By Aurora
“Dear ladies and gentlemen, please fasten your seatbelts. I am Captain Joe. The weather is fine and we are expecting a smooth journey to Japan. Please sit back and enjoy the facilities provided. We are taking off now,” the Captain announced. The metallic flying plane slowly accelerated into the sky smoothly. The slight pressure created a high pitch in my eardrum. “I will surely have a lot of fun when I reached there,” I giggled, totally unaware of the danger lurking.
I peeped out of the window. The blazing sun was radiating in the sky with the wind blowing the clouds rhythmically. Suddenly, inky black clouds started to triumphant the sky and the weather changed rapidly, totally different from the forecast. Distant jabs of orange sparks struck the sky continuously, changing the colour of the sky from blue to orange and then to black. It was just like fireworks illuminating the sky at night. Then, a blanket of heavy rain pelted relentlessly on the plane like machine guns.
“We have to take a detour through a mountain pass. We apologise for the inconvenience caused,” Captain Joe said. The mountains were closely packed, making it complicated to pass through. The novice pilots were well trained in what books they had taught them to but had no experience passing through such mountains. Abruptly, a mountain appeared too close. Despite their attempts in swerving the plane, it took out a wing. Horrible screeching of twisted metals reached my ears. Sparks flew from its torn wing as the plane hurtled towards the ground at high velocity. Some passengers were flung off from their seats. “The plane is going to explode,” I muttered under my breath. Adrenaline was pumped through my entire system. Beads of perspiration started trickling down from my forehead.
There was no doubt that the plane was going to crash. The massive explosion rocked the plane. The whole iron monster broke into halves and was devoured by fiery flames. Red demons licked the plane, surrounding the people in it, as though they were celebrating the victory of a successful capture of their preys. Mushroom-shaped clouds of pewter grey smoke curled up into the air, vanishing into wisps of smoke. The acrid smoke was choking everyone upon every breath they inhaled. The inferno advanced inch by inch, devouring everything into its path. I crouched low, trying to get oxygen into my deprived lungs and concentrated on one thing –escaping from the plane. By now, I could feel the intense heat in the plane.
“Where is the exit?” I inquired, squinting in the smoke. The exit was nearby. My legs felt like lead but I forced them to carry me forward. “Few more steps,” I encouraged myself to carry on. “Finally!” I exclaimed. I reached the exit and got out from there safely. “Help me……” someone mumbled. I scanned around to find a man struggling to get out. I went towards him and pulled him along with me. Together, we got out of the plane to a safe area. When I was taking a breather, a loud explosion was heard. I wheeled around and saw that the plane had exploded. Tongues of flames were engulfing the entire plane. “Our chances of being rescued were slim. We might die here,” the man told me. “For now, the fire and smoke from the plane will help us attract attention,” I whispered to the man. However, we were not rescued that day and the fire from the plane died down after some time, along with the smoke.
The next day, both of us were growing weak from hunger and I knew I had to do something to attract attention to our plight. I rummaged through my pockets only to find a box of matchsticks. I remembered that I had stolen this box of matchsticks from my mother’s cupboard. Suddenly, an idea struck my mind. “Smoke signals!” I exclaimed. I went to gather some twigs and struck a matchstick against the box. I lit the twigs and smoke rise up.At around noon, a helicopter whizzed past us. “A helicopter! We are being rescued!” I exclaimed. My expression altered from loneliness to happiness as my eyes flickered with a gleam of hope. “You are right, we are being rescued!” the man exclaimed before whooping with joy. The helicopter slowly landed on the ground and we boarded it.
We were taken back to the airport. “Are you all right? Are you hurt?” my mother asked. Concerns and worries were all written on her face. “I am fine and not hurt at all,” I said with a grin. “What about the scratch on your leg,” my brother inquired. “That is just a small injury. Need not worry about that,” I assured them. I was indeed lucky to be one of the two only survivors of that flight.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Train Accident
By Amanda
“Give me back my toy gun!” shouted Tommy as he weaved in and out of the crowd, trying to catch Fienze. “I’ll give it to you over my dead body!” Fienze screamed over the hubbub. It was six o’clock, the peak and rush hour at the MRT station. Fienze and Tommy were waiting for their parents to arrive at the platform of the Yishun MRT station. Meanwhile, the energetic boys started playing a game of catch.
“Passengers, for your own safety, please stand behind the yellow line.” A voice droned over the speakers. Too engrossed in their game of ‘catch’ to heed the advice, Tommy continues chasing Fienze. Fienze too continued scrambling through the legs and bags of the passengers. Just as Tommy was about to pounce on Fienze, Fienze saw an opening in the crowd. He raced through it. At that moment, he felt weightless as if he was walking on the moon. He looked down and to his horror, he realized that he was air-borne. In an instant, he fell onto the tracks with a sickening thud.
“Fienze!” Tommy shouted, stricken with fear. Panic engulfed Tommy as he saw Fienze laying helplessly on the tracks. “Hold onto my hand!” screamed Tommy. Every time Fienze tried to catch hold of Tommy’s hands, he was short by a few inches.
The tracks began vibrating. The train had appeared around a bend. A gasp issued from the crowd. “Quick! Grab hold of my hand now!” exclaimed Tommy. Trembling, Fienze tried to reach for the hand that was right above him. More hands appeared as a few young men bent down to help him.There was a sudden blaring of a horn. The train thundered closer and closer. Fienze frantically tried to reach the hands above him but to no avail. The headlights of the train were now a sea of white. “Jump!” someone shouted from the crowd, but Fienze did not move a single inch. Bang! There was a deafening loud bang as the train hit Fienze. “AHHH” a scream erupted from Fienze. “Nooo!” screamed Tommy, “no! Not Fienze!”
