Lights flashed in and out of time to organ music pumped in through low quality speakers. Games, rides, and food carts filled the basketball courts and softball fields at Dewey’s Memorial Park.

“Look, they have a real elephant!”

“Daddy, can I play the balloon game? Please?”

“Kettle corn. I love kettle corn.”

Excitement filled the air, as families lined up for The Blaster, pulled puffy wads of cotton candy from communal bags, or sprayed the mouths of metallic clowns with water from squirt guns, trying to fill their balloons to bursting before anyone else. (more…)

We let the second-generation creatures get away with it. They stole the wings off all our butterflies so they could fly, so they could claim their share of what was left of the irradiated skies. We held our breath as they drank from the undulating pitcher plants, wishing we had long ago learned to adapt to the predatory movements of those plants. (more…)

Qiaohua knelt in front of her ancestors, to all the generations that once stood before, her hands holding the smoky, burning incense, as she looked at each of the names of her forefathers sincerely.

“Dear Grandpa, and all my honored forefathers, please bless your humble and unworthy granddaughter-in-law the strength to overcome these series of unfortunate events that have besieged the peace of our village. I seek your guidance in all my actions, so that in turn, I can help protect the villagers, just as how all of you, my fathers have been—honoring the family and shouldering the responsibilities. I’ll do whatever I can to stop the evil at bay until Zhenjing return. My fathers, please ensure his return! I will be forever thankful.” (more…)