111 Remember (2/2)

The voices multiplied. They were murmurs at first but gradually became shrieks, screaming ”Good girl! Good girl!” at her.

Sounds of helicopters added to this hellish cacophony. Doors banging, glasses shattering. Howling, roaring.

”We have orders. Fire!”

Gunshots.

”No, no, no. No!!!” She closed her eyes and covered her ears. ”Stop it! Please stop!!!”

Then a familiar pair of big, warm arms embraced her from behind. The sounds finally stopped. Relieved, she leaned back into the embrace and then turned around to see a handsome face smiling at her.

”Liwei…” She threw herself at him, crying.

He kissed her forehead. ”I'm here. Don't be afraid. We're together now.”

She hugged his waist tightly, afraid that he would leave her alone back to that hell.

”Stay with me, baby,” he said.

”Yes.”

He ran his fingers down her long hair. ”Good girl.”

She stiffened and looked up at him.

”You're mine, Long Xiulan. Only mine.”

Her mind suddenly became befuddled. Her eyebrows scrunched together.

”Long Xiulan…who's Xiulan?”

He smiled and leaned down to kiss her on the lips. ”You are Xiulan. My Xiulan.”

She was very confused. Her mind couldn't understand what the man in front of her was saying. ”No…I'm not. My name is…Evelina.”

Then his figure disappeared within a fog.

She couldn't see anything besides the whiteness. She walked and walked, yet the fog stayed and surrounded her.

Who was she?

She had forgotten.

Why was she walking for so long? For what purpose?

Was she real? Did she exist?

She couldn't remember.

”Come back,” a faint voice called for her from a distance.

She stopped, but her mind was still muddled. So she continued walking.

”No…don't go,” the faint voice echoed.

She stopped again and turned around.

”Remember…remember that you are me now…you are…Long Xiulan…” The faint voice was getting weaker.

”Remember?” Her head started aching and her lower abdomen felt heavy, as if her insides were being squeezed. It hurt.

”Don't…erase my…existence…you are Long Xiulan…”

”I am…Long Xiulan.”

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Footnotes:

[1] Nickname for Evelina.

[2] Another nickname for Evelina