# ■ 5

The letter was from my father in Geneva， and this is what he wrote：

My dear Victor，

I want you to know before you arrive home that an awful thing has happened．Your dear youngest brother，William，is dead． He was murdered． It happened last Thursday evening when Elizabeth and I and your two brothers， Ernest and William， went for a walk outside the city． William and Ernest were playing． William had hidden from Ernest， and Ernest asked Elizabeth and me to help find William． We all began to search for him， but we couldn't find him． We searched all night． At five in the morning I found him． He was lying on the grass， white and still． I could see the marks of fingers on his neck—the murderer had strangled him．

Elizabeth had let him wear a gold chain of hers round his neck．On the chain was a very small picture of your mother．We all think that someone murdered William to steal the gold chain．Poor Elizabeth is terribly unhappy at William's death． She thinks he died because she let him wear the chain． Hurry home， my dear Victor． You are the only one who can help Elizabeth， and we all need you．

With all our love，

Your Father

Henry helped me to catch the train． The journey seemed very long， and it was late at night before the train reached Geneva． I decided to spend the night in a village outside the town and go home early in the morning． I wanted to see the place where William had died．

As I started my walk， a storm broke and lightning lit the sky． The police had put posts round the place where the murderer had strangled William，so I found it easily．I cried sadly as I stood there． My poor brother had been a kind and happy boy， and we had all loved him．

Again the lightning lit the sky， and I saw a huge figure standing in the rain． When I saw it， I knew at once what it was．It was the creature that I had made．

What was he doing there？But although I asked myself the question， I knew the answer． He had murdered my brother． I was sure that I was right．

I decided to try and catch him．But as I moved， he ran to－wards the mountains． He ran much faster than any man． He climbed the mountain easily， reached the top， and disappeared．

I stood there in the dark and the rain， and knew that I had created a monster． And he had murdered my brother．

■ 5

信是我父親從日內瓦寫來的，下面就是他寫的內容：

我親愛的維克多：

在你到家之前我想讓你知道所發生的一件可怕的事情。你親愛的小弟弟威廉死了。他是被謀殺的。這件事發生在上個禮拜四，那時我和伊麗莎白以及你的兩個弟弟歐內斯特和威廉正在城外散步。威廉同歐內斯特當時正玩耍。威廉從歐內斯特那兒藏了起來，於是歐內斯特要我和伊麗莎白幫著找威廉。我們都找了起來，但沒能找到他。我們找了一整夜。早晨5點鐘時我找到了他。他躺倒在草地上，臉色蒼白，身子一動也不動。我能看出他脖子上的手指印——是凶手勒死了他。

伊麗莎白曾讓他把她的一根金鍊子戴在脖子上。鏈子上有一張非常小的、你媽媽的照片。我們都認為是有人為了偷取那條金鍊子而殺死了威廉。可憐的伊麗莎白對威廉的死非常傷心。她認為他的死是因為她讓他戴了那條鏈子。趕快回家吧，我親愛的維克多。只有你能幫助伊麗莎白，並且我們都需要你。

我們都愛你！

你的父親

亨利幫我上了火車。旅途似乎非常漫長；火車到達日內瓦之前已經是深夜了。我決定在城外的一個村子裡過夜，然後清晨再回家。我想看看威廉死去的地方。

在我開始步行時，暴發了一場暴風雨，閃電劃亮了天空。警察已在威廉被凶手勒死的地方圍上了木樁，這樣我很容易地找到了那兒。我站在那兒傷心地哭泣著。我可憐的弟弟一向是個善良而快樂的孩子，並且我們都很愛他。

閃電又一次照亮了天空，我看見雨中站著一個巨大的人。當我看見時，我立馬就知道那是誰了。那是我創造的那個傢伙。

他在那兒幹什麼？儘管我在問自己這個問題，卻已知道了答案。是他殺死了我的弟弟。我敢肯定我是對的。

我決心要抓住他。但在我走動時，他朝山上跑去了。他比任何人都跑得快。他輕鬆地爬著山，到了山頂並且消失不見了。

我在黑暗中站著並淋著雨，知道自己創造了一個怪物。是他殺死了我的弟弟。