It looked so beatiful, that birch tree. She walked up and caressed it, feeling the papery smoothness with her fingertips. She decided to press onward, and tapped the tree as if saying goodbye.
As she turned to walk away, she heard an almost musical rustling of the branches. Violet had always had a talent for music. She turned back to the tree once more, for the rustling persisted.
The moment she did, she set eyes on the most beautiful woman she’d ever seen.
Then, the specter spoke. “Hello.” The lady was smiling.
“If you don’t mind my asking, what are you?” Violet said.
“I am a driad. If you don’t mind my_asking, where is the other one?”
“The other _what?” Violet was a tad perplexed, but less than most of us would’ve been in her mud-covered shoes!
“The other traveller. Well, he isn’t here, obviously. Back in the tree for me, then, I can’t let you through.”
She disappeared.
Somehow Violet knew exactly who it was she had to take “through”, where ever that meant.