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.
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
