When I awoke, I found myself in the forest. It was not too light, nor too dark. I couldn't guess the time accurately, but thought it about ten or twelve o'clock.... I got up and looked around. 

I walked a little bit, stopping every few minutes to check that no one was following me...It felt like every time I turned my back, that there was something behind me! Finally I hid behind a tree and waited to see if the something would come out. The 'thing' turned out to be a little old lady; hunched and carrying a sack that looked much too heavy for the poor thing. Was there any harm in going up to her and asking if she needed help? I saw none.

"Madam, may I assist you? That sack you are carrying seems awfully heavy..." I trailed. She squinted in the shade, then backed away. "I know your type! The type that gives 'assistance' by robbing little old ladies!" 

"No, madame! I swear, I had no intention of doing so!" I reached for her, trying not to look threatening. She looked back warily. "You promise?" She asked. "I swear, I'll not take your things." I replied. Slowly, warily she handed me her sack. "Where are you going, if I may ask?" I asked once we had set off. "Into town." Was her brief reply. 

Into town took at least three hours.

When we arrived, she thanked me and said that no one had ever offered her help, ever. I couldn't say I was surprised, the human race is so  cruel...There are exceptions, of course. But those are terribly rare.

The elderly woman wanted to pay me for my services. I declined, I could not accept her payment, that would be taking advantage of her...

We said our goodbyes and I set out on the forest path again. The sky was darkening and I found myself growing weary. Though I loved the dark and all its beauty, I wasn't happy to sleep in the forest....It seemed sinister, somehow.

But I was tired and well, when you're tired, you're tired! So I put my head on the grass and fell asleep.

When I opened my eyes, I was tied up-Damn, I should have listened to my gut instinct! Damn it!

Two leering faces stared down at me-what the hell were those things?

They had large, green heads and bulbous eyes, Thin bodies that looked way to gangly for their crazy heads....

"Look! The human is awake!" One screeched. "Oooh! Can I eat it's feet?" Another asked, jumping up and down. "No!" Said the first. "But I'm hungry!" Whined the second. "Er, what are you?" I blurted. "We are goblins." The first said, as if it were obvious. "Oh. Well, um...That's nice..." I said, trying to think of something to say. "It's not nice! We're fearsome, evil, scheming, and should be feared!!" The second screamed at me, spittle hitting my face. "You're supposed to be fearsome? HA HA HA, what world do you live in? You, dear creatures, are crazier-looking than I am! And I am The Phantom of the Opera, Devil's Child! People screamed at my face, ran from my hideousness, feared my temper and wrath! You are the clowns of the monster world!" I couldn't help my outburst. 

The second goblin started to cry.

"You made my brother cry!" The first yelled, pointing a disgusting finger at me, "NO ONE does that!" 

"You tied me up and are definitely trying to eat me!" I retorted.  "So? That's in Goblin nature!" The first defended himself and his brother. 

"We-we're n-not clowns!" The second sniffled. 

I made a goblin cry....I felt sort of rotten right then...

"Tell you what, you untie me and I'll stop his crying...Deal?" I offered. "No." The first snapped. "Okay, I'll make him cry more. HEY! You're so stupid, you climbed over glass to see what was on the other side! You're so ugly, when you tried to take a bath, the water jumped out!" I felt crappy now...

The second goblin began to bawl. The first turned to me immediately. "Make it stop!" He cried. "Let me out!" I yelled back. I was untied. "Do you have a musical instrument in this hut of yours?" I asked over the others crying. "YEAH! IN THE BACK, I THINK IT'S BROKEN!!!" He yelled. 

The little stringed instrument wasn't broken, it just needed tuning. As soon as it was tuned, I started to play. The melody stopped the goblins' crying, which was incredibly good. "How do you do that?" They asked. "You press down on the neck's strings," I pointed to the neck and the strings, "And run your fingers along the lower part of the string." I explained. 

They thought that was the most interesting thing they'd ever heard. 

"Farewell. Don't kidnap anyone anymore, okay?" I waved as I headed out of the hut. "And keep playing your instrument, if it sounds off tune it!" I waved again. 

I headed a little deeper into the forest and fell into a huge lake, sinking to the bottom.