Alley's Dark Ally

"This is my ritual knife. It has been in my family for generations. It was a gift from my father, to his father, and before that it was given to him by the Shinto priest who presided over our wedding ceremony."

"Is that right?" said the girl.

"Yes, my wife and I were blessed with two children. We both wanted a third but she could not have another child. She died giving birth to our second son."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"No need to be, I had them for many years."

The man smiled and took out a small silk pouch from his robe. He opened it and took out what looked like a piece of charcoal. He handed it to the girl and continued: "This is my life-giving incense. My father gave this to me before he passed away."

The girl held the piece of charcoal in her hands and stroked it gently. The man continued: "I don't know how this incense works, you see - they were not around when I was a child, but they burn very slowly. My grandfather once told me, 'the person who lights this charcoal will give you eternal life'. I'm old now so I don't know if that's true or not." The man chuckled at his own words and added: "but I do know one thing: no one has ever seen me die."

"That's amazing!", said the girl. "Thank you so much for showing me your treasures!"

"They are no treasures," said the man, "but family keepsakes. They hold no value other than preserving my memories."

The girl put the pieces of charcoal back into their respective pouches then bowed to show her gratitude. She turned towards the door as if ready to leave but suddenly stopped. She turned towards the old man and asked: "Are your sons still alive?"

"No," replied the man, "they both passed away long ago."

"Oh dear," cried the girl, "are you lonely without them?"