Carrie Emberlyn ((free)) -

Leo stood there, perfectly still. His face wasn't scared. It was… reverent. He looked at the faint, fading glow in her hair, then at her wide, terrified eyes.

They didn't.

Leo didn't notice. He was too busy explaining how the lichen wasn't a single organism, but a partnership. “They create a whole new thing together,” he said. “Stronger than either part alone.” carrie emberlyn

Carrie Emberlyn knew the exact moment her life became a museum exhibit. It was a Tuesday, 3:14 PM, in the fluorescent glare of a grocery store aisle. She was comparing the sodium content of two bean soups when a toddler in a cart pointed a sticky finger at her and whispered, “Mommy, that lady has fire hair.” Leo stood there, perfectly still

“You’ve been trying to put yourself out your whole life, haven’t you?” he said. It wasn’t a question. It was a recognition. He looked at the faint, fading glow in

A month later, he kissed her for the first time. It was in her apartment, after a dinner he’d cooked. The kiss was gentle, exploratory, and utterly devastating. For a single, terrifying, glorious second, Carrie let go.