By LSC
The embarrassing experience that I had that day was deeply etched in my mind. It all happened on a regular Monday. School just ended and I was waiting for the bus at the bus-stop outside my school. After waiting for a while, the bus loomed into view and pulled over near the kerb. The crowd of pupils rushed into the bus and I had to fight like a salmon upstream to board the bus which was packed like sardines in a can. As I stepped into the bus, a gush of refreshingly cool air greeted me. However, I was hardly able to move in the bus.
“Just bear with it, it will be a matter of minutes before I reached the stop,” I told myself.
Luckily, a few bus stops later, the number of passengers gradually decreased. When it was one stop away from my destination, I was fortunate enough to be able to find a seat! I rested on the seat as I entertained the thought of having a nice foam bath when I got home. Just then, a gigantic man slumped on to the seat next to mine. I turned to look at him. He was stocky and scary-looking. His hair was in a wild disarray and his massive arms were covered with tattoos. He looked a gangster. I gulped.
“May I sit?” he asked me politely.
“Yes, of course…,” I stammered, trying to sound as polite as possible, afraid that I may enrage him.
As the man placed himself comfortably on the seat, he caused it to shake under his enormous weight. I kept shifting nearer to the windows, trying to stay as far away from the man as possible. Finally, the bus screeched to a halt and pulled over. I reached the bus stop near my house and I alighted hastily.
“Wow! Finally! I am free from that menacing-looking man! Just the thought of him makes me cringe!” I thought to myself.
I started walking briskly towards the direction of my house which was a stone’s throw away from the bus stop. Suddenly, I realised that the man had alighted too! He was following right behind me. Perspiration trickled down my forehead as my heart palpitated wildly.
“He must be a robber who plans to rob me of my money!” I thought as a scene from a movie I had watched recently flashed across my mind again.
I started running with every ounce of my energy, hoping to get rid of the man.
“Hey kid! Stop!” the man shouted from behind and started to run after me in hot pursuit!
“I’m right! He must be planning to rob me!” I said out aloud.
My suspicions were confirmed as I heard the man shouting at him from behind. Running was my forte and I ran as fast as my legs could carry me. Soon, I increased the distance between the “robber” and me.
Just then, I heard a loud sickening thud. I turned around and to my surprise, I saw that the man had fallen onto the ground!
“This is a great chance for me to escape from this dangerous situation!” I thought to myself as I hastened my pace.
“Hey, kid! Don’t run! You dropped your wallet on the bus!” the man shouted at the top of his voice.
I heard the most unexpected thing and stopped running immediately. I searched my pocket and realised that my wallet was really not with me！
“Why did you run away? I am here to return your wallet, kid!” the man shouted again.
Although I was still suspicious, I went back and attended to the man. He slowly stood up and patted the dust off his clothes.
“Here, take it, this is your wallet! Don’t be so forgetful again!” he said as he handed the wallet to me.
My face flushed as red as beetroot instantaneously as I was very ashamed of myself to have thought the worst of the man. The man meant no harm! He was kind enough to come and return me my wallet!
“Sorry! I thought you were going to hurt me!” I apologised to the man as I noticed the bruise on the man’s leg.
“It’s alright, kid. My appearance did cause many misunderstandings before! Got to go, I have not reached my destination yet!” said the man with a smile.
With that, he limped slowly back to the bus stop. I felt sorry for the man.
“Thank you!” I shouted from where I was standing and continued to walk back home.
It was an embarrassing experience for me. I learnt from the incident that I must not judge a book by its cover or a person by his appearance!
Showing posts with label About Compositions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label About Compositions. Show all posts
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Watch Out
By CL
The people in the overcrowded mall were packed like sardines in a can. Stores were festooned with colourful lights and decorations, each trying to outdo the next. There was a merry atmosphere in the air. My friends, Mary and Stacey, and I were out shopping for our classmate, Mandy's, birthday.
" Ouch! Cari! You're stepping on my shoe!" Mary squealed.
" Sorry!"I apologised sheepishly.
"Do you think Mandy would like that photo frame?" Stacey asked, pointing to an orange photo frame in the display window.
"Let's check that thing out," I suggested.
Stacey walked briskly to the shop, at the same time was sending a message with her mobile phone. A man carrying two big boxes of glass bottles walked out of the shop. The boxes blocked his view.
Seeing the impending danger, Mary shouted," Watch out!"
'Crash!' It was too late. The boxes dropped onto the floor and Stacey and the man fell down. The glass bottles in the boxes broke into a million pieces. A crowd quickly gathered around the commotion.
"Stacey! Are you alright?" Mary and I rushed to Stacey immediately. Stacey winced in pain.
"Don't you watch where you are going?" the man hollered, staring at Stacey with his bloodshot angry eyes. Stacey's face turned a bright shade of red.
"What about you?" she shouted back, fuming.
Seeing that things were beginning to get out of hand, Mary said calmly,"Stacey, please don't make a scene. Just apologize."
"I am not totally at fault! Couldn't he have taken one box at a time? Then, his view would not be blocked!" Stacey retorted. I helped Stacey up.
"Ouch!" Stacey shrieked. She had stepped on one of the pieces of glass. Blood gushed out of her foot. Stacey moaned and groaned in pain.
"So, what are you going to do about my losses? These bottles are not exactly what you would call cheap!" the man said to Mary and I, ignoring Stacey.
"Look, sir. We will pay you for the glass bottles but she really isn't totally at fault," I said meekly, afraid that he would erupt like a volcano again.
"Cari, shouldn't we bring Stacey to the clinic first?" Mary asked.
"There is a clinic on the fourth floor. I'll take you there," said a shopper.
"Thank you," I said gratefully.
"I'm sorry, I'm in the wrong as well. How about this, you pay a third of my losses, and I will let the matter rest," the man said after thinking for awhile.
"Fine. I'm sorry too," Stacey apologised reluctantly. She was then taken to the clinic. Mary accompanied her. I paid forty bucks for the bottles and helped the store owner sweep up the mess. The man let the mall, still grumbling a little.
"Sorry for all the trouble caused," I said to the store owner.
The owner smiled and replied," It's alright." I smiled back and walked to the clinic.
"Cari! Over here!" Mary shouted to me when she saw me outside the clinic. I walked towards them.
"Stacey, you okay?" I asked, concerned.
"Fine. The best part has yet to come. When I get home, my mother will treat me like a princess," Stacey replied, grinning like a cheshire cat.
Mary and I laughed at Stacey who was always the optimist. Since that incident, Stacey never dared to use her phone while walking after learning her lesson the hard way.
The people in the overcrowded mall were packed like sardines in a can. Stores were festooned with colourful lights and decorations, each trying to outdo the next. There was a merry atmosphere in the air. My friends, Mary and Stacey, and I were out shopping for our classmate, Mandy's, birthday.
" Ouch! Cari! You're stepping on my shoe!" Mary squealed.
" Sorry!"I apologised sheepishly.
"Do you think Mandy would like that photo frame?" Stacey asked, pointing to an orange photo frame in the display window.
"Let's check that thing out," I suggested.
Stacey walked briskly to the shop, at the same time was sending a message with her mobile phone. A man carrying two big boxes of glass bottles walked out of the shop. The boxes blocked his view.
Seeing the impending danger, Mary shouted," Watch out!"
'Crash!' It was too late. The boxes dropped onto the floor and Stacey and the man fell down. The glass bottles in the boxes broke into a million pieces. A crowd quickly gathered around the commotion.
"Stacey! Are you alright?" Mary and I rushed to Stacey immediately. Stacey winced in pain.
"Don't you watch where you are going?" the man hollered, staring at Stacey with his bloodshot angry eyes. Stacey's face turned a bright shade of red.
"What about you?" she shouted back, fuming.
Seeing that things were beginning to get out of hand, Mary said calmly,"Stacey, please don't make a scene. Just apologize."
"I am not totally at fault! Couldn't he have taken one box at a time? Then, his view would not be blocked!" Stacey retorted. I helped Stacey up.
"Ouch!" Stacey shrieked. She had stepped on one of the pieces of glass. Blood gushed out of her foot. Stacey moaned and groaned in pain.
"So, what are you going to do about my losses? These bottles are not exactly what you would call cheap!" the man said to Mary and I, ignoring Stacey.
"Look, sir. We will pay you for the glass bottles but she really isn't totally at fault," I said meekly, afraid that he would erupt like a volcano again.
"Cari, shouldn't we bring Stacey to the clinic first?" Mary asked.
"There is a clinic on the fourth floor. I'll take you there," said a shopper.
"Thank you," I said gratefully.
"I'm sorry, I'm in the wrong as well. How about this, you pay a third of my losses, and I will let the matter rest," the man said after thinking for awhile.
"Fine. I'm sorry too," Stacey apologised reluctantly. She was then taken to the clinic. Mary accompanied her. I paid forty bucks for the bottles and helped the store owner sweep up the mess. The man let the mall, still grumbling a little.
"Sorry for all the trouble caused," I said to the store owner.
The owner smiled and replied," It's alright." I smiled back and walked to the clinic.
"Cari! Over here!" Mary shouted to me when she saw me outside the clinic. I walked towards them.
"Stacey, you okay?" I asked, concerned.
"Fine. The best part has yet to come. When I get home, my mother will treat me like a princess," Stacey replied, grinning like a cheshire cat.
Mary and I laughed at Stacey who was always the optimist. Since that incident, Stacey never dared to use her phone while walking after learning her lesson the hard way.
Falling Fan
By AY
My school has a very old history, dating back to the late 1940s, when Singapore had not gained its independence yet. Although we had shifted to a new compound, that was at least ten years ago, and now the four walls of our school are not so new anymore. As a result of all these, an event was able to take place, just a week ago.
“Hi Renee!” I chirped to my best pal when she walked over, carrying a bowl of piping hot soup. Sporting a short and neat hairstyle, Renee was a bit on the plump side, but she had two very adorable dimples, one on each cheek. She sat down beside me and began to tell me about something that had happened in class. However, I was not listening as my mind was miles away. The wonderful smell of the strong Indian curry from the Indian stall, the aroma of the traditional oriental Chinese snacks from a stall run by immigrants from China and all the local delights from my favourite stall, all in one place; the school canteen were distracting me.
Just as I was about to tuck into my all-time favourite fried rice, four boys from our class sat down at our table with us. Renee and one of the boys began bickering about something that had happened, while I just beamed at my friend who was always in the middle of an argument. Suddenly, a loud creaking sound was heard. Rene and the boys did not think much of it, but as it died down, I could not help having an ominous feeling.
“Maybe it’s really nothing,” I thought to myself and started to tuck into my food.
At that moment, a louder groan was heard, followed by more creaking and suddenly, a “Whoosh!” sound. Before I knew what was happening, the ceiling fan directly above us landed on the table with a deafening crash. That was a heart-stopping moment for us. I was scared out of my wits. The impact of the fan was so great, that it sent all our food flying off the table. Renee screamed in agony when her bowl of soup scalded her. All of the boys tried to back away, but their instincts could not save them from getting food all over themselves. Several grains of rice fell onto my skirt and I was also scalded by some of Renee’s soup.
Several people around us also shouted, especially the girls. Many of them crowded around to see what had happened. Luckily, a teacher on duty happened to be nearby and he pushed his way through the throngs of pupils. Renee was howling in pain, while I scrambled out of my seat. My fingers and arms were trembling from the shock of the impact as the teacher made his way forward.
“Are you okay? Come, I’ll bring you to the sick bay,” he said, especially to Renee who was clutching her scalded arm. Between the teacher and me, we helped Renee and another boy to the sick bay. The school staff there treated Renee with some cream that made her howl again. It was almost too painful to watch. The other boy was treated for a minor cut on his arm due to a sharp piece of the falling debris that fell along with the fan. The school staff gave me some medication and a plaster for a cut on my arm. Later, I learnt that the other boys were relatively fine and had recovered from the shock. Renee’s parents soon arrived to take her home to rest.
In the later part of the day, some technicians were dispatched to survey the damage, and the next day, the school announced that they did a check on the rest of the fans in the canteen. They were shocked to find out that more than half of the fans were in danger of collapsing. Once bitten, twice shy, the school immediately replaced all the faulty fans, but this event will forever be etched deeply in my mind.
My school has a very old history, dating back to the late 1940s, when Singapore had not gained its independence yet. Although we had shifted to a new compound, that was at least ten years ago, and now the four walls of our school are not so new anymore. As a result of all these, an event was able to take place, just a week ago.
“Hi Renee!” I chirped to my best pal when she walked over, carrying a bowl of piping hot soup. Sporting a short and neat hairstyle, Renee was a bit on the plump side, but she had two very adorable dimples, one on each cheek. She sat down beside me and began to tell me about something that had happened in class. However, I was not listening as my mind was miles away. The wonderful smell of the strong Indian curry from the Indian stall, the aroma of the traditional oriental Chinese snacks from a stall run by immigrants from China and all the local delights from my favourite stall, all in one place; the school canteen were distracting me.
