The Fine Print✔️

Chapter 2

Under LiFen, I had studied various books on various diverse subjects. And for the most part, I was a delight to teach, not my words, I swear. 

 Of all the topics that I had studied, the only one I was terrible at was maps and directions, more specifically, directions. In fact, I was so bad that LiFen used to call me Directionally Challenged!

I can't blame her, though. I know she had tried her very best. 

Now, running towards my new life that lay in the south, I really am cursing my lack of aptitude for understanding directions. 

 I kept looking at the pointer and ran. I ran towards the north; of course, I was not aware of it at the time.

After running for what felt like hours but was more like twenty or thirty minutes, I was already out of breath and hungry.

I decide to take a break and look for a place to rest for a few minutes. 

 So imagine my surprise when I stumble upon what looks like a massive cave just a few meters ahead of where I was standing, like magic.

As it is, I am a curious person by nature, but I am sure anyone in my position would have done what I do next.

I enter the cave and start looking around; I find strange carvings on the cave walls and hear loud gushing sounds coming from a short distance away. I could have sworn that it was not there a second ago. As I walk towards the sound, I hear someone screaming; I run towards the source of the screams and realize that they were cries for help.

On reaching the water source: a waterfall with a pool at its base, I scan it. I find a small girl struggling to get out of the water. Why is a small girl alone in a cave? And why and how had she fallen in the very middle of it were logical questions that I should have asked myself before I jump into the cold water to save the child.

I reach the small girl, who looks to be about five, and drag her out of the cold water. I empty my bag and drape the only bedsheet LiFen had sent with me over the shivering child's shoulder.

The child abruptly stops shivering and looks up at me, "Do you have any food?" She asks in a small melodious voice. 

 I take out a loaf of bread and hand it over to her, "This is all I have right now."

The child nods, taking a bite of the bread.

"You see, I am running away from home. And this is all that I was given. So eat it well for the both of us." I tell her, stroking her soft-looking but rather coarse hair.

The child nods.

I shut up and look around. I belatedly realize that now that I had generously yet stupidly given away the food that was supposed to help me survive, I had just added some more points to my growing list of worries. I feel tired, wet, and hungry. Great going, YiJuan!

The little girl finishes the bread in silence. "Thank you, lad." She says in a voice that sends shivers down my spine. It's like a growl, heavy and rough.

 Maybe I am just imagining it, I tell myself before asking, "What did you say, sweetie?"

"I said, thank you, lad. You have made me very happy." It's the same heavy growly voice as before.

My heart starts thumping, and blood starts pumping; I nod and slowly try to shift away from the child's vicinity.

The child takes notice, "Is my current form not pleasing to your eyes, lad?" she asks, catching my eyes.

I nod and force a smile on my face, "You are beautiful, dear one, very pleasant looking."

The child tilts her head to a side and asks in the same scary voice, "Then why are you acting like you have seen my true form?"