Sulfur and Friction
Sulfur stings the nostrils as the match head scrapes repeatedly against the rough box, failing to catch. Each frantic stroke meets an invisible drag, a resistance that turns the simple act of lighting a flame into a heavy, rhythmic labor. Amidst the neat rows where porcelain dolls stood motionless, this small friction becomes the only pulse in the room. The sudden, amber bloom of light finally catches against the dark, offering a fleeting moment of warmth before the shadows reclaim their place.