Horrendous Future

Akin to being hit with a thundering storm, Li Aizhe stood frozen. She didn't know what to do or what to say.

"What? Granny, what is auntie talking about? - Grandfather promised that he will never leave me!" Li Aizhe shouted, unable to believe."H-he promised.." She said with an incentive and whispering tone.

Li Aizhe looked at the granny, took her hands and she suddenly smiled in assuring manner.

"Granny, stop kidding, I know you are friends with grandfather and you two are planning to prank me." she held her hands tightly while looking at her with a examining look. "He told you to do this right? This is a prank right?" She looked up at granny with a hopeful look and a pleading tone.

"No.." Granny spoke out with a meek tone. "He didn't tell me anything and.. neither is this a prank Xiao Zhe.. Li Huaze is gone..he left..he is no more."

Li Aizhe's smile faltered and it was replaced with a gloomy look. She looked at the granny's serious face.

She didn't want to look at the granny's face no more.

She knew that look really well.. she knew it too well!

Li Aizhe's hand that were resting on the granny's hand slowly dropped and she took a step backwards.

Not noticing the bumpy road behind, she fell down with a loud thump. She closed her ears and and start murmuring words that were hard to hear or interpret.

The granny however was close by and upon coming closer, she could vaguely hear her saying 'he left me too..'

Li Aizhe's tears were slowly pooling up in her eyes.

She was this close to breaking down but she didn't.

She thought that she was useless and couldn't do anything to save him. He left her..

"He promised..he..he promised.." she said with her tears falling out one by one. She felt as if something was building up in her chest. It was suffocating. She wanted to escape from all these peoples pity gaze. All she wanted was to be in her beloved grandfathers arms.

She looked up to them. She kept hearing distant voices and her vision was starting to get blurry and in the next moment she was laying on the floor, passed out, cold.

---

At the hospital, several hours passed by, and Li Aizhe was yet to wake up.

She slowly fluttered her eyes open. It took her awhile to udjust to the rooms brightness. She felt unfamiliar with the changes in the room.

For some reason, she didn't like it at all. She looked at the white ceiling and the white walls. There were machines surrounding her and the room was too bright. The smell of the alcohol and the medicine were too strong for her. Li Aizhe looked around and she finally came to realize that she was in a hospital room.

One by one, the memory of the incident came into her and she sat up abruptly. She couldn't believe anyone, or simply did not want to believe in them.

She held on to her chest which was pounding harder.

That familiar pain was building up inside her body slowly.

Her whole life, she had only one person and that person left her today..he left her to fight on her own in this lonely and cold world.

He was the only one she could go to and tell him about how her day went. Whenever she had problems, he would know without her even telling him. He was just the best! He was her grandfather, her only family!

Lots of people liked Li Aizhe's pure nature. She was a really optimistic and bright girl. She never did anyone wrong and never took anyone's favor for granted.

But what lot of people failed to recognize was that she was taught and raised to be like this by her only family and only support, her grandfather. He was what kept her shielded and safe. Because of him she felt comforted. And everytime something bad happened she knew it would be okay because he was there and would always protect her from any danger.

While Li Aizhe was in the room thinking deeply, someone knocked on the door. Li Aizhe didn't look at the door but towards the ceiling. She looked dazed and lifeless. When she heard the door opening, she broke out her daze and looked at the figure that came in through the door.

Li Aizhe was happy knowing that it was granny and not someone else. She was always there for her whenever grandfather would be late from work. She would always feed her and tell her bedtime stories. She raised her and was like a mother to her. She was her granfathers' best friend and their neighbor.

The granny came forward and looked at Li Aizhe with the same eyes filled with pitiness. She hated that look.

"Don't.." she said with her voice cracking at the end. "Please don't look at me like that.." She begged while barely keeping her eyes open.

"He left me just like the others did..he also left me..he left me granny." She looked up and smiled bitterly. A tear managed to drop from her side. Her pale face, cracked lips and red blood shot eyes made it more heart wrenching to see.

"Just like mother and father, he also left..am I that bad?" The granny looked at her with her teary eyes and said;

"Xiao Zhe, Huaze had always cared for you! He didn't ever hated or wished bad for you, nor will he ever. He is always around you, protecting you afar. You will always be his doting granddaughter!"

"You need to be strong!" Granny looked at her slumped figure and sighed inwardly. "Don't be disheartened my child.."

After saying that, Li Aizhe looked up at granny; her red eyes showed how tired she was from holding back. Granny couldn't help but look at her worriedly."Xiao Zhe, please don't blame yourself. Huaze will not be happy knowing that his granddaughter is like this because of him."

Granny paused to look at the poor child. She came forward and held Li Aizhes' hands into her own. She looked gently towards her and caressed her messy hair. She felt the loneliness and the misery she was going through. Li Aizhe laid her head on the granny's lap and said;

"What do I do granny? I am scared to live in the same place or even go to my room, it'll haunt me forever." Li Aizhe took a deep breath and continued; "I can't live without him.. he too, just like everyone I loved, left me.."

Li Aizhe sighed and the more she tried to control her tears, the more it kept flowing. She couldn't wait anymore and asked granny about the cause of her grandfathers death.

"Granny, what happened to grandfather?"

Granny looked at her wide eyed. She was anxious and wondered if she should really tell her.

Sigh, I knew it would come, but not this fast. Sorry, Old Huaze, I need to let her know sooner or later.

After wondering for a while, she decided to just go with it. After all, Li Aizhe deserves to know the truth about her grandfathers cause of death. She sighed out loud and said;

"Cancer". Li Aizhe eyes widened as she sat up abruptly. The granny looked at her straight in the eyes and continued. "Huaze had blood cancer."