Evanescent Dreams

9. Found you

Ta-ta-ta-

Lin Xingren crossed the waves of rain and arrived at her "secret base."

Although Lin Xingren once called it the "secret base", the place was only a forgotten corner of the wired fence that surrounded the schoolyard. There was nothing but a few bushes along the corner, so only a few had ever paid attention to it, not say realize that the broken fence behind the bushes could allow people to come in and out. 

It was the first time Lin Xingren had come here since middle school...since her previous friends had joined the entangled fog...

After overusing her useless muscles, getting damp dirt all over her, and stepping on the pile of dog dung she was destined to step on, Lin Xingren finally crawled through the bushes and out of the campus. 

Not looking back, Lin Xingren started into a sprint again. Her heavy feet splashed into muddy puddles. The rain dripped into her mouth, making it hard to breathe. 

Although she had indeed been in the cross country team in the old days, she haven't moved her muscles in the past two years. Her PE teacher was a very chill guy, so she and Chen Siyun always stood on the side or benched themselves. 

Fifteen minutes left before end of lunch break.

Lin Xingren could not stop herself at this time. She was impatient and tired, but the determination within her eyes did not weaken. Her whole body should be covered by sweat, but the shower above of her continuously cleansed her. 

She finally saw the dusty storefront of a small shop through her half-blurred vision. It was the school's nearest pharmacy.

She stepped into the pharmacy, and the floor underneath her was instantly drenched with mud and water. Her hair drooped down stiffly onto her scalp.

"Aren't you a student? What finds you here?"

Lin Xingren could feel skin turning into goosebumps. She sniffed and smelled a strong flowery fragrance. 

"Is there any medicine for treating cold?" her voice was shaky and she hugged her shoulders.

"Yes. You sure seem like you need one."

Lin Xingren took a step forward but the pharmacist gestured her to stop.

"Stay there please. Look at our floor."

The pharmacist was a plump middle aged woman that wore a colorful floral skirt beneath her white uniform coat. She slowly walked out from behind the counter and picked out a bottle of pills out of a whole shelf of identical green-colored medicine bottles. 

"Twenty yuan. This is good for the common cold," the pharmacist yawned lazily while passing the bottle to Lin Xingren. 

While rummaging through her pockets, Lin Xingren saw that the window display was filled with finger-sized, translucent scented sachets. The sachets were of different colors that resembled the type of herb inside it. 

"The purple one," Lin Xingren pointed towards the display,"is lavender, right?"

"Yep. That one's ten yuan."

She gave the money and brought the sachet towards her to smell the soothing scent momentarily, and stuffed in in her pocket before she left the store.

Carrying the plastic bag from the pharmacy on one hand, Lin Xingren raced on again back towards the school. 

It is not a lie that running again after stopping is harder than running continuously. The navy uniform jacket weighted heavier on her back every step, and the relentless legs that moved her forwards turned numb.