Two.

My father was a believer of spiritual beings, he believed we were controlled by an unseen force and if we were to prosper we should please them. A self-proclaimed Shaman had come to town, although they weren’t considered as powerful as they were before, my father still insisted on calling the man home and help us ward off any evil force that pertained in our house. His company had been suffering from a loss; he believed the Shaman could tell why and put maybe put an end to it.

So the man was called, he was rather terrifying with his distant eyes that apparently communicated with the spirits. He had taken a tour of the house but his eyes were finally fixated on me.

“It’s the child,” he announced.

“She’s the bad omen.”

My mother huffed, saying something along the lines of ‘we should have known’. My father frantically looked around.

“What are we supposed to do?” he asked desperately.

The shaman’s eyes gleamed.

“Well I have a solution,” he said rather wickedly.

“Well then fix it. You’ll receive anything you demand for,” my father said.

I could see the Shaman triumphing in victory, Nana was right, he just wanted a reward and my father would do anything.

The Shaman gazed at me again.

“The child needs to be locked up in a room without sunlight for a month. The room needs to be empty; no one is allowed to go inside.”

He then proceeded to tie a loop of beads around my wrist, chanting the most atrocious phrases I had heard.

Once he was done he turned towards my anxious father; I could see my sister grinning heinously.

“By the end of the month, prosperity shall come your way.”

With that the creepy old man had left and I was locked up in a room with no sunlight.

I was merely eight and I was terrified of darkness.

Shanghai, 1981

The Yang family was preparing for an exquisite banquet that would be held in lieu of the elder daughter’s engagement. She was to be wedded to the heir of one of the most influential political ministers in the town. They wanted nothing short of perfection; the preparations had begun well before.

Michelle frowned at the tailing secretary. He had been following her ever since she had set foot in her house. It was also one of the rare occasions when she had been rather sober. It also explained her growing irritation. She halted on her tracks and turned back abruptly causing the man to almost bump into the girl.

“Must you follow me everywhere I go?” she snarled.

The man bowed slightly before answering. “Yes, those were the exact orders I received.”

Hissing loudly, she turned back to make her way up the stairs.

“Where are you going, Young Miss?” The secretary followed the girl who had been taking agile steps towards wherever she was headed.

“To my father’s bar. There’s no other way I could get through this.”

“I advise against it, Young Miss. It would not be a wise decision to show up at your family dinner inebriated.”

“Nobody’s asking for your ineffectual advices. I doubt if your ‘orders’ included any of that.”

She eyed the translucent jade bottle that lay on the top shelf; tip-toeing on her heels she tried to retrieve the bottle. The man tried his best to mask his amusement; she was overtly short to reach the shelf.

“May I?” he asked in an amused manner.

The girl huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. She knew he was rather pleased with the situation. He handed her the bottle after dusting of the sides. The girl uncorked the bottle with her teeth, flinging the cork aside to gulp down the contents.

“You should take it easy, Young Miss.”

“Do not tell me what to do,” she snapped.

When she was done she took staggering steps towards the dinner table with the secretary walking close behind her, making sure she watched her step. She giggled slightly when she settled down, completely avoiding the glares from her mother.

Her eyes caught sight of an unfamiliar man seated right across her, next to her sister. The man had been blatantly staring at her ever since she sat down. She smirked knowingly. “Welcome brother-in-law. You must not be acquainted with me. I’m Michelle.

And I’d appreciate it if your eyes were trained on my face rather than my chest when I’m speaking to you.” She flashed him a sickeningly sweet smile while the man grew flustered for being caught.

“Michelle, go to your room now,” her mother barked even before the girl could pick up the cutlery and dine.

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