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“You know, they say there’s a border at Wuwang Hill that separates the living and the dead!”Hu Tao giggled, swinging back and forth on a swing set. Next to her, Xingqiu scoffed.“That can’t possibly be real. I read it book about it once and the only real piece of evidence were people disappearing on the hill.”He gently pushed Chongyun higher into the sky, having opted to stay on the ground instead of the swings.
“Hmm, I don’t know..what Hu Tao said does make sense. Some spirits are known for kidnapping people.”Chongyun said.
“Exactly, my dear yunyun!”Hu Tao smiled.”How else could the people disappear?”She then chuckled, both at Chongyun’s blush and at Xingqiu’s anger.
Xingqiu accidentally pushed hard at Chongyun’s back, causing the other to swing higher in the sky. Chongyun, apparently too delicate to be more then 10 feet off the ground let out a loud screech. Xingqiu winced before running to slow the swing down.“I am so sorry, Chongyun. I am afraid that someone get to me.”He glared at Hu Tao.
Said person only laughed nervously before hopping off the set.“Welll, I gotta go now! Parlor business and all! I shall leave you two love birds alone.”
She picked up her backpack before sprinting off, laughing to herself once she heard Xingqiu’s furious screams in the distance.
Hu Tao skipped into the funeral parlor, her backpack hanging off her shoulder. She tossed it into a chair, watching it spin around from the force before humming in delight. She had so much to do today. Not to mention arranging orders, meeting with different clients, and making sure that all the equipment was up to date among many other things. Sometimes, Hu Tao couldn’t help but want to relax for a second. But then again, business waits for no one! Yet, she stared at her backpack, tracing the ghost printed on the front. It couldn’t hurt, right?
With a little bit of hesitance, she settled in her chair, using her backpack as a pillow of sorts. She let herself close her eyes, watching colors dance on her eyelids. Blue and yellow swirled as her brain absentmindedly made them appear due to the lack of stimulation. A flower blossomed into a squirrel, which ran alongside the beach before a loud bang suddenly occurred,
The door had been abruptly slammed open, with one of the vases near it tittering dangerously. Hu Tao watched in fear as it slowly slowed to a stop. A tired employee stood in the doorway, panting.”Director Hu! We need your help!”
She turned to look at him,”Aya? What is it? Did one of other new hires drop a flower vase? We can always got many others to use.” Alas, the employee shook his head,”No, a client is crying in the foyer. We tried calming her down..”He trailed off, looking down in sheepishness.
“It’s alright! Leave it up to me to handle it.”Hu Tao gave a reassuring smile, and quickly patted the employee on the shoulder before heading off. She paused before a flower vase, thinking. A moment passed before she nabbed one of the flowers from the vase and ran off.
As Hu Tao got closer and closer to the front, the sounds of sobbing became clearer and clearer. Mumbled words can be heard from a woman as Hu Tao spotted the client crying in one of the tears. There were only a couple of other clients in the room, but even they were leaning away from her. The woman dabbed her eyes gently with a handkerchief before continuing to cry. Even though the cries were muffled, it still hurt the young Director to see such a thing.
Hu Tao approached her, the flower in her hand.”You know, I once heard of this mystical flower! It was said to bloom for only 1 day, and its beauty was said to be unparalleled.”
The woman looked up at her in surprise. Hu Tao wasn’t seen much by waiting clients.”What does that have to do with my son’s death? A stupid flower.”She muttered under her breath some obscenities before continuing to cry.
“Well-“She sat next to the woman,”I find that human lives are the same. While our lives are much more longer then a single day, they are still short nevertheless. Many people are taken before their time as well. The deaths can really take you by surprise and punch you in the gut.”Hu Tao twirled the flower between her fingers, trying to decide what to say.”But I think ultimately, it’s how we look back on those deaths.”
“My son died because of me.”The woman hiccuped,”I did nothing to help him. I ignored him. If only I had just..listened to him.”She clenched the handkerchief in her hands, staring down at the ground. At the mention of her son, it triggered a new wave of tears.
“Then reflect on it. Look back at his death and realize what you did wrong.”She paused for a moment, before handing the woman the flower.”And most importantly, cherish the memories of him. Human lives are short, much like this flower and we must live it to every moment. Years often go by without us noticing it. And then suddenly, it’s all gone. Withered.”Hu Tao sighed,”I can’t speak for the dead - and I won’t, but do you want to live your life in mourning? Why not devote your life to making sure something like this never happens again?”
The woman hiccuped, wiping the tears from her eyes.”Do you really think I can?”She bit her lip,”To get out of this grief.”
“Everyone grieves in different ways. Let it run its natural course, but don’t let it destroy you.”Hu Tao smiled, before pulling the woman up.”You have an appointment here soon, yes?” The other nodded, holding the flower between her hands. Hu Tao smiled and said,”You’re always welcome to reschedule it, should you not feel well. How about we reschedule it to next week?” At that, the other nodded, grabbing their bags before walking out of the parlor.
Hu Tao waited a minute before following, just to make sure the woman was okay. By the time she got outside, the woman was long gone, and the flower had been gently replanted in the dirt.