As the train departed from the station, the body of Fienze lay on the tracks, as lifeless as a doll. Suddenly, sirens could be heard. One of the on-lookers had called for the ambulance. Fienze was sent to the hospital. Five minutes later, Tommy and Fienze’s parents were pacing up and down the corridor of the hospital anxiously, muttering prayers under their breath. A few hours later, the doctor came out of the surgery room. His face told it all-Fienze was dead. Tears streamed down Tommy‘s eyes. No words could express his agony.If only he had not played with Fienze…If only they had not waited at the MRT station. If only……
“Give me back my toy gun!” shouted Tommy as he weaved in and out of the crowd, trying to catch Fienze. “I’ll give it to you over my dead body!” Fienze screamed over the hubbub. It was six o’clock, the peak and rush hour at the MRT station. Fienze and Tommy were waiting for their parents to arrive at the platform of the Yishun MRT station. Meanwhile, the energetic boys started playing a game of catch.
“Passengers, for your own safety, please stand behind the yellow line.” A voice droned over the speakers. Too engrossed in their game of ‘catch’ to heed the advice, Tommy continues chasing Fienze. Fienze too continued scrambling through the legs and bags of the passengers. Just as Tommy was about to pounce on Fienze, Fienze saw an opening in the crowd. He raced through it. At that moment, he felt weightless as if he was walking on the moon. He looked down and to his horror, he realized that he was air-borne. In an instant, he fell onto the tracks with a sickening thud.
“Fienze!” Tommy shouted, stricken with fear. Panic engulfed Tommy as he saw Fienze laying helplessly on the tracks. “Hold onto my hand!” screamed Tommy. Every time Fienze tried to catch hold of Tommy’s hands, he was short by a few inches.
The tracks began vibrating. The train had appeared around a bend. A gasp issued from the crowd. “Quick! Grab hold of my hand now!” exclaimed Tommy. Trembling, Fienze tried to reach for the hand that was right above him. More hands appeared as a few young men bent down to help him.There was a sudden blaring of a horn. The train thundered closer and closer. Fienze frantically tried to reach the hands above him but to no avail. The headlights of the train were now a sea of white. “Jump!” someone shouted from the crowd, but Fienze did not move a single inch. Bang! There was a deafening loud bang as the train hit Fienze. “AHHH” a scream erupted from Fienze. “Nooo!” screamed Tommy, “no! Not Fienze!”
As the train departed from the station, the body of Fienze lay on the tracks, as lifeless as a doll. Suddenly, sirens could be heard. One of the on-lookers had called for the ambulance. Fienze was sent to the hospital. Five minutes later, Tommy and Fienze’s parents were pacing up and down the corridor of the hospital anxiously, muttering prayers under their breath. A few hours later, the doctor came out of the surgery room. His face told it all-Fienze was dead. Tears streamed down Tommy‘s eyes. No words could express his agony.If only he had not played with Fienze…If only they had not waited at the MRT station. If only……
A Mysterious Letter
By Amanda
“Mum, may I go to the park to try out my new skates?” I asked. “Please?” I added hurriedly. “Yeah, OK.” My mother replied. I walked to the nearby park in high spirits.
I reached my destination within a few minutes. “Finally, I can try out my brand new skates,” I muttered under my breath. As happy as a lark, I put on my skates and started in-line skating.. “Wee…” I shouted, unable to contain my joy. I started skating at breakneck speed. Suddenly, I saw a huge rock right in front of me. I swerved to my right to avoid the rock and fell onto the grass. Blood oozed out of my right knee and elbow. I gritted my teeth and tried to stand up, trying to bear with the excruciating pain. Then, my left leg hit onto something hard - a wallet. It was small and brown. “What does this contain?” I wondered aloud. Burning with curiosity, I opened the small wallet. The only object I found in the wallet was a piece of paper. It reads ‘Meet me at the warehouse that you would find at 22 Avenue. The usual thing and 200 dollars for it. 7pm’. The words ‘usual thing’, ‘200’ and ‘it’ were highlighted in blue.
Ware house? Money? Usual thing? My eyebrows kitted into a tight frown. I knew that warehouse. It was across the street where I lived. Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw two men approaching me. Immediately, I smelt a rat. One was muscular with tattoos all over his body while the other was skinny and tall and had bloodshot eyes. ‘They must be coming to look for this.’ I thought. As fast as lightning, I threw the wallet onto the ground and pretend that nothing had happened. As expected, they asked, “Er… have you seen any brown wallet?” I shot them a quizzical look and shook my head. “Never mind!” the muscular man muttered.
The appearance of these two men made me more determined to look in into the matter. I checked my skates for damages. After confirming that everything was intact, I skated home.
After dinner that night, I ‘armed’ myself with a torchlight and a penknife. Then, I walked across street 21 and came into street 22. A dilapidated warehouse loomed into view. Although the sky had already darkened, light emitted from the warehouse.
As I was about to continue my way, a black cat’s meows startled me. I recalled my mother telling me that black cats were bad omens. My hair stood on ends and I started to feel uneasy. I gulped. “Don’t be silly. This is just superstition”, I reassured myself after pondering over it for a few minutes and decided to go ahead with my plans.
Once there, I crouched below the window and pressed my ears against the wall. I could make out some sounds, “Wow, I feel high!”
Curiosity burned in me. I peeped through the window and saw two muscular men and one skinny man. I stiffened with fear. What had I stumbled onto?
Suddenly, a strong of wind blew and I felt a strong urge to sneeze. “Haha…choo!” I sneezed. “Oh dear! Why must I sneeze now?” I cursed under my breath. “Intruders!” someone screamed.