Just as I was about to tuck into my all-time favourite fried rice, four boys from our class sat down at our table with us. Renee and one of the boys began bickering about something that had happened, while I just beamed at my friend who was always in the middle of an argument. Suddenly, a loud creaking sound was heard. Rene and the boys did not think much of it, but as it died down, I could not help having an ominous feeling.
“Maybe it’s really nothing,” I thought to myself and started to tuck into my food.
At that moment, a louder groan was heard, followed by more creaking and suddenly, a “Whoosh!” sound. Before I knew what was happening, the ceiling fan directly above us landed on the table with a deafening crash. That was a heart-stopping moment for us. I was scared out of my wits. The impact of the fan was so great, that it sent all our food flying off the table. Renee screamed in agony when her bowl of soup scalded her. All of the boys tried to back away, but their instincts could not save them from getting food all over themselves. Several grains of rice fell onto my skirt and I was also scalded by some of Renee’s soup.
Several people around us also shouted, especially the girls. Many of them crowded around to see what had happened. Luckily, a teacher on duty happened to be nearby and he pushed his way through the throngs of pupils. Renee was howling in pain, while I scrambled out of my seat. My fingers and arms were trembling from the shock of the impact as the teacher made his way forward.
“Are you okay? Come, I’ll bring you to the sick bay,” he said, especially to Renee who was clutching her scalded arm. Between the teacher and me, we helped Renee and another boy to the sick bay. The school staff there treated Renee with some cream that made her howl again. It was almost too painful to watch. The other boy was treated for a minor cut on his arm due to a sharp piece of the falling debris that fell along with the fan. The school staff gave me some medication and a plaster for a cut on my arm. Later, I learnt that the other boys were relatively fine and had recovered from the shock. Renee’s parents soon arrived to take her home to rest.
In the later part of the day, some technicians were dispatched to survey the damage, and the next day, the school announced that they did a check on the rest of the fans in the canteen. They were shocked to find out that more than half of the fans were in danger of collapsing. Once bitten, twice shy, the school immediately replaced all the faulty fans, but this event will forever be etched deeply in my mind.
Lift Incident
By AT
It was a sweltering hot afternoon. The Sun blazed mercilessly onto the Earth. I was waiting at the lift lobby at my block of flats after school, exhausted after a day of strutting around, as proud as a peacock showing off my new necklace.
I received the necklace as a birthday present from my father the day before. A small crystal heart-shape pendant hung from the silver chain. I loved it with all my heart, as it was the prettiest thing I had ever laid my eyes on.
While I was daydreaming about who else I could show off my necklace to, I entered the lift and pressed the lift button with the number twelve on it, for the floor on which I lived. Just as the lift doors were about to close, a man in his early thirties dashed into the lift. I did not take much notice of him and just continued to build castles in the air. Little did I know what was about to happen.
I started to get impatient as the lift began its slow ascent to the twelfth floor. I could not wait to get out of the stuffy lift and go home to soak myself in the bathtub.
Suddenly, I noticed the man eyeing me. I could not help feeling scared as cold fingers of fear crept up my spine. I composed myself and just glared at him defiantly.
Just then, the man brandished a small knife and snarled at me, “Your money or your life!”
I panicked, and with trembling hands, I took out my pink Ocean Pacific wallet.
He snickered and said, “Is that the best you can do?”
He pressed the knife against my neck as I reached into my pocket again to get out my MP3 player, silently praying for the lift to go faster.
“Bing!” The lift suddenly came to an abrupt stop and the doors slowly started to open, though we were only on the eighth floor. Old Aunty Jane appeared and smiled when she saw me but froze when she saw that I had a knife pressed to my neck. She gave an ear-piercing scream before trying to hobble away for help, but before she could reach the end of the corridor, she fainted.
The robber cast one last look at me and just as he was about to run off, he snatched my necklace of my neck! That did it. I was furious. I forgot all my fears as I pounced on him and knocked the knife from his hand. I started clawing him and shouting for help. Bill, old Aunty Jane’s son, heard the commotion and came out. He was shocked to see me hanging on to a man, but he quickly took his phone out of his pocket to dial for the police before helping me pin down the man.
Luckily, Bill was much stronger and younger than the robber, enabling him to pin down the man with ease. At this juncture the man tried to pick up his knife to cut Bill, but I soon knocked the knife out of his hand.
The rest of the events happened very quickly. Three police cars and an ambulance arrived. The police went to scene of the crime and frog-marched the man to the police car before pushing his head down and lowering him into it. They also returned all my things to me.
The robber snarled at me, “I will get you for this.”
Feeling very brave as I was surrounded by the policemen, I laughed loudly and triumphantly replied, “We will see about that!”
After that, I went home for the bath that I had been longing for. Aunty Jane was taken to the hospital in the ambulance and thankfully, she was discharged the following day.
That experience was a truly horrifying one for me. The image of the man snarling at me was deeply etched in my mind. Ever since that incident, I have not worn any jewellery. I have also grow to be a more humble person, and I now understand the saying “Pride comes before a fall”.
It was a sweltering hot afternoon. The Sun blazed mercilessly onto the Earth. I was waiting at the lift lobby at my block of flats after school, exhausted after a day of strutting around, as proud as a peacock showing off my new necklace.
I received the necklace as a birthday present from my father the day before. A small crystal heart-shape pendant hung from the silver chain. I loved it with all my heart, as it was the prettiest thing I had ever laid my eyes on.
While I was daydreaming about who else I could show off my necklace to, I entered the lift and pressed the lift button with the number twelve on it, for the floor on which I lived. Just as the lift doors were about to close, a man in his early thirties dashed into the lift. I did not take much notice of him and just continued to build castles in the air. Little did I know what was about to happen.
I started to get impatient as the lift began its slow ascent to the twelfth floor. I could not wait to get out of the stuffy lift and go home to soak myself in the bathtub.
Suddenly, I noticed the man eyeing me. I could not help feeling scared as cold fingers of fear crept up my spine. I composed myself and just glared at him defiantly.
Just then, the man brandished a small knife and snarled at me, “Your money or your life!”
I panicked, and with trembling hands, I took out my pink Ocean Pacific wallet.
He snickered and said, “Is that the best you can do?”
He pressed the knife against my neck as I reached into my pocket again to get out my MP3 player, silently praying for the lift to go faster.
“Bing!” The lift suddenly came to an abrupt stop and the doors slowly started to open, though we were only on the eighth floor. Old Aunty Jane appeared and smiled when she saw me but froze when she saw that I had a knife pressed to my neck. She gave an ear-piercing scream before trying to hobble away for help, but before she could reach the end of the corridor, she fainted.
The robber cast one last look at me and just as he was about to run off, he snatched my necklace of my neck! That did it. I was furious. I forgot all my fears as I pounced on him and knocked the knife from his hand. I started clawing him and shouting for help. Bill, old Aunty Jane’s son, heard the commotion and came out. He was shocked to see me hanging on to a man, but he quickly took his phone out of his pocket to dial for the police before helping me pin down the man.
Luckily, Bill was much stronger and younger than the robber, enabling him to pin down the man with ease. At this juncture the man tried to pick up his knife to cut Bill, but I soon knocked the knife out of his hand.
The rest of the events happened very quickly. Three police cars and an ambulance arrived. The police went to scene of the crime and frog-marched the man to the police car before pushing his head down and lowering him into it. They also returned all my things to me.
The robber snarled at me, “I will get you for this.”
Feeling very brave as I was surrounded by the policemen, I laughed loudly and triumphantly replied, “We will see about that!”
After that, I went home for the bath that I had been longing for. Aunty Jane was taken to the hospital in the ambulance and thankfully, she was discharged the following day.
That experience was a truly horrifying one for me. The image of the man snarling at me was deeply etched in my mind. Ever since that incident, I have not worn any jewellery. I have also grow to be a more humble person, and I now understand the saying “Pride comes before a fall”.
Cinema Incident
By KJQ
It was a bright sunny Sunday morning. The sun shone brilliantly and caused the ground to be scorching hot. The trees swayed to the tempo of the light breeze. It was a perfect day.
“Hurray! Hurray! The movie is going to start soon! We are almost late!” my brother hurried.
We were supposed to catch a movie, “Superman”, that morning, but I woke up late. We scurried like two little mice into the cinema. I leaped into the queue and ordered popcorn. Then, we paid and went into the screening hall. As it was a Sunday, many tickets were already taken and so we had to get two tickets that left us sitting in one of the rows near the front.
Suddenly, the lights were dimmed and slowly switched off. A trailer appeared on the screen, saying “Hand phones are to be switched off or put on silent mode.” I quickly fished out my hand phone and turned it off, so did my brother.
“Ring! Ring! Ring!” A ringtone screamed. My brother and I quickly looked in the direction of the noise.
A man then said, “Yes, oh yes... No… Yes!” and he spoke in a loud voice.
Upon seeing the man’s actions, I was boiling with anger.
“Can’t he whisper? And in the first place, he should not pick up his phone; he should have switched it off or turned it to the silent mode!” I thought.
A lady sitting beside him was asking him to hang up his phone and she pointed to the screen, but her words fell on deaf ears.
Suddenly, I heard more noise coming from the entrance. My attention then shifted to the three boys entering the screening hall. Once they entered and took their seats, they put their feet on the seats in front of them and started munching popcorns. Two of the boys started a commotion and played “Popcorn Fight”. They threw popcorns into each other’s faces and in the end the popcorns dropped everywhere and dirtied the area, adding to the workload of the cleaners. There was a person sitting in front of the three boys and from her facial expression, I could see that she was irritated.
“Hey! Is this how you behave in a public area?!” the woman suddenly shouted like a volcano eruption.
The man who was talking loudly at first got a shock and quickly hung up his phone without delay. The man’s face blushed as red as an apple. The boys, too, put their feet down and sat up straight, as stiff as stones. The boys, too, realised their mistake and were ashamed of their behaviour.
The man stood up and apologised sincerely, “I am really sorry for the inconvenience I caused.”
Then, with his head low and in low spirits, he left the screening hall on his own accord. At that moment, my heart went out to him as I felt that he did not have to leave, but I think he did it because of embarrassment. As for the boys, they sat through the entire “Superman” movie without even a whisper.
My brother and I enjoyed the movie without any further disruption. This incident at the cinema has certainly made my brother and me more mindful of our own behaviour in public.
It was a bright sunny Sunday morning. The sun shone brilliantly and caused the ground to be scorching hot. The trees swayed to the tempo of the light breeze. It was a perfect day.
“Hurray! Hurray! The movie is going to start soon! We are almost late!” my brother hurried.
We were supposed to catch a movie, “Superman”, that morning, but I woke up late. We scurried like two little mice into the cinema. I leaped into the queue and ordered popcorn. Then, we paid and went into the screening hall. As it was a Sunday, many tickets were already taken and so we had to get two tickets that left us sitting in one of the rows near the front.
Suddenly, the lights were dimmed and slowly switched off. A trailer appeared on the screen, saying “Hand phones are to be switched off or put on silent mode.” I quickly fished out my hand phone and turned it off, so did my brother.
“Ring! Ring! Ring!” A ringtone screamed. My brother and I quickly looked in the direction of the noise.
A man then said, “Yes, oh yes... No… Yes!” and he spoke in a loud voice.
Upon seeing the man’s actions, I was boiling with anger.
“Can’t he whisper? And in the first place, he should not pick up his phone; he should have switched it off or turned it to the silent mode!” I thought.
A lady sitting beside him was asking him to hang up his phone and she pointed to the screen, but her words fell on deaf ears.
Suddenly, I heard more noise coming from the entrance. My attention then shifted to the three boys entering the screening hall. Once they entered and took their seats, they put their feet on the seats in front of them and started munching popcorns. Two of the boys started a commotion and played “Popcorn Fight”. They threw popcorns into each other’s faces and in the end the popcorns dropped everywhere and dirtied the area, adding to the workload of the cleaners. There was a person sitting in front of the three boys and from her facial expression, I could see that she was irritated.
“Hey! Is this how you behave in a public area?!” the woman suddenly shouted like a volcano eruption.
The man who was talking loudly at first got a shock and quickly hung up his phone without delay. The man’s face blushed as red as an apple. The boys, too, put their feet down and sat up straight, as stiff as stones. The boys, too, realised their mistake and were ashamed of their behaviour.
The man stood up and apologised sincerely, “I am really sorry for the inconvenience I caused.”
Then, with his head low and in low spirits, he left the screening hall on his own accord. At that moment, my heart went out to him as I felt that he did not have to leave, but I think he did it because of embarrassment. As for the boys, they sat through the entire “Superman” movie without even a whisper.
My brother and I enjoyed the movie without any further disruption. This incident at the cinema has certainly made my brother and me more mindful of our own behaviour in public.
Blackout at MRT
By RE
Have you ever found yourself in total darkness? Well, I have and this was how it all happened. It all started on a Monday evening. Everyone, including myself, was flocking to the train station to await the arrival of the trains. I was among the crowd, waiting to get on board the “North-east” line.
