Chapter Three: The Back of the City

The door remained open for eleven seconds. On the twelfth, the inverted street collapsed into a bright line like a television being switched off. Shen lunged forward and caught only a reel of film thrown through the opening. The green screen became smooth again. The billboards, the bells, and the woman with the lamp vanished. Lin leaned against the wall, breathing hard. The scar had returned beside her eyebrow, but her face was bloodless. “She said you've forgotten yourself before.” “I heard her.” “Do you know her?” “No.” His answer came too quickly. The film was sealed inside a rusted tin marked MUNICIPAL ARCHIVE — RESTORATION PENDING. It had six frames. Five were transparent. In the sixth, a man stood with his back to the lens.