Arty's joy was almost infectious to the others. She skipped the last few steps to the water, leaning forward so close that her hair nearly brushed the mirrored surface.
Her eyes sparkled wide and unblinking, drinking in every glimmer of sunlight bouncing off the ripples like she'd stumbled into a fairytale. Then she remembered that she is, in fact, in a fairytale.
"This is the most beautiful place I've ever seen!" she exclaimed, her voice carrying the kind of breathless wonder only a teenager could muster.
She crouched to touch the cool water, gasping at its clarity. The reflection was so sharp she could see every strand of her hair and every drifting cloud above.
The lake itself was a living painting. The water was shimmering blues that deepened toward the center, framed by the lush green of the forest.