In a flash, the train arrived at the station and without sparing a thought for others getting off the train, everybody started “charging” into the train carriage, elbowing themselves through the crowd. I waited by the side for the commuters to get off before squeezing into the carriage and got in just in time before the door slammed shut.
It was the peak hour and it was no wonder that the train was packed like sardines. The train was moving at a very fast speed, train stations passed in the wink of an eye while more and more people got in and out of the train. I was waiting for my station to arrive as I held onto the railings. Laughter and chattering filled the air. Despite the fact that everything seemed normal, I had an ominous premonition that something was going to happen.
Just when the announcement for the next station was about to be made, the train stopped and the lights went off. My heart skipped a beat. Piecing shrieks and shouts replaced the laughter and chattering. I could see nothing except the colour black and could feel many hands groping around trying to find their way around. My heart was palpitating louder than usual and my hands turned clammy. Apparently, the air-conditioning had also broken down.
“Must be a minor circuit-break,” I thought. “It’s nothing serious.” I decided to wait for the lights to be restored and for an announcement to be made over the public address system.
I waited. But nothing was heard and the scene remained as chaotic as before. I began to panic and a million “what ifs” flooded through my mind. “What if no one comes to rescue us?” “What if a train running down the track rams into us?” “What if…” At that juncture, a pungent smell broke my train of thoughts. I tried to search for the source of the smell and it led me to the back of the train. I saw orange, red sparks. I smelt it once again and a sudden thought dawned on me. A fire had broken out!
I had to do something before this fire starts spreading. I shouted at the top of my voice, “People! A fire has broken out! Please stay…” Before I could finish my sentence, pandemonium broke out. Commuters started hitting emergency buttons and charged out to the emergency exit of the train. I had no choice but to follow the crowd. Just when I was about to leave, I heard an audible scream coming from the back of the train. Curiosity kills the cat and it piqued me to investigate further. I traced the scream to its source and spotted a toddler crying. The fire would start spreading in no time and I had to get the toddler out. Without hesitation, I carried him and raced out of the train to safety. I found the rest of the commuters and all of us watched the fiery tongues of the fire slowly engulf the train. Meanwhile, someone dialled for the Civil Defence Force .
In a flash, the Civil Defence Force arrived at the scene and they got down to work almost immediately. Some started to put out the fire with hoses attached to underground pipes while the other firemen evacuated us to safety. We followed them in an orderly manner and upon reaching safe ground. I was still clutching the toddler’s hand. Out of the blue, I head a shrill voice amidst the noise, hollering, “Tim! Tim, where are you?” The toddler beside me reacted instantly and I guessed that it was his mother looking for him. We followed the voice and spotted a lady in her thirties, with jet-black hair flowing to her waist. She was looking anxiously around. I went forward and brought Tim to her and the moment she saw her beloved son, creases of worry vanished instantly from her forehead. She hugged her son tightly in her arms and thanked me profusely.
“How can I ever repay you?” the lady said in a voice full of gratitude.
“It is okay. Just remember to take care of your son,” I replied.
She flashed me a smile as if to say “I will” and I could not resist smiling back. As I watched both the mother and son leaving, hand in hand, I decided that it was time for me to head home too.
The next day, the incident was reported in the headlines. It turned out that the cause of the fire and blackout was due to technical fault and that the authorities were still investigating the matter. Fortunately, there were no casualties involved. After reading the papers, I reflected on that harrowing event. It has taught me the importance of remaining calm in a crisis and more importantly, the vulnerability of life.
Have you ever found yourself in total darkness? Well, I have and this was how it all happened. It all started on a Monday evening. Everyone, including myself, was flocking to the train station to await the arrival of the trains. I was among the crowd, waiting to get on board the “North-east” line.
In a flash, the train arrived at the station and without sparing a thought for others getting off the train, everybody started “charging” into the train carriage, elbowing themselves through the crowd. I waited by the side for the commuters to get off before squeezing into the carriage and got in just in time before the door slammed shut.
It was the peak hour and it was no wonder that the train was packed like sardines. The train was moving at a very fast speed, train stations passed in the wink of an eye while more and more people got in and out of the train. I was waiting for my station to arrive as I held onto the railings. Laughter and chattering filled the air. Despite the fact that everything seemed normal, I had an ominous premonition that something was going to happen.
Just when the announcement for the next station was about to be made, the train stopped and the lights went off. My heart skipped a beat. Piecing shrieks and shouts replaced the laughter and chattering. I could see nothing except the colour black and could feel many hands groping around trying to find their way around. My heart was palpitating louder than usual and my hands turned clammy. Apparently, the air-conditioning had also broken down.
“Must be a minor circuit-break,” I thought. “It’s nothing serious.” I decided to wait for the lights to be restored and for an announcement to be made over the public address system.
I waited. But nothing was heard and the scene remained as chaotic as before. I began to panic and a million “what ifs” flooded through my mind. “What if no one comes to rescue us?” “What if a train running down the track rams into us?” “What if…” At that juncture, a pungent smell broke my train of thoughts. I tried to search for the source of the smell and it led me to the back of the train. I saw orange, red sparks. I smelt it once again and a sudden thought dawned on me. A fire had broken out!
I had to do something before this fire starts spreading. I shouted at the top of my voice, “People! A fire has broken out! Please stay…” Before I could finish my sentence, pandemonium broke out. Commuters started hitting emergency buttons and charged out to the emergency exit of the train. I had no choice but to follow the crowd. Just when I was about to leave, I heard an audible scream coming from the back of the train. Curiosity kills the cat and it piqued me to investigate further. I traced the scream to its source and spotted a toddler crying. The fire would start spreading in no time and I had to get the toddler out. Without hesitation, I carried him and raced out of the train to safety. I found the rest of the commuters and all of us watched the fiery tongues of the fire slowly engulf the train. Meanwhile, someone dialled for the Civil Defence Force .
In a flash, the Civil Defence Force arrived at the scene and they got down to work almost immediately. Some started to put out the fire with hoses attached to underground pipes while the other firemen evacuated us to safety. We followed them in an orderly manner and upon reaching safe ground. I was still clutching the toddler’s hand. Out of the blue, I head a shrill voice amidst the noise, hollering, “Tim! Tim, where are you?” The toddler beside me reacted instantly and I guessed that it was his mother looking for him. We followed the voice and spotted a lady in her thirties, with jet-black hair flowing to her waist. She was looking anxiously around. I went forward and brought Tim to her and the moment she saw her beloved son, creases of worry vanished instantly from her forehead. She hugged her son tightly in her arms and thanked me profusely.
“How can I ever repay you?” the lady said in a voice full of gratitude.
“It is okay. Just remember to take care of your son,” I replied.
She flashed me a smile as if to say “I will” and I could not resist smiling back. As I watched both the mother and son leaving, hand in hand, I decided that it was time for me to head home too.
The next day, the incident was reported in the headlines. It turned out that the cause of the fire and blackout was due to technical fault and that the authorities were still investigating the matter. Fortunately, there were no casualties involved. After reading the papers, I reflected on that harrowing event. It has taught me the importance of remaining calm in a crisis and more importantly, the vulnerability of life.
Stranger
By JL
My bag weighed heavily down on my shoulders as I trudged home after a tiring day at school. The sunny weather was a direct contrast to my gloomy mood. With my father out-stationed and my mother busy running her errands, I dread the thought of having to prepare my own meal and being home alone.
As I stepped out of the dank elevator, I saw two dubious characters standing in front of my new neighbour’s flat. The younger man with a tanned complexion and a well-toned body was fiddling with my neighbour’s lock. His accomplice, a pot-bellied burly man, was standing behind him with his eyes darting hither and thither as he looked around.
I have not met this new neighbour of mine who had just moved in last week. I understood from mum that the family ran a coffee shop which was at the foot of our block and was hardly home till past midnight.
The first thing that went through my mind was “burglary!” I wanted to dial triple nine with my mobile phone, but being in such close proximity to these “thugs”, I would not be able to use it without alerting them. Just as I was about to reach for my phone, “Ring!” my phone sounded at the most inappropriate time. My heartbeat sent adrenaline pumping through my veins. I quickly muffled it and made a quick dash down the flight of stairs to answer the call. Thanks to my lucky stars, I was not discovered by the “thugs”.
As if the caller was playing a trick on me, my phone stopped ringing when the soles of my shoes touched the concrete floor at the foot of my block. I uttered a curse and proceeded to call for the police. They advised me to stay put, but, nosey as ever, I decided to play sleuth and continue to watch these men. After what seemed like an eternity, the men in blue arrived, and swiftly caught the perpetrators.
The older man bellowed, “What are you doing? I am the owner of this flat!” but there were no documents on him to prove it. Thanking me, the police led the duo to the lift. At the lift landing, the man with a pot belly turned towards me and blurted out a string of obscenities before punctuating his sentence with, “You just wait and see!”
The thought of what might happen to me make my throat go dry.
“Hubby, what are you doing, being handcuffed by the police! Did you do something bad? You even made our son your partner in crime?” a voice broke my train of thoughts. At that very moment, I saw a plump bespectacled lady outside the lift. Bewildered by the strange turn of events, I rushed forward to investigate and was utterly embarrassed to find out that the two “burglars” were actually my new neighbours!! Apparently, their new key to the house was stuck in the key hole and they were attempting to get it out while waiting for the lock-smith.
Upon hearing the truth unfold, the policemen apologized, removed the handcuffs and released the two men. All of them had a hearty laugh, which was at my expense. Feeling mortified, I made a beeline for the sanctuary of my flat, resolving never to jump hastily to conclusions again.
Lost Child
By PJM
“I told you if you’re going to play soccer after school, I’m not following!” I heard Mary scream at the top of her lungs.
“Well, don’t!” Jack retorted.
Being the peacemaker, I closed in and said amiably, “Stop arguing. Let’s go for a picnic at the beach instead.”
Jack and Mary stuck their tongues out at each other childishly. They are always at loggerheads with each other, despite being friends since kindergarten.
After school, we arranged to meet after packing some food for the picnic. Without even changing out from our school uniforms, we were on our way to Changi Beach.
As soon as we arrived at the beach, we looked for a shady spot to lay out our picnic mat. While we were eating the snacks that we had brought along, a little boy came towards us. He was crying.
In front of us, stood a little boy who was no more than four years of age. He had a light tan and was donned in a tee-shirt decorated with cartoon prints and matching shorts. He kept using his hands to wipe tears from his almond- shaped eyes.
Mary, being the most compassionate among us, went forward to ruffle the little boy’s dark brown locks and urged him to tell us his predicament. The little boy slowly related his story. It turned out that he had wandered away from his parents who were soaking up the sun and got lost.
“Don’t be afraid, we will find your mummy and daddy”, reassured Mary. I nodded in agreement. While the both of us viewed the child as someone in need, Jack perceived him as an intruder who disrupted his peaceful picnic.
“I am not helping this child, it’s his own fault that he is lost, not ours!” snapped Jack irritably, refusing to leave the picnic mat.
It took much persuasion on our part, before Jack relented and offered the child a helping hand. The little boy was over the moon to have three Samaritans by his side and demonstrated his pleasure by putting an end to those tears.
After a detailed discussion, we came to a consensus. Mary would keep the little boy company while I scoured the beach for the child’s parents, leaving the most elementary task of informing the Beach Patrol Officers about the missing child to Jack.
We were barely an hour into our tasks when an anxious couple reported to the Beach Patrol to file a report about their missing son. The officer made no delay to notify Jack when the couple’s description of their child matched his. It was then Jack’s turn to pass the news on to Mary and me to gather at the Beach Patrol Station where the couple was waiting in fervent hope.
“Mummy! Daddy!” The little boy shrieked. Upon seeing his parents, the little boy wept. This time, tears of joy flowed down his face. The little boy and his parents expressed their immense gratitude to the three of us by offering each of us money for taking care of their son, which we politely declined.
Upon Jack’s request, we returned to our shady spot for our picnic. Between bites, I recounted the events that had taken place over the previous hour and it dawned on me that this was the first time Mary and Jack worked together without quarrelling. Helping others does bring out the best in us.
“I told you if you’re going to play soccer after school, I’m not following!” I heard Mary scream at the top of her lungs.
“Well, don’t!” Jack retorted.
Being the peacemaker, I closed in and said amiably, “Stop arguing. Let’s go for a picnic at the beach instead.”
Jack and Mary stuck their tongues out at each other childishly. They are always at loggerheads with each other, despite being friends since kindergarten.
After school, we arranged to meet after packing some food for the picnic. Without even changing out from our school uniforms, we were on our way to Changi Beach.
As soon as we arrived at the beach, we looked for a shady spot to lay out our picnic mat. While we were eating the snacks that we had brought along, a little boy came towards us. He was crying.
In front of us, stood a little boy who was no more than four years of age. He had a light tan and was donned in a tee-shirt decorated with cartoon prints and matching shorts. He kept using his hands to wipe tears from his almond- shaped eyes.
