Once we were in the forest, out of sight, I lightened up, loosening my grip on the little girl. Finally, after some while, I let go. It continued to walk along in front of me, though its steps looked more natural now that it was walking at its own pace. I silently watched it walk. It bobbed up and down, like a normal person would. Its tufts of hair did the same. Nothing about it gave away the truth it was a spirit. As long as it made no sudden or hurried movements, it blended in perfectly with humanity. The one standout feature was its hair. Beyond blonde, a bright yellow, it could be seen from far, far away. The hair glowed like the sun whenever shards of light hit it through the foliage above.
Eventually, it turned its head around to look at me as it walked. I realised it was scared. No… not quite. It was worried. Like a child when they know they did something wrong. I was taken aback. Her face was undeniably human. A sense of guilt overcame me as I recalled how I treated her. Equally, anger rose up in my chest as I felt I was being duped. Deceived again by its innocent eyes, like the eyes of a puppy.
“Look,” I sighed. “What were you doing with those children?”
It met my eyes with curiosity, then it dropped its gaze, looking down in shame. I remembered it couldn’t talk.
“Did you… show them your magic?”
It looked in confusion.
“Did you rejuvenate any flowers?”
It shook its head. I sighed in relief.
“Did you… talk to…? No, wait.”
It shook its head anyway.
How did they see you? You… in the forest? Did they see you in the trees?”
It nodded.
“And how did they get you to leave? Did they shout at you?”
It nodded.
“In anger, or…”
It shook its head.
“Invitingly.”
It nodded.
“And that’s when you finally came out.”
It nodded.
“Slowly? Or did you run?”
It started to nod, then stopped in confusion. I gave it too many options.
“Slowly?”
It nodded.
“You did not glide?”
It shook its head.
“Then, what did the children do?”
It waited.
“Did…?” My mind went blank. I wasn’t sure how to proceed in a yes or no manner.
We walked in silence as I thought. Its eyes stayed fixed on me.
“Did they talk about your hair?”
It nodded.
“And they touched it?”
It shook its head.
“Do you think they know you are a spirit?”
It thought for some moment, then shook its head.
“They didn’t call you a spirit?”
It shook its head.
“A monster?”
It shook its head.
“Did they call you strange?”
It nodded.
“… But they still let you play with them,” I said to myself.
It nodded anyway.
“What about the rocks? What were… They were playing with those rocks?”
It nodded.
“How so? You know… Were they moving them around?”
It nodded. That did not tell me much. It was a silly question.
“Did you touch the rocks?”
It nodded.
“They invited you to?”
It nodded.
“Did they draw with the rocks?”
It nodded.
“… Four lines? Some crossing each other?”
It stopped to think, its eyes staring blankly up at the trees as if counting in its head, then nodded. I understood a little more now. They were still behaving like children.
“Did you play their game?”
It looked confused, tilting its head slightly to the side, its eyebrows raised and lips pressed high.
“Did you… you put the stones inside those lines?”
It shook its head.
“You just watched the children?”
It nodded.
“Did you… touch the children?”
It shook its head.
“Did they touch you?”
It shook its head.
“Did…?”
I realised the nature of my questioning, like a parent questioning their daughter after an outing. My face grew hot, and I stopped talking, unable to focus on the next question. I determined I was safe enough, and the spirit did not draw too much suspicion to itself. If anything, my handling of the situation at the wall would be the giveaway. Perhaps I could explain it away that; I was flustered to find her outside the woods when she should be at the cottage.