Light Against Shadows

Chapter 14

Yunlan didn't know what to say to that, should he start arresting shadows now?

He tried to not show his scepticism.
"Shadows are bad. Got it."

Yunlan was never a good actor.
Wei's expression was hard and serious, the amusement of a few moments before had vanished and Wei felt angry again. He rose to his feet.

"Are you mocking me? I don't appreciate being patronised as if I was crazy. Think what you want but I am NOT crazy!"

"No no, I don't think you're crazy, but you're talking about nice ghosts and evil shadows, I mean, if the world is full of these why have I never noticed anything, it does sound a bit, you know, weird..."

Wei began pacing the room in anger.

Yunlan stood up as well. "I admit that shadows are strange things but to call them evil..."

"Stop patronizing me! I've had enough of that! I've been told that I was crazy all my life. My parents hoped dr Wang would cure me, as if there was a cure to this. It's just who I am, there's nothing they could do about it, and neither can you."

"I never said that you're crazy." His previous encounter with Mr Song, when he had said that Wei had mental problems, flashed through his brain, but Yunlan ignored it.

"I can see it in your face, you think you need to handle the situation tiptoeing around the subject. You're just like them, you think I should be locked up, don't you?"

"No! Listen, I understand that you're angry at everything that happened to you, but your mom and dad only wanted what was best for you, they were probably worried..."

Yunlan was trying to reason with him. Wei was slowly raising his voice more and more, he was clearly upset, but honestly, what parent wouldn't have been worried having a child like that?

Yunlan had not been there but that article was a clear example. A kid had fallen down the stairs and Wei had blamed an invisible friend.

Wei stopped his words with newfound bitterness.
"Worried? You think they were worried?"

"Of course, as your parents I'm sure they loved you and..."

Wei interrupted him again, and now he was practically shouting.
"Love? If they loved me so much why did I never see them again? Why did they leave me?"

As the words shot out of his mouth, Wei froze. It was the first time he actually confronted his parents disappearance.

Yunlan caught it again, the pain behind the anger.
"You do, you blame them for abandoning you! As if they had a choice. They died, Wei!"

"So what! They could have stayed behind..."
It was painful to talk about it now. For ten years he had been wondering why he had never seen either of them.

"You should wish peace for their souls. If they could they'd be here with you now, I'm sure they never wanted to die and leave you behind."

"You don't understand. They knew I would have been able to see them. After all I went through, I could have finally proved it to them, that I was never crazy!"

A tear threatened to fall out of his eyes, so he turned his head away abruptly and summoned his anger to the surface as a way of defending himself, a barrier from the outside world.

Yunlan finally heard some words that made sense to him.
"Evidence, now that's something I can understand alright. I don't wish to die to find it though. Try to be rational, please. It wasn't their choice..."

"Oh, you'd like to have proof, wouldn't you? I have learned a few things over the years. If you want proof, I can give you proof."

Yunlan was out of his comfort zone, he had met crazy people before but never one he actually cared about, and he didn't know what to do.