She was a thin little figure, wrapped with a ragged light brown cloak as large as herself. She wore a simple brown dress which appeared to be hastily stitched together, and the tops of her dress were loosely fastened by crisscrossing strings at the chest. From the looks of it, she was no older than five years.
The girl paused and looked up at me again, as if asking for my permission. Not knowing if I should speak, I leaned closer, gently nudging my arm further out. The flower head bounced a little.
A big smile grew across her face, and before I knew it, she swiftly dashed through the field at a startling pace. No, it was as if she was gliding along the ground as the wind picked up, the flower field rippling towards me. Once I realised what happened, she was already flanking the stone steps I stood on. I stumbled back a step, my arm inadvertently retracting. Suppressing a gasp, I bit my lips. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up, urging me to flee. For whatever reason, however, I did not. I forced myself to hold my ground.
The girl, presumably realising my fright, broke her smile, then hopped a few steps back, distancing herself from me. Her arms disappeared beneath her cloak. From there, she inspected with the same watchful eyes she had before, waiting for my next move.
I calmed down, judging there was no harm intended. Stepping towards her, I extended my arm once more. She treaded forward at a carefully predictable pace, raising both of her hands above her head. I dipped my arm lower, allowing her to reach the flower with her small fingers. Once I let go and fully transacted the gift, she immediately returned to her previous glee, hugging the flower closely and swinging her little body side to side.
It was a bewildering transformation; a remarkable sight to see. A nervous laugh broke out from within as I watched her celebration. She no longer looked any different than what one might expect from a little girl. Still, something did not feel quite right about this child.
I began to back away towards the door, slowly standing up. The girl perceived my retreat and glanced back up with unflinching eyes. She was no longer scared, but her watchfulness put me on edge. I abruptly stopped and stared back at her, anticipating her next set of actions. We stood silent for a few moments, watching each other, before the girl’s expression changed once again. Looking guiltily down at her gift, she extended her small hands back at me, as if handing back the flower.
I realised she had mistaken my silence as a request to return the flower. Shaking my head, I squatted back down and tried to converse with this girl. “My name is Elisabeth. Do you live out here?”
She didn’t speak. Her arms lowered.
“Where are your parents?”
Her face slid behind the flower, shaking her head. She did not say a word, nor a murmur.
“You don’t know where your parents are?”
The girl shook her head again.
That was what I feared. Looking out at the darkened forest, I contemplated. What was I to do next? I could try to search for her parents, but it would not be an easy task in this forest. Especially at night. As far as I was aware, no one else lived this deep in the forest. The only choice I really had was to take her in. Living alone, it was no trouble to do so. I just… was not confident the girl would not take exception to the idea. She was not comfortable with strangers, it seemed. Pulling her any closer may not be a good idea.
The girl circled around me to walk back into my view. My pondering drew my gaze off to the side. The girl looked uncertain what to do. Perking my head back up, I smiled. “Cheer up, I will help you find your parents, okay?”
The girl shook her head again. She had a look of uncertainty.
Not knowing what else to say, I slowly stood up. “Either way, it will be getting dark soon…”
She silently gazed at me, her expression unmoving. The words did not make her flinch the slightest. I looked towards the sky, dusky purple with a tinge of orange still. It was a foreboding looking sky, but I supposed it did not frighten her a bit.
After some hesitation, without looking back down, I decided to give it a go. “Would you… like to stay here for the night?”
Out of the corner, I saw the girl vividly nodding. Peering down, I found her beaming, a great big smile stretching across her face.
I laughed in relief. The task was much easier than I expected. “Very well, then.” Turning back to the door, I found my keys and unlocked it. With a creak, I pushed it open and stepped into the dark. When I glanced back, I was surprised to see the girl sat on the stone steps, facing out towards the flower field. I leaned a little to the side to get a better look at her. Easing my hand on the door, I walked back to the threshold.
“You can come inside, you know.”
The girl turned around and looked up, the flower still close to her face.
“You can come inside,” I repeated. “Safer than staying out in the dark.”
Her gaze fell, looking beyond me into the dark hallway. Quickly realising my own contradiction, I felt for the light switches and flicked them.
The dim hallway lights sputtered on. The brighter lights in the dining room followed soon after, filling the house with its warm glow. The act elicited a complex reaction out of the girl, a mixture of astonishment and fascination. Eyes widened, she sat completely still, peering into the house as if she had seen a ghost.