Ping

It is dark but extremely noisy here in the karaoke room. Sipping on my cup of lemon tea, I watch as my colleagues sing the song they had preferred a few minutes ago. Their loud screeches thunder throughout the enclosed room and eventually hurting my ears, though I'm not really care.

Today is Saturday and it is almost 12.00 am right now. As the tuition centre I'm working in would be closed for Chinese New Year starting tomorrow, my colleagues and manager had decided to have a "Teacher's Day", which is when we plan an activity outside our workplace and treat each other as friends instead of colleagues or someone with higher status.

Sitting on the soft sofa, I begin to swipe my phone, causing the white screen to flare up towards my face. There I scroll through my friends' Instagram story, including my six babies. I miss singing with them and I would definitely enjoy more if the people I am singing with now are them.

It's been three months we've stopped meeting up after the end of our semester breaks and the only thing which keeps us together is our group chat in Messenger. This group is created since our high school, since JiaQi had transferred to our school and eventually getting along with us, making us seven.

"It's your song, Ping. Come sing!" One of my colleagues urge happily as she passes the mike to me. The TV screen shows the song title I've picked for myself. However, I could only stare at the microphone in her hand instead of taking it. A wave of nauseous feeling swarms over me until I cover my mouth instinctively.

"J-just skip the song," I stutter, still covering my mouth to prevent myself from vomiting my dinner out. "I need to go to the washroom..." And without staying any longer for my colleagues' respond, I quickly dart towards the exit of this room and head towards the washroom.

Lucky for me, it is not too far away until I finally give in and throw up in one of the cubicles. The first thing that comes into mind is – I wanna go home and lie on my comfy bed. Cold sweat begins to run down my forehead when I can feel dizziness taking over me. My vision is blurring and I need to get back to the others as soon as I can.

Nevertheless, something strange on my face frightens me as I face my own reflection on the mirror. My eyes are now holding an entirely different colour aside from black. Pink. This colour is so unique yet strange until I begin to wonder what has really happened to me.

"It's alright, Ping," I say to myself. "The place is dark, they won't notice." After taking a deep breath, I return to the noisy karaoke room and take a seat on the couch. My hand reaches for a new glass for a bit of fresh black current juice.

As everyone is busy singing and laughing, no one really notices my reappearance until one of them sits down beside me. "Hey Ping, why aren't you singing?" she asks, patting on my back.

"I-I feel a little ill!" The answer is shouted. "I think I'm gonna leave early," I say, glancing at the time using my phone. Five more minutes to go and it would be my birthday. I would be happy if they are literally planning a surprise for me, but my body is weakening without reason.

Being a young girl who does not know any martial arts at all, it would be safe for me to go home as early as possible. "But how are you going home without a car to drive?" Yes, my parents used to fetch me there before our celebration commences. But now in such hour, they're probably sleeping.

"It's okay, I'll call a cab," I reassure while trying my best to smile at her.

"To be honest, I wish to go home too," she admits while beginning to pack her belongings into her handbag. Oh great, she would be the first one to notice my pink eyes. "Do you mind if I come along with you?"

Well, I belong to the group of people who are unable to say 'no'. "Up to you, but I'm leaving now." Indeed, I can feel the intense pain at the back of my head and it is worsening. Moreover that, the blasting beat of the music and my colleagues' deafening voices are not helping either.

_____

After telling the destinations we want to go to the cab driver, the whole car is then dominated by awkward silence until that colleague of mine speaks. "Have you ever been out in such hour before, Ping?"

Honestly, nope.

So I've answered what my heart has told.

"No wonder," she mutters. "That's homesickness. You're missing your own bed," she clarifies without any evidence but I'm literally hoping that the statement is true. Those pink eyes of mine is bothering me so much until I can't stop convincing myself that everything is just an illusion.

Not long after, we have reached her house. Before exiting the vehicle, she wouldn't forget to pay the ride fee. "Bye bye," I wave at her with a tired smile and she waves back. One of her hands rummaging through her handbag for the house keys. Once she has closed the door with a thud, the taxi accelerates away with the old engine roaring.

Awkward silence regains and this is making me feel more uncomfortable. Although darkness with a little dim light is surrounding me at the moment, I can't stop feeling myself being stared at. I think I shouldn't be sitting in the middle of the backseat, which is the best position to be looked at through the rear view mirror.

My nervous mind wouldn't stop projecting any possible crime scenes I've watched on movies or dramas. Swallowing hard, I nudge slowly towards the door and remain seated there. After a few more minutes, my house is clear in my point of view. I take out the money I'm required to pay and stuff them into the driver's hand.

As I'm about to feel relieved to be home, the cab driver's words send chills down my spine unconditionally. "Stay away from the forest even in your own dreams, young lady." And the colour of silver flashes across the driver's eyes, leading out my gasp. "Beware or the dream elf will consume you."

ʜᴇʏ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀs, ɪ'ᴍ ɢʟᴀᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ғᴏʟʟᴏᴡᴇᴅ ᴍᴇ ʜᴇʀᴇ. ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ʟᴇᴀᴠᴇ ᴀ ʟɪᴛᴛʟᴇ sᴛᴀʀ ᴀs ʏᴏᴜʀ ғᴏᴏᴛᴘʀɪɴᴛ. ɪ'ʟʟ ᴛʜᴀɴᴋ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴏɴᴇ ᴏғ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡʜᴏ ʜᴀᴠᴇ sʜᴏᴡɴ sᴜᴘᴘᴏʀᴛ ʀᴇɢᴀʀᴅʟᴇss ᴏғ ʜᴏᴡ ᴍᴀɴʏ ᴘᴀɢᴇs ʏᴏᴜ'ᴠᴇ ʀᴇᴀᴅ.

ᴛʜᴀɴᴋs ᴀɢᴀɪɴ ғᴏʀ sᴘᴇɴᴅɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ᴏɴ ᴍʏ ʙᴏᴏᴋ. ʀᴇᴍᴇᴍʙᴇʀ ᴛᴏ ᴄᴏᴍᴍᴇɴᴛ ᴀʟᴏɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴇᴀᴅɪɴɢ ᴊᴏᴜʀɴᴇʏ ᴀs ᴛʜɪs ɪs ᴏɴᴇ ᴏғ ᴍʏ ғᴀᴠᴏᴜʀɪᴛᴇ ᴡᴀʏs ᴛᴏ ᴛᴀʟᴋ ᴛᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ɢᴜʏs 😉

ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ, ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ. ᴡᴇ'ʟʟ ᴍᴇᴇᴛ ᴀɢᴀɪɴ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ɴᴇxᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 🙈🙈