"The Pool of Souls" finished

Finished my first story for the Clarion West Write-a-Thon, today, “The Pool of Souls” (well, at least the first draft). It comes in at just over 4000 words in its present incarnation. Here’s an excerpt:

Imila swirled the paper around in the pool, panning for ashes as she’d heard some men panned for gold in mountain streams. Flecks of souls eddied in the small vortex she created, circling around her hands as if trying to determine if this paper was meant for them. Imila watched in wonder as some of the silvery ashes detached themselves from the rest, coalescing in a shiny mass. She continued the circling movement, coaxing her daughter’s soul closer. Then the ashes caught in the rough texture, and the paper turned a shimmering bluish gray as it absorbed all that was left of Terya.

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