" Mommy ??
Daddy ??
Where are you?? "
After the accident Meilin found herself surrounded in total darkness. Hoping to find her parents she walked in further and further until she no longer had the engry to take another step.
Everything was surrounded with darkness. It was like an endless abyss. No matter much she walked, how far she tried to reach or which direction she chose the end was nowhere in sight.
Feeling extremely exhausted Meilin dropped to the ground. She was disappointed and was about to give up when a gentle voice called for her like a whisper.
" Meilin!!
Come here Meilin ."
At first Meilin was doubtful. She looked around to find the source of the voice , sadly nothing came to her sight.
Though she was there to find her parents, it's not necessary that she wasn't scared. It was like she was stranded in a place were she shouldn't even be in the first place.
She looked around with teary eyes, fear lying underneath them.
" Meilin, Come here my love.... "
Once again the voice called her. This time a little louder or perhaps a little closer to her. She looked around but this time her fear was replaced by surprise.
Meilin recognised the voice and to her surprise it was Ashima's .
Anxiety grasped her heart , she shouted her for her mother.
" Mommy ?? Mommy ?? Where are you?? "
But once again there was no reply.
Hearing her mother's voice faded away all her fears.
' Mommy wait for me; I will find you. '
She rose to her tired feet with a new determination only to find a tiny source of light ahead.
" Come Meilin... Come to us... "
Another the voice spoke.
This time Meilin recognised her father's voice. " Daddy?? Is that you??? "
" Come on Meilin.. Hurry up. " said the voice once again.
But she stayed rooted to scan her surrounding, trying to figure out what would be the right thing for her to do next??
She was in delimma. She couldn't come to a decision.
She took a deep breath to calm herself down and remembered what her grandma had once told her .
" Meilin my dear, always remember what grandma is telling you today. If you are ever in doubt or you don't know what is the right thing to do then ask your heart. It will always give you the right answer. And if your heart doesn't give you any answer then close your eyes and remember your parents. Victory will be yours, always yours.. "
A tear strolled down her cheek as she remembered her grandma. But that didn't break her determination. She closed her eyes and questioned her heart. She got an answer but was still unsure . She then remembered her parents just like her grandma told her.
" Be brave my love... " The voice whispered again .
She opened her eyes only after coming to a decision. She decided to obey her heart where she believed that the tiny source of light was the end of this dark place.
Slowly and steadily she walked towards the end of this darkness with confidence. With each step the tiny light grew brighter and brighter. Meilin was happy to see this as to her it felt she was getting closer to the end of it.
On her way she heard voices which she recognized to be of her mother and father cheering her on.
" Go on Meilin... Don't give up.. " said the voice.
With each step forward Meilin shed off her self doubts and fears. Surrounded by darkness Meilin's only aim was to reach up to the source of the light like a bird's eye. In doing so she realised that everytime the voices spoke to her it sounded like they were coming from the other side of the source of the light.
Eventually she reached her destination where she was face-to-face with the source of light. But it was a difficult and trechrous path. Each time she took a step forward she felt that someone was pulling her ten steps backward. But her determination to meet with her parents and the voices cheering for her kept her going in that dark abyss.
Face-to-face with the source of the light, the spherical ball transformed itself at the touch of Meilin with huge explosion of light. Meilin lost her balance as she felt tremors raising from the core of the dark abyss. But the light remained unfettered at the threatening calls of the darkness; it rose like a majestic sword tearing away the darkness , ready to engulf it whole.
The blade of the sword expanded itself in height. Beautiful white patterns began to form in the darkness on both sides of the blade. In no time, what originated as tiny source of light transmogrified into beautiful large doors slowly opening themselves like wide arms ready to welcome Meilin to the other side.
The glistening white doors were a sharp contrast to the pitch darkness of the abyss leaving Meilin in awe.
As the doors slowly opened revealing it's otherside Meilin's face displayed the array of emotions she felt.
When the doors fully opened Meilin's long await was finally over. Tears of joy broke all barriers flowing down like and endless waterfall. A smile so bright formed on her face that was enough to put the sun to shame. Her surprise was so intense that the past happenings seemed like a mere joke.
" Mommy !!"
Meilin dashed on through the mythical doors on the other side where her mother waited for her.
" Meilin!! My love you final made it.... " Ashima welcomed her with open arms just like how Meilin rememberd it.
" Mommy !! Mommy !! You're okay. Your not hurt are you?? "
" Yes, Of course I am okay. Why would you think like that Meilin ?? "
" Mommy please don't leave me. Mommy please... I promise I won't make mischief, I will always listen to you and help you with chores but please don't leave me alone.... Please mommy ... Please " Meilin pleaded to her mother with a choked voice.
But Ashima didn't reply just hugged back her daughter with her motherly love.
To Meilin's utter surprise when the mythical doors opened to reveal the other side. It was none other then the living room of the apartment where Meilin lived with her family back in China.
