5:30

The annual July 15 series is back.

No delays this year.

Updates begin on the Start of Autumn (August 7), every other day, and the story ends on July 15 (August 27).

Five Thirty

The last time he appeared, he was at a guesthouse called Xi Mei Inn.

The proprietress served up a pot of stew, its aroma impossibly rich.

He said, "Delicious."

Then he vanished.

The police said he might have illegally crossed into a protected area and met with an accident.

His ex-girlfriend didn't believe them. She tracked him down to the town and checked into the very same guesthouse.

The proprietress was still as kind as ever, and the stew still smelled just as good.

Only, one of the windows on the second floor was always shut tight.

And every morning at five thirty, footsteps could be heard on the mountain road.

--

This is a story about something being "delicious."

You won't know what you're eating until you've finished it.

Once you check in, you may not be able to leave.

Theme: Demons arise from the heart, and appearances are shaped by the mind. When thoughts arise, all kinds of demons arise.