TUH

  It screeched again and dove in for an attack.

  “NO! I CAN’T HELP YOU!” Popcorn shouted back as if she understood it.

  It flew over and flapped its giant and ragged wings, brutally slapping it against Popcorn’s head and body. She tried to move out of the way but since she was still playing the piano she couldn’t do much.

  “Popcorn!” I yelled and ran out, but Caterpillar yanked me back immediately.

  The other green and yellow one, startled by the noise turned its head towards our direction but luckily it didn’t see us.

  “What are you doing!?” I pushed Caterpillar causing him to fall to the ground. “Can’t you tell Popcorn’s in danger? Don’t you want to save your own sister!?”

  “OF COURSE I DO! But… but… what can we do?” He panted nervously.

  “WE…”

  “ARGHHHH!!!”

  We both turned around to see what was happening.

  Popcorn was snatched up into the air by the two monsters, one grabbed her head and the other had one of her legs. They were violently shaking her while she struggled to escape. Even with all commotion I noticed that I could still hear the music even though Popcorn wasn’t playing anymore. However, the melody started playing faster and the tone became deeper. Soon the water around them began to ripple violently. It grew in intensity until an enormous wall of water shot up and engulfed Popcorn and the monsters. In what seemed like a few seconds, they were gone and I could no longer see them.

  “Oh No!” I rushed out. Caterpillar tried to pull me back again, but I quickly pushed him away.

  Achilles would have jumped into the lake, fought the monsters and tried his best to save his sister!! Caterpillar, you were useless!!!

  The wall of water continued to rise upward towards the sky. Amazingly it started to spin and twist like a tornado. I just stared at it in horror, because I didn’t know what to do or how to help…

  “BANNNNNNNG!”

  At that very moment time seemed to stop for a few seconds and then everything went into slow motion. I could hear Mrs. Huang’s sobbing… “Wake up? please wake up... now?”

  Next thing I knew, I was flying backwards with water drenching me from head to toe. The giant water tornado had exploded and sprayed water in all directions. The force of it knocked me to the ground and carried me away like a violent tsunami. I struggled to hold on to a branch and tired to prevent myself from being carried away even further. The rushing water finally began to subside after what seemed like an eternity and I was left on the muddy ground, gasping and coughing. Slowly I closed my eyes…

  “OH NO! POPCORN!” I opened my eyes and ran back to the lake.

  The sun had already set and the moon was out. The lake looked so serene, like nothing had happened. It was so quiet and eerie that it gave me goose bumps.

  “POPCORN!!” I shouted. “POPCORN! WHERE ARE YOU!!?”

  It was silent and still. The only movement I could see was the reflection of the moon flickering in the water. Suddenly, I heard rustling behind some bushes.

  “Popcorn, is that you!?” I spun around.

  I could see a black shadow limping out of the forest. I strained to see who it was at first, but after a few moments I realized that it was Caterpillar. His hair was a mess and his clothes were wet and muddy. I turned back without saying a word.

  I slowly sat on the ground. I couldn’t believe what was happening, I was also very confused - What was behind that tunnel? What were those monsters? And why did they attack Popcorn? Nothing seemed to make sense.

  Caterpillar came over and sat down next me.

  “Hey, what did Popcorn say to you before we left?” I asked.

  “She… she just said… we… we go back to Laketuh House… Don’t… don’t wait for her…” Caterpillar stuttered. I knew he wasn’t telling me everything.

  We were both filled with gloom, so we just sat there staring off into the distances. The night sky was filled with glittering stars and a bright full moon. It was almost too beautiful to be real… But at that very moment I simply wished whatever happened today was a just figment of my imagination.

  Suddenly I remembered a conversation I had with Morris.

  “Morris, are we looking at the same stars every night?”

  “Yes, Beanie, I imagine so.”

  “Can we go touch them one day? They seem so close to us.”

  “Well, baby… they live in a faraway place that none of us can reach.”

  “Why not? Is it really that far?”

