The House of Life 3 by Vann Chow

Author:Vann Chow [Chow, Vann]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-06-14T22:00:00+00:00

The Plaque

“This is so freaking awesome!!” Chad looked up in awe at the colossal mess of human endeavors. He counted at least twelves levels in the closest tower nearest to him. A myriad of rectangle signs in white with red painted Chinese words in all size and shapes advertised the plethora of businesses housed within it. Many of the storefront ones facing outwards were dentistry, doctors, snack bars, hair salon and bookstores, serving the community within and without. They were the more harmless ones, according to the stories. The storefront facing inwards were less innocuous. Fight clubs, casinos, brothels, drug-manufacturing factory, dog-meat serving dens, opium smoking joints and anti-establishment communities flourished, attracting businesses from within and without. The Walled City was once a Qing Fort and it was never occupied by the colonizers. It stayed outside of the British’s jurisdiction even after Hong Kong became its colony. And with it being so far out of reach of the Chinese Qing empire, almost ‘an island’ on its own like post-WWII Germany but with no clear governance, it had become a city of endless sins and pleasures where everything went.

Because they were in the Flux, they expected to see lingering souls going about their normal businesses in and out of the city fort and to hear long-dead children playing ball games on the roofs during lunchbreaks at the makeshift primary schools its residents organized for the under-educated occupants’ children when they have to work. Yet the group heard and saw nothing. The stores on the lower levels were closed, and all the windows on the upper levels were shut with their curtains were drawn. The place looked utterly deserted. They could felt the tense vibrations in the air.

“How dare you run off without paying?!” They saw the relentless bus conductor materialized from the side of the moving bus and charged towards them. In his hand, he was flicking a long and lean bamboo stick at them, hitting them on their feet and calves, making them jump, as if a herder rounding up stray sheep.

“Are you crazy, old fool!” Chad shouted at him as he skipped to and fro to avoid being hit by the stick.

The ruckus the old man started trigged a movement behind one of the windows. Something flashed. Ian glanced up to locate the gleam he caught from the corner of his eye under the blinding sun at high noon. When he saw what it was, it was too late.

“Run!” He shouted at the group, then grabbed Elise’s hand and ran as fast as he could. Behind him, a trail of bullets hit the ground and followed his steps like an unrelenting biting dog. It was only when they ducked behind a large plaque planted to the ground that the firing stopped.

“What on earth!” Chad looked down to check if he still had both of his feet and all ten of his toes.

“Kowloon Fortress,” Elise turned around to read the words on the giant stone plaque. “It says Fortress on it,” she gasped in surprised.

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