Held After the Nightmare
This sleep— Su Nian’en fell into a dream that felt endlessly long. In it, she returned to the days when her parents were still alive. Back to the warm, sunlit apartment where the three of them had once lived together. Her father patiently carved a wooden rocking horse for her with his own hands. Her mother stood in the kitchen, flipping golden corn pancakes, the air thick with warmth and love. Sunlight spilled across the courtyard. They sat together, laughing and talking. Her father leaned over and kissed her mother right in front of her. The scene was so gentle, so happy, that Su Nian’en smiled even in her sleep. Carefree. Wrapped in layers upon layers of soft, glowing light. Then— The image shattered. Her smiling parents twisted grotesquely. Flesh peeled away. Bones jutted
- Writer
