***
|Three days back|
|Clock ticks 12|
It's dark, she couldn't see anything she could smell,she could hear and she could feel things. It reeks of alcohol and the smell of rust, her body feels numb, moving her hands she realised that her hands were tied above her head with some steel chains.she heard some one saying,
'We were just having some fun!' it was a man's voice
'Dont waste time, as soon as I leave"Kill Her!!"'
a woman yelled at them.
The words Kill Her were filled with grudge and contempt. She felt the chills.Footsteps approaching—
A young woman past twenties Shui Yi wakes up anxiously,terror took over her face,drenched in sweat she wipes off the sweat on her face with the back of her wrist, she breathed heavily and her eyes bulged.She walked trembling to the washroom turning on the dim yellow light by her right side,she washed her face through the running tap infront of the mirror, noticing her hand shaking as she was turning off the tap,
|snap|
She slapped herself, she stopped trembling, leaning on the sink looking at the mirror
'I've been having nightmares more frequently these days!' she bit her lip lowering her head.
*****
|Phone Rings|
Shui Yi answered the call 'Whats with you?! why do you call at 12 am in the middle of night?' she asked.
'Happy Birthday' Bai Lu shouted on the phone.
'Ow...! Thank you' Shui Yi hung up.
Shui Yi is accustomed to having nightmares.
She tried to sleep getting back to bed, she struggled to sleep,the thought of having nightmares for unknown reasons which she can't even recall is eating her.
She entered a huge room with a study table and a sofa, things were out of place and spread out,and a pile of books on the table, taking the topmost book from the pile; a manga, tiptoeing to the sofa laying down she started reading.
***
|Alarm ringing|
shui Yi fell asleep reading, with the book on her face.
'Ah...'she sighed 'Morning already?!'
Shui Yi walks to the kitchen and makes a bowl of milk and flakes for breakfast, sitting on the stool at the table she checks her messages on her mobile,
She read an article saying
"Night House became the top best companies in the gaming industry by developing the most popular and trending game,all being new to the industry,three years ago, the statistics show that no other game has created this record—"
she gave a lopsided grin
|closes the mobile|
After the shower Shui Yi opened her wardrobe,most of her clothes were shades of black, suits paired with complementing shirt colours, she took a pair of formal suits and pairs of casual clothing. She puts on her formal black suit while setting up the collar of red shirt her hand slid form neck down the necklace to the pendant, a sphere with "Lu" engraved on it inside a tiny heart, holding the tiny pendant she stares at the mirror across
'I couldn't find him mom!'
"He's... alive..bring him ba—" Her mother's bedridden words echoed in her mind.
*****
She drives to cafe magic.The owner is her bestie Bai Lu. A parking lot at the back is specially built for Shui Yi to park her car;she leaves her car here during the day when she's at work.She went to the cafe everyday before and after working for a cup of espresso.
Shui Yi put on a black mask and black gloves; she never takes these off in public. She always has ear pods on too. People close to her, are the only ones to see her face, know the reason for this habit of Shui Yi.
Shui Yi walked in through the back door.
'The usual please' she said to the Barista removing one ear pod.
'She came from the back door!!!' a waitress across from her murmured to another.
'New here' shui Yi asked the girl with her head backward tilted 60 degrees.
The girl nodded.
Shui Yi put her ear pod back on and walked to her usual spot behind the bookshelves at the corner which formed a closed space, with one table beside a transparent one way glass wall, with a road view. Shui Yi spectated people passing by from up here at the same time she enjoyed the fragrance of freshly brewed coffee and the bitter taste of espresso.
A pregnant woman crossing the road caught her eye.
|snap|
Shui Yi rose up her forehead puckered. She hurried down to the front. She took a glance at the traffic light it was red and she couldn't cross the road to the other side , the lady is on her knees on the ground, she could only catch glimpses of the lady through the cars streaming, that lady caught a man's hand the man shook her and his lips moved as in he was telling her something and he left her, wrinkle appeared between shui yi's eyes.....
Finally... Shui Yi can cross now, she ran towards the lady. Before she reached out to the lady a man in a cream coloured coat helped her up saying 'Are you okay mam?! I've booked a taxi, he's over there let me take you to the hospital.'
Shui Yi stood there watching him help her, she saw him helping the lady get into the taxi, the taxi drove off.
"How did the taxi get here on time ? He booked it for the lady?? He must have booked it for himself. Then....I suppose he's a very generous guy" Shui Yi's eyes lit up.
*A taxi takes at least thirty minutes to arrive to pick up after booking. The pregnant woman struggled for about 5-10 minutes right there on the footpath.The guy who helped her booked a taxi for himself, he had plans, instead he used it to help the lady, people like him rarely exist in this world these days, a person with plans sticks to them but he cancelled...them??? or maybe he had some extra time.... Either way he did not abandon her like the guy from before. There were many people walking away but he still came to her aid. How many people are like him these days in this world.*
Shui Yi lost in thoughts.
|Phone rings|
'Sir I'm already down stairs Shui Yi looked around searching for someone
She waves her hand in the air
***
'Please help me sir take me to a hospital I'm in labour' the woman pleaded holding a man's hand tightly.
'I have a tight schedule mam sorry!' he shook her off and left
***
******