{Shadows In The Snow} |Monkie Kid AU| •Book 1•

•Chapter 3• {|Spring Cleaning|}

The next morning, it was quiet, peaceful and the only sounds that could be heard, was the chirping of the birds and wind outside. Li Mei was sleeping like a baby, out cold as she dreamt to dreamland unable to open her eyes. Kenji soon woke up, getting dressed and grabbing his stick, using it as a cane to walk with and left his room. He walked to the kitchen and made tea, adding sugar and the water, using one of Sammy's teabags. The old monkey knew Sammy, for they were close when young and was well known for meditation and calming the minds of stressful and uneasy people, calming them. He hummed a little tune as he made the tea, for it was quiet and peaceful he decided to be calm and quiet so that Li Mei won't wake up so easily. He thought of letting her rest for a few more minutes, today was spring cleaning, but after the fight he had with Macaque he decided to give himself and Li Mei a break.

After about 10 minutes pass, Kenji decided to finally wake up his granddaughter, getting up from the table and from his meditation and began to walk to her room with his stick and gently opened up her bedroom door. He saw her, sleeping and snoring, drool all over the pillow and the bed messy and her hair unkept, Kenji chuckled and shook his head, going to the girl and poking her cheek with his stick. "Li Mei..dear..it's time to wake up, Li Mei?" He gave a little scoff and poke her again. "Li Mei dear..wake up, it's time for spring cleaning.." he spoke again. The young monkey moved a bit, adjusting herself up and stretching, while still looking tired and lazy, "Grandpaaaaa...plz 5 more minutes..???" She spoke, sounding lazy and gloomy, mostly because of her still being tired. Kenji shook his head again and tapped her head with his stick, "Sorry my dear, but you know what today is.." the girl opened her eyes widely and sighed as she made herself fall back onto her bed groaning and grunting.

"Noooooo..I don't feel like spring cleaning..." she complained, Kenji grabbed her hand and pulled her off the bed, straightening her up and scooting her to freshen up for the day. "Yes, Yes my dear, spring cleaning..but before we do any of that, you look unkept and messy, maybe go freshen yourself up first, it IS a new day ever all.." Kenji said, leaving her room for her to freshen up. Li Mei did the usual, she took a shower freshening up herself and scrubbing her fur and tail, after taking the shower she dried off her fur and got dressed, wearing a neat long bright blue sleeved shirt, blackish blue pants and black slippers, she put on her normal apron and went to Kenji to let him know that she's ready to clean. While she was getting ready, Kenji was resting his eyes and was in his thoughts, mostly thinking of that happening last night, hoping that he COULD forget. "Grandpa!!!" his granddaughter shouted, snapping Kenji out his thoughts by surprise and rushed into the room. "Yes my dear..???" The old monkey asked calmly, Li Mei was holding a broom and her tail holding a dustpan, "I'm ready to clean! Where do I start???" She asked, waiting for her grandfather to answer. Kenji got up wielded his stick and straightened himself. "Maybe..maybe we should go start with the kitchen.." he spoke, looking in the direction of the way to the kitchen.

"But grandfather! it's all clean! I washed the dishes from the noodles we ate for dinner!" Li Mei shouted, Kenji chuckled and shook his head once again, "Come my dear, I have something to show you.." Kenji said, walking with his stick to the kitchen, Li Mei sighed yet followed. They soon made it to the kitchen, Kenji smiling and going to the sink. "ARE you sure my dear?" He spoke, showing her the various dishes in the kitchen sink, even some that still had noodles on them. "O-Oh...." Li said, blinking in disbelief yet surprise, she sighed and looked at Kenji, "I guess I MIGHT'VE forgot to wash.." she said honestly. Kenji nodded and patted her on the shoulder, smiling a bit. "Well my dear, you know how to do the dishes don't you? Well maybe this will be easy! I'm going to clean your room, now THAT sounds like a challenge..hehehehe.." the old monkey chuckled, joking about how usually junky Li Mei's room is. Li Mei have off a smiling yet unamused look, chuckling a bit from Kenji's comment about her room. She signed and put the broom down and began to clean the dishes one by one while Kenji was tidying up his and her room.

