White Shadow Under Sunset

In a hot and humid summer in a southern city, "I" brought back a thin white dog from the vegetable market and named it Xiaonuo. Its fur is as pale as the moonlight, but its eyes are unnervingly bright. It always stares at the corner, as if staring at something hidden. One day, a glowing crack opened in the corner of the wall, reflecting a vague shadow. The setting sun shone in, and the air was filled with a cold and astringent smell. Xiaonuo barked and rushed to the corner, scratching the blood with his claws, and I began to hear whispers, like someone calling my name in the dark. The days flowed in the soup of fish skin dumplings, the aroma of glutinous rice and the heat of street shaomai. Xiao Nuo accompanied me through the lonely night, but the crack was like a wound that refused to heal, getting bigger and bigger. The shadow twisted on the wall, as if it was trying to crawl into my world, but I didn't know who it was or what it wanted. There is a secret in Xiaonuo's eyes, the lychee tree rustles as if humming a staccato tune, the streets under the sunset vaguely emerge, and my life will never be the same again.