Mary, being the most compassionate among us, went forward to ruffle the little boy’s dark brown locks and urged him to tell us his predicament. The little boy slowly related his story. It turned out that he had wandered away from his parents who were soaking up the sun and got lost.
“Don’t be afraid, we will find your mummy and daddy”, reassured Mary. I nodded in agreement. While the both of us viewed the child as someone in need, Jack perceived him as an intruder who disrupted his peaceful picnic.
“I am not helping this child, it’s his own fault that he is lost, not ours!” snapped Jack irritably, refusing to leave the picnic mat.
It took much persuasion on our part, before Jack relented and offered the child a helping hand. The little boy was over the moon to have three Samaritans by his side and demonstrated his pleasure by putting an end to those tears.
After a detailed discussion, we came to a consensus. Mary would keep the little boy company while I scoured the beach for the child’s parents, leaving the most elementary task of informing the Beach Patrol Officers about the missing child to Jack.
We were barely an hour into our tasks when an anxious couple reported to the Beach Patrol to file a report about their missing son. The officer made no delay to notify Jack when the couple’s description of their child matched his. It was then Jack’s turn to pass the news on to Mary and me to gather at the Beach Patrol Station where the couple was waiting in fervent hope.
“Mummy! Daddy!” The little boy shrieked. Upon seeing his parents, the little boy wept. This time, tears of joy flowed down his face. The little boy and his parents expressed their immense gratitude to the three of us by offering each of us money for taking care of their son, which we politely declined.
Upon Jack’s request, we returned to our shady spot for our picnic. Between bites, I recounted the events that had taken place over the previous hour and it dawned on me that this was the first time Mary and Jack worked together without quarrelling. Helping others does bring out the best in us.
Stealing
By DC
The smiling sun reigned supreme, painting the great canvas of the morning sky in warm hues of yellow. The dew on the leaves dropped onto the ground like a row of unsewn pearls.
“Ring….!” The bell for recess had just rung and almost immediately, children ran out of their classrooms like flocks of migrating birds.
I was about to tuck into my scrumptious bowl of piping hot noodles when my best friend, Tom, sat down in front of me.
“Did you know Peter brought his new mobile phone?” he asked.
“Yeah! What a show-off!” I said jealously as I wolfed down my noodles.
“Why don’t we teach him a lesson?” Tom suggested with a sly grin. Having the same thought in mind, I nodded in agreement.
After finishing my noodles, we headed towards our classroom on the top floor.
“Why didn’t the prefects stop us?” Tom said in astonishment as we climbed the long flights of stairs.
“Beats me, but they sure are dim-witted fools,” I remarked.
Looking in every direction and round every corner, we made our way stealthily towards the classroom, making sure that no one had discovered us. After creeping into the classroom, we began to carry out our plan. I started rummaging through Peter’s bag while Tom kept watch for anyone passing by.
After what seemed like an eternity, I was still unable to find Peter’s phone. Tension hung like a thick cloud in the air as beads of perspiration trickled down our foreheads.
“Where on earth could it be?” I said frantically.
“I can hear somebody’s footsteps. I think we should abort our plan,” Tom advised.
I managed to put the bag back into its original position just as a teacher came in. It was our English teacher, Mr Koh, whom I have always looked up to with awe and respect.
“Good morning, Mr Koh,” Tom and I greeted in unison. We tried our best to look calm and innocent, but inside we were shaking like leaves.
“What are you two doing?” he asked sternly.
“Um…I had for…forgotten something and came ba…back to take it,” I replied, trying as much as I could to stop stammering.
A shadow of doubt flickered across Mr Koh’s face and he began interrogating us with a series of questions. Soon, we were strongly overcome by an unbearable feeling of guilt. Knowing our fate was sealed like an ant in a web, we decided to confess. Upon hearing our confession, we were frogmarched to the Principal’s office. Torrents of tears flowed fast and free as I hung my head in shame.
We were let off with a stern warning and we vowed never to do such a thing ever again.
“It’s too late for regrets, but what you can do is to turn over a new leaf and mend your ways,” Mr Koh advised. These words of wisdom would remain in my heart forever.
The smiling sun reigned supreme, painting the great canvas of the morning sky in warm hues of yellow. The dew on the leaves dropped onto the ground like a row of unsewn pearls.
“Ring….!” The bell for recess had just rung and almost immediately, children ran out of their classrooms like flocks of migrating birds.
I was about to tuck into my scrumptious bowl of piping hot noodles when my best friend, Tom, sat down in front of me.
“Did you know Peter brought his new mobile phone?” he asked.
“Yeah! What a show-off!” I said jealously as I wolfed down my noodles.
“Why don’t we teach him a lesson?” Tom suggested with a sly grin. Having the same thought in mind, I nodded in agreement.
After finishing my noodles, we headed towards our classroom on the top floor.
“Why didn’t the prefects stop us?” Tom said in astonishment as we climbed the long flights of stairs.
“Beats me, but they sure are dim-witted fools,” I remarked.
Looking in every direction and round every corner, we made our way stealthily towards the classroom, making sure that no one had discovered us. After creeping into the classroom, we began to carry out our plan. I started rummaging through Peter’s bag while Tom kept watch for anyone passing by.
After what seemed like an eternity, I was still unable to find Peter’s phone. Tension hung like a thick cloud in the air as beads of perspiration trickled down our foreheads.
“Where on earth could it be?” I said frantically.
“I can hear somebody’s footsteps. I think we should abort our plan,” Tom advised.
I managed to put the bag back into its original position just as a teacher came in. It was our English teacher, Mr Koh, whom I have always looked up to with awe and respect.
“Good morning, Mr Koh,” Tom and I greeted in unison. We tried our best to look calm and innocent, but inside we were shaking like leaves.
“What are you two doing?” he asked sternly.
“Um…I had for…forgotten something and came ba…back to take it,” I replied, trying as much as I could to stop stammering.
A shadow of doubt flickered across Mr Koh’s face and he began interrogating us with a series of questions. Soon, we were strongly overcome by an unbearable feeling of guilt. Knowing our fate was sealed like an ant in a web, we decided to confess. Upon hearing our confession, we were frogmarched to the Principal’s office. Torrents of tears flowed fast and free as I hung my head in shame.
We were let off with a stern warning and we vowed never to do such a thing ever again.
“It’s too late for regrets, but what you can do is to turn over a new leaf and mend your ways,” Mr Koh advised. These words of wisdom would remain in my heart forever.
Betrayal
By GT
I have always thought of Jack as my best friend. I have always thought that we would share weal and woe together. I have always thought that he would never betray me. But after that fateful incident, I realised that my beliefs were wrong.
It was just another typical day. Jack and I were walking to school together as usual. The glorious morning sun was peeping out slowly, bringing life and light to the neighbourhood. The dried leaves that the sweeper had painstakingly raked into a heap were blown away by the wind, and were covering the footpath once again. Jack and I chatted happily along our way. Within moments, we reached our school and proceeded to the classroom.
When we reached the classroom, we saw many pupils crowding around David’s seat. We put down our bags and went over to David’s seat. We were amazed by what we saw! Right in David’s hand was a mobile phone which was the latest model of its kind. This was the mobile phone that Jack and I had always dreamt of having. It had many interesting features and some new ones too. But it was very expensive, so our parents refused to buy one for us no matter how much we begged of them.
“Well I just have to use it. I just have to,” I thought to myself.
I asked David, “Can I please borrow your mobile phone? I want to check it out for a while.”
David turned his head to look at me and sneered at me, “You want to borrow my mobile phone? Dream on! Go buy it yourself!”
I was pretty offended by what he had said. How could he answer me in this manner? So what if he was a rich kid? He has no right to treat me like that. I wanted to howl at him, but Jack grabbed hold of me.
“Let me go, Jack,” I demanded while struggling.
“Come on, James. So what if he does not want to lend us his mobile phone? You will not die, right?” Jack tried to calm me down.
“But I really want to check out that mobile phone out. My fingers are itching to touch it,” I protested.
Then suddenly, I had an idea, an idea that I know was morally wrong. But greed got the better of me. I told Jack of my idea.
“Since he is unwilling to lend us the mobile phone, we will just have to steal it from him,” I whispered to Jack.
“Are you mad?! What if we get caught?” Jack exclaimed.
“Don’t worry, here is the plan. Simon and Ben are on duty today during recess, but from past experience, they will go for recess after five minutes. That’s when we come in and swipe the mobile phone. Is that clear?” I asked Jack.
“But…,” Jack tried to protest.
“No buts,” I interrupted Jack, “If you don’t help me, then forget about being friends.”
Just then, our teacher, Mrs. Lim, came into the classroom. I winked at Jack before returning to my seat. During the next few periods, I tried to pay attention to the teacher, but my mind was preoccupied with the plan. Finally, it was recess time and everybody rushed out of the classroom like bees in a beehive. Jack walked to me, shivering slightly.
“Must we really do this?” he asked, his voice quavering.
“Yes, we must,” I answered him firmly.
After five minutes of recess, Jack and I went up to the classroom. As I predicted, Ben and Simon were off for their recess. There was not a single soul in the classroom. Silence hung densely in the air.
We went to David’s seat and I started searching David’s bag while Jack looked out to see if anyone was around. My heart pounded rapidly and my mind was in a blank. Sweat tickled down my neck like a row of unsewn pearls. My conscience told me that I was in the wrong, but I did not listen to it. Then, I found the mobile phone. I could not believe my eyes. I tugged at Jack, anticipating him to smile radiantly. But instead, his face turned as pale as death.
“I am sorry, James. I am really sorry…,” Jack apologised to me.
Then, Mrs. Lim came into the classroom. I tried to escape, but it was too late. I stood rooted to the ground.
“Jack, did you tell Mrs. Lim our plan?” I asked Jack with wide-eye horror.
“Yes, he did,” Mrs. Lim continued, “he had no other ways to stop you. He was hoping that you will change your mind before commiting this crime, but you did not.”
I was aghast. I was flabbergasted. My best buddy, Jack, had betrayed me. How could he do this? Suddenly, I felt furious. I was angry with Jack. I glared at him with my bloodshot angry eyes.
“I am really…sorry…really…sorry,” Jack stammered.
I had to face the music. The Discipline Master let me off with a stern warning after reprimanding me. My parents also punished me by grounding me for a month. They were disappointed with me and felt that I should learn from Jack. A month passed quickly and soon the people around me no longer held the matter against me. But one thing has definitely changed. Jack and I were not as close as we were before.
I have always thought of Jack as my best friend. I have always thought that we would share weal and woe together. I have always thought that he would never betray me. But after that fateful incident, I realised that my beliefs were wrong.
It was just another typical day. Jack and I were walking to school together as usual. The glorious morning sun was peeping out slowly, bringing life and light to the neighbourhood. The dried leaves that the sweeper had painstakingly raked into a heap were blown away by the wind, and were covering the footpath once again. Jack and I chatted happily along our way. Within moments, we reached our school and proceeded to the classroom.
When we reached the classroom, we saw many pupils crowding around David’s seat. We put down our bags and went over to David’s seat. We were amazed by what we saw! Right in David’s hand was a mobile phone which was the latest model of its kind. This was the mobile phone that Jack and I had always dreamt of having. It had many interesting features and some new ones too. But it was very expensive, so our parents refused to buy one for us no matter how much we begged of them.
“Well I just have to use it. I just have to,” I thought to myself.
I asked David, “Can I please borrow your mobile phone? I want to check it out for a while.”
David turned his head to look at me and sneered at me, “You want to borrow my mobile phone? Dream on! Go buy it yourself!”
I was pretty offended by what he had said. How could he answer me in this manner? So what if he was a rich kid? He has no right to treat me like that. I wanted to howl at him, but Jack grabbed hold of me.
“Let me go, Jack,” I demanded while struggling.
“Come on, James. So what if he does not want to lend us his mobile phone? You will not die, right?” Jack tried to calm me down.
“But I really want to check out that mobile phone out. My fingers are itching to touch it,” I protested.
Then suddenly, I had an idea, an idea that I know was morally wrong. But greed got the better of me. I told Jack of my idea.
“Since he is unwilling to lend us the mobile phone, we will just have to steal it from him,” I whispered to Jack.
“Are you mad?! What if we get caught?” Jack exclaimed.
“Don’t worry, here is the plan. Simon and Ben are on duty today during recess, but from past experience, they will go for recess after five minutes. That’s when we come in and swipe the mobile phone. Is that clear?” I asked Jack.
“But…,” Jack tried to protest.
“No buts,” I interrupted Jack, “If you don’t help me, then forget about being friends.”
Just then, our teacher, Mrs. Lim, came into the classroom. I winked at Jack before returning to my seat. During the next few periods, I tried to pay attention to the teacher, but my mind was preoccupied with the plan. Finally, it was recess time and everybody rushed out of the classroom like bees in a beehive. Jack walked to me, shivering slightly.
“Must we really do this?” he asked, his voice quavering.
“Yes, we must,” I answered him firmly.
