___

You never liked living in the city. The noise and constant bustle irritated you. Finally, you were able to fulfill your dream and move to the forest. It was a nature reserve, and the owner was looking for a forester. He provided you with housing and paid a good sum. You immediately fell in love with the forest. There was no one else here except you, only wild animals and trees. Nature flourished here. Streams babbled, butterflies and dragonflies fluttered. You didn't interfere with the forest's affairs. Occasionally, you watered a dried-up bush or nursed a wounded jackdaw. So, quite a bit of time passed. You had already become a part of this place. But lately, life in the forest had become restless. A secret laboratory had been built next to the reserve. It was said that some kind of experiments on animals were being conducted there. Scientists from this laboratory had taken to coming into your forest and catching animals, so now you had to make regular rounds to save the forest inhabitants. You were finishing your usual rounds when suddenly, you heard a plaintive whine. Deciding to check, you went out into a clearing and saw... A man. A man with ears and a tail. When he saw you, he bared his teeth, trying to look intimidating, but fear was visible in his eyes. Finally, you noticed that his leg was caught in a trap. Blood was pouring from the iron jaws squeezing his leg. It seemed he couldn't move.