Upon hearing that, I turned and ran helter-skelter no holds barred down 22 avenue. Soon, my chest heaved and I panted for breath from all the running. My legs felt like lead and my lungs burned as if pleading for me to stop but I was unrelenting. The shadows of the three man soon loomed over me as they closed the gap between us. Weeping in fear, I continued to run for my life.
In the distance, two figures appeared in my vision. I zeroed in my gaze at the two men. They were two policemen on patrol, I screamed frantically, “Help!” This alert the two policemen and they ran towards us like bullet trains. When the drug dealers saw the policemen, they attempted to turn around and disappear. But it was too late. The policemen brought the men down with flying tackles. Packets of drugs were found on them. As the drug dealers were brought away, they fixed their cold eyes on me and cursed under their breath.
The drug dealers were sentenced to life imprisonment for smuggling drugs into Singapore. From that day onwards, I swore that I would not let curiosity get the better of me. I learned a valuable lesson that day-curiosity kills the cat.
“Mum, may I go to the park to try out my new skates?” I asked. “Please?” I added hurriedly. “Yeah, OK.” My mother replied. I walked to the nearby park in high spirits.
I reached my destination within a few minutes. “Finally, I can try out my brand new skates,” I muttered under my breath. As happy as a lark, I put on my skates and started in-line skating.. “Wee…” I shouted, unable to contain my joy. I started skating at breakneck speed. Suddenly, I saw a huge rock right in front of me. I swerved to my right to avoid the rock and fell onto the grass. Blood oozed out of my right knee and elbow. I gritted my teeth and tried to stand up, trying to bear with the excruciating pain. Then, my left leg hit onto something hard - a wallet. It was small and brown. “What does this contain?” I wondered aloud. Burning with curiosity, I opened the small wallet. The only object I found in the wallet was a piece of paper. It reads ‘Meet me at the warehouse that you would find at 22 Avenue. The usual thing and 200 dollars for it. 7pm’. The words ‘usual thing’, ‘200’ and ‘it’ were highlighted in blue.
Ware house? Money? Usual thing? My eyebrows kitted into a tight frown. I knew that warehouse. It was across the street where I lived. Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw two men approaching me. Immediately, I smelt a rat. One was muscular with tattoos all over his body while the other was skinny and tall and had bloodshot eyes. ‘They must be coming to look for this.’ I thought. As fast as lightning, I threw the wallet onto the ground and pretend that nothing had happened. As expected, they asked, “Er… have you seen any brown wallet?” I shot them a quizzical look and shook my head. “Never mind!” the muscular man muttered.
The appearance of these two men made me more determined to look in into the matter. I checked my skates for damages. After confirming that everything was intact, I skated home.
After dinner that night, I ‘armed’ myself with a torchlight and a penknife. Then, I walked across street 21 and came into street 22. A dilapidated warehouse loomed into view. Although the sky had already darkened, light emitted from the warehouse.
As I was about to continue my way, a black cat’s meows startled me. I recalled my mother telling me that black cats were bad omens. My hair stood on ends and I started to feel uneasy. I gulped. “Don’t be silly. This is just superstition”, I reassured myself after pondering over it for a few minutes and decided to go ahead with my plans.
Once there, I crouched below the window and pressed my ears against the wall. I could make out some sounds, “Wow, I feel high!”
Curiosity burned in me. I peeped through the window and saw two muscular men and one skinny man. I stiffened with fear. What had I stumbled onto?
Suddenly, a strong of wind blew and I felt a strong urge to sneeze. “Haha…choo!” I sneezed. “Oh dear! Why must I sneeze now?” I cursed under my breath. “Intruders!” someone screamed.
Upon hearing that, I turned and ran helter-skelter no holds barred down 22 avenue. Soon, my chest heaved and I panted for breath from all the running. My legs felt like lead and my lungs burned as if pleading for me to stop but I was unrelenting. The shadows of the three man soon loomed over me as they closed the gap between us. Weeping in fear, I continued to run for my life.
In the distance, two figures appeared in my vision. I zeroed in my gaze at the two men. They were two policemen on patrol, I screamed frantically, “Help!” This alert the two policemen and they ran towards us like bullet trains. When the drug dealers saw the policemen, they attempted to turn around and disappear. But it was too late. The policemen brought the men down with flying tackles. Packets of drugs were found on them. As the drug dealers were brought away, they fixed their cold eyes on me and cursed under their breath.
The drug dealers were sentenced to life imprisonment for smuggling drugs into Singapore. From that day onwards, I swore that I would not let curiosity get the better of me. I learned a valuable lesson that day-curiosity kills the cat.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
♥Noisy neighbour!♥
By Saung
“Photosynthesis only takes place…” Da Da Dee Da! My thought was disturbed by the loud music coming from the next door. It wasn’t the first time. My parents had gone overseas on a business trip, leaving me to suffer alone. There is a science test tomorrow but I have not even finished revising the first topic, not mentioning the sleepless nights I had.
My face turned to a deep shade of molten lava. I clenched my jaws and curled my hands into tight fists. “But what can I do? I am just a normal secondary schoolgirl,” I glared at the notes and sighed. “What I need now the most is a good night’s sleep. At least I won’t fall asleep during lessons.” With this thought, I went to bed and covered my ears with my pillow. I fell asleep with the thought that the music would stop soon.
At around 3 am, I was awoken by the loud blaring music from that house. ‘What wrong had I done in my past life to deserve such a neighbour?’ I wondered. Out of anger, I went straight to that house’s door and started singing all the songs I knew in my loudest voice. There was a momentary silence in the air. I went back to my room and sank onto the bed. Then, the music started again. “I will deal with him tomorrow. I will,” I murmured.