After five minutes of recess, Jack and I went up to the classroom. As I predicted, Ben and Simon were off for their recess. There was not a single soul in the classroom. Silence hung densely in the air.
We went to David’s seat and I started searching David’s bag while Jack looked out to see if anyone was around. My heart pounded rapidly and my mind was in a blank. Sweat tickled down my neck like a row of unsewn pearls. My conscience told me that I was in the wrong, but I did not listen to it. Then, I found the mobile phone. I could not believe my eyes. I tugged at Jack, anticipating him to smile radiantly. But instead, his face turned as pale as death.
“I am sorry, James. I am really sorry…,” Jack apologised to me.
Then, Mrs. Lim came into the classroom. I tried to escape, but it was too late. I stood rooted to the ground.
“Jack, did you tell Mrs. Lim our plan?” I asked Jack with wide-eye horror.
“Yes, he did,” Mrs. Lim continued, “he had no other ways to stop you. He was hoping that you will change your mind before commiting this crime, but you did not.”
I was aghast. I was flabbergasted. My best buddy, Jack, had betrayed me. How could he do this? Suddenly, I felt furious. I was angry with Jack. I glared at him with my bloodshot angry eyes.
“I am really…sorry…really…sorry,” Jack stammered.
I had to face the music. The Discipline Master let me off with a stern warning after reprimanding me. My parents also punished me by grounding me for a month. They were disappointed with me and felt that I should learn from Jack. A month passed quickly and soon the people around me no longer held the matter against me. But one thing has definitely changed. Jack and I were not as close as we were before.
Void Deck Incident
By SY
“Checkmate!” The old man announced with pride.
It was the first time after so many rounds that he had managed to beat his friend, Mr Wong. Mr Lim and Mr Wong were seated at the void deck, playing a traditional game—chess. Mr Lim, dressed in a black shirt and a pair of trousers with a head of wavy hair, was in a good mood. A string of happy events was happening to him unexpectedly. Firstly, he had picked up a two-dollar note on the floor earlier that day. Then, he had won the game. He whistled cheerfully as he picked his cup of orange juice and wanted to quench his roaring thirst. Unfortunately, all these good events were about to come to an end……
“Hey! Let’s see if you can catch it!” A loud, mischievous voice boomed across void deck. Two boys were playing a game of football despite the fact that a big sign plastered on the wall indicated that no playing of football at the void deck was allowed. One of the boys raised his left foot, aimed at the ball and kicked it high up into the air with all his might. The other boy flung his arms up and tried to reach for the ball, but it seems to be miles away. The ball, like moving in slow motion, flew across their play area, and was about to hit Mr Lim right on the head.
“Beware!” A policeman in neat and crisp uniform appeared from behind the pillar and shouted out to Mr Lim.
Mr Lim was taken aback. He dropped his cup of orange juice and took a step back from his seat. Unfortunately, he did not look where he was going and almost crashed into a plump lady who was carrying a cake box. She was also carrying a basket of apples and some of them dropped onto the ground. However, she was too pre-occupied in carrying the cake and maintaining her balance to notice the apples that had dropped.
The ball landed on the chair Mr Lim had been sitting on and bounced away, hitting Mr Wong on the arm, before dropping onto the floor.
“Ouch!” He winced and turned to look at the boy. Mr Wong turned as red as beetroot as he stared at the boys with feisty eyes, as if he was going to punch the boys.
“Aiyoh! Ah Boy ah, quick go and say sorry to the two uncles!” A grandmother, seated at the bench some distance away, ordered in broken English.
The boys turned white with guilt and immediately rushed over to pick up their ball. Looking at the two men’s bewildered and angry expressions, they knew they were in hot soup. Seething with rage, Mr Lim and Mr Wong approached them menacingly. After letting out a mighty bellow, Mr Wong glared at them with displeasure. Mr Lim seemed to have grown an inch taller; while on the other hand, the two boys seemed to have shrunk to ant-size.
At this juncture, the policeman walked over and decided to step in. He stared a long lecture on being considerate to other people and about abiding by the rules. He pointed to the sign and questioned the two boys sarcastically, “Are you blind? Can’t you see the sign?”
The two boys nodded their heads in embarrassment. The two boys then offered an apology to Mr Lim and Mr Wong which they accepted. The boys also helped to pick up the lady’s apples and apologised again. She had been fuming about their inconsiderate way but she contained her anger. Moreover, the boys had to clean up the orange juice that had spilled onto the ground.
Shortly after everyone had regained their composure, the policeman and the lady left the void deck. The two old men started a new game of chess, while the boys followed their grandmother home in shame and with a lesson learnt the hard way.
“Checkmate!” The old man announced with pride.
It was the first time after so many rounds that he had managed to beat his friend, Mr Wong. Mr Lim and Mr Wong were seated at the void deck, playing a traditional game—chess. Mr Lim, dressed in a black shirt and a pair of trousers with a head of wavy hair, was in a good mood. A string of happy events was happening to him unexpectedly. Firstly, he had picked up a two-dollar note on the floor earlier that day. Then, he had won the game. He whistled cheerfully as he picked his cup of orange juice and wanted to quench his roaring thirst. Unfortunately, all these good events were about to come to an end……
“Hey! Let’s see if you can catch it!” A loud, mischievous voice boomed across void deck. Two boys were playing a game of football despite the fact that a big sign plastered on the wall indicated that no playing of football at the void deck was allowed. One of the boys raised his left foot, aimed at the ball and kicked it high up into the air with all his might. The other boy flung his arms up and tried to reach for the ball, but it seems to be miles away. The ball, like moving in slow motion, flew across their play area, and was about to hit Mr Lim right on the head.
“Beware!” A policeman in neat and crisp uniform appeared from behind the pillar and shouted out to Mr Lim.
Mr Lim was taken aback. He dropped his cup of orange juice and took a step back from his seat. Unfortunately, he did not look where he was going and almost crashed into a plump lady who was carrying a cake box. She was also carrying a basket of apples and some of them dropped onto the ground. However, she was too pre-occupied in carrying the cake and maintaining her balance to notice the apples that had dropped.
The ball landed on the chair Mr Lim had been sitting on and bounced away, hitting Mr Wong on the arm, before dropping onto the floor.
“Ouch!” He winced and turned to look at the boy. Mr Wong turned as red as beetroot as he stared at the boys with feisty eyes, as if he was going to punch the boys.
“Aiyoh! Ah Boy ah, quick go and say sorry to the two uncles!” A grandmother, seated at the bench some distance away, ordered in broken English.
The boys turned white with guilt and immediately rushed over to pick up their ball. Looking at the two men’s bewildered and angry expressions, they knew they were in hot soup. Seething with rage, Mr Lim and Mr Wong approached them menacingly. After letting out a mighty bellow, Mr Wong glared at them with displeasure. Mr Lim seemed to have grown an inch taller; while on the other hand, the two boys seemed to have shrunk to ant-size.
At this juncture, the policeman walked over and decided to step in. He stared a long lecture on being considerate to other people and about abiding by the rules. He pointed to the sign and questioned the two boys sarcastically, “Are you blind? Can’t you see the sign?”
The two boys nodded their heads in embarrassment. The two boys then offered an apology to Mr Lim and Mr Wong which they accepted. The boys also helped to pick up the lady’s apples and apologised again. She had been fuming about their inconsiderate way but she contained her anger. Moreover, the boys had to clean up the orange juice that had spilled onto the ground.
Shortly after everyone had regained their composure, the policeman and the lady left the void deck. The two old men started a new game of chess, while the boys followed their grandmother home in shame and with a lesson learnt the hard way.
Stranger at the door
By JN
It was a splendid Sunday afternoon. Our closely-knit family gathered in the cosy living room to play board games. A few minutes into the game, the shrill ringing of the door bell interrupted our concentration.
“Yes,” my father, who had responded to the resonating doorbell, muttered to the other party.
The rest of us returned our attention to the game, thinking that it was the postman with a registered mail. As his conversation with the other party dragged on, he took on a severe semblance. His grave look indicated that something terribly wrong had occurred. At this point, the rest of the family rallied around him to await the disturbing news: our grandmother had met with an accident on her way to the market! Being unable to obtain our telephone number, a staff member of the hospital had come to our home to inform us about it.
Instantaneously, everyone clambered into the family sedan and my father whisked furiously towards the Singapore General Hospital. In the car, everyone was silent, stunned by the tragic news. Those twenty minutes of travel time were agonizingly long. It felt like hours before we finally swung into the driveway of the hospital.
Once there, my parent bolted out of the car at breakneck speed, with us sprinting behind. We knew we had no time to lose. Their mother, our grandmother, was dying! We smashed through visitors, nurses, patients, doors, and chairs to reach her hospital room. Tears of desperation and despair blinded us as we swept like a hurricane towards her bed.
“Grandma !Grandma!” I shouted in desperation, “Do not leave us!” I was like in a drama scene when actors would say this standard phrase to their loved ones when they were dying but this was no joke. My grandmother’s face was pale white and she did not even have the energy to smile. The nurse told us what had happened and said that it was not the driver’s fault. It was my grandmother who had crossed the road carelessly.
All we could do was to say some comforting words to my grandmother. We were all worried that grandmother’s condition would worsen. The doctor said that grandma had to stay in the hospital for at least a week to fully recovered. Although my grandmother finally recovered, this incident taught us that the grave consequences of crossing the road carelessly. Through this incident, we also learnt to cherish my grandmother more.
It was a splendid Sunday afternoon. Our closely-knit family gathered in the cosy living room to play board games. A few minutes into the game, the shrill ringing of the door bell interrupted our concentration.
“Yes,” my father, who had responded to the resonating doorbell, muttered to the other party.
The rest of us returned our attention to the game, thinking that it was the postman with a registered mail. As his conversation with the other party dragged on, he took on a severe semblance. His grave look indicated that something terribly wrong had occurred. At this point, the rest of the family rallied around him to await the disturbing news: our grandmother had met with an accident on her way to the market! Being unable to obtain our telephone number, a staff member of the hospital had come to our home to inform us about it.
Instantaneously, everyone clambered into the family sedan and my father whisked furiously towards the Singapore General Hospital. In the car, everyone was silent, stunned by the tragic news. Those twenty minutes of travel time were agonizingly long. It felt like hours before we finally swung into the driveway of the hospital.
Once there, my parent bolted out of the car at breakneck speed, with us sprinting behind. We knew we had no time to lose. Their mother, our grandmother, was dying! We smashed through visitors, nurses, patients, doors, and chairs to reach her hospital room. Tears of desperation and despair blinded us as we swept like a hurricane towards her bed.
“Grandma !Grandma!” I shouted in desperation, “Do not leave us!” I was like in a drama scene when actors would say this standard phrase to their loved ones when they were dying but this was no joke. My grandmother’s face was pale white and she did not even have the energy to smile. The nurse told us what had happened and said that it was not the driver’s fault. It was my grandmother who had crossed the road carelessly.
All we could do was to say some comforting words to my grandmother. We were all worried that grandmother’s condition would worsen. The doctor said that grandma had to stay in the hospital for at least a week to fully recovered. Although my grandmother finally recovered, this incident taught us that the grave consequences of crossing the road carelessly. Through this incident, we also learnt to cherish my grandmother more.
Beach Incident
By SG
It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon. Our whole family decided to go for an outing at the beach. I was elated as it was not very often that we had a chance to go to the beach. Soon we were in the family car and heading for the beach.
When we got there, we saw a crowd of people standing at the beach pointing and shouting at something in the water. I squinted to see what the pointing and shouting was all about. It was a little boy in the water, thrashing about. It seemed as if he was about to drown!
My blood froze as icy fingers of fear crawled down my spine. My mind was numbed with shock. Oh why did this have to happen today? Just then, a person ran past me and jumped into the sea. I thought he looked strangely familiar. Before I could figure out who it was, Mom gave me the answer by exclaiming,” Your Daddy, my hero!” I was so proud of him, but in another second, I felt a pang of uneasiness. As Dad swam over to the little boy, the boy kicked and splashed.
“Dad must be having a hard time!” I thought.
Dad tried to calm the little boy down, but his efforts were in vain. The boy paid no attention and screamed and kicked wildly. Dad had difficulty keeping his head up in the water as he gasped for breath, losing air and energy at the same time. My sister held on to my hand tightly.
“I’m scared. Will Daddy be okay?” she whimpered.
I assured her that everything would be fine and told her not to worry, but my voice quivered as I spoke.
“Am I as sure as I think I am?” I thought as I watched, sick with anxiety.
Finally, Dad managed to grab hold of the boy. At that moment, both of them went under the surface of the water! In another second, Dad burst out of the water with the boy and we all heaved a huge sigh of relief. It was then that we noticed the boy was unconscious. Dad took much effort to drag the boy to the shore. Upon seeing this, the crowd cheered. A lifeguard came over to Dad and said, “That was really brave of you. Here, let me take over.” Dad, who was dripping wet and panting heavily, nodded in agreement.
