The corners of her lips rose slightly into a subtle smile as Susanna drew in the coolness of the breeze.  Her eyes were closed shut as she tried to imagine where the wind had been.  It waltzed around her, tousling and toying with her hair in the way that her younger sister would do when they were children.  What tales could the wind tell?  What secrets did it hold?  What sights had it beheld with its invisible eyes?  Susanna held out for an answer, but the wind was not telling.  All she would hear is the quiet hussssh as it gently moved across her ears.

Susanna was not a fanciful little girl chasing whims and dreaming by day.  She was mature for her years, which were just more than a score.  She knew better than to get caught up in wayward desires, tempting though it may be.  Had she been a child again, perhaps she would have frolicked through the verdant meadow and felt the tall blades of the grass as they swept through her hands.  She would have daintily lept from rock to rock as she curiously followed the water in the brook, her eyes affixed upon a bubble or a leaf as it traveled along the river’s course to whatever destiny lay in wait around the bend.  Were the age of creation but ten years less, she would have nestled in the crook of a tree, its limbs a sturdy pillow for her head as she listened to the songs of the wrens.

Though she was no longer a child, she would still afford herself moments of brief imagination and memories of a younger age.  Returning to this place brought back those memories very swiftly.  Each one of her senses reported back to her in a way that each smell, each sound, and even the taste of the air was like having conversations with old friends.  She wondered if the land, in turn, would remember her.  It had been many years since her feet had trod on the ground her ancestors had named Cairnbridge.  Just the sound of the name lifted her away from today and back to time gone by.  It was a very special place.

Susanna did not believe in utopias or paradises or any magical realm sheltered from the fallen nature of the world.  As much as she wanted to dwell here permanently, in time she was certain that it eventually would lose its allure and mystery.  Its aura would grow paler and the excitement would turn humdrum.  Had she been raised here, she would still love Cairnbridge, but in the way that one loves their home and yet longs to leave it for unseen places.  As such, Susanna was thankful for each and every visit, for their brevity retained the enchantment she so cherished from her childhood.  It was an oasis: not a permanent home, but a place to restore and refresh.

Though always a visitor, she knew the land well.  As a child, she had given the familiar landmarks name: every misshapen boulder and peculiar tree had been christened by her.  She walked along the paths she had taken dozens of times.  Though they were not marked or paved, she could navigate them blindly.  She recognized every type of flower and plant that grew in the area.  She could identify the wildlife that called the woods their home, and her education even allowed her to provide their proper names.  She now knew where the river went and how it became a larger tributary of a river that flowed into the sea a two hundred miles to the east.  There was little mystery left to Cairnbridge, a thought that somewhat saddened Susanna.

Regardless, she enjoyed her stroll.  The day was beautiful in its brightness.  A long winter had passed and it was one of the first days in many months that she could go without a sweater.  Her long dress reached to below her ankles and swayed to and fro as she walked, its hems lightly tickling her toes which peeked through her open-toed sandals.  It was not fancy by any means, but it was one of her favorite dresses, as she had tailored it herself.  Many of its garish predecessors had long since been dismissed from her wardrobe, but she was quite proud of this one.  Periwinkle was one of her favorite colors and it paired well with her naturally auburn hair, and she was thankful that the cotton fabric she had found for it was so light and soft.

At last she had come to Lydia and Dan, two twin willow trees that grew side-by-side and draped their leaves over the brook like half finished archways.  They had grown a little taller and thicker since Susanna had last seen them.  In a way, it appeared that they had actually grown closer together, which made her smile.  They stood as friendly reminders that it was time to return home, as the journey back to the estate from that point would take about an hour.  “Thanks, you two,” she said with a cheerful curtsey, “and as always, it’s good seeing you again.”  Their leaves undulated in the wind, as if to return the greeting.

Before reversing direction, Susanna took a moment and paused.  Everything was just as she had remembered it, every detail relatively unchanged...except for one.  She took in a breath of air.  It was crisp, as usual this time of spring.  Something was different, however.  She just barely detected a vague scent.  It was a pleasing aroma, which she likened to sandalwood and frankincense.  Breathing in more, she discovered that the scent grew stronger to the north.

That was very intriguing to her, because she had never smelled anything like this around Cairnbridge.  She knew the scents of the trees of the forest and of the flowers of the field, but this was something very different.  Quite frankly, she had not taken in anything like it before anywhere in her travels.  What was it?  Where was it coming from? she wondered.

Following her nose, she wandered through the wooded areas she knew so well and as the fragrance grew stronger, she felt a growing feeling of curiosity and enterprise.  She was entering a part of the forest that was not immediately familiar to her, which was odd considering how many times she had not been too far from her present location.

She kept walking until she could no longer hear the babbling waters of the brook.  She saw a break in the trees ahead and her eyes took notice of a clearing.  It was a small glade.  It was not a very large space; another ten yards and Susanna would find herself back in the forest.  Tall birch trees surrounded it like a fence, standing as sentinels.  They blocked much of the sunlight, but a few rays shone down giving the area a soft illumination.  

The glade was very bare, though serene.  Apart from a carpet of grass, there was no other vegetation, nor any rocks.  Stepping foot on the soft ground, Susanna was naturally compelled to slip off her slightly worn leather sandals.  Her eyes open in wonder, her now-bare feet felt almost chilly against the silken smooth grass.  With each step, the blades would bow to the ground under her feet and she had an inkling that she was the first to stand in this hidden sanctum in a very long time.  

While the grass was cool, the air was warmer here, especially as she walked where the sun was shining down.  Standing in its midst, the fragrance that had led her to this place was very strong now--almost overwhelmingly so--though she still could not identify its source.  Breathing deeply, the smell was more powerful than ever and it was so wonderful that it gave her very being a sense of peace, like arms holding her tightly with love.  She could not help but let out a childlike giggle.  It was of the sort that she had not escaped her lips in a very long time and realizing this caused Susanna to break out into even more laughter.  She truly was like a child again and the entire glade gently echoed with her glee.

However, before the smile could leave her countenance, suddenly and all at once the fragrance was gone!  This caught Susanna very much off guard, as it quickly disappeared mere seconds after nearly overpowering her.  Becoming very aware of her environment, she noticed that it was eerily quiet.  She could not hear the birds nor the crawling things.  Indeed, the very breeze had stilled.  She realized that she was now surrounded by the trees and that she could not remember from which direction she had emerged.  Peaceful just moments ago, Susanna quickly felt emotions of disorientation and uneasiness.  

More than that, she also became acutely aware that she was not alone...

The silence of the glade was broken with a whooshing sound, one that Susanna was not immediately able to identify. It was coming from the trees, though thankfully whatever it was was not large. At first, Susanna believed it was an insect or a small bird, but it lacked the whirring sound of fluttering wings. She could hear the source of the sound circling the perimeter of clearing, surrounding her in. Eventually, her eyes caught sight of its movement, though it was moving much too fast for her to focus on it. Again, she thought it perhaps a hummingbird or a moth, but this was certainly unlike any that she had ever encountered.

Whatever the enigma was, it was slowing down to the point where Susanna was able identify some of its features. It was about two inches in length, roughly guessing. It was slender, too, with a tanned complexion. Susanna's eyes beheld it in astounding wonder, because as the speed of its movement reduced, it became more clear to her that this was not bug or bird. In fact, in shape shape it was...humanoid! Susanna gasped. It was not a gasp of terror or a gasp of surprise, but a sharp inhalation of air that served as a placeholder for any other reaction she would have, for she knew not what to do. Should she be afraid?

Upon hearing this, the mysterious being very quickly slowed to a standstill. It hovered in midair about twenty feet away from her, near the edge of the wood. Its stillness made it more evident that it did not possessed any wings. Susanna was confused as to how it was staying aloft. Very cautiously, it was nearing her, pausing every few moments before continuing its advance. She could not take her eyes off of it.

As it drew nearer, Susanna was able to discern more of its features. It had two arms and two legs, just like a human. She could also make out that it was wearing clothing of some sort. It was dressed in a miniature shirt and pants of plain colors; very modest, and yet, its clothes gently shimmered in the light. It was most surprising when Susanna realized that it was a man! That is, it had a masculine appearance, though whether she could call him a "man" was uncertain to her at this time. She didn't know what it was, but it looked very much like a man...a very small man.

He continued to make his way closer ever carefully. She did not know how he was in levitation, but he was about five and a half feet in the air--Susanna's eye level. She watched him in peculiar wonder. She was astounded when she noticed that he was, in fact, walking towards her. He was making steps in the air, as if walking on ground! She could not believe the sight of her eyes and her heart beat swifter as her amazement escalated.

Very slowly, Susanna raised her right hand towards him, her eyes seldomly blinking. At first, he took a few steps back, until he realized that she was extending her hand as a gesture of goodwill. Go on, she mouthed with her lips, silently nodding with approval. He walked through the air and into her palm, his tiny feet with their even more miniscule leather boots taking ground upon her soft flesh. He was no longer than the two-thirds the length of her index finger. She held her hand out as straight as she could, lest she alarm the man into thinking she would close it upon him. The skin of her palm was taut like a drum. He remained there for a moment, staring up at her before looking down at her hand. He traced the life lines with his left foot. It tickled her, but she withheld the giggle this time. Kneeling down, he placed his small hand on the middle of her own, as if to compare the two. Her hand started to tremble at being extended for so long. Fortunately, he soon left her hand and made his way through the air. Before long, he was "standing" right in front of her eyes, as if upon an unseen platform.

Now able to view him clearly, Susanna could see that he indeed looked just like a man. A young man, actually, with a shock of brown hair on the top of his head. It was not combed, but was a disheveled mess of soft curls. He looked no older than herself. Susanna also keenly observed that his appearance was also quite handsome to behold. He had a boyish face, and yet he had a very strong jawline which accentuated his broad shoulders. His skin was tanned, a light golden brown that was seemingly free of any imperfections.

His visage, too, was in wonder and astonishment as he looked Susanna up and down. Susanna's already still breathing was paused as she gulped. She thought to speak, but what would she say? Furthermore, would he understand her? But before she could utter a word, the silence was broken not by Susanna, but by the mysterious man just inches from the tip of her nose.

"Are...are you Susanna?" the wide-eyed two-inch man spoke, almost in a whisper but very audible to Susanna's ears.

Taking in the words to his question, Susanna's mind started to comprehend that this very small creature had just spoken her name. Her heart started racing as fast as her mind, which was struggling in wonder if this were reality or a dream state. Thinking again about all that she had experienced--of the fragrance and of the forest clearing and of her laughter and of the very man standing in the air before her--Susanna forgot that she had been asked her a question. "Are you Susanna?" he had asked her.

The answer to his question was very clear and simple. She started to nod and her lips formed in anticipation of speaking. Her lungs had enough air in them to speak, and yet she found herself having difficulty getting out a sound.

Her lips quivered. Her knees trembled. Her eyes lost their focus.

Susanna fainted.

He could feel the warmth emanating from her skin. It was soft to the touch and was blanketed with a thin layer of perspiration, droplets of water that would have been imperceptible to anyone not of his diminutive stature and proximity to her. Laying prone against her chest, he could feel his body rising and falling along with hers as she gently breathed in and out. He was a ship on the ocean of her body. She was breathing slowly and with his ear against her, he could even hear the air rushing in and out of the twin caverns of her lungs below. His body reverberated in the rhythm provided by Susanna's massive heart that was pounding against him, beating as steadily as the pendulum of a clock.

He had been checking on her periodically. Though she was lying very still and had been for quite some time, he knew that she was going to be fine. She was much calmer compared to before, and now she was just resting in sleep.

He stood up, relieved.

He was a little worried when she first took her fall. She had been standing right before him, her face taking up the entirety of his field of vision. He could tell by her furrowed brow and bewildered eyes that she was very confused by his question. She had every right to be, of course, and looking back he assumed some blame with his very forward approach. He had rehearsed this moment in his mind for a very long time, practicing with various woodland creatures (who could never quite emote with the right reactions that he had envisioned). Of course, he had not envision her fainting...

She appeared to be responding, but before he could fully process what was happening to her, the great mountain of a woman was collapsing to the ground, which was hundreds of feet below him but only a relative few for Susanna. Her fall was miraculously graceful, softened by a thick bed of grass.

When he realized that she had fainted, he allowed himself to plummet through the air, as if he had stepped off his imaginary platform. A few seconds went by before he slowed his descent and landed upon her forehead. Her long cinnamon hair was cast about her head, a few strands from her widow's peak arching over and resting along the side of her face. With determination in his eyes, he grabbed the lock of hair in his hands and raced across her forehead, leaping from her temple with force. As he fell, he could feel her velvety hair slide through his small but steady hands until he held it tightly, which guided his descent until he landed upon her left ear.

"Susanna!" he said with an alarmed cry, though not a yell. Despite his size, his voice carried surprisingly well; besides, he was right next to her ear and she would be able to hear him just fine. "Susanna, are you okay?" She did not stir.

Despite his initial question, he knew this to be her. It had to be! He had seen her face in his dreams...

Kneeling to the ground, he quickly bounded into the air, leaping to a distance many times his height before somersaulting like an acrobatic and landing gently upon Susanna's slender nose. He hopped off down one side and stood before her twin nostrils, feeling the powerful gusts of air rushing to and fro, ruffling the fabric of his pants. Her nose stood up to his waist, so he was in no danger of being caught by her inhalations, though they did cause him to teeter around before assuming a stronger stance and gaining a solid footing.

He turned around and faced Susanna's slightly parted lips. Her mouth was as wide as he was tall, a thought which caused his heart to skip a beat at first. He could feel the humid air arising from within, escaping from the narrow space between her lips. Her lips were a light shade of red, a little darker than pink. He knelt down and touched them ever so slightly. They were even softer than the skin of her face and his hand sank into the flesh as he pressed down upon it. This inadvertently caused him to tumbled over and he had to catch himself. He considered it fortunate that her mouth was closed, but his heart still raced as he realized that his upper body was resting on the solid surface of one of her incisors. It, along with its sister, was as long as his torso. It was a creamy white and glistened with moisture. His hand was a little damp after he pushed off of the tooth and righted himself.

The small young man's mind was clouded with wonder, especially considering that each of her features matched perfectly with those of his Susanna. However, he regathered his focus and reminded himself of the situation at hand.

Taking a leap off the mound that was her chin, he slid carefully along her throat which just so happened to be swallowing as he guided himself along. It was a very unsettling feeling knowing that on the other side of this flesh, just inches behind him, a pool of saliva had instinctively been swallowed and was making its way down her gullet. He was glad to be on the outside.

Leaving the area of her neck, he ran to her chest where he proceeded to check her vitals.

Susanna. He whispered her name. He closed his eyes.

Susanna continued to sleep peacefully in the same place where she had fainted, but the miniature man had taken flight into the birch trees that surrounded the glade. Sitting upon a small branch that would have been a twig to Susanna's eyes, he kept a silent vigil upon her. In the meantime, his mind raced.

There was much to do before she awoke.

There is a domain to which all creatures great and small withdraw and retreat, though very seldom are they aware of it and far more seldom do they remember it. They occupy this realm and call it home for the briefest of moments in their lives, but those moments are among the most emotionally moving and compelling in their existence, demonstrating a powerful sway upon one's being. All must leave, but all long to return.

Its name is hypnopompia: the waking state.

It is the time between when one sleeps and wakes. It is the transition between dreams and reality, where the distinction between the two is blurred and they coexist in euphoric harmony; and they dance an ethereal tango.

