Dryad

Roadtrip

I saw children going on a trip to the forest. At first I found it strange that they didn't enter school at the usual time, but today they didn't have organized classes. I was afraid that someone from the village would see me and quickly ran back into the forest, but I continued to follow them when they came to me. They seemed so happy that they could run around outside today.

They picked leaves and jumped over old tree stumps, which were particularly interesting to them, but every now and then I had to make sure they didn't pick the wrong mushroom. It's hard to look after so many of them at once, and they don't have all the necessary knowledge they need. I hid behind the trees so that their teacher wouldn't spot me, even though she wasn't keeping an eye on all the children nor couldn't do such a task. I peeked while she wasn't paying attention to the place where I was hiding and opened the clasped hands in which the nightingale was sitting, and two little girls hopped up to me.

I couldn't hold the nightingale for long, who sang briefly, but they found everything fascinating enough to keep their attention. I showed them where all the little forest strawberries were and then hid again when we got close to the young teacher.

Suddenly I heard a shot and was scared to death. There should be no hunters here. The children gathered quickly, and I ran deeper into the forest. I was afraid to go find out where exactly the sound came from that was no longer heard, but I felt the smell of death that seemed to be transmitted throughout the forest. Everything fell into dead silence for a short while. The trees whispered bad things. Poacher.

When it was safe again, I revealed myself and began to walk slowly on the bare earth filled with roots. A weak wind disturbed me as if it wanted to show me the path I must follow. But the forest was never wrong, why should I doubt its messages now? I followed it's directions and soon heard a small voice. A small child's voice, more like crying than speaking. My little boy stood there all lost and tears fell from his eyes. He must have separated from his own group and now he can't come back. I slowly approached him and took his hand:

- I got lost. I can't find them.-he complained and held me tighter as if he was afraid I would leave him.

I managed to catch one butterfly and landed it on his wet cheek which made him a bit happier. If I could talk, I could tell him that butterflies drink tears, which is cool in its own way. I guess fairies also collect other people's tears, but for different reasons. I would not be surprised by that fact.

I showed him with my hand where we had to go, and he followed me without asking. We walked slowly without saying a word and from the unmarked parts we quickly came to the road and soon to the clearing where I could leave him. I didn't want them to see me, but I could stay somewhere in the shadows:

-Do you want to come with us again?-he asked me as if he thought I would leave him.

We bumped noses and I let him go to his friends. People would think that I kidnapped and got him lost if I was spotted.