A Crack Away from Destiny

Shijie

Shijie clasped his knees in despair as Alexa and Josh were talking away, discussing something about the entire situation from the bits and pieces he heard. Had they known what he saw, they would perhaps have been trying to comfort or something of the sort. Though, of course, Shijie would've never allowed them to before he would shoo them off. He combed his fingers through his hair, feeling more dandruff dust from his head - not that he cared. He cared more about going home than anything else at the moment. Huiyi's and his other friend's malicious faces continuously flashed before his eyes, laughing at his cowardice. The memory made him shiver even though the wall itself was chilling to lean against. But the memory was more chilling than the darn walls could ever be. Alexa glanced his way at one point of his discussion, looking sympathetic as if looking through his facade, and he had this bizarre urge to tell her everything - realizing Huiyi wasn't really his friend; journeying on an ludicrous adventure with Louise; getting caught. Despite his wishes, Shijie restrained himself, knowing that Alexa would perhaps think him mad, and he'd be inclined to believe that. Still, the vision he had witnessed was frightening - no, that wasn't the word for it. It was nightmarish. It was like gazing down into a dark abyss, only to realize that you are looking down at the truth. Though he saw the evident signs from his fellow tenants of the cell, for they too seemed to be shaken up quite a bit, yet, of course, he felt no compulsion to inquire what they had saw. It was for their eyes, and their eyes alone. Or minds - however they'd like to put it. Ultimately, after trying to rid his mind of the vision to no avail, he decided to attempt to rest or -if he was lucky- nap. And so, Shijie closed his eyes, and an invisible force allowed him to slip into the gentle waves of sleep.

***

His friends were back. Or his former friends, anyway. He was now standing in front of a tall white ladder that stretched up to an invisible ceiling. And his former friends surrounded him in a tight circle, Huiyi directly behind him, leaving him no other choice but to climb upwards to an unknown destination. Shijie gazed at the length of the ladder unnervingly, but Huiyi's chuckle urged him to ignore his worries and start to climb. Initially, the climb was not bad - pleasant even. It allowed for him to stretch his muscles after not having exercised recently. However, as he began to near to roughly twelve feet, his fear jolted him into realization that he was petrified, and when he glanced downward, he saw the faint outline of a smirk plastered on Huiyi's face. Anger bubbled up in his throat, but instead of climbing further, his fear paralyzed him in place, clinging to the metallic bar of the ladder. Shijie slid his feet behind the bars underneath him and locked his arms in place on the bar above him. He took a steady breath, closing his eyes for but a moment. When he opened his eyes, however, his former friends were halfway up the ladder from where he was, their eyes hungry with vengeance. Vengence? What did I do for them to deem vengeance upon me? he thought. Releasing his grip hold, he scrambled up the bars, one hand in front of the other. Finally, after a moment of climbing, he heard his former friends, begin to near him at an increasingly quick rate. As he was about to climb another bar, his fear paralyzed him once more until, he could nothing more than snap his eyes shut and wait for the inevitable hell to unfold. Shijie heard his former friends come closer. And closer. And closer. And so close that he almost thought that he could smell their breaths upon him. And suddenly-

"Shijie, I think you might want to wake up," spoke a hushed voice. Shijie sat upright, face-to-face with Alexa.

"Why?" he asked out of sheer curiosity.

"Well, you looked kind of scared or something. Nightmare?" Alexa replied, her eyebrows knitted with concern. Shijie nodded, but felt no need to elaborate any further. As Alexa was about to inquire Shijie of something, a deafening boom sounded from the dimly lit corridor. Shijie scrambled over towards the source of the sound, leading him to grip the bars tightly with his already-blistered hands.

"...I think that comes to no surprise, considering your parentage," emanated a male voice from the opposite side of the corridor.

"Can we please talk about that some other time? Just makes sure we get them out before he finds out we've breached the security!" replied a familiar female voice. Both Joshua and Alexa were now at his sides, noticing the voices of their rescuers. A pleasantly familiar face with gray eyes and soft cheekbones peered into the cell. Walking up beside her was a middle-aged man with blue-gray eyes and also soft cheekbones. Somehow, they resembled one another, but Shijie wasn't sure how. "Hey, guys and PIC! We've come to your rescue!" exclaimed Louise.