She was walking through a shallow stream, one foot infront of the other. Arms out, trying to balance on make believe stepping stones. Her eyes closed to the shadows from the eastern canopy, her breathing steady with the low hum from deep within the forest. “All it would take is one more step..”

“For you not to jump too far from me.”

She whirled around, her long hair half covering her face. “Who was that?”

“But girl, we won’t stay. We’ll fly.”

She was struggling to concentrate in the light, morning fog.

And then all of a sudden, there he was. And there he wasn’t.

He left with a quick half smile and the scent of raspberries.

“What a beautiful voi-” She looked down, and something caught her eye. Something sparkling in the light dew that covered the entire forest floor.

A mere scrap piece of metal, but she slipped it in her pocket anyways. By that time, the sun had risen higher, so she turned around and started walking back through the stream barefoot and thinking of a stranger.