by Jun Li
I opened the door, to my horror, a few skeletons lay there, chained on the wall.
Okay, time to recap. I and my friends, Jack and Peter, were playing around an old, abandoned mansion. We were told that no one was allowed to enter. However, curiosity overcame us and we picked the lock, granting us entrance into the sacred lair of the unknown.
At the sight of the skeletons, the three of us were completely stunned. Our jaw hung wide open for a few minutes before we came back to our senses. My sixth sense told me that something was about to go wrong, so I urged the other two to back out of the mansion.
“Don’t be such a chicken,” said Jack, with a shaky voice.
“Aren’t you scared too?” I challenged him.
“Yes, but we might never get the chance to explore here again if we leave now.”
“…All right, but we leave as soon as the first sign of danger shows.”
We ventured deeper into the mansion. The design looked like some sort of torture room, or a prison. Even though I was afraid, I was eager to discover more. Throughout the lair, we did not lose sight of skeletons or spider webs. These were at every corner, at every turn. The occasional howls from a distance made the hair on our backs stand up straight. We finally arrived at a long hallway. Jack picked up a piece of wood and lighted it up with his lighter. The flame seared at first, but after it simmered down, I was able to see the walls clearly. There were ancient writings, the kind we usually see in an Egyptian grave robber movie. As the expert in history, Jack tried his best to decipher the carvings. Meanwhile, Peter leaned towards the wall to catch his breath. At that very moment, a cold chill went down my spine.
“Watch out!” I shouted.
Before he could react, that portion of the wall he was leaning against flipped, trapping him on the other side. All he could let out was a loud shriek and he vanished behind the walls. I pounded against the wall, shouting his name. Only then did I know what real terror felt like. However, the chance of rescuing him was bleak. I sank to the ground, desolated and hopeless.
“Let’s get out of here, we have to inform the adults!” suggested Jack.
I got to my feet swiftly and both of us sped through the building. My heart was racing. I knew that danger may be waiting at the next corner. I could hear blood pounding in my ears. Wait, was that a creak I heard? “Uh-oh,” I thought to myself. The ceiling began to crumble. My sub-consciousness took over. I sprang forward and tackled Jack. Both of us fell to the ground. Just as I thought that trouble was out of the way, the burning piece of wood slipped out of his hand and landed in a pile of grease. Fire started spreading like mad. I struggled to get up.
“Come on, there’s not much time left!” I screamed as I turned towards the exit.
“Aahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!”
In a split second, my head turned 180 degrees. A gigantic marble pillar fell on Jack. I mustered all the strength from every single cell in my body, trying to lift it up, to no avail. My eyes were watery. I was completely out of ideas.
“Save yourself, leave me, please,” muttered Jack, with a weak tone.
This was certainly a tough decision for me. All the moments we had spent together flashed through my mind. How could I leave him now? As the fire was close to sealing my only exit, I knew that I had to be rational. I dived for my escape route.
Tears rolled down my cheeks as the mansion erupted into flames behind me.
MY MOTHER
This good English essay was submitted by Alexis. Visit her blog to read her poems and stories. You can submit your essay and get it published on this blog too!
About seventeen years ago, a beautiful young woman, named Kari, was trying to adjust and understand the purpose of her life. She was a typical adolescent, making mistakes and hoping each lesson would guide her in the right direction of life. At this time, she was living in Germany, occupied in the US Army, on and off with a boyfriend, and fighting to keep a relationship with her family, through letters. It may not seem like an ideal situation, but everything in life has a purpose, the challenge is discovering it. Unlike most adolescents, her life was put into perspective very quickly. At the age of nineteen, Kari received results from a test, which changed her life forever. She was pregnant.
In January 1995, at the age of twenty years old, Kari gave birth to a baby girl. Her life now revolved around her child, Alexis. She got out of her relationship, got a job, and found a safe place for the two of them. Now living with her mom and step dad, working as a papergirl (newspaper delivery person), and fighting for divorce, Kari was struggling. It didn’t matter though; she made the best of it.
When Alexis was two, Kari married her husband, Mike. Together, they got a town home. Now, with a home and family, it may seem like times were great, but there was still a lot of life to be learned from. Mike was constantly traveling; in fact, he was in Utah for two years after they got married. Kari was now raising Alexis, working seven days a week, and working to keep her marriage healthy. As with everything in her life, Kari took sacrifices and made it work.
Fourteen years later, looking at this 36 year old, you would never realize the struggles she has faced in life. She is a beautiful, young, and caring, mother, friend and wife. She lives in a nice house, takes care of kids, home-schools Alexis and, her husband is home almost every night. She has many great qualities, but I think the characteristic that makes her the most unique and genuine person, is her love and creativity. She was, and is, able to take anything normal and make it enjoyable.
