He just sat there, his back to me. To this day I am unsure if he ignored me on purpose, or if he truly believed I couldn’t see him.

I had spent most of the day in the woods, as I normally did. We lived on a farm in the middle of nowhere. We had just finished setting the tobacco plants for the spring season and my father had released us all from work. My mother didn’t allow us back in the house. We had one television and it was hers. She would spend the rest of the day staring into the marginally small screen, and ignoring us. While my father would be getting ready for his first job. I didn’t mind that my parents didn’t acknowledge my existence. At least until my older sister called us in for dinner. This was my chance. I was off to the woods. The woods were my magical place, my escape. I would walk the overgrown logging paths, follow hidden new trails that seamed to appear daily. It was the goblins you know. The goblins made the trails. They did most of the work at night. pulling along their prey they had run down that evening. They were fast and smart, but strength was never their forte. So they had to drag the bodies back to their dens.

Today I had decided to follow one of those new trails. I knew the goblins slept during the day. The sunlight always hurt their eyes. And as long as I didn’t enter any caves or dark underbrush I would be safe. But shortly down the trail, there he was. At first I thought it was a large brown bear. His back was to me and he seemed to be snarling. I should have turned around. A smart person would have. But I didn’t. Something told me to keep going. Something told me to get closer. And so I did. I slowly walked toward him. I moved closer and closer. It was then that I noticed the two large horns emerging from either side of his head. What was he? Who was he? But then it happened. A fallen branch snapped underneath the weight of my shoe. I froze. Maybe he wouldn’t see me. And he didn’t.

Puzzled by the lack of his reaction. I decided to walk around and face him. I stood directly in front of him. His hands full of blackberries. He picked them up one by one and snarled them down. Then with a slow swivel he turned his body and once again his massive furry back was to me. I stared at him for what felt like hours but it was only minutes. I had stood there long enough. I had to know who he was. “I am Tara” I said. A smile spread across his face and his massive teeth glistened with blackberry juice. “I am Caogistar.” He spoke. “But you can call me Caog” And I did.