Chapter 511: Water Monkey
Tang Xiaonan and Amanda Chapman were walking home from school. Their final exams were tomorrow, and after that, summer vacation would begin. But Tang Xiaonan couldn’t feel happy. She was trying to recall a fuzzy memory, but it just wouldn’t come to her.
"Xiaonan, be careful! You almost fell into the pond!"
Amanda Chapman yanked her back. Tang Xiaonan snapped out of it, realizing she had unknowingly wandered to the edge of the pond. She had nearly fallen in, but thankfully, Amanda had pulled her back.
A frightened Tang Xiaonan scrambled a few steps away, putting a good distance between herself and the pond. This pond belonged to Xavier Village. It was several acres large and extremely deep. In previous years, children had often had accidents here, and even adults had drowned. It was said that there were water monkeys in the pond that would drag children from the bank into the water. No one knew if it was true, but the pond’s sinister aura was undeniable.
The murky green water of the pond was like the gaping mouth of an abyss, coldly watching the children on the bank, ready to devour an innocent person at any moment.
"Amanda, you come over here too. There are water monkeys in there."
Tang Xiaonan pulled Amanda Chapman over as well, until they were several meters away from the pond. Only then did she feel at ease. Something suddenly flashed through her mind again, but unfortunately, she still couldn’t grasp it.
However, that blurry memory had become a bit clearer. Although she still couldn’t remember the specific details, Tang Xiaonan was confident she would eventually recall it. It was just a matter of time.
Amanda Chapman was startled to hear about the water monkeys and pulled Tang Xiaonan a few more steps away, far from the pond. Only then did she lower her voice and say, "My mom says water monkeys are the spirits of children who have died. They can only be reincarnated if they pull another child into the water. Xiaonan, you must never go near a pond in the future. Every pond has water monkeys."
(When I was a kid, I had this inexplicable fear of ponds, all because of the adults’ stories about water monkeys. Whenever I walked past the bank, I couldn’t help but stare at my feet, terrified that a dark, murky water monkey would suddenly pop out of the water. But to this day, I’ve never seen what a water monkey looks like, haha.)
Tang Xiaonan nodded. "You shouldn’t go either, Amanda."
She was already afraid of water and couldn’t swim, so she would definitely stay away from ponds.
Amanda Chapman nodded solemnly. The two cousins held hands and hurried home. The house was empty. As usual, Amanda grabbed a weeding sickle and a bamboo basket to cut pig feed. Tang Xiaonan also slung a basket over her back and headed for the Hawthorne family’s home, certain that Raina and Phoebe Huxley would be working there.
After cutting the grass, Amanda Chapman took it home. Tang Xiaonan went to find the old master to turn in her homework. Adrian Hawthorne wasn’t home. Phoebe Huxley and the others were working up a storm, and the place was starting to feel like a small-scale garment factory.
But Phoebe Huxley and the others weren’t letting their mouths rest either. With a few old ladies and four other women, they could have held a general assembly. The atmosphere was incredibly lively.
"Verna’s back. Did you all know?" said Juliana Rhodes, Accountant Golding’s wife, in a secretive tone.
Accountant Golding’s family lived very close to Verna Golding’s parents’ house, so she was the first in the village to know. The others perked up instantly, the flames of their gossip burning brightly.
"Verna’s been married into Xavier Village for fifteen years. She usually only comes back once a year for the New Year and never any other time. Why would she suddenly come back now?" Phoebe Huxley asked curiously.
"I don’t know. She’s still at her parents’ house now. Magnus Golding didn’t go to work this afternoon either. It seems like something big is going on." The accountant’s wife shook her head. She wanted to go over and ask, but her family wasn’t close with Magnus Golding’s, and they didn’t usually interact. It would be awkward to show up at their door for no reason.
"Something must have happened. Verna is so strong-willed; she wouldn’t come back to find Magnus Golding unless it was something serious. She must have been wronged by the Xavier family. You Goldings have to stand up for her. That poor child has had such a hard life!" Raina sighed.