The Creature I longed to be part of this family. To be their benefactor. What could I possibly do for them? I became their invisible guardian. The Spirit of the Forest. And on occasion they too extended a small kindness toward me. Clothes. Bread. And for a moment, a brief, brief moment, the world and I were at peace. The Creature An idea, a feeling became clear to me. The hunter did not hate the wolf. The wolf did not hate the sheep. But violence felt inevitable between them. Perhaps, I thought, this was the way of the world. It would hunt you and kill you, just for being what you are. The Creature I understood that I was nothing. A wretch. A blot. Not even of the same nature as Man. This hurt clung to my mind. It never let go.