Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction 4-7 2019 | Page 208

to assist me in protecting and guiding them. From now on, you, along with Hua, will be the spirits of
protection for women and can go down to the mortal realm in the form of a bird.”
Kuan Yin smiled sagely and disappeared in a puff of smoke.
“We have a lot of work to do. Let’s go!” Hua said. I snapped out of my daze and followed her quickly. It
seemed that this would be the new chapter of my life.
Mei slid down a tree trunk tiredly and her empty stomach growled in protest.
She had been scavenging for food in the forest of Java and living in a small cave hole since she escaped from
the treasure fleet one month ago. She was terribly lost.
"Chirp." Mei looked up at a tree branch and saw the prettiest bird she had ever seen. Another bird landed
on her shoulder and dropped a small branch of berries in her hands.
"Thank you... " Mei said. The two birds seemed to smile, but that could be her imagination. She was
starving! Then, the bird on her shoulder started pulling on her sleeve with its beak.
"Alright, alright, I'm getting up. Where are you taking me?" She asked as the bird pulled her towards her
right. She didn't protest much as she didn't have any idea where she was anyway.
Mei followed the birds through the forest and soon she was standing at an open field with small houses
perched on slopes a mile away.
"Chirp, chirp." Both birds called out and left with the gentle breeze of wind.
"Wait, I haven't thanked you guys yet! Huh? What's this?" Mei caught the tiny piece of paper that was
floating down from the sky and it read:
"Good luck, Mei!"