Chapter 2: Dreams and Dilemmas
Lee House/Family Temple…
Shu turned around the corner and soon faced the building in front of him, a Chinese-themed temple. He and his family owned a business that involved showing customers around the temple and informing them of their family history. From honoring their ancestors (both male and female), to talking about Sun Yee, their most revered ancestor and guardian of the red panda who loved them for their fiery coats and mischievous nature.
At least, that's the story the twins have heard over a million times growing up. Their mother, Ming, often told the story, with Mei frequently helping by dressing up in a cute cardboard red panda costume. And apparently, that's what they were doing right now. Seeing that his mom and sister were busy dealing with customers, Shu decided to quickly sneak through the temple and head straight for their house which was behind it. Not that his mom would've noticed him anyway.
Upon entering the house, Shu saw his dad, Jin, prepping some meat and chopping up some vegetables. Considering the time of day, he knew he made it home just in time for dinner. Shu quickly ran through the house and tossed his backpack into his room.
"Hey Dad," Shu greeted his father while walking into the kitchen.
"Hello, Shu," Jin replied, "How was your day?"
"Eh, you know, the usual. School was kinda boring for me," Shu said, drying his hands with a paper towel after washing them, "But we had our science test today and I think I did well on it," he added.
"That's good to hear," Jin said, his eyes crinkling with a warm smile. "I'm sure you did great. You always do."
"Well, only because of Stacy!" Shu chuckled, "You know her, hates to see me fail! Almost just as much as mom."
"That Stacy is a good friend," Jin remarked, nodding approvingly. "It's nice to have someone looking out for you."
"Yeah, she's great," Shu agreed, grabbing an apron and tying it around his waist. "So, what's on the menu tonight?"
"Tonight, we're making stir-fried pork belly with cabbage and some dumplings," Jin replied, his hands expertly working the knife. "You can start by washing the chilies and then cutting them into bite-sized pieces." Shu nodded and got to work, the familiar routine of cooking with his father providing a comforting rhythm.
The door opened, and Mei-Mei and Ming walked in, having just finished their tour of the temple for the day.
"Oh, Shu. When did you get home?" Ming asked, surprised to see her son.
"Just a few minutes ago," Shu replied casually.
"I'm sorry Shu, I didn't even notice you," Ming said as she took off her business coat.
"It's okay mom, I'm pretty good at sneaking around. I just came through the temple and headed around back," Shu said with a slight grin. He then held up the dumpling he had been working on. "How's this, Dad?"
"Hmm…" Jin examined it, "Perfect!" he smiled approvingly.
"Yes!" Shu fist-pumped, proud that he had mastered making dumplings!
The TV in the background suddenly caught everyone's attention.
ANNOUNCER: You've heard their hits; you've seen their moves. And now, you get to experience them live! The worldwide pop sensation 4-Town will be kicking off their North American tour! Tickets on sale now.
Mei-Mei gasped. "Oh, my gosh!"
"Who are these hip-hoppers? And why are they called '4-Town' if there are five of them?" Ming questioned about the band on TV.
Mei-Mei shrugged. "Uh… I don't know. Some of the kids at school like them."
"You mean Miriam? That girl is… odd," Ming remarked, her tone slightly disapproving.
Before continuing the conversation, Jin called out, "Dinner's ready."
As they all gathered around the table, the aroma of the delicious food filling the room, Shu felt a sense of contentment. Despite the pressures and expectations, moments like these with his family made everything worthwhile. But he also felt a little sympathy for his sister, he never understood why she hid her love for the boy band 4*TOWN. You could say it was just another thing Mei-Mei had to conceal about herself to fit their mother's expectations.
Shu himself had never concealed his musical tastes, even though some of it wasn't exactly to his mother's liking. He remembered their heated arguments over his choice of music, how Ming thought that the type of "pop" and "rock-n-roll" music he was listening to was a bad influence. Thankfully, his father had often stepped in, defending Shu's interests and helping to bridge the gap between them. Now, while Ming might still disapprove of some of his music, their relationship had reached a truce of sorts.
He did wish his sister wasn't so hard on herself, always trying to mold herself into the perfect daughter. But he knew there was no changing her mind. They may be twins, but they were complete opposites.
Shu continued to eat his dinner and tried not to think about the worries of his family.
After Dinner…
Shu headed to his room, intending to finish up his homework. While Mei's room was adorned with trophies, books, and other academic-related items, Shu's room showcased posters of Linkin Park, Pearl Jam, KISS, Dragon Ball Z, One Piece, Inuyasha, and a few hidden posters of cute cat-girl anime waifu's on the inside of his closet door. He also had a few collections of Bruce Lee movie posters! He had shelves filled with video games, anime DVDs/movies, Kung fu movies, CDs, anime figurines, and manga.
