The Red Butterfly

Many people believe that the butterfly is the guide to the afterlife. And it's true. But only the dead and those who have experienced it truly understand how it leads. Outside, the red butterfly still flutters its wings.

***

...The mysterious death of a female student in room 505 at the Nong San University dormitory has been solved. Student Do Bao Nguyen died from inhaling the dust of the Crimson Blood butterfly, a species of bright red butterfly that usually inhabits high mountainous areas in the North of Vietnam but occasionally gets lost in other regions. Currently, the dormitory is conducting insecticide spraying to control this and other harmful insects to ensure the safety of the students living there...

 

Nguyen flopped onto her bed, staring up at the ceiling where a black butterfly was clinging on tightly. She felt tired and out of place in this noisy, bustling city. She was used to and preferred the peaceful life in the countryside. On nights when she jolted awake from a vague nightmare, Nguyen found herself more lonely than scared. Yet, she didn't dare to cry and startle her roommate. She only trembled silently till sleep took over. As a student living far away from home, Nguyen understood that everybody had their own struggles and did not want to burden her friends.

Today, her shift at work ended early so Nguyen rushed back to the dorm to take a nap. It was tough, but she could manage to save some of her family's expenses. They were not wealthy.

Sleep came quickly to Nguyen, but it did not last long. She heard a knocking on her door. 

"There is a highly toxic butterfly near my hometown, and its wings contain sleepy pollen. If you inhale it continuously for a few hours, you can die," Chi, who was under the bed, shouted. "They say someone died from this butterfly at our university dorm last time, so we have to spray insecticides near Tet."

"Like sleeping pills," Nguyen whispered.

"Lately, I've noticed you sleeping a lot, Nguyen," Diệp teased.

Nguyen knew she had been sleeping more lately because nightmares kept her awake at night. Nguyen didn't tell anyone about those strange dreams, not even Diệp.

"Are you okay, Ms. Thu? It's just a butterfly," Diệp said as she caught Thu.

"I'm afraid of insects since I was a child," Thu replied.

For some reason, Nguyen suddenly thought about how Thu looked the same age as her when they were kids. Even now, their faces didn't look very different. Although Nguyen might never have met Thu at that time.

"Get ready, 505, in five minutes we will start spraying insecticides," Thu reminded them.

Diệp turned to Nguyên and said, "Hey, Nguyên, looks like your butterfly has escaped its fate."

Nguyên, lost in thought, did not hear Diệp's words and only responded absentmindedly when she heard her name. Seeing the panic in Chị Thu's eyes, Nguyên wondered why. Eventually, Nguyen decided to investigate everything and clear up all the confusion in her head.

On the evening of the Lunar New Year, almost everyone had gone home, only Diep and Nguyen stayed. Nguyen no longer felt scared when staying alone in the room but wanted to meet the girl who had slept on this bed, Bao Nguyen, to find out the truth. Nguyen felt that everything would end tonight so she refused to go with Diep. Gazing at the butterfly for a while, Nguyen put it down on the balcony and looked at a moonless sky, only stars.

×

×

×

The door opened slightly, Nguyen called out:

- You're back early.

The answer to Nguyen was the sound of the door closing. Normally, when Diep entered the room, there would be constant laughter. Not turning around, Nguyen asked again:

- Why are you so kind today? - Nguyen's heart was pounding.

She turned around and realized that it was not Diep in the room but Chi Thu, the dormitory manager with a private key to all rooms.

- I haven't slept yet, miss. - Nguyen smiled.

- Do you know anything? - Chi Thu's voice trembled. - Why did you look into Bao Nguyen's death, who are you to Nguyen?

- I don't know anyone named Bao Nguyen. - Nguyen said in a low voice, almost as if she had known the answer to her own question for so long.

- You're lying. - Chi Thu's voice was stern. - Do Binh Nguyen, just one letter different. I should have guessed and put you somewhere else.

- Why, what did you guess? - Nguyen still asked.

- What's the point, you're pretending. If not, why have red paper butterflies been appearing everywhere around me lately?

After nearly 15 years, the mystery case finally came to a surprising end. The cause of death of Do Bao Nguyen was investigated and the murderer did not face punishment in the court of law but rather in the torment of their conscience. The killer was driven mad by their own haunting obsession. Perhaps everyone has a "ghost" in their heart, that appears when one commits a wrongdoing and haunts them for life. Unfortunately, it is not enough to prevent regrettable events from happening. In the prison hallway, the screams echoed uselessly alongside the killer's eerie smile as he muttered, "The red butterfly..."

Outside, the red butterfly still flutters its wings.