GRAFF: Creature Beloved

By Yvonne Mead

Norma, a lonely despondent woman is driving in the northwest territory toward an unknown destination when she is rescued from a nearly fatal accident by Graff, a creature some call "Bigfoot". Her life takes a new and joyous direction as a world unknown to her is discovered.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Feb 12, 2018
• ISBN: 9781641383349

Book preview

Chapter One

As she drove through a thickly forested wilderness fighting back blinding tears, Norma was overcome by a hopelessness she could not shake.

At age thirty-two, her life had already been a series of painful experiences. The earliest she could remember was when, at age three, her mother had packed Norma’s meager belongings into a paper shopping bag and dumped her at a stranger’s house. She was never to see her mother again and learned years later that her mother had sold her to a distant cousin in exchange for an unknown amount of money.

Norma’s childhood had been anything but normal. Her adoptive parents continuously ridiculed Norma’s attempts to please them and constantly abused her. Then followed a failed marriage where, as in most cases of childhood abuse, the chosen mate is also abusive.

Through each adversity she had endured, there was a spirit within her that refused to give up, refused to wallow in self-pity. She was a true optimist. Norma’s own innate character, her ability to survive, had led her to seek therapy to overcome the effects of childhood abuse, and after several sessions, she was able to understand her own self-destructive behavior and learned how to avoid those pitfalls, or so she thought.

This time it was different. The therapy she had received in no way prepared her for a predatory psychopath and the betrayal of trust had completely overwhelmed her. She had worked long and hard in order that her future would be secure enough so she wouldn’t have to live with the poverty and degradation she had witnessed too many elderly persons endure. Now everything she had saved was gone. It had been stolen by someone she had given her heart and trust to, her own husband, who had conveniently disappeared, leaving no clues as to where her money or he had gone.

With little funds remaining, no family and few friends to question her disappearance she was once again painfully alone attempting to ease her pain driving toward an unknown, unplanned destination.

Chapter Two

Norma allowed herself to bask in a few moments of self-pity, thinking if she were to die, then they would feel bad. It was the childlike standard pity plea most abused persons experience even though they are well aware they just don’t exist.

She hadn’t purposely chosen the northwest wilderness area. She had always been uncomfortable with mountainous driving but that is where she found herself.

She had inadvertently entered into an old fire road not used in decades. The DANGER: DO NOT ENTER sign having long vanished into some avid sign thief‘s proud collection. As she attempted to navigate the treacherous turns in the ever-narrowing road, she was unaware of the strange turn her own life was about to take.

Norma thought she’d spotted what might be a deer or elk ahead on the road. The only thought she had was that something alive was moving there. Her great love of animals erased all concerns for her own safety and thoughts of self-pity dissipated as she concentrated on the apparition before her.

She swerved to avoid hitting the huge creature she now clearly saw directly ahead of her. As she simultaneously realized she had lost control of her vehicle, she wondered if she had lost control of her mind too as the strange mud- and leaf-covered creature held its huge arm-like limbs up much as a human would attempting to signal a stop. Norma could see the creature’s eyes now, and as she felt herself slipping away, she marveled that its eyes reminded her of a cocker spaniel puppy she once had—soft and loving.

She lost consciousness as her head collided with the windshield, shattering it with the force of the impact. Her vehicle slid from the makeshift road crashing downward, the trees and bushes barely braking the fall as her body was thrown about, the seat belt she had securely fastened doing little to protect her during the violent and jarring descent.

Chapter Three

Graff was an important member of a clan of forest creatures who called themselves Ferryl. He would become leader of his people when his beloved father, Crag, would make his disappearance and return to the spirit world the Ferryl believed they had all come from.

Graff had been thoroughly trained since early memories how to avoid the weak-looking hairless creatures that dwelled far from the peaceful forested havens and sheltered caves the Ferryl people called home, but Graff had an inquisitive boldness that others of his kind lacked.

