Chapter 24

~~~~~~~~~~

To: Mrs. Saville, England, September 5 

Dear Sister, 

You have read this strange story. 

Does it make your blood run as cold as it does mine? Sometimes I thought Frankenstein was not strong enough to finish it. His voice often broke. Tears would come to his eyes. 

The question is: Do I believe the story? Franken stein showed me letters written by Felix and Safie, the young couple in the cottage. The way he told the story makes it seem real. Yes, I believe the monster lives. 

Frankenstein saw that I was taking notes while he told his story. He asked to see them. When I showed them to him, he made some changes. He wanted to make sure I told the story correctly. Then I asked how he gave life to the monster. He said, "Have you gone mad? Didn't you learn from my tale? Never again will such a creature be made. I will take the secret with me to my grave!" 

I am sure that Frankenstein is a little mad-but only when he speaks of the monster. When we talk of other things, he is great company. Oh, the things he knows, and the things he has read! I wrote before of finding a friend. I wanted someone to talk with. I have found him in Victor Frankenstein. I told him so. 

"Poor Walton," he said to me. "I would love to be your friend. But I cannot. Think back on my friend Henry. Look at what happened to him and all those around me, all those whom I loved. I cannot have friends. Because the monster lives alone, I must also live alone. 

He has seen to that. "There is only one thing more I must do in my life," Frankenstein continued. "I must hunt and kill the monster. After that, I can die in peace. I cannot make new friends. I cannot love again. I must destroy the monster. Then I will be ready for the darkness of the grave." 

~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~

England, September 8

Dear Sister, 

I fear we are lost. 

The ice has closed around us again. Everywhere we look we see mountains of white ice. The men have been acting badly. They want a promise from me. If we can get out of this ice, they want me to sail back for home. I must give up my dream. 

A few months ago, I would not have agreed to do this. But I have learned from Frankenstein's story. He, too, had a dream. He followed that dream, and see what it cost him! If I follow my dream, it may cost the lives of all the men on this ship. I cannot do this, so I have given my promise to them.

 Meanwhile, Frankenstein's health is failing. He grows sicker and thinner each day. He seems alive only when he talks of his hunt for the monster. His eyes shine, and he tries to get out of bed. But he is too weak. He doesn't seem to care if he lives or dies. 

The ice is all around us. I don't know if this letter will ever reach you. I send you all my love . .. and the memory of a broken dream. 

~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~

England, September 12 

Dear Sister,

The ice has broken! 

The men are happy. They know I will keep my promise. They know they are going home. I know we must go back. But I am unhappy that I must forget about my dream. 

I went down to Frankenstein's cabin to tell him the news. He sat up in his bed. "Then you are turning back?" he asked. "Yes, I must," I replied. "I have given the men my promise." "Good," Frankenstein said. "Go in peace. Return to England. Live your life without dreams that you should not have. It is good to have a dream. But when that dream harms others, it becomes evil. I had hoped to create life. But some things are best left to nature. Frankenstein shook my hand. 

"I wish you well, Walton," he said. "God keep you safe on your trip home. But I cannot go with you. I must find and destroy the monster. I am still weak, but heaven will give me strength. The creature cannot be allowed to live." With this, Frankenstein tried to get out of bed. He was too weak. He fell back, and passed out. I thought for a moment that he had died. But in a few minutes, his eyes opened again. 

"I'm afraid I'm dying," he said. "And it hurts to know that the monster still lives. I have gone over my life in my mind. I think I did no wrong. My reason for creating the monster was a good one: I wanted to help humankind. Yes, it is true that I ran out on the creature I made. But I couldn't help it, once I saw how it looked. 

"And I think I was right when I would not make a wife for him. He had shown what he was like. He had killed William and had caused Justine's death. I couldn't know for sure that he wouldn't kill again. And if there were a whole race of these creatures, who would be safe? "I wish I could ask you to take up my hunt for the monster. I can't do that. You have your own life to live. But if you should ever come across the evil 68 creature, kill it! Don't stop for a second. And now ... " 

His voice faded away. He lay back on the bed. I took his hand. He weakly pressed my hands. Then his body gave a small shake, and he was still. For the first time since I met him, I saw a peaceful smile upon his face. Victor Frankenstein had died. I must stop writing now. Something is going on below decks. I hear a sound like a human voice. But somehow it is different. I have to go see what is happening. I will finish this letter when I come back to my cabin . 

~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~

England, September 12 (Continuation)

Dear Sister,

Great God, what I have just seen! I must write it down. My mind is spinning. I feel as if I may go mad-madder than poor Victor Frankenstein. The sounds I heard were coming from Frankenstein's cabin. I went in. A big shape was standing over Frankenstein's body. I would be lying if I said it was a man. 

