Completely unexpectedly, two things happened at once. First, hot tears sprang from Louise's eyes, burning her face unpleasantly. Second, a boy was speaking to Louise.

– Hey, what are you doing? So beautiful, and you're crying? " Niels asked. He sincerely did not understand what happened. Did he really scare the poor girl? Niels, of course, was lonely. No one ever sat next to him on the bus, and the girls secretly laughed. It was like he was a stranger.

– No, uh. no, no, no. I just…" Louise cried, hating herself for it. So much for the first meeting! How do people live, other people? …

– I'm sorry. Can I help? " Niels said quietly. He couldn't hurt a child!

– I saw… a girl and a boy. They were walking together.

– There were two of them?

– N… no. There were four. Three girls and a boy. It made me feel so, uh… Lonely.

– I understand you. I'm not loved too.

– No, no. I'm loved at home. I don't know anyone else. Even at Forest School, I'm…

– What's your name? " the boy asked.

– L-Louise. And you? " she said, wiping away her tears, which, however, had already begun to recede on their own.

– I'm Niels. Where do you live?

– We… W-we hardly know each other, I'm sorry…" said the girl, but then she asked:

– I'm looking for a mailbox. Can you tell me where it is?

– I'm only sixteen, Louise. You don't have to refer to me as an adult.

– I've just, uh. I've never talked to a boy.

– Not once in your life? " Niels was surprised.

– N-not once.

– So how…

– I'm sorry," Louise whispered, and ran away as if from a fire. The tears were glistening in her eyes again. A second, and only the girl's skirt was visible in the distance. She was making her way toward the cottage village.

"Gee!" Niels stood there as if struck by thunder. Who was this girl? And such an unusual name – Louise… Who is she? Apparently, she had met Roxy and the others and was upset about it. What's going on in her soul? …

– Uh, excuse me. Do you know where the mailbox is? " Louise shyly asked a farmer with a straw hat and a sack of flour in his hands as he passed by.

– Right down Main Street. You won't get lost," he smiled. – You're not from around here?

– I am. I'm just confused.

Well, that's it. Louise has been seen. No one can know who she really is! People don't like magic. People don't like people who are different. True, Galya hadn't said anything about what to do if you were being hunted. The girl looked around and did not see anything like an angry mob with pitchforks and burning torches. It was all right, then. And what little girls there might be in this village…

Louise soon found the box. It was very, very rusty and did not inspire confidence. What if he ate her envelope and didn't even choke on it? And mom wouldn't even remember that she had Louise. But there was no choice, so she put the letter inside. The deed is done and she can go home. Or rather, run as fast as she can. But Niels… Her heart beat faster. Her breathing seemed to freeze. The girl had never felt anything like this before. The day had taken on a very special color. Fantastic.

Roxy and Edol took a step forward. A moment more, and there was only darkness. They stepped onto the ground of the Forest. And in a moment they were gone. Stunned, Evie and Thea were left standing on the bright ground of the Field.

– Where are they? " Evie exclaimed. She was used to always following Roxy and had no idea how to act alone.

– Ugh!" said Thea. – What are we doing now?

– Call someone. Call the cops.

– I can't get a signal.

– So I don't know. You'll have to think of something!