Blurred Memories

“What do you want?” she shouted, trembling with the residue of a child's agitation.

Someone heard laughing. Another said in a persuasive voice, “Sweet girl, how about you come with us? You must like it there. Your life will also not be wasted like your stepmother. Come on.”

The man extended his hand to Quan within less than two fathoms. Quan hated their word. “I don't want to go with the person who killed my mother! Leave me alone!”

There was a moment of silence. Only Quan's breath could be heard wheezing furiously as her head turned to and fro, trying to find an opening to escape.

“Catch and take her to the base!”

The order made Quan furious momentarily. The mist seemed to roll over the little girl's head and vision.

Who are they to decide how she will live? Who are they to force her? Who could they have killed her mother just like that, even if she wasn't Quan's birth mother? For God's sake, she's only seven years old! What's wrong with living a free life?

The movement of the gang suddenly stopped, as if they were shocked. That's good, little Quan thought at the time, because her eyesight suddenly darkened like she was suddenly blind. However, that did not last long. The darkness was exposed, even Quan could see them more clearly than before. The blood and emotions in her body seemed to boil; it was so hot, so unbearable. She screamed with all her might, causing the gang to retreat a few steps back in shock.

“What the hell is this? Catch or kill the Little Ant!”

Quan refused to be called an ant. For God's sake, she hated them so much.

The little girl roared like a small animal that was unwilling to die. Quan imagined them dying at her own hands. She killed them in her imagination. She threw the conspirators one by one until they hit the trees so hard.

Or at least so Quan thought she did.

At the bottom of her heart, Quan knew she was just screaming like a lunatic, like a possessed person. Even so, she felt that something was off. What was it, Quan did not feel curious and did not care. That's not what matters to her.

After a while, Quan stopped because she was exhausted. Her tears resurfaced with sobs that gurgled painfully in her neck. Darkness rolled over the little girl's eyes yet again. Vaguely she heard many voices from afar.

Why don't they come when her mother hasn't been killed? Where exactly are her father and two brothers? Are they hiding? The questions haunted Quan, overwhelming her.

Quan suddenly gasped. There are steps approaching. Surely the killers are still here, she thought at the time. The little girl laughed ironically and felt foolish. She just imagined killing them, why did she think it would come true?

Quan grabbed a black weapon belonging to one of them that was already under her feet. How could that weapon be near Quan, she didn't bother to think about it.

The girl slashed blindly because the darkness still covered the eyes. They screamed in pain, but their screams were strange; like the screams of children.

Like Quan's voice.

Quan gasped and fell to her knees. Gradually her vision became literally clear and she was able to clearly see what was happening in front of her. Those she had just attacked were two of her own close friends. Quan guessed they wanted to stop her from becoming a murderer. She gurgled again, this time holding back sobs of guilt.

The girl glanced around her. There were many people carrying torches and among them were Mr. Adan—her father—and Gan and Evan, her two brothers. Their faces were bruised as if they had just been beaten by someone. The brothers stared at the younger sister in horror, while who they stared at tried to defend herself silently; that she had accidentally hurt her two friends.

They're not dead anyway, Quan thought at the time. However, it seemed that her family was not referring to her own two friends, but the people behind her. Quan turned her head so quickly, afraid the gang would try to catch her again.

In the next second, Quan almost screamed.

The gang of killers is now dead and torn apart in various places. Their white blood color told Quan that they were White People. All of them. Quan lowered her head, between fascinated and terrified by the white blood splattered on her body. Her hands were wet with the sticky white liquid. A head suddenly rolled at her feet. The blue eyes on the head were bulging with a shocked expression.

Quan screamed. She shuffled back in horror. Quan sobbed again in between her pathetic screams and at that moment, the residents approached her. Her family hugged and comforted her.

“I'm sorry, Quan,” whispered Gan as he held Quan into a hug. “We were attacked in the middle of the road and locked up. Forgive us. We are so, so sorry.”

Quan could only cry again. Her father calmed her down. He said that she shouldn't worry. The gang is evil, her father said, and she can't control her strength yet. It's okay, he said, it's okay.

However, Quan paid no heed to their words. After all, she had already killed the Whites.

Brutally.

If Quan had obeyed and joined the gang, maybe she wouldn't have to kill, no matter how good her aim. They don't have to die. They even had time to ask her to come nicely.

This is all wrong. Something must be wrong.

However, her revenge was met with ease, Quan tried to comfort herself with those words, trying to kid herself. She silently apologized to her mother. Forever, this incident will always be remembered by the seven year old girl.

Because, little Quan has already killed people.