The Spirits of Cairn is a story imagined as a possible afterlife for a child who died young. The destination is a world between heaven and hell, with neither joy nor sorrow, something found in various religions, such as Sai no Kawara or the limbo of infants. The protagonist feels remorse for having died early, but remembers only the emotion itself, like an echo, and does not know how long he has been there, what he is there for, or the true nature of his lingering attachment. His task of mourning the countless heads resting in the ground continues endlessly.