“I… I’ve read of you, beast. I know what you do.” spoke Daniel, as he scrambled to lift himself, keeping his eyes focused on the monster, as it’s mouth drew closer to his face.

The Dosjetka snorted, and smirked, “Read of me? Am I that poplar?” Noticing Daniel trying to get up, it pressed it’s right paw against his chest, pushing him back down to the floor.

“There’s no need to lumber off, is there? Not many people come out of the woodwork, so I’m pine-ing for attention.” The beast’s heavy paw made it hard for Daniel to breathe, but did his best to hold composure in front of the beast.

Abusing his power over Daniel, the Dosjetka dug it’s claws a little into his chest, mocking Daniel with it’s eyes. Then it let go, spun around and sat down in front of Daniel as an act of coyness.

“Pray tell, what have I been sentenced to? What did they seed of me, beyond this forest?”

Daniel pushed himself up, eyes still focused on the beast. It did not react, it did not move but it was waiting for an answer.

“You… you toy with people, before you eat them alive.”

“A ha. Spinning a top-ic. I imagine the pen in which this has been written is pointless. But it’s true that people often meat my expectations.”

“But is it true? Do you take pride in the madness of people like me?”

The beast was taken back by the comment, and reacted as if insulted. “Pride in madness? You speak not knife of food, but most creatures of the forest mustard strength beyond that. What cruel words were spun about me?”

The Dosjetka circled around the now standing Daniel, seemingly agitated by his opinion about the beast, “Careful, with those thoughts you’ll get a head of yourself. You human’s are always the curious sort. It’s true, that most people have come at ends with me. But when I ask for a piece of mind, they’re all hands.”

“I’m sorry beast. but I don’t understand..”

“The way you look at me, tells that you’ve glazed over a question. But since you’re in my forest, let me get to the root of the problem. I’ve often been told that I have a name. It’s very fancy, not like simple english words. Did the book, spell it out for you?”

“Dos.. Dosjetka.” The creature again, sits down in front of him, spinning his tail, and pleased with himself as he recounts the memory.

“One such man lost in this forest, on the grounds of talking dirty. A language I couldn’t understand. I spoke to him much like I am to your present tense. His own little private screaming of that word over and over again. He was lucky enough to make a short-handed escape. Days since then, every guest I’ve ever had has called me by that name, running in like scours to settle.”

“So.. it means something..”

“Yes, to chew on the name is quite a mouthful.”

“I suppose now, that you’ve had a lot to say, you consider me ear-replaceable?”

The Dosjetka’s ears perked up by the response and grinned. The was a certain way that the creature was talking that Daniel slowly caught on to. It wasn’t easy to understand at first, what it’s name meant, but upon hearing the beast first hand he knew what kind of game was being played.

“Aha, a man as fertile as you does manage to grow. In the field prey someone finally goes against the grain.”

“There is a catch though,” Daniel says Quizzically as he slowly crouches down.

“Is it my attention?”

“You’re facing loose ground!” The Dosjetka in a wide eyed confusion looked as Daniel picked up a handful of dirt and threw it at the creature’s face. It growled at it’s momentary blindness, as Daniel used the opportunity to quickly flee the scene.

“I can’t sand dirty tricks!” It yelled behind him. Daniel knew the game was on, and he had to find a way to outsmart the beast if he wanted to get out of the forest. He grabbed a fallen branch, thick enough to club, and hid behind another large tree.

His heart was racing loudly. If the Dosjetka was hot on his trail, he knew he’d surely be found. Daniel gripped the club close to his chest and kept his eyes to the corner, trying his best to breathe calmly. But he knew it was out there, that it was close.

“Spineless boy! Your hide is wearing thin!” It was distant, but the beast’s booming voice echoed between the trees. The Dosjetka could be coming from anywhere. Daniel was sure to scan what he could see.

“I Couldn’t see myself without eyes,  you know. But I have news for you, definitely rank my sense of smell!” Daniel could hear the galloping and then sudden silence. Daniel wanted to judge where the sound was coming from and run in the opposite direction, but was stopped by the beast landing in front of him.

Daniel lost his footing and fell behind himself, he scrambled to push himself backwards and get up, while the beast started to nip at him. The Dosjetka’s teeth ready to chomp through him like butter. As it lunged forward to take his head, Daniel thrust the club into it’s mouth as it chomped down. It’s sudden choking on the wood gave Daniel another oppourtunity to flee.

“I hope my bark is worse than your bite!” exclaimed Daniel, once again sprinting through the forest. The Dosjetka’s growl had a mixture of gagging as he continued to chase after him.

The mad beast was far too hot on Daniel’s heels for him to shake it off. With the danger lingering ever so close, it made it hard for him to think on his feet.

“Quit your lollygagging boy, and face your end, Little mouse! I will grind your bones in my teeth!” It sceamed.

“I’m not about to be another sucker for you to choke on!”

In that moment, there was a single bound in his sprinting. It was a reaction to what he said created by an energy, that came out of being proud of what he just said. Though they were currently in the role of hunter and hunted, the wits of both Daniel and the Dosjetka were matched. That reply warranted to Daniel, that if he wasn’t about to be killed by the beast, there could have been a chance that they’d befriend each other.

It’s that way of thinking that distracted from the predicament for a moment, and once again found himself tumbling forward. A vine grabbed a hold of his leg, and he hid the ground hard. The Creature went at him with his teeth, but instead collided with Daniel and tumbled hard, some odd feet away.

It wasn’t easy for Daniel to pick himself up, but the adrenaline helped him pull through it. He felt the aching of his muscles tense up with each movement. The vine that wrapped around his leg began to tug him closer to the edge of a cliff.

With a collapsed toward the edge of the cliff, he spotted his enemy, the Dosjetka tangled in vines of his own. With each shift it’s body made struggling to get out, the vine tightened around Daniel’s leg, and dragged him closer to the edge. The Beast growled as they locked eyes. Though he knew it lost, it did not feel the defeat and continued to bark at him.

“I’m through branching off, and hanging around!”  It yelled. Daniel grabbed the vine and pulled up on it, but not to help the creature. Being void of any sharp object, and as an act to cut the vine, he brought it up to his mouth to bite through it. The Dosjestka, saw Daniel’s head inching closer to the vine, made a chance to strike.

Daniel quickly reacted, and moved his head out of the way but moved the vine toward the Dosjetka’s paw. It’s claws sliced through the vine, freeing Daniel and the beast from each other. The Vines let it loose and the creature fell hundreds of feet into the trees below.

“Enjoy the season,” Daniel shouted from atop the cliff before mumbling to himself, “… see you next fall.”

Daniel stood up unwrapped from the vine, and limped away.