What Lies Beneath

The patter of small feet rang through the sunlit alley as Morane ran towards the edge of the village. The sun had just begun to rise and she knew people where now heading out to the fields while she was nearing the forest.

Morane knew she was still too little to have to help her parents and siblings. They left her with her old Grandmother while they worked, but Gran always fell asleep again as soon as Morane’s parents left.

The little girl with the honey locks always waited a few minutes before she slipped out of the house.

But she went whenever she could, for Morane had a great secret.

A small, blonde imp skipped happily through the forest, feeling the soft summer grass underneath her bare feet. The trees looked grand and old, the bright sun sparkling through the foliage. It was light an airy and inviting.

Morane knew the woods had a different face too. They could be terribly frightening, dark and foreboding and full of rustling shadows. Her older brother had taken her to search for mushrooms once, but Morane had gotten lost. Once she realized how deep she had gotten into the forest, the girl had felt a fear she had never felt before. Like a hot stone in her stomach.

She tried to find her brother, but all she managed was getting even more lost than before.

Elouan would have been fine on his own, but Morane was only five. She was afraid and cold and she wanted to be at home, in front of the fire with her mother, and not in the dark forest.

Morane tried to swallow her fear, but the forest made all kinds of sinister noises. She curled up beneath a large tree with low hanging branches, making herself as small as possible and started to cry.

Thinking back on that night made the little hairs on her arms stand up. But despite her young age, Morane knew this night had been special. For it had been the night she had found her secret.

Her sobs had sounded like a small animal in fear, making the little girl oblivious to any noises besides those in her head.

But when something brushed her shoulder, Morane had violently lurched away from the touch. Before her stood the most hideous creature she had ever seen, with a too large face, small beady black eyes and a monstrous snarl. It was holding a lantern, the shadows drawing a harsh edge on its ugly face.

The little girl’s fear froze her in place, but this mismatched little thing took a small step back and let out a sad sigh.

“Always fearing me, these humans...” Even its voice was ugly, raspy and clunky.

“I only want to help, little human.”

Morane sniffled a bit. She knew what this creature was. Gran had had told them stories about the Night Sheppard, the Bugul Noz. In Gran’s stories, the Bugul Noz was a hideous creature that ate children who dared to sneak out of their homes when they should be asleep.

Her parents had told her that it was only a story and she needn’t be afraid. That the Night Sheppard wasn’t real. But here it stood, right in front of her. There was no mistaking it.

And now it would eat her, for she should long be in her soft bed with her sister. And yet, it hadn’t attacked her. And it said it wanted to help her…

The Bugul Noz stood there, watching the girl, but making no move toward her. Morane returned the stare, just as wearily as the little goblin did. Somehow, she didn’t think it was dangerous, standing there with its head hanging down. Well, maybe it always hung down, Morane couldn’t tell.

But even though it was terribly ugly, Morane could feel the fear leaving her.

‘Its voice isn’t so ugly’, she thought, ‘Gran’s voice is raspy too. Maybe it’s just old. Like her.’

With a small start, the girl realized she had stopped crying. Maybe because it had a lantern. The soft glow illuminated a small patch around them and the warm flickering was soothing. The silence had stretched on for a while, so Morane asked the first thing that came to mind.

“What’s your name?”

“I.. I don’t have a name, little human,” it rasped. Morane thought it sounded sad. She liked his following words even less.

“No human I ever saw stayed long enough to give me one. If nobody speaks to me, I need no name, no?”

“I’m speaking to you,” she cried with indignation.

“I’ll call you… Bugu! Would you like that?”

For a long time, it said nothing. The malformed creature stared at her, but Morane felt no fear nor discomfort. It was ugly, yes, but it hadn’t hurt her. It said it wanted to help her, and her fear had saddened it greatly.

‘Old Gran is ugly too’, the girl decided, and I still love Gran. She’s my friend. Maybe Bugu will be too.’

She watched as the Bugul Noz’ hideous snarl morphed into a twisted grimace, but she could tell this was the creature’s smile. Morane grinned so wide it almost hurt. She always felt good if she made someone else happy.

“So be it, Little Human, I am Bugu, the Night Sheppard. Now come, I will herd you home, little sheep.”

And so, Morane had slipped her small hand into Bugu’s claw-like one, and he’d walked her to the very edge of the forest, his lantern lighting their way. They’d reached it by daybreak, but Bugu bid her farewell in the underbrush, so as not to be spotted by the villagers. Morane had promised to come back and see him, and Bugu nodded with his grimace, clearly not believing her.

That had been six months ago. By now, the woods held no more secrets to her. Bugu had shown her every clearing, every hidden path and she never got lost anymore. He had told her stories of the forest animals, and time where he had tried to guide lost wanderers with his lantern, while she told him of the village, and her family.

Morane burst into the small clearing, as she had almost every day this past half a year. At her bright laugh, Bugu turned to welcome his friend with that crooked grin of his.

Morane knew that she alone found it beautiful, that only she bothered to find out what lay beneath the ugly face, but that was alright.

Because Bugu was her secret.