She dug the boy out of the sand, casually tossing a freshly made Qianghuang flower pendant onto his face. Bre…
She dug the boy out of the sand, casually tossing a freshly made Qianghuang flower pendant onto his face.
Breathing in its cool fragrance, the boy awoke and from then on never left her side.
At a tea stall with smoke curling up, the woman quietly made pendants. The man bustled about, stealing glances at her between tasks.
That night the wind was fierce. She dreamed of her childhood self.
Sand rising to her chest again, she waved her arms, clutching a cool Qianghuang flower, stubbornly dragging herself toward an unextinguished lamp.
The next day, she discovered she was pregnant.
Nightmares again seized her nights. Unable to sleep, she left half a note and set out alone to find peace.