1 Tree of Heaven(Edited)
XXXX,
January 1, New Years Day.
It was nighttime when the Heavens became filled with thunder as heavy rain poured down to the earth. Just like the News had predicted, a cyclone, which had formed off the coast of the Baylon sea, it was expected to make landfall in the city around midnight. During this massive downpour, the hurricane winds were strong enough to break trees in two, so it was considered a significantly hazardous storm.
The noise level became so intense that it rattled the branches and made people tremble inside their chest cavity. The wind quickly raised to the level of a thousand howling hounds.
On a far hill, a jagged bolt of white-hot lightning split the chilly sky, and then it was gone.
Under this heavy rain, Ailanthus altissima, commonly known as the tree of heaven, stood like a ghost, it's leaves are so dense that you could not see even a glimpse of the other side.
The tree swayed in the strengthening gusts, surrendering their fall leaves without a fight.
Suddenly, a noise could be hard coming out of the darkness…
'Thud.....Thud,' the sounds of footsteps rapidly moving in this massive rainfall was heard intermixing with the rain. The lightning was making two shadows on the muddy ground.
The two shadows moved swiftly under the substantial humidity while carrying out a black coffin from the back of a van.
"Hurry up. ... We don't have all day." A woman in red stilettos walked towards the two shadows with an umbrella as she impatiently ordered them.
"Is that Bit**h dead yet?" The same woman's voice demanded with a solemn tone.
"Don't worry, Honey. Even if she isn't, we can just bury her alive." The cold voice of a man came from behind the woman. He took the umbrella from her and protected their bodies from the rain. He affectionately squeezed her around the waist, bringing her closer to him while his eyes emitted a cruel light.
"Rong baby, I wanna see the Wh**e for one last time." The woman, Wei Wan, poked her finger at the man's chest, her lips curving into a pout.
"Open it," the man ordered while gazing at Wei Wan in his embrace.
One of the shadows opened it, and inside the coffin, a pregnant woman with a big tummy and wounds all over her body, lay there weakly, her chest barely moving.
Even when the raindrops fell on her face she didn't wake up
When he saw her still sleeping because of her unconscious state, the man fumed with anger and kicked her belly violently to vent it out.
"Ahh--Ahh--Ahh!!! My Child!" the lady, in the casket, shouted out in pain as she reflexively held her stomach and gazed toward those vicious monsters.
"Li Rong, you heartless monster! Why are you doing this to me? Ahh, Ahh," the anguished voice of the woman cried out.
Wei Wan bend down a little and glared at her in the eyes. "Why don't you just die already, Yue Wan? You shouldn't have even been born in the first place! " Wei Wan gave a mocking smile.
"You thought all this happened because of your step-brother." Wei Wan let out a sarcastic laugh and stated: "Poor you, you had no idea you were a merry tool in my palm. But in the end, thanks to you, we have eliminated the sole heir of the Yue family. Hahaha!"
"Wh--What do you mean?" After thinking for a second, Yue Wan screamed in horror.
"Wei Wan, you Bi**h! I will kill you! I will kill you!"
Yue Wan tried to ignore the pain wracking her body as she rushed towards Wei Wan, but before she could even sit up, Li Rong caught her hand in mid-air and yanked her up.
'Slap___Slap,' the sound of the slap echoed throughout the night.
"You W***e. You dare to touch my WanWan?!? Do you still think you're a princess even now? Hahaha. You're just a runaway murderer," Li Rong ranted maniacally.
"No! I didn't. You told me to do it. You said that the drug would only make him unconscious, but you lied to me." With tears streaming down her face, Yue Wan sat there with trembling hands.
"What have I done?" Her voice, full of fear and regret, broke as she thought about what had happened.
"Ahhhh! Why? Why?" She shouted at Li Rong, the person she had loved more than anything.
She sacrificed everything for this man; her family, money and even herself. But he destroyed her pure love with selfishness, wickedness, and bitterness.
"Who told you to be the only daughter of the Yue family?" Wei Wan's eyes stared at her in disdain.
Li Rong sneered at Yue Wan's stupidity while Wei Wan continued to talk. "Since he is dead, there is no heir to the lineage. Therefore, as your so-called fiancé, my darling Rong will take over the Yue family's inheritance."
Wei Wan ridiculed Yue Wan over her foolishness.
Yue Wan looked at them in shock and disbelief as tears continued to roll down.
"wh...Mmmmm!"
Before she could say anything, Li Rong signaled for the two shadows to bury her.
They gagged her mouth with a cloth and sealed her inside the coffin. "The rain is pouring heavily. It is better for Master Li to leave quickly."
"Let's go back, WanWan. We still have to celebrate our engagement." Li Rong spoke while accompanying Wei Wan back to the car.
"Of course, Honey," she hugged him tightly, "We shouldn't be late." After saying that, they got in the car and left the area.
Under the big tree, the two Shadows dug into the ground. Only the sound of the shovel echoed in the darkness along with the occasional roll of thunder.
After they dug down enough, the two Shadows buried the coffin deep under the big tree.
Once it was fully covered with mud, they then disappeared into the night.
Inside the fresh grave, Yue Wan kicked the coffin. "Mmhh, Mmhhh," she let out a muffled sound of protest. Her bones had no more strength and her muscles were all out of power due to days of torture.
Suddenly, she sensed a sudden pain in her stomach. Her hands trembled and eyes watered as she touched her unborn baby in the stomach.
'I am so sorry baby, I am the worst mother ever. I am so very sorry,' She caressed her tummy and wailed.
'If I have another chance, I will be a good daughter and sister.' She closed her eyes with a single tear streaming down her cheek and blood running down between her legs. Her breathing became more rapid and more shallow. She knew that no one would save her now.
Biting her lip, she shut her eyes and recalled her precious moments with her family as scenes from her past flashed before her eyes.
Just like the cyclone coming to an end, the woman took her final breath and passed from this world.
But her heart howled with pain and vengeance, preventing her from finding her final peace. With heaven and earth as her witness, she swore: 'Even after my death, I will hunt you down and bury you.'
----8 months later---
Two people were traveling toward a Temple on the other side of the City. Tired, they took a break near a big tree, the Tree of Heaven, to relax.
"Bhante, we are taking a break. Would you like to eat now?" a servant asked the monk.
The Monk, wearing traditional Shaolin robe, walked towards the tree, but stopped ten steps away from the trunk and gazed down at the ground with a strange thought.
"All that we are is a result of what we have thought. It is founded on our thoughts and made up of our thoughts." The Monk mumbled with his clear eyes narrowed towards the ground.
The servant looked at him with confusion: "Is there something wrong, Bhante?"
"A good cause and a good effect; a bad cause and a bad effect." The Monk closed his eyes for a moment to meditate.
"Did something bad happen here in the past?" the servant asked him, scratching his head.
"Let's return. Our reason for coming here, is done." Soon the monk and the servant left, carrying on with their journey.
Once the monk left, the ground trembled and cracked open...
