i saw it climb clumsily
up onto the dock
at first
i thought it must be a man
out for a midnight swim
then the clouds parted
i saw the tentacles
coming from where
his mouth should have been
i stifled a scream
it shambled down the planks
i forced myself to be smaller
to fit into the shadows
a low muttering
seemed to fill the air
the words tangible
playing with my sanity
i found myself
moving towards it
i couldn’t scream
not out loud at least
in my mind
it was cacophony
of the strange muttering
intermingled with
my own frantic terror