Something had compelled him to venture out into the thick forest far beyond the boundaries his people observed, and as he found himself on an odd-looking path that overlooked a valley far below, he heard a sound completely foreign to him, that of a motor vehicle’s engine.

As he stood watching the noisy and strange-looking thing approach, his primal instincts told him to freeze his position, his eyes allowing his nictitating membranes to function, rendering him nearly invisible as all of his clan had been taught to do when confronted with possible danger.

But Graff was more astonished than afraid of the object rolling toward him and even more fascinated at the glimpse of a white face and pale hair that he sensed to be a female of whatever species this was. His camouflage disappeared as he held his arms up, waving them in a futile effort to stop the moving thing.

For a creature nearly eight feet tall, Graff moved with surprising speed and agility. He reached the vehicle just as it veered from the path, crashing downward through trees and bushes and came to a halt balancing precariously near the edge of a drop-off held back only by a few tree limbs that Graff could hear groaning and snapping as he approached. Never having felt the hard metal of an automobile, Graff was once again surprised at the strength of the material when he touched it, but he was aware that the tree limbs would not hold back the hard thing for much longer.

Graff called upon the enormous reserve of strength all the Ferryl possess. And with a grunting roar, pulled the door from its hinges, throwing it into the abyss below. As he reached into the vehicle, he puzzled, Is this flat snake-like thing a part of this female’s body? But using his powerful sense of smell he reasoned it was just another foul-smelling part of the hard thing and he ripped away the seat belt that held Norma in much as an overeager child would gift wrapping papers. He pulled the female from the vehicle just as the snapping tree branches could no longer contain the heavy vehicle and it plummeted to the valley far below.

Quickly Graff sniffed the female as he evaluated her injuries. He tasted the blood oozing from a long gash on her forehead and concluded that it tasted very much like Ferryl blood but lacked the special disappearing chemical. Human pituitary glands were double lobed, the Ferryl glands had a third lobe that stored a chemical released upon death that caused all Ferryl bodies to rapidly disintegrate and disappear.

It was the habit of all Ferryl to eat whatever animal was made available to them and to share with their clan what could not be immediately consumed. Somehow Graff could not bring himself to finish the kill the hard thing had failed to do and he began to feel a sense of compassion toward this female foreign to his clan. The scent and taste of her blood had stirred a memory or instinct that told him this was no ordinary animal but some ancient relation to his own clan.

Graff knew this female would need to be sheltered soon. The strong scent of oncoming rain permeated the air, alerting him this would be one of those furious downpours the northwest so often endured. He made a firm decision to keep this frail creature as his own despite any objections his clan might have.

Knowing that when he arrived at the cave there would be additional medicines he might require to heal this female, Graff once again licked the bleeding gash on Norma’s forehead, depositing the healing enzymes within his saliva as many animals do, and he began his trek back to the relative safety within his homeland boundaries, carrying Norma with more gentleness than most Ferryl ever exhibited.

Part One

THE FERRYL

Chapter Four

In Ferryl clan life, there was no one single member who had what is known as healing powers. Each Ferryl was born with the ability to recognize the medicinal properties of various plants, roots, and herbs and instinctively knew how to use them. Whenever a clan member came across one of the more elusive ingredients, they would gather them and place them in a communal area of their gathering cave to be readily available for use by any clan member who needed them.

The Ferryl communicated with one another through a rudimentary spoken language and hand signals but, more importantly, telepathically. This method developed over eons to better protect the clan when there was danger present they could silently and motionlessly broadcast warning signals. Telepathy was especially useful now that there were so many of the humans invading the safety of the Ferryl’s once remote and unexplored homelands.

As Graff neared the hidden entrance to the caves, a few of his clan members who had been hunting in the area glanced curiously at the strange creature Graff was carrying. Their telepathic thoughts were projected, and Graff, in turn, assured them there was no danger with a nod of his head and a soft grunt.

In every group of people the world over, there is usually one known as a busybody or just plain nosy. Kima was the Ferryl counterpart with the dubious distinction of being the nosiest of her clan, and she was not about to let Graff’s new acquisition escape her most careful and opinionated scrutiny. She had been among the clan members to witness Graff’s arrival with the strange creature.

