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墨書 Inktalez
Ziya answered the phone; it was Mama Fang calling. "Xiaoya... if it weren't for you, Mama... would be finished." Mama's throat was tight, and she seemed to be sobbing.
"Mom... what happened? As long as you're okay, that's all that matters. But Auntie... (Sun Meng's mother) she..." Ziya recalled her visit to Sun Meng's house, remembering how kind Auntie had been to her, and tears began to fall down her cheeks.
"Alright, Xiaoya, don't be sad. Tomorrow, when Sun Meng's mother is buried, you should come back to pay your respects."
"Okay, I've already taken a leave of absence." Ziya wiped away her tears and gently wished Mama Fang goodnight. The old phone had poor reception.
The next day, Ziya rushed to Sun Meng's house. She saw Sun Meng's haggard face and clusters of white and colorful flower wreaths. Unable to hold back any longer, Ziya burst into tears.
With Ziya by her side, Sun Meng recounted the details of the accident. It turned out that the vehicle involved was one being repaired at a garage. The original owner’s car had stalled just as they were about to leave. The owner had already collected fare from the passengers for their trip to the Temple Fair; if they didn’t go, he would have to refund the money. Thinking it would be a waste of time to do nothing, he decided to take them for a day of fun while earning some extra cash on the side by borrowing a car still under repair from the garage.
The problem arose because none of them knew the way. When they reached a hillside, the driver (the owner) decided to get out and ask for directions. He had engaged the handbrake but didn’t expect that after leaving the vehicle, it would roll down the steep slope towards a raging river below. Seeing this unfold, the driver was horrified; he shouted for everyone inside the car to go to the driver's seat and hit the brakes while he ran after the vehicle in a desperate attempt to stop it.
No matter how much he yelled, the car did not slow down at all until it plunged into the turbulent waters with nine people inside. The driver watched helplessly as his car disappeared into the river; he frantically ran down the slope and jumped into the chest-deep water.
Local farmers arrived, nearby troops rushed over, and an ambulance came as well. Those who managed to break through the car’s windows struggled against the current but were swept away by the rushing water. The scene was chaotic; those rescued were laid on the ground waiting for doctors to determine whether they were dead or in shock.
"Ziya... it turns out that the person I saw in class was my mother... I'm so foolish; I didn't realize it during both encounters... Wuwu..." Sun Meng collapsed into Ziya's arms, crying sorrowfully.
"No, this has nothing to do with that; don’t think like that." Ziya felt dizzy. Could it be that Sun Meng really saw something at school? She questioned herself internally but was also moved by Sun Meng’s grief, tears streaming down her face as she hoped for her friend to recover soon—those who remained must find strength in themselves after such loss.
This was a serious traffic accident; the driver was criminally detained and ultimately sentenced. Yet nothing could restore a complete family for Sun Meng or give her back her most precious maternal love.
Sun Meng had been feeling down for a while, and Ziya dared not leave her side. Zhiqing took the opportunity to tutor Sun Meng. The unpleasant incident with Wang Yuan seemed to have faded into the background, and when the teacher announced the scores of the recent exam, Sun Meng smiled as her grades improved.
The school did not change because of one student's family troubles; Pomelo Grove continued to be a place where boys and girls secretly dated. Sun Meng's relationship with Ziya grew even closer.
Ziya couldn't shake off Sun Meng's cries from her mind. Did she really see her aunt? What was that handprint on the blackboard? Looking at the now-sleeping Sun Meng, Ziya gently covered her with a blanket, resting her chin on her hand, pondering for a long time without any clarity before feeling sleepy herself.
Suddenly, her phone vibrated. Ziya picked it up to see an unfamiliar number: "Don't you want to know the secrets of the school? If you have the guts, come to school."
"Ugh, who is this bored?" Ziya huffed as she turned off her phone and tucked it under her pillow, lying down next to Sun Meng. Ever since her aunt passed away, they had been squeezed together on one bed—one was there for companionship while the other felt a creeping fear inside. Ever since that cleaning session, the image of those large handprints kept flashing in front of her eyes.
The school was located near the suburbs, not far from a town. A road cut through the middle, leading one way to the city center and the other to the county town. Most of Ziya's classmates came from rural backgrounds; this school was known for its rigorous teaching, which eased many parents' worries. Even those whose homes were far away were willing to send their children here for an education.
The nights at school were quiet, occasionally interrupted by boarding students strumming guitar strings that broke the silence abruptly, only for it to return to stillness moments later. Junior Class Three was a graduating class; they usually arrived in the classroom half an hour earlier than their juniors because they knew that the moment that would determine their fate had arrived—if they didn't pass the entrance exam for high school, they would have no choice but to return home to farm or repeat another year.
As Ziya and Sun Meng were just getting up and brushing their hair, they heard a commotion from a neighboring dormitory where a girl was shouting that something had happened at Pomelo Grove. "Something happened? What could it be?" Ziya leaned against the doorframe and stopped a classmate to ask.
"It's terrifying! Someone died at Pomelo Grove... never mind. Just go see for yourselves," the girl said hurriedly before running off.
Left in confusion, Ziya and Sun Meng exchanged glances. "Let's go check it out."
Pomelo Grove was in chaos; red warning tape cordoned off the scene. Ziya and Sun Meng could only watch from afar as they saw a female corpse lying on the ground, clothes disheveled and covered in blood—a sight too horrific to bear. A thick, metallic smell of blood filled the air as students whispered in shock.
"Alright, enough! Time for class!" A tall man shouted sternly at them.
Ziya and Sun Meng recognized this person; he was the Physical Education teacher for the Second Year. According to the Senior Sisters, who whispered about him behind his back, this teacher was quite impressive. It was rumored that he had come from the military, which explained why the last physical education class felt more like Military Training, leaving the students grumbling.
Returning to the classroom after witnessing the bloody scene left every student feeling terrified. "This person doesn't seem to belong to our school; they look like a madman. Her hand was twisted by something, and there were traces of Baking nearby," one student vividly described what he had seen.
"Could it be that the girl who committed suicide killed her?" Sun Meng recalled the incident they encountered in Pomelo Grove and hurriedly suggested.
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