Another nod and a faint half - smile on the freckled, rosy - cheeked boy's face. He looked nice, with a shock of fiery red hair combed into a slightly old - fashioned hairstyle with a long fringe. He wore the kind of pants fishermen in Suzy's village usually had on, and his windbreaker was a little ragged, even torn in a few places.
Just a moment passed- maybe two- and his face began to change: it grew darker and sharper, a small scar appeared under his left eye, and then the features started to blur again, shifting until an entirely new face emerged through the young one.
Suzy could've sworn these changes weren't just about shape or size- they seemed to age the face, unnaturally.
The boy's hair turned grey in fast - forward, a thick beard sprouted on his chin, and deep wrinkles grabbed hold of his face like a mountain range wrapped around a valley.
And for some reason, a wave of anger suddenly rose up inside Suzy- directed at this strange visitor. She'd felt warmth toward his earlier forms, but this third one sparked a weird sense of threat. What kind exactly, she couldn't tell, but her small fists clenched and her nostrils flared like a wild animal's.
But was there even a reason?
Her new acquaintance- maybe even a future friend- still looked perfectly friendly. It was just a shame he didn't speak. Still, Suzy decided not to stick her nose into things that weren't her business and not to pester him with dumb questions. Calming down from the burst of fury, she asked the most important thing on her mind:
So, what are we going to do?
The boy's face changed instantly, and he ducked toward the ground like he was expecting an explosion or a punch. But there was no danger around.
Does he see Suzy as the threat? -
The girl straightened up and started speaking passionately:
Suzy doesn't want to hurt you. If you're the spirit of this lake, she doesn't want to make you mad or offend you. On the contrary- you could be friends!
But the boy didn't seem interested. The friendly air about him was gone, replaced with real fear. He looked around nervously, scanning the area like he was searching for something very important.
And when he spotted it, he waved several times toward the shore, clearly wanting Suzy to notice. No matter how hard she squinted, she saw nothing.
She looked back at her new friend- but he was gone, just like all the nature spirits in legends. Everyone knows those beings vanish when you least expect it.
If he was gone, maybe at least the thing he pointed to was still there?
Feeling dizzy but no longer in pain, Suzy stood up from the rock and moved in the direction he'd indicated.
She bent low and scanned the shore like a bloodhound, hoping not to miss anything. But there was only snow and the lapping water.
The boy had pointed at nothing. At void.