The woods were a place of endless adventure and excitement... until one became lost. When you lost your way, the landscape twisted.

The trees that once inspired imaginative excitement now loomed over Jessie Macrae in a tight tangle that cast her into darkness. Every bush and shadow became a place something could be hiding, waiting to attack her.

"John?" she called — not for the first time. Her shouts seemed to be swallowed up by the forest. After all, she was so small compared to these ancient woods. It only made sense to her that her voice would be too small to reach past them.

That, in her mind, was why she was lost: the forest was keeping her. She would walk and walk, and never find her way out.

The sun was setting, casting everything in a golden glow. What would she do when darkness fell? The thought of the forest under cover of night made her freeze where she stood.

Emotions bubbled up inside her and spilled out as tears. She sobbed, not caring how loudly she wailed.

Why had she agreed to play that stupid game of hide-and-go-seek? And why didn't John reveal himself when she said she'd given up?

Stupid. It was all so stupid. And now she was trapped and—

"Why are you crying?" a voice asked, startling Jessie.

From the shadows, a figure appeared.

He moved silently, as if part of the forest itself. His hair was black, and his clothes seemed woven from the very leaves and moss that surrounded them. For a moment, Jessie's breath caught in her throat as she stared at him through tear-streaked eyes.

It was immediately clear to Jessie what he was. She had grown up hearing stories of the fair folk, and how dangerous they could be. But in that moment, she simply didn't care. She was just happy to see another face.

"I'm lost," Jessie Macrae said. "The forest won't let me leave."

At that, the man laughed. "It's not the forest keeping you here, little sprout. It's simply your own sense of navigation working against you."

"Oh..." She tried to wipe the tears from her face and hide her reddening cheeks.

He knelt in front of her, his smile gentle. "Do not fret. Many people far older than you get lost in these woods as well."

Jessie nodded, then realized she was being incredibly rude. She quickly curtsied to the strange man. "I realize I have yet to introduce myself! I'm Jessie Macrae. Very happy to make your acquaintance."

His eyes sparkled with amusement, but he stood and offered an elegant bow. "I am Ghillie Dhu. It is a pleasure to meet you."

Jessie flushed again, though she wasn't sure why. She did this sort of thing regularly, but something about this man made her heart flutter.

Ghillie Dhu held out a hand. "May I lead you out, Ms. Macrae?"

Forgetting her tears, she nodded gratefully. His hand was warm around hers, and he confidently guided her onward.

Leaves rustled and branches snapped beneath her shoes, but when Ghillie Dhu stepped, the surroundings barely stirred. Not a single branch barred their path, as if the forest was parting just for them.

By the time they reached the edge of the woods, the lights of a large structure flickered in the distance. 

She knew those lights...she knew that building!

Jessie cried out in relief.

Home!

"I believe you know your way from here?" Ghillie Dhu asked.

Jessie reluctantly withdrew her hand from his and gave him another curtsy. "I do. Thank you so much for rescuing me."

When she rose from her curtsy, she was standing alone. The man had vanished without a sound.

As she left the tree line, she saw the bobbing light of lanterns and heard her name being called. Her family and all the staff of the manor were out looking for her.

"I'm here!" she called as she ran.

A man rushed across the grounds and nearly dropped his lantern as he quickly set it down and scooped her up.

"Father!" she cried, new warm tears threatening to fall. She clung to him, pressing her face into his shoulder.

"Jessie!" her father said as he held her close, his whole body shaking with emotion. "Where did you go?"

"I became lost while looking for John," she explained. "I would still be lost now, but Ghillie Dhu was kind enough to bring me home!"

Her father released her and looked at her, confused. "Who?"

Breathless and excited, Jessie blurted out every detail of her encounter.

Her father's expression was a mix of confusion and concern as he glanced between his daughter and the forest. Still, with nothing more to be done, he brought her inside — where her mother broke from her nervous pacing to cry out and run to her daughter.

For the next several days, Jessie couldn't stop talking about her rescuer. Her cheeks flushed with excitement as she described every detail to anyone who would listen.

That alone was enough to raise concern. People began whispering that she had been enchanted by her fairy friend, and that no good could come of it.

Jessie was forbidden from speaking further of Ghillie Dhu, but that did nothing to quell the growing unease among the manor folk. The whispers leaked out to the other homes scattered across the land and reached the ears of Sir Hector Mackenzie, the landowner of the forest — and John's father.

After a meeting with her father, a horrible plan was made.

Despite Jessie's protests, the men gathered a hunting party. Sir Hector, determined to rid the woods of the Ghillie Dhu, armed himself with the finest weapons, and the other Mackenzie lairds followed suit.

Jessie pleaded with them, tugging at her father's sleeve.

"He's not bad, Da! He's not! Don't hurt him!" she cried, her voice shaking with desperation.

But the men would not be swayed. All her pleas were simply further proof of enchantment.

They set off into the forest with torches and hounds, their heavy footsteps echoing in the quiet night.

They were going to hunt him down for being kind — for helping her!

Jessie pretended to rush to her room to cry, then slipped out of the house

The air was cold and damp grasses soaked her slippers as she ran.

The woods held the darkness she feared so much, but she braved it. She waded into the forest and called out to the trees. "Ghillie Dhu! Please, hear me! They're hunting you! They're coming! Hide!"

Her words felt swallowed by the vastness of the forest.

Tears pricked her eyes once again.

Then — ever so gently — a single leaf drifted down from the canopy above and landed in her hand.

She clutched it tightly, hope flickering in her chest. He had heard her. "I'm so sorry. I tried to stop this, I swear it."

No reply came, and Jessie hoped it was because he was already hiding.

With one last glance at the trees, she turned and ran back toward home, the leaf held close to her chest.

That night, despite the men's best efforts, the Ghillie Dhu was never found. They searched the woods until dawn, but the forest remained as silent and secretive as ever.

Years passed, and Jessie grew into a young woman. She married John Mackenzie, just as everyone had always expected — but she never forgot the Ghillie Dhu. Though she rarely spoke of that night, she kept the leaf — the single, precious gift from her fairy — tucked away between the pages of a book, hidden from curious eyes.

Even now, sometimes, when the wind rustled through the trees in just the right way, she would pause and listen, wondering if her Ghillie Dhu still watched over the forest, waiting for the day they might meet again.