Chapter 1 :Beginning

My mother was busy preparing dinner in the kitchen. As for me, I was happily playing with the toy car my father had just bought me. I absolutely love cars! I plan to buy one with my very first salary in the future! Whenever I told my father this, he would just laugh and say, "It's impossible to buy a car with just one paycheck."

​My little sister was asleep on the sofa, probably exhausted from playing so much today. I was so happy with my life; I wanted every day to be just like this.

​Suddenly, Father sprang up from the armchair he was sitting in and rushed over to Mother. He looked incredibly worried. I wondered, What's going on?

​Curious, I headed over to join them. As I reached the doorway, I heard Father whisper to Mother, "Our region has been marked as a red zone..."

​"A red zone? What on earth does that mean?!"

​Suddenly, Father received a call. He answered it. While he was talking, an extremely loud noise came from outside: BANG! BOOM!

​My sister woke up with a start and ran to us, crying. I was terrified too. What is happening? Where are these sounds coming from?

​Mother and Father quickly knelt down and hugged us tightly. Then they led us to the bathroom. Father stepped out briefly and returned with several bottles of water, asking us to assume a very low posture—to huddle down. Why are we doing this? I thought to myself.

​"Father, what's going on? Why did we come to the bathroom?" I asked him.

​"I'll tell you later," he replied.

​It was the first time I had ever seen my father so anxious. My father is the strongest man in the world! Why was he so scared?

​"Mother, why is Father so worried?" I whispered to her.

​She replied, "Because he worries about you, because he is afraid for you. You will understand when you become a father yourself someday."

​I didn't understand anything.

​Then, without warning, our building began to collapse. I was so scared! The electricity went out, and the walls were crumbling...

​The bathroom ceiling crashed down onto Mother. My mother! She was being crushed right before my eyes!

​I screamed with all my might, "Father! Father!" but there was no answer.

​The building completely collapsed. I was trapped in a dark space. I screamed, "Mother! Father

 but still, no reply. I couldn't believe my mother had been crushed; I didn't want to believe it...

​The ground moved again. I wanted to cry, but I was so petrified that I couldn't.

​I placed my hand on my head. Something soft touched my hand. It was too dark to see clearly, but when I looked again, I saw the thing that utterly devastated me: the upper half of my father's body!

​My father and mother died. They died right before my eyes!

​I want to cry! I want to scream! But no sound comes out.

​"What did I do to deserve all this, Mother? Father?"