Chapter 4 The one in my belly?

The underworld was for the dead, there was no way I was going there with him. I was still at my 18, the age of flower; my life had barely started.

"What are you talking about? I'm alive and kicking; what do you mean I should be dead? Isn't it enough that our family has been victimized by you demons? I'm the longest living one. Four years. Why won't you leave me alone? Admit it, you killed Aaron? He had no reason to kill himself!"
This guy could not be good; ever since his jade pendant appearance everything in my life went wrong, everywhere I went strange things happened; Aaron died in front of me; no one would believe that he was not part of this.

I did not know where my courage came from to question him like this; but right after I finished, I kicked him fiercely and ran desperately to the door; my parents was in the next door, they were my only hope.

I grabbed the door handle and turned, but it wouldn't open. I burst into cold sweat as an elegant and indifferent voice sounded from behind: "I have nothing to do with the boy's death. Not only the boy will die, but also the old man at the door, and all the people in the Bridge Vill will die."

Listening to story was the last thing I wanted to do for now; I shouted at the top of my voice, "Dad, Mom! Help! Dad, Mom--!"

My throat was sore and I was almost dumb out of the sudden endeavour, but the next room was as peaceful and quiet as it always had been. I sat down on the ground in despair and looked to the bed where he was leisurely lying on his side, his hand supporting the head, and was looking down at me; he said casually: "Are you done?"

I didn't respond. The door wouldn't open and my parents couldn't hear me. It must have been him.
I had to calm down to face him and figure out what his intention was.
Grandma used to say that ghosts come to us for a reason, and of course I knew I'd been married to this guy before, but he had vanished for four years, so what brought him back?

"What do you want...?"
I asked, staring at him.

Suddenly, as his face getting serious he disappeared and the next second reappeared right in front of me; my heart missed a beat at this: "Are you trying to scare me to death...so tell me, what do you want? Tell me..."

He knelt down and looked at me fiercely. "I just want you to stay out of the village," he said. "Don't even go back if you don't want to die. Be smart and protect yourself and the one in your belly; otherwise, I would kill you myself.”

The one in my belly? What is it? Was he hiding something weird inside me. That would be so disgusting!

But right before I could even ask, he had disappeared again, but this time he never reappeared.

What he said made me even more uncomfortable. It reminded me of something. I had my first period when I was 13; but after that night at 14, they never came.

After I came to this town, I didn't feel anything wrong, but my parents were a little worried about the absence of menstruation. They had taken me to the hospital for a check-up,but there was nothing wrong with my body. However, after tonight, after the conversation with him, I felt it was not that simple.

I had been too young to understand what not having my period meant. Now I did understand, but I did not associate it with pregnancy. I'd only heard Nezha had been in his mother’s womb for three years and six months, and it would be beyond logic and above reason for me to bear a kid in my belly for four years.

This matter had been like a fishbone stuck in the throat of my parents; they were not able to spit out, nor to swallow.

In the eyes of peers, I was a freak, a loner; I was afraid that secrets hidden on me would be discovered; while other girls huddled together discussing about these privacy issues and talking about how painful the period was, I was left alone lost. I did not know why I was different...

I felt more relaxed and sleepy as the morning dawned. Now only daytime could give me a sense of security. I did not want that ‘underworld being’ to messed my already troublesome life up.

Curling up in the bed, I fell into trance as my mother suddenly pushed open my door and said gently, "Rae? Are you awake?"

Half asleep and half awak, I replied vaguely, "HMMM..."

"We are going back to the village, me and your dad," she said, "college entrance examination was near. Get yourself prepared for it and go to school if you get better."

I sat up immediately as my sleepiness evaporated at her words. I recalled what the guy had said to me last night. He had no reason to lie to me. It wasn't a prank.

Aaron died, the old school gate guard was to die, and villagers in the Bridge Vill were all to die...
My parents were to go back at this time; what a coincidence! It forced me to reconsider what he had said.

"Mom, listen to me," I said as I got out of bed and changed, "You can't go back now, definitely not! I need to go to school right now, and you and Dad aren't going anywhere until I get back, okay?!"

Puzzled by my abnormal reaction, my mother asked: "What is the problem, Rae? Isn't it a little early to go to school?
Your Dad and I...we must hurry back now; you are such a big girl already, just a few days! You could take care of yourself."

I was a little angry at her stubbornness. "Why don't you listen to me? What is it that you have to go back in such a hurry?!"

I was now anxious to go to the school and seek confirmation of whether the old man at the door would die as my 'husband' said, and if so, there was no doubt that something would happen in Bridge Vill.

Mother fell into silence, and I could tell that she seemed to be hiding something from me.
I went up to her and asked, "Tell me, what is it?"

Mom sighed and said:" I had discussed with your father and thought about keeping it from you for the time being, wait till you finished your exams...”

My heart dropped; a bad feeling grew; she was taking into account my feelings, she was afraid that this matter would affect my college entrance examination, it meant it was something serious and important, and...
It happened in Bridge Vill!

I was afraid what she said would break me down, but I couldn't refrain myself from asking: "Just tell me, what's going on..."