Then the Little Person appeared in front of her, bent over sideways. He looked into her eyes. Em returned to the forest. He turned, still bent, and crossed her sight again, continuing south, the direction he’d stared earlier. As he pushed apart the ferns again, Em realized what she was to do. She scrambled after him. Although he was only a few feet tall, and limped, he moved swiftly. Em’s body did not work right, but she kept up. She made enough noise to wake a bear. They went that way for a while, until he cut up to the right, and then down a slope. Em lost her footing, and slid down the slope. At the bottom, she saw it: a lake! He hopped into it, wetting just his moccasins. He turned to watch the girl splash her face with water so clean the rose, tan, and bone-colored granules could be s
