(Illustrated & original text by Diving Cat/Translated by Linda Chen)

What is the definition of death? Is it a decayed body? A terminated breath? Eternal tranquilness? Or the start of another transmigration.

Whose who are alive use ceremonies and tombstones to commemorate the death. How about the death? What do they do to remember us?




Dance of the Living  

Once again Dan was frightenedly awake from the nightmare. He poured himself a glass of water and walked to the window.

Most of the street lamps were turned off. He opened the window for some fresh air. "Bang!" Suddenly a piece of shadow together with the loud voice flashed across the window. In the dark, a pair of eyes stared at Dan.

It was a cat, Dan found out. That black shadow soon disappeared in the night.

"This is not a good sign." The scenes in his dreams over the past few days came up all in a sudden.

Since he arrived the U.S., everything became unusual. It had been months, and his family never replied his letters.

"Ding Dong," the doorbell rang. It was the driver Tom. He said, "Hi, Dan, nightmare again?"

"Yeah, did I wake you up?"

Mary walked in and said, "Dan, why don't you take a deep breath and relax." Mary and her husband Tom worried about him very much.

Mary and Tom were hired by Dan's parents to take care of his life in the U.S. Tom was his driver and Mary was his maid.

Dan was born in a wealthy family. He was smart and was always his parents' pride. When he got the admission of the top PhD program in Biology in the U.S., his mother could not feel any prouder. Dan promised to contact his parents immediately after he settled down.

It had been three months. No one answered his phone at home; nor did anyone reply his letters.

Since things were unusual, Dan decided to go home and see what was happening there.

He told Tom his plan the next day and flew home.

Back home his big house was empty. Where have they been? Been traveling? The first night at home, Dan fell asleep with lots of questions.

In the dream, that strange sound came again. Dan ignored it, but the sound was approaching and finally tied him up, dragging him into a giant whirlpool.

Dan was awake with fear again. He could this time recognize that the sound was a spirit evoking song.

In ancient Chinese legends, people invited skilled master to sing spirit evoking songs for the dead in case they failed to find the way to heaven.

Who is weeping? In the dark night, that voice was weak yet clear. He followed the weeping to the hall.

The scene in the hall surprised him.

Tom and Mary stood by the table, and Dan's mother was crying and seemed to whisper to them. Dan was afraid that maybe his father met something?

Tom and Mary saw Dan. "Dan, you're home!" they said.

Dan walked into the hall and heard what his mother was saying, "My son Dan, today is the 49th day after your death. Please come back and see your mother for the last time."

He remembered everything. That was not a dream. His plane crashed, and everything, explosion, whirlpool, and the spirit evoking ritual, happen all in a sudden.

Tom and Mary were the servant puppets his parents burned to him, now waving their hands with smiles towards him.

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