I need to find out what that thing is Graff is attempting to hide from me, Kima muttered aloud.

Kima was the mate of Brock, the clan’s most respected hunter and Graff’s closest friend. Shorter and heavier than other clan females, Kima was a constant irritant to Graff, but his friend Brock loved her without reservation so much of her rude behavior was overlooked.

In an effort to avoid what Graff knew would be Kima’s interference rather than useful assistance, he gave Kima a warning growl to keep her distance, but Kima’s incessant need to be in on everything overruled her obedience to Graff’s warnings and she hurriedly followed Graff into the cave.

Kima had excited herself to the point of exasperation. Hmmph, Graff shouldn’t try to escape me. I need to be the one to learn about the creature so I can advise the clan what is to be done about it.

She thought she knew just where Graff was heading. I hope I can catch up to him before he escapes to the sacred meeting cave.

Graff anticipated Kima’s busybody behavior and rapidly advanced through the labyrinth within the caves, managing to elude Kima’s pursuit finally arriving at a secluded area far removed from the busy hub where the clan gathered daily. This particular section of the cave was taboo for all but the elders of the Ferryl clan or visiting elders from other clans, and all the Ferryl obeyed this law including Kima.

Chapter Five

Graff reached the safety of the sacred cave and gently placed Norma on the bed of moss and pine needles that was ordinarily used as seating for clan elder meetings. He began to move her arms and legs, searching for any possible bone breaks. Then he gently pressed her abdominal area, eliciting a soft moan and what sounded like the word nooo from the now semi-conscious female startling Graff. He had not considered the female might be capable of speech and the idea of being able to communicate with her delighted him.

As he continued his examination, Graff thought, This female could easily be a small child of our own clan. Although it was obvious there was no hair on any exposed areas with the exception of her head, he wondered if she was covered elsewhere with the soft hair common to all Ferryl clan members, and he tried to remove the material that covered her body.

With no knowledge of the intricacies required in the use of buttons or zippers, Graff’s patience deserted him and he became frustrated in his attempts to remove the material. He tried to rip through the clothing like an eager but inexperienced bridegroom. The jarring this produced caused Norma to momentarily regain consciousness, and she attempted to scream at the sight of the huge creature looming over her, but she uttered no sound as she gratefully drifted into unconsciousness again.

Graff realized the frailty of the female and thought, I’d better get the cutting tool. I do not want to risk harming this female further by my own rough handling. And he left the cave hurrying toward the great room where tools were kept.

When Graff arrived at the gathering area, he found his friend Brock there cleaning his day’s kill. Brock had been pestered by his mate Kima to find out whatever he could about the creature and report back to her, but one glance at Graff’s expression and the strong concerns that were emanating from Graff’s thoughts warned Brock not to pester but to wait until he sensed all was well.

Brock and Graff grunted a friendly greeting to each other. Graff located the cutting tool and turned heading back toward the sacred cave. Just then he thought, If this female has no body hair she may need covering to keep warm. His quick mind came up with a possible solution and he thought, I’d better send for Lall.

Lall was Graff’s younger sister who had not as yet selected a mate. She had inherited the household duties after their mother Fayn had made her disappearance. Graff secretly hoped Lall wouldn’t mate for a long time. Her domestic capabilities far surpassed those of their mother, and the savory dishes Lall could concoct were prized by the entire Ferryl clan.

Graff turned back and approached his friend.

Brock, find Lall as quickly as you can and tell her she is to come immediately. I will be waiting for her in the sacred cave.

Brock was astonished. In all memories, he had never known any female to be allowed access to the sacred meeting cave. He himself had been secretly honored once when, as young boys, Graff had taken Brock to the sacred cave to prove to him the value of his friendship and trust. Brock had never broken that trust or divulged their clandestine visit to anyone. Even his mate Kima, who managed to get every morsel of information