Delusional Dreamer

In the distance sat an exquisitely, beautiful child on edge of a lotus pond decorated in a hues of colours.

Pink, yellow and white lotus flowers floated in the water with a bright blue background creating a flawless image.

His childlike features scrunched in thought wearing a deep frown, unlike children of his age, as he lightly kicked the water making small waves and ripples on the crystal clear water's surface .

Suddenly ,someone pick him up from behind and threw him into the pond. Hearing a boisterous male laugh as he swam to the surface that caused the little boy splutter indignantly, ''Elder brother!"

The child tried to look angry and strict but with the pump white face and flushed red checks her only served to look adorable. Like a fluffy white puppy throwing a tantrum !

A handsome face very similar to the child's own grinned back at him and jumped into the water . The male teenager of around 18 years old ,picked up his younger brother spun in circles.

"Xiao Rong, don't be so serious like an old man.You'll get wrinkles soon and all your teeth will fall out!" The young man joyfully teased his younger brother and tried to scare him with outrages lies.

The little boy tried to scold his older brother before bursting into a fit of giggles as his brother mercilessly tickled him.

After an intense splashing battle the two brother leisurely floated in the lake with tired yet satisfied smiles on their faces. "Elder brother, little brother come out!" called a gentle musical voice.

On the shore stood an extremely pretty girl with a joyful smile , a dimple in her left check while amusement glint in her eyes. Taking in the lazy appearance of her two brothers she stifled a laugh.

The child smiled at her and swam to the shore.''Elder sister, did you make cakes?'' he asked in a spoiled and adorable manner.

His elder sister pinched his round checks and poked the dimples present in both cheeks.

"Today I made lotus and red winter moon cakes with plum blossom tea.Mother made peach-comb desert with honey from the a Bronze Warrior Queen Bee."

Both brother eyes shown with excitement as they rushed out of the water.

"Come dry off you two and let's go eat''

She used her water Qi to dry off her brothers and then they walked to splendid pavilion opposite the lake.

The pavilion itself was a pure white surrounded with trees and flowers.A colourful and fragrant array of roses, peonies, and plum blossoms and begonias .The whole area rich in spiritual energy and gave off a peaceful atmosphere. A small rectangular table placed in the middle of the pavilion on which the delicacies were spread .The children sat and waited for their parents.

Shortly, a young couple appeared walking hand in hand. The man was tall standing about 190 cm in height. He had broad shoulders, very masculine and handsome features and a grin on his face. His golden-hazel phoenix eyes light up in amusement.

His eldest son closely resembled him in both personality and looks. The beautiful women had delicate features, two dimples in her checks as well as a very fair jade-like complexion .She looked very fragile compared to her tall husband but the arch of her back and strength in her peach blossom eyes spoke of a brave and unbending spirit.

"Mother, Father'' the children stood up and greeted respectfully. It was strange that a couple that looked in their early twenties could have children of their age.

''Yu-er,Ai-er,Rong-er'' their father greeted smiling back at them as their mother came forwarded and offered them each a gentle hug.

"Let's go and eat'' he states as he stepped forward to ruffle Lian Rong's hair…

+++

'A dream. Just a dream .Another vivid, realistic dream'

Yu Rong pushed his hair back in frustration as scanned his tiny one-bedroom open plan apartment. It was around 4 a.m. on a Saturday and was the only day of the week that he could sleep in making him irritated at the interruption. He was sure that he had heard something.

Yu Rong called out hesitatingly: "Xiao Bai'' for the cat that had rescued a while back before remembering that it had been months since he'd seen the pitiful white kitten .

Sighing and with grim determination decided to start the day with assignments and black coffee. He wondered if he was depressed or just going insane.

Over the past month ,after his twenty-second birthday, he has been having recurring dreams about a cultivation world and a happy family that he was part off. Of course all the dreams weren't all good…

Sometimes he dreamt of been trapped in a prison.He could feel cold iron shackles on his wrists and ankles. Remember hating the endless darkness that surrounded him. Hated the damp smell of mildew and moss.

