I put the phone down in defeat , running my fingers through my hair in frustration . Stepping out of the telephone booth , something hit my face out of blue blocking my sight . I immediately removed it from my face and held the flimsy piece of paper in my hand . ‘ Today ’ s news ’ it wrote , this piqued my attention . “ 4th of January , 1932 ” I read out loud . Suddenly , I realized what was happening . I ’ ve been transported back to year 1932 of Shanghai .
I soon realized that I was situated in The Bund , a waterfront area in central Shanghai . Wandering around the streets , I was thinking hard about how to get back to my world-- the modern world . I was so deep into my thoughts , I didn ’ t even realize I walked straight into a lamp post . I rubbed my head as I stared at a reflection of myself in its surface . ‘ Wait .’ I stopped rubbing my head and quickly snatched the paper that was stuck on the lamp post . ‘ This isn ’ t a reflection of me … This is a picture of me .’ I thought .
‘ Mei , daughter of drug lord ‘ DuYong ’ WANTED .’
The girl in the picture looks exactly like me , ‘ so that was why the two policemen were after me …’ I thought to myself , they ’ ve mistaken me for Mei . I need to find a way to leave this place . And quick . While trying hard to think of a way to transport back to the modern world , I walked past a small alley , and on the floor were a few pieces of clothing , which included a small shirt and a pair of pants made of black silk with a conical hat lying near . I stood there debating whether I should change into those set of clothes so I could blend in better or should I just stay in my own clothes . After a few seconds , I decided to throw on the few pieces of clothing and continued my journey through Shanghai , trying to keep a low profile , avoiding looking at anyone in case they mistake me for Mei . Whilst I tried hard to keep my head down , I wasn ’ t really paying attention to where I was going until I hit something , or someone to be exact . My eyes widened , not of fear , but an emotion that I can ’ t quite put my hands on , while the two police that were chasing me not long ago was right in front of me with a fuming expression .
Not knowing what to do , I stood there frozen when one of the police grabbed my arm and began dragging me with them . For a while I willingly followed them as my mind was spinning still trying to understand the situation , but I quickly came back to reality , struggling against their grip . In a swift second my feet came in contact with the police ’ s knees , making him stumble a little and his grip on my arm loosen a little . I took this chance and snatched my arm out of his hold and ran the opposite way away from them . I ran and ran without stopping and never once looking back .
I didn ’ t know how long I ran for , but by the time I stopped , it was already night time . My lungs were on fire , while my heart was pounding wildly against my chest , but those didn ’ t matter to me as I stared at the scene in front of me in awe . It was a street full of neon lights and chatters and laughters . I slowly entered the street and I felt like I walked straight into an old school chinese film . A myriad of colors greeted my eyes , every single store on this street decided to turn on all their signs hung high above , with a string of lanterns across the whole street , there were an explosion of red , yellow , green , blue everywhere , it was simply magnificent .
As I walked deeper into the street , jazz music filled my ears as I swayed a little to the lively beat . Everyone here looked like they were enjoying themselves while they chatted with one another and some dancing to the music . The atmosphere here was amazing , full of joy and dynamic . My body was lit with excitement , but it immediately went away as I felt out of place . Woman here were dressed elegantly with colorful and silky dresses with gloves and heels , with their hair pinned in a fancy updo and face caked with makeup , while the men here wore stylish hats and suits . Then there was me , dressed in a grey hoodie and black jeans with a pair of beat-up sneakers . Without warning , someone spun me around and I was faced with the lady that lent me a bronzetoken earlier today .
“ Hello again !”
She greeted me with a warm smile , this time she was wearing a pink dress with floral patterns all over , face with just the right amount of makeup and her hair was clipped to the side with a few loose strands , she looked beautiful .