Peach Blossom Spring by Melissa Fu

Author:Melissa Fu [FU, MELISSA]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Published: 2022-03-15T00:00:00+00:00

A few nights later, Henry awakes to the smell of smoke. Bells clanging. Shouts, screams.

He pants. His heart races. More smoke. Sirens wailing.

He jumps out of bed and reaches for the leather wallet where he keeps his passport and emergency cash. He pulls on a sweater, his warm winter coat, wool socks and boots. More sirens are coming down the road.

‘Wake up! Wake up!’ He bangs on his neighbour’s door. ‘You need to get out!’

No answer.

He bangs again. ‘We need to run to the shelter. Where’s our shelter?’

A crackle of flames taunts him. No time to wait.

He rushes down the stairs. Why is no one else awake? Coughing, he hopes he won’t gag on the smoke. He runs down the steps and into the front garden. Where are all the people?

He scans the sky. It’s dark, but there’s no mistaking the silhouette of planes in the distance. The air thrums with their approach. Down the street, flames light up the sky. Houses are crumbling, wails cut through the night. Bombs must have already been dropped. He squints up again. The planes will double back for another attack. Where’s the shelter?

‘Mr Dao?’

He turns. Mrs Patterson stands on the porch in her slippers, with a housecoat thrown over her nightgown.

‘Where’s the shelter? We need to hurry, we need to get everyone out before the planes come back!’ he shouts.

‘Mr Dao.’ She comes down the stairs and scans the sky. ‘There are no planes.’

He looks up again. He’s certain. ‘But the sirens, the fire—’ He gestures at the flames. Adrenaline pulses through his arms.

She peers up and down the street. ‘What are you talking about?’

He looks again. All is dark and quiet. There is only the hum and flicker of the street lamps. He sniffs. ‘Don’t you smell the smoke, Mrs Patterson? Where is it coming from?’

She shakes her head disapprovingly as she sniffs, too. She notices his boots, trousers, coat. ‘What did you think was happening?’ she asks.

‘I just…’

‘What’s all the commotion?’ The man from the room next to Henry’s walks out. He comes not from the house, but the back garden.

‘You too?’ she exclaims in exasperation.

‘I couldn’t sleep.’ He shrugs. ‘Came out for a smoke.’

‘See?’ she says to Henry. ‘It was only Mr Wetherall, up at an ungodly hour to smoke a cigarette. Mr Dao seems to have had some sort of episode,’ Mrs Patterson says.

Henry winces at her condescension. But he saw the planes, he heard the fires. He really did.

A cigarette? He doesn’t understand.

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