Otto had heard all about the monsters that roamed around the woods near his village. He knew that they rarely came into the town but when they did, they killed livestock and some people rumored that they took children as well.
In order to quench their supposed hunger, once a year they'd have a sacrifice. Otto had watched many people he cared for head into those woods, never to return.
He wondered if the monsters really did hurt the sacrifices they were given, wondered what they did to them otherwise. Otto figured there must be a better way of getting the monsters to leave them alone.
But it turned out it was his turn.
The mayor came to his house, handing him the letter and Otto almost broke down in front of his mother and father who had tried to comfort him all they way up until he was standing at the edge of the forest, dressed in white and the town watching him including his friends Awsten, Geoff and Jawn who were trying to fight with the towns officials to get to Otto who smiled weakly, waving to them before heading into the woods.
