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Swamp is nice. Very cozy and nice. Warm and wet and nice. Very cozy. Very wet.
Fred likes swamp. It feels friendly and it feeds him. Fred doesn't need more than that. Fred is for little ones, giant Gods too great for him. But little ones, those Fred likes. Little ones feed him, give him food when Fred is hungry.
Fred is happy, swamp is happy. All is good. Fred is for little ones, and swamp is too. No thing disagrees.
Until Monster appeared.
Fred doesn't know what happens. Fred's brain is only for little things. Little Gods, little thoughts, little food. All that is good for little Fred.
The heavens had opened suddenly, light flooring over swamp. Fred opens his eyes at morning and sees how swamp is full of light.
Fred knows no other thing than swamp. Swamp is Fred's home.
Morning flies down from the sky, hurling into Fred's home. Fred stares in horror. Is the morning eating the swamp? Where Fred goes if no swamp? No swamp and no Fred? Fred does not taste good. No, Fred taste bitter and slimy, Fred tested. Not good breakfast to eat. Fred knows.
Fred does not want to disappoint Morning. Morning will be angry and eat Fred. But if Fred does not warn Morning will still be angry.
Oh, morning is not hungry.
Morning spits out a creature, horrifying to Fred. Fred needs to look up to see the creature, Fred's neck bending.
Creature looks down and it's mouth splits open with pointy teeth poking out.
Oh no, creature not Creature, creature Monster!
Monster leaps towards Fred. Fred leaps away, but Monster leaps behind. Fred panics.
Fred isn't for the big Gods, or things, or foods, Fred is for small things! Fred does not know what Monster is, but Monster is going to eat Fred!
Fred runs, leaps and springs to jumps, dives and surfaces, hides and peeks, falls and rises, croaks and regrets, and Monster follows Fred always.
Fred hops into Tree-hole, hides from Monster. Monster nearly follows, but sees something. Something small, something Fred-little.
Fred watches how Monster raises little food, puts it in mouth and with crunch bites into it. Monsters mouth moves, with motion like Fred does but bigger, and Fred sees Monster's eyes gleaming.
Fred watches as Monster gulps the little food down. And then Fred is forced to witness how Monster starts to screech in delight, croaky voice making Fred's ears ring. Monster continues, screeching filling the night.
Tree-hole good, actually. Fred will stay in tree-hole. No rush.
He will just wait there. That's good.
Fred lives.
Fred has no understanding how he lives. Fred is used to monsters, he knows what monsters are. Monsters respect great gods, monsters eat another monsters, Fred stay away from monsters, Fred lives!
Monster is not like monsters. Monster hunt little things, Monster eat little things and screech horribly. Monster horrifying, not like Fred's monsters.
Fred hate Morning for bringing Monster here.
Fred also forced to live with Monster now.
Fred manages. Fred also lose many little things to Monster. Fred mourn little things.
Fred wish one day, Monster leave Fred to peace.
Fred has been diving a lot. He surfaces, Monster nowhere seen and he hops off his pond, ready to makes his way to tree-hole.
Fred hits something, snout squishing as the big thing turns around.
God!
Fred has never seen God, but Fred knows. Gods are great, Fred is not. The thing is God.
God towers over him, beeping sound escaping it. It looks down, Fred thinks it's down, into Fred's tiny eyes. Fred shudders. God must be judging Fred. Fred has never been judged by a God. Fred hopes his little soul is enough to satisfy the God.
The God beeps, and Fred's eyes bulge more as another God comes closer. Giant God stops, and with squeaky whinnies God talks. Fred does not understand God's tongue. Fred can only watch the Gods wiggle around, ready to strike him down. That is what Big Gods do, right? Right???
God twirls around, leaving Fred alone. Fred blinks.
Fred does not understand Gods. Gods see Fred, Gods leave Fred alone. Fred satisfy Gods? Fred like Gods??
Is Fred God???
Fred has barely survived from his previous thing. Fred is not ready for this too:
Giant! The Monster has Giant!
Fred wants to get away. Giant is no good. No good, no good.
It towers over them, the ground rumbles. Giant barrels in swamp, not caring for little things, like Fred or Fred's thoughts or food or life.
No good!
They scatter, but the Monster follows him. Him! He jumps faster, faster and faster. But they know where he is.
