Neighbors

The white-eyed come from the forest on the other bank of the river. Almost indistinguishable from humans, they sometimes wander into the village, knock on houses, and sit down to warm themselves by the hearth. They cannot be refused. They can help or they can harm, but more often they silently observe. Once every few years, as payment for peaceful coexistence, the white-eyed take a child into the forest. They only take the "unwanted": there are always orphans, the sick, the disabled, and extra mouths in the village.

This continued for many years. But the day came when the mortals decided to violate the agreement with the "neighbors."