I've Been There Before

It was late at night. Memory Inn had already gone to sleep.

The night of the Erhai Lake was very quiet.

Daytime was still fuming hot. But at night, the wind arrived.

A vague black shadow headed towards one of the doors of Memory Inn. There was a wooden door that was hardly ever opened. Even workers who had worked at Memory Inn for ages had not seen this door open.

There was a rustling noise, as a key was inserted into the hole, "click". The wooden door opened and the person at the door stood motionlessly for a while, before lifting her foot to go in.

She was the owner of Memory Inn.

She was good-tempered, easy-going and kind-hearted manager in the eyes of everyone around.

But at this moment, people who were familiar with her would certainly find it unbelievable. The mild-tempered boss in everyone’s eyes had an indifferent look; her eyes hid grief that cannot be concealed.

Desperate looks, grieving eyes, and heavy feet... "I came to see you." A coarse voice slowly sounded.

But there was no one else in the house but her.

Lifting her foot, she walked inside Memory Inn. This might be the place she was most familiar with. Not her own room, but here.

With no lights on, she groped forward into the darkness. She felt assured that every single thing here was too familiar to her.

Moving forward, she unexpectedly touched the edge of a table. After fumbling for a while longer, she felt an object, 'snap'. At that moment, the fire lit up; her hand was holding up a lit matchstick. After her hands trembled inscrutably, she decided to light up two scented candles instead.

"Do you remember that day, the fire? So many people were all outside watching. Maybe the fire is too big. Maybe I'm not good with people. You were the only one who charged in… why are you such a fool…"

The candle was lit as the match went out. She took the incense from the offering table and gathered it to light them up from the candle. She then inserted it slowly into the incense burner. Everything was done slowly. Looking up, she stared at the picture before her.

"It's that time of year again when the Ghost Festival arrives and the Fengdu City Gate (the ghost gate, rumoured to be the only way for deceased people to pass down to Earth) opens, will you come and visit me, Leona?"

In the photo on the table, Leona smiled brightly. The woman sat silently in front of the table, looking at the photo in front of her. She certainly did not have a photo of Leona, nor her ashes. The photo was painted based on her own memories, by a stray painter who passed by Erhai Lake on a trip.

was

squeezed the palm of her

"Before I came to Erhai Lake, I was able to dream of

as her eyes turned moist, "Leona, if you don't appear in my dreams again, I'm about to forget

she was lonely, but she was desperately

but Leona never

she

wanted to live each day well, just like what she and Leona said when she was in that cage. Leona wanted to

that Leona wanted. Living each and every day lying on the recliner, tasting tea while looking

it one by one and dropping it into the fireplace

family over there... Never again be so

up slowly. Standing after squatting for long hours, her legs were so numb that

in her heart

body that was about to tilt and fall to the ground when a force at her waist held her

"Be careful."

towards the back and saw the person, her face changed: "When did you come?" She looked to the doorway out of the corner of her eye, clearly remembering that she closed the door when she came

person behind him, how much did

down to take a walk. Just walked over here when I saw a bright light coming from inside. So, I just stood at the door to

on the floor that was still

her lips

it a family member?" He quirked an eyebrow...

the person in the photo when he was standing at

his sight, but it

covered, he could still see

A woman?

her Leona ...is she your

He asked tentatively.

Mr Lo like to

Even though she wanted to forget that past, that person, that

up, "Ok, it's my bad. Boss, do