Ten Miles of Memories (Fanfic)

Chapter 2: A Brand New Start

        Gripping tightly to the blanket I was ashamed for eating the food that wasn't mine because this wasn't my home. 

  "Good Morning Xiu", she smiled at me gracefully coming toward the bed, placing the fruit basket beside me. 

  How does she know who I am?, I'm a stranger in this place, to be given good food and respect yet how do I deserve all of this?, I only watched carefully keeping my mouth shut trying not to show my face from under the covers. 

   "Come on, why hide under the blankets all day?, I have brought you some fruit that your uncle  made me pick, it was not an easy job."

     She sighed heavily taking the covers off me. I turned over trying to keep the blanket on me but with her strength against my weak body, she ripped it right off me with a swift motion. 

  I paused for a moment as I sat upright, looking at her funny, "I...have an Uncle?" hesitating I was confused. Ma'ma never told me Papa had a brother? she said that Papa was the only child in his family the others died at birth did not make it. 

     With all these new information running wild inside my head I could not take all of this in. For a child, it was too much to bare knowing all this at once.

   Slowly my memory came back to me, I remember hot burning flames filling up all the rooms and ma'ma shoving me inside a small tight closet, and a strange figure lurking before me. 

    I turned to face that strange girl quickly and grabbed her arms, " Look!, this place is not safe!, I never did have an uncle my father never had a brother!" shaking her I got up quickly trying to drag her out of this small hunt. 

 She pushed me back down on the bed, shoving the bowl of fruit on my lap. Giving me the death stare as if it was the devil himself standing before giving his last words before I died by his hand. 

 " Look here! you are crazy and need to relax", she sat next to me grabbing a piece of fruit out of the bowl and peeling the skin off. " Your mother never really told you the truth to keep you out of her way, your father does have a brother and he lives here in this beautiful place".

   Before I could speak she shoves an orange in my mouth to keep me quiet, " Your uncle is The High God that rules over these woods, he is a wine god who drinks", she quickly ate the orange and began eating the peaches, there was a moment of silence between us.

   I could not believe my uncle was a drinker!?, and on top of that, he is one of the High Gods too!?!?, which does not make any sense at all. How could someone become a High God pass the mortal realm test and rule a land while drinking and having fun? 

   "So...he is a player?" I looked at her with a shocked expression.

  She started to laugh choking on her food, slapping my back. I was even more confused about what was happening. "BWAHAHA!, that is to far my friend, he is not a player, take a look outside",  her fingers poting straight at the trees, " Do you see those fruit on them?", I looked at where she was pointing at the peaches. With a calm reply, I added, "Yes, what about them?"

  "Wellll..." she gets up and proudly stands before me, " What you see out there turns into a  sweet drink that is given out to the High Gods, here your uncle makes the best fruit drinks ever!" she smiles brightly as her mind wonders off.

  I looked down hanging my head low, she didn't even answer my question about how he is my uncle. With a heavy sigh, I clamped my hands together

    "So...what is your name, I don't know what to call you by", Peeking my head up slowly, glancing at her.

       She looked back at me, putting her hands at her side, "My name is Bai Quian, I'm from the fox clan", she smiled and spoke, "And your name is?" leaning close to me with her hands behind her back.

    I tried to speak but my words stumbled across my mouth, " X-iu....Z-hen", I coughed, clearing my throat out, covering my mouth.

   She eyed me closely gasping " Ohhh, wow your parents named you well, Xiu for charming and Zhen for being valuable, genuine and innocent" pausing in her thought she squinted at me.

      "You are quite valuable, the last heir to the throne...must be scary, everything is on your shoulders." Bai backed away, bring her hands to her chin "Just don't know if you are innocent" she gave an evil grin. 

 "Don't look at me like that!?" I bolted up from the bed standing up before her making her stumble backward. " I did not set a fire to my home!, I'd never hurt my family if that's what you are trying to say!" I blurted out my frustration at her, was she trying to pick a fight with me right now. 

   "Whoa easy, they're easy, I didn't mean to make it sound that way. I was just joking, you are innocent." putting her arms around me she held me close to her tightly rubbing my shoulder,            "At least I got you to get up" snickering to herself Bai grabbed my hand tugging me out the door.

     "Wait where are we going!" I tried to let go of her grip as my feet were getting caught onto each other. 

   Bai shouted out ahead of me "We are going to meet your uncle, I know you have a few questions you have to ask him, so that's where we are going. 

   For the first time in my life, I felt as if I have just made a friend or an enemy. Not knowing who is bad or good something is telling me that  I was brought here for a reason to live.