Ch-3 [2008]

It was a dark alleyway,the streets were dirty and the walls were broken.There were some old buildings where clothes were hung in the balconey,on one building,there was fight going on between two ladies and neighbours were all looking at them with not much interest making it seemed like it was not a new thing.

In one dark corner of a alleyway,there was a group of children gathered around a barrel,beating its lids with sticks and laughing

A voice was coming out of the barrrel but they were totally ignoring it and were playing with the barrel.Suddenly the laughing sound quieted down when a boy of around 7-8 appeared before them,after seeing the boy the kids scattered like some rats when a cat appears.

The boy went near the barrel but there was no longer any voice coming out so he turned back and was going back to where he had came from.Actually he was passing the street when he heard some noises,at first he ignored the noises as he thought it was just some kids playing around but then he heard the sound of someone crying making his steps came to a halt.Then he went to checked the source from which the voice was coming from when he saw the kids,the kids were laughing when they didn't take notice of him but when they saw him ,they had the face of someone being caught while doing wrong and they were quite scared which made the boy more suspicious.He gave the kids a look that scared them,making them flee instantly.In reality,he was just a kid of the same age as the children who were here a moment ago,it was just that the children were malnourished so they were more skinny and shorter then the boy.And the boy was still taller for his age making him seemed like a little giant in front of them which made it more easy for the boy to scare them.

As he was going back,a voice called out"Is anyone there? Can you open the lid as it is getting harder to breathe here?".Hearing this the boy stopped and looked at the barrel from which the voice was coming out from.He went near the barrel and open the barrel to see a girl around the age of 5-6 looking at him with a pair of peach-eyes.The eyes were a bit red like she had rubbed it when wiping away her tears. The boy sooths her saying"Don't cry,crying don't look good on girls". The girl gave her a confused look and then she get up,dust away the dusts from her frock and said"Thats not the right way to console anyone,it makes it seems like you are making fun of them".Then the boy speaks" Oh,I understand".Then he sees as the girl jumped out of the barrel and ask" I am Shi Yang,What is your name?"