It was here that he first saw Susanna.

The morning sun finally crested over the hills and began to send its warm beams of light across the land. They went everywhere they could: shimmering across the waters of the creeks and ponds; through the green leaves and needles of the various forest trees; and into every valley and to all the dark places still clinging to the night.

One beam, leaving its sun-mother, shone over the horizon and could not be stopped by the clouds which dotted the sky, nor by the robin's nest lying high in a birch tree, nor could the birch tree itself. Though many obstacles sought to prevent its penetrating radiance, it kept shining on until it came upon a glade. There, it finally reached its destination and kissed the beautiful sleeping face of Susanna.

Within minutes, she began to stir.

Sleeping on the ground is not very conducive to a state of well rest. There's a reason why humans invented beds and pillows and sheets and comforters. The ground simply is not that comfortable and in the morning, one might experience aches and pains and stiffness in their muscles and joints.

However, on this morning, Susanna was feeling none of that. The bed of grass that she had slept on would have rivaled the sleeping quarters of all the wealthy rulers of the world. She had slept so soundly that she had forgotten ever going to sleep. Those memories were coming back to her, but Susanna resisted. She feared that their return would usher away her memories of the night. Her dreams had been vivid and exhilarating, especially right before waking when her mind was lucid and clear and her dreams felt very real. She did not want to wake up, because she did not want to forget that man...

Despite the initial reluctance, Susanna took the first step and started opening her eyes. At first, she peered through eyelids that were just barely apart. The sun was bright as it shone on her face and she squinted. She saw that she was outside. Above her, she could see the light blue hue of the morning sky, which was in the midst of chasing away the reds and yellows of the sunrise and establishing its dominance for the day. The sky was framed by the tops of the ring of birch trees that surrounded her, seen as a halo of green leaves and white bark.

The glade. Immediately, memories from the previous day were returning to her. She had been revisiting Cairnbridge. There was the powerful fragrance, the clearing in the forest...the little man. He spoke her name. Susanna remembered that she had fainted. But how much of what she remembered was real?

Before she could fully process her thoughts, a small voice called out from above:

"Good morning!"

Susanna sat up, fully awake. For the first time since the previous evening, she looked around at her location and she questioned whether she was in the same glade as before. It was very different. It was still surrounded by the same perimeter of birch trees, and the grass she was laying on was just as green and soft, but yesterday the grass had been the only thing there. The glade had been rather empty and nondescript.

However, today she awoke surrounded by color and life. She found herself in the midst of a garden of flowers! All sorts of blooming plants were about her: a rainbow of lilies and lilacs, pansies and petunias--everything from azaleas to zinnias! The horticulturalist inside of her was absolutely thrilled, and she wanted to leap to her feet and smell each and every one of them. Oh, and the smell! Language has its challenges and limitations when describing the sense of smell, but to explain what Susanna's nose was experiencing, one must imagine the equivalent of watching a glamourous parade or listening to a full symphony orchestra. Stretching her arms into the air, she let out a giddy series of joyous giggles.

Her laughter. Susanna remembered!

Looking up and around into the trees, she searched for the little man who had appeared to her yesterday after she laughed. He had called out to her just moments ago. She had been barely awake and the sights around her had distracted her since, but she was certain she had heard him. However, her eyes could not find him.

Just as she was about to call out, she looked right in front of her. To her left, among a bed of geraniums, a red tulip stood alone. Its flower had not yet opened for the day. Sitting on top of it was a small little man, not two inches in height, with tanned skin, a mess of brown curls on his head, and clothes that lightly shimmered in the sun. He was smiling at her. The sight of him made Susanna's heart race with excitement once more.

"You! You're real!" she said with wide eyes and wonder.

He hopped up and stood on the head of the tulip, which swayed up and down with his movement. "Why yes I am!" he responded, bending forward in a gentleman's bow. "You had a pretty bad fall last night. How are you feeling?"

"Oh, much better actually. I never faint. In fact, I can't remember the last time I fainted. I guess I got a little overwhelmed, what with the day of walking, my discovery of this place, and..."

"...and seeing me?" the little man coyly interrupted.

"Well, yes, I'm suppose that was a factor," Susanna said with acknowledgment. "Actually, there was more...it was something you said. You asked me if my name was Susanna."

"That I did. And you never did respond."

"No, I suppose I didn't. Yes, my name is Susanna. But...how did you know that? Do I know you?" Susanna realized that the man wasn't actually standing on the tulip anymore, as the wind was blowing it about and yet he stood in the same position, mid-air.

"That is a very good question. It also has a very long answer, one that I'm not quite sure how to explain to you just yet, especially not this early in the day," he said.

"But I have to know!" Susanna protested. She was sitting upright now, her legs crossed and the skirt of her light blue dress stretching over them like a tent. Its color was periwinkle, her favorite color, for they were her favorite flowers. Incidentally, she was sitting right next to a patch of periwinkles and they matched her dress perfectly. She would smile when she noticing this later.

"Very well...I will tell you," said her new friend. "I heard your name whispered on the wind."

Susanna was clearly not fully satisfied with this answer, but she decided that she was not going to pursue it further at the moment. She had other questions, and perhaps he did, too--whoever he was. In fact, that was the next of her questions to be asked. Also on that list was how it was that he was levitating in the air, which Susanna could not help but be distracted by, to the point that she asked if he could stand on her hand again. He obliged and she carefully picked him up.

"Okay, I guess I can accept that for now, but you'll have to tell me the full story later. You know my name, but may I know yours?"

The man in her palm paused and pondered for a moment before looking up at her again. "I don't have one."

Susanna was getting a little vexed at the miniature man's answers--or lack thereof. It did not help that it was still the morning and she had just woken up. "You don't have a name? Then what do others call you?"

"Nobody calls me anything. There is no one else," he replied plainly.

"No one?"

"None. You are the first person that I have ever spoken to."

Upon hearing this, Susanna's heart sank low with compassion and pity for the tiny man. "No one at all? My, that's one of the saddest things I have ever heard!" Out of feminine instinct, she gently drew her hands to her chest and lightly clutched him against her, not thinking of what reaction he would have.

He was, in fact, caught by surprise as he felt the hand below him moving and saw Susanna's body swiftly dominating his field of vision. Soon, he was pressed up against her increasingly familiar bosom. He did not feel threatened and understood that this was a kind gesture from her. Still, he was not sure if his statement deserved such sympathy. He was simply telling her the truth, and he knew not that it was something to be ashamed of. He had never experienced companionship or friendship before, and so he did not know that it was supposed to be preferable to loneliness, nor that his loneliness was to be pitied.

Becoming aware of what she had just done, Susanna's eyes shot open and she quickly extended her arm back away from her. "Oh, I'm so sorry, I didn't realize what I was doing! Did I hurt you? I just couldn't help myself. Did I-..."

"Susanna, I'm fine!" he said reassuringly, straightening his shirt with a smile. "I thank you. But I'm not completely alone, you know."

"No? Who else is there then? Are there others like you?"

"No, not that I know of. But I do talk a lot."

"With whom?" Susanna asked curiously.

"Well, I do talk with the squirrels and birds and other inhabitants of the forest."

"Really!" said Susanna, her interest now greatly piqued. "You speak with the animals? How amazing! And what name do they call you, then?"

The man looked up at her with a raised eyebrow, unsure if he understood her correctly. "Name? My dear...animals don't talk back."

Susanna was staring at him inquisitively until she realized what he meant. "Ohhhh...oh! Oh my, you poor thing!"

Suddenly and once again, he found his face in the warmth of Susanna's modest bosom.

Her laughter was joy. When Susanna laughed, it was as if ten thousand glass jars filled with fond memories and happy moments were crashing to the ground and being released into the world.

It was magic.

"I'm going to have to give you a name, you know." Susanna said to the little man resting in her palm.

"If you wish," he answered. He never had a name before and he had done well enough without one until now. However, he understood the convenience of the idea, and the more he considered it the more he found it appealing.

"Is there any name you prefer?"

"I don't know of any," he confessed. "The only name I know is 'Susanna.' I like the name, but perhaps it might be confusing..."

"Ha! Susanna is a girl's name, and yes, it would be very confusing," she said. "Let me think..." She began brainstorming ideas, thinking through the great multitude of potential names, nixing the ones that belonged to any of her relatives, ex-boyfriends, or dogs. "How about Jeffrey?"

He thought about it for a moment. "If that is what you wish to call me..." he said, sounding unconvinced.

"What's wrong with Jeffrey?" she asked. "Oh, I suppose you're not a Jeffrey. What about Brian? Felix?" With each suggestion, Susanna was coming to realize that she was not the best at naming people. She often named rocks and trees, but those were different. A person's name was much more permanent. It mattered. It need time and thought and consideration. "Let me think about it. I'll get back to you."

"Certainly," said her still nameless friend. He was losing interest anyway and was wandering away from her palm and up Susanna's forearm. While harmless, his little boots were tickling her and her body started to shake as she tried to hold in her giggles. It became near impossible as she watched him trying to maintain his balance on her arm, ultimately failing and falling to the surface of her dress below. He bounced on contact and landed square on his rump unharmed.

Susanna could no longer contain herself and broke out into laughter. "I thought you could fly!" she said in between laughs.

"It, uh...well, it doesn't quite work that way," he said as he picked himself up, trying his best to maintain some dignity. While the cotton of her dress was very soft and comfortable, it was very difficult for him to stand. He wobbled around with difficulty while trying to find his balance. He eventually stopped trying and just sat back down.

"Of course it doesn't," spoke Susanna's smiling face, looming sixty feet above him. "For a man no taller than my thumb, you are full of mysteries. I'll have you know that I am very intrigued."

Susanna undoubtedly had many unanswered questions, but the day was still young. She was still enchanted by the flourishing garden in bloom around her and she wondered how much her new friend had to do with it. Just what was he capable of?

Without warning, the calm of the moment was abruptly broken.

The little man, still resting in Susanna's lap, leapt to his feet and into a defensive stance, his eyes darting around to find the source of the great roar that had just pierced the air. There were not many predators in the woods of Cairnbridge. It was possible that a cougar had wandered into the area from the mountains in the north, but one had not been seen in a hundred years. Whatever it was, it caused Susanna's body to tremble.

"Don't be afraid, Susanna! We are safe in this glade," he said, somewhat reassuringly, though there was a hint of fear in his voice. It was true that this was a safe haven, but should something happen...how could he protect her? Despite his size, he was determined to do whatever he could and more.

He was about to take off into the air and scout out the area before the voice above him replied:

"Um...actually, I'm not really afraid," Susanna said, biting her lip bashfully.

"Your courage is admirable, Susanna.  But your lack of concern is...well, I'm not sure if I understand," he said with wariness mingled with confusion.

Once again, he could hear the beast's growling roar echoing through the air, shaking Susanna's very body. He glanced around.  It sounded closer--very close.  He craned his neck upwards to check on Susanna. Her cheeks were as red as the roses nearby and she wore a face of embarrassment.

"Susanna?  Are you okay?"

"Like I said, I'm not afraid," Susanna explained. "I'm...hungry."

It finally dawned on him. The beast had been located and it was right in front of him. It was Susanna's stomach.

"Oh," said the man, mostly relieved.

Out of great curiosity, he carefully walked up her dress to the vast wall that was Susannah's abdomen. He did not have to put his ear to it to hear her belly rumbling and gurgling, informing its woman that it needed to be fed. How large could it be that it would make such a loud noise? Of course, he did not wonder such a thing out loud, lest he embarrass Susanna further. And yet, his mind could not help but consider that to his eyes, her stomach would be a great cavern that would fit him five times over...a cavern that he did not wish to explore. She is going to need a lot of food to fill it, he thought.

"Well, then," he said, trying to divert his thoughts away and regain his focus. "Let's fix that, shall we?"

Susannah smiled and nodded in agreement.

"I actually planned ahead, thinking that you might be desirous of some food when you awoke."

"Well, you were right!" replied Susanna. "I'm absolutely starved. After all, I fainted before eating dinner yesterday." She had intended on eating in the town after her walk. Cairnbridge Manor was vacant at this time of year and she was the only one there. These days, it was all but a summer home for her cousins. She did not particularly like that branch of her family and would rather avoid them when she could. Besides, she much preferred visiting Cairnbridge in the spring.

The little friend pointed to a patch of daisies. "Look there behind you and you'll find some food."

"Well, those daisies are absolutely lovely! But...am I to eat them?"

He laughed and explained, "No, look behind them."

Susanna stood up, which was the first time that morning actually. Stretching her legs, she made her way through the lilies and azaleas. She stooped down and looked through the daisy patch. Sure enough, she found a basket! It was made from twigs and leaves and long blades of grass, woven together in resemblance to a bird's nest. Inside, she found it filled with all sorts of delicious-looking berries and a variety of nuts. There was even a honeycomb there, dripping with its sweet nectar!

"This all looks amazing!" exclaimed Susanna. "Where did you get all of this?"

"I found it!" he said proudly. "Well, I gathered it, that is. It did not take me long. The forest is bountiful, if you know to look in the right places."

"Even the honeycomb?"

"Ah yes. Well, that one...proved difficult," he said, the look on his eyes attesting to the truth of his story. "I do not have many friends among the bees..."

"Well, then I am especially thankful. You are very generous.  I cannot wait to try these blueberries!" Susanna was truly giddy with enthusiasm. She carried the basket back to her patch of grass, which was still flattened to the ground in the shape of her sleeping form. Sitting back down, she lightly kissed the man on his head to demonstrate her appreciation.

Under normal circumstances, Susanna was very dainty and ladylike, raised by her mother to maintain proper manners, especially at the dinner table. However, her mother was not here and with no offense meant to her friend, she doubted that the little man of the forest knew the rules of etiquette. On top of that, she was famished and her mouth salivated at the thought of tasting the ambrosial selection before her.

She scooped a handful of blueberries into her hand and lifted them to her mouth. Blueberries were a childhood favorite of hers. Just as she did back then, she allowed them roll out of the cup of her hand, seemingly of their own volition, tumbling over her lips and onto her anxiously awaiting tongue.

"MMMmmm..." Susanna sounded with satisfaction. The taste of those berries would be an experience she would remember for a very long time. Future blueberries would have the daunting challenging of having to be compared to these. They were very plump and sweet and succulent and had no tartness or bitterness to them at all.

The blueberries were even juicier than she anticipated. They burst under very little pressure and filled her mouth with their sweet liquid, causing a little stream of blueberry juice to seep out of the corners of her mouth and dribble down her chin.

These were good berries.

Licking her lips, Susanna eagerly reached down for another handful when she noticed her little friend standing on the ground and staring up at her with wide eyes and his mouth agape. He did not mean to stare, but he was simply in awe. It took him a few bites to eat just one of those berries, and by then he would be quite satiated. After all, one blueberry came up to his knees. But he had just witnessed this woman consume about a dozen of them--a mere handful for her-- and she was looking for more! He was not disgusted by any means; he was truly amazed.

"Oh...I'm sorry," Susanna said, sheepishly. Perhaps she had gone too far in rejecting propriety. "I guess I was a little too...enthusiastic?"

He snapped out of his stare and quickly apologized. "Oh no, my apologies! I didn't mean to stare. Please don't feel ashamed! I'm glad you're enjoying them," he said, taking another bite of the walnut he had been nibbling on.

"Well...just so you know: this is the best breakfast I have had in a very long time." She reached back into the basket to continue her meal, eyeing the honey before remembering something. "Oh, and one more thing..."

