“And then?” I asked.
Jing Tian raised his brow at me.
I elaborated, “After we were captured, what happened?” I crossed the hurdle and stopped before a flame tree. It was huge and the leaves were lush. I looked at the tree and felt a strange feeling from it.
Jing Tian explained, “I planted this tree.”
I turned to him in confusion. Jing Tian pulled me ahead to walk to the back of the tree. A cave hole about the height of a person appeared before us.
Suddenly I felt a sharp pain in my head. “Ah!” I closed my eyes and held my head.
“Nanxing, what’s wrong?” Jing Tian quickly hugged me.
I shook my head and pushed him away. “It’s nothing, it was just a sudden headache.”
Jing Tian lowered his head to study my expression. He hesitated. “You don’t look so well. How about we come back another day?”
“Of course not, we’re already here!” I refused. I walked in big strides with Jing Tian protecting me. I asked in way of conversation, “Why did you plant a tree at the mouth of the cave?”
Jing Tian said gloomily, “I bought this mountain and planted the tree at the entrance lest people accidentally wandered in.”
I stopped moving. Using the little light from the cave entrance, I tried to look at him. “You have bought this place? Why? In memory of what happened?”
Jing Tian didn’t say anything. He held my hand and we walked further into the cave. The light faded away but I wasn’t afraid with Jing Tian by my side. On the contrary, I felt weirdly at peace. The path was narrow so we had to walk in single file. Jing Tian never let go of my hand. After walking for some time, Jing Tian suddenly stopped. He touched the wall and the lights came on. I shielded my eyes against the sudden brightness.
At that moment, countless scenes appeared before my eyes and my headache returned. This time, it was so much more intense that I collapsed to the ground.
“Nanxing?” Jing Tian called out to me nervously.
I waved my hand at him and said, “Wait, give me a moment.” Jing Tian knelt down to grab my hands. After a long time, I opened my eyes to look at the cave. There was a fluorescent lamp on the top of the cave. Everything looked exactly the same as it was. The upturned tables and chairs, the scattered wine glasses and bottles, the messy pictures on the wall, everything were preserved. Even the iron chains, ropes, whips, and bars were still there.
I slowly stood up and walked forward… towards the darkness.
This was a prison cell. It was a natural cave alcove with an iron door fixed in. I stood before the bars. The space was empty. But I could see 4 children about the same age squeezed inside there. Two boys and two girls. They looked coldly at the other corner of the cell where a dying teenager was laying.
There was a 5th child, the youngest, who stayed by the teenager. As she kept watch on the kidnappers, she fed a small bamboo tube into the teenager’s mouth. She whispered, “You have to drink.”
I pushed open the iron door and walked in. Not far from the spot where the teenager was, I moved a rock out of the way. There was a very small hole behind it and a ray of light was boring in.
My heart started to beat and my head was light. I moved more rocks away but even so, the hole was too small for me. However, I knew there was a spring outside this hole and once you crawled through the hole, you would reach outside. I just know.
I stood up and called out softly. “Jing Tian?”
“Hmm.” Jing Tian walked over to hug me. “Nanxing, you remember everything now, don’t you?” His voice was choking.
I reached out my hands to hug his waist. My head was painful and dizzy.
I shook my head. “No, I can’t remember everything but I did remember crawling out from this hole and spotting water. I grabbed a hollow bamboo tube and filled it with water. I carried the water back for you. I remember you were burning up and you needed water. Jing Tian, the spring must be dirty, did you get diarrhea because of me?”
Jing Tian hugged me tighter. “Silly girl, of course not. In fact, I would have died back then if you didn’t go out through the hole to bring water back for me repeatedly.”
I was stunned. “I did that?”
Jing Tian placed his chin on the top of my head. “Nanxing, why didn’t you save yourself back then? Why did you come back for me?”
I thought for a while and then smiled. “You’re the silly one. I was only so young, how could I possibly run away? Plus, I felt safer with you than being alone on the outside.” Then I was shocked by what I said.
Technically, there were 4 more children in the cave with us. So why did I only feel safe around Jing Tian?
The answer came to me. I turned to Jing Tian even though I already knew the answer. “Jing Tian, you were injured trying to save me, didn’t you?”
