Shiver

The warmth of the sun was lost behind the vast lands of the Earth. The stars had risen and they shimmered with the beauty of the ages. There were murmurs and whispers between many. The words were unintelligible to those not partaking in the conversation.

Líng'er had no words to share with them. She passed them by with as leisurely a pace as she dared. Her footfalls made no sound louder than that of a ripple in an otherwise still lake. Her dark eyes peered directly ahead.

The edge of the realm came soon to her sight. She entered, no longer able to maintain her appearance of composure. The precipice gave way to a vast and empty place of wind and air. The doors were closed tentatively behind her. Her every footfall was filled with the terror of her eventual departure.

She kneeled by the edge. Her fingers pressed against the vertical face of the floor. Her breath faltered as she waited with great impatience. A secret yearning had come apart from its hidden place.

"Xiāo Yáo…" she whispers. "Xiāo Yáo…"

The realm seemed to sigh in weariness.

An image came to her. The gentle sounds of the wind over a mountain whispered in her ears. The laughter of a distant realm followed soon after. Then, it all faded. There was only the sight of a man, just a man, sitting on his lonesome staring at the sky from his bed.

A teardrop trickled down her face. "Xiāo Yáo…"

"Your husband,"

She jolted. Her eyes turned to her companion.

He stood with his hands clasped behind his back. His head was perfectly upright. The darkness in his eyes saw through to the side.

"Zhǎng Qīng," she murmured.

He nodded stiffly. "I miss Zǐ Xuān,"

Líng'er wiped at her tears.

He turned. "This is not a day to gaze upon the Earth. This is the time to look upon the moon and to dissolve all distances at once,"

Another tear fell. She left it be.

The former priest turned back to the vast emptiness. "He is thinking of you too,"

Author's Note: This was intended to be in celebration of the Mid-Autumn Festival. However, the festival has come and gone already. I did not begin it until the day after. You see, I had been working as best as I could on a story in the FaceBook Note application. Unfortunately, I was moved on to another page and I lost a thousand or so words. I had spent my night working on it and so this was not started within the given time parameter. I am pleased with this, however, and I do hope that you have enjoyed this story as well.