"Yes?"

"I thought of a name for you."

"Really? Tell me!" he said with barely contained enthusiasm.

"Vincent."

"I like it," said Vincent, referring to his newly minted moniker.

"Really?" questioned Susanna with a hopeful face.

"Yes, actually I do. I may not know much about names, but I like the way 'Vincent' sounds. It's feels strong and distinctive."

"It's a special name--to me, at least. It has run in my family for a very long time. In fact, it originated with my ancestor, Vincent I of Cairnbridge, who first found this area and made it his home. His great-grandson was the one who built the estate beyond those hills."

"An even greater honor. I will bear the name with pride."

"Oh, that makes me so happy!" she said, clapping her hands in glee.

Susanna and Vincent were just finishing their breakfast, emptying the leafy basket of all of its fare. Everything was delectable. From the strawberries dipped in the wild honey, to the choice almonds and pecans, and especially the blueberries, Susanna was content. Vincent had asked her if it had been sufficient and she told him it had been more than enough; in truth, she could have eaten more, having missed dinner the previous night. She knew, though, that Vincent had worked hard to gather it all and that to him, this food would have lasted weeks. She was grateful.

By now, the sun was fully risen and was casting its light upon the glade. With the warm sunlight, the gentle breeze, the sweet perfume of the flowers around them, and an appeased belly, Susanna was tempted to lie down and go back to sleep.

She was at peace here. Though she loved Cairnbridge dearly, this was the first time she felt truly at home in these woods. In the past, she had never been able to fully separate herself from the thoughts of the world with all its duties and chores and responsibilities. Even Cairnbridge Manor was the subject of an inheritance dispute. She was far less interested in the matter than her father was, who (rightly) believed that their cousins did not sincerely care for the estate. To them, it was just another one of their many properties. To Susanna, all that really mattered was the land, which jointly belonged to everyone in her extended family. No matter who owned the house, she would always be free to walk this ground. For this, she was extremely thankful.

"Vincent?" ask Susanna, who was reclining in her grass patch.
"Yes?" he replied distractedly. He was in the process of climbing an orchid and was hanging from its arching stem, almost hidden among its pink and white flowers that fluttered with every move.

"Did you plant this garden?" inquired Susanna. "I only ask because it is stunningly beautiful and I know that there's no way this grew naturally. This came at the hands of a master gardener." She was fond of gardening herself ever since her grandmother had given her a box of seeds for a childhood birthday. Despite her amateur experience, she never would have been able to sustain anything like the garden of the glade.

"I had a hand in making it, yes," Vincent answered with a strained voice. He was swinging himself upwards in an attempt to sit atop the orchid when one of his hands slipped and he hung precariously by one arm. Growing frustrated, he gave up his attempt and let go of the flower entirely. Instead of falling, however, he levitated himself upwards until he was above the flower, then lowered again until he was straddling it like a mount. "There we go!" he said in satisfaction.

"There you go again! Why even bother walking or climbing or anything when you can just fly?"

"It's like I said. It doesn't quite work like that." Vincent explained further, "Let's just say that while I can, it's a lot easier to do things the 'traditional' way."

"Okay, very well. Going back to the garden, though..." Susanna continued. "Yesterday, this was just an empty meadow. There was only grass here and no sign of anything else growing. And yet, today I can count no less than two dozen varieties of flowers, all in full bloom! There's no way they could have sprouted and grown in the course of the evening. You said you had a 'hand in making it.' What do you mean?"

Vincent paused for a moment and candidly answered, "They grew because I asked them to."

"You asked them to?" asked Susanna.

"More or less--though perhaps not so much verbally."

"Go on..."

"Well, I imagined the garden in my mind and I wanted it to be real. It agreed, and it was so."

Susanna's faced showed that she was still pondering his answer. She was coming to understand, but had many more questions. "And so, is that how you fly, stand on air, or whatever it is that you can do?"

"Basically! I just want to..." said Vincent, leaping from his orchid perch and rising through the air until he was floating a few inches from Susanna's eyes, "...and I do."

"Fascinating..." Susanna whispered breathlessly.

Vincent had never put much thought into his abilities. Not having had contact with a human before, he was not aware that his skills were unique. There was no standard of comparison. He had always been able to do such things. To him, it was as natural as walking or jumping.

Nothing had ever taken such an interest in him as Susanna did. He didn't mind her questions because no one had ever asked him those questions before. She made him feel important and special, and he liked that feeling. Spending a lifetime in the forest was a lonely existence, and while he was used to it and didn't quite mind, he very much enjoyed the company of Susanna and her (dare he say it) friendship. That, in Vincent's opinion, was special.

As a gesture of friendship—but also in an attempt to impress her further—he decided that he was going to put on a show for her. "Watch this..." he said with bravado.

Vincent started with a few simple tricks. Closing his eyes in concentration, he began spiraling in the air, performing vertical loops and barrel rolls, much to Susanna's delight. He sprung a few back flips and cartwheels just as if he were on the ground, then started "swimming" in mid-air, jokingly beginning with a doggie paddle before transitioning into a full-on backstroke.

Susanna had a mischievous look in her eyes when Vincent made his way back towards her. When he was about to round another "lap" around her face, she pursed her lips and started to blow. This caught Vincent by surprise, as he suddenly found himself being buffeted by a gale force wind. Her breath knocked him head over heels through the air. Losing his concentration, he started to plummet to the ground!

Susanna let out a gasp as she watched her friend in freefall, immediately feeling guilty. She tried to reach out her hand to catch him, but she had blown him too far away and she had lost sight of him. In fact, she could not see him anywhere! She scanned the ground in worry, but he had disappeared. Her heart started to race.

"Vincent?!" she cried out. She carefully fell to knees and started crawling on all fours towards the direction she saw him fall, being very conscious of where she was placing her hands and knees.

As she began searching the ground, she felt something land on the small of her back, run up along her spine, and dive into the forest of her hair. It was now crawling at the base of her neck and it tickled her as it burrowed its way its way to the top of her head. Her suspicions were confirmed when it emerged and apparently started to dance a celebratory jig on her crown.

Very slowly and carefully, Susanna raised her hands along her sides. She clasped both of them around the little braggart, being careful not to harm him. With a satisfied smile, she brought her hands to her face and opened them. Nothing! "Why you little...arg!" Susanna was starting to grow tired of this little game. She had a very competitive nature and she did not like to be outwitted. She was determined to get her comeuppance on her impish friend.

She heard his laughter from behind her and spun around quickly. Vincent was there sitting cross-legged before her eyes wearing a taunting grin. She lunged at him in an attempt to capture him, but he eluded her grasp. She lunged again, but this time her foot accidentally stepped on the nearby basket and she slipped. Her arms flailed instinctively, seeking to stabilize her balance or to find something to grab, but there was nothing there and she went crashing to the ground.

Vincent realized that things had perhaps gone too far. His grin was wiped from his face when he heard the loud thud and saw Susanna lying on the ground. Oh, not again....

"Susanna! Susanna, are you okay? Oh, I'm so sorry! Please answer me!" he shouted as he sped his way through the air to where she was.

Susanna was very still, much more than she had been after she had fainted. This fall had not be as graceful as before and Vincent feared she might be very hurt. He descended upon her forehead in haste and made his way to her nose. Once again, he was having to check her vital signs. He stood there for a few seconds when his fears were escalated.

Susanna was not breathing.

"Oh, by the trees! Susanna!" he exclaimed. What was he going to do? Vincent was panicking. Turning around, he noticed that her lips, which before had been ruby red, were starting to lose their color. He was no physician, but he knew that this was not a good sign. He needed to make his way to her chest where he could check on her heart, though he was not sure what it would accomplish. Worse still, he feared that he would not find it beating...

Vincent did not make it two steps. Before he could make it to Susanna's chin, he felt himself suddenly falling. The next thing he knew, it was very dark...and very wet...and smelled faintly of berries. He had the grim realization that this pit was Susanna's mouth! Her lips had been closed, but her jaws were apart and he must have slipped through. He was currently resting perilously on her tongue, which stretched twice the length of his body. He was fortunate to be near its tip, for he did not want to find himself any closer to its other end...

Vincent writhed around in Susanna's mouth, seeking to find a griphold. He could not concentrate enough to levitate, but if he could just grasp her lower incisors, it might be possible for him to pull himself up and out of this situation. He could almost reach them, but his efforts were thwarted when her tongue started to squirm. Without warning, the great muscle tightened and he was flung against the roof of her mouth, her tongue the only thing keeping him from descending further. Nearby, elsewhere in Susanna's body, he heard the deafening roar of a mighty rushing wind. It was Susanna...she was breathing!

Vincent's excitement was short-lived, as he was still in a very dangerous situation. Susanna may be breathing, but she may not be conscious, which meant that she may not be aware that she was growing increasingly close to swallowing him whole. The saliva in her mouth had been slowly accumulating and his clothes were nearly saturated with the viscous liquid. He had intentionally dared not look down, but made a quick glance. It was enough for him to see that not one foot below him, Susanna's uvula--which was nearly the length of his leg--lay in wait, guarding the entrance to her throat. The water level was rising. Time was running out. He would have to act fast.

"Susanna!" cried Vincent, at the top of his lungs. "Susanna, can you hear me? Please...just don't swallow!" It was all he could think to do.

Vincent could feel the entirety of Susanna's mouth shifting around him. His base fears told him that her tongue was getting in place to send him on to his next unwilling destination. However, that was not the case. Rather, her body was greatly quaking and trembling about him, and it appeared that poor Susanna was having convulsions! She was shaking violently. The convulsions were accompanied by a deep guttural noise, a noise that sound very much like...laughter.

Vincent sat silently on the ground, staring at the dirt. He was sopping wet, but he did not care. He was fuming.

"How many times can I say, 'I'm sorry?'" Susanna pled, tears streaming down her eyes. "I'll say it once more: I am very, very sorry, Vincent."

There was no response.

"Can we just agree that the situation spiraled out of control? And remember, you are not completely innocent. You had me terrified when you fell and I couldn't find you anywhere."

Vincent looked up at Susanna with a stern expression. "My fall did not threaten your life."

"I was never going to let any harm come to you! I know I went too far, but I was in complete control the entire time."

"What if you had swallowed me, Susanna?!" Vincent lashed out. "Even on accident? You may not realize how easy it would be, but I am a very small man and you are much, much larger than me! I'm not much bigger than those blueberries you devoured, you know?"

That last comment stung Susanna in the directly in the heart. Vincent immediately wished he could take back those words when he saw his friend's face break out into an anguished sob. Susanna buried her face in her hands and began to bawl.

"Oh no...no, Susanna, I didn't mean that," he said, flying towards her in an effort to console her. By now, her chestnut hair was disheveled about her face. He made his way to one side of her head and brushed it back into place, one handful of hair at a time. The sound of her wailing was heartbreaking, knowing that he wounded her with his words. This was Susanna, his first and only friend, the very woman he had been waiting for for years...and not even within a day, he had made her cry.

Perhaps that's another one of my talents, he thought. Charm. Granted, what he had said was true, but it was spoken not so much out of anger, but out of fear. He had felt helpless, not just with his own life, but with hers. He needed to tell her that.

Vincent hovered by Susanna's ear and gently whispered into it. "Susanna? Susanna, it's my turn to apologize. I hurt you with my words and terribly regret them. I do not want to hurt you. The truth is, I was not angry at you. I was...scared." He confessed to her that had she actually been in danger, he was not sure that he could have helped her. In fact, instead of helping her, he found his own life endanger. Susanna's intentions aside, the thought terrified him.

The two of them sat silently, with Vincent still sitting in Susanna's ear, his feet dangling by her silver stud earrings. Susanna was sniffling, but had stopped crying. About a minute later, Vincent watched as her hand appeared below him. Her other hand appeared and tapped her palm gently with its index finger, signaling Vincent to hop on. He complied.

Her palm carried him in front of her face. It was face was flushed and her eyes were bleary from the tears.

Susanna breathed deep and sighed. "Vincent, do you forgive me?"

"Yes, Susanna. Of course I forgive you," he responded. "Do you forgive me?"

"Yes, I forgive you," she said, a little smile emerging among her still-trembling lips. "Good...because I very much like being friends with you."

"You're my only friend!" said Vincent. "And I really like you, too."

The moment was endearing. However, Susanna started to snicker. Soon, she was breaking out into laughter once more, much to Vincent's confusion. Without explanation, she lifted him up and held him right in front of her left eye. It was still a little red from her tears, but nonetheless, he found it mesmerizingly beautiful as he stared directly into her hazel eye. It was like surveying a distant galaxy.

He still did not quite understand until Susanna instructed, "Vincent...look at your reflection in my eye." A moment later, Susanna could see him start chuckling. In another moment, the two of them were in stitches.

Apparently, Vincent's excursion in her mouth had left him...deprived. Aside from the fact that his curly hair was in a ridiculous wet and tangled mess, Vincent was standing bare-chested, his torso naked in the wind.

Susanna had swallowed his shirt.

"All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dreams with open eyes, to make it possible."
- T.E. Lawrence

"You know, I think I like this look," said Susanna, drying Vincent off with the skirt of her dress. She held it in both hands and tilted it back and forth, rolling him from one side of the fabric valley to the other. She found it amusing to watch him tumble to and fro like a log. Vincent was a little less thrilled.

"I'll have you know--oof!--that that was my favorite...shirt!" he shot back facetiously amid the undulations.

"Just be glad that it was all you lost," Susanna smiled. "I could have eaten your pants, too."

"Ha ha, very funny."

All jests aside, Susanna did take notice that Vincent looked pretty good shirtless. He had an athletic build, with broad shoulders and prominent pectorals. He was not a rippling hulk--well, that is, he would not have been had he been human-sized. Susanna estimated that if he was, he would probably be around six feet tall. He had a lean muscularity to him. As it were, Susanna silently bemused that his "six-pack" abs would be more appropriately called "six-pebble," or maybe "six-pinhead" abs.

"It was particularly a shiny shirt," Susanna said, recalling its glimmering sheen. "Where did you find clothes your size anyway? Did you make them?"

"I did. It wasn't easy, either," Vincent replied, hopping onto one of Susanna's knees, which were folded with her legs in her arms. He had decided that he was "dry enough," though his hair was still a mess. Susanna tried to arrange it with her pinky finger, but Vincent insisted that he liked it that way.

"Oh, so you're a tailor, then?" she asked. Susanna fancifully imagined Vincent with a tiny loom and a miniscule needle and thread, at work at an equally miniature worktable.

"No. I conjured them up, just like these flowers. It required a lot of concentration, though. I only had a vague vision of what clothing looked like. It took me several attempts, but once I was successful, I made several sets."

This piqued Susanna's interest. "You have a whole wardrobe? Where?"

"At home, of course. You don't suppose I carry all my things with me everywhere I go, do you?" he said with a wry wink.

"But I thought this glade was your home?"

"I am here often, but I live elsewhere. As a matter of fact, I was traveling here from my home when I first saw you emerging from the woods yesterday."

"I remember. It was hard to tell what you were at first, you were moving so fast. I thought you were some sort of...strange bird," said Susanna.

"A strange bird? Well!" Vincent huffed, feigning indignation.

"And what? Was I suppose to immediately presume you that you must a two-inch tall flying man? I'll have you know that that was my second assumption."

"Is that so?" asked a sarcastic Vincent.

"No, actually it wasn't." Susanna teased, "...I thought you were a bug."

