At daybreak, a strange line formed outside Miyoko's general store-not people, but pale fragments: hands, feet, eyes, ears, and noses, packed tightly together, winding from the shack's entrance all the way to the street corner. It was a sight both spectacular and eerie.
Hand Princess Big crouched at the very front, perfectly quiet.
Hand Princess Small stayed close beside it, Hand Princess Three bounced around behind them, and Hand Princess Four floated in midair, glancing down at the line now and then. Behind them were the dozen or so newcomers from last night, and farther back were many more that had appeared at some unknown point, crawling out of rubble, drifting out of shadows at the foot of walls, even burrowing up from underground. They were all white, with little pale-purple eyes embedded in their bodies, all staring at the shack, their gazes full of anticipation.
Inside the shack, Miyoko stood behind a makeshift counter, clutching an empty bag. Her face darkened as she stared at the long line outside, and she cursed, "Fuck, sooner or later, you're going to run this lousy shop into the ground."
Shuo leaned against the counter with a piece of candy in his mouth. He did not chew it, just let it sit there, its sweetness slowly seeping into the tip of his tongue. "How much candy is left?" he asked leisurely.
Miyoko tossed the empty bag onto the counter and turned it over for him to see. "None," she said irritably. "You took almost all of it last night. These empty bags are all that's left."
Shuo sighed and poked his head out to look at the line. Sai stood at the entrance, counting them one by one. Only after counting twice did he speak. "Thirty-seven... no, another one just crawled out. Thirty-eight