Chapter 6

I couldn't sleep. Zhin was stuck inside my head. Maybe I should consider asking Sha Lin for a bow and some arrows to protect myself.

I woke up. I looked out the window and the sun was up. I opened the window and breathe some air in. I stick my head out too far until I fell through the window and face-plant on the grass. I stood up and spit some dirt out. I jumped and crawled back into my room. I went to the living room.

The house was empty. I'm positive that Ash left earlier like she always does. I did my morning routine as usual.

After doing my routine, I went outside but before I did I grabbed a knife from the kitchen to guard myself if I get attack again. I was looking around, making sure he isn't hidden anywhere, spying on me. I yawned of tiredness because I slept late.

After hours of searching Sha Lin, I finally found him. "Hey, Sha Lin," I said, running towards him. He looked surprised seeing me. I guess he noticed the mark on my neck. "Long story short, got attack by Zhin three times and now I need a bow to protect myself," I said.

"You got attacked by Zhin?" Sha Lin asked, shocked.

"Yeah, it was a lucky escape,"

"I'm glad it was. Here you can take this," Sha Lin gave me the bow and arrow that I used for training.

"Thanks. I needed this,"

I gave him a hug and went off. "Be careful out there," Sha Lin said, before I left. I nodded and walked away. I ran back to the house.

I was back in the house sitting in an upside-down position with my bow right next to me in case anything unusual happen. I kept poking my left leg mark even though it hurt every time I touched it. I heard a noise and it made me jump until I fell of the couch. "Ow," I yelped. I stood up quickly and draw my bow.

I took a few steps forward and looked around. No one. It could be a false alarm but I'm still on my guard. I turned behind and Zhin was there. I put my bow on his forehead but his sword was on my neck. I noticed something about him. I smiled. I noticed he was wearing a bandage on his nose, I'm guessing I broke that nose for him. I couldn't help myself laughing. "Did I break that nose of yours?" I laughed. "Silence! Do not laugh at me!" Zhin said. "But I can't," I replied, laughing.

He grabbed me by the neck. "Hey, I have a bow here and I'm not afraid to let it loose!" I said. "Go ahead. Test me," he said. I release the arrow but he managed to counter it. Oh dear, I thought. I was suffocating until I remember, I had a knife in my pocket. I reach down for the knife in my pocket and stabbed his hand.

He screamed out in pain, letting my neck go. I realised what I did. I zipped to Ash's room to check if she has any string, needle and bandages. I looked around the room and noticed the string, needle and bandage at a little square table. I quickly grabbed it and return to Zhin. I learned how to stitch up wounds from my mother because every time my father goes home, there will be always get wound from a bar fight, so I had to stitch it up. "Sorry, but this might hurt," I said to Zhin, pulling the knife out like ripping a bandage off quickly.

He screamed again. I said sorry again and again. I stitch up his wound and wrap his hand with the bandage. "I'm really realy sorry, Zhin" I said. He placed his fingers under my chin and lifted my face up. He stared into my eyes. His eyes were filled with anger and hate. He stood and left. "Hey, don't mention about this to anyone or I'll separate your head from your body," he said, before he left.

I noticed the floor has little drips of blood. The knife was covered with blood. I took the knife and rinse it at the sink. After that, I placed a damp towel on the little drips of blood. Wiped the whole thing until there was nothing left. I don't want Ash questioning about the blood on the floor.

I placed the needle and the string back on the little square table. Suddenly, I heard the door opening, so I quickly went out of her room and stood behind the couch. Ash opened the door. "Hey, you're back," I said. Ash nodded and straight away went to her room. Ash stopped at the door frame. "Where's my bandage? I remember putting it there," Ash said. As soon as I heard that, I saw the bandage on my right foot. I kicked the bandage and it went under the couch. "I don't know. Maybe it ran out and you thrown it away," I said, in a voice slightly higher. "The bandage did only have a little left yesterday," Ash said. "I'm going outside for a sec."

"Alright," I said. After she left, I grabbed the bandage from under the couch and placed it back where it belonged. I jumped onto the couch and went to an upside-down sitting position. Why would Zhin all of a sudden just stared into my eyes, I thought. Is it…. No. It can't be, I closed my shut my eyes and open it. He is hunting me down after all, he can't, he just can't.

After a few minutes, Ash came back. She was walking towards her room until she stopped at the door frame. I stood up and went to stand beside Ash. "Why is that bandage there? I don't think it was there before," Ash said. "Maybe you didn't see it there," I replied with a voice of a child, blinking a lot. Putting my hand on my back and making myself looking innocent. Ash looked at me. "What? I wouldn't go inside your room when you're gone," I said sounding innocent.

