I apologize profusely to anyone who was reading this. This story just stopped writing itself. I kept thinking about it all this time, but never actually sat down to write any of it. However, lately the inspiration has sprang back at me, out of nowhere. I actually had written this chapter months ago, but for some reason never posted it. So it is being posted now, and I am currently finishing the next chapter. So that will be up soon enough. Hopefully those of you who were reading it are still interested in it. ;)
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Meiling awoke to the sounds of yelling from below, and yawned loudly as she got up from her bed. She glanced at her clock, which told her it was a few minutes past ten o'clock. She pulled on a robe over her pyjamas, and left her bedroom, heading for the stairs. The commotion had piqued her interest. She walked into the kitchen, smiling at the sight of her cousin and his girlfriend arguing over a recipe. She went to the fridge, taking out an apple. She sat at the kitchen counter, her eyes fixed on the couple before her.
"Good morning Meiling. As usual, Syaoran is being a complete jerk, and won't listen to me." Sakura had apparently given up on the stubborn Li boy, and sat next to Meiling. Meiling smiled, looking back at her cousin.
"You knew about his stubborn nature from the beginning Sakura, so I have no sympathy. Now you know what I have been dealing with the past sixteen years." The girls laughed, as Syaoran simply huffed and rummaged through the fridge.
"So anyways, Meiling, if you don't mind my asking, did I see you outside last night? I saw someone run through the backyard, and it looked like you." Sakura watched her friend, noting the look of worry on Meiling's face. It quickly disappeared, replaced by a smile.
"I couldn't sleep, so I went for a run through the woods. Nothing to be worried about." Sakura nodded, feeling slightly silly that she had asked. Of course that's what she'd been doing. Meiling liked to run at night, especially when she couldn't sleep.
"I should have known. I guess since you just went to bed so early, it kind of surprised me." Meiling nodded, smiling at her friend.
"Well it's nice to know someone is concerned about me." They both looked back at Syaoran, who was juggling a few containers in his hands, trying to close the fridge door and not drop anything.
"Speaking of that, what was bothering you yesterday? I might have let you get away last night after talking in the garden, but I know something is bugging you." Meiling met her cousin's eyes, not giving anything away.
"Nothing. Stop pestering me." She shot him an annoyed look, as Syaoran shook his head.
"Oh hey, have you guys noticed that car parked out front? It's been there for the past day, I just realized this morning." Meiling quickly cast her eyes down at the floor, not meeting Sakura's gaze. Of course they would realize the car had been there too. What if they went to speak to him? What if he told them where she was going at night?
"Maybe we should go talk to him."
"I'll do it." Meiling tried not to sound nervous as she offered, finally lifting her gaze from the floor.
"Why don't we all go?"
"No, really. Not necessary. Besides, you and Sakura have cooking to do." Meiling quickly got up, smiling at the two as she left the kitchen. The couple looked at each other, both extremely curious.
"Wow, that sounded weird. Almost like she didn't want us to talk to the guy."
"Too weird. Maybe it's someone she knows." Syaoran narrowed his eyes as he thought about the car sitting out front.
"But where would she know him from? No one we know drives a car like that-"
"Yesterday! When she called me. That's when he showed up. That car has been sitting there ever since then. Maybe he was bothering her or something. He must have followed her here!" Syaoran dropped the items he had in his hands, as he grabbed hold of the counter. "I definitely want to speak to him now."
"Syaoran, shouldn't you ask Meiling first? She'd be mad if you just made assumptions like that."
"No way Sakura, this explains everything." Syaoran met his girlfriend's eyes, already set in his mind on talking to the man.
Meiling took a deep breath as she opened the front door, stepping outside. She looked across the road, at the car. She put on her bravest face, and walked across the front lawn, towards the road. As she walked towards the car, she saw the window roll down, and a hand emerge, dangling a lit cigarette. She walked up to the car, leaning down to look in, and get a glimpse of her stalker. Her breath caught in her throat, and words escaped her. It was the man from the club. The one who knew her name.
"What do you want?" She spoke in her harshest voice, hoping she didn't sound like she was trying to cover up her fear. The man said nothing, just inhaled on his cigarette. "Why are you following me? What do you want with me?" She narrowed her eyes, glaring at him.
"You know what I want." Meiling bit her lip, to keep it from quivering in fear. What was it about this man that frightened her?
"No, I don't. But I do know that I want you to leave, before I call the police and have you arrested for stalking me." She shot him a smug look, certain he would back away now.
"You wouldn't. Then they would know where it is you go at night." He blew a puff of smoke in her face, his voice displaying no emotion.
"Well then I'll just have to get rid of you myself. You don't seem so tough." Meiling prayed he wouldn't see through her bravado.
"I'll leave, but only because your friends are coming out. I'll be back." He rolled the window up, tossing his cigarette at her feet. As Syaoran and Sakura came up to her, he had pulled the car away. Meiling didn't look at her friends, simply stared at the car.
"What did he want?"
