Charley didn't mind the pit being so close, really. It might have bothered her less if not for all the gaunt faces around the park today. Every time she passed a flower on to someone who was staring harder at the pit than at the colorful bloom in their hands, the urchin felt the urge to go look, too. She might not have her own pit at the bottom of her belly if she could just get a good look at it.

The big sickle pressed into her hand did help, actually. Charley made change quick enough, she could do that in her sleep now, but the man was already walking away with his lilies and camellia. Those were flowers for the dead, and with eyes so hollow and skin so paper thin she might have mistaken him for one himself. He wasn't a ghost, though, she knew that much. The urchin had met a ghost in the park once before, it was almost guaranteed the park would have more after today.

"Come see Lochrin's protective charms!"

There were enough people in the park that she could have spent all day selling flowers at one or two each, and still never get to them all. It was more than came through the shop each day, that was for sure. Charley let herself drift closer to the other hustler with each sale, finally coming close enough to call out in his direction.

"Roses to remember, lilies for loss; a single flower speaks when words cannot."

---