I was out hiking and it had begun to rain.... I had been listening to something in the bush following me as I walked, but the rain falling had helped to disguise the sound of the lurching beast as it rushed forward. The creature was almost mythical. The size of a giant....but the body shape and features of a monstrous panda. He crashed through the edges along the hidden trail and landed mere inches in front of me. I would have surely died from fright had he not lost his footing in the rain slick clay. Flailing his giant panda arms around in a giant windmill imitation while trying desperately to get his feet back under him. I could tell that it was pointless and equally pointless to try and catch him lest I be crushed underneath......and so he fell. The majestic humanoid panda now was at once laying at my feet moaning and attempting to catch the wind that had been knocked from him. Rolling over...his khaki pants now covered in red slick mud. His hands were coated in the mess and the more he tried to clean himself the more it spread. Finally, in exasperation, he was content to just stand and wipe the sweat from his brow...(of course leaving a large muddy print across his forehead) Then it spoke...He had heard from the other forest creatures that I was planning a journey. The tales of my adventures were circulating throughout because everyone knew that the Panda possessed a sacred coin. THE ALL IN ONEEEEEEEEE...COINNNNNNNN. He had retrieved the coin from another traveler that had encouraged him to be free of the thing as soon as he could. The Panda had become enamored with the object so he kept it and had begun to think of it as a friend. He took it on adventures out in the woods...shared his pie with it....talked to it...it had become his only friend. Or so he thought...He began to notice that he had lost his sense of balance. He claimed to be a normal sized Panda until he had possession of the coin. Even the fall that I had just seen was blamed on the coin that he claims has a purpose. He told me the story that was relayed to him about the coin. It was destined to travel around the world and go to the most distant locations and circle the globe. As it moves, it collects stories and knowledge of the places and people that it comes in contact with. The coin itself was forged in a secret cave in Germany by a special UnderCover man in May of the year 2012 and was sent out in the world as an empty vessel to be filled. As long as the coin is moving towards a new destination it merely collects data and is content. Once it seems to be stalled, or someone deems the coin to be worthy enough to keep....it begins to change the creature that keeps it from moving further. The Giant Panda beast thrust the coin into my hand and begged me to move it as far away from him as possible. He claimed to be a regular human being that had been cursed into this form by holding onto the coin too tightly. He made me swear to have the coin moved out of the country within 3 weeks time so that he could surely regain his former athletic physique and balance and once again be hailed as the king of the Pandas. I clutched the mud covered object in my fist and promised him that I would do as he begged with the best of my ability. He turned to walk away and being a Giant wet Panda he slipped and slid away down through the bush towards the bottom of the hill screaming as he fell.
Sitting here now, if it wasn't for the physical evidence of the coin, I would doubt the giant talking panda's story. I shall move it along and take it as far away from him as possible....but in the end...I believe he will remain the same Panda. I picture him even now out in the forest eating at some buffet and dripping sweet and sour sauce on his pants and cursing his luck, still blaming others for his drips, trips and falls. I will move it along, but I sincerely hope that he just accepts his lot in life.
he is
THE PANDA!