The awful sounds I heard were coming from this thing. Its long hair was black, shiny, and ragged. The hair covered its face. One hand was reaching out, as if to touch Frankenstein. I saw the hand. It was yellow and wrinkled, like a mummy's. It was Frankenstein's monster! 

It heard me come in. It turned to face me. Never in my life have I seen such a face. I cannot find the words to tell how ugly and horrible it was. I had to turn away. I was afraid that the monster would leave. "Stay," I said. The monster looked at me in sur prise. Then it looked back at the dead body of its creator. It went back to Frankenstein's bedside, as if I weren't there at all. "I have killed him, too!" cried the monster. "With him, it is ended." The creature leaned over the dead body and said, "Frankenstein, I am sorry. I am sorry for all the misery I caused you. But you can't hear me now." 

The creature gave a cry of sadness. I looked at the monster. I almost felt sorry for it. Then I remembered what Frankenstein had told me. I thought of all the lives this creature had taken. I was afraid of the monster, yet I had to speak. "Being sorry won't help," I said. "It's too late. You should have thought of that before you began killing. If you'd had any good in you, Frankenstein would still be alive." 

"Do you think I wanted to be evil?" the monster asked. "Do you think the cries of poor Henry were music to my ears? I am a gentle creature. My heart was made to receive love-not to be filled with hate! When Frankenstein destroyed my wife, I went mad with sadness. I wanted to give Frankenstein a taste of the unhappiness he had given me. That is why I had to kill Henry. I couldn't stop myself 

"Once I came to my senses, I hated myself for what I had done. I went back to Switzerland. I was going to live in the woods. I would see no one. I would be kind and gentle to all who crossed my path. "Then I heard of Frankenstein's plan to marry. How dare he be happy, when I was so alone? The madness came over me again. I couldn't stop my self Do you know the pain it caused me to kill Elizabeth? I can still hear her cries. But I was like Satan cast out of Paradise. Evil had become my God. 

"I enjoyed leading Frankenstein across the world. I enjoyed leaving notes to drive him on. I laughed as he went through the ice and cold, which didn't bother me. "But now, he is dead. It is over. I have returned to my right mind. You can't know how sorry I am. If only I could tell my creator how sorry I am. But it's too late!" 

I looked at the ugly creature before me. I remembered that Frankenstein had told me that this monster was the king of liars. "Liar!" I said. "You're only sorry because it's over. You cannot hurt Frankenstein anymore. He is at peace. You can't get to him. That's all you're sorry about!" 

"I know why you think that," the monster said. "But all you heard was Frankenstein's story. Yes, I destroyed his dreams and his life. But it didn't make me feel any better. It made me feel worse. I didn't ask him to create me. He made me so ugly that no man could look upon me. Did I ask for that? 

"I always hoped that someone, somewhere, would see beyond my outside looks. I dreamed that I would find someone who would know my gentle heart. I wanted someone to love me. My creator did not. I asked only that he make a wife for me. I would have gone away with her. We would have lived in the jungles, where no one would see us. I would have had someone to love- someone to love me. 

"But I was never to have a wife. Frankenstein saw to that. Yet, he called me a monster. Who is the real monster? What about the farmer? I saved his child from drowning. But he shot me. Is he not a monster for doing that? Frankenstein made me what I am. Then he ran from me. He gave me a life without love or friends. Is he not a monster for doing that? The life I had to live drove me mad. In my madness, I killed. 

"Even now, I cry for Frankenstein. You see, I am not just a creature of evil. I am what Frankenstein and the world have made me." I looked at the creature. I wondered if I should do what Frankenstein had asked. Should I kill this thing before it could do any more harm to the world? But I had no gun and no knife or sword. The monster was strong. It could break me in half It seemed as if the creature read my thoughts. 

"Don't worry," it said to me. "I am finished with evil. It is over now. No other person will die at my hands. It is now time for me to die. And I will take care of that quickly. "I came to the ship on a floating piece of ice. It is still by the side of your ship. I will float away to the land of ice and snow. Without food, even I shall die. I shall die as I lived: alone, without love, and hated by all." 

The creature looked down at the body of Frankenstein. "Good-bye, my creator," it said. "I made a hell of your life. But it was nothing like the hell I had to live through." 

Saying this, the monster jumped through the open window of the cabin. It landed below on the piece of ice. It was soon carried away by the waves and lost in the darkness. 

~~~~~~~~~~

END OF FRANKENSTEIN