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.