Inner Legacy by Douglas Stuart

not yet at its widest, here it is shallow and in mid meander. The little piece of land I am standing on has been looped over by the river leaving something like a jigsaw rounded protrusion.  It seem so peaceful as I look back up the valley. The kind of place that had always been to me the very definition of idyllic, the kind of wonderful place I could have escaped to in my mind during times of stress. A peaceful place. A place of safety.
    Except it wasn't.
    I could feel the terror behind me and I didn't dare move. It was looming darkly I knew not far from my back. It was a creature of nightmares, beyond the possibilities of existence. I could feel its breath flow hotly over my body and hear and feel the movement of its wings as though it were flapping them slowly in order stay upright.
    I was frozen in terror. Movement forward seemed impossible, I felt the fear even as the thought entered my mind. I imagined that if I tried to run this growing terror behind me would pounce without hesitation and devour my very being enveloping me in terror.
    Yet I had to do something. Although shaking it had reached the point where I had to fight or flee at least that's what the automatic responses of my body were dictating. I had to do something. I chose the least awful of the options and spun round on my heel to face my greatest fear.
    I saw it fill my eyes and mind and blot out everything as it gave a hideous roar and lunged towards me its jaws opening, somehow I stood my ground but hunched my shoulders ducked my head and closed my eyes, my fist curling into tight balls the blood pounding in my head. I felt it.
    The blackness and terror filled my every sinew and I waited for the pain to become physical rather than mental.
    Nothing.
    I opened my eyes very slowly looking through a guarded slit. It was there in front of me perhaps five metres distant appearing to rest beside a solitary tree. I stood up mentally as well as physically trying to make myself as tall as possible. Every feature of the creature was vile and the word FEAR burned on its breast as before. I forced myself to look at it and take in every detail the more I looked at it the less fear I found in my own being. I grew stronger.
    I wasn't sure what to do. I still couldn't flee from this fearsome creature nor did I have any means at my disposal to despatch it from this word. It could still crush me without a second thought.
    I took a step forward. It was a very tentative step. There was no response from the creature and I decided to walk forward even if it meant meeting my end. Not that I rushed, it was a slow progress.
    After minutes I was close enough to see it even more closely and saw it for what it was rather than the first impression that had filled my mind. It watched me. My every movement was followed and I felt it knew me.
    At last I was close enough to see its eyes.
    I stopped then and puzzled. I had thought to see anger and rage and foulness in these eyes everything that would be nasty and horrible and beyond imagination. I saw none of that in the eyes.
    I was puzzled. Then my heart was moved the great stone inside me melting almost instantly for what I saw in the eyes of this hideous creature was fear. It was terrified and this melted my heart. I hate to see fear in others and hate above all to see it in an animal or bird. This creature looked as though it was caught in trap, its eyes bulging with terror.
    Compassion and love for this deeply wounded creature replaced all that resided in my heart and I spoke quietly in some meaningless noises that I would have used to calm a frightened dog or horse. I could see the creature respond to a kindness and quietness of my voice. Encouraged I stepped further forward drawing ever closer to the dark beast. The closer I got the more it began to shake till I imagined I could hear its  bones rattling.
    I reached out when I was close enough to touch it, to let it feel my concern and to calm its terror all the while making soft