“Hey, would you look at that? It’s the ‘unicorn’!”

The older kids burst out laughing after. They pointed and mocked a young boy of the age of 7, who played ball by himself. His name was Zhang Yixing.

    Yixing looked up as the kids laughed. He didn’t understand what was so funny. So, he smiled at them, thinking they were playing with him. He never understood why they kept laughing at him. He didn’t do anything funny. He was only just 7.

“Oh look at him! What a poor baby he is! Keeps on smiling when the whole District turned against him!”

As Yixing heard this, he could feel his tiny heart sink. He didn’t like that feeling. He had a sort of feeling that the words of the older kids had truth to it…

Yixing was what everyone called…. Special. He would touch you and you would feel brighter. When you were sick, he would hold your hands as you felt better. It was strange. Nobody of the 5th District of Ahsgnahc had ever had the powers Yixing had. So they did what they thought was best… They shunned him.

The adults would yell at him to get out of their shops as their kids mocked him. Yixing thought it was maybe because they were grouchy or had a bad day. So he would keep going. Every day, they yelled while he just smiled, saying ‘Have a nice day’ or ‘Good day’. He didn’t understand that it was all useless even when he came home one day with bruises and scratches. It was from a game called ‘Break the Unicorn’s horn’. He was still beaming from ear to ear as he walked into his house, his wounds slowly healing themselves though, but his mother was different. His mother would cry every night when she thought little Yixing was asleep. But no… He would lie on his small futon, listening to her cries. He was just 7 years old…

Yixing just smiled as the elder kids laughed, and mocked him. “Hey, unicorn! Come here!” the eldest of the kids yelled. Yixing stood up, picking up his ball. He smiled grateful that the kids asked him to come close. He was so used to everyone shouting at him to get away. He held up his small red ball. “Gege’s, you want to play ball?” he asked, excited, not sure what the kids had in plan.

“Why play ball when we could play something better?” The eldest snorted as he snatched the red ball from little Yixing’s hands, handing it over to the other boys. Yixing looked up at the boy surprised.

One of the other boys threw the ball over their shoulders, causing Yixing to look around the boys at his ball. “Now, why don’t we play a game called, ‘How fast can the Unicorn heal’?” he smirked as he grabbed the young boy by the arm. Yixing blinked confused as the kids surrounded him.

“Hey! Let him go!”

They turned to see Yixing’s mother running to them. The kids scurried away expect one who glared at Yixing. “Little s***” He sneered before pushing the 7 year old on the ground.

Yixing landed hard on his but he didn’t complain or cry like every 7 year old, instead he looked up, not understanding.

“Jia! You-“Yixing’s mother began but looked at Yixing to see her son, looking at her. “Oh Yixing, I’m so sorry that I wasn’t here! Are you okay?” She whispered, getting on her knees, peering into her sons eyes. Yixing smiled at his mother, nodding. “Yes, Mommy. I’m fine! They were only playing with me!” He assured.

Yixing’s mother could only sigh, the opposite reaction than what he hoped for. “Yixing, please don’t get close with Jia and his friends anymore.” She said, holding her son. Yixing frowned at his mother’s request. “But they’re my friends.” He said, pushing away to look at his mother’s face.

“Yixing they-“

“They like me Mommy! They wanted me to come close to them! They wanted to play!” Yixing cried out, his tears now coming. He didn’t understand. Why was his mother trying to take away his friends? Was she not crying because nobody wanted him nearby? Was she not crying because the kids avoided playing ball with him? If so, why was she taking away his ‘friends’?

Yixing’s mother looked at her son’s eyes firm. “Yixing, you do not go near or speak to those boys. THEY are not your friends. You will not come around here anymore. You will play outside of our house. Do I make myself clear? “She asked in a soft but firm tone.

Yixing looked down crying silently. He had to obey. It was his mother that was telling him. The only one he chose to listen to. “Yes, Mommy…” It wasn’t fair… He was just 7…

The next day, Yixing sat outside of his house, picking out the flowers. He loved the flowers that grew from the garden. They grew the prettiest in his opinion. Right now, he was deciding between the red rose and the pink tulip for his mother. Her birthday was coming up.

“Yixing! Come inside!”

Yixing looked over his shoulder, shouting. “Yes, Mommy!” He looked back to pick between the two beautiful flowers. He scrunched his face into a frustrated one. He chewed on his bottom lip softly before the greatest idea came up. He smiled gleeful as he grabbed both flowers. Why not? His mother did deserve more than one flower!

Yixing carried his flowers, running into his small house. “Mommy! Mommy! Look, I got you more flowers!” he cried, tugging on his mother’s ragged dress. His mother looked down, before smiling wide to see the flowers. “Aw, my Yixingie… You didn’t need to. I have more from the last times.” She smiled. Yixing grinned bashfully as his mother kissed his cheek before taking his gift. “Thank you, Yixing. Mother will take care of them.” She promised as she went over to one of her vase to set them by the hundreds of other flowers. All were still very beautiful, as if they were just picked out today instead of months or years ago.

