Tom pushed his way through the bramble, his hands had been pricked multiple times by thorns but he didn’t care. What he did care about was to get to his perfect camping spot; he had found it two years back while staying with his family up in the mountains. His eyes scanned the woods looking for the telltale flowers that had led him to the spot, he had researched the flowers after he had visited the camping spot and had found that they were called Blood Lilies.

They only bloomed during the winter months bright as fresh blood, Tom grinned as he saw the telltale bright red color of the flowers. He pushed through the woods and followed a long path of flowers; just like last time they led him right to his camping spot. The spot in question was right next to a large lake that was as clear as glass, Tom stepped softly not wanting to disturb his serene surroundings with the noises of his footsteps.

As he approached the edge of the lake he crouched next to the water and dipped his hand in, as he took a deep sip from the water he smiled softly. The water was cool and sweet untouched by human filth; Tom then stood up and looked around him. His surroundings were gorgeous in the middle of winter, the trees and grass had a light brushing of snow on them.

Tom shrugged off his backpack and set it on the ground; he unzipped it and pulled out some kindling. He glanced around to look for some firewood and saw some branches lying on the ground nearby; he walked over and picked them up. As Tom took them into his arms he noticed something on the edge of the branch, “Is that blood?...” He muttered quietly as he looked at the snapped edge of the branch, it appeared as if the whole end of the branch was covered in blood.

Tom straightened up and glanced around nervously; somebody had obviously been here and had assaulted an animal or perhaps another person. “Hello? Is anybody hurt out there?” He called out, as he looked around he heard a snap of a branch and jumped looking to where he had heard the snap. A fawn stood in the woods staring at him, usually seeing a fawn in the forest wouldn’t interest him that much but this fawn was different than a usual one.

The fawn in question had fur as white as snow, as if this wasn’t odd enough it’s antlers were already fully grown as if it were an adult instead of a child. Tom blinked slowly trying to absorb this knowledge; before he could do anything the fawn’s head snapped to the side hearing something and ran quickly away. Tom heard a large thumping noise and his heart started to pump quickly; it sounded as if something were dragging a body across the ground.

Not wanting to meet whatever was carrying the body Tom dropped all of the branches to the ground and hid behind a tree, he shivered as he heard the crunching of grass under something’s foot as it walked into the clearing he had been just moments before. Tom felt like with every gasp of his breath that he would be heard and captured, after a few moments though he heard the noise of lapping come from behind him.

Tom slowly turned around the tree that he was hiding behind and his eyes widened as he saw a terrifying sight, there by the water was a monster the size of a car. The monster’s face was turned away from his own but for that he was glad as it looked like around where the monster was drinking a red color was flowing away into the water, it must’ve just very recently eaten though what it had eaten Tom knew that he didn’t want to know.

Tom watched as the monster stood up at its full height, the monster was well taller than any man and far larger than any rhino. It had a fur coat that seemed as soft as a lion’s but as spotted as a hyena’s, it had a tail that if were to be swung could probably take out a person’s legs out from beneath them. By far though the face was the worst part, the monster’s teeth were as sharp as a sharks and it appeared to have just as many, Tom hid as the monster turned its gaze around and nearly caught sign of him.

Tom took long shuddering breaths as he heard the monster start to sniff around, for a moment he thought he was in the clear as he heard the sniffing stop but his heart practically stopped as a voice as cold as ice pierced the air. “I smell you out there, come out now.” Tom clutched his arms in terror as he started to shiver in fear, “I won’t warn you again, if you don’t come out then I shall find you and I won’t hesitate to eat you.”

Tom contemplated running for a moment before he nervously took a step out from behind the tree, his legs quivering as he stepped out for the monster to look upon him. “Ah so it’s a human, it’s funny how many humans come to these parts as the time of snow comes.” The guardian said as its predatory eyes trail over the human, Tom opened his mouth to speak but he found that he couldn’t talk the terror freezing his ability to speak.

The monster grinned as if his terror brought it pleasure, “I’m sure that you’re wondering what I am.” Tom quickly nodded that being the exact question that he was about to ask, “I cannot tell you what I am as I myself don’t remember, but I can tell you one thing. I am the guardian of these woods, I have been for many years.” Tom took a shuddering breath and forced himself to speak in a quiet voice, “What are you guarding it from?”

The monster pointed a clawed finger at him, “From humans such as yourself, these woods are a truly sacred place. Many animals that nearly went extinct in your cruel world have come here to keep themselves safe; I obliged to help keep them safe and for many long millennia have protected this place from humans who would kill them. Back then the animals were more than happy to have me here, but now their descendants forget that I am the one who saves them not hunt them.”

Tom looked nervously at the water where the red liquid still hung in the water, “What is that from then?...” The beast snarled angrily, “Another human came to these parts and started to set up his camp, when he saw me instead of running away he snapped off a branch from a tree and impaled it into my side. Usually I will let humans leave with their lives but for this one time, I wouldn’t allow it.”

Tom remembered the broken branch with the blood on the end, “S… so am I allowed to leave these woods then?” The monster looked him over slowly contemplating, “I will… under one condition.” Tom nearly passed out in relief right then and there, “What would that be?” The monster gazed upon him for a moment without saying anything, “I want you to bring one of the lilies out there to your home and feed it a drip of your blood every day from this day on.”

Tom looked at the monster in confusion, “Why do you want me to do that?” The monster looked at him seriously, “The flowers are my connection to the outside world, when humans such as yourself feed them a drip of blood I am filled with the knowledge of goings on. I want you to promise this, and if you do then I’ll have no qualms with you leaving this place.”

Tom looked at the flowers nervously, “Every day?” The monster nodded, “For the rest of your life.” Tom sighed softly knowing that he had no choice, “Alright, I promise.” The monster nodded and walked over to the flowers; he dug around a flower and pulled it out of the ground. He then walked over to Tom’s backpack and set it gently into the human’s bag, after doing so the monster looked at Tom seriously. “Now take your bag and leave from this place, I shall be keeping tabs on you just in case you ever forget to give blood to the flower.”

Tom nodded nervously as he picked up the bag and walked out of the forest, as he walked out the woods he felt a gentle breeze against the back of his neck and he looked back to see that the entrance to the monster’s woods had been closed off by a large patch of bramble.

Tom looked over the bramble and thought about the serene forest that laid beyond it, “I guess it’s like a rose, it had beauty but it comes with thorns…” Tom muttered before leaving the forest.

For the rest of the human’s life he fed the lily with a drip of his blood, he told his children and grandchildren the story but they never completely believed him. One day the monster was sitting by the lake gazing out at the forest as it heard footsteps approach from behind, it looked back to see an old man standing there with a lily in hand and a smile on his face. “So you’ve returned Tom after all of these years.” The monster spoke, Tom slowly nodded as he walked over to the patch of flowers and dug out a small hole and set the flower back in the ground.

The monster watched as the old man walked past him and looked into the water, the monster for a moment sat silently as the man looked deeply in the water before speaking. “A ghost has no reflection you know.” Tom smiled back at the monster, “I know I just wanted to make sure before leaving, that flower taught me much about you as much as it taught you about me.” The monster slowly nodded smiling, “Thank you for teaching me about your life Tom.”

Tom shook his head as he turned opaque, “Thank you for teaching me about this forest of yours, goodbye my old friend.” The old man glanced once more into the water and looked as nothing but the stars were reflected in the water and slowly disappeared, the monster looked into the water for a few minutes before walking away from the edge to once more patrol his forest.