I plugged in my ear plugs and tried to get back to sleep. I woke up again at six when my alarm clock sounded. I got ready for school and waited for the school bus to arrive at my house. When I boarded the school bus, everyone pointed at me and started laughing. I walked to the seat beside my best friend in awe and anger. “Is there something wrong with me?” I asked. “See for yourself!” she replied with a giggle as she handed me a pocket mirror. I could not believe my eyes! My eyes were red and swollen with dark eye shadows below them. My face turned to a deep shade of red. Smoke seemed to billow out of my ears. Out of humiliation and anger, I went straight to the back of the bus and sat alone.
When we arrived at our destination, I went to the class, covering my face with a file. Soon, Ms Tan, our science teacher arrived. “Ok class, I am going to give out the science test papers,” she announced as she gave out the papers. The first question was easy. I got the answer in a few seconds. The second question wasn’t that hard either. But when it came to the third question, I could not even understand the question! “Never mind, just go on to the next question,” I encouraged myself. The fourth question was worse! My mind went blank! I really hated my neighbour. He was going to get it from me after school!
Soon, time was up and I handed in the paper reluctantly. Lessons went on as normal and soon it was time for dismissal. I went to my neighbour’s door and knocked on the door as hard as I could. A lady and a man came out. “Yes?” he asked. I told them about the problem and how it was affecting me. “Something is wrong! We work the night shift and are not at home every night, unless of course, our son is causing all these trouble! I am very sorry. I will scold my son and ensure that all this doesn’t repeat.”
The next day, I got back the science paper. I was not surprised that I had failed! When I returned home, my parents were sitting on the sofa with anger shown on their faces. “I just received a call from your Science teacher. What’s wrong with you?” she demanded. I explained everything to them and they forgave me.
It was not so bad after all. At least, from now on, I would be able to have peaceful nights.
“Photosynthesis only takes place…” Da Da Dee Da! My thought was disturbed by the loud music coming from the next door. It wasn’t the first time. My parents had gone overseas on a business trip, leaving me to suffer alone. There is a science test tomorrow but I have not even finished revising the first topic, not mentioning the sleepless nights I had.
My face turned to a deep shade of molten lava. I clenched my jaws and curled my hands into tight fists. “But what can I do? I am just a normal secondary schoolgirl,” I glared at the notes and sighed. “What I need now the most is a good night’s sleep. At least I won’t fall asleep during lessons.” With this thought, I went to bed and covered my ears with my pillow. I fell asleep with the thought that the music would stop soon.
At around 3 am, I was awoken by the loud blaring music from that house. ‘What wrong had I done in my past life to deserve such a neighbour?’ I wondered. Out of anger, I went straight to that house’s door and started singing all the songs I knew in my loudest voice. There was a momentary silence in the air. I went back to my room and sank onto the bed. Then, the music started again. “I will deal with him tomorrow. I will,” I murmured.
I plugged in my ear plugs and tried to get back to sleep. I woke up again at six when my alarm clock sounded. I got ready for school and waited for the school bus to arrive at my house. When I boarded the school bus, everyone pointed at me and started laughing. I walked to the seat beside my best friend in awe and anger. “Is there something wrong with me?” I asked. “See for yourself!” she replied with a giggle as she handed me a pocket mirror. I could not believe my eyes! My eyes were red and swollen with dark eye shadows below them. My face turned to a deep shade of red. Smoke seemed to billow out of my ears. Out of humiliation and anger, I went straight to the back of the bus and sat alone.
When we arrived at our destination, I went to the class, covering my face with a file. Soon, Ms Tan, our science teacher arrived. “Ok class, I am going to give out the science test papers,” she announced as she gave out the papers. The first question was easy. I got the answer in a few seconds. The second question wasn’t that hard either. But when it came to the third question, I could not even understand the question! “Never mind, just go on to the next question,” I encouraged myself. The fourth question was worse! My mind went blank! I really hated my neighbour. He was going to get it from me after school!
Soon, time was up and I handed in the paper reluctantly. Lessons went on as normal and soon it was time for dismissal. I went to my neighbour’s door and knocked on the door as hard as I could. A lady and a man came out. “Yes?” he asked. I told them about the problem and how it was affecting me. “Something is wrong! We work the night shift and are not at home every night, unless of course, our son is causing all these trouble! I am very sorry. I will scold my son and ensure that all this doesn’t repeat.”
The next day, I got back the science paper. I was not surprised that I had failed! When I returned home, my parents were sitting on the sofa with anger shown on their faces. “I just received a call from your Science teacher. What’s wrong with you?” she demanded. I explained everything to them and they forgave me.
It was not so bad after all. At least, from now on, I would be able to have peaceful nights.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Hijacked
By HLin
"Sir, what would you like to have for your dinner?" The hospitable air stewardess greeted me politely, handing me the menu. I flipped through the menu, unable to decide on which set of meal to choose. Lamb chop, steak, mutton, fish.... chicken! I smiled to myself as I imagine myself sinking my teeth into the tender skin of the chicken.. how nice it would be! "Sir?" I was jolted out of my reverie when the air stewardess asked again. "Roasted chicken please," I said, returning her the menu and continued to rest on my comfortable seat. I couldn't wait to reach America. I was the representative for Singapore for the annual Sky-diving competition, a highly dangerous yet exciting sport.
An aroma of roasted chicken wafted into my nose. The smell was heavenly. Minutes later, the air stewardess served my meal. The sight of it made me drool and I immediately grabbed my cutleries and started to eat. I savoured every moment in this 'business class' plane, but little did I know that danger was lurking in it.
"Excellent!" I muttered to myself, smacking my lips at the same time. I rubbed my belly. "How wonderful it is to be in this plane," I thought and drifted away to my dreamland.
