A Star for Every Word Unspoken
ShortStory 5,794 words Recommended by 2 award/anthology sources
"They say Omma’s in there, but she’s not, she’s not. It’s just an empty metal capsule they’re lowering into the ground, and the rain is too wet and the flowers too bright and the wailing of the mourners—it’s so much, too much, and Na-Yeong slaps Appa’s hand away and shuts her eyes and—"
Content warnings 3
deathdeath-of-a-loved-oneself-harm
Quasar links out; the story lives on Clarkesworld, where the author gets the click.