Gold Heights Condominium.
It was already past 3 AM when Iris, Dom and their driver arrived home. Even so, Yi Mei still welcomed them, her face filled with worry. She immediately fussed around Iris, making sure that her Young Miss was safe and uninjured.
Dom ran straight to the kitchen to heat up an extremely late dinner. He was so hungry that he could die! The driver joined him.
Yi Mei encouraged her Young Miss to eat, but Iris declined. She had no appetite.
Iris didn't feel well. She was still feeling alright while they were at the police station, but when they were in the van on the way home, her body started aching. She also felt a nagging headache. Perhaps she overexerted herself when she fought against the Alarm Girls, in addition to the accumulated exhaustion from the daily rehearsals and her performance at the launch party.
She checked on Ice Cream and Popcorn who were sleeping soundly in the cat room. She gave them quick, gentle rubs before heading to her own bedroom. She took a quick shower. Originally, she wanted to soak in a long, hot bath but decided against it because she was too sleepy.
As soon as she laid on the bed, she was fast asleep.
Silence.
Darkness.
Her body felt like it was floating in a black ocean, the viscous water pressing heavily against her, drowning her. She tried to swim, tried to escape, but she couldn't move.
Her little hands were pounding the piano, fumbling on the keys she couldn't reach with her short fingers. Rimsky-Korsakov's "Flight of the Bumblebee" played over and over, not stopping even when her little hands started to cramp. She did her best to match the intended rapidity and chaos of the piece as best as she could.
"That's enough for today," her strict music teacher announced.
She immediately stood up and faced her teacher, her tiny back ramrod straight. Her little hands were tired and shaking, but she didn't dare complain.
"Your techniques have improved, Miss Evelina. Teacher is very pleased. However, you're still hesitating. With the way you played it today, it sounded like the wings of the bumblebee are damaged and couldn't fly properly. Learn how to fully embrace the music. Feel the music, be confident…"
She tried listening to the rest of her teacher's lecture, but the sounds became distorted and her surroundings became hazy. Then everything warped and she was sitting by the garden for afternoon tea with her parents.
"My dear Evelinochka [1], I heard from your tutors that you aced your Dutch and German language tests. Congratulations, my little princess!"
"Thank you, father," she replied, smiling shyly.
Her mother set her teacup on the table and her frigid eyes looked at her. Her small body trembled under her mother's intense gaze.
"I heard that you're not doing well on your shooting and close combat training." Her mother's voice was cold and devoid of any emotion. "Tell me the reason why."
"You are a member of the Vetrov family. We, the Vetrovs, must learn all these things whether we like it or not. Do not shirk your duties for such a silly reason ever again. Do you understand?"
She blinked her green eyes, fighting against the tears. She didn't cry or else she would be punished. "I understand, Mother."
"Now, now. Do not be too hard on my Evelinochka. My little princess is a good girl." Her father patted her golden hair.
Her surroundings started warping once again, and she was now crying and screaming at a documentary on TV while burrowing her little self in the safety of her big brother's arms.
"Don't cry, Evelinka [2]," her big brother rubbed her back. "It's just a bison. It's not scary at all."
"B-but…the horns are so big and sharp…"
He chuckled. "Don't worry, my little sister. Your big brother will make sure that no animals with horns will come near you. If they do, I'll kill them and cut off their horns. I'll exterminate all animals with horns for you. So don't cry now, okay?" He wiped her tears.
"O-okay…"
"Good girl."
"Good girl."
Then it was her mother's beautiful, ice-cold face.
"Be a good girl and improve your shooting and close combat skills."
The faces of these three warped and interchanged with each other, again and again, faster and faster.
"Good girl."
"What a good girl."
"Be a good girl."
The voices multiplied. They were murmurs at first but gradually became shrieks, screaming "Good girl! Good girl!" at her.
Sounds of helicopters added to this hellish cacophony. Doors banging, glasses shattering. Howling, roaring.
Gunshots.
"No, no, no. No!!!" She closed her eyes and covered her ears. "Stop it! Please stop!!!"
Then a familiar pair of big, warm arms embraced her from behind. The sounds finally stopped. Relieved, she leaned back into the embrace and then turned around to see a handsome face smiling at her.
"Liwei…" She threw herself at him, crying.
He kissed her forehead. "I'm here. Don't be afraid. We're together now."
She hugged his waist tightly, afraid that he would leave her alone back to that hell.
"Stay with me, baby," he said.
"Yes."
He ran his fingers down her long hair. "Good girl."
"You're mine, Long Xiulan. Only mine."
Her mind suddenly became befuddled. Her eyebrows scrunched together.
"Long Xiulan…who's Xiulan?"
He smiled and leaned down to kiss her on the lips. "You are Xiulan. My Xiulan."
She was very confused. Her mind couldn't understand what the man in front of her was saying. "No…I'm not. My name is…Evelina."
Then his figure disappeared within a fog.
She couldn't see anything besides the whiteness. She walked and walked, yet the fog stayed and surrounded her.
Who was she?
She had forgotten.
Was she real? Did she exist?
She couldn't remember.
"Come back," a faint voice called for her from a distance.
She stopped, but her mind was still muddled. So she continued walking.
"No…don't go," the faint voice echoed.
She stopped again and turned around.
"Remember…remember that you are me now…you are…Long Xiulan…" The faint voice was getting weaker.
"Remember?" Her head started aching and her lower abdomen felt heavy, as if her insides were being squeezed. It hurt.
"Don't…erase my…existence…you are Long Xiulan…"
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Footnotes:
[1] Nickname for Evelina.
[2] Another nickname for Evelina