Seek
“For our sake, for the Shun…”
“Try to escape, and you will never be safe for your life…”
The little boy fell to the metal floor, but a man with grey hair and thick moustache took his arm and made him stand again. The boy suddenly felt so weak, and yet, fell down again. The middle-aged man’s face turned red with anger, then his hand landed on the boys face.
“Useless!”
The man took his arms again, trying to make him stand, but the boy fell everytime the man lifted his body. The man threw him down to the ground, but the boy didn’t make a sound as he felt so weak.
“You…”
•••
“William…?”
William snapped out from his sleep and sat up straight behind the dining table. He panted as he felt his head spun, then he slowly touched his head.
“William…?”
He turned to the voice and saw a girl with black ponytail hair and blue jumpers knelt down next to him. Her eyes was gloomy and scared.
“Are you okay…?”
“I am…” he said as he touched his chest. “It was just another nightmare…”
Camelia didn’t say anything as he stood up and walked to the benchtop. He opened the cupboard above him and took a black mug.
“By the way, what’s the time…?” he asked as he put the mug on the table. Camelia stood up and sat down on the chair.
“Seven-thirty.”
“When did you wake up?”
“Seven-fifteen.”
William opened the fridge and took out a big plastic pitcher filled with cold water. He poured some of the water into the mug, then he closed the fridge with his foot.
“Have you drunk anything?”
Camelia didn’t answer. William turned back to her, then he sighed as he opened the cupboard again. This time, he took out a white glass with the word ‘Gregory©Clarissa’ printed on it.
“You’re going?”
“Of course, I have to work,” William said as he opened the fridge again and took out a big plastic bottle. He poured some of the liquid in it – a white liquid – into the white glass.
“Goat milk is good for you.”
He took the white mug and put it on the table, in front of his sister. She looked at the mug for a while, then she took it.
“Who are these people?”
“My comrade in the police department, he got married last year and that was what I got,” he answered, then he drank the water from the black mug. He took the pitcher again, then he poured more water into the glass.
“I heard his wife is pregnant,” he said. “How lucky.”
He drank the water again, then he put the mug on the sink. He opened the fridge again, and this time, he took out some bread and a honey jar.
“I don’t want to hear anything,” he said as he walked to the table. “This is your breakfast.”
He put the food on the table, then he sighed and turned back.
“I’m going to get ready,” he said. “Eat as much as you want, but leave me a slice or two.”
William entered his room as she looked at the bread on the table. She suddenly remembered the kind of breakfast she always ate – surely not just bread.
William rushed out from his room as he buttoned up his black uniform. Camelia looked at him for a while as he took the mug from the sink and filled it with water again.
“Leaving already?”
“I don’t think I have time to eat,” he said. “I forgot we have to come early. We have an early briefing today…”
He drunk the water in the mug in one time, then he turned back and ran to the door.
“Eat all of it,” he said. “I’ll catch up with you later.”
He stopped before the door, then he knelt down and tied something on his foot. He then stood up again and rushed out of the apartment.
•••
Camelia looked at the door that just slammed shut, then she turned back to the bread in front of her. She looked at the door for a while again, then she turned back to the bread, puzzled about what to do.
•••
Rebecca took the white mug and sipped the coffe in it. She quickly leaned forward as she covered her mouth.
“What is it?” the man with muscular body asked. “Sick?”
“I…” she said. “Forgot to add cream…”
He looked at her for a while, surprised, but then he laughed out loud as she looked at him angrily. She put down the mug on the table and looked away.
“What? It’s not that funny…”
“Sorry,” he said. “It’s not like you, making such a stupid mistake…”
She didn’t say anything as she took the small pitcher next to the mug and poured some of the white liquid into her mug.
“I wonder where that brainy guy is at this time…”
“Sorry I’m late,” William said as he entered the room. “I’ve got some errands to run.”
She sighed as she put down the pitcher and turned to him. He looked at the man, then he smiled.
“Is something up?”
“She forgot to add cream into her coffee, that’s all…”
“Will you shut up…” she said. “Come on, we’ve got a more serious thing to do…”
“That’s right,” the man said. “William, ever heard of someone called Lau?”
William turned to him, surprised.
“Lau…?”
“Lau… and you, too…”
William suddenly remembered the things Bernard told him. He pressed the button on the coffee machine without turning away from them, then he took a white mug.
“He will be after you…”
“You know Bernard Pitcher, the one that murdered a few girls in London, right?” he asked. “He mentioned that name before his death…”
“Great, then we have no leads about that,” Rebecca said as she sipped her coffee. “After all, you can’t trust him that easily.”
William took the mug and sipped a bit of his coffee, then he sighed and sat down on the table.