"That's not possible Meilin. It harsh I know sweetheart but you have to accept it. We don't have a choice. " Li Yujin voice emerged from the corner along himself.
" But why?? Why can't we be like before?? Don't you love me anymore?? You don't want me anymore?? "
Yujin's words extinguished Meilin's last ray of hope. She was not willing to except her reality.
" No Meilin !! You know that mommy, daddy loves you the most. How can you say we don't want you?? If possible we would want to be with you forever.. See you grow up to be a great person. But our time together was only this much. " Unable to bear her daughter's tears Ashima tried her best to reason with Meilin but in vain.
" No I don't believe you.... You are lying to me... Please daddy I promise... I will be a good girl.. I will always listen to you and mommy... Please don't leave me alone. "
Drenched in tears her childish face no longer carried any signs of her previous joy, instead fear of being abandoned was significant.
Both Ashima and Yujin were feeling helpless.
Yujin placed Meilin on his lap and tried to explain the situation.
" Meilin listen to carefully. It's not that mommy daddy doesn't want you or love you anymore, it's just that many things have happened all of a sudden and the people who caused those things doesn't want your mommy daddy to live any longer. We are dead, that a fact and you have to accept that fact. We no longer belong in that world, neither you belong in this world.
Meilin you can't die. You must live Meilin you are my last hope. Mommy Daddy needs you Meilin... Won't you help us?? Please?? "
Ashima stood beside Yujin and wiped away her daughter's tears Ashima Yujin spoke.
" But how will I live without you and how can I help you?? "
Yujin's words and the way he presented it played a great role in Meilin heart regarding the acceptance of the facts.
Yujin chuckled.
" Meilin you are not alone... Never think that you are alone. There is a reason why Eisuke was sent to you. He is not only your godfather but also a person who possess the power to protect you from harm. Meilin trust Eisuke, trust his judgement. When the time is right he will tell you everything. But until that time comes you must never question him. Can you do that for Mommy Daddy?? " Ashima asked for her daughter's word as she explained their decision.
Meilin didn't say anything but only nodded as her reply.
" In the meantime, study well and fulfill your dreams sweetheart. Daddy knows that you have much more potential them me and someday you will surpass daddy. Daddy will wait for that day. "
If anyone truly understood Meilin's potential then it was Yujin along with another person who was yet to join the show. Thus Yujin was confident that under Eisuke's care and protection Meilin will have a chance to fulfill her dream.
" Meilin even though we no longer belong in the mortal world that doesn't mean we no longer exist. We will always be there whenever you need us in here." Ashima wiped away Meilin's fresh tears as she placed her hand over Meilin's little chest pointing at her heart.
" You will always find us whenever you think about us or whenever you remember us. We will always be there even when you are old and grey as grandma, just like how you find grandma when you think about her. "
Meilin listened to her mother wordlessly. After all no amount of words or pleas was going to bring back her parents.
No words were enough to tell how much in pain she was. No words formed can do justice to her. She was a mere silent spectator while heaven throughly bullied her. If anything accompanied her it was her tears who helped her display her inner emotions .
Suddenly everything started to fade away. Things faded away until they disappeared. The sofa of their living room on which the three sat started to faded. Yujin stood up from the the sofa along with Meilin and it disappeared as well.
Within a second what was a living room turned into a white abyss of light with no sight of its former shelf. Meilin had a sinking feeling but she dared not voice it. Ashima and Yujin too understood the subtled message.
Ashima hugged and kissed Meilin one last time.
" Be a good girl Meilin and remember everything that mommy and daddy has taught you. And always remember mommy daddy loves you the most. "
Ashima said as her tears broke all barriers and her heart wrenched at the thought of what awaited her in future.
" Thank you Meilin.... Thank you for coming to us. For accepting us as your mommy daddy. Having you was proudest moment of our life. This is as far as we go. It's time to say goodbye. Take care "
Yujin said as he embraced Meilin into a tight hug. He heart shattered into pieces at the knowledge that he was throwing away his daughter into a ruthless battlefield, the daughter he vowed to protect the day she was born. A single tear fell to the ground from Yujin's rims.
Meilin wanted to say something but her voice was choked, no matter how much she tried she couldn't get a single sound out of her vocal cords. She was ready to do anything just to be with her parents but no one gave her the chance.
Seeing her husband shed his tears, she couldn't stay away and joined her husband.
The couple in their final moment showered all of their love and undivided attention to Meilin in hope that she would understand their unsaid words.
In the loving embrace of both her parents Meilin understood that this was the suffering that befell on them for the choices they made in order to protect her.
" Mommy.. Daddy... I will be strong..... I promise. "
Meilin said, her voice still trembling.
No sooner than the words left her mouth the couple began to fade away. She could no longer feel their touch. They faded and faded until they disappeared, leaving Meilin stranded in an unknown world.