[1]

It had been raining for the whole week.The water gushed out from the cracks between the clustered clouds and washed the world into dark, dull grey.Trees finally revealed their true monster-like appearances, laughing, shrieking and wriggling under the chill wind.

Eliana looked through the window, “It’s such nice weather, isn’t it?” Her glance followed the trace of a single raindrop, she saw it hitting on the window, and falling down, down, down and disappearing in sight.

There was no reply, but she continued, “You should be glad, mom. We did survived from it.”

“Zeng!”Her mother slammed the brakes.There was absolutely silent for a few seconds before her mother broke the ice. “Eli, don’t mention it any more.”

“I always know how to be a good girl.” The air conditioner kept blowing hot air into the tiny, crowded room, but she didn’t feel warm at all. Instead, she felt herself was naked outside in the rain, being wet and freezing all over the body.

“As what all of you expected me to do.”

[2]

Eliana stepped into the room, the bright, pure white ribbons hanging around the room dazzled her eyes.She saw everyone in black stop what they were doing, but turned to look at her miserably. Those eyes from her relatives, her friends and even someone she hadn’t met before were full of grief, pity and sympathy.

She slowly walked through the crowds, reached to the other side of the room where her dead father lied.This was the farthest distance she had even walked before, from brightness to darkness, from hope to despair, from existence to death. She couldn’t stop from trebling when she saw his dead body getting closer and closer to her. The black and white photo inlaid on the coffin was staring at her with an unreadable smile.

She couldn’t move any closer to her father, squatted down slowly and hugged herself tightly. “Go away, go away…”She screamed, and tried to get rid of the nightmare which tangled her up in the past five years. Strength left her and she collapsed into her mother’s embrace. Then she tasted the salty liquid flowing into her mouth, and finally cried out loud.

“The little poor girl.” Everyone said so. 

“I was saved.” She thought so.

[3]

She seemed to be threw into a bottomless chasm. He began wildly tearing her cloths apart, creating strips of cloth. She was running, trying to escape from him, but failed.She could feel his hot, rough skin touched hers, the pain soon raised from everywhere around her body.She stared at the white ceiling, she saw the innocent little herself under the enormous, strong man in the shadow, crying out in torment.

“This is because I love you, my darling.” Her father murmured near her ears.

Her life, full of possibilities and expectations of the coming future was completely ruined at that night.

[4]

Her face was deathly pale and drawn under the strong, hot lamp which almost burned her down. Suddenly, a stern and cold voice came from the other side of the room, brought her back into where she was. She lifted up her head, looking straightly through the bright light, dimly saw his image through the steel bars in front of her.

“Eliana, 17 years old. Was born in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London and is currently studying in The Royal College of St. Peter in Westminster.The top 3rd student in school who is highly appreciated by teachers and high supported by your fellow classmates.They are so confident that you’ll be very successful in Cambridge for your future study in Law.So…” The police paused. “I don’t understand why you committed the crime? Why did you hate your father so much?”

She felt the coldness from the handcuffs which numbed her fingers. She bit her dry lips and tasted blood, “ I killed my father, that’s all.”

“Do you have anything else to say?”

“I don’t have to justify myself to you or anyone else.”

“You should know that your life will be completely changed since you step into the prison. I feel sorry for you tragedy.”

“No, thank you for giving me a second life.” 

She walked out the interrogation, and she saw the sun design a mosaic of light on the concrete floor. She traced the route of light and disappear in distance.