At that, Vincent folded his arms and blew Susanna a raspberry. In response, she gave him a quick and gentle poke with her finger. He went tumbling off her knee, down her shins, and landed in a comical position: his butt in the air and his head stuck between two of her toes. He flailed his hands around, trying to free himself, but to no avail. She lightly squeezed her toes together enough to keep him captive, though not enough to harm him. After being sufficiently amused, she plucked him up and carried him to her face.

"Vincent, will you take me there, to you home?" she asked.

"It's nothing extraordinary," a dizzy Vincent replied. "I'm rarely there. Besides, it's some distance from here, and..."

"Please?" Susanna inquired with pleading doe eyes, her amber irises in full view. She continued her plea. "And you need to get another shirt! That is, unless you'd rather try to retrieve your other one," said Susanna, looking down at her stomach and giving it a couple of pats. "But you may not want it now..."

"Oh no, I think that's quite alright!" Vincent said, his voice cracking. He was still at little uneasy when thinking about that whole misadventure. "I suppose you do have a point. It will be getting chilly. Very well: I'll take you there."

"Yay!" Susanna squealed in excitement.

"But we'll have to leave soon, though," Vincent forewarned. "In the air, the journey takes me at least an hour. On foot, I suppose it would take us many more."

"Well then, what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Susanna was already quickly running to where she had slipped her sandals off earlier when she had first found the glade. It took her a few moments to find them: since then, a patch of buttercups had bloomed on top of them.

Together, Susanna and Vincent left the glade where they had met, with Vincent leading the way. At first, he stayed to the ground. He was running along at a quick pace, but was still unable to keep up with Susanna's long strides. In addition, Susanna was a little worried about having Vincent so close to her feet. Even though he was keeping a safe distance away, she still was very careful and concerned as to where she stepped.

In truth, Vincent was slightly distracted, as he could not keep his eyes of Susanna. Her very movements entranced him. This was the first time he had truly considered how tall she was compared to him. By his measure, she towered over two hundred feet--more than thirty times his size. She was a moving mountain! And yet, her strides were nimble and elegant, as if every step belonged in a dance; just by her nature, she made a waltz out of walking.

Vincent found his eyes being drawn to Susanna's shapely legs, which he could just barely see from under her dress. Vincent was not being intentional in his peering; he did not want to be accused of impropriety. Her dress reached down to just above her ankles--still over ten feet from the ground. However, at one point the wind did catch it in a such a way that caused her skirt to fly halfway up her calf. Susanna let out a peep and swiftly caught it before too much was seen, but there was enough to allow Vincent's mind to wander and wonder about that which was further above... She possessed a womanly figure with delicate feminine curves. Neither petite nor buxom, she was the happy medium in between.

To avoid temptation (and more importantly to avoid being accidentally caught underfoot), Vincent took a running leap forward and bounded powerfully into the air. He rose to the level of Susanna's eyes, a convenient height for leading the way. She still found it amusing to see him resume his jogging, taking no heed of the laws of gravity. However, it became apparent before too long that their pace needed to be improved. While Susanna was enjoying the stroll through the flowers, it had taken them ten minutes just to reach the edge of the glade. If Vincent's home was as far away as he had implied, it was going to take them the entire day at this rate.

"Vincent?" she asked. "I don't mean any disrespect at all by asking this, but...is it possible for you to go faster?"

Vincent faced Susanna, continuing on while walking backwards. "Not fast enough for you, eh? That's a fair question. The truth is that I can fly as fast as the hawks above--faster actually (but don't ask me why I know that...) The more difficult challenge is flying slow. That takes true concentration."

"You always speak of concentrating," Susanna interjected with another question. "Do your abilities ever wear you out? I mean, I know than in school, thinking too hard over long periods of time could induce stress headaches."

"Actually," Vincent explained, "quite the opposite is true. Invoking my 'powers' is a matter of losing focus. It is about letting go and allowing my mind to relax and find peace. It is then, in that place of rest, that I can imagine that which I want to achieve. I picture it in my mind's eye and I will it to be. And before I know it, I'm a hundred feet in the air, or staring at a field of flowers, et cetera."

A dreamer of the day, thought Susanna. "You dream," she concluded, "and it becomes possible."

"Um...yes. That's a fairly apt way of putting it."

Susanna thought on this for a moment, continuing along through the trees in silence. "You may not realize this Vincent," she said in an earnest voice, "but you have been blessed with a powerful and tremendous gift. Many a man--of any size--would be very jealous of you. I cannot help but wonder if perhaps there is more that you can do that, things that you have never even...dreamt of doing."

Vincent pondered these words. He would remember them.

Susanna and Vincent emerged from the woods and came upon the little brook that first led her to the glade. Standing as vigil as ever were Lydia and Dan, the twin willow trees. Susanna "introduced" them to Vincent, and he to them. She shared with him some of her memories from that place: of discovering a robin's nest in Lydia's branches and admiring the azure eggs nestled within; of falling from said tree branch and landing on the rocks below; of being an hour late for dinner after limping home. Susanna pointed out a small scar on her left shin that testified to the truth of her story. Her mother had been very upset and after that, she went a long time before being allowed to wander the woods by herself.

"Follow the river a while, go over the hills, and it won't be long until you get to Cairnbridge Manor," Susanna said, pointing westward.

"I'm sure it is a beautiful place."

"It's quite the sight. Perhaps I'll take you there someday," she mused.

"Perhaps..." Vincent replied, though he was unsure of the idea. He had always done his best to remain in the forest. The thought of going to a human residence, even if as a guest of Susanna, was an apprehensive one.

"Where to now?"

"My home is in the opposite direction. For now, we'll follow the creek east for a long while until it runs into a river. The river, in turn, empties into a large lake. There is a small island off its shores. My home is there."

"I can't wait to see it," said Susanna. She was looking forward to this adventure. She had never before journeyed past Lydia and Dan and was always curious as to what lay further ahead. The unknown excited her.

Before moving on, Susanna suggested to Vincent that she carry him to solve their pacing issue.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Well, it's not like you're a burden. I've carried paperclips that were heavier than you."

"I will take that as a compliment." Vincent scanned her up and down, examining her dress. "But I notice that you have no pockets. Were you intending to carry me in your hand the entire way?"

"No, I suppose that would grow wearisome. Hmm..." she pondered.

Vincent, considering the options, found his eyes upon Susanna's cleavage, which was just barely visible above her modest neckline.

"Not a chance," she said, following the direction of his eyes. "I just met you yesterday. But perhaps some day..." she said, trailing off at the end of that sentence. Had Vincent heard her properly?

She placed Vincent on her right shoulder, saying, "This will do for now. You can hold on to my hair for stability, if you need it. And my ear is right there."

"Fair enough," he replied, adjusting himself until he could find a comfortable enough spot. He nestled himself in the shallow indentation of her collarbone. Susanna's slender neck was close enough that he could lean up against it, if he so chose. This was much better than running alongside her, he thought. Even better than flying.

The sun was overhead and the two were still traveling along the creek, which had grown increasingly wider over time. They had been traveling for a couple of hours now, though the time had passed quickly. Susanna was taking in the beauty of the land, her mind actively absorbing every sight and sound and smell. Though they were not traveling along a road, the ground beneath her was soft and relatively free of rocks and other debris. She was soothed by the sound of the rushing waters traveling alongside her, the chattering of squirrels as they leapt from tree to tree, and the sweet singing of the birds.

It became apparent that someone else found it relaxing as well.

"How much further until this creek meets up with the river?" Susanna asked. Vincent had been relatively silent for some time. Perhaps he was meditating, or lost in thought. This is what Susanna assumed until she listened closely. Tilting her head to the right, she could hear the sound of gentle snoring. "So that's how it is."

The regular up-and-down rhythm of Susanna's movements had apparently put rocked Vincent into slumber. Though she was tempted to wake him up, she allowed him to carry on with his resting. She would certainly tease him about this later.

Another hour into their journey, Susanna could hear the sound of many waters crashing and colliding together. Up ahead, the creek that they had been following all morning--which had become a fairly decent-sized stream in its own right--was joining in with the swiftly moving waters from the northern mountains. Together, they formed the broad river which Vincent had spoken of earlier. It was quite a sight seeing the two water sources conjoin. The gentle waters of the creek were nearly overwhelmed by the whitewater rapids of its sister. However, the creek proved to be stalwart and hardy, bringing the rapids to a slow. The wide resulting river was flowed at a moderately pace, a compromise between the two powers.

Vincent was awoken by the sound of a loud snapping, followed by a series of crunching noises. At first, he ignored it, much preferring to continue napping. The crunching softened until there was a pause. A moment later, the wall that he was resting upon bulged forward, turning his reclining state into a sitting one, before receding a second later. Again there was a snap and the routine continued.

"What's going on?" Vincent exclaimed, a little grumpy from being awoken. His surroundings were different than he had expected. He was surrounded by leaves. Rubbing his eyes, he was that he was in a tree, several hundred feet off the ground. Still dazed and slightly alarmed, he grabbed onto the closest thing he could find: a lock of hair. Remembering that he was still on Susanna's shoulder, he stood and carefully backed up enough so that he could see her face. She was looking at peace, staring off past the tree and over at a great body of water. A few seconds later, her hand appeared and brought a shiny red sphere to her lips. She took a bite out of it, making the loud snapping he had heard, and began munching and chewing for several seconds before swallowing. Vincent now understood.

"Why hello, my little sleeper!" said Susanna. "It's about time you awoke. Care for an apple?"

"Apples?" asked a still disoriented Vincent.

"Yes, they're quite tasty. I was getting a little hungry and found this fine apple tree. It's made for a very relaxing respite, actually. I didn't think it was necessary to wake you, though you have been asleep for a couple of hours." Her legs were dangling over the edge of one of the trees limbs, another apple resting the skirt of her dress.

"Apples aren't really my thing," he answered while stretching. "Too much trouble." Considering that one apple would have been the size of a small cottage for him, Susanna was not surprised.

She smiled at her little friend. "Your loss." She took another bite.

After finishing her snack, Susanna made sure Vincent was secured and leapt from the tree, landing back on solid ground. For Vincent, the surroundings became immediately familiar. Beyond them was a vast lake, several acres of some of the clearest waters in the surrounding countryside. These waters would eventually flow into the sea, but until then they made their home here; it was where Vincent made his home as well.

"Look there!" he shouted, pointing at an island resting in the middle of the lake.

Susanna could see that it was a small islet, roughly twice the size of Cairnbridge Manor. A beach of sand stretched for about a quarter mile on the side facing them. The island was mostly forested. Where there we no trees, flowers of all varieties grew, reminding Susanna of the glade. It must have been Vincent's handiwork. In the middle of the island, the flowers surrounded a gigantic oak tree, itself an island in a sea of colorful blossoms.

"This is your home, Vincent? It's so enchanting!" Susanna exclaimed. "And it looks very safe and secure. I can see why you chose to live there."

"The island is very serene. The surrounding waters are a barrier not just from predators and other dangers, but from the very worries of the world," he touted.

"Let's go, then!" she said excitedly. "Where's the boat?"

Vincent looked at Susanna with a puzzled face. "What boat?"

"The boat that will take us to the island."

Vincent was silent. "I, um...I usually just fly there."

Susanna stared at him with disbelief. "Vincent, I have spent the last five hours walking to reach this home of yours. In those five hours, did it ever occur to you that this might be a problem worth mentioning to me?"

Vincent mumbled a barely coherent combination of words and stammered sentence fragments--complete with hand gestures--which Susanna assumed was a slew of excuses and apologies.

"Right, so I take that as a 'no,'" she said with a sigh. "Very well, I suppose there's only one way to get there..."

There are moments in one's life that cause one to call into question the constancy of the flow of the river of time. These moments seem to defy time's forward progress, as if to act as a temporal levee or dam. When these experiences are replayed in the mind's memory, every movement and action that is remembered is decelerated and enhanced. Though this phenomenon sometimes manifests itself in memories of trauma, it is also true of memories of sheer joy and euphoria. They are moments which one does not easily forget.

For Vincent, this was one of the latter moments.

His verbal sputtering turned to silence. His jaw grew slack and his mouth dropped open. His breathing was halted, but his heart rate quickened. His eyes widened and he fought off blinking, not wanting to lose his vision for even a millisecond.

Time had slowed down in a marvelous way for Vincent, in a way that a man experiences very seldomly in his life.

Susanna stood on the banks of the lake and slipped out of her dress.

The crystalline waters of the lake emanated an aura of serenity. The light breeze grazed its surface with unseen fingers, rousing up little waves that rippled towards the shore. From time to time, a fish would leap from the waters and subtly submerge again after consuming a fallen fly. The landscape was a placid and picturesque scene, similar to ones that had found themselves on a painter's canvas.

The tranquility in the air, however, was suddenly broke with a loud splash that sent a fountain of displaced water into the air, followed by a shrill shriek.

"Ack, this water is frigid!" exclaimed Susanna.

Vincent was standing on a rock on the shore, dumbfounded. The past several hours that he had spent with Susanna had been very intimate and enlightening. It had not taking long for them to become friends and he already felt that he could speak much about her character. Susanna was gentle, intelligent, and demure. Her somewhat reserved exterior was an outer layer, and when she was less restrained, that facade gave way to a blithe, vivacious--and at times mischievous--young woman. Knowing this, Vincent was still astonished.

Without a word of notice to Vincent, Susanna had disrobed, shedding her dress and casting it aside onto the sand. She stood there on the beach wearing only her undergarments, revealing much more of her body than Vincent had ever dared to imagine. A modest black brassiere held back her generous bosom, while a matching bottom concealed the sloping curves of her buttocks. Apart from that, she had stood naked, her creamy skin soaking in the sunlight.

Vincent felt compelled by inner desire to further explore these previously unrevealed areas of Susanna's body, continuing to chart out the territory he had already partly traversed. However, his lust had been curtailed when it became apparent that her intentions were not exhibitionary, but purposeful. Taking a deep breath, she ran several feet into the waters then plunged herself beneath its surface.

After being quickly informed of the water's temperature, Susanna took several quick breaths until the shock wore off. Treading water, she faced the shore and turned to the rock where she had last seen Vincent.

"Well? Are you just going to stand there?"

Vincent snapped out of his hypnosis. "Oh yes, um, of course." Leaping from the rock, he flew through the air towards Susanna's general direction.

The waters were clear enough that Vincent could see her shimmering form as she propelled herself through the water, where she appeared to be quite at home. He learned later that swimming was one of Susanna's favorite pastimes and that she had proven herself to be one of the best swimmers in the region. She would tell him that swimming was the closest thing she could experience to flying, and that Vincent, being in possession of that coveted ability, would not fully understand.

Before long, Susanna was halfway to the island. Vincent was amazed at how fast she was, even in the water. He trailed behind her, hovering several inches above the surface. Having taken note of her reaction, he was not very keen on testing the temperature of the waters himself.

"Not a fan of the water, are you?" she asked. She did not need to stop to rest, but did so anyway to check on how Vincent was doing. She floated on her back and bobbed up and down with the water.

"No, not particularly," he said. "Those waves may not appear large to you, but my eyes see them differently. Besides, there are too many...creatures dwelling in the depths that would like to be further acquainted with me."

"I think you just don't want to get cold," Susanna replied with a mischievous grin.

Vincent did not like what the look on her face was implying. The next moment, she dove under the water, disappearing from Vincent's sight. Though the waters were clear, she had swum too far below the surface to be seen.

