It wasn’t unusual to see a human in my forest. Every now and then someone would either be passing through or exploring. At times, I would try to make myself known to them, but my presence was often attributed to anything else. Their own preconceived notions often got in their way of being able to see me clearly. I would blow the wind or shake the trees, or even send a raven or a cardinal to get their attention. But instead of noticing me, they would reminisce on a dead family member, or think about whatever god they worshiped, or sometimes get paranoid of a bad omen. Most never even noticed at all.

But not her.

She sat cross legged, leaned against a boulder. Her dark hair was covered in silver strands that shimmered in the moonlight. Her fingers, cracked with age and use, skillfully wove pieces of grass into a wreath.  Her knuckles were swollen and knobby, her skin was thin and almost translucent, and her veins branched out like dark blue tree roots. Deep creases ran across her forehead and smaller ones around her eyes and mouth.

She wore her age beautifully.

I said hello by shaking the tree above her with a light breeze, dropping a pine cone right into her lap. She laughed a deep belly laugh and looked around.

“Hello?” She called out, “Who are you?”

I gasped in shock, and the forest followed suit. Then complete silence. A warm smile spread across her face and she said, much gentler, “You don’t have to be afraid. I’m listening.”

A warmth spread through me, and then laughter that shook the trees, sending the chittering squirrels running. I had never been spoken to before. I had never been seen. I had never been acknowledged.

I wanted to do something. I wanted more of this. I wanted her to know me. I took on form. I had only ever taken the form of animals and plants before, and I didn’t know enough about humans to make a convincing one, but something in me told me to try. I knew it was wrong, but I still shambled out into the clearing, gracelessly moving legs that never would truly belong to me.

Her gray eyes looked up at me in surprise, and…wonder? She took a deep breath in and I saw tears brimming.