Panglima Perang

JACKSON POV

“You better leave before it gets worse.” Mrs. Chen nudged at me, forcing me to drop the stacks of books I held in my hands.

“What are you saying Mrs. Chen?” I looked back at her, hurt and confused, as she practically pushed me toward the door. “I promised to help out around the bookstore while you rest with your family. It’s Christmas eve after all.”

“Don’t be silly,” she scolded, nodding toward the windows. Thick, heavy flakes were already pouring from the sky, coating the nearly empty streets.

“And so what?” I turned back to her. “It snows every year, what's the big deal?”

Before she could answer, static crackled in the background and both our attentions snapped toward the radio on the counter.

“The latest weather update…” the announcer said, his voice sharp with urgency. “Conditions are deteriorating fast and it's looking pretty grim out here. A low-pressure system is moving in…and we're expecting a possible blizzard tonight. Heavy snowfall, strong winds, and reduced visibility. If you're not already inside…you might want to reconsider.”

The radio cut off with a harsh click.

Mrs. Chen shot me a victorious, I-told-you-so look. “See I told you so”

She shoved my coat into my arms, and my stomach dropped. Did she really expect me to just leave an elderly woman here alone in these conditions?

“I'm not going anywhere and leaving you alone with still so much to do Mrs. Chen.” I protest.

“Jackson…”

“At least let me close up the store and take you home, that way you won't—”

“Jackson!” She cupped my cheeks with her warm, wrinkled hands, silencing me instantly.

“This old lady will be just fine,” she said, certainty wrapped in her voice. “I've faced worse storms than this. Plus, you live farther away. So please…don't make me worry.”

Mrs. Chen was the owner of this book café and despite being this old, she was as fickle and as stubborn as they come.

I looked toward the storefront again, only to see that the snow had gotten a thousand times worse.

“Mrs. Chen, seriously… I insist.”

“Young people,” she mutters affectionately, bundling me into the coat herself. “Always thinking they're invincible.”

She left me at the doorway and disappeared within the bookstore. I knew there was no winning this argument. Once Mrs. Chen made up her mind, it was game over.

I sighed, pulling the coat tighter around me, and pushed the door open.

The cold hit me at once—sharp and biting, stealing the breath right out of my lungs. “I hate the cold,” I muttered, rolling my eyes as I tucked my chin deeper into my scarf. The temperature must’ve dropped at least fifteen degrees since this morning.

The streets were completely empty now. Students had fled campus days earlier for winter break, the coffee shop on the corner—the one that usually stayed open until midnight—was dark, and even the stragglers had disappeared.

The few cars that passed moved slowly, their headlights barely cutting through the fog.

I adjusted my scarf and started walking, my boots crunching through several inches of accumulated snow.

Twenty minutes to my apartment…I could do twenty minutes. I let my mind wander as I walked, probably a defense mechanism against the freezing cold.

I dreaded the thought of the next day, mostly because it meant Christmas dinner with my parents and their none-too-subtle questions about Tammy. A girl from a “good family” they kept pushing me toward.

I could already hear my mother’s voice; “Jackson, honey, Mrs. Liu says Tammy’s been asking about you. Such a sweet girl.”

And Tammy was sweet. Smart. Pretty. Studying business at my college. She laughed at my jokes and never made things awkward when I ran out of things to say. My parents loved her and her parents loved me, but I couldn’t bring myself to imagine a future with the two of us in it.

It wasn't like I disliked Tammy, but I'd given up on love a long time ago.

Stephanie in high school. Laura freshman year. Michelle from last spring? Girls who all deserved someone who actually felt something when they held their hand.

Who didn’t feel absolutely no connection or attraction towards them.

And I tried. God, I tried. I went on the dates, said the right things, even kissed them when it seemed like that was what I was supposed to do.

But every single time, it was the same. Nothing. Just this hollow feeling in my chest, like I was watching my life unfold from some far off place.

So I stopped. I stopped dating, stopped trying and stopped pretending that I'd eventually feel whatever I was supposed to feel.

I didn't want to continue with the cycle of needless break ups, so I made the decision to spend the rest of my life alone.

That's why I'd been making excuses to avoid Tammy, I didn't want to hurt her but my parents were getting insistent.

The snow was coming down harder now, thick flakes that stuck to my glasses and melted almost immediately, leaving a wet streak across the lenses. I could barely see five feet in front of me.

My fingers were going numb going numb despite the gloves, and my face felt raw from the wind. Good thing my apartment wasn't too far along now.

Speaking about my apartment—I barely had any supplies. If the storm really was as bad as the radio said, I'd be stuck with nothing to eat until it passed.

The 24-hour convenience store on Maple Street flashed through my mind. It might still be open, but obviously not for long. It was out of my way, but I might as well try than send up starving in a blizzard.

I turned right, toward Maple Street.

The walk felt longer, and the wind had picked up even more. My glasses fogged over completely, and I finally gave up, shoving them into my pocket. Everything turned into a blur behind the curtain of snow, the streetlights practically useless.

By the time I reached the convenience store, my teeth were chattering.

The warmth inside felt like a miracle. Mr. Parker, the owner of the store, looked up from behind the counter, surprised to see anyone.

“Bad night to be out,” he said.

“Tell me about it.” I grabbed a basket and started throwing in everything I thought I needed. From groceries to random flashlights in case the lights went out.

Mr. Parker rang everything up and handed me the plastic bags. “Be careful out there, kid.” He gave me a concerned look, and I offered him a reassuring smile before stepping out of the store.

The snow was worse now.

The wind nearly shoved me back into the door. Snow wasn’t just falling anymore, it was coming down in torrents.

I pulled my hood up, clutched the bags tighter, and started toward home. My apartment was about a yard away now. I could make it.

I was halfway across an intersection when I heard something. My head snapped up at the piercing sound and I caught the moment just in time.

Headlights cutting through the snow and then—Impact.

My eyes widened.

A dark car barreled through the snow and slammed into someone.

The body lifted off the ground, folding like a ragdoll before tumbling through the air and hitting the ground hard.