Lost Memories | A Liskook Adaptation

Chapter 18: Prologue to T

Late night.

The temperature is rather cool at night in City Lan during the summer. The wind from Yangtze River blows from the North, moisturizing the entire city. Many people are already asleep, while many others have just begun their day.

In the central part of the city, there's an old district.

A forty or so year old man is standing on the balcony of his home shirtless while having a beer. Inside the apartment, his wife is cleaning up the dishes on the table and cursing at him at the same time.

A mosquito flies across. The man slaps his hand on his arm.

And then he's stunned.

It's because he seems to have heard a sound just now.

Like it came from his body.

He looks down, and is in shock.

On the left side of his chest where his heart is, a splat of red has appeared. He touches it with his hand ,it smells like red ink.

The man's expression changes. He stretches his neck to look down below and curses, "Which mother-f-r is shooting everywhere! Look after your own child! If I catch you shooting all over the place, be careful I'll come spank you!"Only silence responds to him.

Ten minutes later, at another neighbourhood not far away.

A young man is sitting on the sofa at home swaying his arms and legs non stop as he smokes and listens to music. This is a very dirty home; the original colour of the sofa cannot be made out anymore, the table is piled with take out boxes and water bottles, and flies are everywhere.

The music is turned on loud; the young man shakes and bops his head to it as if he is engulfed in his own world.

"Splat."

He seems to have heard a very faint sound, but he doesn't pay attention to it.

It's not until he gets up to go to the washroom and sees himself in the mirror that he notices that there's a red mark on the chest of his shirt. He frowns and touches it; it's a certain kind of red paint. He doesn't mind it too much, he closes his eyes, and starts swaying his body to the music again.

An hour later, far away at the entrance of the nightclub, Diamond Dynasty.

A group of youngsters come out with their arms around each other. They're well dressed, but are smothered with the smell of alcohol. One of the girls is wearing revealing clothes; suspenders that cannot be thinner, a mini skirt that cannot be shorter, and a pair of high heeled boots. One of the guys pinches her waist, and she pushes him away, "Go away!" Everyone starts laughing. The girl also laughs. She reaches out and pulls the guy back to her side again. They put their mouths together and start French kissing. Everyone around them are blowing whistles.

"Splat."

No one hears the sound. The group continues walking. When they arrive to the better lit parking lot, someone points to the girl's chest, "Hey, what's that? Are you bleeding?!"

Everyone looks towards her. The girl lowers her head, touches it, and finds out that it's red ink..

"Who did this?" she says annoyingly holding out her hand with red ink on it,and starts wiping it on the others' faces, "Who secretly smudged this on my chest? You're so hateful!"

The group fools around for a while and laughs together again. They finally hop onto two vibrant coloured sports cars and drive away.

The night gradually becomes quiet again.