The lifeguard then proceeded to administer mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on the boy. In the midst of it all, a woman pushed through the crowd, screaming hysterically, “My son, my son! Where is he? Is he okay?” Someone from the crowd explained everything that had happened to her and pointed at Dad. After regaining her composure, the woman came over to Dad and expressed her thanks to him for saving her son.
She explained that her son had gone for a swim when he was not supposed to, and it was only just now that she had found out he was missing. At this juncture, the boy had revived and was choking and spluttering. His mother ran to his side.
Apparently someone had called for the ambulance as the loud wailing of sirens could be heard. The woman thanked Dad again once more and got into the ambulance with her son who was on a stretcher. We watched as the ambulance drove away.
Soon after, the crowd dispersed and it was getting dark. We decided to go home for dinner. We talked about the incident as we walked to where our car was parked. What an eventful day!
It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon. Our whole family decided to go for an outing at the beach. I was elated as it was not very often that we had a chance to go to the beach. Soon we were in the family car and heading for the beach.
When we got there, we saw a crowd of people standing at the beach pointing and shouting at something in the water. I squinted to see what the pointing and shouting was all about. It was a little boy in the water, thrashing about. It seemed as if he was about to drown!
My blood froze as icy fingers of fear crawled down my spine. My mind was numbed with shock. Oh why did this have to happen today? Just then, a person ran past me and jumped into the sea. I thought he looked strangely familiar. Before I could figure out who it was, Mom gave me the answer by exclaiming,” Your Daddy, my hero!” I was so proud of him, but in another second, I felt a pang of uneasiness. As Dad swam over to the little boy, the boy kicked and splashed.
“Dad must be having a hard time!” I thought.
Dad tried to calm the little boy down, but his efforts were in vain. The boy paid no attention and screamed and kicked wildly. Dad had difficulty keeping his head up in the water as he gasped for breath, losing air and energy at the same time. My sister held on to my hand tightly.
“I’m scared. Will Daddy be okay?” she whimpered.
I assured her that everything would be fine and told her not to worry, but my voice quivered as I spoke.
“Am I as sure as I think I am?” I thought as I watched, sick with anxiety.
Finally, Dad managed to grab hold of the boy. At that moment, both of them went under the surface of the water! In another second, Dad burst out of the water with the boy and we all heaved a huge sigh of relief. It was then that we noticed the boy was unconscious. Dad took much effort to drag the boy to the shore. Upon seeing this, the crowd cheered. A lifeguard came over to Dad and said, “That was really brave of you. Here, let me take over.” Dad, who was dripping wet and panting heavily, nodded in agreement.
The lifeguard then proceeded to administer mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on the boy. In the midst of it all, a woman pushed through the crowd, screaming hysterically, “My son, my son! Where is he? Is he okay?” Someone from the crowd explained everything that had happened to her and pointed at Dad. After regaining her composure, the woman came over to Dad and expressed her thanks to him for saving her son.
She explained that her son had gone for a swim when he was not supposed to, and it was only just now that she had found out he was missing. At this juncture, the boy had revived and was choking and spluttering. His mother ran to his side.
Apparently someone had called for the ambulance as the loud wailing of sirens could be heard. The woman thanked Dad again once more and got into the ambulance with her son who was on a stretcher. We watched as the ambulance drove away.
Soon after, the crowd dispersed and it was getting dark. We decided to go home for dinner. We talked about the incident as we walked to where our car was parked. What an eventful day!
Broken Eggs Incident
By CHY
It was a disaster. I was covered in revoltingly smelly mud water from head to toe. It was the most embarrassing day of my life. The series of unfortunate events all happened on one fine day…
“RING! RING!”
The bell rang away incessantly. I ran out of the gate, with quickened steps. It was after school. I shot into the bicycle station and grabbed my bicycle from the lots. It was really very old and I sometimes doubt if it was working nicely.
I stepped hard on my pedals to reach my home as fast as I possibly could. Soon, I was speeding on the heels of the wind. A supermarket slowly loomed into view. A man was buying newspapers and many others were shopping for grocery. A woman was picking eggs from the counter outside the supermarket. Two students were walking into the supermarket, chatting excitedly to each other. It was a crowded sight.
Suddenly, I spotted a puddle of muddy water in front of the counter. I pulled back on the brakes to stop the bicycle from speeding ahead. But to my horror, the brakes jammed.
I tried another time.
Again, it would not budge.
I tried the third time.
The brakes were still jammed. My palms turned sweaty.
I tried one last time.
Grr! It just would not work. Terror gripped my eyes as my courage melted away.
It was too late. My bicycle skidded on the puddle and crashed into the counter. My bike slammed head-on into the counter and I fell into the puddle of mud.
“SPLASH!”
I was thoroughly soaked in mud water. That was not all. The crash had shaken the counter so violently that the top row of eggs went tumbling down onto the ground and broke into million of pieces. The woman standing next to the eggs was so badly shaken that she fell backwards onto a man who was carrying a box of glass bottles. The man fell… and as though in slow motion, I saw the bottles went crashing down.
There was no escape for me at all. I had to pay for all the damage I had caused. The shopkeeper ranted and raved at me, as I suffered the furtive glances from the crowd. If looks could kill, I would have withered there and then. I paid for the damage with all of the money I had with me and pushed my bike home with tears streaming down my hot and puffy cheeks. I was feeling terribly upset.
I had another ordeal to face when I got home. My father saw my dirty clothing, and at once, began reprimanding me. I was about to argue when my mother silenced me with a quick gesture.
Looking back, I asked myself why I had not checked the condition of my bicycle before I rode it, knowing full well its condition due to its age. How could I forgive myself for making my parents so angry at the thoughtless and reckless act I had committed? I had paid dearly for my carelessness.
It was a disaster. I was covered in revoltingly smelly mud water from head to toe. It was the most embarrassing day of my life. The series of unfortunate events all happened on one fine day…
“RING! RING!”
The bell rang away incessantly. I ran out of the gate, with quickened steps. It was after school. I shot into the bicycle station and grabbed my bicycle from the lots. It was really very old and I sometimes doubt if it was working nicely.
I stepped hard on my pedals to reach my home as fast as I possibly could. Soon, I was speeding on the heels of the wind. A supermarket slowly loomed into view. A man was buying newspapers and many others were shopping for grocery. A woman was picking eggs from the counter outside the supermarket. Two students were walking into the supermarket, chatting excitedly to each other. It was a crowded sight.
Suddenly, I spotted a puddle of muddy water in front of the counter. I pulled back on the brakes to stop the bicycle from speeding ahead. But to my horror, the brakes jammed.
I tried another time.
Again, it would not budge.
I tried the third time.
The brakes were still jammed. My palms turned sweaty.
I tried one last time.
Grr! It just would not work. Terror gripped my eyes as my courage melted away.
It was too late. My bicycle skidded on the puddle and crashed into the counter. My bike slammed head-on into the counter and I fell into the puddle of mud.
“SPLASH!”
I was thoroughly soaked in mud water. That was not all. The crash had shaken the counter so violently that the top row of eggs went tumbling down onto the ground and broke into million of pieces. The woman standing next to the eggs was so badly shaken that she fell backwards onto a man who was carrying a box of glass bottles. The man fell… and as though in slow motion, I saw the bottles went crashing down.
There was no escape for me at all. I had to pay for all the damage I had caused. The shopkeeper ranted and raved at me, as I suffered the furtive glances from the crowd. If looks could kill, I would have withered there and then. I paid for the damage with all of the money I had with me and pushed my bike home with tears streaming down my hot and puffy cheeks. I was feeling terribly upset.
I had another ordeal to face when I got home. My father saw my dirty clothing, and at once, began reprimanding me. I was about to argue when my mother silenced me with a quick gesture.
Looking back, I asked myself why I had not checked the condition of my bicycle before I rode it, knowing full well its condition due to its age. How could I forgive myself for making my parents so angry at the thoughtless and reckless act I had committed? I had paid dearly for my carelessness.
Blackout
By NL
Each time I enter a crowded area, I cannot help it but feel scared after I experienced that chaotic day. That fateful day, my parents brought me to a shopping centre that was just a stone's throw away from my house. We went there on a mission-to buy new year goodies for the Chinese New Year. We walked briskly to the shopping centre, which was bustling with people. We squeezed through the big crowd and noticed a stage set up in the atrium. We decided to check it out what was happening there.
As there were a lot of people crowding around the stage, we had trouble getting a good view of the stage. We saw an empty space in the crowd and rushed there. From there, I could see a magician performing, entrancing the audience with his tricks.
"Now, ladies and gentlemen, I will attempt to make a member of the audience disappear! Any volunteers?" The magician’s deep voice boomed through the atrium. A little boy raised his hand eagerly and was chosen by the magician. As the little boy walked up the stage, the crowd applauded.
Suddenly, the lights went out and the atrium was plunged into darkness. The audience thought it was part of the magician's act and waited for the lights to come on. But the lights never came on again.
"Blackout!" someone screamed. Panic spread among the audience and everyone started to run for the exit quickly. Screams of terror echoed through the dark atrium as people were trampled on in the big stampede. I looked back and saw the little boy trying to get to the exit. However, he tripped and fell heavily on the floor. My parents saw it too. They wanted to help the little boy get up. But before we could get to him, he disappeared into the flurry of panicky people. I knew that I could not help the little boy anymore. He was surely going to die after being trampled by so many people. I turned my attention to trying to get out of the atrium myself.
I squeezed through the crowd of people and ran for the exit with my parents. When we were out of the atrium, we heaved a sigh of relief and watched the people getting out of the atrium. We saw the magician limping out of the atrium with a bleeding cut on his leg. Many people, we noticed, were covered with cuts and bruises.
Within minutes, a team of paramedics arrived and took the seriously injured people to the hospital. Luckily, we managed to escape unscathed. We did not care about buying goodies anymore. We could only think of going back home and never coming back here again.
The next day, we turned on the television to watch the news coverage on the stampede. We saw a graphic image of the little boy with his head and arms bent at an awkward angle. He was surely dead.
Since that terrifying day, I had a phobia of crowded places. The graphic image of the boy will forever be etched in my memory.
Each time I enter a crowded area, I cannot help it but feel scared after I experienced that chaotic day. That fateful day, my parents brought me to a shopping centre that was just a stone's throw away from my house. We went there on a mission-to buy new year goodies for the Chinese New Year. We walked briskly to the shopping centre, which was bustling with people. We squeezed through the big crowd and noticed a stage set up in the atrium. We decided to check it out what was happening there.
As there were a lot of people crowding around the stage, we had trouble getting a good view of the stage. We saw an empty space in the crowd and rushed there. From there, I could see a magician performing, entrancing the audience with his tricks.
"Now, ladies and gentlemen, I will attempt to make a member of the audience disappear! Any volunteers?" The magician’s deep voice boomed through the atrium. A little boy raised his hand eagerly and was chosen by the magician. As the little boy walked up the stage, the crowd applauded.
Suddenly, the lights went out and the atrium was plunged into darkness. The audience thought it was part of the magician's act and waited for the lights to come on. But the lights never came on again.
"Blackout!" someone screamed. Panic spread among the audience and everyone started to run for the exit quickly. Screams of terror echoed through the dark atrium as people were trampled on in the big stampede. I looked back and saw the little boy trying to get to the exit. However, he tripped and fell heavily on the floor. My parents saw it too. They wanted to help the little boy get up. But before we could get to him, he disappeared into the flurry of panicky people. I knew that I could not help the little boy anymore. He was surely going to die after being trampled by so many people. I turned my attention to trying to get out of the atrium myself.
I squeezed through the crowd of people and ran for the exit with my parents. When we were out of the atrium, we heaved a sigh of relief and watched the people getting out of the atrium. We saw the magician limping out of the atrium with a bleeding cut on his leg. Many people, we noticed, were covered with cuts and bruises.
Within minutes, a team of paramedics arrived and took the seriously injured people to the hospital. Luckily, we managed to escape unscathed. We did not care about buying goodies anymore. We could only think of going back home and never coming back here again.
The next day, we turned on the television to watch the news coverage on the stampede. We saw a graphic image of the little boy with his head and arms bent at an awkward angle. He was surely dead.
Since that terrifying day, I had a phobia of crowded places. The graphic image of the boy will forever be etched in my memory.
Killer Litter
By DT
“Mom, I’ve finished my homework. Can I go downstairs to play?”
It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining brightly and the birds chirped their wonderfully cheerful melody. I had been longing to have some fun either catching butterflies or playing at the playground. I wondered if she would agree.
“Sure, go with your sister, but would you do some housework for me first? There are some bowls to be washed and I have other things to do,” she replied as she would when she was busy. I was reluctant but did not want to disappoint her and thus agreed.
“Who created housework? It’s so troublesome,” I muttered under my breath grumpily. I was the laziest one at home. My sister, Joan, seemed to be the exact opposite of me. Hardworking, untalkative and shy were all her distinctive characteristics.