Then there were the more horrific nightmares of his dream family being slaughtered and an unknown handsome young man calling his name as he bled out in his arms…

+++

Shaking his head in frustration he chanted "Dreams are dreams this is reality'' .His own life was hard enough without falling into day-dreams and delusions.

If he truly was going insane his step-mother would be quick to trap in a mental asylum for the rest of his days. His forever absentee father would not even try to protect him.

They got married when he was seven years old but already had a two year old child his half-brother ,Yu Bao.The adulterous couple had affair while his mother was sick but decided it would be 'respectful 'if they waited to get married after her death.

'Ha.Being respectful.'

Those two were only worried about their reputations.

At first Peng Ming Zhu tried to put on an act of a good stepmother but soon realized that my father was a workaholic that didn't care much for his eldest child .

She was not horrible in the sense that he starved but she was neglectful and verbally abusive.

Yu Bao, as he grew up took the same attitude towards him as his mother only pretending to be brotherly in front of their father. It was a relief when it was time to go to university . He longer wanting to have anything with his so called family.

Yu Rong opted to study pharmacy instead of economics because he did not want his father's business empire nor have an inheritance battle with his younger brother and step-mother.

Having separated from his family and deciding to be independent he didn't even when his father cut all of his university tuition and expenses under the behest of his step-mother.

She told him in a sickening sweet tone,''Rong-Rong, men need to make their own way in the world" smiling insincerely with a mocking light in her eyes.

After his father unhesitantly agreed the slight protests died on his lips and severed the last bit of familial affection in his heart.

Yu Rong was a disciplined person he studied hard for academic scholarships and in order to support himself he worked three jobs.On Monday and Wednesday he worked as an assistant pharmacist at a pharmacy in the CBD from 5 p.m. till midnight .Tuesdays, Thursday and Saturdays mornings he worked in old man Chen's herbal apothecary shop that dealt with traditional Chinese medicine. Uncle Chen was kind and offered the room behind the herbal shop at a reasonably cheap price as places in the city were outrageous expensive and out of his price range.In order to compensate Uncle Chen's kindness he doubled as security for the shop and and a shop assistant.On Friday and Saturday he worked at a bar in a slightly shady area of the city.It was run down but he made good money from tips.

+++

"Shit!" Yu Rong groaned in annoyance and kicked his motorbike's punctured tires.He was utterly frustrated .Today he had to drive into town as the night bus would stop running at midnight and his shift would only end at 2a.m.This means he would have to walk back over 10 k.m.back home.

Weary, his whole being gave of the air of melancholy. It was final exams soon .He had attend to his studies,assignments ,jobs and saved money to move to another city as he had a job offer there.He ran on about 4 hours of sleep,was constantly on the run and had no support.

He was always busy and his lack of affection growing up lead to him having a rather an aloof and cold personality .This lead to lack of friends and his only companions were animals that he fed or rescued.

The long and exhausting shift at the bar drained him. All he wanted to do was shower and sleep. A good hot shower to wash off the scent of alcohol, cheap perfume and sweat.

Yu Rong began imagining his warm and comfortable bed in order to fight of the bitter chill in the air.

During his long walk home he started feeling paranoid as somebody was watching him.A fiery stabbing pain on his left hip reminded of the night a month ago when strange tattoo appeared appeared on his hip that he had no knowledge getting.He assumed he was drugged by one of the patrons at the bar but left before the drug could work.He could have passed that small tattoo parlor near the highway on the way back to his apartment.

'What the hell' Yu Rong turned to look behind him and didn't see a thing. Feeling a chill on his neck he increased his walking pace towards the overpass . A few minutes had passed and nothing occurred so he relaxed and became lost in thought.

Bang. Plop.

A great force from behind had pushed him from behind. Somehow Yu Rong twisted his body and managed to see the culprit before falling into the river.

There was a bulky, balding man with a digesting grin on his face. The last thing Yu Rong saw as he fell from the bridge into the freezing cold river was his step-mother's driver…