A man was washing his wounded knee by the riverbank, his blood being carried down the river.

Zitao approached the running river; he kneeled down and cupped water with his hands. He raised his hands to his lips and drank it in one go, he felt refreshed. Standing up from his squatting position, his vision suddenly blurred and his steps became light. He shut his eyes and tries to shake off the dizziness; instead he fell against the hard ground landing on his back.

Ga In was making her way towards the location she had promised to meet up with Zitao, after his return from a short hunting trip. A large gray rock sat in the center of a region with leaves falling from all directions around. Ga In leans against it and scan the surroundings for any sign of Zitao. The sound of footsteps traveling through the dead leaves from a distant away caught Ga In’s attention; she shot up from her leaning position and smiled brightly at nothing. A man was cursing as he takes every heavy lumping step passing Ga In, and she noticed his left knee was poorly wrapped with a rag. She smelled blood.

“Zitao!” Ga In called while she ran along the river. “Zitao! Are you here?!” She worried. She glanced around hastily, and came to a stop when she saw fresh blood on a rock. She squat down gasping, hoping the blood was not his, as she ran her fingers over the blood. Bringing it up, she smelled it and her eyes grew wide. Human blood. At a far distant she saw Zitao lying on the ground near the river, “Zitao!” she shouted catching her breath and ran to his side. She called him a few times after lifting his head up and embracing it tightly. Zitao winched at the sound of her voice and slightly open his eyes.

“Zitao! Come to your senses!” She called still gripping his head, she heard him mumbled and move to lock eyes with him.

“Ga In….” he calls softly. Ga In places one hand over his cheeks; he saw tears forming in her eyes through his blurry vision. “I-I