"Um...Susanna?" asked Vincent nervously.

The air was very quiet and the lake had returned to its stillness. Vincent did not like it. Great Forest, I hope she didn't drown. He then realized that he was in a rather vulnerable position, standing still above the water. The previous year, he had a close encounter with a trout that he would rather not revisit.

Bubbles emerged from the depths of the water.

"Susanna! I'm going to make my way to the island now. Please be safe!" he shouted.

Before he could move, Vincent was stopped in his tracks by the deafening sound of the waters separating and a massive creature emerging from below, rivulets of water raining down from its body and crashing back into the lake. He quickly turned around and saw a pillar of flesh rising behind him from the watery depths. It was Susanna!

With a mighty force, she had launched herself directly into the air, right next to Vincent's location. He was lucky that she did not emerge right below him. When her momentum slowed and she was at her apex, she and Vincent were face to face. Her wet hair was clinging to the sides of her face, concealing much of it like a curtain. He could see that she was grinning.

Before Vincent could protest whatever trick she was about to pull, Susanna pursed her lips and from them, a stream of water gushed forth. He thought to run, but it quickly overcame him and drenched him from head to toe with lakewater (with a hint of saliva). Though warmed slightly by her mouth, it was still very cold and Vincent shrieked.

"Egads, this water is icy!" shivered Vincent, who had managed to hold his "ground" in the air, which required a dedicated effort to not fall in.

"Isn't it?" laughed Susanna in between gasps.

The chill ever encouraged them to travel the remaining distance even faster. Before long, they were resting upon the shore of the island's beach.

"My, that was fun," said Susanna. Her body was covered in sand as she lay on her back, catching her breath and allowing the sun to warm her up.

"There's a reason I usually fly," Vincent rebutted.

"Well, maybe I'll do that next time," she replied sarcastically. "You're lucky that I can swim, by the way. One would think that a fairy would have a ferry!"

"I don't understand your humor."

Susanna tried to explain the joke, but it was lost on him.

"Whatever a fairy is, I am not one."

"True. You don't have the wings for it. I would usually say that fairies don't even exist, but, well...until yesterday, I would say the same about you. What are you anyway?"

Vincent floated into the air, closed his eyes for a moment, that started rapidly spinning around like a top. He was a blur for several seconds, with little droplets of water flying from his body in every direction. When he stopped, he was dazed with dizziness, but was completely dry. "I...am a Vincent!"

"Ha! Very well," she said.

The sun was making its way through the sky and it was now the warmest part of the afternoon, making it all the more enjoyable to bask in its glorious light. Summer would be upon them soon, but it would be a few weeks until then and the weather was still very pleasant without being too hot.

Susanna stretched herself out on the sand, which radiated with warmth. The grains were fine and were not coarse, making for a comfortable bed to rest upon. She plunged her hands deep into the sand, which was much cooler beneath the surface. Her fingers wriggled through it like serpents and she enjoyed the feeling of the sands slowly slipping away until it was no more.

Vincent, however, did not find the sand as enjoyable. To him, they were still the size of small pebbles. He kicked the larger ones away, leaving a bed of only the finest grains, which would have appeared as powder to Susanna. Still, he lay on it stiff and dissatisfied, slightly envious of Susanna's relaxation.

Noticing his discomfort, Susanna reached out her hand and picked him up. She carried him through the air, setting him down on her abdomen.

"How's that?" she asked.

Vincent took in his new environment with fascination. Susanna had placed him near her navel, which was a shallow pit in which he could have stood waist-high. A little pool of water lay gathered there from the swim, giving it the appearance of a well in the middle of a plain; the plain was her stomach, which stretched out around forty feet in either direction.

Out of courtesy, Vincent removed his leather boots. Placing his bare feet on Susanna's stomach was greeted with the mild tremor of a giggle. Her skin, like elsewhere on her body, was very soft and smooth, but it was especially so here. Very fine, faint vellus hairs covered her stomach, barely noticeable even to Vincent's eyes.

He walked around with nervous trepidation, as if this ground was forbidden; and yet, its owner gave him clear permission to be there. He looked up to see Susanna's smiling face in the distance, looking on with approval. In the foreground, her visage was framed on either side by the two twin mounds that were her breasts. They were sheltered within the cups of her bra, two ebony cotton domes that shielded their delicate contents from Vincent's ever-open eyes. He could not help but observe that each of her breasts was twice his height (though he dared not stand close enough to be sure.) Out of reverence and respect for Susanna, he tried not to linger his eyes long upon them, but it was difficult to resist his inherent compulsion. Susanna knew that Vincent was too polite (or fearful) to approach them, but she still shared a facial expression with him that gently said, Not quite.

"I hope you don't mind my lack of attire," she said. "I'm sure you understand: it's very difficult to swim in a dress. Besides, I couldn't let you be the only one go around half-naked, could I?"

Vincent had not quite found his voice yet, to Susanna's amusement.

"Why don't you just lay down and enjoy the moment. I can tell that you already are..." she winked knowingly.
Still in a trance, he nodded and complied.

After adequately resting and drying off, the pair of travelers set out to explore the island. Vincent was well-acquainted with its every cranny and gave Susanna the grand tour. She was as fascinated with this little isle as she was with the glade that she had awoken in that morning. Her eyes had seen so many new things that day and she could not remember a time when she was so enraptured with wonder.

While it would not have taken more than a half hour to walk the entirety of the island, a much longer time was spent leisurely wandering amid the trees and flowers. Apart from a few finches and other small birds, there was no wildlife present. It was a quiet refuge; a sanctuary from the world.

Before long, they reached the center of the island, which was dominated by the presence of a mighty oak tree. Judging by its size, it was very old. It was by far the oldest tree on the island--perhaps in the entire area of the lake. Its trunk was covered in large patches of grayish brown bark and it was quite wide, its girth being such that it would have taken three people to wrap their arms around it. The tree's lofty branches reached far up into the sky and spread out over a broad expanse that provided its shade to much of the surrounding area.

"What a magnificent tree!" Susanna exclaimed, walking all around it in admiration.

"I thought you would like it," Vincent replied. "And I'm glad that you do. This is where I call home."

"We're there?" she asked.

"Welcome to my humble abode!" Vincent gestured with a bow. "Would you like to see more? But first, how well can you climb?"

Before he could finishing asking, Susanna was already reaching for the first limb. It did not hang far from the ground and she was able to hoist herself into the tree without much difficulty. From there, she followed Vincent higher and higher into its upper reaches. He was bounding from branch to branch with ease in a way that would have put a squirrel to shame.

Soon, they reached the top of the tree's trunk, the axis where it split off into many more branches. Any higher would have been dangerous for Susanna, but Vincent alleviated her concerns but informing her that they had reached their destination. In the crook of one of the thicker branches, there was small hollow. Ages ago, a limb had broken off of the oak, leaving a portion exposed. The softer wood deteriorated, creating a cavity in the tree. Many creatures call similar tree hollows their home: this one belonged to Vincent.

Susanna peered within. It was sparse and spartan. Just as Vincent had described, it was nothing extravagant. In the far back, she could see a pile of grass that was presumably his bed.

Vincent entered the shelter and leaned against the wall. "Nice place, right? I told you I'm rarely here. It's just a safe place that I can go home and relax." He walked over to one side of the hollow where a small rock covered a partially receded area. "Plus, it makes for good storage."

Moving the rock to the side revealed a little cache of belongings and food stores (mostly acorns), including the clothes for which they had traveled so far. He retrieved a shirt that was identical to the one he had "unconventionally" lost. It was an off-white tunic that laced up in the front--rather unremarkable apart from its glinting sheen.

"Now, I only have three more of these, so don't go eating any more of them, okay?" said Vincent, sliding into the shirt.

"But they're just so tasty!" Susanna joked, licking her lips in jest.

Her eyes looked around the little room, as if searching for something.

"Can I help you?" asked a slightly confused Vincent.

Susanna appeared dissatisfied, her lips pushed to one side of her face. "Oh, I was just wondering if you had any Susanna-sized dresses in here.... What a shame. It doesn't look like you do!"

Back on terra firma, Vincent and Susanna sat underneath the oak and discussed their plans for the rest of the day. In a few hours, evening would be upon them and they would need to prepare. Obviously, Susanna could not sleep in the tree hollow with Vincent. Fortunately, the grass of the island was just as pleasant as that of the glade, especially around the oak tree and Susanna knew that if this is where she were to make her bed, she would still be well pampered.

However, one of Susanna's concerns was her lack of covering. The island air was much cooler, as the wind came in over the cold waters of the lake. This effect would be even more so during the night. She did not look forward to the thought of sleeping under the stars in just her underwear.

"Vincent, do you happen to have any blankets?" she asked.

"Nothing that would be able to cover anything more than your toes, unfortunately," he said in response.

"That might be something we need to consider. The glade was sheltered from the wind and it was relatively warm there last night, but I don't think that will be the case here."

"We'll think of something," he assured. "In the meantime, are you hungry?"

"Oh, I would be more than happy to have dinner," Susanna replied eagerly. The afternoon's apples had been surprisingly filling, but the five hour hike and the swim had left her body feeling weak. She was concerned that dinner would be similar to breakfast, which though very delicious, had been a little light. She was hoping for a little more...sustenance.

"Follow me," said Vincent, leading her away from the oak tree and to a little plot of land near the north end of the island.

The ground there was damper than elsewhere, which Vincent said was "perfect conditions." He appeared to be searching for something, but he had not let Susanna know just yet what it was. Eventually, they came to an ash tree whose trunk and roots were covered in green moss. Vincent was grew even more excited when he saw this. "A ha!" he exclaimed. "Oooh, and these are fine specimens..."

Susanna rounded the tree to see what Vincent had discovered: mushrooms!

Before Susanna's eyes was a gathering of forest fungi, all standing together as if they were convening for a meeting. The moist mulchy soil provided a fertile home to at least two varieties of mushroom: the slender morels, whose wrinkled, conical caps were pitted and ridged and resembled honeycombs; and the chanterelles, which were yellowish-gold in color and whose flatter caps contorted out in waves before rounding back down towards the stem. They came in a range of sizes, from a couple of inches to half a foot--all of them Vincent's height and taller.

Vincent hopped on the heads of one mushroom to another, ascending them like a staircase, before plopping down on one of the larger chanterelles.

"What do you think?" he asked, visibly satisfied.

"They look...marvelous!" Susanna replied.

In truth, she rarely ate mushrooms. They were not her favorite vegetable. (Are they vegetables? Susanna thought.) There was something about their squishy texture that did not appeal to her palette. She was also a little apprehensive about eating mushrooms straight from the forest, having been warned by her mother several times in her childhood that wild mushrooms were often poisonous and should be avoided.

"Um, are they safe to eat?" she asked in an anxious voice.

In response, Vincent tore off a handful of meat from his seat and took a bite. "Not only are they safe, but oh my, are they delicious. Try one!" he said, gesturing to one close to her.

Susanna was very hungry and as such, she was more apt than usual to try new foods. She crouched down and plucked one of the small morels from the ground, which tore off from its base with ease. She slowly brought it to her face, where she inspected it and analyzed it from all around with a discriminate eye. It smelled like moss. She was still uneasy about the whole endeavor.

"I'm not sure," she confessed. "Are you absolutely certain? There are many dangerous mushrooms in the forest..."

"Trust me!" Vincent interrupted. "I eat these all the time and no ill has ever become of me from it."

Only slightly more encouraged, she languidly brought the mushroom to her lips, where it lingered for a few extended moments. She marginally parted her mouth, from whence the very tip of her tongue slowly emerged, just barely making contact with the morel before quickly receding. Susanna noted that the mushroom's exterior tasted "woodsy" and a lot like soil.

Noticing the still questioning expression on her face, Vincent grew a little impatient and decided to take matters into his own hands. Much to Susanna's surprise, she felt the mushroom penetrating her lips and being shoved into her mouth. She instinctively (though still hesitantly) started to chew on it. To her surprise, it was actually...tasty! It was very earthy, but also possessed a smoky savor. Though it did squish like a sponge when chewed, the texture was more buttery than Susanna had imagined it would be, like a soft cheese.

Vincent was very pleased when he saw that Susanna was enjoying it, then continued to eat off of the chanterelle he was sitting on. "You should try one of these, too. They've almost got a fruity taste to them."

Susanna complied. Vincent was right: the chanterelle was very similar to the morel, but had an accompanying taste that was comparable to apricots. These were to be a treat! And even better, there were plenty of them present to more than satisfy her appetite.

She began to harvest more and more, gathering them in her arms. Soon, there was only one left.

"Hey, watch it!" Vincent shouted as he and his mushroom-throne started being lifted through the air.

Dinner was surprisingly satisfying. Mushrooms are quite filling and on many occasions have saved the lives of those lost in the woods. In many culinary circles, they are even considered a delicacy for which gourmets will pay a handsome price to acquire. Susanna now understood why.

By the time they arrived back at the oak tree, the sun was setting over the western shores of the lake, the day bidding adieu to the world with one last display of mellowing yellows and reds. The day had been an unforgettable one for Susanna. Waking up in the glade had seemed like it had been such a long time ago. Vincent had been a stranger then, but he was one no longer.

They had both learned a lot about each other...and yet, there was still much about him that made him an enigma. Who was he? What was he? Perhaps a time for more questions would arise, but for now there were other matters to which to attend.

"Vincent, do you have any means by which to make a fire?" Susanna asked. "A warm campfire might replace the need for a blanket."

He considered the question. "A fire would be wonderful, wouldn't it? But alas, I do not. A couple of summers ago, a tree in the forest was struck by lightning; I was able to keep a flame from it alive for several weeks, but it eventually died out." He almost seemed defensive or evasive in his tone, as if to deflect the idea wholly, though Susanna did not know why.

There was something that had been on Susanna's mind for much of the day, but that she had not spoken to Vincent about yet. He was in possession of a gift. His talents allowed him to do that which many could only do in their dreams. From their conversations, she had deduced that apart from a figure of speech, this might actually be close to the truth: Vincent could realize--make real--his dreams and imagination. She believed that he was capable of much more.

"What I mean to say is...can you make a fire?"

Vincent pondered this. "Do you mean to ask if I can create a flame out of nothing?"

"Why not?" she inquired further. "You can run, jump, and fly through the air as if gravity were meaningless to you. You have even created those clothes out of nothing. Can you do the same with a fire?"

"I mean, theoretically I suppose I could, but I have never considered it. Fire is a useful tool...but it is also very dangerous. I'm not sure if it's something I could properly wield," he said.

"The lake is just a few seconds away, should something go wrong." She was persistent.

"Susanna, I really don't think..."

"Trust me," she said earnestly.

"Very well." Vincent sighed and closed his eyes.

He would have to overcome his fear. He did not share with Susanna the full details of his story. He had, indeed, managed to gather an ember from the fiery tree. It had been very risky and dangerous, but he believed it to be worth it. For about two weeks, he continued to feed it with grass, leaves, and pieces of twigs. It was very useful in keeping him warm through colder nights and he enjoyed the taste of almonds and other nuts that he roasted above it.

However, one evening in his sleep, he found himself growing overly warm and sweating. The wind had billowed the fire enough that it had reached his bed and had quickly spread throughout his tree hollow. He reacted quickly and was able to stamp it out before it threatened to consume the entire oak tree, but not before it caught his pant legs in fire. In panicking haste, he flew through the air and plunged himself into the water, extinguishing the flame once and for all.

