Illusion

Chapter 3 : Footsteps and Handprints

Feng Huiyin's POV

The first thing I did the next morning was check the overnight temperatures on the Weather Channel. There was a cold front coming in the wake of a tropical storm that was supposed to miss our area. Across the river, west in the mountain, it had gone below freezing, but not here in the sheltered Hood River Valley.

That was why this area was ideal for growing apples. The river, and the fog that came off the river and covered the orchards like a warm blanket, kept the temperatures temperate, giving the apples time to ripen. But then, as my mother had said, the climate up here played its tricks.

Then I heard someone knocked on my bedroom door. "Yinyin, are you up?" It was Dayu. And not even a second passed after he asked me the question, he opened the door a little, sticking his head into my room.

"Let's have breakfast in town! It's been years since the last time you're in town." Yeah... It had been nine years, but I bet nothing had changed. I nodded my head and told him I would be ready in five minutes before he went out the room and told me Qing and he would be waiting in the car.

Around five minutes later we were all already in the car. I looked up at the mansion as we drove past. The morning mist was burning off and the house rose from the last remains of the fog as if rising out of a dream.

Like the mist burning off the fields, the memory of the figure I had seen last night was dissipating. It slipped further away as we made the drive into town. Six o'clock in the morning and the town was already astir. Newspaper vendors with loads of paper on their motorcycles made their rounds, the yellow busses stopping ahead of us to take children in warm jackets and teenagers underdressed in sweatshirts and dresses, the farm stand putting out a sign for apples. All of it felt too normal to occupy the same world as that ghost standing above the weir.

It had been an illusion born of fog; a vivid powerful dream, I could still feel the misery and horror radiating out of those fiery red eyes, but a dream nonetheless. And a dream didn't mean I was crazy. I won't be back taking those pills again because I wasn't crazy! It was only my imagination.

We stopped in front of the small café named Gloria's. Unlike the outside, the interior of the café was warm and cheery, with bright lights and colourful walls. We took a seat beside the window, then Qing and I ordered coffee while Dayu ordered a cup of green tea. Besides that we ordered a bunch of sandwiches to fill our stomach.

While waiting for our orders, I looked outside the café, watching people rushed by on the crowded street, until someone called Dayu's name.

"Dayu! It is you. Hi!" I stared at the pretty blonde for a full ten seconds before recognizing her. She was Dayu's ex-girlfriend. They were together for three years before Dayu broke up their relationship for whatever reason. He never told me why and I never bothered to ask. But it looked like they were still friends.

"Claire! Good to see you here. I didn't know you're back in town." Dayu stood up to hug Claire. She was wearing a burgundy wrap dress and teetering on high heels, clasping a travel mug. Unlike her wide and friendly smile, Qing's cold eyes were ready to kill her. He didn't even smile back at her when she greeted us.

"I've been back for two weeks actually. Now I'm working at the real estate office just across the street. I just bought some coffee to go before I saw you." She said excitedly.

"Yeah, we're thinking of having breakfast in town this morning for a change. The mansion could be a little moody, you know. Come on sit down and join us!" Dayu pulled out a seat for her and with that she joined us for breakfast.

"Ah yes, I heard you moved in to the mansion to take care of your grandpa. You're so brave. After all those stories I heard, I've been avoiding the house." She was rubbing her arms as if remembering something scary.