Mara slept with the collar tucked under her pillow. In the morning, the child—Jun—woke with the steady warmth of a creature who has been loved. He learned to open jars and tie shoelaces; he learned the cadence of words that smelled like rice and soap. He could not tell her how or why, only that nights sometimes filled with other landscapes and he would hum to himself to keep from wandering.
The /free page is its conscience.