Statue

The valley of death spread around her. Tombstones and statues rose from the mossy ground, draped by the weeping trees, whose bare branches reached for the ground. The wind brought the laments of the dead with it.

Her boots ground against the gravel between the paths, taking her deeper into the valley. She kept the lantern in front of her to guide her steps. The soft yellow glow felt comforting against the red-colored dark sky. It kept her safe. It kept the dead away.

The tombs fa...