“But why him?” he asked. “What if he’s not dangerous?”
Rebecca looked at William sharply as she put down her mug to the table. She then turned to her friend, the muscular guy, and sighed.
“It’s dangerous to think like that,” she said. “What if one is not dangerous?”
The man looked at her for a while, then he sighed.
“Sorry, that’s just to suspicious of her…”
“You’re focusing way too much on that old man, Will,” she said. “Be careful about what this Lau might be…”
William didn’t say anything as he put down his mug.
“You don’t know anything about him, nor we know anything,” he said. “Is it right to accuse people so directly?”
•••
Camelia closed the door and turned away. She was wearing a red hoodie and white jeans. She turned back and looked at the door for a while, then she turned and started to walk. She turned left and pressed on the button that had an arrow pointing down.
DING
The door opened in front of her, then she entered the small room made of metal. Another woman wearing a pink dress was standing inside. She looked at the row of buttons in front of her, and the button ‘G’ was shining. She didn’t say anything as the door closed again, then she could feel the room went down.
DING
The room stopped, then the door opened again. The woman walked past her, then she walked out as she looked around. It was the same room as last night – there were two women sitting behind an oak table, one was talking to a Filipino man with blue shirt and the other was writing something. The room was painted in yellow and it has many windows. She ignored her surroundings and walked to a double glass door. A man with white suit was standing there - he smiled to her as he opened the door. She walked past him and stepped out to the street.
There weren’t many people on the streets. The trees on the side made the air cool and the place shady. There were a few benches under the trees, some occupied by people reading a book or people playing with their pets. There was also a small shop a few meters from the apartment, it was painted in white and it has a white box at the front. She looked at the place, then she walked to it. It looked far, but she reached the place in just a few minutes. An old man with a loose white shirt and beige shorts came out from inside with a big smile drew across his face.
“Hello, miss,” he greeted. “Is there anything I can get for you?”
She looked around the shop, then she noticed a big paper stuck on the window.
THE 10-DOLLAR SHOP
She touched her flap pocket on her belt and peeked in. There were two 10-dollar bill inside and some coins.
“Are you looking for something?”
She turned to the man, who was smiling, then she nodded.
“Do you have any books…?”
The man nodded, then he walked back into the store. She followed him as she looked around. The things in the store were arranged neatly, but it was hot inside as there was only an old fan operating.
“But the ones I have in here aren’t very good-looking…”
She turned back to the man, who was standing in front of a shelf filled with books. They looked old and a bit torn.
“It’s fine,” she said as she walked to the shelf and looked at it. There were some novels by famous authors – Grisham and Steel, and some mandarin books. She took a book with white cover which looked a bit torn, then she looked at it for a while. The old man smiled as he recognized the book.
“Ah, that one…” he said. “It was by Haruki Murakami…”
“I’ll take this one,” she said blandly. She opened her flap pocket and took gave him a 10-dollar bill. She then stepped out of the store as she held the book.
“Thank you for coming…”
She didn’t say anything as she walked down the street again. She then looked at the book she just bought – there were some letters printed on it.
‘After the Dark’
She didn’t say anything as she kept looking at it. She walked past and alleyway, where a black cat stormed out from it. She turned back and looked at the cat, who climbed up to the tree across the road.
“Hey there.”
Camelia didn’t say anything as she could feel a shadow got closer to her. She stopped at her place and stood still like a statue.
“Looks like you’ve got an interesting book there…”
She lowered her hand as a figure stepped out of the shadows. She turned back and looked at him for a while.
“I didn’t expect to see you so soon.”
“Neither do I, the man said as he stopped at the end of the alley. “How are you doing?”
“Bernie is dead,” she said. “Looks like at the end, he did say something about us.”
“Good,” the man said. “That’s what Lau wants, exactly…”
She turned back to him, who was smiling synically.
“What are you after?”
“Oh, it’s nothing,” he said. “After all, I’m only following Lau’s orders…”
“You don’t know her well enough,” she said. “She’s the kind who will do anything to get what she wants…”
She opened the book and started reading.
“With or without you.”
“I don’t care,” he said as he took a cigarette and lit it. “I’m just trying to live…”
He put the cigarette in his mouth and leaned against the wall.
“By the way, you just said ‘she’…?”
“Lau is a she,” she said. “No much people knows about that…”
“I don’t trust you, although you know her better than everyone else in the gang,” he said. “So, tell me what he wants to know.”
“I don’t think I have to tell,” she said. “Don’t you know the answer?”
He didn’t say anything as he looked forward to where she just came. There was a building, painted in white, a few meters from him.
“Isn’t that just a cheap flat?”
