Gadzooks! Its Godzilla!

Zella was transformed into a monster when her island was hit with an H-Bomb. Only the Lizard King Jim Morrison can soothe the savage beast in her by understanding her loneliness.

Gadzooks! It’s Godzilla!

(Or The Lonely Lizard)

 

      It was the height of the cold and America was testing H-Bombs in the South Pacific.  No people were known to have been affected, but what of the wildlife?  No one thought of the death and destruction of the habitat of millions of species.  Nor did anyone count on Mother Nature fighting back.

      A baby lizard named Zella lived on one such island.  The bomb was dropped with a deafening roar.  The blast of light blinded and obliterated.  Zella had felt the crackle in the air before the detonation.  Her intuition drove her underground.  This intuition served her well, for all of her lizard family was killed in the blast.  They had been on the beach scouting for food when humankind thoughtlessly destroyed them all and all that they had known.

      Scared, Zella stayed under her rock for hours.  When she wondered out finally, she found a vast wasteland in place of her once lush home. She cried out in anguish, finding that the sound the came out was surprisingly loud for such a small creature.  Soon, however, size would match her sorrow.  Hungry, Zella scavenged the island for food, but all she could find were dead fish and fish eggs floating in the water.  Radiation filled the water and eventually came fill Zella as she drank.  She did not know to avoid the water and wouldn’t have cared anyway.  She was too thirsty to think of anything but satisfying her need for a drink. 

       The transformation began slowly, but it was definite.  Radiation became Zella’s essence.  Her body thrived on it, growing to enormity.  She would have never grown past two feet long naturally, but on her man-made food of fallout, she became 200 feet tall and nearly 100 feet long.  For all her great strength and size, she was terribly lonely.  This great sadness drove her off her home island.  She was ready to take the plunge and search for life beyond the sea. 

       Zella dove deep into the ocean and began swimming.  She swam to the closest island that larger than her home island, which happened to be Japan.  It took less than a day to bridge the great distance.  When she emerged onto the great island she was greeted with fear and hate.  Zella only wanted to find someone like herself, but instead she found tiny angry creatures who threw sharp or flaming objects at her.  They bombarded her with machines, but she quickly stopped them with one swish of her huge tail.  The fire inside of her erupted and all the anguish turned into actual fire.  Zella was able to push that rage and fire outside of her in a great burst of flames.  The fire consumed her attackers. 

       Feeling rejected, Zella stomped off.  These strange creatures had physically hurt and emotionally insulted her.  She plunged back into the deep blue ocean and swam and swam.  She hit the coast of South America some time later.  Zella received little attention as she came up upon the beach.  Zella wandered through the mountains and over them into the jungle beyond.  The natives did not attack her as she made her way across the continent.  Instead, they merely ran away to tell their friends about the magical giant lizard.  Zella was not happy to bombarded, but even when she was left alone, she found herself unhappy.  Still, there were no signs that there existed another creature like herself.  This journey had merely made Zella sadder thus far and she was beginning to think she was truly and utterly alone in the world.  That was the worst feeling there was she decided.

       Zella crossed over the South American continent and into the Atlantic Ocean.  Reports of Zella’s travels had spread around the world, though Zella had no idea that she was so famous, nor did she realize that she was a threat to human beings.  She had no idea that she was a monster.

      By the time that she reached the coast of New York City, they were waiting for her arrival.  News cameras and bombs greeted her as she emerged from the cold waters of the bay.  The bombs were no more than bee stings to her, but they still hurt.  Why did they insist on hurting her so?  Why did these tiny beings try to kill her or chase her away she wondered?  Why?  She just wanted them to stop.  She just wanted them to let her live in peace and perhaps even accept her.

      “Stop.  Stop,” she cried.  “I want to be your friend?”

      But all they heard were her deafening roars.

      Zella ran like throwing a tantrum, leaving a trail of destruction in her path.  The amount of damage may have seemed like a lot to the poor people of New York, but it was insignificant compared to the complete annihilation of the island so far away.  How could they understand?  They had never seen what an H-Bomb was like.  Most inhabitance of New York City had never seen anything more than random acts of violence.  The scale and massiveness of the H-Bomb was beyond their comprehension. 

      Zella knew though.  Her anger and frustration did little to get them back for their thoughtless deed.  Zella soon tired of bellowing fire and stomping about.  She dove back into the sea and took refuge. 

      There was one soul who understood her plight.  Jim Morrison.  He was an animal lover and poet.  When he saw the reports on TV, he was outraged.  How could they destroy this beautiful creature? It was a God! And like a God it should be cherished and worshipped.  Jim marched out and sought out this magnificent creature.  He waited patiently by the sea.  Around him people rushed around Manhattan Island and planes circled the area ready to attack.  Subs searched for the monster under the ocean just off the coast.  It was complete and utter chaos.  Jim was disgusted to see what was going on. He was also anxious to see the creature with his own eyes and communicate with it. 

       Sure enough Zella resurfaced in order to find some food.  When she came up she found Jim there waiting for her.  As Zella munched on a tree top and some other odds and ends, Jim approached her.  “Here lizard,” he called, “Here lizard.” 

       Zella turned when she heard him.  More amazingly, she understood him.  She stopped eating and turned toward him, her big eyes focusing in on where the voice had originated from.  A small figure stood alone without any weapons, machines or bombs.  

       He threw his arms open wide and said, “A beast in the heart of the city.  My friend you are in a city of beasts and the only wise one.”

       Zella came closer and laid down with a great thud across many piers, docks and buildings.  Her head landed just a few inches from Jim.  She softly asked if he of any more creatures like herself. 

        Jim stepped forward and touched her nose lightly with his hand.  It ticked and she tried not to sneeze.  Jim spoke softly to her, “You are just a lonely lizard, damned by those who created you.  You are like Frankenstein’s monster.  I understand.  You are a unique being and so beautiful in your uniqueness.  Still, it messes with one’s mind being alone in the world.  It makes your heart sad.  I get it.  My heart is sad too.”

        Zella snorted and cooed.  This tiny creature may have not been as large or lizard-like, but he seemed to understand what she felt.  He got her.

        Jim patted her nose a little more and said, “You must leave her and go far away.  Your time has not yet come.  Perhaps there is another like you somewhere out there,” he gestured out toward the ocean, “But not here.”

        Zella nudged him gently, but in nearly knocked him over anyway.  Then quietly, Zella dove down into the water and continued on her journey to find companionship…and perhaps the meaning of her very existence.  In the end Zella was not that much unlike us.

        Zella was created by our own thoughtless actions and it was no wonder that she came back to haunt us.  We deserve every bit of horror that our monsters visit back upon us.  Our monsters are our karma.  They teach us that there are consequences to our actions.  Monsters are reflections of our own worst fears.  They are our outward experience of the monsters that lie inside of us, waiting to be unleashed upon the world.