and drama, stood as Franz told her. But as soon as she saw the dynamite flying, she ran.

A great explosion shook the Pyramid from the bottom to its highest point. Screams of pain and wrath filled the air. The Beast had lost part of its leg. Franz and Sarah abandon the chamber, leaving the Beast behind. Incapable of walking or running, the Beast destroys the pond while agonizing.

The pond was the heart and the magic of the Pyramid, and without its magic, the walls started to crumble, the roots penetrated the building, the hard stone turned into dust, and the greatness of the Pyramid fell in front of them. Yes, the tale was true, the Devil’s Pond was real, and now it is over. The jungle soon retook the space occupied and the Pyramid drawing soon vanished from the map.

Dino Island, The Town

Each morning, a new face and body full of youth reflected into Sarah’s pupils. The path to The Town was everything but boring for both. With a fresh memory and strength, both got to know each other in a better way…

On the night of the tenth day, Franz and Sarah reached The Town. Posters with the picture of Sarah were hanging on many walls around the streets. People thought she got kidnaped or something. 

Avoiding any interaction with the people, Sarah managed to recover the coins and come back.

-A young captain took her by the hand and they both fled into the night.- That was the rumor among the town the next morning. Nothing more. Nothing less. But everything to the imagination…