I had probably realized that already , even as I dashed into the exhibit , surprising some other visitors .
I didn ’ t care , even though it was a Sunday and the museum was crowded . I didn ’ t care that all eyes would be on me if I touched that vase .
I had to make sure my friend was fine ; I needed to ensure that Ai liu was safe .
In the end , her hand appeared before I got to touch the vase , along with the choking scent of ash and dust . I flinched as the sound of a gunshot rang in the smoke filled air .
“ Emily ?” A voice whispered . I turned to see the young woman that Ai liu had turned into .
“ Ai-liu !” I gasped and she shushed me agitatedly , motioning for me to crouch . Squinting through the grey air , I was able to make out a fruit stall and realized that we were hiding behind a few overturned boxes .
Another gunshot split the air , accompanied by an agonizing scream . I was trembling all over and Ai liu had squeezed her eyes shut , tears running down her cheeks .
We waited there , in a terror-stricken silence , until the footsteps and the shouts in Japanese faded away . Ai-liu poked her head out timidly , and whispered , “ They ’ re gone .”
“ What happened to Hong Kong ?” I whispered back , and she shook her head in a frenzied manner . “ They wouldn ’ t listen , and this isn ’ t the time to talk . Come on !” She tugged me up and we ran in the opposite direction .
“ Where are we going ?” I hissed as we ran , my dread mounting as the fearful heads of people poked out from behind their hiding places to watch us pass by .
“ Home ,” Ai-liu panted , “ We have an underground shelter there , it should be safer- ” I yanked her behind a pillar just as two soldiers appeared through the powdery mist . Neither of us moved an inch .
Eventually , they decided that everyone had already been wiped out , and I could feel the whole street relax for the slightest bit as we all watched them leave .
Ai-liu tugged on my hand , and we continued to run .
I learned that war was nothing like the media ’ s portrayal of it .
There was no glory . There was no crusade . There was excitement , a horrified , nauseous one that bested anything in thriller movies . For a long time , we kept running , hiding from soldiers and freezing at the sound of footsteps . We would wait until there were no signs of immediate danger , then up and run again . We were like hares caught in a wolf hunt .
Finally , somehow , we managed to reach her house .
Ai-liu flung open the door and started pushing away the furniture . “ We ’ re nearly there , we ’ re nearly there ,” we chanted as our frantic hands pushed and pulled away the obstacles . “ We ’ re nearly th- ”
A sharp command in a foreign language . Both of us froze , and slowly turned around to face a soldier with his gun pointed straight at us . He barked at us in something we couldn ’ t comprehend .
“ Emily ,” Ai-liu suddenly said . Her voice was calm , and her hand was no longer trembling .