"Nothing. Just some weirdo. He's gone now though." Meiling turned to walk back to the house, trying to act tough in front of her friends. Inside she was very afraid. Afraid that this man would be back, and that he would tell her family what it was she was doing. Afraid that he would be back to take whatever it was he wanted from her. Never had she felt such fear before.
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Meiling awoke to the sounds of yelling from below, and yawned loudly as she got up from her bed. She glanced at her clock, which told her it was a few minutes past ten o'clock. She pulled on a robe over her pyjamas, and left her bedroom, heading for the stairs. The commotion had piqued her interest. She walked into the kitchen, smiling at the sight of her cousin and his girlfriend arguing over a recipe. She went to the fridge, taking out an apple. She sat at the kitchen counter, her eyes fixed on the couple before her.
"Good morning Meiling. As usual, Syaoran is being a complete jerk, and won't listen to me." Sakura had apparently given up on the stubborn Li boy, and sat next to Meiling. Meiling smiled, looking back at her cousin.
"You knew about his stubborn nature from the beginning Sakura, so I have no sympathy. Now you know what I have been dealing with the past sixteen years." The girls laughed, as Syaoran simply huffed and rummaged through the fridge.
"So anyways, Meiling, if you don't mind my asking, did I see you outside last night? I saw someone run through the backyard, and it looked like you." Sakura watched her friend, noting the look of worry on Meiling's face. It quickly disappeared, replaced by a smile.
"I couldn't sleep, so I went for a run through the woods. Nothing to be worried about." Sakura nodded, feeling slightly silly that she had asked. Of course that's what she'd been doing. Meiling liked to run at night, especially when she couldn't sleep.
"I should have known. I guess since you just went to bed so early, it kind of surprised me." Meiling nodded, smiling at her friend.
"Well it's nice to know someone is concerned about me." They both looked back at Syaoran, who was juggling a few containers in his hands, trying to close the fridge door and not drop anything.
"Speaking of that, what was bothering you yesterday? I might have let you get away last night after talking in the garden, but I know something is bugging you." Meiling met her cousin's eyes, not giving anything away.
"Nothing. Stop pestering me." She shot him an annoyed look, as Syaoran shook his head.
"Oh hey, have you guys noticed that car parked out front? It's been there for the past day, I just realized this morning." Meiling quickly cast her eyes down at the floor, not meeting Sakura's gaze. Of course they would realize the car had been there too. What if they went to speak to him? What if he told them where she was going at night?
"Maybe we should go talk to him."
"I'll do it." Meiling tried not to sound nervous as she offered, finally lifting her gaze from the floor.
"Why don't we all go?"
"No, really. Not necessary. Besides, you and Sakura have cooking to do." Meiling quickly got up, smiling at the two as she left the kitchen. The couple looked at each other, both extremely curious.
"Wow, that sounded weird. Almost like she didn't want us to talk to the guy."
"Too weird. Maybe it's someone she knows." Syaoran narrowed his eyes as he thought about the car sitting out front.
"But where would she know him from? No one we know drives a car like that-"
"Yesterday! When she called me. That's when he showed up. That car has been sitting there ever since then. Maybe he was bothering her or something. He must have followed her here!" Syaoran dropped the items he had in his hands, as he grabbed hold of the counter. "I definitely want to speak to him now."
"Syaoran, shouldn't you ask Meiling first? She'd be mad if you just made assumptions like that."
"No way Sakura, this explains everything." Syaoran met his girlfriend's eyes, already set in his mind on talking to the man.
Meiling took a deep breath as she opened the front door, stepping outside. She looked across the road, at the car. She put on her bravest face, and walked across the front lawn, towards the road. As she walked towards the car, she saw the window roll down, and a hand emerge, dangling a lit cigarette. She walked up to the car, leaning down to look in, and get a glimpse of her stalker. Her breath caught in her throat, and words escaped her. It was the man from the club. The one who knew her name.
"What do you want?" She spoke in her harshest voice, hoping she didn't sound like she was trying to cover up her fear. The man said nothing, just inhaled on his cigarette. "Why are you following me? What do you want with me?" She narrowed her eyes, glaring at him.
"You know what I want." Meiling bit her lip, to keep it from quivering in fear. What was it about this man that frightened her?
"No, I don't. But I do know that I want you to leave, before I call the police and have you arrested for stalking me." She shot him a smug look, certain he would back away now.
"You wouldn't. Then they would know where it is you go at night." He blew a puff of smoke in her face, his voice displaying no emotion.
"Well then I'll just have to get rid of you myself. You don't seem so tough." Meiling prayed he wouldn't see through her bravado.
"I'll leave, but only because your friends are coming out. I'll be back." He rolled the window up, tossing his cigarette at her feet. As Syaoran and Sakura came up to her, he had pulled the car away. Meiling didn't look at her friends, simply stared at the car.
"What did he want?"
"Nothing. Just some weirdo. He's gone now though." Meiling turned to walk back to the house, trying to act tough in front of her friends. Inside she was very afraid. Afraid that this man would be back, and that he would tell her family what it was she was doing. Afraid that he would be back to take whatever it was he wanted from her. Never had she felt such fear before.