I marched through the dark woods, ready to face the scary monster I'd hunted for

years. But when I finally found it, I was in for a big surprise. The monster I'd
pictured in my mind was nothing like what I saw.

Instead of a terrifying creature, I saw a sad one. Its eyes, which I thought would be
evil, were filled with sorrow. Its sharp claws, which were supposed to be
dangerous, looked harmless. And its roar, which I thought would be scary, was
more like a quiet sigh.

I hesitated because the stories made it seem like a relentless killer. But here was a
creature that seemed burdened by its own existence, like it had been misunderstood
all this time. Years of hunting had led me to this moment, where I questioned not
just the monster, but also myself.

I put down my weapon, and the monster and I looked at each other, both realizing
the unexpected truth. Sometimes, monsters aren't born that way; they become
monsters because of the world around them.