  “Yes, it’s really that far. I’ll tell you a secret, Beanie. The stars in the night sky are actually time travelers. The lights from these stars take a very long time to get to Earth because they’re so far away. When you look up at the night sky you’re looking at what these stars are like millions or even billions of years ago.”

  Morris always had a way of explaining things so I could understand.

  “Really? Wow, they’re old… But, wait. Doesn’t that mean… they might not be there now? If the stars we see are actually from millions or billions of years ago, they might have already burn out?”

  “Uh-hum… it’s possible…”

  “Oh? It’s so sad.”

  “Why is it sad?”

  “It means… we’re just looking at their picture, but not the real them!”

  “Well… I think they’re the lucky ones. We get to see them every night as long as we’re alive, but it’s a fleeting moment compared to their existence. Something like only 0.0000000000001 percent of their life span. A human being’s existence is like a tiny temporary dot in the universe.”

  “Umm? Zero point zero zero zero zero? What do you mean? ”

  “Hahahaha. It’s all right. You’re still too young to understand. One day you will know.”

  I bet being a star must be very lonely. You had to stay in one place for millions or even billions of years without interacting with anything else. I felt like I was one of them. If you asked me I much rather be a shooting star. At the very least I could zip around the universe and see new things and visit new places.

  A large patch of cloud suddenly rolled across the full moon blanketing the sky in darkness. At that very moment a shooting star streaked across the horizon and vanished into the night. The cloud then slowly dissipated to reveal the moon again.

  WHAT’S THAT!?

  I leapt up.

  There in the water, something shinny!

  I was positive it wasn’t there before.

  Was it that the shooting star? NO WAY.

  I ran over and Caterpillar followed behind me. I jumped into the lake and tried to swim over to where it was, but the water too cold and deep. It was too far away for me to reach.

  “Let me do it.” Caterpillar pulled me up.

  He swam over, grabbed it and then came back. He waddled ashore, shivering from the cold.

  “What’s that, Caterpillar?” I curiously stared at what he was holding.

  He opened his trembling hand to reveal a shinning necklace.

  “WHAT - IS - THAT!!??”

  5

  Highway 44

  I lost my beanie once.

  When I was with my third foster family my mommy really didn’t like it. She didn’t like me wearing an old beat up beanie every day. She wanted me to forget the past and think of her as my real mom. She took my beanie and told me she had thrown it away. Christine was her name and she was a lovely and energetic lady. She had five sons but they were all grown up and had family of their own. I guess that was why she adopted me after her husband passed away, she was very lonely. She spoiled me because she never had a little girl in the house. Sometimes I had to pick a fight to stop her from buying me new clothes or toys that I didn’t need. One day, after Christine came back from the hospital, she started to cry. She told me she was sorry but her husband was calling for her and she had to leave me. I was too little to understand, so I cried as well and begged her to take me with her. But of course she cou
ldn’t. On our last day together Christine put the beanie back on my head and said “I was wrong. I want you to remember your past, so you’ll remember me.”

  The breeze flowed through my wet clothes, causing me to shiver. However, I wasn’t only shivering from the cold but also from the eerily feeling of seeing this shinning necklace in Caterpillar’s hand. I thought about the day when I had to say goodbye to Christine. I remembered complaining about my beanie every day I was with her. But in reality when I got it back, I didn’t feel any joy or satisfaction at all. I knew having my beanie back also meant I was going to lose her forever.

  “It…It is Popcorn’s necklace, right? Caterpillar?” I whispered. He nodded quietly.

  “So… maybe… maybe she’s still here… somewhere??” I looked around anxiously.

  “No… she’s dead.”

  I felt angry. I didn’t understand why Caterpillar had neither the desire save his sister or the faith that she might still be alive.

  “Let’s go back to Laketuh House.” He stuffed the necklace into his pocket and walked away in despair. I followed him, but kept looking back at the lake hoping Popcorn would be there.

  After a long shower I lie on my bed and thought about what happened today. The dry pajama and the warm blanket didn’t give me the comfort I was hoping for. I could see Mr. Huang, Christine and Popcorn’s faces every time I closed my eyes. I took a quick peek at Caterpillar. He was hiding under the blanket, shaking. I could tell he was crying.

