In the afternoon, Sabrina finished all her work and set off to pick Mourning Daisies.
She carried a basket on her back, which held a stiletto, a cloak, and all her savings. Fortunately, they were just a few silver coins and one gold coin, so they were not very conspicuous.
She successfully entered the forest and walked straight north. Gently, she plucked a few small flowers.
“The wind blows, the rain falls,
but over the vast land, the sky grows clear.
The song is slow and languid.
Silky raindrops fall like threads.
The snow in the north is far away.
The waves on the south are endless.
Little girl,
you too have run all the way
across mountains and seas.
The wind has blown,
white hair at the temples.
Granny,
holding the little girl,
chatters and sings her songs.”
The little girl chattered and sang the songs her great-grandma had told her grandma, her grandma had told her mother, and her mother had told her.
As she went deeper, the sky gradually grew darker.
When it was completely dark, a deafening boom echoed. Immediately after came a continuous stream of agonized cries.
Sabrina did not turn around. She knew there was nothing more to be done. She had warned everyone, but the outcome was beyond her control.
The forest ahead was thick and dense. She no longer knew the way back.