I've seen her, dancing in the forest clearing by the lake. At first, she hid from me. Running away into the mountains as soon as she spotted me by the treeline. But now—she stays. 

When I told my grandmother of what I had seen, a young lady in a white dress, blonde hair flowing down her shoulders, twirling around, laughing out loud by the waters up in the mountains, she arched her brow. I could see her suspicion growing.

"You've finally found a girl? What's her name?" 

"I don't know yet. She runs away every time I see her."

She looked at me and nodded, but for some reason, she didn't ask any further questions. And I felt relieved. She just told me to be careful and to never stay out after dark. My grandma was wise. Everyone in the village listened to her, asked her for advice, and came to her with ailments nobody else seemed to know how to treat. She knew lore and legends long forgotten by other people. She told me all about them growing up, about how dangerous these underground creatures were.

If she knew I deliberately left out an odd detail—the cow's tail I spotted under her skirt—she'd forbid me from going outside, ever again. She'd scold me for being such a fool, for not listening to her stories, because they weren't just stories, they were warnings, cautionary tales passed down by all our ancestors. I still remember the first story she told me that didn't have a happy ending.

"My great-great-grandmother's brother drowned by Nøkken when we were little. He saw a beautiful pale horse by a pond, and when he sat on its back, it jumped into the lake, and he was never seen again. Be careful, Olav. If given the chance, they'll snatch you up and drag you into the waters, mountains, or deep into the forests." 

Her words stuck with me, and despite that, I couldn't stop myself from seeking her out. Especially not now that she'd stopped disappearing every time I got close. 

The following day, I snuck back out to the riverside when everyone else had gone to bed. The dark had descended on the forest, and I was left blindly stumbling through the trees, with only a candle in my jacket pocket and matches to light it. I saved them to light the way back home.

When I finally found my way to the riverbank, she was already there. Her blonde hair falling down her naked shoulders, the white dress flowing around her ankles as she danced under the moonlight. She was so beautiful. It nearly took my breath away. 

I approached her slowly, not making any sudden movements, stopping a few metres away from her. I stood there, watching, until she spotted me. She stopped dancing, and we just looked at each other. I held my breath. And to my amazement, she took a step in my direction, her bare feet soundless in the dewy grass. I stood still as a statue, as she moved fluidly through the fields, approaching fast. 

When she stopped in front of me, I could not hold my breath any longer and exhaled. She giggled. 

"Why do you not run from me?" I asked the beautiful girl.

"I don't want to," she replied. She reached for my hand, and I took hers gladly. She led me to the river, and we waded across it, the cool stream soaking my shoes and socks. 

"Where are we going?" 

"Into the mountains," she told me with a smile so bright it stole my heart. 

I remembered my grandmother's warning. But I'm not scared. And I'm not being dragged.

And with that, I reached into my pocket and pulled out the candle and matches, dropping them in the river.

The end.

Image credit: https://wictorianart.wordpress.com/2014/04/27/drawing-update/