- 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.
The Roof and The Interest.
When Grandpa asks for help- you help. He said the barn roof needed fixing, so at least you had to try.
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That’s how Grofo saw it. Roman, however, had other ideas. He did everything he could to dodge responsibility, proclaiming that he just wasn’t in the mood for work today. No matter how much his older brother tried to talk him into it, he couldn’t break through Roman’s wall of dramatic sobs.
And Grandpa? He just sat next to the low barn on a chair, puffing his pipe and hiding his knowing smile behind clouds of smoke. The family patriarch was fully aware that his request would go unfulfilled, but he also knew how much the boys loved climbing up onto that roof and lying there in the sunshine.
He couldn’t very well let them do it openly- their grandma, also known as the boys’ fearsome warden, would’ve put a stop to it. But helping with a roof emergency? Well, that was a different story. Grandpa was quite proud of his little scheme, actually.
Grofo, meanwhile, was still trying to convince his brother, passionately appealing to his nonexistent sense of duty. But he was too kind to push anyone for long- especially the eternal martyr that was Roman. At the first chance he got, Roman would fire up his miniature engine of tears, snot, and emotional manipulation, and Grofo always fell for it.
Everyone knew Roman was a master of excuses, firing up his imagination whenever anyone asked him to lift a finger. At some point, Grofo got tired of hearing about the pain in the pinkie of his right hand’s left side or whatever, and just laced his fingers behind his head and lay down on the flat roof.
He’d shoveled the snow off beforehand, so now he could enjoy a well - deserved nap. Roman had finally shut up, and Grofo was just thinking how smart he’d been to wear thermal underwear and two sweaters- it wasn’t cold at all. His massive parka looked more like a tent, big enough for a small person to hide inside.
Yeah, Grofo was short. And he knew he probably wasn’t gonna grow into a giant. None of his relatives were tall. But he’d always seen it as an advantage. His curiosity knew no bounds- sometimes unacceptably so- and thanks to his small size and agility, he could slip into places where others just wouldn’t fit.
And man, could he run. Or dodge. That was his real superpower.
Which is exactly what he did when a heavy snowball came flying his way- barely missing his left cheek. He jerked his head up and waved off Roman’s shriek:
- Someone’s trying to kill us!
Then he looked down.
There was Suzy- his best friend in the entire world. She was the only one who didn’t get annoyed by his antics and laughed at all his jokes. Normally she walked around with a permanent scowl, but somehow Grofo always managed to cheer her up- without even trying.
Maybe that was his gift? When he got older and moved to the city, maybe he could try stand - up comedy in bars. Then on to stadiums! You had to dream big.
Suzy scooped up another handful of snow, packed it tightly, and aimed again- but Grofo jumped to his feet and shouted:
- Okay, okay, I’m up! Don’t throw it! I’m coming
First, he helped Roman down, carefully. Then he hopped off himself without even using the railing. His legs were full of bounce and speed- at least that’s what he liked to think.
- Grofo, she’s got something to tell you! Something special happened today… - said Suzy, looking nothing like her usual self. Normally cool and distant, today she was clearly shaken.
- Well, don’t keep me You look like someone invited you to build sandcastles without sand.
- Oh, if only… - Susanna sighed dreamily, flashing a wide grin that caught Grofo totally off Wait, what? Suzy joking? What the heck happened to her?