Yixing grinned before sitting down at the table. “Mommy! When I’m done eating, can I go play again?” he asked, smiling gleefully. His mother squinted her eyes at him playfully as she set down his plate and her own. “Hmmm, I don’t know… I just want my Yixing inside, where I am.” She teased, sitting down.

Her teasing backfired as Yixing just grinned, responding, “Then I’ll take Mommy outside and play with her!” His mother smiled, touched that her son was as pure as an angel. “Alright, we can go play outside, AFTER you finish eating.” She smiled. Yixing grinned wide

“Alright!” he cried before eating his food. His mother giggled gently before holding her cup of tea and bringing it to her lips. Yixing gleamed as he could taste the amazing taste of his mother’s love in his food. He looked up, about to say thanks until he noticed a small drop fall. He looked into his mother’s eyes to see her cry.

“Mommy… Why are you crying?” Yixing asked, his voice soft. His mother looked at him surprised. He watched as her hand wiped away the tears. “O-Oh nothing! Mommy’s just tired, I guess.” She whispered with a smile. Yixing brought his eyebrows close in worry. His mother smiled, before resting her hand on Yixing’s cheek. “It’s ok, Yixingie… Mommy’s fine.” She assured.

 Yixing didn’t say anything but hugged his mother. “I don’t want to see Mommy cry anymore.” He whispered, nuzzling himself in his mother’s beautiful hair. His mother gently hugged Yixing as if he was fragile. Yixing was only 7 years old…

“Mommy! Look!” Yixing cried, running to his mother. His mother looked over to see butterflies, resting on his finger. She blinked, surprised they didn’t fly off since he was making so much movement. “Their beautiful!” she exclaimed, noticing their pure colors. One was white while the other was black, like the Yin and Yang.

“Their names are Snow and Rain!” Yixing proudly said. His mother only laughed at her child’s statement. “Those are beautiful names, which one is Snow?” she said, thinking that the white one was obviously Snow. Yixing pointed at the black one. “This one! The other is Rain!” he smiled. “But Snow should be the white one.” His mother frowned.

Yixing smiled wide. “No, Rain is Rain because when he flies he looks sad and down. But when Snow flies, she flies graceful and pure!” he responded. He gently petted their wings with his two fingers, before looking up to his mother to meet her amazed eyes. He only smiled, before letting them take off.

Yixing watched as the butterflies flowed the way he said they did. He didn’t understand how they were in the garden in the first place.  He was just looking through for pretty rocks when he saw them, dead with wings ripped. He held them in his hand, sad that they were dead. He only blinked when he saw them look lively on his hand. He gasped, stunned how they were just dead and now alive. But he didn’t care about that once he realized that he had butterflies in his hand.

Yixing smiled as he waved goodbye to the butterflies, before looking over to his mother who smiled. “Mommy, I found some pretty rocks! Come and see!” he cried, tugging on the hem of her dress. His mother laughed gently, following him.

 They sat down, admiring the beautiful rocks Yixing found. “They are beautiful, Yixing.” She whispered in all honestly. Yixing pouted. “No! They’re pretty! Beautiful is Mommy!” he huffed, hugging his mother’s arm. Yixing’s mother laughed, loving his cute self.

“Is this the Zhang family?”

The two turned to see a tall man wearing a black zhongsan with a black cap to accompany it. His mother stood up, frowning. “We are. Why? What do you need?” she asked. Yixing looked back and forth from both the adults. The man cleared his throat. “You know why I’m here.” He said gently.

Yixing looked at his mother to see the horror in her eyes. “Mommy?” he whispered, reaching for her dress until he was grabbed from the back. “AH!!” Yixing screamed. “N-NO! Leave him alone!” Yixing could hear his mother scream. “You know it’s the best for him!” he heard the man shout at her.

Yixing tried to punch the man holding him, screaming with tears b in his eyes. “Mommy!!!” he yelled, reaching over the person’s shoulder. He could see two other men, dressed in white, holding back his mother. “Yixing!! My baby!!” she cried. Yixing never wanted to see his mother cry again. Not in front of him.

The man pushed Yixing in the back of some vehicle. “Mommy!!” He kept crying, looking at the back window to see his mother on her knees, crying. “Mommy!!!” He yelled as the vehicle began to move… Moving further and further away from his mother…. Yixing was only 7 years old….

[ EXPERIMNET:        YIXING, ZHANG

  :               M

  AGE:               7

  NO.:               #5

  EXP. NO:           #1

 ABLIITES:           HEAL

 CAPTURE:            SUCCESS ]