“And then?” I asked.
Jing Tian raised his brow at me.
I elaborated, “After we were captured, what happened?” I crossed the hurdle and stopped before a flame tree. It was huge and the leaves were lush. I looked at the tree and felt a strange feeling from it.
Jing Tian explained, “I planted this tree.”
I turned to him in confusion. Jing Tian pulled me ahead to walk to the back of the tree. A cave hole about the height of a person appeared before us.
Suddenly I felt a sharp pain in my head. “Ah!” I closed my eyes and held my head.
“Nanxing, what’s wrong?” Jing Tian quickly hugged me.
I shook my head and pushed him away. “It’s nothing, it was just a sudden headache.”
Jing Tian lowered his head to study my expression. He hesitated. “You don’t look so well. How about we come back another day?”
“Of course not, we’re already here!” I refused. I walked in big strides with Jing Tian protecting me. I asked in way of conversation, “Why did you plant a tree at the mouth of the cave?”
Jing Tian said gloomily, “I bought this mountain and planted the tree at the entrance lest people accidentally wandered in.”
I stopped moving. Using the little light from the cave entrance, I tried to look at him. “You have bought this place? Why? In memory of what happened?”
Jing Tian didn’t say anything. He held my hand and we walked further into the cave. The light faded away but I wasn’t afraid with Jing Tian by my side. On the contrary, I felt weirdly at peace. The path was narrow so we had to walk in single file. Jing Tian never let go of my hand. After walking for some time, Jing Tian suddenly stopped. He touched the wall and the lights came on. I shielded my eyes against the sudden brightness.
At that moment, countless scenes appeared before my eyes and my headache returned. This time, it was so much more intense that I collapsed to the ground.
“Nanxing?” Jing Tian called out to me nervously.
I waved my hand at him and said, “Wait, give me a moment.” Jing Tian knelt down to grab my hands. After a long time, I opened my eyes to look at the cave. There was a fluorescent lamp on the top of the cave. Everything looked exactly the same as it was. The upturned tables and chairs, the scattered wine glasses and bottles, the messy pictures on the wall, everything were preserved. Even the iron chains, ropes, whips, and bars were still there.
I slowly stood up and walked forward… towards the darkness.
This was a prison cell. It was a natural cave alcove with an iron door fixed in. I stood before the bars. The space was empty. But I could see 4 children about the same age squeezed inside there. Two boys and two girls. They looked coldly at the other corner of the cell where a dying teenager was laying.
There was a 5th child, the youngest, who stayed by the teenager. As she kept watch on the kidnappers, she fed a small bamboo tube into the teenager’s mouth. She whispered, “You have to drink.”
I pushed open the iron door and walked in. Not far from the spot where the teenager was, I moved a rock out of the way. There was a very small hole behind it and a ray of light was boring in.
My heart started to beat and my head was light. I moved more rocks away but even so, the hole was too small for me. However, I knew there was a spring outside this hole and once you crawled through the hole, you would reach outside. I just know.
I stood up and called out softly. “Jing Tian?”
“Hmm.” Jing Tian walked over to hug me. “Nanxing, you remember everything now, don’t you?” His voice was choking.
I reached out my hands to hug his waist. My head was painful and dizzy.
I shook my head. “No, I can’t remember everything but I did remember crawling out from this hole and spotting water. I grabbed a hollow bamboo tube and filled it with water. I carried the water back for you. I remember you were burning up and you needed water. Jing Tian, the spring must be dirty, did you get diarrhea because of me?”
Jing Tian hugged me tighter. “Silly girl, of course not. In fact, I would have died back then if you didn’t go out through the hole to bring water back for me repeatedly.”
I was stunned. “I did that?”
Jing Tian placed his chin on the top of my head. “Nanxing, why didn’t you save yourself back then? Why did you come back for me?”
I thought for a while and then smiled. “You’re the silly one. I was only so young, how could I possibly run away? Plus, I felt safer with you than being alone on the outside.” Then I was shocked by what I said.
Technically, there were 4 more children in the cave with us. So why did I only feel safe around Jing Tian?
The answer came to me. I turned to Jing Tian even though I already knew the answer. “Jing Tian, you were injured trying to save me, didn’t you?”
