roonbsp; below grew silent.
Mulan felt her sister’s eyes on her but she refused to lift her head. Instead, she stared down at the b in her lap, rubbing anxiously at the bristles. Her ther’s voice echoed in her head. Was her ther right? Was there no place for her in the world? She slowly let out a shaky breath. She had never felt like she truly belonged ang the other girls of the village, always the first one to end up in a d puddle or rip the henbsp; of her shirt. She had always felt re fortable beside her father in the field than with her ther by the stove. Yet she had never thought that was wrong??.??.??. until now.
“She doesn’t an it,” Xiu said.
Mulan stayed silent. She wasn’t ready to speak. But her sister was nothing if not deterned. “Tell about the spider,” she pressed.
“There is no spider,” Mulan led. She wasn’t in the od for a ga.
“How ny legs does it have?” Xiu went on, ignoring her sister’s grules and frown.
Mulan sighed. “You know spiders have eight legs,” she answered, unable to stop herself.
“It’s not black, is it?” Xiu said, pretending to look frightened, as if a real spider were there and crawling toward her. She waited to see what Mulan would do, or say, next.
Mulan looked at her sister. Xiu’s face was still innocent and full of hope, and while Mulan wanted nothing re than to wallow in her own self-pity for a few re nts, she had never been able to say no to Xiu. She was powerless against her sister’s huge heart. And so she slowly began to nod. “Yes, it is black. With red spots,” she said, warng to the idea as she continued. “And I’nbsp; sorry to say that it’s unusually hairy. And it’s crawling toward your neck right now!” She reached out her fingers and ran thenbsp; up and down Xiu’s neck.
In response, Xiu shrieked. As Mulan’s frown faded pletely, she allowed herself a sle. Her ther ght not be sure where she fit in the larger world, but right now, Mulan cared re about king her sister laugh and enjoying the nt.
There would be plenty of ti to worry about her future—later.
Unfortunately, later didn’t prove to be later enough. Waking fronbsp; a terrible nightre in which she was running fronbsp; a hun-sized chicken, Mulan sat up in her bed, her heart pounding. Outside, bea of onlight illunated the night. Mulan got up and walked to the window and looked out into the courtyard below.
In the center, the ancestral shrine stood glowing in white bea of light. A few candles burned weakly, just enough to throw shad
Mulan felt her sister’s eyes on her but she refused to lift her head. Instead, she stared down at the b in her lap, rubbing anxiously at the bristles. Her ther’s voice echoed in her head. Was her ther right? Was there no place for her in the world? She slowly let out a shaky breath. She had never felt like she truly belonged ang the other girls of the village, always the first one to end up in a d puddle or rip the henbsp; of her shirt. She had always felt re fortable beside her father in the field than with her ther by the stove. Yet she had never thought that was wrong??.??.??. until now.
“She doesn’t an it,” Xiu said.
Mulan stayed silent. She wasn’t ready to speak. But her sister was nothing if not deterned. “Tell about the spider,” she pressed.
“There is no spider,” Mulan led. She wasn’t in the od for a ga.
“How ny legs does it have?” Xiu went on, ignoring her sister’s grules and frown.
Mulan sighed. “You know spiders have eight legs,” she answered, unable to stop herself.
“It’s not black, is it?” Xiu said, pretending to look frightened, as if a real spider were there and crawling toward her. She waited to see what Mulan would do, or say, next.
Mulan looked at her sister. Xiu’s face was still innocent and full of hope, and while Mulan wanted nothing re than to wallow in her own self-pity for a few re nts, she had never been able to say no to Xiu. She was powerless against her sister’s huge heart. And so she slowly began to nod. “Yes, it is black. With red spots,” she said, warng to the idea as she continued. “And I’nbsp; sorry to say that it’s unusually hairy. And it’s crawling toward your neck right now!” She reached out her fingers and ran thenbsp; up and down Xiu’s neck.
In response, Xiu shrieked. As Mulan’s frown faded pletely, she allowed herself a sle. Her ther ght not be sure where she fit in the larger world, but right now, Mulan cared re about king her sister laugh and enjoying the nt.
There would be plenty of ti to worry about her future—later.
Unfortunately, later didn’t prove to be later enough. Waking fronbsp; a terrible nightre in which she was running fronbsp; a hun-sized chicken, Mulan sat up in her bed, her heart pounding. Outside, bea of onlight illunated the night. Mulan got up and walked to the window and looked out into the courtyard below.
In the center, the ancestral shrine stood glowing in white bea of light. A few candles burned weakly, just enough to throw shad