"Aarrh! Aarh!" Incessant cries jolted me out of my dream. What happened? I scanned around. The full impact of what I was seeing hit me. A masked man was pointing a gun at a petite lady. Everyone's eyes were on them, fear written across their faces. An old man was quavering like a leaf. The lady beside me was stupified. I looked at the masked man and the petite lady again. I could see a glint of panic in her eyes although she looked very composed. "What are you trying to do?" She asked, her mouth quavering. " Oh girl, don't worry," the masked man paused, his eyes scanned around the plane and he pointed at the passengers in the plane,"but, if anyone of the people here follows us, that person would perish," he said and emphasized on the word 'perish' as if he enjoyed the word rolling over his tongue. What was happening and who was the masked man? Why was everybody afraid? Was he a murderer? A psycho? Or a homicide killer? Or... a hijacker? I shook in fear as the 9/11 incident flashed across my mind. What is the date today? "9,10...11..11!" Exactly 9/11! Oh no! Why did I board this plane today? I must be out of my mind! Why didn't I count the date before I bought this ticket? "Calm down, John, you might be just imagining things," I told myself. I asked the man in front of me what had happened. He stuttered, "He..He..He.. s..said..that..he..is..O..Osa...Osama!" I froze. Did I hear wrongly? Osama? The world's most wanted, most notorious terrorist? Wasn't he the one involved in the 9/11 incident? I couldn't believe my ears. Terrorists! Osama would definitely kill everyone in the plane. That would be horrible.
Suddenly,the plane began to shake violently, sending plates and cups flying in all directions. I was assaulted by the flying shrapnel of a plate and a deep cut seared across my leg instantly. The lights in the plane began flickering. What now? I knew I had to act fast if I wanted my life. However, I must save everybody's life too! Getting to my feet, I raced to the cockpit, only to see the petite lady shot in the heart. I looked around. The pilot and Osama were fighting for the control to steer the aeroplane. "Get away!" Osama shouted and pushed the pilot aside, but the latter was unrelenting. He got onto his feet and tried to regain control. Seeing this, I leapt onto Osama and shove him off the pilot's seat and he fell onto the ground. Taking advantage of his temporary disability, the pilot quickly steered the areoplane. Scrambling to his feet, Osama flung me a well-aimed punch and I fell backwards and hit the metal wall behind. "My spine!" I groaned as an excruciating pain coursed through my entire body. Osama also showed no mercy to the pilot too. He knocked the pilot down and steered the plane. I lunged at Osama again but he was not hurt. Instead he grinned. I could see a maniac glint in his eyes now. He began to rain punches on me but I ducked and quickly escaped from him.
The plane rocked even more violently now as the plane was descending. I knew everyone on the plane was doomed. Screams filled the plane and soon everything we saw outside the window became blurred. "Hahaha!" I could hear the laughter of Osama a few metres away. My eyes widened as I felt the plane plunging down with its nose pointing at the ground. Everything was thrown sideways in the plane. I gasped. I knew I had to escape right now. If not, I would die in this plane crash.
I struggled to open the main emergency exit. "Everyone, escape from here!" I shouted but my voice could not be heard over the screams and shouts. I must escape now or there would be no chance after this. I prayed hard as I was unsure if I would survive. I bit my lips and tied a long rope on a long sturdy pole in the plane. Using all my energy, I pushed the door wide open. The distance from where I was to the ground was quite short. I know I must jump know if not I would perish. Closing my eyes, I held the long rope and jumped out of the plane.
I did not dare to open my eyes but I climbed slowly down the rope. I looked downwards. About five more seconds and the plane was going to crash on the land! I quickly jumped to the ground and ran as fast as my legs could carry me. I looked behind. One more second and the plane would land and explode. Carrying my legs forward, I jumped into a pit.
Bomb! The plane exploded into fiery tongues of flames as it crashed into the ground. The flames licked the plane with a vengeance and devoured everything in its path. Pewter grey smoke curled up into the air like a huge ball, vanishing into wisps of smoke. I landed in a pit, a few metres away from the inferno. I hurried to my feet. I had to blink a few times as my vision was now blurred and the world seemed to be whirling around me. I knew it was because of the smoke. I staggered to move forward but I dropped to the ground as the last thin thread of consciousness slipped away and I was swept into oblivion.
I rubbed my eyes. Everything swam before I could open my eyes fully. I scanned the room. Everything around me was white. Where was I? In heaven? "John, you're awake! Don't sit up," my puffy-eyed mother hastily got up and pressed me back on the bed. "What happened, Mummy?" I asked, grinning. "John, I've got a terrible news to tell you. John, you..you can't ...sky-dive now because your spine is too badly hurt." Her sobs escalated into wails and she raced out of my room. It took me a moment to digest what my mother was saying. I shook my head, My mind was a complete blank. I couldn't believe my ears. This was not true! I shook my head. This couldn't be true! Tears cascaded down my cheeks. I couldn't skydive! How could that be? I couldn't give it up! Sky diving was part of my life. I did not want to live any more.
A few days later, this incident was reported in the headlines of the newspaper. I learnt that I was the sole survivor of this ordeal. Actually, the masked man was not Osama but one of his diehard supporters. He became insane later on but did not forget his yearning to become a terrorist like Osama and so hijacked a plane like him. He died in the explosion when the plane crashed.
After much counselling and encouragement from my parents and friends, I found the will to live and took up a hobby-collecting pictures of people skydiving. My love for sky-diving continued and I gained more knowledge of this sport through reading.