Ever since then, he was very wary around fire. He had never been tempted to conjure it, and would only do so because of Susanna's request.

Vincent thought back into his memory, picturing the flames in his mind. "I am not afraid," he whispered silently to himself. "Fire is a tool. It can be handled and controlled. Susanna needs the fire." He let his mind relax and entered a state of hypnotic rest, continually visualizing the fire in his mind. He beckoned it.

"Vincent..." said Susanna in a hushed voice.

He opened his eyes.

There, floating in the air above his hands, danced a tiny ball of flame.

Susanna had gone off to gather firewood, leaving Vincent by the oak tree to practice his formerly untapped ability. While at first he could only produce small sparks, it did not take him long to produce large fireballs the size of his head. This can be very useful, he thought, staring at the yellow and orange light that glowed in his hands, prancing its lively dance.

With the flick of his hand, this fiery orb disappeared. While it was easy to be mesmerized by the flames, he needed to demonstrate control, lest there be any unfortunate accidents.

Besides, he needed to take advantage of Susanna's absence. There was much that needed to be done...

A full, silvery moon was rising in the air, reflecting its soft beams around the land and providing Susanna plenty of illumination. She had been desiring to go on an evening stroll to walk off her meal and to stretch her legs, and this was a good reason to do so. (And while she was finally alone away from Vincent, she could find privacy to fulfill some "natural duties.")

As predicted, the night air was chilly and Susanna was beginning to wish that she had not left her dress on the distant shore. Its fabric was light and thin, but it would have been much better than gathering wood while shivering in her underwear. She did not want to take long in collecting the sticks and twigs necessary to sustain the campfire, but she would need enough for the entire night. If need be, she would make multiple trips.

"Hopefully Vincent his honing his skills," Susanna said to herself. "I really hope I don't find him engulfed in flames."

There were many branches scattered about the ground of the island and it did not take long before Susanna had an armful. She had taken her time, especially as she walked among the flowers. The moonlight glowed upon a patch of campanulas. Their name came from the Latin for "little bells" and are so named because their blossoms resemble a string of purple bells. They fluttered in the wind and Susanna imagined them making gentle ringing sounds.

"Vincent is a very talented creator."

As she made her way back to the old oak tree, Susanna contemplated wistfully. She did not want to fall asleep that night, because she would have to wake up to another day. When that day came, she would have to face the difficult decision of returning home. She strongly desired to stay here on the island with Vincent or to remain with him in the glade and be happy and carefree. However, she knew that this could not be. She had to go back.

Susanna did not believe in utopias or paradises, shielded from the world. As enchanting of a haven this was, she could not escape the world there. Her family would look for her. She had obligations to fulfill, duties to which to attend. As much as she desired to abandon it all and frolic through the woods with Vincent, she knew better than to get caught up in wayward desires. She was a woman, not a girl.

She could not stay and the bitterness of this truth caused Susanna to weep...because she knew that Vincent could not go with her.

Vincent could hear rustling through the grass and a couple of twigs snapping nearby, signs that Susanna was returning. She had not be gone long, but had left long enough for him to prepare a little surprise. In the darkness under the oak tree, she would not be able to see it yet.

"Vincent?"

"I'm over here," he called. He lit up a flame to help guide Susanna to his location.

"Oh there you are," she said. "And it seems you've been practicing! I was only gone for half an hour, but you seem to already be wielding this new skill well."

"It's not that different than when I use my other powers," he said. "I just have to focus on fire, rather than flying. Did you get enough wood?"

Susanna dropped the load of firewood on the ground. "Enough for now. I started with some smaller pieces for kindling. Later once the fire is established, I can go back for larger branches."

She arranged the wood in a pyramid shape, then shoved a handful of leaves and grass underneath. Vincent lit up a fireball and tossed it on the kindling, which quickly ignited. The leaves burned the fastest, giving off a lot of smoke that blew everywhere, causing Susanna to cough and rub her eyes. Soon, the fire spread to the rest of the branches and began to burn fairly steadily.

"We've done it!" they exclaimed together. Susanna rubbed her hands and placed them over the fire, already enjoying its warmth. It proved to be voracious, devouring the kindling and demanding more. She placed the rest of the wood she had gathered on the fire. Larger pieces would take longer to burn, but these little branches could not resist the fire long.

The campfire burned brightly, sending its light throughout the clearing surrounding the oak tree and causing shadows to dance about the area. Vincent waited patiently until Susanna noticed something hanging from one of the oak's branches.

"What is that?" she asked, going in for a closer expectation. "Is that...what I think it is?" she said with increasing excitement.

She grabbed it and took it back into the light. It was a dress! It was a soft periwinkle cotton sundress with a skirt that went down to her ankles. It was her dress! At least, it looked exactly like it. The one exception was that it was covered in a shiny, glistening sheen...

"Vincent...did you create this?" she asked with fascination.

He nodded.

She admired it all around in the light, before eagerly slipping it on. She spun around and the skirt flying around with her. This dress was even finer and smoother than its predecessor; despite being cotton, its texture was that of velvet or silk. It was even better.

"I'm sorry if the dimensions aren't quite right," said Vincent. "I had to create it from memory. I've never made anything of that size, either, so--"

"I love it."

Susanna's heart was so full of joy in this moment that it overflowed as tears from her eyes. No one had ever given her a gift that she would treasure as much as what Vincent had given her. It would make her decisions all the more heartbreaking, but she would not think on such things now.

"Good! I'm glad you like it. And it fits well?"

"It's perfect, Vincent...I really don't know what to say," said Susanna, overcome with emotion and finding it difficult to talk. "Other than thank you."

She gently picked Vincent up and brought him close in an embrace. Vincent was brought up to her chest, where he stretched out his arms. He could feel her skin's warmth and the pounding of her heart against him. Her heart was beating swiftly and he noticed that his was, as well. After a few moments, she raised him to her face. She brought him to her lips; they were all that he could see, enveloping him entirely. She kissed his face endearingly, not hastening soon to end it.

Afterwards, they gazed at each other in tender silence.

"By the trees..." Vincent said, his entire body covered in goosebumps. Even Susanna could notice. She smiled and showed him her forearm: she was covered in them as well.

Vincent's nerves suddenly returned to him. He stood up straight and ran his hands through his curly hair, returning to conversation: "Well, I told you I'm not a tailor, right? I'll confess to you that this was not my...first attempt."

He led Susanna behind the oak tree, where she found another dress...a very large one.

"Vincent, this is a tent!" Susanna exclaimed, holding the mass of fabric in the air. It was about eight feet long! If she were to somehow manage to wear it without it falling off, her skirt would extend long enough to be the train of a gown.

"Well, in my mind you were much larger!" he said, immediately realizing the folly of his words. "Oh wait. I mean, well...um, not in a bad way! You're big, but not humongous." Vincent stammered, trying to backpedal out of his words, unsuccessfully.

"Uh huh...keep talking, mister," she said, leering at him with a smile.

"No, I better not," he said, blushing with embarrassment.

"Anyway," he continued, changing the subject, "I actually went back to the beach and found your other dress. It was too heavy for me to carry the distance, but I memorized what it looked like enough to duplicate it. As for the first one...on the upside, you can use it as a covering tonight!"

"Why don't we test it out, then?"

They returned to the campfire, which was still burning bright. She wrapped the soft shimmering blanket-dress around her, then placed Vincent in her lap. She tore off a small scrap of fabric for him and covered him with it. There they sat warm and close as they watched the flames dance a fiery fandango.

When Susanna went to gather more firewood, Vincent paced around the campsite. He had many thoughts to sort out, which were currently a jumbled mess in his head. He had a lot he needed to say to Susanna, but he wasn't sure what the best way to tell her would be. He distracted himself by lighting up a few fireballs and tossing them into the lake, watching the steamy, smoky vapors dissipate into the night air.

"Alright, this should last us quite a while," Susanna said, returning with three large logs. "By providence, I found these washed up on the western shore. They're dry, so they should be good for burning."

"Excellent."

Susanna could tell that Vincent was distracted and that his mind was elsewhere. She sat down next to him, her legs folded to the side, and gestured for him to visit her on her lap. He did, playfully hopping on her foot and running up her leg on the way.

"Vincent," she said, looking down upon him, "you look like you need to talk about something."

"I do? Well...actually I do," he said. "There are a few things that I've needed to tell you, and haven't known exactly how. The truth is, I think I owe you some answers. You have had many questions today--as you rightly should. And I have tried to answer them, but I have not always done so directly. First, would you mind actually lifting me to your eyes?"

She complied and he continued:

"Susanna, when I saw you enter the glade last night, I knew who you were," he said. "I did not handle our introduction very well, obviously, but it was because I was very excited. I had been waiting for you for a long time, though I wasn't sure if I would ever actually meet you. And so when I saw you, I couldn't help but call out your name."

"You said you 'heard my name on the wind.'" Susanna recalled. "Why would the wind whisper my name?"

"Because I asked and it answered. I had to know who you were. You have been in my dreams for as long as I can remember. I have seen your face countless times. Your visage haunted me. Every morning when waking up, I have seen you there. Many times have I reached out to touch you, but as soon as I did, I awoke and you were gone. I wished so hard for you to be real, but despite all my powers, you were the one dream that I could not realize."

Susanna had been silent through this, listening carefully. "Why me? And how did you know I was even real and not just a figment of your dreams?"

Vincent paused. "I knew you were real. I knew, because you created me."

Susanna's eyes widened, unsure if she understood his words correctly. "I created you?"

"You are not my mother, don't worry," he said. "I was born from your joy. You possess a special spirit, Susanna. Wherever you go, your happiness is spread. Your felicity is infectious. For years, your laughter has echoed throughout the entire land, bringing glee and gaiety to every rock and root. The forest took notice."

"The forest?"

"The trees. They know you, Susanna. You know their names and they know yours. You have known these woods since you were a little girl. As much as you love Cairnbridge, Cairnbridge loves you in return. The forest wanted to give you something in return. A gift." Vincent paused and swept down in a formal bow: "That gift...was me."

This was all very difficult for Susanna to comprehend. So many questions were being answered, but so many were arising in return.

"You are a gift from the forest?"

"A small gift," he joked. "I'm sorry I didn't come wrapped up. If you want, I can conjure up a bow..."

"No, that's quite alright," Susanna laughed. "But I have another question: I first discovered the glade by following a strong fragrance in the air, one that I had never encountered before. I had assumed it was you. Are you saying..."

"Do you recall the trees surrounding the glade?"

"The birch trees?" she asked.

"Apparently they wanted you to find me."

Susanna was silent, thinking on these revelations. It was a lot to take in, but in a peculiar way, it all made sense to her. The skeptic in her wished to write it all off as fantasy; however, she had a two-inch tall man in her hand that could fly, make dresses, and shoot fireballs. There was an increasingly finer line being drawn between fantasy and reality.

"I accept."

"You...what?" Vincent asked.

"I accept the gift from the forest," Susanna repeated abruptly. "That makes you my possession, yes?"

"Uh, I suppose so..."

"And as my possession, I can do whatever I want with you, right?"

"Now Susanna--"

"Does the gift object?" she interjected. "Because I don't have to accept..."

"No objections at all! But I don't know what I think about being your 'posses--'"

"Then I accept the gift," she interrupted again. Susanna then smiled at him and her tone warmed: "...and I shall treasure it greatly."

She gave him a quick peck on the head. "And don't worry, Vincent. I was joking about the possession part."

Susanna bore a wide grin. Vincent sighed in relief.

The moon had retreated behind a line of trees, allowing the stars to gain the upperhand in the dominance over the night sky. They were vast in number, a formidable army of celestial lights. From time to time, one would shoot itself across the sky, leaving a bright trailing streak that vanished almost as soon as it appeared.

"Did you see that one?" Susanna said with excitement, her finger tracing in the air.

She was laying on her back, stretched out upon the grass with Vincent doing the same on her stomach. She held him close, her hands a blanket for him, keeping him warm. Together, they gazed out into the darkness in quiet awe.

"They're beautiful," he whispered. "Have you ever tried to count them? I have. I always lose track, though. And so I just start over again. One. Two. Three. Four...."

Vincent paused for a second. "...when you live alone, you have a lot of free time, you know?"

Susanna smiled and embraced him a little closer, and he could feel himself being pressed into her skin, her welcoming flesh giving way for his body and wrapping him in warmth. He kissed her finger, stroking his hand along its length.

After a moment, he flipped over and rested on his stomach, his arms propping up his head, which looked up at Susanna's face. The campfire casts its soft amber glow upon her countenance, giving her a radiant appearance. She yawned and he watched her mouth stretch out in an extended "o" before trembling and shutting itself quickly.

"You're missing the stars," she said, noticing his new position.

"I know," he replied. "I've seen them before and they'll be here tomorrow. You look tired."

"I am."

"It's been a long day. I should probably turn in for night."

"Yeah...that sounds like a good idea." She squeezed him close one more time before releasing him. Her hands had kept the air around him warm and humid, and when his body faced the cold night air again, he shivered.

"Brr! I'd better get up to the hollow," he exclaimed briskly. "Let me know if you need anything. I'm just a tree away. I bid you a good night."

"Good night," she yawned, watching him take off into the sky, the stars a brilliant backdrop to his silhouetted form.

Vincent entered his wooden room. It was just the way it had always been. His bed of grass remained in the corner. The stone was still rolled away from when he had retrieved his shirt earlier. He pushed it back into place. Stretching once more, he tossed his body onto his bed, landing with a slightly cushioned thud. He wondered how long it would take for him to fall asleep. It would not be easy, for he did not want to. There were too many thoughts, not all of them happy. Regardless, he closed his eyes. If need be, he would force a slumber.

Not five minutes later, he heard his name being called.

"Vincent!"

It was Susanna.

He quickly emerged from his hollow and stood on a branch that served as his lookout point. Susanna was in the same place he had left her near the fire, her body wrapped in the blanket. Once more she called out:

"Vincent, can you hear me? I need you."

Immediately, he leapt from the tree and rushed to her location. "I'm here. Are you okay? What do you need?"

When she saw that he had arrived, she leaned back on the ground. The edges of the blanket were in her hands and she slowly unwrapped it until it was just barely draped on her form. She motioned it off and it slipped off her body, leaving her uncovered and vulnerable to the night.

Susanna was completely naked.

"Vincent?" she said with a little shiver in her voice.

"Y-yes?" Vincent responded, his heart racing fast.

"Stay with me tonight."

Aristotle once observed, "Often when one is asleep, there is something in consciousness which declares that what then presents itself is but a dream." It is the earliest description of a phenomenon known as "lucid dreaming." A lucid dream is one in which the dreamer is aware that they are dreaming. As such, they are able to take advantage of existing in a fantasy state. They are able to control and manipulate their environment in a way that would not otherwise be possible. They become masters of fantasy.

All such experiences eventually end when the dreamer awakes, often leaving the awakened dreamer longing to return to their sleeping state. They return to humble reality and the limitations that come with it.

The same was not true for Vincent.

He existed in a perpetual state of lucid dreaming--of "lucid living." His very life was a very real dream. It was truly a gift...but it did come with certain shortcomings. Because of the blurred distinction between dreams and reality, there were times when Vincent was unsure of the nature of his environments. Was what he was experiencing real, or was he still asleep?

As a result, Vincent did not allow himself to enter the deeper stages of sleep. (He did this also because he was fearful that he would inadvertently bring his dreams alive, with potentially dangerous consequences.) He trained himself to be able to awaken on command and immediately evacuate the dreamscape. Though such occasions of confusion were rare, he wanted to be prepared just in case.

