1968

Chapter Five: June 16th 1968

Lorelei's point of view:

My eyes fluttered open tiredly when a gust of wind flew into my face. I came to see I was facing a fan, projecting the warm air and trying to convince me I was cooler. The first thing I thought as I saw that fan was that it wasn't an aspect of my bedroom. So unless my mother put that in my bedroom, I was in a completely different building.

I sat up stiffly, my head hurting from the head wound I experience the night before. I remembered the blast, hitting my head on a chair, but I don't recall anything else after that. I definitely wasn't in my house, so where was I? Had someone taken me and placed me here? Oh my God, Jacob! What if he didn't make it out?! Oh Lord, please tell me he's alive! My mother and father were probably worried sick wondering where I am. My dad is probably on a death rampage, searching for me in any place he could find.

The room was shabby, to say the least. I was lying down on a bed made from canvas, or something like that. The walls were covered in Vietnamese oil paintings and scriptures. There was a doorway on the end of the room, beads being used to cover it. The fan sat on a chipped nightstand, and a small radio sat in front of it. A window in the middle of the side wall projected the bright sunlight and the noise of the bustle of people walking across the place. Based on the loud sound, I was in the heart of a city or town. The bar was just outside Hanoi, so I may have been there. I couldn't really be sure.

I carefully stood from the little bed and walked around slowly for a while. I didn't have the dress I wore to the bar on, I was wearing something different. What I was wearing was this little white dress that resembled a nightgown. This wasn't mine, but it fit me near perfectly. Whoever gave me this must live here, and it must have been a woman. Did some woman come and save me, taking me out of the bar and to her home?

I jumped when the door to the bedroom opened and someone came in. It definitely wasn't a woman, it was the guard that saved me from the mine. Mihn, if I remembered correctly. It all came flooding back to me when he walked into the room. I felt him pick me up when I fell to the floor, then him holding me while he ran away from that bar. Was this his home? Did he live here?

"You're awake," he said to me, the accent familiar to me now. I noticed it changed every once in while, like he was trying to be consistent with his Vietnamese accent, as if he needed to make an effort to show it.

"Is this your house?" I asked. He came a little closer to me and nodded. I was still where I stood, unable to take in what to do next.

"It's my mother's house," he replied. I nodded and walked over to the window. It was so damn bright out, I didn't even realize it. But it was good for me, I needed a little light to get me back on my feet.

"I guess I should thank you again. You going to save me every time I get in a tiff now?" I asked with a laugh. I was so tired, even though I had probably been sleeping for more than eight hours. It was that blast, it sucked the energy right out of me.

"If you want," he said. I didn't notice he had walked in front of me and stood beside the window. When I went to look up at him I nudged him by accident and almost fell down to the floor. Was he made of rocks? It was like running into a wall. As I stumbled and steadied myself, I realized how close together we were. My eyes went up to look at his face, and I remained silent. He was so tall, strong. I didn't know why, but my breathing was uneven. I cleared my throat, but stayed as close to him as before.

"Well...thank you, again," I said. Mihn nodded, and I regained my senses, backing away from him slightly. I took a breathe and said, "I should go home. My parents are probably wondering where I am."

"I will walk you," he said to me. His sentences were simple, but enough to make me shiver every time he talked to me. He was awfully attractive, but that wasn't why. I could contain myself with someone attractive. This man, I didn't know what it was, but something was getting me about him.