The Beast of the forest

by Stolen Key

Deep in the heart of Russia lives a child. Ivan has always been alone and is the last child in his town. His town has been plagued by a curse known only as the beast. He is protected day and night by the adults surrounding him, yet he only wants to visit his only friend who lives in the forest, the home of the beast. Rated T for violence later on

1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Unfortunately I don't own Hetalia ;_; I just own this story.

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Deep in the heart of a Russian forest long forgotten by time lives a legend, a curse that plagues the surrounding areas and destroys all in its path. For over a hundred years the forest has been home to the beast. It prowled the darkness at night always on the hunt for new prey, unable to satisfy its ever growing hunger. The unlucky few who have ever come across it have never lived to tell the tale, the only evidence left are the bodies and the howl, a piercing grief laden howl that cut through the nights telling everyone "another falls". The forest is the last of an ancient world of magic and myth, its trees tangled in the canopy leaving the forest in an everlasting state of darkness. Many feared the forest and left its boundaries, hundreds of abandoned towns litter the outskirts and thousands of once prosperous routes of travel left to be reclaimed by the wild. Only one town remained at the edge of the trees. But it was fading, the children were disappearing and the adults were fleeing in fear of the beast. The beast that devours the night and steals their hope.

That was until fifty years ago the beast stopped, things returned to normal but the damage was done. The legend spread and most feared the area that was now called The Hopeless Forest. For a while within the last ten years life was good for the town, they had regained some of their past glory and were able to entice vendors and rich businessmen to the area thanks to an abundance of food and resources. Suddenly the beast returned. For the last two years the beast could be heard howling from the depths of the forest. Every morning a child was declared missing. Each one seemingly led from its bed and brought deep into the trees were it was never seen again. Only their footsteps remained. Each set of footsteps was accompanied by a set so grotesque that whoever followed them wiped them out so none other could witness them.

Now only one child remained. A small violet eyed, blonde boy called Ivan, being the only child left he was the towns pride and guarded like gold. He was the last remaining hope they had and they would stop at nothing to protect him. He was a bright happy child, always smiling and trying to make new friends. He would forever be trying to cheer up the people around him and find a flower to bring to the parents of lost children. That was until the fateful night his turn came.