"Alright then," Ash said. "Having extras won't hurt." I jumped on the couch and sit in my upside-down position.

"Hey, I noticed Zhin has a bandage at his nose today while in battle. Have you got anything to do with that?" Ash questioned.

"I'm sure you won't believe me," I said.

"Oh come on, just say it,"

"Yesterday, while you two were doing your own business, I went out. I kinda encounter Zhin while I was busy stargazing. Long story short, I punch Zhin on the nose and knock him out.."

"You? Knock out, Zhin?"

Ash burst out with laughter. "I really did knock him out!" I said. "In your dreams!" Ash laughed and snorted. "Don't believe me? Go ahead, ask Jenos about it. He saw it," I said. "Alright, pipsqueak," Ash said, messing my hair up. I went back to my room and place my face on the pillow.

While I was in my room, I heard a cat meowing. It sounded like it came from the outside. I opened the window and stick my head out. I saw the white cat that I saw at the beach that day. "What are you doing here?" I asked, jumping out from my bedroom window. I gently lifted the cat up. Its soft fur reminded me of Mr Fluffers, Eliza's pet. "Hm, I wonder what happened to that world," I said. The cat meowed and slipped away from my grip. I climbed back up the window and landed on my bed. I cover myself under the sheets and tried to get some sleep.

Waking up with bright lights flashing into my eyes. Where am I? I thought. Until it became clear, I was in the hospital with smiling nurses around me. "Huh?" I said, clueless.

"Have you had a nice sleep?" one of the nurses asked.

"Huh?"

"You were in a coma for three months," a nurse said.

"Oh,"

"Isn't it nice to see the world again?"

No, it's not nice to see this stinking world again. I thought I was dead, already said my goodbye to my family but no I just had to come back here. I smiled at the nurse. She called Mother to see me. "Sweetie, you're finally up," Mother said. "Don't worry about your father. We won't be seeing him anymore." I smiled hearing the news. "Come on. Let get you home, sweetie,"

I couldn't walk anymore. I had to use a wheel chair. I always wanted to sit on a wheel chair all day. When I arrived at the front yard, I notice Eliza's pet, Mr Fluffers, was looking at me. It meowed. I had a weird Déjà vu feeling out of the blues. I stopped and turned the wheel chair to go to Mr Fluffers. It meowed and jumped on my lap. It was purring. I don't think Mr Fluffers would travel into the world that I was in. Look, it's just an ordinary white Persian cat. Mr Fluffers looked at me and meowed. Its meow had the same tone with the other cat. Could it be? I thought. No, it can't be.

I stroked Mr Fluffer's fur and placed it down. I went inside the house. I wanted to go to my room but sadly I was on a wheel chair and on the way to my room, there's stairs. "God damnit," I muttered. "Mother, I need help going up the stairs!" I shouted. "Oh, sweetie. Why don't you rest on the couch first, ok?" Mother asked. "Alright…" I replied. I went to the couch and lied down. I shut my eyes.

I woke up, back in Ash's house. "Woah, is like that cat just answered my question," I said. I sat up straight on my bed. I looked outside the window and the cat was there, standing in front of the window. I opened it and looked at the cat. "Did you bring me there, kitty cat?" I asked. It meowed and ran away. It didn't look scared. Why did ran away? I thought. I shook my head and went to exit my room.

As usual, I'll always go out for a walk. No sign of Zhin anywhere. I walked around until I got myself inside a thick forest.

I was walking inside a thick forest. I heard birds chirping, crickets cricking and a lot of peaceful sounds. Yet, I couldn't be reckless. I could encounter Zhin or anyone else at any moment. I felt a tapped on my shoulder. I drew my bow and turned behind. "Hold up there, kid. It's just me," It was just Lex.

"What are you doing here, square ass?" I asked.

"I could ask you the same. It's dangerous for young kids like you to wander around unsupervised and don't call me square ass. Don't you know, curiosity kills the cat," Lex said.

"I'm not unsupervised. I got you here so you can supervise me. Don't you know, satisfaction brought it back,"

"I just saw you went inside the forest. You were lucky that I was there,"

"Thank you, square ass,"

"I told not to call me square ass,"

I walked in front of him. "Hey, I should be walking in front of you," Lex said. "What if I get snatched behind you? And you wouldn't notice it, square ass," I replied. "Who would kidnap you anyway?" Lex asked.

"Did you not see the mark on my neck and left leg? Hello? That's from Zhin and he's hunting for me," I said, facing him, pointing to my neck and my left leg.

"That explains it," Lex said.

"You're an idiot, square ass," I muttered under my breath.

