未名残章/2/en
This is NOT the translation of the corresponding Chinese article. It's adapted from that article.
So it was in my middle school, uh, at our school we pick out students who have a quite great performance to attend a special course after school. It was about to be winter so sky would get dark quite early; I didn't pay attention to outside the hall so I just continue to listen to our teacher and take notes and something, but next second, the hall turned into a no man's room.
The lights were still on; no one was there. I wasn't sure if I was just taking a light-hearted nap and it was already over 7 o'clock so that much of the people were left and they decided to let the last people who leave the room to turn the lights off, but nevermind, I thought, just take on my backpack and then go back home.
I slowly (since my backpack was quite heavy at that time, but it feels like carrying tons of rocks) walked to the door and then I switched the light off.
Poof.
I was swallowed into infinite dark and I cannot see anything. But it is supposed to have lights somewhere outside the hall, right?
I walked up (the hall was a bit lower than the ground) and find myself standing in nothing. Not literally nothing, but a campus without any living thing or phenomenon, something. No teachers staying at the office nor police in the watch house, instead, a shade of dark red covering the teaching building. Flats across the playground also got no lights at all. Not a starry night, but a night with dark clouds and also the same shade of dark red.
The street where our school lies, normally, still should have got some stalls selling snacks to students at 7. Not this time however, since everything was as if dead and covered with the frightening same shade of dark red.
But still, nothing could be wrong. At least my home was just a bus stop's distance from my school, so maybe even if I estimated the time wrong, there would be my family welcoming me at home, home sweet home.
I looked at my black wristwatch which would cast a shade of blue, only to find my wrist alone. Oh right, I forgot it at home when I was busy putting all my homework into my backpack.
The bus stop where I get on the bus to home is across the main road. High on the pedestrian bridge, I feel a bit too cold. A few cars were still on the road, but I cannot look down further, since it was feeling like the bridge would collapse at any time.
Mansions on my side of the road were also quiet, a bit too quiet since usually there should be neon lights sparkling on the wall. On the other side is a construction site, also not working at all. I waited for the bus but it just seems like not even one was coming.
Finally, the double-decker bus, No. 22. It's a weird thing that I have never went to the top, but anyways, I thought, maybe it's better to keep something unknown to myself. Going past the under-crossing tunnel, and then the bus stop where I should get off. They didn't open the door however (we here do not require to press the bell), which brought me (or us) to the next stop.
The next stop was not that far from my home, but I would have to cross another crossing, which is a bit of trouble. Same thing happened, no singing from KTVs, restaurants closed, stores with no man or under construction then open and then under construction for the past months, and on and on it went. The signals were still working, so I had to wait and then cross the road.
Finally at my apartment complex (no idea what that called in English), there's finally light! Um, a bit too bright for the night though. There were pure white, a bit of shade of warm yellow, and lights through the trees' leaves which brings a bit of green. Still, all people were sleeping it seems.
Then at the very building where my home was. No lights on in my room by looking through the window. I walked up to 5th floor and then knock knock.
No response. Not even a sound. Fortunately I still remember to bring the key so I managed to open the door.
It's all black. However, there is light in my room. Seems like my desk light.
I sneaked into my room.
I was still sleeping with my grandma at that time, and my grandma was sleeping soundly. On the desk there is a bowl of warm egg soup, without tomatos or potatos or cabbages or anything else, just a simple bowl of soup.
The sky was still dark and red.
I drank the whole bowl of soup (I wasn't really feeling eating at that time, probably due to stress), and then continued on my homework.
The next day I woke up, my grandparents were watching TV news.
“Breaking news. A No. 22 bus was found… the accident happened on yesterday's night, and…”
“That's why I hate EV vehicles,” my grandpa said. My grandma know it wasn't true so she stopped him as I was walking into the living room.
“I heard Bus No. 22…?”
“Yeah, that bus crashed at [the next stop to where I got off last night]. A Tesla car was out of control and then they meet at the crossing.”
Oh.
Wait…