A Horror / Tragic Story
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.
HORRIFYING SWIM
It was a school holiday. Rahman woke up at the crack of dawn and headed for Ah Chong’s house. The boys had agreed to meet Sean and Sasi, their classmates. It was a perfect day for a swim. Although they were all strong swimmers, Rahman’s mother had cautioned him against going for a swim. A week earlier, their neighbour's son had nearly drowned in that river.
“Splash!” Hassan dived off the rock into the inviting river. The water was deep but he was not worried. After all, he was an excellent swimmer and a certified lifeguard. He knew the waters in the area well as he often swam there. He persuaded the rest of the boys to follow him up to a higher waterfall. They clambered up the boulders. “Let’s jump!” an exhilarated Rahman shouted. The boys plunged in together, screaming in delight.
Suddenly, Sean was tumbling out of control. The water smashed him over and over again. The current had smashed the other boys against a rock and they managed to pull themselves out from the raging water. At first, they could not see Sean. Then, as the waves subsided, they saw Sean’s half-submerged figure, face down. Rahman dived into the water immediately. He knew that every second counted. Swimming strongly, he got to Sean in no time. With Sasi and Ah Chong’s help, they managed to pull Sean out of the water and onto the rock.
“Oh God, let him not be dead!” Rahman pleaded. Sean looked so blue. The others stood, paralyzed, not knowing what to do. Rahman grabbed Sean’s wrist but he could not feel any pulse. He remembered what his teacher had told him. A drowning victim had to receive artificial breathing within four minutes or he would die. With his lifeguard training in his mind, Rahman immediately drew Sean’s head back and clamped his mouth over him. He began pumping breath into Sean’s lungs as Sasi compressed Sean’s chest while keeping count. Suddenly, Sean gurgled and threw up. They continued breathing and pumping. “Keep going. One of us has to go for help. Sasi, you are the fastest. Run home and get help. Ask someone to call for an ambulance. Quick.....”
After thirty minutes, and what seemed like a lifetime, Rahman felt something moved against him. Sean’s leg had jerked against him. He felt for a pulse. “Sean’s breathing....” Rahman cried. Just then, they heard an ambulance. “You are going to be alright’ he assured Sean. Within minutes, the paramedics had lifted him to the ambulance and headed for the nearby hospital. At the hospital, the boys were so thankful that Sean was going to be alright and they had saved his life. Rahman’s mother gave him a stern lecture. Rahman felt bad and regretted not listening to his mother.
Source: By jennyho
My Best Pal
Close friendships are hard to come by these days. In an ever-changing world with people striving to achieve their interpretation of preordained success, it is hard to know who your true friends are. Fortunately, I found my best pal early at the tender age of seven. We were both enrolled at the same school and were at wits’ ends as we searched tirelessly for our designated classes.
Samantha and I got acquainted as both of us were in the same class and sat next to each other. Samantha was a happy-go-lucky girl who always managed to breathe fresh air into the sometimes arid classroom. She always knew what to say and would voice them at the best possible moments. Both pupils and teachers alike enjoyed her company and liveliness. There was hardly ever a dull moment when she was around with her funny quips and expressions.
Samantha was born with a silver spoon. Her father was a businessman and her mother owned and ran a boutique. Both her parents were very caring towards her as she, just like I, was the only child of the family. Samantha came to school each day with a perpetual smile. She was a very nice person to be around with. She and I used to go everywhere together and both of us were rarely seen apart. We used to talk about so many things as we walked, thoroughly enjoying our time together.
One day, I went to school and forgot to ask my parents for lunch money. At first, I was not hungry and thought I could bear going without a meal but soon, my stomach began to growl. Without asking, Samantha generously paid for my meal and drinks during recess. The incident revealed to me how lucky I was to have such a caring and compassionate friend.
As time went on, people started teasing us as we were spending more and more time together. We seemed to know what each other thought and we cared for each other deeply. Was I in love with her? I did not know then and we both knew we were too young for all that emotional roller coaster.
Currently, Samantha and I are studying at different schools. It was hard to be apart at first, but technology in the form of instant messaging and e-mails have helped to bridge the gap in our friendship. I sincerely wish our friendship will never end as it would be equivalent to waking up from a beautiful dream.
Source: By Manu Menon
