Krabi, Thailand

A little girl, no more than six, lays down a blanket to perform outside the Krabi night market in the still oppressive evening heat. Her expression haunting; poised yet afraid, anxious but dutiful. I looked for any sign of an adult watching over, but it quickly became clear she was alone, arching her long fingernails in half circles around her frame as though weaving invisible strings. Dropping 40 baht into her case, I stood to watch awhile as men with tuk tuks crowded in a kind of barrier line yelling "taxi!" to the stream of tourists leaving the yellow aisle.