After washing the bowls, I asked my sister if she wanted to go downstairs for some fun. She, as usual, agreed. We went down together. We walked briskly as we felt a cool breeze rushing against our fair complexion. Having a fair complexion seemed to be our only similarity.
“It feels so good to come down to play. What do you want to play?” I started the conversation, letting my one-year younger sister make the decision.
“Look! Butterflies!” her eyes sparkled with interest as she pointed with her small finger at some beautiful butterflies and followed them curiously. I was also attracted to the colourful wings of the butterflies and observed the butterflies intently. The butterflies flew around randomly and soon flew close to the soft grass beside our flat.
“Cool!” I exclaimed happily. I had never been so close to butterflies before.
“Hey! Why did you leave your smelly plants here?” an angry voice thundered.
“I want to put them here and it’s none of your business where I put my things!” another voice boomed.
My sister and I decided to ignore them and continue to observe the beauty of nature. I saw a well-built policeman patrolling on his bike. I did not care. What could interest a seven year-old kid more than a cute butterfly?
The policeman was shouting something I could not hear. It took me some time to realise the policeman was trying to tell me something.
“Watch out!” I heard a kid at the playground cry out worriedly. I glanced at her. She was pointing above me. I quickly looked upwards. I noticed a huge flower heading towards me. I let out a deafening scream that could wake the dead. Now, the flower pot was a few inches away from my head. Reflexes told me to use my hands to block the flower pot.
“THUNK!” the flower pot banged on my head. I wanted to cry out in my agony, “Aww, that hurts!”, but no sound came out of my mouth. Before I even knew it, everything went black.
I opened my eyes. Everything around me had an evil look. I caught sight of a devil. He smiled menacingly.
“Welcome to hell,” the devil said in a tone that sent shivers down my spine…
“AHH!” I screamed as I woke from my terrible nightmare.
“This is definitely not the best way to wake up,” a familiar voice spoke. I looked around and found out that I had been sent to the hospital and was with my parents, my sister, the well-built policeman and a doctor. They all looked startled by the way I woke up. I tried to move my arm to wipe off the sweat on my head but felt a sharp pain instead. I turned my head to look at my hands. Both were bandaged.
I asked, ”Is there anything on my head? I don’t feel fine about it.”
“See for yourself,” Mom said, holding a mirror in her hand.
“Oh!” I cried in shock. Two things replaced my fair complexion: A cut on my right side of my face and a bruise on the left.
“Don’t worry. Your wounds will heal in time,” the doctor assured me.
I was curious about my family members’ facial expressions, so I looked at them closely. I noticed my sister, who had not spoken. She looked as if she had seen a ghost! She must be still in shock.
After my Mom had explained to me what had happened, I thanked the policeman for sending me to the nearest hospital and also the doctor for helping me bandage my arms. Both were very modest and said that it was their duty.
“You were so lucky. You only have cuts and bruises. Other people have fractured their skull! Next time, don’t play so near a block of flats, you understand?” my mother started her “lecture”. She continued, saying I should alert at all times.
“What happened to the person who threw the flower pot down? Why did he do that?” I asked, eager to know why anyone would throw his flower pot down.
“He was quarrelling with his neighbour. He was boiling with rage and he did it rashly and had no intention of harming anyone. That was his statement to the police,” the policeman answered. “Both he and his neighbour are going to court to receive their punishment.” he continued. “They may be jailed, fined or both. Killer litter is a serious offence. Whether it is a reckless and unintentional act or not, they will be punished severely,” he concluded.
Killer litter is dangerous. That day, I learnt what killer litter could cause. From that day onwards, whenever I look into my mirror and see the scar left by the cut, it would remind me of that fateful day.
“Mom, I’ve finished my homework. Can I go downstairs to play?”
It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining brightly and the birds chirped their wonderfully cheerful melody. I had been longing to have some fun either catching butterflies or playing at the playground. I wondered if she would agree.
“Sure, go with your sister, but would you do some housework for me first? There are some bowls to be washed and I have other things to do,” she replied as she would when she was busy. I was reluctant but did not want to disappoint her and thus agreed.
“Who created housework? It’s so troublesome,” I muttered under my breath grumpily. I was the laziest one at home. My sister, Joan, seemed to be the exact opposite of me. Hardworking, untalkative and shy were all her distinctive characteristics.
After washing the bowls, I asked my sister if she wanted to go downstairs for some fun. She, as usual, agreed. We went down together. We walked briskly as we felt a cool breeze rushing against our fair complexion. Having a fair complexion seemed to be our only similarity.
“It feels so good to come down to play. What do you want to play?” I started the conversation, letting my one-year younger sister make the decision.
“Look! Butterflies!” her eyes sparkled with interest as she pointed with her small finger at some beautiful butterflies and followed them curiously. I was also attracted to the colourful wings of the butterflies and observed the butterflies intently. The butterflies flew around randomly and soon flew close to the soft grass beside our flat.
“Cool!” I exclaimed happily. I had never been so close to butterflies before.
“Hey! Why did you leave your smelly plants here?” an angry voice thundered.
“I want to put them here and it’s none of your business where I put my things!” another voice boomed.
My sister and I decided to ignore them and continue to observe the beauty of nature. I saw a well-built policeman patrolling on his bike. I did not care. What could interest a seven year-old kid more than a cute butterfly?
The policeman was shouting something I could not hear. It took me some time to realise the policeman was trying to tell me something.
“Watch out!” I heard a kid at the playground cry out worriedly. I glanced at her. She was pointing above me. I quickly looked upwards. I noticed a huge flower heading towards me. I let out a deafening scream that could wake the dead. Now, the flower pot was a few inches away from my head. Reflexes told me to use my hands to block the flower pot.
“THUNK!” the flower pot banged on my head. I wanted to cry out in my agony, “Aww, that hurts!”, but no sound came out of my mouth. Before I even knew it, everything went black.
I opened my eyes. Everything around me had an evil look. I caught sight of a devil. He smiled menacingly.
“Welcome to hell,” the devil said in a tone that sent shivers down my spine…
“AHH!” I screamed as I woke from my terrible nightmare.
“This is definitely not the best way to wake up,” a familiar voice spoke. I looked around and found out that I had been sent to the hospital and was with my parents, my sister, the well-built policeman and a doctor. They all looked startled by the way I woke up. I tried to move my arm to wipe off the sweat on my head but felt a sharp pain instead. I turned my head to look at my hands. Both were bandaged.
I asked, ”Is there anything on my head? I don’t feel fine about it.”
“See for yourself,” Mom said, holding a mirror in her hand.
“Oh!” I cried in shock. Two things replaced my fair complexion: A cut on my right side of my face and a bruise on the left.
“Don’t worry. Your wounds will heal in time,” the doctor assured me.
I was curious about my family members’ facial expressions, so I looked at them closely. I noticed my sister, who had not spoken. She looked as if she had seen a ghost! She must be still in shock.
After my Mom had explained to me what had happened, I thanked the policeman for sending me to the nearest hospital and also the doctor for helping me bandage my arms. Both were very modest and said that it was their duty.
“You were so lucky. You only have cuts and bruises. Other people have fractured their skull! Next time, don’t play so near a block of flats, you understand?” my mother started her “lecture”. She continued, saying I should alert at all times.
“What happened to the person who threw the flower pot down? Why did he do that?” I asked, eager to know why anyone would throw his flower pot down.
“He was quarrelling with his neighbour. He was boiling with rage and he did it rashly and had no intention of harming anyone. That was his statement to the police,” the policeman answered. “Both he and his neighbour are going to court to receive their punishment.” he continued. “They may be jailed, fined or both. Killer litter is a serious offence. Whether it is a reckless and unintentional act or not, they will be punished severely,” he concluded.
Killer litter is dangerous. That day, I learnt what killer litter could cause. From that day onwards, whenever I look into my mirror and see the scar left by the cut, it would remind me of that fateful day.
False Alarm
By CL
The scorching sun was setting, however the heat was intolerable. Perspiration drenched my shirt and beads of perspiration trickled down my forehead. I was very thirsty and could only wish to reach home as soon as possible.
“Home at last!” I thought.
I took out my house keys and was just about to unlock the door when I saw a stranger leaving my neighbour’s house. Mrs Chin, my neighbour, was out and I became curious.
The stranger had a scar in the shape of a crescent on his left cheek. He had bloodshot eyes, a broken nose and yellowish teeth. His face looked very serious as if on the lookout for someone. He wore a singlet and a pair of jeans. His arms were fully covered with tattoos. He had frizzy and unkempt hair. His appearance sent a shiver running down my spine.
The first thought that came to my mind was that the man was a burglar. I quickly unlocked my door and went into my house. My heart was pounding with fear and excitement.
“What should I do first?” I asked myself.
I ran to the telephone and called my father. I told him everything excitedly. My father sounded excited too after he heard what had happened. He prompted me to call Mrs Chin and he would call for the police.
I called Mrs Chin and told her everything. She was shocked when she heard it. She ended the call abruptly.
While I was waiting for the police to arrive, I imagined myself going up the stage to collect the plaque of commendation from the police. They were going to reward me for being a good citizen by helping the police to nab a burglar.
The blasting sirens of the police car brought me back to reality. Mrs Chin just managed to rush back too. Mrs Chin and I went into her house. The door was not locked. The whole house seemed peaceful. Some policemen went to search the house for any signs of break in. A policeman asked me how the man looked like. Mrs Chin stood beside me. After I described him, Mrs Chin looked very relieved.
She said “Tom, the man you saw was my brother. He just came out of jail and he must have been looking for me.”
My face turned as red as a beetroot once I heard those words. I wished there was a hole in the ground for me to bury my head into. Through this incident, I learnt not so act hastily in the future.
The scorching sun was setting, however the heat was intolerable. Perspiration drenched my shirt and beads of perspiration trickled down my forehead. I was very thirsty and could only wish to reach home as soon as possible.
“Home at last!” I thought.
I took out my house keys and was just about to unlock the door when I saw a stranger leaving my neighbour’s house. Mrs Chin, my neighbour, was out and I became curious.
The stranger had a scar in the shape of a crescent on his left cheek. He had bloodshot eyes, a broken nose and yellowish teeth. His face looked very serious as if on the lookout for someone. He wore a singlet and a pair of jeans. His arms were fully covered with tattoos. He had frizzy and unkempt hair. His appearance sent a shiver running down my spine.
The first thought that came to my mind was that the man was a burglar. I quickly unlocked my door and went into my house. My heart was pounding with fear and excitement.
“What should I do first?” I asked myself.
I ran to the telephone and called my father. I told him everything excitedly. My father sounded excited too after he heard what had happened. He prompted me to call Mrs Chin and he would call for the police.
I called Mrs Chin and told her everything. She was shocked when she heard it. She ended the call abruptly.
While I was waiting for the police to arrive, I imagined myself going up the stage to collect the plaque of commendation from the police. They were going to reward me for being a good citizen by helping the police to nab a burglar.
The blasting sirens of the police car brought me back to reality. Mrs Chin just managed to rush back too. Mrs Chin and I went into her house. The door was not locked. The whole house seemed peaceful. Some policemen went to search the house for any signs of break in. A policeman asked me how the man looked like. Mrs Chin stood beside me. After I described him, Mrs Chin looked very relieved.
She said “Tom, the man you saw was my brother. He just came out of jail and he must have been looking for me.”
My face turned as red as a beetroot once I heard those words. I wished there was a hole in the ground for me to bury my head into. Through this incident, I learnt not so act hastily in the future.
Road Accident
By CS
It was a beautiful day. The sunlit clouds were drifting about in the clear, blue sky. I have just finished the tremendous amount of shopping that I had to do at a shopping centre. There was food to buy, shoes and clothes for the children and a lot of toys for there were lots of birthdays coming up. I was completely exhausted, whereas my children were so happy to get new things that they started skipping all around.
Out of the blue, I heard a loud CRASH! I could hear gasps of horror and loud whispers. As curiosity got the better of me, I decided to join the crowd of bystanders. From there, I could see clearly what was going on. A car accident had occurred! After I decided that I had more important things to do than to stare blankly at the accident scene, I heard the loud sirens of a police car.
“This might be interesting,” I thought, so I stayed a while longer. I could see two frustrated men, glaring at each other.
“How dare you knock into my car?! Are you blind?” screamed the burly man.
“What do you mean? You were the one who recklessly knocked into my car!” shouted the other man.
I covered my ears, as their voices were so deafening that they could wake the dead. Seeing all this, the policemen sprang into action as quick as lightning. One of them tried to calm all of the bystanders down, while another policeman was giving signals to the other drivers not to go near the accident site. Meanwhile, another policeman was trying to get more details about the accidents from the two drivers.
All of a sudden, a man and a girl came out from one of the damaged cars. Immediately the whole place was silent. Who would have guessed that there were still passengers in that car? The burly men seemed quite pale and rushed to the two people. He seemed to have calmed down a bit.
“Are you two alright?” asked the burly man.
“Yes, we are fine, except for a few bruises and scratches,” replied the girl.
