A Lost Ghost

Chapter 13: Slipping Through The Black

Mei-Xing looks over, her eyes widening, the blood draining from her face. The soldiers all have their backs turned, listening to whatever Cheung is saying. I don't care about what happens to me anymore, but I can't let Cheung and Daiyu be punished because of me. I push open the doors and reach out, snatching my helmet off her head. I slip back into the closet and quietly close the door. Daiyu turns and stares at the closet, her brows narrowed in confusion.

"Daiyu!" Mei-Xing snaps. The soldiers turn to see nothing more than a confused little girl standing in the hallway. It's not until now that I realize I'm holding my breath. I let out a sigh of relief. Mei-Xing walks over to Daiyu, whispers something in her ear, and then pushes her back towards the room. Mei-Xing's dark eyes flick to mine. Only for a split second before turning back towards the soldier.

I just saved your daughter's life. If you rat me out now, you seriously don't have a heart.

More soldiers pour into the house. I don't know exactly why they're here, but I figured it's probably just to get some rest. It's probably mandatory to house soldiers if they need it during wartime. Hours go by with them still here. I sit down in the closet, hiding in between the puffy jackets. I place my helmet on my knees and run my fingers over the smooth surface. To pass time and try to relieve some of the anxiety, I think about one of my favorite flights. It wasn't eventful at all. It was just a patrol mission. Hurricane, Ghost, Matrix, and I flew around the Pacific Ocean during golden hour. I'll never forget that shade of orange that painted the sky. Everything was perfect up there. My leg wasn't injured, my stomach wasn't constantly growling, and I wasn't plagued with constant anxiety and nightmares. Just me, my friends, the orange sky, and my jet.

More hours went by. Mei-Xing made food for the whole platoon. I can smell her cooking through the slit of the door. My stomach growls. It smells like chicken drenched in soy sauce. My mouth waters, my stomach rumbling until it starts to hurt. My legs are beginning to cramp, too, because of how tight and uncomfortable this tiny space is. I kinda have to pee, too, which is just icing on the friggin cake. Finally, night falls, and the soldiers fall asleep in the living room. I don't get much sleep, though. How can I, with a bunch of my enemies lurking around? I keep staring through the slit, praying that none of them get curious and open the closet door. Or that they don't go into my room and see my flight suit on the chair. Or the bandages in the trash can. I bite my cheek as something tickles within my nose.

Oh no. No, no, no.

The tickle grows stronger and stronger, traveling through my nose and into the center of my head. I slam my hands over my nose and mouth, squeezing my nostrils shut to try and stop the sneeze. It doesn't work. I sneeze. It comes out loud, sounding like an elephant because I'm holding my nose. My heart sinks as a soldier lifts his head. My breath hitches. He stares in my direction for a long time. He stands up. I shoot up and sink back into the puffy coats. I glance around, looking for a way to hide. I grab my helmet with one hand and the rack with the other. I curl my legs up into my chest and place my helmet on top of my knees. I push the coats in front of me and hold my breath as the doors open. I can't see the soldier's face, but I can see his boots. My arms start to tremble and ache as I hold myself up. He pushes the right side of the coats. Then the left. My blood freezes.

I can just barely make out his arm, slowly coming towards me, about to move the coats that are covering me up. Another door opens. I glance out an opening to see Daiyu standing in her doorway, wiping her nose as if she had just sneezed. She and the soldier stare at each other. The soldier backs up and closes the doors. I let out a sharp breath and drop my feet. I peek through the slit in the door to see the soldier walking back towards the living room. I lean my head against the wall, close my eyes, and sigh. I love that kid.