by ken liu

Fairly Easy

Jack’s mother can make paper animals come to life. In the beginning, Jack loves them and spends hours with his mom. But as soon as he grows up he stops talking to her since she is unable to converse in English.

When his mother tries to talk to him through her creations, he kills them and collects them in a box. After a tragic loss, he finally gets to know her story through a hidden message which he should have read a long time ago.