East Sullia Road was long, lined with double rows of locust trees. The locust flowers had already fallen this time of year, and the fruits nestled among the lush leaves. When the wind blew, they swayed heavily.
Both sides of the road were lined with shops, and with rain about to fall, there were hardly any pedestrians.
The man had already taken off his leather jacket, which was draped over his arm. He rolled up his sleeves, casually revealing the watch on his wrist.
"This is East Sullia Road."
Rae Bennett walked a little further before halting, looking towards a door: "There should be no one inside, shall we go in and talk?"
It was a side entrance to a hospital canteen.
At this hour, the entire canteen was virtually empty.
"Sure." The man, unable to wait, pushed the door open and entered first.
Stopping on the second-floor staircase of the three-story canteen, Rae Bennett looked down.
The man stood halfway up the stairs, a few steps below her, tilting his head up to look at Rae Bennett: "What about?"
She secured the bag containing the crispy meat and stowed it away in her purse: "Let's talk about being human."
"Huh?"
The man didn't understand.
In passing, she pulled a cigarette from the inner pocket of her bag, holding it between her slender fingers. She couldn't find her lighter in her bag, probably forgot to bring it.
She never smoked in front of people she knew because she had to play Fairy Bennett.
Pinching the cigarette lightly between her index and middle finger, she raised her eyelids; her gaze devoid of any fairy-like charm, left only with a devilish allure that captivated the soul: "Got a light?"
The man's heart itched with excitement: "Yeah."
She bit down on the cigarette, leaning slightly forward.
The man instantly caught on, took out his lighter, and lit the cigarette for her.
She took a slow drag, lips parting slightly as she exhaled a thin stream of smoke.
The man could barely wait: "Weren't we going to talk about being human?"
He moved up a step, his eyes round and large, showing his impatience: "I think being human, ah, it's about enjoying life while you can."
Rae Bennett appeared to disagree, her expression all seriousness: "Being human, one must understand manners."
As she blew out smoke, the man was captivated by her alluring eyes, her pursing red lips, and the shimmering gemstone hanging over her collarbone. How could someone be so ethereally pure, yet so enticing?
The man was mesmerized, forgetting to even move his hands or feet.
She continued discussing humanity, arms folded, casually flicking ash from her cigarette: "I think you don't have to be a good person, but,"
The man was spellbound, aimlessly volleying: "But what?"
She complained softly: "How could you be mean to children?"
When the beautiful girl frowned, it was as if the skies darkened. In an instant, all light seemed to be swallowed, her tone turning chillingly cold: "They are so adorable."
With those words, Rae Bennett pressed the cigarette butt against the man's forehead, shoving forcefully.
The man cried out in pain, losing balance, tumbling down the stairs.
Sparks from the cigarette fell to the ground, slowly going out. The man lay at the second-floor turn, shoulder dislocated, wailing without cease.
Rae Bennett descended the stairs at a leisurely pace.
She raised a finger to her lips: "Shh." She whispered a reminder, "The hospital is next door; you mustn't make noise."
The skin of the man's forehead was scorched, his face contorted in pain: "You bitch—"
Just as he raised his intact hand, it was seized at the wrist. Comparing the two hands, the girl's was fair and tender, small and supple, as flexible as a willow branch.
She gave it a gentle squeeze.
"Ouch!" The man's features twisted in agony, "It hurts, it hurts…"
"Can we be quiet now?" she asked gently, not a hint of harshness in her voice.
The man clenched his mouth and nodded vigorously.
"For the medical fees," she pondered, "just go to Mercy Hospital in Osla, and look for the second son of the Morris Family; he'll settle them for you."
Tears sprang from the man's eyes from the pain.
"If you want revenge, go to him too."
"No, no... no revenge."
She seemed quite reasonable: "Up to you." She squatted down, a slight figure, chin resting on her hand, "Also, you owe for the helium balloon."
The T-shirt with its cute bear print, the lace edge of her skirt brushing the ground, her fluffy purse soft and cushy.
The girl was blessed with an innocent face, using the most docile and gentle tone, her eyes however held a host of demons and the moon of mid-July—a pair of tender hands that could claim lives.
Oh, she was a demon in human skin. The man shivered uncontrollably, nodding promptly.
"If the kids don't forgive you…" Rae Bennett probed his face with the broken cigarette, frowning thoughtfully, "then what should I do with you?"
She twisted forcefully.
The man's wrist dislocated: "Ahhhhhh—"
The cleaning lady downstairs heard the noise and came up to investigate.
"Who's there?"
Just then, the door by the staircase was pushed open, and Rae Bennett emerged, limping: "Hello." She brushed the hair behind her ear, revealing a soft and unadorned face, "May I use your restroom?"
The cleaning lady glanced at her foot: "Twisted your ankle?"
"Yeah."
Remembering the scream she had just heard, the lady felt a pang of sympathy: "Walk down this way and you'll find the restroom. I just mopped the floor; it's very slippery, so be careful."
"Thank you, ma'am."
Limpy, she entered the restroom, then shut the door behind her. Approaching the sink, she turned on the faucet. Her ankle was perfectly fine, not showing the slightest hint of injury as she walked.
The sound of running water filled the room as she rinsed her mouth and sprayed some perfume on herself until not a trace of smoke could be detected.
*****
"I'm sorry, the number you have dialed is currently unavailable. Please try again later."
Wyatt Wright had only glanced at Rae Bennett's number once and might have remembered it wrong, so he called Miss Watson again.
Miss Watson was playing mahjong when she picked up: "Wyatt."
Her opponent declared: "Three characters."
Wyatt said, "Mom, send me Rae's number."
Miss Watson suddenly raised her voice: "Pung!"
She punged her opponent's three characters.
Now she was waiting for just one tile to win!