Penny

There came a knock at the door at twilight and Artem answered it; upon the step was a little ... thing - mostly humanish but with peeling river birch twigs and autumn leaves for hair and very long fingers (very long indeed). "I'm Penny," it said, looking up at Artem (for it was small - very small indeed). He stared, doubting his sanity, and wondering what to say or do next. "Hello, Penny," he said then, needing something to happen. It appeared to grin, as there was a stretch to the pale face and the eyes (a kind of olive green with embers at the center) sparkled. "I'm here for your thoughts." "All of them?" Artem played along, admitting to himself that it wasn't a bad delusion as delusions go, but wondering at what point he should call for an ambulance. "Oh, no, not all!" Penny giggled, its long fingers waggling. "Just one - any one you care to give - even a dark one." And Artem smiled, leaning forward (very forward indeed, coming from a tall place towards the thing that was Penny), and said, "How about the one that keeps me up every night - the one where I drown in a list of my failures?" "Ooooo, yes!" the Penny squealed. "THAT'S a juicy one!" And it clapped its hands together merrily - very merrily indeed, and reached up to touch the sides of his face (holding his head tenderly). Artem felt its very long fingers tap only once on his temples (one to a side) and he was free of that thinking, as if it had never been. "Done and done!" Penny said and it sprang off of the step spritely (very spritely indeed), jolly and humming to itself - making for the deep heart of the woods to the north. And Artem, filled with wonder, squandered none of the peace that came afterwards, for he was very peaceful indeed.