She didn’t say anything as she flipped the page. The man turned to her, knowing she wasn’t interested, then he smirked.
“It’s quite surprising you can live in that.”
She didn’t say anything as she could hear footsteps became smaller. She looked into the alley until the footsteps disappeared. She closed her book, then she walked again.
She kept walking and walking, passing through the shops, alleyways, small houses…
“Baba, what’s that?”
She suddenly stopped at her place. She looked around her, but everything wasn’t as seen as before – as if someone just transported her from the street to another. But this one was familiar to her.
Old women sitting outside the houses, washing clothes, while carrying their children on their backs. Some children were running on the street or playing marble. Some other children were sitting in the alleys or in front of the houses. They all looked thin and frail, while the old men were sitting in front of the houses playing chess, or better known as xiaqi in Mandarin.
“Baba…”(baba means father in mandarin)
“Don’t ask too much, Xiao Li,” the old man walking next to a little girl with pink Chinese dress said. “You don’t have to know.”
She looked at the old man for a while, then she looked down again. She kept walking down the path as she held the old man’s hand. She looked around again, then she realized something different that day.
“Baba,” she called again. “Gege is not…”(gege means older brother)
“You’re not going to meet him anymore,” he cut. “Don’t mention about him or remember him.”
The girl felt like her heart has stopped. She stopped at her place, then the old man stopped at his place and turned to her.
“What is it, Xiao Li?”
“But baba,” she said as she felt something inside her broke down. “Gege always play with me…”
“You will find someone else to play with here,” he said. “Look, aren’t there a lot of children you can make friends with?”
“But baba,” she said. “Not only that, gege always make me flower rings or catch a butterfly for me…”
“Stop talking about him,” he said. “You’re not going to meet him again, understand?”
“But baba,” she said. “Not only that, gege always make me flower rings or catch a butterfly for me…”
“Stop talking about him,” he said. “You’re not going to meet him again, understand?”
He took his hand off the girl’s, then he turned back and walked away. She looked at the figure of the old man that kept getting smaller and smaller as she could feel tears well up in her eyes.
“Xiao jie…?” (xiao jie means miss)
She turned back in a gasp and saw an old woman with a maroon dress stood behind her. She was holding the hand of a boy aged around 5 in her hands.
“Ni mei shi ba…?(you’re alright, aren’t you?)”
“Wo… wo mei shi,(I.. I’m fine)” she said. “Xie xie…”
She bowed down, then she walked past the woman and her grandson, and started running.
•••
“Lau.”
“What is it?” a deep voice answered. The girl wearing a pink short dress stood up and stepped back two steps.
“Found him.”
She could see smoke in the darkness in front of her, continued by an evil laugh.
“Good,” the voice said. “Did you do it or he did it?”
“It’s him,” she said. “Christopher…”
“Yes, yes, good job,” the voice said. “As I expected of you folks…”
“What’s next, Lau?’ she asked. “Should I contact…”
“No, let them.”
“What’s next, Lau?’ she asked. “Should I contact…”
“No, let them.”
She felt like something in her stopped, then she stepped one step forward.
“But, didn’t you say we need to lock the target and slowly corner it…”
“Let it,” the voice said. “This has become very interesting.”
“Let it,” the voice said. “This has become very interesting.”
She stopped at her place as she could feel something moved in front of her.
“But, if she has decided the other way round…”
A long pipe pointed out to her from the darkness, still puffing smoke. She couldn’t see the hand that held the pipe, as the room was dim enough so that she couldn’t see her surroundings.
“Then,” the voice said. “She must’ve known what will happen.”
•••
0715 hours
“I’m home…”
William took off his shoes and ran towards the fridge. Camelia was sitting behind the dining table, reading her new book.
“I bet you haven’t eaten anything,” he said as he opened the fridge. “Am I right…”
Suddenly he could feel a hand pulled his uniform. He turned back and saw his sister pulled the bottom of his uniform as she looked down.
“What is it?”
She didn’t answer. He looked at her for a while, then he sighed and took her hand off.
“Come on, act like adults,” he said. “You can’t stick to me all the time, you know…”
He could then feel the same hand grabbed his uniform. She looked up to him, her eyes blank as void. He suddenly felt something in her was wrong. Camelia could feel her hand trembled as she opened her mouth.
He could then feel the same hand grabbed his uniform. She looked up to him, her eyes blank as void. He suddenly felt something in her was wrong. Camelia could feel her hand trembled as she opened her mouth.
“We have to…” She paused. “Get out of here…”
William raised an eyebrow as he took out two eggs from the fridge.
“What do you mean…?”
“Father…” she said. “No, both father and Lau have found us out…”
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