A tingle ran down my spine as the day closely fell to an end, the temperature was rapidly dropping down and I was wearing a denim jacket with a pair of black jeans and sneakers. I checked the time again and realised that I have been wandering around aimlessly for half an hour.

Is there an end to this dust field?

Suddenly, I spotted a silhouette in the distance. Around ten meters ahead of me. I fastened my pace and hopefully ask for directions. I had to admit that I was lost now.

Lost.

The one word that appears multiple times in my dictionary but each with a different story behind it. I hated that word. If it was an object, I would like to trample on it until it’s disorientated and unrecognisable.

-----

“Are you okay?”

I stopped rubbing my eyes and dropped my teddy bear. The kind lady picked it up and handed it back to me.

“I’m lost!” I mumbled as I try to speak coherently through my tears.

“Don’t worry, I’ll take you to reception and they will be able to find your Mummy and Daddy,” the woman said gently, “Don’t cry now.”

She held my small hand and guided me to the front desk. I was young and getting lost in a theme park isn’t that hard. I waited and looked around eagerly.

“Raine!”

I heard my mother shout my name and I turned to the direction of her voice behind me.

“Mummy!”

“Oh, thank God, I thought I won’t ever find you again!”

She hugged my tightly as she sniffled and sobbed.

-----

As I walked closer and closer towards the figure, it seems to be getting further and further away from me. The shadow wasn’t moving an inch yet it was impossible to reach.

“Excuse me!” I shouted, “I need some help, can you help me please!”

The shadow didn’t turn around but slowly, I saw a cloud of thick fog surrounding the figure. As the mist rose, the shadow disappeared along with the mist. Gone, just like that. There for a second and next it has vanished. I rubbed my eyes thinking that my mind was hallucinating. I didn’t believe what my eyes saw. The dust has probably just got into my eyes. I continued walking, by now, my legs were aching and my suitcase was covered in dust as I dragged it across the ground.

All of a sudden, the ground beneath me trembled. I jumped in shock.

What is happening?

Is this an earthquake?

I looked around me and slowly, something was appearing from under the sandy surface. Quickly, I took a step back as one suddenly popped out from under my feet. What is this?

After a few minutes of continuous trembling, it came to an abrupt halt. Everything was silent again. Even the wind has died down. I can hear myself breathing loudly and all around me, it felt like time has stopped but I was still in motion. I looked up at the sky.

Has the clouds stopped moving?

Is that a bird hovering in midair?

The stillness of the surrounding was haunting me. And the grey rocks exploding from the ground turns out to be tombstones. I spun around and looked beneath me. There was more than fifty around me and each had a name engraved delicately on them. I took a closer look at one of them.

In memory

Li Xiao Xiang

1973-1991

Who is she? Only then did I realise that I was stood in the middle of a cemetery. The odd thing was that there was no wind, no spine chilling feelings or evocative voices around me, just a deafening silence.

There was a small path which led me out of the graves. Tall trees stood majestically over the path on either side. There were no leaves on them, just branches which reached out in different directions. I walked faster. This place was starting to freak me out. I could see the end of the path ahead of me but then there was another footstep closely behind me. They stepped on a branch which cracked and I twisted my head back to see who it was.

No one.

Have I stepped onto some unknown territory?