Legend has it that a monster lives within the dark woods outside of town; an ugly, horrific monster that is said to eat the souls of women. We all are told this story as children. Children who believe everything they hear. “Don’t go into the woods,” our elders tell us, “or he’ll find you and eat your soul!” The story goes as such:

Once upon a time way, way back in the feudal eras, there sat a small town at the edge of a vast forest. It was a happy town. All the villagers got along and peace was kept throughout. But strangely enough, none of the villagers ever entered the vast forest behind them. For they all believed that there was something mysterious and demonic-like about that forest. Then one day an old woman from another village far away moved to the small town beneath the forest. The old woman spoke of a monster that lived in that forest; a monster that was said to be extremely hideous and who would devour the souls of beautiful women. The curious villagers wondered how the old woman knew this. She showed them a scar on her shoulder and told them that when she was young, she ventured into the forest to pick herbs for her village when she came across an eerie looking house covered by thorn bushes. Without thinking, she entered the house and was attacked by the monster.

“The ugly beast tried to steal my soul!” she crowed. “But I wouldn’t let it. I fought back and managed to escape its evil clutches with only this scar carved by his dagger sharp claws!”

The villagers instantly became frightened. “We must protect the women of this village!” they cried. “We must not let anyone go into that damned forest!” From that day on, none of the villagers even dared to go into the forest where the monster lay waiting. Some say that the monster is still there today and waits for a beautiful woman to come to his demonic chantey so that he can steal her soul.

The end.

I never believed that story as a child, even more now that I am nineteen years of age. I wish that I could go into those woods myself to prove that this “monster” doesn’t exist. I wish I could, but I can’t. I’m blind. I have been blind ever since I was born. I’ve never seen the light of day. I’ve never seen myself or my parents. Nothing but darkness clouds my forever sealed eyes. I would always pray to God to make my eyes better; to at least let me see just a little bit of this world. My prayers never come true. But despite all of that, I live a normal life; I go to school, hang out with friends, I can even read thanks to the amazing technology of I-pods, I just have to listen to the book instead of looking at words. Being blind has greatly enhanced my other senses to the point where they are unworldly. My blindness has also made me more intelligent and less gullible. I guess that’s why I never believed the story of the forest monster. I was never scared. The back of my house even faces the forest from the legend. Times have changed and even if the story was real, the monster would be dead by now. So now I swear to myself; even though I am blind I will venture into those woods and finally be rid of this fantasy that still lives and breathes from the now modern town. If that hideous monster is even out there, I will be safe for I have never seen myself before. I must be an ugly girl. Even the ugliest of monsters wouldn’t want to steal a disabled girl’s soul. I will be safe and I will find this mythical monster even if that means finding myself along the way…