All he needs is a friend.

Those are the words that always stuck with me when my grandmother described her childhood.

Growing up in a Soviet Union provided its own set of challenges, but that was never what

she described as really making an impact on her life.

Don't get me wrong, she grew up during a tough time, but of all the insanity that she had

witnessed in her life, the one thing that stood out to her was a creature known to her

village that came to be known as the Koresh.

She like many people and villagers in the USSR lived near a large wooded area and the

one rule that she could recall as a kid was to never go into the forest late at night.

The bears are the least of our concern, her mother would always tell her.

The most terrifying thing you can encounter is a friend.

Of course, being a young child, she had no idea what her mother had meant and when she

pushed her for details, she was always told that she'd understand when she was older,

but there was no point in giving her nightmares when she was still so young.

Naturally, she tried to ask the other villagers what her mother was so worried about, but none

of the adults were willing to speak of such evil to a child.

She had all been given up her search for answers when one of her cousins approached her

one day.

You want to know about what lives in the forest?

He asks, well, smoking a cigarette.

Of course I do, Alec.

She said, a bit excited.

...