  It was a long night. I tossed around constantly and couldn’t fall asleep. So many questions unanswered, I hated the idea of things ending this way.

  “Hey.”

  I opened my eyes. Caterpillar was standing next to my bed. The sun wasn’t even up yet but I could still see Caterpillar’s frightened expression.

  “What happened, Caterpillar?” I whispered.

  “Pack your stuff. I’ll wait for you outside.” He said.

  “Where are we going?”

  “It might take a few days, I don’t know.”

  By the time I packed and walked outside the sun was just about to peek over the horizon. Ms. Crystal, in her typical old blue jeans and leather boots was standing under a large oak tree talking to Caterpillar. They both looked troubled. Ms. Crystal would occasionally pat Caterpillar’s head as if trying to comfort him. Caterpillar then gave her the note that Popcorn stuffed into his pocket. She unfolded the piece of paper and read what was written, moving her lips ever so slightly.

  “Come here, Beanie.” She waved for me to come over.

  “You two have to go to this place called TUH Valley.” Ms. Crystal said softly.

  “Where is it?” I asked.

  “Once you leave the forest, make a right. You’re going to have to hitch a ride to Highway 44.”

  “Turn right and then Highway 44. Okay.” I nodded, making a mental image of the details.

  “After that, just keep walking north to the end of Highway 44, then you will see TUH Valley.”

  “How long does it take to get there?” I continued to ask.

  “Hmmm… it may take more than half of a… year.”

  “WHAAAAAT!??” Caterpillar and I shouted back.

  “There’s no transportation to TUH Valley, you guys have to walk. If you can keep going without fooling around too much, maybe you can make it within six months.” She responded casually as if there was nothing strange to this task.

  “What’s in TUH Valley? Why we have to go there?” I scowled.

  “You have to figure it out yourself.” Ms. Crystal smiled. I screamed in my head - “Are you nuts!? I have to figure it out myself? I’m only a kid!” I was terrified.

  “Beanie, I know it sounds impossible, I felt the same way before.” She touched my cheek gently.

  “You walked to there before too!?” I asked. Ms. Crystal didn’t answer and just gave me a peck on the forehead.

  “You’ll be all right. You’re a brave girl and this journey will be an unforgettable adventure. You only have to believe in yourself.”

  So with that, Caterpillar and I marched off.

  As soon as we got out of the forest we saw an old truck passed by. Caterpillar and I jumped up and down frantically to get the driver’s attention. The trunk driver, Old Johnny, was a skinny man with big ears. He lectured us the entire ride there when he heard we were going to Highway 44.

  “There’s nothing over there! I never heard of any place called TUH Valley! And I have been living here for over 70 years!”

  Before dropping us, Old Johnny insisted on buying us some food and water for what he called our - RIDICUOUS JOURNEY.

  “Good luck, you crazy kids.” He waved and took off.

  Highway 44

  Now I finally understood why Ms. Crystal said there was no transportation here. Highway 44 was just a small narrow pathway covered with rocks and sand. The broken and rusted fences on both sides were overgrown with grass and vines. I followed closely behind Caterpillar. We had been walking for a long time and didn’t speak to each other in nearly two hours. I looked up, not a cloud in the sky. I looked to my left and right, only rolling hills and trees. I looked down, millions of rocks on the road were laughing at me - The only other person here and he’s not even talking to you! HAHAHA. It’s going to be a long six months!

  I sighed.

  “Ouch!”

  While still looking at the ground I accidently walked into Caterpillar, who had stopped walking and was now blocking my way.

  “WHAT!?” I screamed.

  “What’s the matter with you!?” He snarled back.

  “What’s the matter with me!? WHAT’S THE MATTER WITH YOOOOOOOU!?”

  “WHY ARE YOU SCREAMING AT ME!?”

  “YOU’RE THE ONE SCREAMMMMING!!”

  “YOU’RE STUPID!”

  “YOU’RE STUPIDIER!”

