“Ling…
“Go away,” Ling thought.
“Ling…
The desert was merciless. It had already taunted him with his mother’s voice, was that not
enough? Why, then, did it insist upon teasing him with Shang’s voice?
“Ling… Ling? Ling!”
“Away. Go away.” Cracking up one eye, he raised his head an inch higher. He could make out the
blurry lines of a man running towards him. Letting his head drop down with a thump, Ling willed
the image to go away. He had no wish to see an illusion of Shang rushing towards him. “Go away!”
“Ling? Ling, wake up. Ling!”
Even in death, the sound of Shang’s voice filled his head. Ling could even sense Shang’s
presence. He welcomed death… if death meant seeing Shang again.
And in that moment, nothing else mattered. The world could collapse around him and Shang still
wouldn’t have noticed. All that mattered was that little boy in his arms. He was all that mattered.
“Ling? Ling, wake up.” He shook the boy hard. Ling did not stir. Closing his eyes, Shang
rocked the boy’s small body in his.
“Shang?”
Shang’s eyes flew open. The boy’s round, chestnut brown eyes stared back at him.
“I’m here, Ling. Everything’s going to be alright. I’ve got you.” He engulfed Ling into a
bear embrace.
Ling could feel a sob bubbling up his throat. “Shang, you came back! You came back for me.”
“I’d always come back for you.”
“Why? Why did you come back?”
Shang looked at the boy sternly, “I think you know why.”
The boy hesitated then nodded slowly. “I’ve come home.”
* * *
* * *