The other driver said with an angry tone, “See? Look at what you have done to my poor daughter and brother?”
The burly driver looked guilty and answered, “I am sorry for what I have caused. I know my mistake. I will pay for all the damages.”
When they both calmed down, they were taken to the police station as the police needed more information from them. Luckily for the drivers, the two passengers were not seriously injured. Knowing that the “show” was over, the crowd dispersed slowly. I realised that it was time for me to head back home too.
While walking, I told my children, “Remember, when you grow up, you must not be so reckless, especially when driving. After all, it is better to be safe than sorry.” My children nodded in agreement. I knew that safety always comes first.
It was a beautiful day. The sunlit clouds were drifting about in the clear, blue sky. I have just finished the tremendous amount of shopping that I had to do at a shopping centre. There was food to buy, shoes and clothes for the children and a lot of toys for there were lots of birthdays coming up. I was completely exhausted, whereas my children were so happy to get new things that they started skipping all around.
Out of the blue, I heard a loud CRASH! I could hear gasps of horror and loud whispers. As curiosity got the better of me, I decided to join the crowd of bystanders. From there, I could see clearly what was going on. A car accident had occurred! After I decided that I had more important things to do than to stare blankly at the accident scene, I heard the loud sirens of a police car.
“This might be interesting,” I thought, so I stayed a while longer. I could see two frustrated men, glaring at each other.
“How dare you knock into my car?! Are you blind?” screamed the burly man.
“What do you mean? You were the one who recklessly knocked into my car!” shouted the other man.
I covered my ears, as their voices were so deafening that they could wake the dead. Seeing all this, the policemen sprang into action as quick as lightning. One of them tried to calm all of the bystanders down, while another policeman was giving signals to the other drivers not to go near the accident site. Meanwhile, another policeman was trying to get more details about the accidents from the two drivers.
All of a sudden, a man and a girl came out from one of the damaged cars. Immediately the whole place was silent. Who would have guessed that there were still passengers in that car? The burly men seemed quite pale and rushed to the two people. He seemed to have calmed down a bit.
“Are you two alright?” asked the burly man.
“Yes, we are fine, except for a few bruises and scratches,” replied the girl.
The other driver said with an angry tone, “See? Look at what you have done to my poor daughter and brother?”
The burly driver looked guilty and answered, “I am sorry for what I have caused. I know my mistake. I will pay for all the damages.”
When they both calmed down, they were taken to the police station as the police needed more information from them. Luckily for the drivers, the two passengers were not seriously injured. Knowing that the “show” was over, the crowd dispersed slowly. I realised that it was time for me to head back home too.
While walking, I told my children, “Remember, when you grow up, you must not be so reckless, especially when driving. After all, it is better to be safe than sorry.” My children nodded in agreement. I knew that safety always comes first.
Accident
By CY
It was a sultry afternoon. The air-conditioner on the bus did nothing to bring the soaring temperature down. I sat wearily on my seat, trying not to doze off so I would not miss my bus stop. I gazed at the TV Mobile screen in front of me. Images flashed back at me. I stifled a yawn. I wish there were more captivating programmes broadcasted on TV Mobile.
As I was about to doze off, the bus roared to a stop and I was thrust forward in my seat. I cursed the driver silently. He was far too reckless. I reckoned that his licence should be suspended. As I was contemplating how the bus company should deal with such irresponsible drivers like him, an elderly lady boarded the bus. She was armed with a heavy basket that reeked of salted fish. I held my breath as the lady shuffled up to where I was seated. I glanced at the other passengers. Some had pretended to doze off while others simply looked out of the windows, as I had done earlier. I, too, was reluctant to give up my seat, for I was exhausted after a long day in school. I shut my eyes and pretended to doze off.
Suddenly, the bus swerved violently to the left before screeching to a complete halt. I woke up immediately with a start. The bus had crashed into a lamp-post. Everyone screamed in terror. The elderly lady was no longer standing beside me. She lay sprawled on the floor, her leg twisted at an awkward angle and her wrinkled face etched with agony. The contents of her basket were scattered on the floor. There were live mud crabs crawling feebly and the fish were also strewn all over the floor of the bus. Everyone shrieked as they attempted to stay out of the way of the mud crabs.
I was stunned. I regretted not offering my seat to the aged lady. To make up for my selfish behavior, I leapt to my feet and rushed to help her up. However, she whined in anguish as I tried to lift her up. I stared at her in bewilderment. She pointed to her left leg helplessly. Having been trained in first aid, I reached for her left leg. I was shocked to discover that she had fractured it during the fall. Immediately, I beseeched fellow passengers with mobile phones to call for help.
Meanwhile, a crowd had gathered outside the bus, trying to make out what was happening. I comforted the old lady and assured her that medical help was on the way.
Just as I had expected, the police and the ambulance arrived in no time. The elderly lady and passengers who suffered injuries were whisked off to the hospital. The negligent driver was arrested on the spot. I felt triumphant as justice was finally meted out to the errant driver. However, I was also filled with remorse over what had happened to the poor old lady. I resolved to visit her in hospital the next day. With my mind made up, I retrieved my bag and walked home just in time for dinner.
It was a sultry afternoon. The air-conditioner on the bus did nothing to bring the soaring temperature down. I sat wearily on my seat, trying not to doze off so I would not miss my bus stop. I gazed at the TV Mobile screen in front of me. Images flashed back at me. I stifled a yawn. I wish there were more captivating programmes broadcasted on TV Mobile.
As I was about to doze off, the bus roared to a stop and I was thrust forward in my seat. I cursed the driver silently. He was far too reckless. I reckoned that his licence should be suspended. As I was contemplating how the bus company should deal with such irresponsible drivers like him, an elderly lady boarded the bus. She was armed with a heavy basket that reeked of salted fish. I held my breath as the lady shuffled up to where I was seated. I glanced at the other passengers. Some had pretended to doze off while others simply looked out of the windows, as I had done earlier. I, too, was reluctant to give up my seat, for I was exhausted after a long day in school. I shut my eyes and pretended to doze off.
Suddenly, the bus swerved violently to the left before screeching to a complete halt. I woke up immediately with a start. The bus had crashed into a lamp-post. Everyone screamed in terror. The elderly lady was no longer standing beside me. She lay sprawled on the floor, her leg twisted at an awkward angle and her wrinkled face etched with agony. The contents of her basket were scattered on the floor. There were live mud crabs crawling feebly and the fish were also strewn all over the floor of the bus. Everyone shrieked as they attempted to stay out of the way of the mud crabs.
I was stunned. I regretted not offering my seat to the aged lady. To make up for my selfish behavior, I leapt to my feet and rushed to help her up. However, she whined in anguish as I tried to lift her up. I stared at her in bewilderment. She pointed to her left leg helplessly. Having been trained in first aid, I reached for her left leg. I was shocked to discover that she had fractured it during the fall. Immediately, I beseeched fellow passengers with mobile phones to call for help.
Meanwhile, a crowd had gathered outside the bus, trying to make out what was happening. I comforted the old lady and assured her that medical help was on the way.
Just as I had expected, the police and the ambulance arrived in no time. The elderly lady and passengers who suffered injuries were whisked off to the hospital. The negligent driver was arrested on the spot. I felt triumphant as justice was finally meted out to the errant driver. However, I was also filled with remorse over what had happened to the poor old lady. I resolved to visit her in hospital the next day. With my mind made up, I retrieved my bag and walked home just in time for dinner.
Fire
By IN
“Damn!” I cursed, as the pencil lead in my mechanical pencil broke for the second time.
I had just come home from school and was doing my homework. A weird smell assailed my nose. I lifted my head, and thought it smelled of burnt fish. I chuckled to myself at the thought of a burnt fish, and thought no more of it.
As I was pushing another pencil lead into my mechanical pencil, I heard someone screaming, “Fire! Help!”
I dropped everything and ran out of the house, only to be greeted by my neighbour, whose house was on fire. She was screaming hysterically, crying for someone to save her baby.
I asked her, “What? Sean is still inside? Where is he?”
She hesitated and then answered me, begging me to save the baby.
“Splash! A huge pail of water was thrown at the fire almost drenching me.
“Hey! What was that for?” I shouted at Uncle Lee, another neighbour of mine.
By now, most of the neighbours were out of their houses with pails of water. Thick black clouds of sooty smoke wafted through the windows and out of the house. Grabbing my handkerchief, I dipped it in a pail of water and wrapped it around my face, and charged into the house like a knight on horseback.
I had trouble locating the little baby amidst the thick cloud of smoke, and the intense heat was not helping at all. Luckily, the banshee wailing of the baby helped me in locating him.
As soon as I got hold of Sean, I ran out of the house. With a tear-stained face, his mother quickly took him into her arms and hugged him.
“What on earth?” I thought, as the flames blossomed into an inferno, causing the air to rapidly heat up even more. As I was standing too close to the flames, my skin got singed.
The mother thanked me profusely, and in the midst all the neighbours going in and out of their houses getting pails of water, four burly firemen suddenly arrived from the stairs, dragging a long hose. I was surprised as amidst all the chaos, I had not realized that the fire engines had arrived at the scene.
Soon, the firemen were in the house and courageously battling the out-of-control conflagration. After about an hour of hard work, the fire was finally put out.
My nose wrinkled in disgust, I stepped gingerly over the charred remains of what used to be my neighbour’s house. The fire specialists were sent in to investigate the cause of the fire. When I could stand the strong burnt smell no more, I ran out of the house. The firemen praised me for my quick thinking in saving Sean, saying that I was the epitome of bravery, and the mother thanked me yet again.
It was then discovered that the source of the fire was actually the kitchen stove, where my neighbour, a very bad cook, had been frying fish, and burnt it too. A spark must have jumped off and set the nearby paper towels ablaze.
“So you were indeed frying fish, and burnt it too!” I said with a laugh. Smirking, I thought to myself,” The mystery of the burnt fish is solved. Case closed.”
Due to strong burnt smell, no one wanted to go back into their homes. Everyone stood outside their flats and I stayed outside mine while talking to a friend. And that was a mistake, as unknown to everyone, a small fire, easily missed, had survived the beating, and was now hungrily spreading to the curtains.
Soon, the encroaching flames were roaring in the room, spreading to the rest of the house again.
“Damn!” I cursed, as the pencil lead in my mechanical pencil broke for the second time.
I had just come home from school and was doing my homework. A weird smell assailed my nose. I lifted my head, and thought it smelled of burnt fish. I chuckled to myself at the thought of a burnt fish, and thought no more of it.
As I was pushing another pencil lead into my mechanical pencil, I heard someone screaming, “Fire! Help!”
I dropped everything and ran out of the house, only to be greeted by my neighbour, whose house was on fire. She was screaming hysterically, crying for someone to save her baby.
I asked her, “What? Sean is still inside? Where is he?”
She hesitated and then answered me, begging me to save the baby.
“Splash! A huge pail of water was thrown at the fire almost drenching me.
“Hey! What was that for?” I shouted at Uncle Lee, another neighbour of mine.
By now, most of the neighbours were out of their houses with pails of water. Thick black clouds of sooty smoke wafted through the windows and out of the house. Grabbing my handkerchief, I dipped it in a pail of water and wrapped it around my face, and charged into the house like a knight on horseback.
I had trouble locating the little baby amidst the thick cloud of smoke, and the intense heat was not helping at all. Luckily, the banshee wailing of the baby helped me in locating him.
As soon as I got hold of Sean, I ran out of the house. With a tear-stained face, his mother quickly took him into her arms and hugged him.
“What on earth?” I thought, as the flames blossomed into an inferno, causing the air to rapidly heat up even more. As I was standing too close to the flames, my skin got singed.
The mother thanked me profusely, and in the midst all the neighbours going in and out of their houses getting pails of water, four burly firemen suddenly arrived from the stairs, dragging a long hose. I was surprised as amidst all the chaos, I had not realized that the fire engines had arrived at the scene.
Soon, the firemen were in the house and courageously battling the out-of-control conflagration. After about an hour of hard work, the fire was finally put out.
My nose wrinkled in disgust, I stepped gingerly over the charred remains of what used to be my neighbour’s house. The fire specialists were sent in to investigate the cause of the fire. When I could stand the strong burnt smell no more, I ran out of the house. The firemen praised me for my quick thinking in saving Sean, saying that I was the epitome of bravery, and the mother thanked me yet again.
It was then discovered that the source of the fire was actually the kitchen stove, where my neighbour, a very bad cook, had been frying fish, and burnt it too. A spark must have jumped off and set the nearby paper towels ablaze.
“So you were indeed frying fish, and burnt it too!” I said with a laugh. Smirking, I thought to myself,” The mystery of the burnt fish is solved. Case closed.”
Due to strong burnt smell, no one wanted to go back into their homes. Everyone stood outside their flats and I stayed outside mine while talking to a friend. And that was a mistake, as unknown to everyone, a small fire, easily missed, had survived the beating, and was now hungrily spreading to the curtains.
Soon, the encroaching flames were roaring in the room, spreading to the rest of the house again.
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