There was a ti back in high school when AiLin was in the library. She was hiding in the library as it was the only place where she knew she could be the safest without anyone trying to bully her. The library had a corner where most students unless they’re studious would ever know where it was. She had hid there, holding a book to herself, hugging it was if it was her shield and a protection against anything dangerous. She was there for a while, looking at the clock and hoping ti would pass faster because only after lunch break was over will she set herself out of the library so those bullies won’t hurt her again.
She had looked at the book again, seeing that it was a book about the greek mythology, about a woman nad dusa. Though Ailin wasn’t familiar, she pulled the brief informations about the book from her head. She recalled that dusa was assaulted by a God, a poor woman who was protecting the temple. The sa woman then was subjected into a horrible looking monster by the Goddess of the temple she had protected despite the fact she was assaulted. Since then she had beca a monster with snake as her hairs, if one look at her eyes, they’ll be frozen into a statue.
She hoped and prayed that power could reside in her. It would be fair only if she had such power so she could exact a revenge to the people who had looked at her with their dark nature, wanting to ruin her. It would only be fair as they were the one who had made her froze on place like a statue, fearing their touches and fearing that they would be the one to hurt her.
"I’m sorry, is there a person over here?"
A voice called up to her as she was gripping tight to the book about dusa, as she was about to pray that she would have hairs like dusa and could make people into statue, she was called up by soone that had caused her entire body to jolt as she had thought it was one of her bullies. She was startled, her face looking upward to find a young man whose eyes were covered behind a dull sunglass. He was holding to a stick that was more often used by blind disabled people.
Curious, she realized that after studying the young man that he was new to the school. His uniform pristine unlike her that was dirtied by her bullies. Maybe because of that he didn’t hesitate to call up to her as everyone would avoid her even though they knew she was in need of help. There was no difference between those bullies and those who watch but she wasn’t going to spend her ti cursing at everyone who had caused for her sufferings to happen, she knew well and better than anyone that they also fear of being bullied like her, thus closing their eyes and adverting their gazes were much easier than them having to help her.
This young man was blind so he wasn’t sure about her bullies and after seeing no one was there, she answered him, "Yes. Do you need help?"
Despite being bullied, AiLin was helpful to people in need of help because she wasn’t one to hold into grudges for long especially when it’s to people who had done her no harm.
"Oh! A girl?" The young man smiled, "My na is Mu Ke. I’m new to this school."
"I can see that," she answered with a smile. "Are you lost? Maybe you walked into the library not knowing where this is?"
"No, I did want to co to the library."
But how can a blind person read?
She didn’t ask and clamped her mouth, "Maybe you’re searching for a book?"
"Yes! Yes. Do you know if there’s a book in braille here? I heard when I first ca here from my younger sister that there’s a braille book sowhere in our library though when I was going to ask the teacher, they shrugged off," he answered. Mu Ke hesitantly added, "Seems like the teachers here are hands off to their students aren’t they?"
That was a gentler way of saying, ’Seems like the teachers here aren’t doing their jobs well, aren’t they?’
She smiled, "Yes, they won’t really help you much but I can help. I know where the Braille books are," she knew braille was most often used for the blind to read. Though she doubted there’s any good braille books for the young man. She walked as he followed her. She was quiet after being bullied even though in the past she was much more talkative.
The young man, Mu Ke, happily asked her, "Have you been reading a book? It’s the start of break yet you’re already here to read books maybe you’re here because you like reading?"
"I do like reading," she answered with a soft smile, not wanting to get to details about how she was avoiding her bullies in the library, "The book I read earlier was about dusa."
"Oh the brave woman."
"Brave?" Not poor? Or pitiful? AiLin turned to Mu Ke who had used a different adjective than what others would use.
"Brave of course," said Mu Ke. "She was assaulted, turn into a monster, but she was still protecting every woman who had suffered similar situations as her. She was soone so powerful and even though she had beco a monster, she had never lost her beauty. I’d say the people we should bla are the Gods. They’re gods, beings who should be protecting humans but look at them, they are instead the one causing them harms. How disgusting it is to read the story. Though it’s my take I’m sure others would not think the sa."
"I see," AiLin wasn’t sure of Mu Ke’s side of the story but she realized upon this that the characters could be seen differently from each of their own perspective. Soone might see dusa as a monster, soone would see her as a pitiful woman, and others would look at her as brave like Mu Ke. She rubbed her hand on the book, "I also want to be strong."
"You too? too!" Said Mu Ke happily, "I’m blind so there’s not many things I could do with my life. But I always wish that I could use my talents that I have to help other people who are also blind like . But I’m not smart, nor am I athletic, or inspiring. So I have always wished I could encourage people by my words. That’s why I have always been interested in studying how to write stories and novels."
"I see," she said with a soft smile, "That sounds lovely."
"You think so?" Mu Ke giggled happily. "I like talking to you, Miss...?"
"Jiang," she answered, not wanting to give him her full na fearing that the bullies would hear about it and instead bully him for befriending her. He wasn’t able to tell of her lies and struggled finding her position until she helped his hand. He gently handshake her hands and greeted her brightly, sothing no one else had ever done ever since she had been bullied.
"Let introduce myself again. My na is Mu Ke. I’m blind but I’m a great friend. I hope we can be friends from now on, Miss Jiang!"
"Why did you move to this school, Mu Ke?" Ailin asked as she walked between the bookshelves.
"That.. haha. It’s a long story but to make it short, I’m finding soone! Soone who shares my blood," he spoke ambiguously. "I have always been unaware of their existence but I want to know them and beco their strength."
Ailin who was always alone and without soone who was truly there for her felt the loneliness in Mu Ke’s words. She gently patted his shoulders, "I’m sure you’ll be able to find them. Would you like to help?"
"You would?" Mu Ke excitedly showed her a bracelet that was made from threads, "Then can you tell if you ever see soone with this kind or bracelet around their hands? Soone with similar thread works. They’re unique because it’s thicker. My sister told she had seen this bracelet sowhere so I’m sure they’re using it on their arms like I am. I’ve been using it so they could see the bracelet too and know who I am but in case they don’t know, I wish you can help see the person with this bracelet.
AiLin happily nodded, "Sure!"
But she didn’t know who that bracelet belong to. Not until long after when one day HangZhou and his group of bullies had gathered her in an empty room. They were holding her body down, and then HangZhou rolled his sleeve, ready to cut her hair when she saw from the window’s reflection the sa bracelet that had circled HangZhou’s wrists.
The surprise paled her face more than the fact that her hair was going to be cut haphazardly or the fact that sharp end of the scissor had cut her neck till it was wounded.
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