The story of a missing child's case, where a child was said to travel from California to Connecticut. The child's name was Ying Chai and has been missing for more than twenty-three years. No one knows where she is. Well, almost everyone…
February 17th 2025, Present time
After cleaning the dishes from me and my son having lunch, I dried my hands with my white towel. My son escaped upstairs to study, like I told him. Hopefully it would keep him busy for a while.
I went upstairs to my room, passing my son's room. I walk into my own room. I switched the light on and tread toward my large closet. I look up to my ceiling where a string leads to the attic. I pull on it slightly and the stairs come tumbling down. I go up the stairs with creaks and croaks of the old wood.
When I reached the top, I pulled the stairs up. There's a table in the middle of the attic, where bottles and different herbs are laid. Behind my table, is an empty space where burn marks stain the floor. I sat down at my table, my body ached terribly. The one thing that happens when you get old. I hunched over the table and reached for one of my small opals and royal ferns. Next to my table was a large, black pot that was already filled with a blue liquid.
I reached to the bottom of the pot and pulled out soaking wet lavender plants. I groaned in pain and now my arm was wet and itchy from my mixture. I growled as I itched my arm aggressively. I went over to my shelf with weirdly shaped bottles. I opened one and threw the cork to the side. I poured some of the off-white cream onto my arm and rubbed it aggressively until it foamed. I let it sit on my arm as I continued with my work.
I smashed the bones of frogs and poured in vinegar. A puff of smoke appeared from the pot and I breathed it in, and coughed almost uncontrollably. I waved my hand around my face to blow the smoke away. I coughed and coughed from the bad smelling smoke that entered my throat.
Once the smoke cleared I stirred the pot and rubbed my eyes of the terrible odor. It settled, the liquid now a teal colour. I sat back down in my chair and stared at it. I looked out the attic window and saw that snow had filled the air. I groaned softly. It was January and I like to decorate my attic with Lunar New Year decorations. I do not wish to but it is a part of my culture. I don't want to ruin my lanterns or my decorations. I usually decorate only a little bit because my husband is Asian-American and celebrates the Lunar New Year.
I got up and went back down to my closet. I shut the light off and closed off the entrance to the attic. I went back downstairs to the garage to a box labeled "Lunar Year"
I picked it up and brought it inside, setting it on the couch.
"Deacon! Come down and help me with decorations!" I yelled for my son.
I could hear his heavy feet come down the stairs. His face was saddened with despair and I could see bags under his eyes forming.
"Aw, you look so tired. You should take some medicine." I patted his face, rubbing my thumb on his freckles.
"No offense Mom, but whenever you give me your weird remedies, I start to feel sick." He complained with a saddened face.
"That just means that it's working. Now help me with these decorations. Maybe you can help me with the food later, how does that sound?" I asked, smiling at him.
He looked down at the ground, seeming to be sad and then sighed.
"Sure Mom, I'll help." Deacon sighed.
I smiled at him and patted his cheek again.
"Can you go get me a knife from the kitchen?" I asked.
He nodded and slumped to the kitchen for a knife. I looked at my arm again where I had itched it and it was now red and looked as if I had eczema. The wool garments I was wearing weren't helping the itch. My son came back quickly with the knife, still sad and gloomy. He handed me the knife and I opened the box. The itch was terrible, but I had to keep going so that I wasn't suspicious to my son.
We started to hang up the red and gold lanterns, and placed a gold cat on a table in the hallway. My arm itches even worse now but my son is still around and I can't just run to the attic for my ailments. The one time I don't want my son around me and he's standing six feet away. I had to come up with a lie quickly.
I was thinking until I heard the front door swing open. My husband was home from grocery shopping for Lunar New Year. Perfect.
"Ah, you know what Deacon? I really need to clean my closet, how about you get your father to help you, hm?"
Deacon sighed. "Sure Mom."
I smiled happily, relieved. "Thanks honey, I'll be back in a little bit."
I ran into my room and into my closet. I pulled down the stairs and climbed up them quickly. I slid my sleeve up and searched tirelessly for the bottle of the ailment that I needed. It was somewhere around here and I remember placing it on my shelf of treatments.
I growled when I found that it wasn't on my shelf. I looked behind me to the table and saw that it was open. The last time I had used it I guess I didn't put the cork back in. I groaned and swiped it. I knew this was it because it was labeled "Agun kaun hai"
I applied it on my arm and it healed almost instantly. I was relieved of the pain and constant itch.
I closed the bottle with a cork and placed it on my shelf. I felt a brush of wind pass me. Someone was up here with me, and it definitely wasn't my son or husband. I stood still until I felt the brush again and lunged my hand toward whoever was behind me. They caught my fist and I could see their smirk in the dim lighting. I knew who it was, but she still always tries to find a way to attack me.
"You let your guard down again, Iced Tea. I didn't teach you like that." Her voice was mocking but yet still elegant as usual.
I shove my fist out of hers, staring her down.
"Why can't you greet me like a normal person? Would it kill you?" I asked with a scowl.
"I was just making sure you still had those reflexes, most kids these days think that it is weak to have those. Their parents probably dropped them on the head or let them eat rocks. Shame" She walked around to my table and messed with my bottles, her voice in an elegant monotone.
"It's just a tactic to irritate each other, and they aren't taught like we were." I reasoned.
She scowled at me and then huffed.
"What are you even doing here? Don't you have more important things to do?" I asked in a bellowed manner.
"Your portal hasn't been activated in a while, I had to make sure you hadn't croaked yet." Elegance scoffed with a smirk.
I gave her a smug look, crossing my arms at her. She irritated me. She's only here for something, or to almost blow my cover.
