Qingxue stood frozen in the hospital hallway as a group of nurses hurried past her. They were wheeling a gurney covered in a white sheet, but the sheet had slipped. A pale, limp hand hung off the side, and Qingxue felt a jolt of recognition. She followed them, her translucent feet making no sound on the tile. When they stopped, she saw the face.
It was Huifang. The girl's school uniform was dusty and torn, her eyes closed in a permanent sleep. Seeing her own "body" being treated like cargo was a surreal, sickening feeling.
Nearby, a small, hunched woman let out a soul-shattering wail. This was Mrs. Qin, Huifang's mother. She clutched a handkerchief to her face, her eyes red and swollen. A police officer, Senior Officer Ma, stood beside her, looking more impatient than sympathetic.
