Chapter 2

Year 2002, Tina's POV.

I was so scared that I froze on the spot. Mom came toward me carrying the raw beef. With a weird smile on her face, she asked, "Tina, are you hungry too? Come and eat some."

"No, I... I won't eat!" I was at a loss and burst into tears. Mom was still walking toward me, carrying the raw beef. Finally, I came to my senses and wanted to go back into the house. However, my legs were so weak that I could not walk at all. In the end, I crawled into Grandpa's room.

Grandpa's room was quite close to me, and his landline was also there. I latched the door lock and picked up the phone, ready to call Dad to ask when he would be back. Only Dad had a mobile phone in the family. I did not remember the phone numbers of anyone else besides his.

Mom tried to push the door open and said in the gentle tone she had used earlier, "Tina, hurry outside to eat."

If I had not seen her kill the cow, I would really have thought she was normal.

Dad finally picked up the call. I quickly cried and said, "Dad, when will you be back? I'm so scared. Mom—"

"You got the wrong number." A young man's voice came from the other end of the line. He was not my father.

At that moment, Mom started pounding on the door. Her voice became terrifying again as she screamed, "I'm going to kill you!"

Mom had worked on the farm for years. She was incredibly strong, and the simple door latch could not hold her back. She said she was going to kill me. Would she actually kill me once she broke the door down?

Terrified, I called Dad again. I was sure I remembered the number correctly. I must have panicked and dialed the wrong number just now.

The call got through again, and I quickly said, "Dad, hurry back! Mom's going to kill me!"

The voice on the other end of the line answered, "Is this funny? Are you trying to scam some money out of me? Do you have to do this? How much do you want? I'll transfer the amount. Don't call me again!"

It was the same young man's voice, and he hung up once he finished speaking.

What was going on? It was clearly Dad's number, so why was a young man answering? He said he would wire me the money? Even as I kept wondering about it, I was unable to comprehend it.

Thankfully, Mom had calmed down outside. She stopped pounding on the door and stopped talking.

I climbed over to the bed and looked out the window. Mom was already in the yard, sitting on the ground and gnawing on the cow's corpse.

I finally breathed a sigh of relief and collapsed onto Grandpa's bed.

Mom was really strange today! Even though she was crazy, she still knew how to eat when hungry. It was just that she kept switching between crying and laughing. However, this time, she actually killed our cow and ate its meat raw!

When Grandpa came back, I would have him ask that shaman from the nearby village to examine Mom. I looked at the clock on the wall, and it was already 4:00 pm. Grandpa should be home soon.

Even after waiting until 8:00 pm, Grandpa still had not returned.

It was already dark, and I became even more frightened. I could only turn on Grandpa's TV and crank up the volume. Only when I heard human voices could I feel a little more at ease.

The TV was playing CSI, and the murder case in it made me even more frightened. I quickly changed the channel.

Just then, there was a knock on the door. It was Mom. "Tina, did I scare you?"

Her voice was normal, just like before she lost her mind. Still afraid, I did not respond.

Seeing that I was ignoring her, she added, "I've indeed lost my mind these past few days, and I'm aware of it. But don't be afraid because I feel better now."

It was the first time she had spoken so many complete sentences since she went insane. She had finally recovered!

I wanted to open the door for her, but then I remembered how she had chased me with the beef that afternoon.

Just as I hesitated, the phone rang.

I thought it had to be Dad calling, but I heard the young man's voice again when I picked up the phone.

This time, he was very anxious. Without waiting for me to speak, he immediately asked, "What year is it over there?"

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“What year is it now?”

"It's 2002,” I replied in confusion.

“Today is July 3rd, right?”

"Yes," I answered.

The person on the other end of the line said in a flustered tone, "Run! Don't trust your mother. She's really going to kill you!”