He hears the cursed sound tumbling from Monster's mouth. The screeching will haunt Fred again. Monster commands Giant to torment Fred.
Fred flees in panic
Fred isn't for big gods! He isn't! Even if Fred's God Fred is still little! Not big God, Little God!
Fred runs off. Fred hopes that this nightmare will end.
Nightmare not end.
The twirly air looks down at him. Fed freezes, alone, not even Monster near him.
Fred stares at Grim Reaper.
Fred is no God. Fred assumed wrong and now they are going to take him away. Fred is too young to die, not yet is Fred's time. Fred would beg but Grim reaper does not listen little things.
Fred is little, not God, Grim Reaper does not like lying little things. Fred accepts Death, no good to make Grim Reaper hate him.
Maybe if he listens Grim Reaper they will have little food for Fred in Afterlife-Swamp?
Does Grim Reaper have Swamp for little things like Fred?
Fred stares. Grim Reaper looks down on Fred and Fred closes his little frog eyes.
Fred waits. Fred is good at waiting for long times, has been for a long time. Surely Fred will soon be plucked away, to Afterlife-Swamp filled with little food.
Fred waits still. He opens one eye, not daring to make Grim Reaper angry. Is Grim Reaper thinking? Is Fred that hard to judge?
Fred shouldn't have assumed Fred was God. Fred made serious mistake. Fred liked thinking himself God. Little God to little friends.
Fred opens another eye, his little heart doing a flip.
Grim Reaper walks away. Fred blinks with his both eyes, shutting them one by one to make sure Grim Reaper continues going away.
Has Fred been approved by Grim Reaper too? Is Fred now supposed to do what. Watch over Swamp? Is Grim reaper too tired? Is the responsibility now Fred's?
That is. Awful lot of responsibility.
Fred will take it.
Giant comes out of Monster's nest quiet. Sad. Fred does not understand. Why sad? Fred has seen how Monster screeches at Giant.
Fred knows that if Monster not like something, Monster will eat thing. Giant still alive, Monster like it.
Why Giant sad then?
Giant disappears, and Fred makes stupid thing.
Fred hops quietly to Monster's nest. Fred hopes he finds reason. Has Monster sent Giant to hunt? Fred cannot let it happen. Fred now the Guard of this place. Fred has to make sure Monster is not okay.
Monster is still. Fred stares in wonder. Fred pokes with his tongue. Monster tastes muddy. Stinks. Yucky. Monster also no stir. Huh.
Is Monster dead? Fred wonders. Fred turns around and freezes in terror.
Grim Reaper Monster turns to Fred and screeches, delighted.
Fred is forced to leave. Fred hates this.
Fred watches from his nest as the Giant leaves in Dawn. It rises again, before it disappears into sparkle. Fred watches Grim Reaper and Monster change words. Fred blinks as they turn to Fred.
No longer does Fred jump away. Something stirs in Fred's little heart. Fred hops out, making his way to the feet of them, his beady eyes looking up. Monster's mouth opens to terrifying gaping void. Fred stares back.
Fred believes in himself. Fred has been chased so long, Fred is tired. Fred makes the decision.
Fred thinks of Monster very hard.
Fred banishes the Monster with his little brain, his little might. Fred is Little God, Guardian of Swamp and Fred will stand with Little things. Fred won't cower in front of Monster anymore.
Monster will start respecting Gods, and it will start with Fred.
Fred thinks harder, little brain straining under his power as he sends Monster far away where it can never eat little things again. And if it comes back, Fred will send it to afterlife with no Swamp so Monster never eats little things ever. Again.
Fred feels the burden and strain. Fred pushes through. Because Fred might be little, Fred might be tasty, but Fred is also one to never give up. Fred has lived with Monster long enough to understand that Monster never will let Fred live in peace.
Fred is Little God, and Monster has no power over Little Gods.
Fred opens his eyes and Monster is gone.
Fred staggers. His mind power makes him tired. Fred falls on his tummy, watching as Swamp is finally quiet. Finally no Monster.
Fred did it. Fred saved the Swamp. Now Fred will sleep for long time.
Fred likes that idea. Very little and very good for Fred. Yeah, Fred no wakey soon.
Fred will just sleep. Maybe Fred understand more later. Not now. Too much for a little head.
Fred just sleeps.