Katya Vasilievna and the Second Drowning of Baba Rechka
Novelette 9,915 words Recommended by 4 award/anthology sources
"Once, in a certain kingdom, at a certain time, a river flowed under a bridge. It flowed under a bridge and past a willow tree, and in that willow tree dwelled the spirit of a girl who had drowned. I dwelled in that willow tree, and I was content."
Content warnings 1
death
Quasar links out; the story lives on BCS, where the author gets the click.