Han Zhao's House of Myth and Mystery

“I’m back home, where I belong.”

It was the first thought Han Zhao had when he returned to the house he won in a contest. He closed the gate behind him and walked up to the front door. The key felt right in his hand as he unlocked the door and stepped inside. It smelt like home.

“I’m back,” he said again, louder this time, with a smile on his face. He looked around the room. Everything was just like it had been when he left for university three years ago. The walls were still painted white, and the table still stood in the corner of the kitchen. His mother would be pleased that he’d cleaned up before unpacking his belongings into the house.

Han was excited; he hadn’t seen his Mum in months. She left for Australia a month ago to visit her sister there, so she wouldn’t know about the prize he had won yet. He could imagine how happy she would be when she heard the news! Her son had finally found a place to live and now he could save money on rent too!

He took off his leather jacket and put it on the hanger near the door. Then he took off his shoes and put them near his jacket before walking into the living room and putting them on their shoe rack below its window. As soon as Han set foot on the small rug by their couch, something caught his eye: it was a stain on the carpet that hadn’t been there before he left! Had someone spilled something while they were staying in his house? No way! His Mum always kept their carpets clean. He walked over to it and crouched down to take a closer look at it when suddenly…

A loud meow echoed through every corner of Han’s mind as if someone had whispered into his ear. He jumped up from his squatting position startled by that loud sound inside his head! But there was no one there besides him. He turned around to see if there were any cats nearby but there wasn’t any sign of one either outside or inside of his house. What was happening? Had someone slipped something into his drink that day? Or did the stress of university get to him? Whatever it was, Han decided to ignore it and go out shopping for groceries instead before returning home to start cooking dinner for himself and his mother later tonight when she got back from Australia.

* * *

The next morning, Han woke up early to make breakfast for himself and his mother before she got back from her trip today. Han was in charge of cooking dinner today because Mum didn't want him to do anything strenuous after staying awake all night studying last night for an exam tomorrow afternoon at school. So after making breakfast, Han decided not to pack anything for lunch but instead eat out somewhere close by before going to school this afternoon because it was just too easy to end up buying junk food like chips or chocolate bars instead when you have snacks readily available in your backpack during your lunch break at school during exams week. After taking a shower, Han dressed himself in one of his nice shirts - black with white buttons - and then went into town with $200 from Mum's wallet hidden securely under a dresser pillowcase in their bedroom closet because she always told him that it was never safe to carry cash around with you because you never knew who might steal it from you if you didn't keep it secure at all times like she always did, even when she was overseas visiting her sister all alone!

At lunchtime later that afternoon at school, Han ate lunch with some classmates at Kampuchea across town where they sold delicious Khmer-style chicken rice soup noodles which cost only $5 including tax and tip! When they finished eating their noodles, they decided to splurge on two ice cream cups each which cost $4 each including tax but not tip which meant they paid $8 altogether without tip or service charge which is not bad value at all considering how delicious their ice cream tasted!