(Special thanks to Amino users Simply.Madi and Mother of Unicorns, who read this story first without fear of pointing out its flaws.)

         As I walked down the cold, withered streets of Bevaloan, bottle in hand, I saw another beggar boy all alone. His brown hair was ratty and his blue eyes had little joy left in them. He was no different from any other child left on these faded streets. Same lonely interior with a different finish.

I stood over the small boy and as he cowered back I asked, “Dear little boy, Where did mommy and daddy go? Have they gone far or have they gone cold?” I watched tears well up in his eyes and I grinned. “There’s no roof over your head, no walls to surround you, nobody to hold.”

The boy tried to run away from me and my words I gave only out of love. I yanked him back by his thin little wrist. He kicked and squealed, but I continued my story.

“You're lost with no home, a favored target of The Beast of Bevaloan.”

The boy went still and stared up at me with the same innocent curiosity they all gave me. I gently let go of his frail wrist and went down on my knees. Offering him my drink I asked, “Have you not heard the tale?”

The little beggar shook his head, and with little hesitance snatched the bottle from my hand. At the first thirsty gulp he made a face of sour disgust, but soon drained the bottle of its contents. I smiled at him as I dug through my pockets.

“The Beast is horrible monster, that stalks after homeless boys like yourself. He offers them candy or money, sometimes he’ll give them silly juice that makes em get all dizzy.”

I looked down at the boy, who had sat on the filthy road. His fearful blue eyes were fixated on me.

“If he fooled you, he’d make you walk far. So far your legs would shake and you’d feel like you couldn’t go any farther. That is when the Beast will strike,” I stared down at the boy, wanting him to understand every word I slowly spoke.  “He will drag you into the dark and may rip you apart. He’ll start with the fingers and end with the head. If you’re lucky he won’t take your innocence until after you're dead. He loves the taste of fresh skin, and well rip it off with his fangs. He may eat you dead or alive, and well leave nothing left to be found.”

The boy began to cry so I lovingly set a pink sweet in his hand and pulled him into a tight hug.

“My darling boy, oh please don’t be alarmed. I’ll shelter you from The Beast of Bevaloan. You can trust me. Don’t you see I have no claws or fangs? Come walk home with me. It’s a long way, but there is food and a nice warm bed waiting,” Slowly I stood and offered the boy my hand. “I promise.”

While watching the boy set the sweet in his mouth I ever so gently pulled him to his feet. He stumbled by my side like a clumsy drunk, but no one paid that much mind as together we walked down the dim streets of Bevaloan.