"Sir, what would you like to have for your dinner?" The hospitable air stewardess greeted me politely, handing me the menu. I flipped through the menu, unable to decide on which set of meal to choose. Lamb chop, steak, mutton, fish.... chicken! I smiled to myself as I imagine myself sinking my teeth into the tender skin of the chicken.. how nice it would be! "Sir?" I was jolted out of my reverie when the air stewardess asked again. "Roasted chicken please," I said, returning her the menu and continued to rest on my comfortable seat. I couldn't wait to reach America. I was the representative for Singapore for the annual Sky-diving competition, a highly dangerous yet exciting sport.
An aroma of roasted chicken wafted into my nose. The smell was heavenly. Minutes later, the air stewardess served my meal. The sight of it made me drool and I immediately grabbed my cutleries and started to eat. I savoured every moment in this 'business class' plane, but little did I know that danger was lurking in it.
"Excellent!" I muttered to myself, smacking my lips at the same time. I rubbed my belly. "How wonderful it is to be in this plane," I thought and drifted away to my dreamland.
"Aarrh! Aarh!" Incessant cries jolted me out of my dream. What happened? I scanned around. The full impact of what I was seeing hit me. A masked man was pointing a gun at a petite lady. Everyone's eyes were on them, fear written across their faces. An old man was quavering like a leaf. The lady beside me was stupified. I looked at the masked man and the petite lady again. I could see a glint of panic in her eyes although she looked very composed. "What are you trying to do?" She asked, her mouth quavering. " Oh girl, don't worry," the masked man paused, his eyes scanned around the plane and he pointed at the passengers in the plane,"but, if anyone of the people here follows us, that person would perish," he said and emphasized on the word 'perish' as if he enjoyed the word rolling over his tongue. What was happening and who was the masked man? Why was everybody afraid? Was he a murderer? A psycho? Or a homicide killer? Or... a hijacker? I shook in fear as the 9/11 incident flashed across my mind. What is the date today? "9,10...11..11!" Exactly 9/11! Oh no! Why did I board this plane today? I must be out of my mind! Why didn't I count the date before I bought this ticket? "Calm down, John, you might be just imagining things," I told myself. I asked the man in front of me what had happened. He stuttered, "He..He..He.. s..said..that..he..is..O..Osa...Osama!" I froze. Did I hear wrongly? Osama? The world's most wanted, most notorious terrorist? Wasn't he the one involved in the 9/11 incident? I couldn't believe my ears. Terrorists! Osama would definitely kill everyone in the plane. That would be horrible.
Suddenly,the plane began to shake violently, sending plates and cups flying in all directions. I was assaulted by the flying shrapnel of a plate and a deep cut seared across my leg instantly. The lights in the plane began flickering. What now? I knew I had to act fast if I wanted my life. However, I must save everybody's life too! Getting to my feet, I raced to the cockpit, only to see the petite lady shot in the heart. I looked around. The pilot and Osama were fighting for the control to steer the aeroplane. "Get away!" Osama shouted and pushed the pilot aside, but the latter was unrelenting. He got onto his feet and tried to regain control. Seeing this, I leapt onto Osama and shove him off the pilot's seat and he fell onto the ground. Taking advantage of his temporary disability, the pilot quickly steered the areoplane. Scrambling to his feet, Osama flung me a well-aimed punch and I fell backwards and hit the metal wall behind. "My spine!" I groaned as an excruciating pain coursed through my entire body. Osama also showed no mercy to the pilot too. He knocked the pilot down and steered the plane. I lunged at Osama again but he was not hurt. Instead he grinned. I could see a maniac glint in his eyes now. He began to rain punches on me but I ducked and quickly escaped from him.
The plane rocked even more violently now as the plane was descending. I knew everyone on the plane was doomed. Screams filled the plane and soon everything we saw outside the window became blurred. "Hahaha!" I could hear the laughter of Osama a few metres away. My eyes widened as I felt the plane plunging down with its nose pointing at the ground. Everything was thrown sideways in the plane. I gasped. I knew I had to escape right now. If not, I would die in this plane crash.
I struggled to open the main emergency exit. "Everyone, escape from here!" I shouted but my voice could not be heard over the screams and shouts. I must escape now or there would be no chance after this. I prayed hard as I was unsure if I would survive. I bit my lips and tied a long rope on a long sturdy pole in the plane. Using all my energy, I pushed the door wide open. The distance from where I was to the ground was quite short. I know I must jump know if not I would perish. Closing my eyes, I held the long rope and jumped out of the plane.
I did not dare to open my eyes but I climbed slowly down the rope. I looked downwards. About five more seconds and the plane was going to crash on the land! I quickly jumped to the ground and ran as fast as my legs could carry me. I looked behind. One more second and the plane would land and explode. Carrying my legs forward, I jumped into a pit.
Bomb! The plane exploded into fiery tongues of flames as it crashed into the ground. The flames licked the plane with a vengeance and devoured everything in its path. Pewter grey smoke curled up into the air like a huge ball, vanishing into wisps of smoke. I landed in a pit, a few metres away from the inferno. I hurried to my feet. I had to blink a few times as my vision was now blurred and the world seemed to be whirling around me. I knew it was because of the smoke. I staggered to move forward but I dropped to the ground as the last thin thread of consciousness slipped away and I was swept into oblivion.
I rubbed my eyes. Everything swam before I could open my eyes fully. I scanned the room. Everything around me was white. Where was I? In heaven? "John, you're awake! Don't sit up," my puffy-eyed mother hastily got up and pressed me back on the bed. "What happened, Mummy?" I asked, grinning. "John, I've got a terrible news to tell you. John, you..you can't ...sky-dive now because your spine is too badly hurt." Her sobs escalated into wails and she raced out of my room. It took me a moment to digest what my mother was saying. I shook my head, My mind was a complete blank. I couldn't believe my ears. This was not true! I shook my head. This couldn't be true! Tears cascaded down my cheeks. I couldn't skydive! How could that be? I couldn't give it up! Sky diving was part of my life. I did not want to live any more.