By now you have probably realized, I am Alexis, her daughter. I have a great relationship with my mom, something many girls, my age, are lacking. In some ways, it’s like we grew up together (although twenty years apart), best friends. She has always provided the loving, but strict mother figure, which I can rely on, in my life. Her creativity brought me lots of fun times, and cherished memories, throughout my adolescents. Her strong words and lectures, many she has learned from in the past, bring me wisdom and guidance for the rest of my life. And her open and loving heart, gives me a safe place to share my emotions. I never could ask for a better person to spend my memories with, for they wouldn’t be the memories they are, without her.
Write a story starting with: “The widow had to work hard to bring up her little son alone...”
The widow had to work hard to bring up her little son alone. This was after her husband’s early death. She and her son lived in a wooden house. It was a small house with only one bedroom and a kitchen.
Mariam wanted Sam to study hard to get good result. So she would not let Sam help her do any household chores or wash his own clothes. The years flew by. Sam sat for his SPM examination and pass with flying colours.
His mother was very happy. She went round telling her friends, “My Sam will be leaving for the city to study in a college. He will become a Manager one day. I’ll move to live with him in the city. Then, my struggle is worth it.”
So Mariam continued to work hard to send money to Sam who was studying a business degree. For Mariam, it was a tough life. Meanwhile, Sam kept on phoning home to ask for more money. Mariam even had to borrow from her neighbours and friends to send her son the money.
Three years Sam stopped calling home. He did not even let his mother where he was. When she phoned the faculty, they told her that he had graduated and left for job. However, they could not her more. Mariam was baffled. Where was Sam? She was so sure he would come back and fetch her for city. So, she started to pack some of her bags and boxes.
Three months later, there was still no news or call from Sam. One day, Mariam’s niece, Kate, came to talk to her about Sam. She told her aunt, “Auntie, a friend of mine met Sam in a bank. He’s the branch manager. This is his address.”
Early in the morning, Mariam took the first bus to the city. At the bus station, she took a taxi and showed the taxi driver the bank address. On the way there, she told the driver about Sam and what a filial son he was.
The driver stopped his taxi in front of a tall building. She got out of the taxi and smiled at him happily. This was the moment she was going to meet Sam. She imagined him showing surprise and delight at meeting his mother. Inside the building, a security guard asked her who she was looking for. She told the guard Sam’s name.
The bank staff saw an old lady holding a worn-out handbag. They were wondering, “Who is this woman? Why is she asking for our manager?”
Meanwhile, Sam pretended he did not know his mother. Feeling disgusted and ashamed, he asked the security guard to ask her to leave. Mariam was shocked to hear that! She looked Sam in a disappointed feeling ever, and ran out of the bank.
Back in her house, Mariam cried the whole night. She cried and cried till she had no more tears. The next morning, she was sitting by the window with Sam’s photo on her lap. She saw him walking towards their house. Soon she was shouting and crying, “My Sam is back! My Sam is back!”
Sam ran towards her and hugged Mariam as he never let go. He was so sorry and regretted the way he behaved. His colleagues were the one who made him realized his big mistakes neglected his mother.
The neighbours heard her. They too shouted and cheered, feeling happy for her.
574 words.
What would you do if you had a lot of money?
Here’s a model answer for a reflective essay. Read through the essay and identify the topic sentences of each paragraph and the supporting details.
Question: What would you do if you had a lot of money?
When I was small, I often dreamt about being rich as my parents were quite poor. We had difficulty making ends meet each month. So, if I had a lot of money, I would certainly fulfill my dreams.
First and foremost, I would buy a house for my parents, preferably a bungalow, in a quiet town. I would equip the house with the latest technology so that it would be a smart home. My mother would have a state-of-the-art kitchen as she loves cooking. I would also get a maid to help her with the household chores. I will ensure that my family is comfortably settled in this house.
The second thing I would do is to go on a world tour with my parents. I have never been overseas but I long to see the places I have only read or dreamt about. First, I would like to visit Europe, especially Italy, the city of romance. I would visit all the museums and buildings I have heard so much about. My next stop would be Hong Kong or China. There is something mystical about China and her people. This would be my dream come true.
Apart from that, I could finally go on a shopping spree, which is my favourite pastime. Thus far, I could only go window shopping and if I had a lot of money, I would go into these stores and buy whatever I fancy. Just imagine that for once in my life, I do not need to look at the prices of the items that I like. I could just shop till I literally drop. The salesgirls would be hovering near me with their latest outfits and my wish would be their command. Ah, I would not be ignored anymore as I walk into their stores!
Besides shopping, I would also remember the poor and the less fortunate. First, I would certainly build a better home for the orphans in my town. In fact, I would also sponsor their education till they could stand on their own. They would receive an allowance monthly and I would definitely take them shopping.
Finally, I would take the opportunity to further my studies. When I was younger, my parents could not afford to send me overseas. So, I would love to pursue a course in interior decorating in London and once I graduate, I would like to set up my own business with the rest of the money.
They say that a fool and his money are soon parted. Thus, I would be very careful with how I spend my money. I would invest my money with my parents’ advice and keep some for rainy days.
Source: By jennyho
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