The Burning Rose

Chapter 2

Travelling all over the world, 

I'll make sure you're happy

James continued to watch the liquid in the measuring cup, while occasionally glancing at the computer screen full of experimental data. His mind remained focused, even though his body was starting to feel tired. As the clock ticked closer to twelve, the laboratory door opened. A man with a white beard and piercing eyes stepped in, carrying the strong scent of coffee.

"James, you need this," he said as he handed over a cup of hot coffee.

"Thank you, Professor," James replied simply, taking the cup without taking his eyes off his experiment.

Professor Anderson nodded as he watched the computer screen in front of James. "How's it going?"

"Almost done. I just need to make sure that the chemical reaction is stable before taking the next step."

Professor Anderson smiled slightly. "You never half-ass your work. But remember, rest is also important."

James just nodded, sipping the coffee given to him. After a while, he said, "Professor, I noticed something strange with the explosives used in the newspaper factory incident. There seems to be an unusual component."

Professor Anderson frowned. "What do you mean?"

James swiped at the computer screen, displaying a complicated diagram. "Look at this. The main component of the bomb shouldn't cause such a large explosion unless there's another more powerful mixture that's rarely found here."

Professor Anderson watched carefully, nodding slowly. "This is suspicious. Have you reported your findings yet?"

"Not yet, I want to confirm it first before making any final conclusions."

Professor Anderson tapped James on the shoulder. "Be careful, James. If there is something bigger behind this, we must tread with caution."

In another place, Cookie and Lolly are still trapped in their tree house. The wind was getting harder, shaking the trees around them. The rain fell harder and harder, making a gurgling sound that was both soothing and frightening to the two little ones.

"Lolly, I'm sorry," Cookie finally said, turning her face away from the small window.

Lolly turned her head, hugging her doll tighter. "For what?"

"For being angry earlier. I was just upset that we had to take a nap. But now, we're stuck here."

Lolly smiled a little, though her tears were still flowing freely. "It's okay, Cookie. I'm scared too. But we have to stay together."

In the midst of their anxiety, a flash of lightning struck, making them both jump. Lolly leaned closer to Cookie, looking for a safe place. "What should we do now?"Cookie thought for a moment, then said, "We should wait until the rain stops. Then we can go back home and face Auntie Marie."

"Okay." Lolly nodded, though her heart was still racing. They both hugged each other, trying to warm themselves from the cold night.

In the lab, James sent his final report to Professor Anderson before finally deciding to take a short break. His eyes were closed, but his mind was still spinning about the newspaper factory incident and the mysterious explosives. In the silence of the night, the sound of the wind and rain outside the laboratory window reminded him that the world is full of mysteries waiting to be solved.

And somewhere, under the same rain, two little children are trying to find warmth and courage to face tomorrow. The world they live in may be full of challenges, but it is also full of unquenchable hope. It never occurred to them that it would rain heavily into the night.

"Ah, how are we going to face Auntie Marie tomorrow? I can't imagine."

The two little children lay on the small bed while pensively looking at the ceiling of the tree house. The treehouse was not just a place to relieve boredom, a place to avoid napping, a place to complete missions such as puzzles, or other interesting things. The treehouse provides many things for these two little ones. Storybooks, dolls, snacks and drinks, even pillows and blankets to rest on.

"Lolly, I heard your mom is in town on business, how long will she be there?" asked Cookie suddenly, he wasn't sleepy yet. The nighttime atmosphere in their treehouse keeps him awake.

"I don't know, and I don't care. I'm just surprised by her behavior these days. When mom and dad are fighting, I often see mom taking calls from a man, that I never know"

Cookie locked his mouth tightly. He seems to have asked the wrong question. Yesterday, he saw Lolly's mom leaving the house in a car that was not familiar to him. Of course, she was not accompanied by Lolly's father who was working in the lab. A large, well-dressed, stern-faced man picked her up on the veranda. He was holding a cigar in his hand, apparently a businessman. She realized that this seemed to be the root cause of what his friend had told him this afternoon.

"Hmm, it could be that she is very worried because you didn't come home today"

"I don't think so, I saw her carrying a big bag yesterday, like she was going to leave home for a long time. Never mind, I'm fine with that, I still have you and Auntie Marie". Lolly turned around and hugged her favorite doll. Enough, she was too tired to talk about it.

Not a single star shone that night. The heavy rain and relentless rumbling served as a lullaby for the two little ones who fell asleep in the midst of increasingly frantic thoughts. It seemed like this was the first time they had faced such a gloomy day. Never had Lolly looked this gloomy. Family matters were not something her best friend could interfere with. Cookie seemed to have trouble closing his eyes, he had a lot on his mind that night. What could he do for his favorite friend.

"Let's travel when we grow up, Lolly. Do whatever you like."

Silence. The girl did not reply. She was too sad to fall asleep.