Red Light

There were flickers of red lights dancing about within the dark canopy of the trees, dotting around here and there like flitting embers and fireflies.

Lee ducked down behind the nearest rock, hiding away from them, thankful for the darkness that came from the branches and the leaves, deflecting away the silver lights of the moon and the stars.

The red lights looked to be curious, dancing around, touching things, stroking over leaves, feeling down the lengths of tree bark, and interacting with the animals, bumping against their noses, before flying away from their warm breaths.

Lee held his breath in response.

He had only ever seen that particular and specific shade of red in one place, surrounding two men, and one of them only still lived now.

Lee hoped that just by holding his breath and ducking down below for cover, he would be able to escape this, that he would be able to escape the lights that hovered above, ready to find him, actively searching for him, and desiring to hurt him.

He couldn't be seen.

He couldn't be heard.

He couldn't be known.

He needed to hide.

He needed to stay hidden.

He needed to live.

Lee, for the first time in his life, knew what it was now to be depended upon.

Back then, back in the village, it had hardly mattered to him whether he had lived or he had not.

He had gone out to the rice fields not out of some sort of abstract duty to care for his family and to form a tight unit with them.

His sister was to be married soon enough anyways, and she had enough meals with her betrothed to make Lee's contributions to her diet almost completely meaningless, and he was only too aware of Shen's hesitancy to offer more support to their family stemming from the explicit awareness that he had lied to Lee.

He had lied about being able to keep away from Lee's sister, marrying her now after his long, long string of broken hearts and failed relationships.

He had promised to keep Lee's sister out of his messy and complicated love life, but he had broken his decree and vow.

He had probably now married Lee's sister, and without Lee around to interfere, to act as the final boundary between them to make things awkward enough to ensure that they did not do anything improper and cause for shame, they were most likely within the heights of their marital bliss.

Lee's mother, without him around to drag the family down into the depths of shame, was probably the most delighted that she probably ever has been since her own marriage.

There were no more remainders of the men who had wronged her, and she was probably for that.

Her only daughter had a respectable career, and had married upwards into the most powerful family in all the village.

Lee's mother would probably be given a room within the vast building of the Shen Manor where she would be cared for by all manner of servants, finally receiving the life that she thought that she deserved before.

All the while Lee lay crouched down here within the bushes, thickets, and stones, praying to a God who despised him to let him live.