A few days later, this incident was reported in the headlines of the newspaper. I learnt that I was the sole survivor of this ordeal. Actually, the masked man was not Osama but one of his diehard supporters. He became insane later on but did not forget his yearning to become a terrorist like Osama and so hijacked a plane like him. He died in the explosion when the plane crashed.
After much counselling and encouragement from my parents and friends, I found the will to live and took up a hobby-collecting pictures of people skydiving. My love for sky-diving continued and I gained more knowledge of this sport through reading.
Mischievous Leo
By Mich
"Hey sis! Look here!" Leo shouted. He stood beside the plastic mannequin outside the clothing shop. Putting his hand on his hips and keeping a straight face, he imitated the mannequin. I groaned. "Leo, come back!" I shouted through gritted teeth. I always wished my brother was never born. He was such a thorn in my flesh! Leo rushed to my side and broke into laughter. I glared at him in displeasure and stomped into the McDonald's restaurant furiously. Leo caught up behind me. I went over to a vacant table and pointed to the chair. "Sit here and don't move!" I commanded. Leo saluted and said, "Yes Mam!" He sat on the chair and broke into another one of his irritating laughter, slapping his thighs at the same time. I gave an exasperated sigh and hurried to the counter.
I grabbed the tray of food from the counter and made my way to my table. As I walked close to the table, Leo's eyes widened and he stared at me. "What?" I barked, irritated. "Sis! Don't move! There's a large, gigantic, monstrous spider on your arm!" he stuttered, pointing to my arm with trembling hands. I let out a terrified scream and dropped the tray on the floor. All the fries, burgers and cokes toppled and splattered on the floor. I continued screaming and brushed my arms hurriedly, trembling like a leaf at the same time. All of a sudden, Leo burst into an enormous laughter. He clutched his stomach and he laughed so hard that tears filled his eyes. I stood trembling from head to toe, and said, scanning the floor at the same time, "Where's that spider, where are you spider!" Then, I looked up and saw Leo laughing. Finally, I realized what had happened. Leo continued laughing, and managed to say between his laughter, "Oh my god, sis! You're so funny!" By that time, all eyes in the restaraunt were on me. The room was filled with an awkward silence. My ears turned pink and I was burning with humiliation. One of the people working in that restaurant came out with a mop. I apologised to the people. The customers turned back and continued eating their food.
My eyebrows furrowed darkly. I threw my arms in the air carelessly. "I've had enough of you!" I cried. I stormed out of the restaurant in a towering rage. Leo really had the knack of getting under my skin! Why must he always needle me beyond endurance? He didn't seem to respect me, not at all!
I swung my house door open in rage. As I dropped onto the sofa, my dog, Precious, tried to snuggle up to me. I pushed it away. "Stupid dog," I snarled, carrying it and flinging it into the storeroom. I slammed the door shut. Then, the door bell rang. I grabbed the doorknob and flung the door open. My eyes glinted with anger at the sight of who it was - Leo. "I'm sorry, sis," Leo muttered. I crossed my arms angrily. "I'm going to tell Mum about what you did!" I fumed. "Please, sis, don't tell!" Leo was practically on his knees. I stomped away with a huff. Leo rushed to me, pulling my T-shirt. "I'm really sorry, sis! Please don't tell! I'm sincere!" He pleaded fervently, looking at me with puppy eyes. I crossed my arms again and held my head high, ignoring his pleas. "I will do anything! Anything! Just please don't tell!" Leo cried. I pondered his offer over for a while. A wide grin spread across my face as an idea formed in my mind. "Oh all right," I finally said. Leo jumped around in joy. Then, he kneeled beside me and said, "Leo at your service, your highness!" I laughed with joy and ordered, "Do all my household chores this month!" Leo's mouth hung open and he immediately stood up. "No way!" he shouted. "That means..." Leo cut me off in mid-sentence, "I can't believe I got off this easily! I thought you were going to tell me to do your homework or something!" he saluted and said, "Right away!" I giggled.
Leo was still as playful as ever, but he did not ever get in my hair ever again!
"Hey sis! Look here!" Leo shouted. He stood beside the plastic mannequin outside the clothing shop. Putting his hand on his hips and keeping a straight face, he imitated the mannequin. I groaned. "Leo, come back!" I shouted through gritted teeth. I always wished my brother was never born. He was such a thorn in my flesh! Leo rushed to my side and broke into laughter. I glared at him in displeasure and stomped into the McDonald's restaurant furiously. Leo caught up behind me. I went over to a vacant table and pointed to the chair. "Sit here and don't move!" I commanded. Leo saluted and said, "Yes Mam!" He sat on the chair and broke into another one of his irritating laughter, slapping his thighs at the same time. I gave an exasperated sigh and hurried to the counter.
I grabbed the tray of food from the counter and made my way to my table. As I walked close to the table, Leo's eyes widened and he stared at me. "What?" I barked, irritated. "Sis! Don't move! There's a large, gigantic, monstrous spider on your arm!" he stuttered, pointing to my arm with trembling hands. I let out a terrified scream and dropped the tray on the floor. All the fries, burgers and cokes toppled and splattered on the floor. I continued screaming and brushed my arms hurriedly, trembling like a leaf at the same time. All of a sudden, Leo burst into an enormous laughter. He clutched his stomach and he laughed so hard that tears filled his eyes. I stood trembling from head to toe, and said, scanning the floor at the same time, "Where's that spider, where are you spider!" Then, I looked up and saw Leo laughing. Finally, I realized what had happened. Leo continued laughing, and managed to say between his laughter, "Oh my god, sis! You're so funny!" By that time, all eyes in the restaraunt were on me. The room was filled with an awkward silence. My ears turned pink and I was burning with humiliation. One of the people working in that restaurant came out with a mop. I apologised to the people. The customers turned back and continued eating their food.
