Everything here was five minutes away from being resolved. The letter was on the desk. The apology was on the tip of the tongue. The key was in the lock. And yet winter arrived while the hands were still reaching.
Fruit trees that flower beautifully but drop their harvest just before it ripens.
Dry leaves underfoot, smell of overripe apples on cold soil.
Motifs
✦The Red Paper Crane
🧥The Red Coat
▯The Borrowed Doors
Figures
The Man with the Matches
He always struck the match close enough to warm your hands, but never let you keep the box.
A figure who offered small warmth only on condition that everything you built remained flammable.