Short Story: The Damned Thing

Intro
"The Damned Thing", composed by Ambrose Bierce in 1893 is a spine-chilling narrative styled as a journalist's account of a supernatural phenomenon. The story, integrating themes of scary, secret, and the illogical fear of the unknown, unfolds through a series of interlinked files, consisting of a diary, a newspaper article, and the inquest into the strange death of its lead character, Hugh Morgan.

The Inquest and Conflicting Evidence
The story begins with an inquest into the death of Hugh Morgan, kept in a cabin in the wilderness. Present at the inquest are various witnesses, including the deceased's boy and former organization partner, and one William Harker, a reporter. The coroner examines the body and provides the jury with the available evidence, which seems to oppose itself. The cause of death is obviously an awful injury inflicted by a wild monster of some kind, but no such creature has been seen in the area of the cabin.

The testament of Morgan's ex-partner, Joseph Peveril, more thickens the plot. Peveril claims that on the night of Morgan's death, he saw something mysterious: Hugh Morgan, apparently terrified by a hidden entity, had unexpectedly gotten away from his cabin and passed away from his wound. The only track at the site of Morgan's death is from his boots.

The inquest is left with the opposing proofs that Hugh Morgan, under terrific emotional distress, had passed away from his gruesome wound in a region missing of any visible animal.

The Diary of Hugh Morgan
William Harker, a journalist and good friend of Hugh Morgan, reveals to the jury parts of Morgan's diary, where a series of inexplicable events have actually slowly advanced into a scary fascination. The entries information Morgan's uneasiness around a certain spot near his cabin where he sensed a prowling existence. He composes of a mysterious worry that had actually seized him and the weird death of his dog, which died without any indication of being attacked.

In later meandering entries, Morgan composes of his expedition into ancient and exotic books, which led to his conclusion that this prowling entity is a monstrous, unnoticeable creature of the woods, utterly beyond mortal understanding. Morgan's views are crossed out by most as the ravings of a madman.

Harker's Account
Harker provides his first-hand account of the frightening events that took place on an expedition with Morgan to the spot he feared. As Morgan speaks of the unmarked scary prowling in the woods, Harker is overridden with a nightmarish dread. This worry was changed by interest as he senses something inexplicable stalking them in the shadows.

Disregarding his pal's cautions, Harker approaches a bush, wanting to challenge the creature. All at once, the unseen monster attacks Morgan, tossing him off his feet. The attack continues up until lastly, Morgan's body goes limp, and the enemy vanishes. Both horrified and baffled, Harker goes back to the cabin in hopes of discovering answers.

Conclusion
"The Damned Thing" concludes with an environment of dread and uncertainty hanging over the inquest. No conclusion is drawn worrying the real nature of the creature that killed Hugh Morgan, leaving readers left to wonder what the real threat could be.

Ambrose Bierce's narrative provides a vivid portrayal of worry and fear surrounding the unknown, difficult readers to confront their very perceptions of truth. With its disturbing, spooky environment and a questionable representation of a mysterious, unseen hazard, "The Damned Thing" is an appealing and haunting read that remains a classic in the world of scary literature.