I turned around quickly to realise Rong had gone off before us. I told my brother
to follow me while I followed Rong's trail as best as I can. As we walk, I feel
my body bigger and bigger, then I realised what was happening, the cave was
becoming narrower as we go. Then my brother said he have to stop and will try
to go and get some help, just in case.
"Are you sure you can go back?" I asked.
"Yeah, go on," Shaktar replied.
I continued walking and though I saw a glimpse of Rong. He kept on moving,
even though I called several times, as though whatever was at the end of the
passage is a magnet and Rong was being pulled in slowly by an invisible force.
I finally caught up with Rong and we walked a little more until we reached a
dead end.
"What? We walked all this way for a dead end?" I said.
"Shhhh. Be patient. Let me think," Rong replied.
"What is there to think about? It's a dead end."
"Open," he said, and to my amazement, the walls began to part away, leaving
another passage.
Rong began to walk again. I know that whatever I say right now wouldn't matter
so I followed him. We turned around a bend and saw a city made of ice! We walked
forward some more and I noticed that atmosphere was warm so it wasn't made of
ice, but of …crystal!
"Hello, I'm the governor here. May I ask where you're from, you must be around
here to get into here," an old Lupe walked up to us and said.
"I'm Rong, do you remember, Lupa?" Rong replied.
"Rong? Are you that little cute Wocky that used to hang around here until
we were separated?" the Lupe said.
I started to lie back against the wall and dozed off for a moment because
the conversation was getting boring, especially if I don't even know what they're
talking about
***
"Hey, wake up," I heard someone say and it turned out to be Rong.
"What happened?" I asked.
"This is my home."
"I thought your home was back at the hotel."
"No that's my temporary home. This is my real home," Rong explained, although
I can't imagine living 3000 something years in a house and not call it a home.
"Yes, he can." I heard a voice
"What, who said that?" I said.
"I did," a Wocky who looked almost identical to Rong answered.
"Mina!" Rong shouted.
"Hello, Rong."
"I didn't know you could speak English," Rong said.
"I studied it while you were gone."
"Where's Mom and Dad?"
"At our house, as usual."
"Let's go!" Rong said.
"Aren't you forgetting someone?"
"Oh, forgive me. Leli this is Mina, Mina, this is Leli. Bye now," Rong quickly
introduced us and rushed off.
"Yup, that's my brother."
"He's your brother?" I asked.
"Yes," she replied.
"Do you have an English name I can use?"
"It's Mina."
"Wow, that's a pretty name, maybe we should catch up with your brother now,"
I suggested.
"Okay," she said
"What?"
"It means okay."
"May I ask one question?" I asked while we were walking.
"You know before when I thought to myself about Rong and the house, how did
you know what I was thinking?"
"It's my gift. Each one of us has special powers. We just have to find it
in ourselves. I can read minds, my brother can move things mentally, my dad
knows how to make food out of nowhere and my mom can make clothing appear out
of thing air. Even you have a gift inside you."
"Me? No, I'm not one of you."
"I never said you have to be one of us," she said as she walked off to
open the door of here house. I was too interested in the conversation to even
realise that I had reached Rong's house.
"Welcome to our house," a Wocky whom I assumed was Rong's dad, said.
"Hi," I said nervously.
"Could I interest you in this delicious apple pie?"he said as he handed me
a slice of an apple pie that appeared in his hand.
"Thank you," I said as I ate the pie hungrily.
"Oh, Leli, you're here. You know how my husband is, always so boastful about
his talent to new people. Is that a tear I see in your shirt?" another Wocky
entered the room, which I supposed was Rong's mom, and handed me a nice blue
shirt.
"And you said I was boastful?" he said.
"Well, you are!" she said.
"Oh, hi Leli, these are my parents." Rong entered the room.
"Where is your sister, Rong?" I asked
"Here I am, everyone!" Mina said as she handed everyone a wreath of beautiful
coloured flowers.
"You have to excuse my sister, she greets people by giving them flowers,"
Rong said.
"No, it's fine, I think they're wonderful."
That night, everyone ate to their fullest and I was made another pair of pants
and shoes by Rong's mom.
"So do you know where I should go next, Rong?" I asked him at night while
we were in our rooms.
"I don't know, but it's got to be in this town. You never know, the answer
might just be under your nose sometimes," he replied.
I slept very uneasy that night, although I don't remember why, but I did remember
something about the quote, "A new beginning doesn't have to e a bad one, you
just have to find the right one." When I woke up the next day, it was like a
dream come true, more like a nightmare come true, actually.
