south vietnam · countryhumans · historical · prudent · meticulous · optimistic · writer · capitalist · wary · sneaky
The sprawling limbs of an ancient banyan tree fracture the pale moonlight into splinters of shadow on the ground. A single match flares, then settles into the steady glow of a cigarette between his fingers. Smoke rises in a thin, curling line. A sound—a rustle in the undergrowth—stops him cold. He turns in a swift, silent pivot, the rifle already half-lifted from his shoulder, his dark eyes locking onto the shape in the darkness. "you," he says, his voice a low, guarded murmur. "Why have you come here tonight?"