Ash and snow mix together in the remnants of a village. A group of soldiers walk through the wreckage in horror and despair. One young soldier stops to pick up a small doll out of the snow. He regards it with sad eyes.
I don't understand.
"What's happening, Mommy?"
Everyone's screaming, and there's fire, like the kind we cook with. Only it's not in the kitchens; it's everywhere. It's so hot, and it hurts my eyes and throat and skin. I'm not used to this heat, because we live in the mountains where it's cold.
Mommy doesn't answer, and when I turn around, she's gone. I hold my doll tighter, trying not to cry. I'm five, and I shouldn't cry anymore. At least, that's what my Daddy used to tell me before he left.
Mommy said that he had to go protect us and the rest of China. Then one day a man came to our house and made Mommy cry. She told me Daddy wasn't able to come home. He was sleeping, and couldn't wake up.
Sleeping. Like all the people in the streets. I don't know how they can sleep. Everything's so loud and scary. It makes my ears and head hurt.
Men on horses gallop through the streets, yelling and hitting people. One of the horses comes towards me, and I'm so scared I can't even move. He looks really scary, with tangled black hair and gray skin. I open my mouth to scream, but no sound comes out. I close my eyes tightly.
Then, suddenly, I'm flying sideways. A woman has pushed me out of the way. She looks about Mommy's age. Her screams mix with everyone else's as the horse runs her over. I realize I've lost my doll, and I can't hold my tears back anymore. I start crying. I'm all alone now.
I run in no particular direction – just away. A man jumps out in front of me and raises his sword before forcing it through my body. I fall into the snow. It should feel cold, but it doesn't, for some reason. It's getting harder and harder to see and stay awake. Everything's going fuzzy.
Am I falling asleep, too?
I'm scared. I've never fallen asleep without my doll before. We both get lonely.
And I never got to kiss Mommy goodnight.
I don't want to fall asleep.
As the rest of the army leaves, the soldier who picked up the doll stays behind. He slowly walks over to a sword sticking out of the snow, with a general's helmet on it. He places the doll so it is sitting up against the blade. It sits alone, looking out at the world – cold, emotionless eyes somehow finding a way to look sad.
