Nightfall

Only facts will help you escape -- not hopes, fears or wishes.

Silvery moonlight illuminated the landscape around them, which was an undulating terrain of treetops as far as the eye could see.

…only children entertain the fantasy that adults know how and why everything works. Being an adult is accepting the not knowing.

The interlocking of their fingers was the only scrap of comfort left to them.

Too much hope could make it harder to accept reality when the time came.

What do you say when I sneeze?"Anton repeated. "Bless you," Kana replied. "Right, but why do you say it?" Kana shrugged. "Sometimes in life, we do things simply because we have always done them,' explained Anton. "Perhaps there were once reasons, but we have forgotten them. A very long time ago, people believed that whenever a person sneezed, their soul exploded out through their mouths and into the air. They also believed that the devil was always lurking about and might snatch up that soul. So they said bless you, to stall the devil until the soul could shoot back down into the person's body." "That's nonsense," said Marin, throwing her hands in the air. "You're probably right," said Anton. "But you still say bless you. And until a moment ago, you didn't even know why.

Night has fallen. And it will last for a very long time.