_JACKIE_

"What?" I moved closer to the man in order to understand what he was saying.  Why did he address me as someone named Rose? More importantly, who was he?

Instead of answering my question, the man just turned around and continued with his rhyme karaoke. His actions made me both curious and mad at the same time.

"Hey, who are you? Why did you call me Rose? Answer me!" I whisper-yelled at him but all in vain. He acted as if I was invisible.

I was about to carry on with my interrogation but I haulted my actions I heard some footsteps coming our way and I started to freak out. I didn't know how to get out from that place and if I get caught, they'd definitely exterminate me.

I started rotating my head in search of any secret hideout but suddenly felt a tug on my wrist. It was the old man. He used his index finger to point towards his left. I glanced to where he was pointing and saw a old wooden box.

The footsteps were nearing so I ran to the box in order to hide behind it but as I moved the box, a small hole in the wall appeared in my plane of vision. The bricks in that particular position were missing, there by creating a perfect exit.

I turned to the man to thank him but he had already entered his dream world so I just sneaked out of the hole. I pulled the box back in it's position but left a slight slit uncovered. I laid there silently to observe what was happening inside.

A girl in a white lab coat came into the room and straight away walked to the old man.

"Hey pal, how are you doing? It's time for your medicine" she said in a sing song manner like a mother does to her son.

The old man didn't say anything. He just bared his inner elbow and the lady pushed an injection in his hand. He slowly fell asleep.

I crawled behind some big bushes and waited for the troop to come out and within a few minutes, they did. I as invisibly as possible joined the group as if I was a part of it all along. As the assembly reached the place where they initially formed the que, the similar loud noise rang again and everyone started acting normal. Strange!

I was searching for my team when I stumbled upon someone and we both fell down.

"I am so sorry. Did I hurt you?" I apologized to the boy for my carelessness.

"No no, it's okay. By the way, I am Jackson" he got up on his feet and offered me his hand. I took it and he pulled me up.

"I'm Amanda" I almost spilled out my real name but thank God I remembered my alias just on time.

"So," I tried to initiate a conversation. "The castle is really big from the inside huh?"

"Woah! You've actually been inside the castle? That's awesome" I was utterly shocked by his words. He just spent an hour inside the castle but he was acting otherwise. Didn't he remember any of it that happened in the last hour?

"Hey, are you there?" Jackson shook me, breaking me from my trance.

"Yeah, sorry" I acted stupid to hide my suspicion and that made him laugh.

"Hey Amanda, come on let's go home. Grandma would be waiting" I heard Zhang yell from quite some distance.

"Looks like I'll have to go. Bye Jackson. It was nice meeting you" I ran towards my team before Jackson could say anything else. I looked back once and saw him waving his hands at me. I smile and waved back to my new friend.