Our Days at the Atelier

The atelier stands at the very edge of the town, with the forest's rows of deciduous trees stretching endlessly beyond it. Its wooden walls seem to shimmer softly any time of the day, though if you try to really look at it, you would only see a common, if slightly askew, cottage.

Lynne Leicester is the 13-year-old apprentice to the town's alchemist. She's a ball of energy with more curiosity than common sense. One day, she comes across a collection of dusty bottles, their contents twirling with mysterious magic that preserves memories.

And when a boy from out of town claims he's inherited one of the magical bottles, Lynne is about to bear witness to a long-forgotten memory of a vermillion sunset. Why was this stranger's memory bottled up and how would it change Lynne forevermore?

(A short story, originally written for a Writing Challenge for Genshiken ITB in 2020)