  We stopped yelling for a moment and just stood there glaring at each other. Then all of a sudden, we both burst into laughter.

  “Did you hear the echo? That was fun!” Caterpillar giggled.

  “I know, right?” I smiled.

  “Why didn’t you talk to me? Are you still mad at me?”

  “Of course not! I thought you probably didn’t feel like… talking that’s all?” I shrugged.

  “Oh… I see.” Caterpillar turned back and resumed walking. “Hey, Beanie. Can I ask you a question?”

  “Sure. We have six months. Ask as many as you want?” I stuck out my tongue.

  “Is Beanie your real name or just a nickname?”

  “Ummm… I guess… both?” I tilted my head. “I never knew my parent or any relatives. People in the orphanages called me that because… when they found me as a baby the only thing I had on was this beanie.”

  “Ahhh, I see.” He sighed.

  “How about you?”

  I asked.

  “Oh. My real name is Vincent. Achilles is Leon. Popcorn is Claire.”

  “Did you have a family before coming to the orphanage?”

  “We did… but that was like… so long ago… Mommy was a very beautiful nurse and daddy was a policeman. Popcorn told me they met in the hospital when daddy got hurt on the job.”

  “Wow, that sounds like one of those romantic movies!” I exclaimed.

  “Yeah, I guess… but I was so little when we… lost them. I didn’t remember too much, you know…”

  I nodded quietly.

  “After the funeral all of our aunts, uncles and a lot of other people came to our house, all dressed in black. They all talked to us in a soft voice and looked at us with pity. In the evening, when there were only few uncles and aunts left, I heard them arguing about daddy’s money and who was going to take care of us. Popcorn, Achilles and I were sitting in the back yard looking at the sunflowers mommy grew. They were usually so pretty when mommy was still there… but on that day… they were all dead.”

  “In the end, none of them took us in, can you believe that? I guess it was because my dadd
y didn’t leave any savings, so they sent us to the orphanage… and that was another nightmare.”

  “I got really sick when we moved there. They had to put me in a private room. Popcorn took care of me but also got sick. Achilles was all by himself, and everyday he was beat up pretty badly by the other kids.”

  “WHAT!? Our Achilles? No way!” I frowned.

  “Hard to believe now, right?” Caterpillar laughed. “He used to be this sweet guy. He was daddy’s favor and everyone adored him. I remembered he would always kiss and hug me goodnight before bed. I loved it when he would say ‘I’ll see you tomorrow!’ I knew it was silly but that would always make me feel like someone was looking forward to seeing me again… you know?”

  I nodded quietly again.

  “But he really had a hard time with those bad kids. He tried to be friends with them but they just beat him up for no reason. I guess that was why he changed… But Achilles is not as bad as you think, he has a good heart.”

  “I believe you.” I said.

  “Luckily, after few months they transferred us to Laketuh House. It’s a nice place, and of course Achilles got to be the one to bully the other kids. Haha.”

  “Tell me about it!” I shouted.

  “Laketuh House is such a strange place, don't you think so? The kids there are so weird.”

  I nodded frantically.

  “I remembered this one day, a girl… I think her name was Stephanie. She took Popcorn away.”

  “Away? What do you mean?”

  “You wouldn’t believe it. Popcorn was gone for three years.”

  “THREE YEARS!?”

  “Yes, three years.” Caterpillar scratched his head. “She never told us where she went. They just disappeared one day. I thought she got adopted, but Ms. Crystal always just ignored me when I asked about Popcorn. And then one day, after three years, they showed up again! Just like that!!! It was so weird just to think about it. But I was so happy to have her back that I didn’t care where she went, just as long as she didn’t leave again. Then without warning Stephanie left Laketuh House. It was after that Popcorn started bringing Achilles, Einstein, Da Vinci, Nightingale and Moon to the lake, but I was never allowed to go in until you came.”

  “Really? But WHY?” I asked.

  “Who knows!? I told you it’s a strange place.” He shook his head. “AND, finally when they let me for first time I crashed my head and passed out. The second time… yesterday… and then Popcorn…”