[10 minutes later]
"Finally!" The girl shouted, putting up the last plate in the sink. She wiped the sweat from her forehead and dried her hands with a drying clothe, relieved to finally finishing out of the chores in the house. Then she got a feeling. She started to feel uneasy in the room alone, she wasn't fond with being alone, it unsettled her, but this feeling was different, she felt like she was being watched, if it was Kenji, he would've gave her a sigh that he was in the room by talking to her about something or tried to help her if she ever felt like this. "K-Kenji..???" She said, with a shaky tone in her voice. There was nothing but silence, then she felt something right near the window in front of her near the sink, then she saw a glimpse of the silhouette of a monkey like figure leaving the window, as if it was there the whole time and as if it was seen and needed to leave. She flinched when she hears a chuckle after seeing the silhouette and froze, feeling a few of the hairs on her fur stand on end.

Then she felt a hand touch her shoulder, she flinched from the touch and quickly turned around, only to see Kenji standing in front of her. "You ok my dear???" Kenji asked with worry, seeing the girl in a state of shock and fear, she sighed in relief and just made a shaky yet reassuring chuckle, trying not to worry the old monkey in front of her. "I-I'm fine grandpa..!" She said, leaving a little stutter as she spoke, Kenji looked worried for his granddaughter and he spoke again, "Li Mei..I can tell that your not the cheerful and energetic granddaughter I know..you look like you've seen a ghost..like you've seen something that unsettled you to the core..plz, what's the matter..?" He asked. The girl felt guilty for lying about being ok, when Kenji knows for certain that something wasn't right yet she lied anyways.

"I'm sorry...I lied grandpa...I saw something..!" She said in a scared and louder tone. Kenji held his stick and gritted his teeth, showing that if he had to defend his granddaughter from an intruder, he would. "Where..?" The old monkey asked in a cold tone. Li Mei could see that he was on end as well, seeing his face turn from worry to defense within seconds, shows that he was one to defend anything or anyone he cares about. "N-Near the window..." Li Mei spoke, stuttering in her voice. Kenji moved past her to the window and opened the curtains, and opening the window. He saw nothing but trees around the house, where the woods were, the sun shining through the tree that was hovering above them, and the gardens where they're crops were being grown and the flowers were planted. He checked again, looks around for anything he could catch in his sights, only..to not avail. He sighed and closed the window and the curtains remembering last night and what had happened, getting a flashback from the fiasco.

"She'll know of me soon....REAL SOON!!!" The voice of Macaque echoed through his mind, putting fear into his heart, fear of him being around his home and his daughter. But he kept the business to himself, not wanting to scare and worry Li Mei, with that he tried to settle down and looked at his granddaughter with a reassuring smile, "listen dear, maybe it was deer, or a traveler..it's ok..let's go have some green tea, maybe that will take your mind off this.." he spoke, trying to calm Li Mei, she smiled a bit, thinking that he might've been right and she must've been imagining what happened.

[Later]
The two was having tea, the evening was coming near, the sun almost setting and the wind becoming a bit stronger, although it was calming for Li Mei, she was feeling a bit better, being around someone she can trust and go to. Kenji was happy that she was smiling again. Her smiles was an adorable thing he liked to see from his grandchild. His mind was still stuck on what happened earlier, but it soon went away a bit from the calming attitude and energetic talks and conversations of Li Mei. He was still afraid of what could've been near the window...maybe it was Li Mei's imagination...but let's hope it WAS her imagination..because who knows what could've been out there..

I'm the woods, looking at the home from afar, a certain monkey, his bright red scarf flowing in the wind and his eyes peeking from a tree, his tail swaying from side to side. "Alright old man...I guess I'm going have to return..when your OFF your guard....hehehehehehehe..."

[End of Chapter]