1 Prologue (1)

Su Yue was constantly gazing at the sky and no one was particularly sure why she was doing so. Tonight, after a long day of work, like every other night, she placed herself on a tatami mat and opened her window to stare at her moon.

"Hi Mr Moon, it's me. I had the longest day today. It began, as usual, with Aunty Hu knocking on my door for money. If you were here you would have sent her away without money, but I wasn't able to do so. I gave her $1000. Even though I'm in this country, in Dartalodge, I still haven't found my feet. If you were here, you'd probably say, "I'm the carpet that you balance on, without me you're just falling." and I am. I'm always falling into an abyss until I see you. Anyways, after Aunty Hu it was my boss. He got mad at me for no reason again, just like he has since I rejected him. Everyone knows, but no one helps me. I'm thinking of quitting my job. Should I? What do you think, Mr Moon?

"After the boss came Su Xi, ready to hurt me again by parading her wealth. If she's so well off why won't Aunty Hu take money from her? She got engaged today, Su Xi not Aunty Hu. If Aunty Hu got engaged that would be nuts. She got engaged to my ex before you Mr Moon, He Jia, and he's very rich. The heir to the grand He fortune and business. Well, I used to be much richer, we used to be richer. If I went back perhaps she would no longer bother me. I know she still feels like I betrayed her by leaving, but I had to leave. I needed to be with you Mr Moon.

"Mr Moon, I know you're somewhere out there, I will find you again. You'll never leave my reach if I could do it all again." She wept, just as she did every night before ending with, "Good night, Mr Moon, may you protect me and stay safe as I sleep."

Mr Moon reflected on her eyes, a crescent moon, as she blinked her glazed eyes wept more. Her long lashes were lengthier, and her skin looked paler as the moon's light gazed at her. She brought her feet closer to her chest, her nightgown's damp smell from her tears became more prominent to her small nose.

Next door to her apartment her neighbours shook their heads as they eavesdropped on her conversation with the moon. They never told the townspeople because she seemed so sane and normal, however she talked to the moon every night. They had first moved here three years ago, three years after her, and they had heard her conversations every night since. However, she was probably the kindest soul they had ever met, there wasn't a mean bone in her entire body.

They could tell that she was a beauty that had been worn down by the weather, her eyes tired and her hair scratchy, her skin matured with time. However, under that was a glow, the glow of a beauty. Her eyes were dark blue and her skin was clear with no pores to be seen though slightly wrinkled, they knew that if she took a bit more care of it, she would be a beauty again. They also could tell that her short hair, scratchy and untouched, would be beautiful if she brushed it and grew it. Unfortunately Su Yue was no longer interested in those aspects of her life, she felt like her beauty had only brought her pain. If she hadn't been beautiful she would never have lost Mr Moon.

"When will she stop talking to her 'Mr Moon'? And why does no one from her family ever check on her?" Ms Li asked her husband after they listened to her conversation. Though they found it odd, her voice was soothing and wonderful to listen to. As a child she had been taught to never use words such as 'um' that disrupted her speech, so she managed to put together long sentences without stumbling over herself. They particularly loved her singing a poem she had written, the words touched their hearts and brought tears to their eyes.

Dear Mr Moon,

I miss you,

Dear Mr Moon,

I love you,

Dear Mr Moon,

Where are you?

Dear Mr Moon,

I can't find you.

Mr Moon, you left me,

Mr Moon, you're gone,

Mr Moon, you're nowhere,

Mr Moon, you're everywhere,

Mr Moon, you loved me,

Mr Moon, you left me.

Tonight I'll look for you,

Mr Moon because I need you.

Mr Moon I loved you

But you're gone forever.

So I'll talk to the moon

Every night I'll talk to you,

Hoping you'll talk to me too,

Mr Moon.

She would sing it after she had finished her conversation, thus the words rang through their ears. They felt like her voice would put some famous singers to shame, it was filled with soul and pain yet it was so perfect. They wondered who her Mr Moon was, the Mr Moon that she was waiting for.