***
"Hey, wake up, you pig! That's enough sleep you're getting already!" I opened
my eyes and realised it was Rong.
"Wake up and start working, this isn't a free place, you know," he continued.
"What's wrong? This isn't like you," I said.
"Oh well things change. Get on with it. Now, go sweep the house," he commanded
so I got up to get a broom.
"What do you think you're doing?"
"Sweeping the house, as you told me to."
"You're not working in those clothing. Take these," he said as he handed me
a ragged shirt and pants.
I got dressed in the ragged clothing and began to sweep the house until I
got to the kitchen where Rong's parents looked like they were arguing.
"Now look what you did! You got soup all over my shirt," Rong's mom said.
"Well, stop going in the kitchen then. I'm then one who's doing all the cooking
so you have no business doing here," his dad said.
"I see no point of you being in the kitchen at all if you can make food appear
out of your hand. What do you thing you're doing here listening in on our conversation?"
at this point she looked at me angrily so I decided it's better to leave.
I kept on sweeping and stopped in front of Mina's bedroom. She's the only
one left who I can trust.
"Come in, I know you're here," Mina said as I opened the door and saw that
she was crying.
"What's the matter?" I asked, although I already know what the answer was
going to be.
"It's my family, they're acting very strange and mean."
"Well, I'm sure they're just grouchy for today."
"No, everyone is mean to me today. I went outside to greet everyone, as I
always do every morning, but no one is who I thought they were anymore!" she
started crying again. I tried to comfort her, but no matter how hard I tried,
nothing would work, so I continued working until night-time.
"What happened to my bed?" I said as I saw my bed was gone.
"It was taking too much space so I moved it," Rong said.
"What am I going to sleep on?"
"The floor, what else?"
I also slept uneasily that night, but luckily, I woke up by myself and not
by the sound of Rong. I was hoping today would be better and more fulfilling
especially to my stomach because all I got yesterday was a bowl of mud-like
looking thing for dinner and it tasted like it too. I heard the sound of footsteps
coming towards me and I was also hoping that it would be the cheery Rong whom
I used to know, but at last, it was too good to be true.
"What did you do to my sister?" he asked.
"I... nothing, no," I replied, I thought it would be safer not to mention
about yesterday.
"Well, she's missing now, and I know you had something to do with it!" Rong
yelled as he left the room.
I fell to the floor, analysing what had happened. Everyone was fine when I
got here and then everyone turned evil the next day, everyone except Mina, and
now she's gone. I threw my pillow across the room in anger and a note fell out.
It was the paper I wrote the quote from the other night because I thought it
was an excellent quote. I never paid attention to it since. "A new beginning
doesn't always have to be bad". Yeah right. Look at me, I'm worse than bad.
Except… Mina did make it much better for me so now, if I want a good beginning,
I have to find Mina! That's it! I already know that Mina's missing and I'm going
to try and find her anyway, so this paper is useless, unless I can find her!
I went outside and tried to find her, but it was hopeless. I tried asking
the villagers, which was even worse because most of the replies were: "Get away
or I'll make you!" or "Don't know, don't care." I crouched in a corner of Rong's
house after all that searching and thought about Mina until I fell asleep.
***
I dreamt that I was in the mountains to the North of the town and I found
a key with a symbol of the Earth on it. I tried to find a door in the mountains
that will open with this, but I failed. Suddenly, the ground began to part away,
and I started to fall slowly down. On the way down, I saw a huge hole formed
from the upper ground above the village and my brother fell in, then my dad,
mom, and all the people I know.
I woke up suddenly to find the key right in front of me, and before what I
know I was doing, I was running towards the mountain, clutching the key hard
in my hand as if it contained my life. I searched and searched for a door and
I failed yet again. I sat down on the barren dry grass and imagined if the nightmare
will come true. I was so mad, I threw the key as hard as I can and it hit something
with a "clink". I know that is not the sound of the key hitting dirt, but of
the key hitting something hard. I walked towards where the key lay and I saw
it! I saw the door! It was hidden away by the dirt that was covering it, making
it look like part of the mountain. I recovered the key and dug some of the dirt
away from the door. I pressed the key into the door, since there was no hole
for me to insert the key in. Nothing happened! I can't believe after all this
time and nothing happened! Frustrated, I kicked the door and it slowly opened!
I walked straight or as best as I could walk straight because the place was
in pitch darkness after I went in a few fee from the door. As I walk, I noticed
that the place was getting damper and it was harder to walk because my shoe
kept sticking to what I think is mud, but I kept on walking. I kept on walking
and walking for what seemed like hours and suddenly, a bright light was turned
on around me.
To be continued... | 
