• The blond arranged the delicate flowers into vases. The other half of the pile was set on the table. "Come and see how it's done." he motioned, waving Mandari over. Mandari skidded up to Junpei and peered over the table. He took out a small knife and chopped off the roots. "You take these, and put them into into this dish. Then we can use them later." He placed the wiry roots into the small dish. He poised the tip of the knife just above the flowers buds. "Cut these off and put them into the medicine dish. We then smash them up and use it for medical teas"

    Mandari curled her fingers around the knife and started to chop. "What about the other flowers in the vases?". Junpei pushed some severed stems aside. "We wait until they start to wilt. As they die they release their nutrients." He tossed the stems to the ground, where Zero bounded over to knaw on them. They sat in silence for what seemed like forever. The soft clicking of knives filling their ears. The house was so warm. It soaked into her body, and filled her heart. Mandari pulled on a stray lock of hair. The table below her blurred a little as she kept chopping. And before she knew it, drops appeared on the table.

    Junpei looked up from his work. "Are you ok, Mandari?" She refused to look up. The warm tears streaming to strong for her to keep it a secret. "Fine." She said, smiling from behind her curtain of hair. Everything is just fine.... It was a new feeling, one she hadn't felt in a long long time...warmth, comfort.

    It felt like the snows were melting.

    The tears and the work finished up past sunset. The dusk faded to black, studded with a million lights. The girl looked out the window by her bed at the tiny twinkly lights. "You know, you haven't mentioned sugar since we were on the cliff" Junpei said, sitting beside her on the bed. Mandari kept her eyes set on the skies. "Do you want to talk?" he asked. Mandari shook her head. "You know, I was once lost. My family demanding things that I just couldn't do. I ran, thinking everything would be ok once I was as far as I could run. And now I look back and I long for the love they gave. Though cold , it was where I belong." He said. Mandari glanced at the older man. Tears glazed over his eyes.

    "Out here, rules don't apply. And once the snows melted, and spring had arrived, I had realized what had happened." His voice wavered. "I was stuck. So arrogant. I refused to go home. And now I simply can't. You're the first person I've talked to in over ten years."
    He got up off the bed and walked away. "Just blow out the candle when you're ready to go to sleep."

    He disappeared into another room.

    Mandari blew out the candle and closed her eyes. A thousand twinkling stars lulling her to sleep.