The following is an old folk tale from Salem Massachusetts:
The pastor, a man of God, sat alone in his dimly lit study. He had always feared that he was not a true Christian, that his faith was weak and he would be damned for eternity. But now, as he sat staring at the pages of his Bible, his fear had taken on a physical form. It appeared to him as a monstrous creature, with the head of an alligator for one hand and a stag beetle for the other. He had named it Gurial, a creature born from his fear and self-doubt.
The pastor had always been skeptical of the witch trials that had plagued Salem, but now he couldn’t shake off the feeling that he too was being judged by a higher power. His nights were plagued by nightmares of Gurial, who would appear to him in his dreams, taunting him with its grotesque features.
He knew that he had to confront his fear, but he didn’t know how. He prayed for guidance, but the only answer that came was the sound of Gurial’s taunting laughter.
One night, as he lay awake in bed, the pastor made a decision. He would journey to the heart of the witch trials, to the very place where the accusations and executions had occurred. He would confront his fear head on, and prove to himself that he was a true Christian.
The pastor set out early the next morning, traveling to Salem. As he walked the streets, he felt the eyes of the townspeople upon him, judging him as they had judged the accused witches. But he pushed on, determined to face his fear.
As he stood at the site of the trials, he closed his eyes and prayed for strength. And when he opened them, Gurial was there, staring back at him with its grotesque alligator and stag beetle heads.
But this time, the pastor was not afraid. He stood tall and spoke with conviction, “I am a man of God, and I will not be judged by you or by any other creature. My faith is strong, and I will not be swayed by fear.”
With that, Gurial let out a deafening roar and vanished into thin air. The pastor knew that his fear had been conquered, but little did he know, the creature was far from gone.
From that day forward, the pastor lived his life without fear and doubt, but strange occurrences began to happen in his church. Objects would move on their own, and the pastor would hear strange noises coming from the dark corners of the church. But every time he went to investigate, he found nothing.
The townspeople of Salem looked upon him with newfound respect and admiration, knowing that he had faced his fear and emerged victorious. But little did they know, the pastor had only made a deal with the creature, trading his soul for a false sense of peace. And from then on, Gurial haunted the church, preying on the weaknesses and fears of those who entered. Beware, for the creature is still out there, waiting for its next victim to make a deal with the devil.