“Expensive...” we uttered in unison at the price of every single item of clothing in that shop. That was already the third building we checked and ran out as fast as possible. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not poor. Actually, with all the treasures and perfectly preserved stuff I had gathered over the years, I’m doing pretty well. But I’m not, I repeat, AM not going to spend so much on a piece of cheap material that I can cut through myself. Daesung, on the other hand, just gave me an excuse to go inside another shop as he didn’t find absolutely anything he liked; so good thing for the high prices, really.

With dark clouds surrounding the city, my bones felt weak against the rainy weather. Rows and rows and rows of colorful items drained the last of my energy. Daesung already started inspecting them. As I was about to go round and get out, a little girl with blue pigmented skin stopped me in my tracks.

“Oh, hello honey.” I found myself whispering as I kneeled in front of her “Are you from here or from somewhere else?”

After a long pause in which she bit on her finger, she answered me.

“Awww, I don’t know where mommy is.”

I smiled and tried to reach her ghostly hand. She ran through me, took the far corner and vanished in the dressing cabins. Since I had no flash of memory when we touched, it meant her spirit wasn’t calm enough for me to communicate with her. That meant I had to do another ritual. At least, its mock-up version because I couldn’t possibly break into the shop after it closed, burn some candles and feathers and tell the authorities I was possessed by a demon.

Nah.

That would be too crazy, even for me.

An idea popped into my head.

“Yo, Daesung!” the blond turned around lighting fast.

I started picking up anything that looked nice, threw them in Daesung’s arms and then I pushed him from behind towards the dressing cabins.

“C’mon, try these on!” I patted him on the back, shoved him inside one cabin and pulled the curtain before he had time to comment. As Daesung was busy with his new task, I occupied the dressing cabin near his. I stared at the mirror and sighed. At least I had one element.

I don’t know why I always carry lipstick with me. I never use it. That day, it came quite in handy as I pulled the cap and rolled the lipstick out. I drew a large circle which I then filled with all the necessary symbols. I hoped there were no reapers around to ruin my job. I usually burn feathers because it drives reapers away. They travel and spy through birds, so getting rid of feathers that way assures me no reaper’s bird would come near. They wouldn’t dare stay in the same place with the stench of their own kind’s corpses.

I closed my eyes and focused. The circle should draw the little girl back to me and offer her a hideout, so she could tell me what happened.

I feared of what I might find out.

I heard her voice to my right. As I opened my eyes, the same flashes captured me into a twirling world of noises. It was so terrible, I had to cover my ears. A long cry filled the tunnel I was travelling and it drove me mad.

Finally, I reached the end where the floor embraced my ; again. I mumbled and looked around.

We were in a park, I was sure of it. We were in the gardens not far from the shop, to be exact. I saw the little girl playing with a doll. She fixed its pink dress and tied two ponytails with red ribbons. I stayed behind a tree and watched her have a nice time as a smile crept on my face. It was rather cute... which made me wonder what cruel and miserable person took her life. Images fast-forwarded the moment my brain thought of that question.

I regretted it soon after.

It started raining; hard. The girl kept the doll to her chest and walked through the rain. She seemed confused and kept calling after her mother. The park was empty, with not even a dog. At some point, she tripped. That went on for a couple of times. I didn’t know exactly for how much. She crawled under a tree and waited there for the rain to stop. That’s when the memory ended.

I looked at the mirror and saw Daesung’s reflection. He grabbed onto my shoulder tightly.

“Grandma...” his tone was rather menacing “are you drunk again?”

I pushed him away and got out of the dressing cabin.

Actually, why was he there in the first place?!

The curtain was pulled!

That kid’s a ert!

“Wait, grandma! What about the clothes?”

I wanted to answer him, but the sight of the little girl made me leave the shop.

I later found out that one of the shop’s employees found my drawing and accused Daesung. The boy was stripped of the clothes he had tried on, kicked outside in his underwear and with his clothes in his hands. Funny, I thought I heard him scream as I crossed the road and hid behind a bush, so he wouldn’t see me.

I wasn’t sorry at all~ hehe.

The girl waved at me and ran to the park’s entrance.

I had to follow her. I had to know her story's ending.