However, in this moment, Vincent could not wake up. There was no escaping this dream.

Perhaps, Vincent speculated cautiously, I am not dreaming?

Susanna was there right before him.
She was asking him to join her.
And she was naked.

Surely this cannot be reality, he thought. But if it is a dream, his mind continued, should I not make this a...good dream?

Susanna lay still and stretched out across the ground. She held her out before her, inviting Vincent to land, and he gently descended upon her welcoming palm. The living platform slowly lowered and he disembarked upon the middle of her chest. Despite the chill in the air, her skin had a thin layer of perspiration upon it. Vincent could feel Susanna's body rising and falling beneath him; she was breathing heavily. Beneath his feet, he could feel her heart beating very swiftly.
"Are you okay with this?" Vincent asked her earnestly.

She gulped and nodded her head, her body slightly trembling.

"Then I am honored," he said. "But you must be cold..."

Susanna nodded again, a subtle smile gracing her face. With Vincent's suggestion, she wrapped herself back in the blanket, forming a cloth cocoon that enclosed the both of them entirely. The light was able to penetrate the periwinkle fabric, but it shone with a light blue hue. The world of Susanna's body became even more enchanting, almost mystical. Soon, the air became much warmer and humid from their breath.

"You have given me a beautiful gift, Vincent," she said. "And I have nothing else to give you in return. Other than myself..."

"Susanna, I'm not sur--" Vincent nervously stammered.

"Oh, I worded that wrong. Sorry, I'm very nervous," she said. "There are limitations as to how far we can go. I'm not entirely comfortable or ready for that yet. But in return for all that you have done for me, I want to give you permission to...explore me."

"Explore you?"

She paused and collected herself. "This night, my body is yours. Apart from my...sensitive areas," she said, referring to her lower regions. "...you have free rein to go where you wish."

Hearing Susanna's words made Vincent's heart to race. "I accept!".

She smiled back. "Just be careful. I would feel awful if you were to be harmed."

He nodded in acknowledgement. "Don't worry," he said. "I will be very delicate."

Turning away from her face, Vincent surveyed the living landscape before him. Before him on either side rested her breasts. They heaved up and down with each inhale and exhale. Vincent had stolen many fleeting glances at them, but this was the first time he had taken them in in their natural fullness. Each one rose from her chest by a measure of at least twelve feet--twice Vincent's height. He stood in awe.

Vincent stood in a valley: the expanse between the twin mounds. They were at rest and her cleavage was separated, otherwise Vincent would have been trapped between them. He slowly made his way over to her right breast and placed his hand upon it. It was very soft--even softer than her stomach. As he did so, Susanna let out a timid titter. Running his hands along her breast, her walked its circumference, which took him several seconds and he had to be careful as he neared the edge of her ribcage.

Very carefully, he placed his whole body upon her breast and began his ascent. With every movement, he could feel her flesh jiggling, making it slightly difficult to climb. He wobbled a bit before regaining his balance. The task was not made easier by Susanna's heavy breathing, which increased as he climbed higher. Soon, he was resting atop her breast.

Her nipple was still prone to her breast. The skin surrounding it was a slightly redder shade of pink and was very delicate. It was by far the smoothest of Susanna's skin that Vincent had touched and it felt as if he was touching nothing at all. He kissed her flesh gently. The area was tingling with sensitive nervous and it reacted to his touch. Before long, he noticed that her skin was contracting together beneath him, forming wrinkles and creases. Her nipple arose from its resting state and Vincent watched it grow and enlarged until it stood firm and erect. He approached it and placed his hand upon it. Her nipple was about as wide as his forearm was long. Fully erect, it stood up to his upper thighs.

Vincent grasped her nipple with both arms, embracing it tightly. This sudden movement sent a shiver down Susanna's spine and she let out a soft moan. The air in the cocoon was growing more humid and Susanna had to open it up for a moment, sending fresh cool air into their enclosement. Her nipples grew even harder, to the point where her skin was very taut. Vincent covered its surface in kisses, gently nibbled it with his teeth, and rubbed it all over with both hands, much to Susanna's pleasure.

"Would you like me to stop?" he asked her after a few moments.

She nodded silently, nearing the point of being overwhelmed with sensation.

"Okay. I'm coming down." Vincent himself was nearing that point, his adrenaline rushing about his body. He took a deep breath to regain his clarity and focus, lest he descend into a more carnal, uncontrolled state of mind.

He returned to the familiar ground of her abdomen. Unlike before, the sun was not shining upon it, but it was still very warm. He rested prostrate upon it, his ears to the ground. Below him, Susanna's bowels were busy at work, rumbling and grumbling and tumbling about, digesting their earlier meal of mushrooms. Occasionally, he would feel her stomach would tremor and tremble. It was mesmerizing, as if listening to a living machine. In the distance, he could hear her heart thumping in its usual, though quickened, rhythm.

Susanna was becoming more comfortable with the situation, though will a little shy, especially with the thought that someone was inspecting every square inch of her body. She was not ashamed of her body, but it was still made her anxious thinking of it. She hoped that Vincent approved. No man had seen her in the way that he was now doing.

Despite her increasing comfort, she grew nervously alert as she felt his movements go further south. "Umm, Vincent?"

"Don't worry, Susanna," he called. "I respect your privacy and would not violate your trust."

"Thank you," she said in relief, though she had trusted him already. She very much liked Vincent, perhaps even loved him, but she did not feel like their relationship was ready for such a move...yet.

Vincent continued traversing Susanna's body. He visited her toes, but did not stay along as he quickly learned that her feet were very ticklish. She giggled and squealed as he slid down her left foot, running his fingers down the arch on his way. He could feel her muscles tense up and he decided it would be in their best interest if he refrained from doing so with the other foot. Though her feet were far less dangerous when she was laying down, he did not want to cause her to thrash about. Susanna only had so much self-control...

Eventually, Vincent made his way back to her chest and faced Susanna's head. Rather than climbing up her neck, he made a surprise move and jumped off near her left shoulder, his fall cushioned by a bed of auburn hair. It descended from her head like a copper waterfall and gathered together in a soft, voluminous pool. A small cave was formed underneath her neck at the base of her head. Out of curiosity, Vincent checked to see if he fit; he did and he shimmied himself through the narrow tunnel, emerging on the right side of Susanna's head.

"Having fun?" she said, amused.

"More than you know."

Grasping several strands, Vincent ascended her hair and made his way up to her face. As he climbed past her ears, Susanna could hear him making cute little grunts as he made his ascent. Soon, he was standing on her cheekbone right next to her nose.

"Whew!" he exclaimed. "This adventure is turning out to be a workout! Be glad all you have to do is stay very still."

Susanna laughed, nearly knocking Vincent back down to the ground.

"Hey! I said you had to stay still!"

"Sorry!" she said, then giggled again.

When he found his balance again, he walked over to Susanna's eyes. They were as wide across as he was tall and standing before them was like standing before tranquil pools. He could see her pupils moving around, trying to keep track of where he was. Jokingly, he ran to and fro around her lower eyelid, making the pupils chase around to find him. Suddenly, the entire area began to twitch as one of her eyelashes dislodged and fell right into her eye.

"Oh my...um, this is quite uncomfortable," Susanna said, clenching her eye closed to prevent further disturbing it.

"I might be able to help," said Vincent. "In a second, open your eye again."

Water was starting to pool in the corners of her eyes as her body emitted tears in an attempt to dislodge the eyelash, unsuccessfully. Vincent crouched over and got into position above her eyeball. When she opened it again, he only had a split second before she began to twitch again, and he did not want to risk falling onto her eye and causing her harm. Susanna opened her eye, she was treated to a view of Vincent's crotch, as he straddling her eye with a foot on each eyelid.

"Well, well..." she teased.

Quickly, he reached down and extracted the thick hair from her eye's vitreous membrane.

"Got it!" he shouted. "Feel better?" The eyelash was half as long as his arm. He waved it around like a trophy.

"Yes, yes, much better, thank you. What would I ever do without you?" she sarcastically remarked.

Vincent was a rather intelligent young man, though there were times when he found himself lacking in wisdom and good judgment. Certain ideas would enter his mind that he would later regret. Such an example was the following: Rather than discarding the eyelash, Vincent wore a mischievous grin. Without warning, he sprinted down Susanna's face. Bounding off her cheek, he lept to the tip of her nose. With his feet braced on either side of her nose, he bent over and proceeded to shove the eyelash up Susanna's nostril and wiggle it around.

Immediately upon doing so, Vincent realized that he had made a huge mistake. The ground began to shake and he could feel a great force arising within Susanna. He tried to run, but the trembling made him lose his grip and he tumbled head first until he was sitting in front of her nose.

Susanna sneezed.

"Vincent?! Where are you? Are you okay?" she said, sitting up.

She scrambled to look for him, but her movements only seemed to make the predicament worse. He was somewhere on her body, but every time she moved, he fell from one location to another. He himself was dazed and confused, crawling around frantically to escape. He had no idea where on Susanna he was and was afraid that she was going to accidentally crush him.

"Yipe!" she exclaimed. "No, no, no, mister!"

Vincent had heard Susanna, but was still disoriented. He kept crawling, hoping to find his way out from under her. Before he could make it any further, he felt her fingers grasp onto his legs and pull him away and out of the crevice he was in.

"My butt is off limits!"

As soon as Vincent recovered from his dizziness, he was visibly embarrassed. "Great Forest, I didn't intend--"

"And what on earth compelled you to tickle my nose?!"

"Umm...not my best move, looking back. Probably could have thought that one through some more. My eardrums would have appreciated that, at least."

Susanna sighed and tsked, "What am I going to do with you Vincent?"

After that climactic ending, their evening was drawing to a close. It was getting late and both of them were nearing the point of exhaustion. Susanna's request still stood. She wanted Vincent to stay with her that night. She wanted to feel his small yet strong body resting upon her. She wanted to be able to look down and to see his sleeping face.

She did not want him to be gone from her.

"That might be...dangerous," he said in response.

"What? Why would it?" she asked. "If you're afraid that I'll crush you or roll over on you, I'll have you know that I am a very still sleeper and I would be especially careful knowing you were around."

"Oh no, it's not that at all. In fact, it's not about you. I feel very safe around you, Susanna. It's about...me."

Vincent explained to her that the dangers of sleep for him, especially with his new power. He did not want to endanger her by accidentally igniting a fire while they slept. He could not get too comfortable.

"I understand," she said. "But could you at least stay near me?"

"I think I can do that."

Together, they put together a makeshift bed for Vincent with grass and with a fabric scrap from the blanket. They placed it between Susanna and the campfire, right within Susanna's reach and gaze. Finally, they settled in for the night.

"Good night, Vincent."

"Good night, Susanna."

The sun rises inevitably. The night always ends. Morning always comes.

These facts are true, but they are not always desired.

Both Vincent and Susanna knew that the life they had lived over the last couple of days could not be sustained. Wonderful and memorable as it was, it was going to have to end. This was not spoken by them. It had not been discussed, but it was known and it was dreaded.

In their dreams that night, they imagined about these days continuing on end. Susanna dreamed of exploring more of Cairnbridge with Vincent, discovering waterfalls and caves, wandering through the fields and valleys. Vincent dreamed of growing closer to the woman he had come to adore and who, surprisingly, returned the affection.

Despite all of his power, Vincent wasn't sure that even he could make those dreams become real.

The sun arose.

Vincent was already awake. He did not usually sleep longer than three or four hours at a time, intentionally restricting his sleeping and the time spent dreaming. This night, Vincent did not even have the desire. His mind was too active and could not find rest.

As the sun arose, he watched as Susanna's face was gradually illumined more and more by the rising light. It was apparent to him that she did not have the best night of sleep, either. There were times when she would toss and turn, letting out whimpers and groans, before eventually finding a comfortable spot sleeping on her side. At one point in the evening, she unknowingly reached out and grabbed a hold of him. She drew him to her bosom and clung to him as a little girl would a teddy bear in her sleep. Fortunately for Vincent, she did not clutch him too tightly. He let her continue and did not resist, finding comfort to be in her sleeping arms.

"Good morning," he called when he noticed Susanna's eyes start to open.

She yawned then looked around her. Vincent was not on his bed where she had last seen him...and yet he sounded very close.

"Good morning!" she said as she yawned and stretched. "Where are you?"

"Closer than you know," he replied. "Could you...help me out?"

Susanna looked down and followed the sound of his voice. "Oh my! What are you doing there?"

Vincent was tightly lodged in her cleavage, sandwiched between her two breasts as they lay one on top of the other. He was pinned down by the upper one's weight, though not to the point of suffocation.

"Don't ask me. You're the one who put me here," he nonchalantly replied as she extracted him. "Not that I mind..."

Susanna blushed and apologized profusely and was grateful that she had not harmed him.

"No, I didn't feel in danger at all, otherwise I would have woken you," he said. "At one point, you put me to your lips and I was a little concerned that you were going to eat me, but you just pressed me to them for a few seconds before putting me back down here. I think you were...kissing me? At least, wanting to but were too sleepy and tired."

With that, an embarrassed Susanna shifted the conversation.

"Where should I put this gigantic dress? It worked as a great blanket, by the way. I stayed very warm, even after we ran out of firewood."

"Well, I suppose I don't really have a use for it anymore, do I? I'll take care of it." Vincent held part of the fabric in his hands, closed his eyes, and gave it a vigorous shake. To Susanna's surprise, the entire dress evaporated like a mist and disappeared.

"I didn't know you could do that!" she exclaimed.

"Of course I can. I brought it into this world, I should be able to take it out, right?" he winked.

"Wait, does that mean you could do the same with this dress you made for me?"

Vincent remained silent, but wore a sly grin on his face. "Why would I ever do that?"

The two sat together as they enjoyed a breakfast of assorted nuts. It was not the banquet that Vincent had prepared for her the previous day, but he already had plenty of walnuts and almonds tucked away in his food reserves. It would be enough to give them the energy to return to Cairnbridge.

"Vincent, we need to talk about something," Susanna stated with an earnest voice.

"About what?"

"The future," she replied.

Vincent took in a deep breath and slowly exhaled. He knew this was going to come up and had prepared himself for the conversation. Still, this was not going to be easy.

"First, I want you to know something," Susanna said. "These last two days have been the greatest of my life. I do not say those words loosely. I mean them. I have experienced great joy with you, Vincent: joy that frankly, I did not know was possible. I have known Cairnbridge since I was a child, but I have never loved it in the way that you have shown it to me.

"But..." she continued, "I'm going to have to go back home."

Vincent was silent. He knew the truth of her words. He anticipated their coming. And yet, it still felt as if he had been knocked to the ground.

"Vincent...I have a family. They'll be concerned if they never hear from me again. I have a life back home, too, and I can't just abandon it. If I could just leave it all today and run away with you, know that I would...but I cannot."

"So that's it, then?" he asked.

"What do you mean?"

"So this is all over? You've had your fun and now you're going to leave and pretend like nothing ever happened?" His voice was growing more upset.

"Vincent!" she said. "You know that's not that case! First off, don't make it seem like this isn't extremely hard for me. I have been dreading this morning for hours. I couldn't sleep last night thinking of this. Second, I could never 'pretend like nothing happened' because that's just not possible. In fact, the opposite is true: I will never be able to forget this, ever."

"But it's only just begun!" he said, flying up to Susanna's eye level. "We had yesterday. One wonderful day. But could we not have more?"

