Synopsis
'The Unfortunate Account of the Amphibian Man' is an allegorical short story, loosely taking the myth of Kappa and interpreting it in a new context (the creature itself is not described like a typical Kappa, because I thought giving it a different form in a different cultural setting matches with typical cryptid lore). There are themes here of parenting, social alienation and prejudice, and the Jungian concept of the shadow - though who or what is the shadow of the other character is ambiguous, but not overly difficult to decipher.I wanted to explore the premise of the sub-human, repressed, disfigured mirror of the human personality as actually the virtuous mirror to a human shadow.
This was written largely in a single sitting for a creative writing prompt challenge. Whilst there are slightly disturbing and tragic moments, the story is not an overly challenging or unsettling read. All constructive feedback is welcome and wanted.