With a sigh, Shu sat down and opened his textbooks. He knew the night would be long, but he was determined to get through this and finish this difficult homework. Shu decided to put on his headphones and listen to music while finishing up his homework.
2 hours later…
Shu was finishing up the last of his math homework after what felt like forever. He was fairly confident he was going to get a good grade on this. He was finishing the last problem and … he was finally done! Well, that was it for homework for the night.
"Finally, I'm done!" Shu sighed in relief, taking off his headphones, and putting his homework in his backpack. "Now to reward myself with a little gaming!"
Shu turned on his TV and began playing one of his favorite games, Star Fox 64. As he was in the middle of his game, Shu was interrupted by some shouting he heard.
"Mei-Mei, what IS this?" Shu heard his mom ask through the walls. Since the walls were thin and their rooms were right next to each other, he could tell it was coming from his sister's room.
"It's nothing, it's just a boy—"
"A BOY?! Who is he? Did he do these things to you?!" He heard his mom ask in an extremely concerned tone, interrupting Mei who sounded nervous.
"No, it's just made up, Mom. I-It's not real!" he heard Mei trying to explain. There was then the sound of several papers ripping. Judging by that, it was most likely some drawings Mei did that their mom probably didn't approve of and was overreacting to them.
"That hat. Is that… the sketchy clerk from the Daisy Mart?!" he heard his mom say in an outraged tone as she stomped out of Mei's room.
"Mom, NO!" Mei cried before following.
Then there was the slamming of the front door.
"Well… sounds like Mei-Mei got herself in a dilemma. Eh, she'll probably be just fine," Shu shrugged. He then unpaused his game and continued playing.
Later…
Shu had enough gaming and was ready for bed. He changed into his PJ's which were a black shirt and shaggy long blue and white pajama pants. Then heading into the bathroom to brush his teeth. After he was done, he headed back to his room ready to go to bed.
Just then, his phone buzzed with a message from Stacy: "Remember, this weekend! No excuses!"
Shu chuckled and typed back, "Promise, no excuses. See you tomorrow!"
Just as he was getting into bed, that's when he heard thumping and mumbling coming from Mei's room. It was kind of like she was scolding herself.
"How could you draw those things? Those horrible, awful, sexy things?!" Shu heard Mei yell to herself.
"Huh. Mom must've really embarrassed her at the store," Shu muttered to himself as he got into bed, pulling the covers up to his chin. Despite the late hour, he couldn't shake the concern he felt for his sister. He knew Mei struggled with their mom's strict expectations and worried that tonight's incident might have been particularly hard on her.
Unable to sleep, Shu decided to check up on Mei-Mei.
He quietly slipped out of bed and tiptoed to her room. The door was slightly ajar, and he gently pushed it open, peering inside. Mei was sitting on her bed, her knees drawn to her chest, clutching her plush dog Wilfred in her hands.
"Mei-Mei?" Shu called softly, stepping into the room.
Mei looked up, startled. "Shu? What are you doing here?"
"I heard what happened," Shu said, closing the door behind him. "You okay?"
Mei sighed, her shoulders slumping. "Not really. Mom found some drawings I did... and she freaked out!"
Shu walked over and sat beside her on the bed. "Mom can be a bit intense sometimes. But it's okay, you were just… expressing your feelings" Shu said trying his best to comfort his sister.
Mei sighed again, hugging Wilfred tighter. "It's not just that, Shu. You don't understand what I was drawing..."
Shu tilted his head, curious. "What were you drawing, Mei-Mei? It couldn't have been that bad."
Mei hesitated, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. "They were... fantasy-like drawings. Of me and Devon."
Shu's eyes widened, and he felt a mix of amusement and second-hand embarrassment. "Oh, yeah, that is... pretty bad," he said, cringing slightly. "But hey, it's not like you actually did anything wrong. They were just drawings."
Mei buried her face in her hands. "I know, but Mom doesn't get that. She thinks I'm being inappropriate, corrupted, or something. I just... I-I was just drawing and I let my imagination run wild and I… I c-couldn't stop."
Shu put a comforting arm around her shoulders. "I get it, Mei. Mom can be a little old-fashioned, but that doesn't mean what you're doing is wrong. You just have to find a way to help her understand."
Mei looked up at her brother, a small smile playing on her lips. "Thanks, Shu. You're always good at making me feel better."
Shu grinned. "That's what big brothers are for, right?"
"Shu, you're only older than me by 3 minutes!" Mei-Mei annoyingly pointed out.
"Still, that makes me older! Besides, I've had my fair share of arguments with Mom over my interests too. We'll get through this together."
Mei nodded, feeling a bit more at ease. "Yeah, we will. Thanks, Shu."
Shu gave her a reassuring squeeze. "Now, why don't you try to get some sleep? Things always look better in the morning."
