Chapter Three: Wuyin Street

They crossed the threshold, and every sound of the city ceased. The street had stopped at dusk. Water stains climbed the buildings. Shirts on a clothesline held the shape of wind although the air did not move. Steam rose from a noodle pot, while a scallion hung suspended just before the broth could toss it. Every clock showed 7:14. “Are these only echoes?” Lin whispered. “Don’t call the people here echoes,” Xu said. “If they hear you, they may wake.” Something moved behind a curtain on the second floor. Lacuna marked a broken trail of small footprints. They led from number 21 to a storm drain. With every step Lin took, the pain behind his eyes intensified.