I faced the front and to my surprised I saw Zhin far at the distance. I drew my bow and aimed for his sleeve. I released the arrow and it directly hit his sleeve. "What did you do?" Lex asked. I pointed to Zhin. "That should stall him for a few minutes," I said. "You should run, I got this handled," Lex said. "Alright, if I get killed, I hope you die in hell, square ass," I said, running. I looked for a place to hide. I saw a tail that looks like a fox's near a bush. I approached the bush and looked into it. There's a little fox with goggles on his head and a bag with priceless items in front the little fox. It released a nervous giggle. "Please don't tell this to Lex," it pleaded. "Okay. I won't," I said. Its' face lighten up and smiled. "Thanks, I'm Pip," it said. "I'm Emily, nice meeting you, Pip," I replied. I helped Pip up. "I'll be going, see ya!" Pip said, running off. I looked around and Zhin was no where to be seen.

I continued walking and looking around. "I wonder what Lex did to him," I said. "He released me," I heard Zhin's voice behind me. I froze for a moment and my blood ran cold. I turned my head a little and Zhin was behind me. I released a nervous giggle. "Oh um… so… w-what do you want from me..?" I asked. I didn't felt a blade on any of my parts. He didn't seem to be attacking me. He kept quiet. Half of me was telling me to run and the other half was asking me to face him. Dear god, what should I do?

I turned and took a few steps back. "Why didn't you attack me when you have the chance?" Zhin questioned. I took a deep breath. "Because I have no intentions of killing or hurting anyone, including you," I answered. He gave me a dirty look. I shrugged. I wrapped my arms on my shoulders and took a few steps back. He didn't seem to respond to my answer. It was dead silence. It felt like time has been stopped. I turned and walked away. I stopped for a second and looked behind. He vanished. Chills went down my spine. I hope he doesn't attack me unexpectedly again.

I was walking out of the forest until someone called out my name. I looked behind and it was Lex.

"So, what did you do to him?" I asked Lex.

"Well, I did what I had to do," Lex answered.

"Hm, yeah. Released him and let him go free? I saw him but he did nothing."

"At least you're not injured."

"Hm, at least," I muttered, under my breath.

I thanked Lex for accompanying me in the forest and I went back to Ash's house.

I entered the house and lay my head on a cushion on the couch. I looked at the door. I couldn't help myself yawning. I'm sure I had enough sleep last night. Probably I wore myself out, I though. I closed my eyes for a few seconds and accidentally dozed off.

I woke up, back at the couch in the other world. I tried to get off the couch. Instead, I fell. I had forgotten that I can't move my legs. "Yikes…." I said. Mother looked at me and she jumped. "Oh sweetie, didn't you remember you need a wheel chair to walk?" mother said, helping me up and placing me on the wheel chair. She patted my back. "Now be careful, sweetie," she said with a cheerful smile. What could I even do on a wheel chair? Everything is in my room. The only think I can think of is just sleeping again.

"Mother, what can I do on this wheel chair?" I questioned. "You can go talk to the neighbours," she replied. I had no choice. I have to talk to neighbours. I went outside to the house next door. There was Ms. Eliza with her children and Mr. Fluffers. Ms. Eliza noticed me with a wheel chair. "Oh my goodness! What happened to you?" Ms. Eliza asked. "I got into an accident," I replied.

"Sounds horrible," she said

OF COURSE IT IS! IT'S AN ACCIDENT! I thought. "It was very painful," I said.

"I guess the consequences were you losing your ability to walk."

"Yes, it was."

Ms. Eliza's home phone was ringing. "Oh! I have to answer that, dear," she said. She ran into the house. I went back to the house and lay down on the couch, trying to sleep.

I woke up in Ash's house on the couch. I looked outside. It looked like its morning. I looked at the clock and it was 7'o clock. I got up and did my morning routine.

I went outside for a walk. To my surprise, I saw Zhin standing. I took out my bow and drew an arrow at his direction. He didn't seem hostile. He wasn't holding his sword. He approached me slowly. When he got close enough to me, he placed his hand on the arrow, pushing it downwards. I drop the bow and arrow to the ground. "I'm not here to harm you," Zhin said. "I'm here to talk," he added.

I looked at him, disbelief. I didn't know what to say. "Look, I don't have all day to explain this to you. I won't repeat," he said. "As a tyrant, I should have killed you when I had the chance to but your eyes tell me that you don't want to fight back. Even if I," he pulled out his sword and placed it near the side of my neck. He used the flat surface of the blade to stroke my cheek. "Want to separate this pretty head of your from this body," he continued.

"So… your point is?" I asked. "My point is you stay away from me and forget about the time which I let you or myself walk away," he said. I nodded. "Now, scram!" he demanded. I did what he told me to do, I scrammed.