3 Arrival (2/2)

The light was so bright that she couldn't keep her eyes open. Her whole body ache, and she felt stiff and sore all over, as if she had been ran over by a truck.

With still tearing eyes, she tried to raise her hand to cover her face.

”Ouch!” she grumbled, feeling her throat burn as if she had eaten sand.

She wanted to ask someone to please close the blinds and turn out the light, but her voice seemed to have deserted her. In fact, Sam was about to try and call for help when the sound of porcelain crashing on the wooded floor broke the silence on the room, small droplets of water landing on her still immobile hands.

”Oh, thanks the Heavens!” someone cried – a bit too loudly – and than apparently dashed through the door, still screaming ” Third Miss! Master! Third Miss! Fifth Miss has woken up! She is awake! Third Miss!”.

Sam groaned, squinting a bit while trying to find a more comfortable position for her aching body. It felt as if she didn't move a single muscle for ages! And than all that shouting still ringing on her years... What was the problem with these people!?

She tried once again opening her eyes, just to have to close them again some four or five times before being able to see anything beyond that blinding light. Still, it wasn't enough to have any real clear image of the surrounding area. Everything seemed big, intricately decorated, and a mess of blues and whites that her eyes couldn't still understand. And then there was the smell... The room smelled just like Amelia's living room – of strong incense and medicinal herbs.

Sam frowned. Maybe Amelia hadn't actually forgotten her existence. Maybe....

A door slammed open suddenly, making her heart jump.

”Yue'er!” the Third Young Miss almost screamed, covering her mouth with her hands ”Yue'er!”.

Sam couldn't really make up the girl's features, as she was too faraway and her eyes still too weak, but even all this couldn't mask the beauty of the girl's long black hair that flowed like a midnight river, or even the delicate cut of her clothes, of light green and white brocade. Sam was about to try and turn her head to the other side, so she could finally see who exactly was Ying Yue, when all of a sudden the Third Miss fell to the ground beside her bed, took her hand in hers and lowered her forehead to their joined fingers.

”Oh God!” the girl cried, still clinging to her for dear life ”Oh God! I though we had lost you!”

Sam felt her body going completely cold, a weird, foreboding feeling starting to creep over her like cold water down her spine.

”Yue'er!” The girl looked right at her stunned, wide eyes, tears still running down her beautiful, very white, very asiatic, face ”Yue'er you came back to us! You are really here!”

Desperately, Sam tried to sneak a glance to her left side... There had to be another girl there. It simply had to be!

But it didn't matter how much she looked or tried to turn her head, she could only see more furniture and some kneaded clothes on a corner.

There was only the two of them.

In a room that didn't look anything like a hospital facility.

”Oh my God!” she whispered, her voice a rasping sound barely high enough for her own ears.

”Yue'er” Third Miss called, drying her tears with a prettily embroidered handkerchief, her dark eyes locking in on Sam with such strength that she could barely breathe ”Jiejie wasn't good for you... I didn't protect you enough. Yue'er do you trust me? Jiejie won't let anyone bully you anymore. I will protect you from now on”.

Sam could barely acknowledge her words, her head still spinning nonstop trying to understand what was happening there. That girl couldn't mean... She didn't actually think Sam was...

No, no. It was impossible. Totally inconceivable.

Madness.

Right?

”Who... Who are you?” she finally managed to whisper though parched lips ”Where am I?”

Jiang Qing Shan dropped her hands suddenly, as if they were on fire. Her big, black eyes growing round as saucers.

”Yue'er...” she starter in a clumsy voice, not wanting to believe on her own ears.

”Not... Yue'er...” Sam insisted, trying to ignore her aching throat and head ”Who... Where... am... I?”.

”Wu Xiaojie” a very young girl cried softly from her place near the door ”What are you talking? Don't play games like this! San XiaoJie will be very worried if you do it!”.

What are they talking about? Why can't they understand? Sam asked herself desperately, her thoughts spinning like the wheels of her car before...

Before the accident.

”Oh my God...” she repeated, tears threatening to flow as image after image of the car crash assaulted her senses.

”Zi Zhu! Call Doctor Li! Fast!” she though she heard Third Miss shout, but Sam wasn't sure of anything anymore.

It was all too much. All too weird.

Maybe she had really died after all.