Mei sighed but nodded, letting herself relax a bit. "Okay, I'll try. Good night, Shu."
"Good night, Mei-Mei." Shu stood up and headed to the door, giving her one last smile before Mei-Mei turned off the light.
As he closed the door behind him and headed back to his room, Shu felt some sense of peace knowing he had helped his sister a little. "Hopefully she'll be okay tomorrow?"
As Shu laid in bed, finally drifting off to sleep after a long day. He thought about how things were finally starting to go his way with his studies and personal life. However, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was about to change. Like, something big was coming and he didn't know what?
"Maybe I'm just overthinking things," Shu murmured to himself, trying to brush off the unease. He closed his eyes, focusing on the steady rhythm of his breath. As he drifted deeper into sleep, the worries and wonders of the day faded into the quiet of the night.
His dreams took him to a familiar landscape—the temple where his family often gathered. But something was off. The usually vibrant place was shrouded in an eerie, blue light cast by a huge, ominous moon hanging low in the sky. The moon's glow was cold, almost menacing, and it sent chills down Shu's spine.
As he wandered through the temple grounds, Shu noticed the statues and altars dedicated to their ancestors seemed to flicker and shift, their eyes following him with a lifeless, stony gaze. The wind picked up, whispering unintelligible secrets that made the hairs on his neck stand on end. The air grew thick with tension, making it hard for him to breathe.
Suddenly, a low growl echoed through the temple. Shu turned sharply to see a pair of glowing blue eyes piercing through the shadows. Its form was obscured by the darkness, but its presence was unmistakably threatening. Shu couldn't make out what it was, but the menacing beast was getting closer. Fear gripped Shu's heart as he stumbled backward, his pulse quickening with each step he took.
Desperate to escape, Shu bolted through the temple grounds, his footsteps echoing loudly against the stone paths. The eerie blue light from the moon above cast long, sinister shadows that seemed to stretch and reach out for him. The growls behind him grew louder, and closer, driving him faster into the depths of the temple.
As he ran, the scenery around him began to morph and twist. The vibrant colors of the temple faded into a monochrome palette of whites and grays, as if drained of life. Snow began to fall softly from the sky, settling on the ground and frosting over the ancient stone structures.
Shu's breath came out in visible puffs of steam as he sprinted through the frost-covered forest that had replaced the once-familiar temple grounds. The trees loomed overhead like ghostly sentinels, their bare branches creaking in the icy wind. He could hear the creature's heavy footfalls behind him, its growls now mixed with the sound of snapping twigs.
Then Shu was faced with a dead end and that's when the beast revealed itself. It was a massive white tiger; its fur was luminescent under the blue moonlight and was almost spirit-like. The tiger's eyes were fixed on Shu, filled with a strange, hostile intelligence that sent waves of fear crashing over him. In a quick flash, the beast lunged forward at him and roared.
"Ahh!" Shu gasped, bolting upright in bed, his heart racing as if he had just narrowly escaped the jaws of the white tiger. Sweat beaded on his forehead, his chest heaving with panicked breaths. The image of the tiger's glowing eyes and menacing roar echoed in his mind, refusing to fade even in wakefulness.
"It was just a dream," he muttered, his voice shaky with lingering fear. Shu wondered what that dream could've meant. Was it a warning? A manifestation of his fears?
"Kids, breakfast is ready!" Shu heard his mom call from the kitchen.
"Coming Mother," Shu called out. As Shu was getting out of bed, he recognized the smell coming from the kitchen.
"Mmmm… Congee, porridge," Shu muttered, "If mom's the one making it, it'll probably still taste good."
He stretched, yawned, and shuffled towards the bathroom he shared with Mei-Mei. Reaching the door, he turned the handle, only to find it locked.
"Mei-Mei, hurry up! Some of us need to get ready too, you know!" Shu called out, but there was no response. He knocked again, more insistently, and still received no answer. With a tired and annoyed sigh, he decided to use his parents' bathroom instead.
Walking down the hallway, he rubbed his eyes, still not fully awake. As he stepped into his parents' bathroom, he flipped on the light and glanced at the mirror. He froze, blinking rapidly.
"What the...?" Shu whispered, his voice trembling.
Staring back at him from the mirror was not his usual reflection, but the face of a giant bipedal white tiger. He leaned closer, his breath fogging the glass. The tiger's intense blue eyes, sharp teeth, and powerful muscles were unmistakable. He raised a hand to his face, and the tiger in the mirror did the same. His heart pounded as he flexed his fingers, now tipped with retractable claws.
Shu realized that the creature in the mirror was him!
Hope you guys Like this new chapter! Took a while to figure out the nightmare scene and I have more stories coming this month so look out! remember to leave a comment and tell me what you think.