The Extinguishing (A Retelling)

By Chrysanne Ho (@chryxwrites)

I know the tale of the ten suns by heart—

about how Hòu Yì shot nine of them down and

was named a hero; but the part I think about

most often is how his name was similar to

the first two characters of mine.

I like to imagine that I was born with

fire in my lungs and the hands of Midas, sculpted

with aching fingers and burnt midnight oil.

born not a genius, but something better.

I too, have torn into stars and planets and

cosmic giants just to devour even the tiniest bit

of divinity, but my greed isn't heroic—

I've always been selfish. yet

now I am both the sun and the archer /

the maw and the prey:

if you were ever one or the other,

would you still show me any mercy?

As a teenage writer of love, loss, and longing, Chrysanne hopes to publish writing that resonates with readers so that they can be both inspired and entertained by her work. Her pieces have been recognized by various literary magazines, including By the Beach Journal, Vellichor Literary Magazine, Spiritus Mundi Review, and more. She loves revisiting her comfort shows and books, giving imaginary speeches, and working on her numerous novel projects.