but there was something missing in her eyes upon her return. Lili seemed blank and empty since making her way back to the towns from the Forbidden Forest. Elsa wondered what exactly Lili had seen on her journey, but the thought sent shivers down her spine, as she knew how blasphemous, how heretical, it was to think about such things. Still, she worried for Lili's mental state and resolved to see her the next day to inquire further about the man she brought back with her.
CHAPTER 5
Since her disappearance into the Forest, the local community tried their best to clean up Lili’s home once she returned with her son. Elsa walked from the town square, on her way to Lili’s dilapidated cabin, the bushes in disarray, the weeds growing out and around the pathway leading toward the door. Elsa stood on the porch, listening for sounds of life from inside the house. She heard little Ennis laughing and giggling, as if he had all the friends a child his age would ever want. Elsa smiled, knowing little Ennis had not been affected in any permanent way in his sojourn into the forest.
Lili took some time to get to the door, and upon answering, Elsa saw her appearance had worsened since she returned from the forest. Lili stood there in the doorway, saying nothing, almost as if she half-expected Elsa to throw a pie in her face.
“Lili,” Elsa said, smiling in the most polite way she could. “How are you?”
“Getting some rest,” she said, trying her best to put on a good face for company, though she clearly was not prepared to host that morning. “How are you, my dear Elsa?”
“Oh I was just thinking about you last night,” Elsa said, handing Lili some soup she cooked as an excuse to come over. Lili took the brown bag and smiled the best she could. Remembering her dream last night, Elsa's emotions near bowled her over, and she couldn't resist hugging Lili, the soup bowl crushed between their two torsos. “Lili, I missed you so. We are all so glad you're back.” Elsa could feel the tension in Lili's body release ever so much in light of that comment. She wondered why Lili would think the community did not want her back. “Can I come inside?”
“Of course you can, my friend,” Lili said, her mood a little lighter and more effervescent. Elsa followed her into the house, her view trailing behind Lili, as they journeyed through the extended hallway in her home, and Elsa thought for the first time, even though she had visited Lili many times in earlier, how odd Lili's home was designed. In light of recent events, the house's contained structure, with its subdivided rooms, locked closets, and absence of open area where sunlight can works its joyful magic on even the most depressed, seemed cruel and almost claustrophobic. Elsa's chest tightened a little, as she sat on the wooden bench at the center of the den.
“Where is little Ennis?” Elsa asked. “I could hear him on the doorstep, and it sounded like he was playing with a few friends. I am glad the other children don't treat him differently, because of what happened,” she said.
Lili creased her brow, somewhat confused. “Ennis is by himself in his room. No other children have stopped by to play with him.”
“Oh,” Elsa said. “There must have been an echo from his room, then.” Lili agreed. They sat there in silence for a prolonged moment, the awkwardness growing between them, as it seemed both women wanted to ask each other something that had been lurking in the back of their minds, but both were too afraid to start first. For Elsa, she worried about Lili and her mental wellbeing, but also wanted to know what Lili knew about the provocative man Elsa saw unconscious on the ground the other night, near the forest's border. “Lili,” she said, taking a deep breath for the big reveal, “I had a bad dream last night.”
Lili, who had been looking absently down at the floor up until this point, suddenly looked up, as if something she had anticipated and
CHAPTER 5
Since her disappearance into the Forest, the local community tried their best to clean up Lili’s home once she returned with her son. Elsa walked from the town square, on her way to Lili’s dilapidated cabin, the bushes in disarray, the weeds growing out and around the pathway leading toward the door. Elsa stood on the porch, listening for sounds of life from inside the house. She heard little Ennis laughing and giggling, as if he had all the friends a child his age would ever want. Elsa smiled, knowing little Ennis had not been affected in any permanent way in his sojourn into the forest.
Lili took some time to get to the door, and upon answering, Elsa saw her appearance had worsened since she returned from the forest. Lili stood there in the doorway, saying nothing, almost as if she half-expected Elsa to throw a pie in her face.
“Lili,” Elsa said, smiling in the most polite way she could. “How are you?”
“Getting some rest,” she said, trying her best to put on a good face for company, though she clearly was not prepared to host that morning. “How are you, my dear Elsa?”
“Oh I was just thinking about you last night,” Elsa said, handing Lili some soup she cooked as an excuse to come over. Lili took the brown bag and smiled the best she could. Remembering her dream last night, Elsa's emotions near bowled her over, and she couldn't resist hugging Lili, the soup bowl crushed between their two torsos. “Lili, I missed you so. We are all so glad you're back.” Elsa could feel the tension in Lili's body release ever so much in light of that comment. She wondered why Lili would think the community did not want her back. “Can I come inside?”
“Of course you can, my friend,” Lili said, her mood a little lighter and more effervescent. Elsa followed her into the house, her view trailing behind Lili, as they journeyed through the extended hallway in her home, and Elsa thought for the first time, even though she had visited Lili many times in earlier, how odd Lili's home was designed. In light of recent events, the house's contained structure, with its subdivided rooms, locked closets, and absence of open area where sunlight can works its joyful magic on even the most depressed, seemed cruel and almost claustrophobic. Elsa's chest tightened a little, as she sat on the wooden bench at the center of the den.
“Where is little Ennis?” Elsa asked. “I could hear him on the doorstep, and it sounded like he was playing with a few friends. I am glad the other children don't treat him differently, because of what happened,” she said.
Lili creased her brow, somewhat confused. “Ennis is by himself in his room. No other children have stopped by to play with him.”
“Oh,” Elsa said. “There must have been an echo from his room, then.” Lili agreed. They sat there in silence for a prolonged moment, the awkwardness growing between them, as it seemed both women wanted to ask each other something that had been lurking in the back of their minds, but both were too afraid to start first. For Elsa, she worried about Lili and her mental wellbeing, but also wanted to know what Lili knew about the provocative man Elsa saw unconscious on the ground the other night, near the forest's border. “Lili,” she said, taking a deep breath for the big reveal, “I had a bad dream last night.”
Lili, who had been looking absently down at the floor up until this point, suddenly looked up, as if something she had anticipated and
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