1 The precursor of Awakening

[2006, Myron Township, New York State.]

The Myron Township is a quiet place with a small population, having all the neighbors being friendly with each other. The people are so close and trusting, that they do not even lock their doors at night.

Just to the southwest of this town. There is a small two-story building in which the Jones family lives.

Richard Jones is the backbone of the family. He has a virtuous wife who works in the supermarket and a fourteen-year-old son, Ivan Jones, who just finished junior high school.

Early in the morning Ivan would add fodder to the dozen cows in the cowshed. They ran a animal husbandry and did this for a living.

In the past, his family seldom allowed him to feed the cows. He was weak and they only allowed him to concentrate on his studies. Yet, recently he graduated junior high and his father went out. Naturally, this job now falls on him.

"It seems that in the future, I will be a rancher in this remote town. As Long as I don't go to a big city, It shouldn't be that bad," Ivan muttered while working. He was only fourteen years old, but he was already awed by the world.

This is because, he is in fact a World traveler. He has already seen plenty of signs that this may be a different world.

It has been 14 years after all. At first, he held fear and had a maladjustment because of his newfound infancy. These days though, he already has complete acceptance.

Just like a restart on life, he had to take elementary and junior high school all over again. The only difference was his culture and the region.

As well as his health.

Thinking of the young man who was tortured in the intensive care unit in his pervious life, It all feels like a dream.

Fortunately, his family treated him well in this life, and lived happily every day.

The wind blows the fallen leaves in the shed. Everything is so natural.

"Breakfast should be ready by now," He likes his food better cold, so he deliberately left breakfast in the house.

Reaching out, he planned to open the wooden door of the bullpen. Yet before his hand touched the door, the door was blown open by a breeze.

The wooden door should be stuck there. It needs a good amount of force to push it open. How can a breeze blow it open?

He shook his head helplessly; he was accustomed to these unreasonable things that happened around him.

He was now back in the house, sitting alone at the table. He was drinking warm milk and eating some biscuits, thinking about the rest of the work to do today.

"I'm going to high school soon, I hope I'll be fine in the future."

At noon, the door jingled, and a key opened the door.

"Hey! Boy, see what I brought you back!" Ivan turned off the TV when he heard his father and came out of his room to greet him.

"Dad, What do you have?" Ivan has a heartfelt smile on his face. Every time his thrifty dad says this, there must be something he really likes.

Ivan looked and saw his dad standing at the door, with his right hand resting on the shoulder of a strange girl in front of him.

"She's Jessica, the daughter of my old friend. He got into an accident recently and she wanted to come live with us. You can consider her your younger sister." Richard introduced Ivan to her.

"Hello…" Jessica greeted in a meek and low voice.

She has a delicate and lovely face, and black hair with bright black eyes.

Just like Ivan.

Looking at her age, she should also be around the same age as Ivan.

"Um.." Ivan was taken back, "Hello, Jessica."

"She is fourteen years old. If possible, I will enroll you in the same high school so that you can take care of each other. Oh, and Jessica, I will show you to your room. "

Richard said, leading Jessica upstairs. At the end of the hallway he suddenly turned around and asked, "By the way, how are the animals today?"

"they're good and I fed them all." Ivan nodded.

"Have you taken the eggs? Did you alarm the hen?" his father asked.

"I got them."

"You the best." Richard winked at Ivan.

When it's almost dinner time, it was drizzling outside. Ivan's mother Jenny also got off work from the supermarket.

"Hey Jenny, aren't you getting wet?" Richard came out of the kitchen to greet his beautiful wife. He was wearing an apron and holding a frying spoon in his hand. Just like a housewife.

"No, my dear. And where's Jessica? Did you pick her up?" Jenny responded. She then processed to ask about Jessica. It seemed that she had known Jessica a long time ago and knew about it.

Ivan set up the dining chair, thinking about if he would feel like he has a younger sister soon.

"I brought her back, she's fine. Just a little bit depressed is all." Richard said.

"It's normal to experience this kind of thing. So make sure that when I go to work, you talk to her more, okay, dear?" Jenny hung her coat on the wall.

"Yes, I understand."

"Ivan, come see what I brought back, chocolate milk sticks!" After Ivan's mother Jenny entered the hall, the first thing she did was to take six chocolate sticks out of her purse and place them in Ivan's hand.

She brings some delicious food to Ivan every day after she gets off work in the supermarket.

She looked at Ivan with a smile, leaned down and said in Ivan's ear: "Give one to Jessica."

"Okay mom."

Even if Jenny did not say it, Ivan would not eat them alone.

The rain outside the window was getting heavier, and Ivan grabbed the chocolate bar and went to the second floor.

There are two rooms on the second floor, one is his own room, and the other is closed. Jessica should be inside the closed one.

'Boom Boom', Ivan knocked on the door twice.

"Jessica, it's almost dinner time."

"okay." The person inside responded, without opening the door.

"Uh, can you open the door?"

The door was locked, so Ivan asked her to open it, looking at the chocolate bar in his hand.

But no one answered in the room.

'There must have been some misfortune in the family of this girl so that she must live here.

Regardless of the misfortune, it must have had a psychological impact on her. Won't she be depressed?'

Thinking of this, Ivan's heart jumped, and the door suddenly opened.

In the room, Jessica was wearing her underwear, clutching the quilt, and sitting on the bed inside.

"Uh, do you want a chocolate bar?" Ivan gestured to the chocolate bar in his hand.

"You.. did you open it with the key?" Jessica asked timidly, remembering locking the room door from inside.

"…, it's time for dinner."

"I, I'm sick and don't want to eat dinner today," Jessica said.

"Take a few of these." Ivan said, throwing out four chocolate bars. The four chocolate bars traversed an arc in mid-air and fell into Jessica's right palm precisely.

Jessica was surprised, Ivan threw it so accurately. The four chocolate bars were like magic in the dark, manipulated to fall into her hands accurately.

"Thank you." Jessica said.

"My name is Ivan." Ivan smiled at Jessica, full of vigor, "You are welcome, just treat this as your own home."

Ivan went downstairs. Richard and Jenny had already finished cooking in the kitchen, and the whole table was filled with great dinners.

"Where is Jessica? Isn't she coming down?" Jenny asked softly.

"She said she was unwell and didn't want to eat dinner." Ivan reported truthfully.

"This kid. It hurts even more if you don't eat dinner, I'll go call her." Jenny said as she went upstairs.

The rain outside was getting heavier, and Ivan pushed himself out the door, planning to cover the old motorcycle at home with a transparent cloth.

He picked up the transparent cloth and ran to the motorcycle quickly, covering the machine.

The heavy rain fell, but as if avoiding Ivan deliberately, no drops fell on him.