Wu Peizhi
July 01, 2015 7:14 PM
Nap-time by the pond [Room 1] by Wu Peizhi
Of all the diverse places and things Sonora had to offer, Peizhi had quickly discovered a favorite. Her dorm room was a close second, but only when her roommate was out--not that she had anything against Abigail De La Garza (who had so many names that quite frankly it was confusing), who seemed to be a perfectly fine young lady, but Peizhi preferred solitude to be paired with her enclosed spaces.She liked to go to the MARS area, with its wordlessly customizable rooms figuring out exactly what she needed. Any of the five rooms would conform to her wants, and best of all, it did so without her having to ask anyone to set things for her. The lack of interaction dramatically simplified things for the shy young girl as even casual conversation was a strain for her, both because of her nervousness with other people as well as because of the slight language barrier as she speedily translated every conversation. With the MARS set up, she didn’t have to worry about any of it.
When she arrived, she was pleased to find that the first room was unoccupied. That one was perhaps her favorite because even the size and shape of the place would contour to her specific desires, and there were no paintings wishing to speak either. She stepped out of the hall and into a world that brought a smile to her face. Before her was just a small pond, about 4 feet in diameter, with a patch of grass just big enough for her to lay down beside it. The area felt compact, cozy, and safe.
Untucking the book she carried beneath her arm, Peizhi sprawled out on the grass, finding surprising softness as a breeze from nowhere brought it to life in a subtle dance that tickled the edges of her skin. Gentle fingers turned pages, their owner relaxing as the familiar Chinese characters came to her like an old friend. Reading English was so tedious, but as brown eyes darted up and down columns from right to left, she felt calm. Of course, much of Chinese was written left to right and in rows now as the Eastern worlds continued to be Westernized, but her family had always favored the old practices.
Peizhi read until the serenity lulled her to sleep. And while the nap was peaceful, its termination was not. All of a sudden, the noise of a presence snapped her awake, and as her eyes flashed open, she found another person had in fact wandered it. The surprise and the sleepiness rendered her mute,and for a moment, she simply stared wide-eyed at the person, confused, tired, and afraid.
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Nap-time by the pond [Room 1]
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