Witch's Grove

"Don't walk past the witch's hut," they told Glasha. "Don't look at the grove that rustles across the river. The very Hozhiy himself, the Master of the Forest, is wandering around the village today, looking for a bride. You, with... your blue eyes, dark hair, and reserved demeanor, resemble our witch in her youth. Hozhiy will take you into the enchanted grove; remember how they called you." But is it right for an urban girl, sensible and rational, to believe such tales? Here, if you listen a bit, every old woman is a witch, and every abandoned shed is the devil's hut. Glasha laughs at her aunt's words, throws her heavy braid over her shoulder, snorts like a cat, and wonders: adults, seemingly wise, but every second one mentions witches and Hozhiy. Nonsense, and that's all! And Gleb, the young doctor who came to the village for practice, the only sensible person in the whole area, also laughs at the village tales. Truth be told, his aunt forbids him to associate with him, secretly calling him Hozhiy and making the sign of the cross. But Gleb is happy to play along, as long as they don't bother him and Glasha, for he has grown quite fond of her. But why is he not afraid to go into the enchanted grove? Why do the animals and birds obey him? Why do patterns glow on his hands?
Glasha stands on that line where reality becomes fairy tale, unsure of which step to take.