"I wish that were the case. But remember, when I found you, I was out for a walk in the woods. I only intended to be gone for a few hours and was actually on my way back. No one knows I was out here, apart from maybe Cairnbridge's groundskeeper. It might be a couple of days, but people will eventually notice that I'm missing and will be concerned. They will look for me. And then, when I showed up, what will I say? The truth? Am I to tell them about you?"

"Why not?" Vincent said, slightly offended.

"It's complicated. They won't understand."

"But you did."

"Yes, but...just listen to me: for now, you have to be kept a secret."

"Fine," he huffed. All of Susanna's reasonings made sense and he understood, but he was still upset. He was running out of arguments for her to stay. Perhaps he was being selfish, but he had no stronger desire than for her to remain with him.

Susanna placed her hand under Vincent, then drew him closer to her face. "But Vincent...this does not have to be the end! I have to go home, but I can--and will--come back. And maybe with a change of clothes this time! And food! I can even bring a tent and a blanket."

"You would do that? You would return?" he asked.

"Of course I would! If I could, I would build us a cabin on this island and we could stay there together. It would be our home and you would not have to stay in your tree hollow. But I can't do that right now."

Vincent thought on that idea with fondness. He had no idea what a cabin was or what it looked like, but the thought of living with Susanna gave his heart a feeling of joy just thinking of it.

"I'm sorry, Susanna. I don't mean to be difficult," he said. "I just...really don't want to see you go."

"I can come back every weekend. Though I do not own the estate, this land belongs to my family and I can travel here anytime."

An air of relief was entering into their conversation. Vincent sat cross-legged on Susanna's palm, thinking about the situation and the possible solutions. He sat with increasing hope.

"I could go with you," Vincent said.

Susanna thought on this for a moment. "I'm not sure if that's the best idea. The human world is much different than the world of the forest. It can be very dangerous, especially for someone like you. Besides, I cannot risk you being found by others. Not all humans are good. Some might seek to exploit your powers or take advantage of you. I fear I would not always be able to protect you. Perhaps one day, but not today."

Vincent had no imaginings of the human world, having intentionally strayed away from it. His mind held no concept of cities, apart from having seen Cairnbridge Manor a few times. On one occasion, he had encountered Susanna's cousins. (Or that is who he presumed they were. They had not seen him as he had hidden, but he took note of their clothing and it was from that memory that he fashioned his own clothes.) All in all, Susanna was correct: returning with Susanna would have been a very overwhelming and potentially perilous experience for Vincent.

"Well, then I can at least make sure you return home safely, yes?"

Susanna smiled. "Of course."

By the time the sun was in the middle of the sky, the two of them were more than halfway through their return journey. The waters of the lake had still been frigid, but Susanna was able to find her original dress, which was warm and dry after having sat in the sun for so long. Their trek was very similar to that of the previous day: the apple tree, the conjoining of the rivers, the familiar creek that led them back to Cairnbridge.

Before long, they were back at Lydia and Dan. The glade would be only another few minutes away, but Susanna and Vincent decided to take a little break. Susanna removed her sandals and dipped her feet in the cool waters of the brook. (She made a mental note to remember to bring more suitable shoes next time.) Meanwhile, Vincent zoomed along the surface of the water, skiing along and leaving a small wake in his path, much like a boat would. The day, like the previous days, was a very pleasant one and the wind brought a relaxing breeze to their faces.

"Would you mind if I went with you to Cairnbridge?" Vincent asked. "I would not go further than the edge of the woods. But we don't have to part company at the glade..."

"I would love that," Susanna replied. "It's only another hour, but that would be another hour spent with each other."

Their respite over, they readied themselves for the last leg of their journey.

A few minutes later, however, Susanna stopped suddenly.

"Vincent, do you smell that?"

He inhaled deeply, taking in a lungful of air. "No...what is it?"

Susanna sniffed the air again. "I know that fragrance...the aroma of sandalwood and amber. It's the same fragrance that led me to the glade two days ago!"

"What? Why? You've already found me. What do the trees want with you again?" Vincent said, very puzzled at this development.

"Well, last time I followed it, I was blessed with a wonderful gift. Maybe they have something else to give me?" Susanna replied cheerily.

Like the previous encounter, the fragrance grew stronger and heavier the closer Susanna neared its source. Vincent, however, could not smell it himself, but believed her when she said that she did. It became very clear that they were returning to the glade.

Knowing where they were going, Susanna began to run quicker until she could see the clearing in the trees up ahead. Sidestepping trees and shrubs and bushes, she emerged into the place where she had first met Vincent.

However, it became clear that there were some stark differences to the glade since they left.

"Where are the flowers?" she asked. "They're all gone!" The glade was completely barren, even more so than when Susanna had first stepped foot in it the other day. Even the grass was gone, leaving only rough dirt and soil. There was no life apart from the tall white birch trees that continued to stand vigil around the perimeter and swayed in the wind in unison.

"My power must have worn off. Peculiar..." he said, "I usually have to be intentional in removing what I've created." Vincent paused. "...we must be cautious."

"Why?" Susanna inquired.

Vincent did not respond.

Meanwhile, the scent was growing stronger as ever before. Susanna wandered into the middle of the empty glade. The air felt denser and almost thick, as if she were breathing in water, but it was not humid. It was starting to affect her and she faltered in her step.

"Susanna!" exclaimed Vincent. "Are you okay?"

"Yes...I'm fine, I think. The scent is even stronger here today than it was two days ago. It quickly disappeared when you entered, but is has not done so.."

"I am here now. And it is still stronger?" he said.

"Very..."

Susanna began to cough, worrying Vincent greatly. Her breathing was becoming strained as well, and she was having more difficulty walking. She fell to one knee before righting herself and making her way to the center of the glade.

"Susanna...we need to leave right now."

His words came too late.

"Vincent! Vincent...I can't...I'm having trouble breathing. I feel ill--"

Susanna collapsed to the ground, coughing and wheezing.

"Susanna!!" Vincent shouted, rushing to her aid. She lay very still in a curled up position.

Before he could reach her, however, the wind quickly picked up. In a matter of seconds, Vincent found himself flying directly into a gale force wind. The air rushed around the glade, swirling him around in a violent vortex.

In the wind, Vincent heard an airy, wispy voice call out:

"Yoouuuu....shallllll...staayyyyy!!"

Susanna awoke with a pounding headache. She did not know how long she had blacked out, but she remembered very clearly the feeling of suffocation and smothering that had overwhelmed her. She felt as if she were being drowned outside of water, the very oxygen being deprived from the air around her. She was feeling much better now and slowly was returning to consciousness.

The first thing that she had noticed was the she no longer smelled the strong fragrance. Instead, the air carried another aroma: smoke. Something was burning...something very close. Alarmed and fearful that she was potentially in danger, she quickly rose up and looked around.

The area was vaguely familiar, though at the same time very foreign and different. Susanna stood in the middle of a clearing. It was very barren and empty. She recognized that it was the glade. However, in her memory she recalled a garden of flowers embedded among lush, verdant grass and surrounded on all sides by a circle of tall, white birch trees.

Now, all Susanna could see was destruction.

The ground was scorched and black, except for the area immediately around her, which was unscathed. The grass sizzled and popped and smoke arose from its crisp, burnt blades. Most significantly, Susanna saw that the birch trees, which had once stood as sentinels around the glade, had been completely decimated. All that remained were smoldering stumps in their stead.

Susanna spun around in confusion. What had happened here?

It was then that she saw, hovering just above her head, a small little man, no longer than her finger. His was sitting in the air, paying no heed to gravity, with his head hung between his knees. His brown curly hair was disheveled. She could see his face; it was covered in sweat and soot. His countenance was weary and tired, as if he had just undergone a great ordeal. His clothes had the hint of a shimmer to them, but were singed and tattered. He sat silently.

"Vincent!" Susanna cried.

He acknowledged her with his eyes, but otherwise did not budge and remained silent.

"Vincent...what happened?! Are you okay?"

"I am fine," he replied with a somber tone.

Looking around at the ruins of the glade, Susanna was starting to piece together the evidence. "...Did you do this?" she asked.

Vincent slowly nodded.

"Oh my..." she said with silent awe. She had seen him conjure balls of fire, but nothing on the scale required to wreak the devastation seen all around. It looked like a firestorm had been unleashed, sending a wildfire burning throughout the clearing, consuming everything in its path.

"You saved me, didn't you?" she asked.

Again, he nodded.

She paused. "Tell me what happened."

The force of the vortex nearly caused Vincent to pass out. He felt as if his skin were about to fly off his bones. He spun around so quickly that he could only see the world in streaks and blurs. Despite all of his efforts, he could not resist the wind. It controlled him and he lay captive to its will, unable to fly to safety.

"Let me go!" he shouted. "Cease this at once!"

There was no response. The wind continued its reckless spree.

"Why are you doing this?!"

A disembodied voice answered upon the winds: "Sussssannnnaa muuussst sssstaaayyy."

Vincent immediately spotted Susanna, who was directly below him. He was being flung around her and he had difficulty making out her blurred form, but he knew that it must be her. She lay on the ground very still.

"Leave her alone! She does not belong to you!" he cried out to the wind.

It did not listen. "You are ourssss. Sheee iss ourrsss. Yooouuu musssttt sttaayyy...or dieeee!!"

"Great Forest! You are my home. I love you. You brought me into existence," Vincent shouted. "But I warn you this: if you do not release us...I will forced to destroy you."

Vincent could hear laughter in the wind. It was haughty and proud, as if to taunt him. The tornado of air increased its speed, far in excess of hundreds of miles an hour, threatening to break his small body apart.

"Nooo."

From below, Vincent could hear Susanna coughing and choking, struggling for air. She did not have long and he would have to act to release her from the forest's smothering grip.

"Have it your way, then!" he seethed in anger.

His blood boiled and an array of retributive thoughts flurried through his mind. His love for his home was being outweighed by his love for a woman. He felt conflicted, but at the end, he knew where his loyalties lie.

At that moment, the sky grew dim with a hint of red. Vincent closed his eyes. All of a sudden, a very small spark flew out from Vincent's hands and into the middle of the vortex, where it hovered in still suspension. The wind threatened to blow it out, but the tiny flame stood firm. In fact, the wind was only serving to fan the fire. The flame began to rapidly grow.

Within minutes, the fire expanded and enveloped the area, being carried to and fro by the vortex, soon becoming a mighty tornado of burning fire. It ripped through the branches of the trees, consuming the leaves and bark, and stripping everything bare.

"Sstttoooppp thiissssss!" Vincent could hear the wind cry, far more frantic and fearful.

The heat of the air was intense and inescapable. One by one, each of the birch trees burst in the flames. The fires engulfed them from their roots to their highest branches. The trees were completely vulnerable and the fires burned through them like paper. Within moments, they were reduced to ashes.

When the last tree was no more, the wind ceased to blow, having already increasingly dwindled in speed. Vincent was no longer being flung about, but was very dizzy. His body ached in pain and was drenched in sweat, his skin pink and feeling raw. As soon as he regained his composure, his eyes darted around the remains of the glade.

"Susanna!"

She was still laying in the middle of the clearing, motionless. Vincent rushed over to her and was relieved to find that she had been unharmed by the fires. She had been safe and protected. Checking her vitals as he had done far too many times in the last couple of days, he was relieved to find that she was breathing again.

Vincent looked around him and saw what his hands had wrought. Rising into the air, he surveyed the ruined landscape. He hovered in silence. His body trembled and a tear emerged from his eye. The tiny droplet rolled off of his face and plummeted through the air, landing in the ground with a barely noticeable sizzle.

"I'm sorry it had to be this way," he whispered.

Vincent broke down into tears as he related this story to Susanna. He lowered himself through the air until he was right before her, where she was able to take him in her hand.

"It's all over now," Susanna said softly, comforting her friend. "You did what needed to be done. We're safe now."

Vincent continued to tremble in her hands, rocking himself back and forth. He was afraid. His fear stemmed not from any danger of his life: not the trees nor the wind. He feared himself.

Susanna did not know what words she could say to him; perhaps there were no words. Instead, she cradled him in her hands, her finger stroking him up and down his back.

She carried him away. They no longer needed to be in that place. Slowly she walked through the forest, past the ruined trees until they were behind them. Soon, the world was green again and there were no signs of the fire. She made her way to the creek, continuing to comfort Vincent all the while. Kneeling down, she dipped her finger in the river and proceeded to wash him off with drops of water. The soot and grime ran off his face in dirty rivulets. Susanna took her hair and gently dried him off with her auburn locks. Before long, Vincent was clean again.

"Much better."

Vincent looked up and smiled at her. "Thank you, Susanna."

She took him to her lips and give him a soft kiss on the head.

"Thank you."

They sat together on a rock overlooking the creek in the shade of Lydia and Dan. There they rested for several minutes in silence, watching the waters flowing over the river stones. Nearby, a little turtle plopped into the water with a quiet splash and casually floated along past them. The birds were singing sweet melodies in the air. It was very serene and peaceful. It was what they needed.

After a while, Vincent stood up, his composure regained.

"I'm going to take a break from my powers for a while," he said to Susanna.

"Are you sure about that?" she asked.

He nodded. "I'm sure. Don't worry, if something comes up and I need them, I'll still have them. But I'm going to try living life a little more...normally. Just for a bit, at least. Until I'm no longer feeling exhausted by them."

"Understandable. Will you go back to the island?"

"Eventually. But not immediately. I'm going to wander for a bit. Explore. I haven't really done that in a long time. I think you've inspired me," he said in a more upbeat voice.

"That sounds like quite an adventure. But do be careful! I'll be back in a few days and want to hear a full report from you."

"I will document it well," he said with a smile. "Anyway, I think I'm ready. Shall we continue on?"

"Let's."

After an hour, Susanna and Vincent finally came to the end of the forest and to the gardens on the edge of Cairnbridge Manor. Vincent had never dared to be as close to the estate as they were now.

"That place...it is massive!" he said with awe and wonder.

Cairnbridge Manor was not the largest country house, but it was quite sizeable. It had grown over the centuries with new additions and wings being added to it by different ancestors. Susanna did not know how many people could be hosted there, but in the past she recalled family reunions being held there with a couple hundred people in attendance.

"It is something, isn't it? Perhaps you'll be able to explore it some day."

"Really?" he asked. The thought daunted him. He could easily get lost in just one of its dozens of rooms.

"Some day," Susanna replied, "but not today."

The two of them lingered for a while before it became certain that it was now the time for them to part. Susanna set Vincent down on the ground, almost dropping him, forgetting his temporary withdrawal from flying. She then lay down on the grassy lawn, prostrate to the ground so that her head was (almost) at Vincent's level.

"Meet back here on Friday?" she asked.

"I'll be here!"

He turned around to make his way back to the forest. Before he could take a few steps, however, Susanna called out:

"Hey, Vincent!"

Turning around, he saw that her eyes were closed. Her lips were puckered. She wanted a goodbye kiss! He obliged, running towards her face. However, he lips were still a little too far off the ground, so he gave a running leap and planted his face upon them before falling back to the ground.

"Goodbye, friend...for now."

The knowledge that their time apart would only be temporary helped assuage the sadness, but it did mean that their first experience together was coming to an end. They would never have a first day together again, another first kiss, another first near-swallowing, another first argument, another first gift, or another first slumber together.

The time for firsts was over. Now was the time for seconds and thirds and fourths and fifth.

The happy truth for Susanna and Vincent was that there would be many, many more to come...