This story is based off the book Beowulf. In no means is this in relation to the movie that came out in 2007. Takes place from where Grendel goes to the village the first time and shows what happened between the first encounter to his death. Speculations of what might had happened that wasn't told in the movie. Critique if you want, I wrote this in high school years ago as a class assignment. Well on to the short story.

Beowulf – Grendel's Point of View: Misunderstood

As my eyes open, I see the surroundings of my domain, dark and hot. The ground on which I walk upon in the lair is boiling in which no mortal man alive can possibly touch. The temperatures of this location is unbearable to which not even a mere animal can sustain.

As I walk onward towards the entrance of the lair, I can sense the temperature cool down to the point where men and animals can sustain. But I see no one, for it is a dark time. I decided that for today I am to learn more about these humans and their ways of life, so I headed to Herot.

Approaching my destination, I am able to depict laughter, dancing, and music in the distance. I am enticed to be a part of it. A part of the joy and the jollity of the people here. But as they lay their eyes upon me as I make my way to them, I encounter their frightened stares. Then, they flee. I am confused as to why they are reacting in such a way. All I came to do was to learn about them and see if we could become friends, to be equal to one another.

As I approach them, drawing nearer, I sense hostility from them. They need not feel hostile, for I am coming to befriend them. All I see now is what appears to be soldiers, flinging at me what is obviously sharp objects. These objects are coming toward me, but all it does is tickle me; but then I see that it is coming by the hundreds and maybe more.

I did not mean to eat these soldiers that were assaulting me. If you were assaulted, you, too, would try to defend yourself. This is what I did. Defending myself so that I may no longer see or feel the sharp objects. I did not know any other way to react to this, for this hostility was new to me. No one else came so I decided to head home and inform my mother of it.

While retelling of they day's event, she told me that the reason these humans showed hostility towards me is because humans and monsters were not meant to be friends. I did not want to believe that. I believe that humans and monsters can be friends, if given the opportunity.

I decided to give another chance tomorrow so I headed to my quarters to rest and think of how to befriend these humans. Tomorrow would be a different encounter and a different day, I thought as I slowly fell asleep.

I awoke with renewed energy and was determined to become friends with the humans. My mother had forbidden me to go back to Herot, so discreetly I left the humble abode without her knowing of my desire to become friends with these people of Herot.

Walking to Herot with a positive mind and attitude, I couldn't hear a soul, or any type of joy in the surrounding area. I decided to move in closer because they probably had lowered their voices so that I couldn't hear. As I cautiously walked to the town, I feel a soft substance between my toes. I thought it was mud, but I knew that mud was not red, as I was examining closely, I noticed that I stepped on a soldier's head. I noticed his last body movement; his legs were in a position of agony. His hands were gripped tightly to the ground. The last breath that he took was deep and long. The last breath of life. I did not mean to kill him, for I did not see the person sleeping there.

Unfortunately, it seems that the other fellow humans did not believe so. They in turn decided to attack me once again, for revenge of the death of the human that I accidentally killed. In defense I started to retaliate, but then when I approached this one human, I was not able to defeat him. I was surprised to find someone who seemed to be stronger than me. My mother had told me that no mortal human being could defeat me or her, for it was impossible. As I remembered these words, I became frightened, because what my mother had told me was not true.

This human was stronger than me and was defeating me. I panicked. Then I heard screams in the distance, cries of distress. I tried to flee, but this human had me restrained. I pulled my arms free, but it hurt, so I tried not to do that. Then, all of a sudden, this human rips my arm off. As my arm was being lacerated, I felt that I had died. The pain that I felt was indescribable. I felt dizzy, slowly loosing strength in my body. As I examined which arm had been amputated, I saw an enormous gaping hole in the right shoulder. Not only did he yanked my arm from me, but also my shoulder. I was horrified by the extent of this human's strength.

I did the only thing that came to mind. I ran. Barely making the entrance to my home, I arrived at my destination. My mother had not noticed that I had left our domain, so I retreated to my quarters, hoping that I would be able to heal myself and not worry her. It did not work. Just as I entered my room, my mother was there waiting for me. When she saw what had happened to me, she sat me down and told me not to worry. She would help me feel better. There I am, lying down on my side, trying to keep the blood from spilling out of me. I fell asleep quickly due to the exhaustion.

I awoke a few hours later and saw my mother standing there with what seemed to be my arm! My mother had gone to retrieve my arm from where it had been removed by force. I was surprise to see that my mother had gone back to the place where the humans live just to and save my life. I am grateful to her for doing such a thing.

As she is about to cure me, we sense that something has entered our lair. My mother goes out to see what it is. So there I am again, lying still, almost lifeless. As my life energy is leaving me, I hear in the distance what seems to be a fight. My mother and by the sounds of, a … human? My mother is fighting a human that has entered our lair.

Maybe the human wants to be friends with us. Thinking, I wonder, why then are they fighting? If the human wants to be friends, we should let that person talk. It stopped; probably my mother wants to listen to the human's explanation. Suddenly, I heard a scream. Was that my mother? No, it can't be, my mother is strong; stronger than me, she couldn't have been.

As I lie in my own pool of blood, I knew my soul was slowly leaving my body. Slowly leaving this world. I hear someone approaching; my heart was beating rapidly as I waited to see who was coming. As I raised my eyes to see who it was, I see that it is not my mother, but the human who ripped off my arm. He stares at me with his sinister eyes, grinning with an evil smile. Is he here to get my arm back? Wait! That scream I heard earlier. If it wasn't his scream, than it must have been my mother. My mother died against this human. Is that her blood on the sword that he is holding? Wait, that sword could not hurt us. Then how did he kill my mother by that sword?

Oh no! He found the sword that my mother had hung on our wall. The one sword that could hurt us, even kill us.

As I see him approach me with the sword in hand, I see him lift it, slowly, above my neck. His two hands were gripping the handle tightly, turning his knuckles white, his muscles tightening, and I knew my end was near. In these remaining few seconds, many thoughts ran threw my mind. Why couldn't we be friends? Why was I misunderstood? All I wanted was to be friends.

I felt the blade going through my neck. I feel a cold and sharp pain as my body twitches for the last time.