"Why don't you leave now? I'm very much alive and my son will become suspicious of me for being up here this long." I said in a vulgar way.
"Deacon, that little tease. Isn't he twenty? What's he still doing in your house?" She asked coarsely.
"I said he could stay here until he got out of college, I couldn't bear to see my son go just yet."
"Wait, he actually got into a college to be a doctor? I really thought he was gonna fight back on that. I mean, it's a bit much on top of the forced uniform. I really thought he would've blown up at you already." Elegance laughed insolently. "I guess we aren't all meant to be fighters. What are you gonna do next? Make him marry some basic girl? Ha!"
Her ill-mannered words stung at my face. Her insults were annoying and hoarse. I guess she had nothing better to do.
"Well, I know plenty of women who would love to marry my son. I just want him to wait until he has a stable job." I retorted.
She glared at me, her smirk disappeared.
"Oh, dear child. I thought you didn't want your son to have a life like this. He looks as if he hasn't slept in days." Elegance grumbled.
"It's so that he is safe, I don't want him to get hurt."
"And you pick a doctor? That's not very safe, why couldn't he be a physician like you? That is safer and a little less stressful." Elegance's voice raised a little bit.
"This is my son, if you want a kid so bad I'm sure they're are plenty on the street or in the system. I know what is best for my son, so I suggest you leave." I thundered.
Elegance huffed and crossed her arms.
"I will be back later, Iced Tea." She gazed as she disappeared.
I stuck my tongue out at the black smoke that appeared when she left. I opened the attic door and jumped down the stairs. I closed the door and went back into the hallway. My husband was in the hallway hanging up decorations while my son stood and watched. I smiled as I walked up to them.
"How's everything going?" I asked.
"We're almost finished with the hallway, and then we can decorate the rest of the house." My husband grinned.
He came and hugged me from the side, nuzzling his head into mine. Deacon huffed and walked away. My husband kissed my cheek and walked me down the stairs, into the kitchen where Deacon was eating an apple and reading a book. I smiled at him and he gave back a half hearted smile and then back to his usual scowl. I have no idea what is wrong with that boy lately. I guess he's been spending too much time at his Grandpa's house. I bet he hates it there, but he does keep insisting that he goes to take care of his younger cousin, Charlie.
That little boy is eighteen, he doesn't need any help. Unless it is with getting a job. That boy still thinks that he'll become a famous singer in a small town like this. That reminds me, I should check on his mother.
I went up the stairs once again and opened a door to a room right next to mine. There, Myra. Charlie's mother, who was diagnosed with cancer when she found out she was pregnant with Charlie, who was then born premature. Luckily, we found it because she was pregnant with Charlie, if she wasn't, she might've died.
I just wish that boy would grow up, but it isn't his fault. His father died when he was just a little one.
Myra lifted her head up, and smiled, happy to see me.
"Are you feeling alright, Myra?" I asked with a gloomy face.
She looked way less sick than last time, and last time was when Charlie visited. Something is odd about that boy I swear.
"Beth, I'm feeling very well. I heard you and Deacon outside preparing for the Lunar New Year. Remember to bring some Pad Thai when you are finished cooking. It's my favorite."
The only reason that I've been able to keep her alive is because of my elixirs and potions. It's helping her and I could treat her fully, but then the doctors will become suspicious. Especially my husband, Dale. He would know that something was up.
"Of course, I will bring you some when we are finished." The sight of her condition was upsetting to me. "You should get some rest, I'll have Deacon bring up some water and sweet tea."
She nodded and drifted back to sleep. I'm afraid that one day she won't wake up and the thought of what Charlie would do and how he would react. Maybe I should have him and Dale's father come over tomorrow, maybe he'll bring the boy.
I went back downstairs to see my husband talking to my son about how he was doing in college. Deacon didn't even try to hide the despair. He doesn't know that we- no, me. He doesn't know that I know his sadness. His father is the most oblivious person I've ever met, one of the many reasons why I married him. But it seems Deacon didn't get that gene. He's been suspicious of me lately. He's been sneaking around the house and thinks I didn't know.
"I'm back. Deacon, can you bring Aunt Myra some water to drink and tell her that'll I'll start her dinner." I smiled at him.
He nodded and filled a cup with water, and then walked past me with a sulk. I looked at him, gave him a side eye and made a scowl. He's up to something.
My husband smiled at me.
"He seems so very happy about going to college." Dale beamed.
"Yes, maybe if we're lucky, he could work at your hospital! Wouldn't that be a miracle." I faked a joyful voice.
"That would be so spectacular." Dale exclaimed.
He went over to the fridge and pulled out mangos and coconut milk, as well as the glutinous rice that we had sat overnight. He placed the sliced mangos on a large white plate. He poured a scoop of the sticky rice and then poured the coconut milk on top of it. Dale was happy about it. He's not exactly Thai but he likes to try. His mother is from Taiwan rather than Thailand. Though I don't remember my time in Thailand, I had a test when I was adopted and it showed that I was fully Thai.
I smiled at him as he passed by me to deliver it to Myra.
I wonder what that boy is up to. I went upstairs and went to his room to see him sitting at his desk, reading a book that I had bought for him. He seems to have done something.
"Deacon, I'm gonna have grandpa and Charlie come over tomorrow. To see Myra and for the Lunar New Year."
"Oh, alright." Deacon responded, almost surprised. "Just stop making fun of him, he doesn't like it when you pick on him and you know how he feels, especially after Uncle George died."
George was Charlie's father.
I stared at him silently. I need this boy out of my house.
"When they leave you will be going with them. I heard Charlie misses messing with you."
I left the room and went back downstairs. Maybe Elegance is right but this will keep him from finding me out and it'll keep him safe. It just sucks,
He's exactly like me.