My eyebrows furrowed darkly. I threw my arms in the air carelessly. "I've had enough of you!" I cried. I stormed out of the restaurant in a towering rage. Leo really had the knack of getting under my skin! Why must he always needle me beyond endurance? He didn't seem to respect me, not at all!
I swung my house door open in rage. As I dropped onto the sofa, my dog, Precious, tried to snuggle up to me. I pushed it away. "Stupid dog," I snarled, carrying it and flinging it into the storeroom. I slammed the door shut. Then, the door bell rang. I grabbed the doorknob and flung the door open. My eyes glinted with anger at the sight of who it was - Leo. "I'm sorry, sis," Leo muttered. I crossed my arms angrily. "I'm going to tell Mum about what you did!" I fumed. "Please, sis, don't tell!" Leo was practically on his knees. I stomped away with a huff. Leo rushed to me, pulling my T-shirt. "I'm really sorry, sis! Please don't tell! I'm sincere!" He pleaded fervently, looking at me with puppy eyes. I crossed my arms again and held my head high, ignoring his pleas. "I will do anything! Anything! Just please don't tell!" Leo cried. I pondered his offer over for a while. A wide grin spread across my face as an idea formed in my mind. "Oh all right," I finally said. Leo jumped around in joy. Then, he kneeled beside me and said, "Leo at your service, your highness!" I laughed with joy and ordered, "Do all my household chores this month!" Leo's mouth hung open and he immediately stood up. "No way!" he shouted. "That means..." Leo cut me off in mid-sentence, "I can't believe I got off this easily! I thought you were going to tell me to do your homework or something!" he saluted and said, "Right away!" I giggled.
Leo was still as playful as ever, but he did not ever get in my hair ever again!
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Lost in the Forest
By HLin
"Pupils, please follow your partners closely as we are now going for our evening walk. If you find your partner missing, please report to me immediately," our instructed commanded and added, "partners who fail to look after each other will be punished." All of us listened to him in rapt attention. "Okay, now, I want everyone to take their haversack and line up." Immediately, we formed two lines in front of our instructor.
I lined up grudgingly- not because I didn't like this expedition to the jungle, but because of my partner, John. John sat beside me in class and was my arch enemy. The sight of him makes my blood boil because he always gets me into hot soup by complaining to our teacher. In retaliation, I always complain about him too in front of our teacher.
I glared at him and he glared in return as though we were two strong armies engaged in a mighty battle. He seemed to have a trick up his sleeves today. Suddenly, he flung a well-aimed punch at my stomach. I groaned. He must be angry about the scolding he got from our teacher last Friday due to my complaint. Now he was seeking revenge! I clutched my stomach. "John, what are you doing?" Our instructor's voice thundered and everyone's eyes were fixed on us. "Oh nothing, instructor," John said, shrugging his shoulder, "I was just doing my warm-up exercises when I accidentally hit Lance. Are you alright, Lance?" He feigned concern for me and put his arms on my shoulder. "Ok, Pupils, let's go," our instructor turned his back towards us and led the pupils forward."Hey weakling, do you like my "stomach treat"? " John smirked and taunted me.
Anger welled up inside me and I "swore vengeance". Racking my brain, I tried to think of a trick to play on John that would make him feel scared and worried. My eyebrows furrowed as I discarded ideas after ideas in my mind until I found a feasible one. Act as a ghost and scare him? Absurd. Beat him up? Childish. Or.... A mischievous grin spread across my face as an ingenious plan to deal with John flashed across my mind--- I would have to disappear. That would get him into trouble, wouldn't it? Images of his angry face during the few times I managed to get his goat flashed across my mind. This idea was perfect since I had been in forests with our scoutmaster before and had a very good sense of direction. I was sure that the plan that I had devised would definitely work and so I proceeded to carry out my plan.
I began to walk very slowly and quietly, allowing John to walk forward without noticing me. Luckily, we were at the last row so the instructor could not see us. Lady Luck seemed to be on my side as my idea was working. I grinned. This would definitely teach John a lesson.Our group began to vanish from sight and I heaved a sigh of relief. Where should I go now? I wondered, scanning around the lush forest. I began to walk in the opposite direction. Little did I know that a nightmare was awaiting for me.
Darkness enveloped the place as I continued to venture into the forest. A sliver of the moon rose in the sky, illuminating the forest below dimly with its pale light. "My poor legs," I moaned and found a place to rest. I rummaged through my bag in search of my torchlight to see what the time was. My jaws dropped when I saw the time. Two hours had already passed since 6 p.m! Hunger was gnawing at my stomach and I rubbed my belly. I was famished and had to find the group soon.
Getting to my feet, I began to walk in the direction that I thought would bring me back to the group, oblivious to the fact that I was actually going further and furher into the jungle.The fallen and shrivelled leaves crunched under my foot as I hurried down the path. I wiped the endless trickle of perspiration and scanned around. The thick belt of jungle lying ahead looked more forbidden than ever. My heart sank. Where was I? I swat away the sinister flies that would not leave me alone. I scanned around the forest hastily again. It seemed alien. The branches of the trees crashed out towards the sky like bony fingers pointing at the heavens. I bit my lips as I fought my tears. "Why did I do this silly thing? Am I lost?" millions of questions raced through my mind, "Is there anyone here who can save me?" I strained my ears to hear something in the dead silence. Nothing. I prayed hard that someone would come and save me.
Suddenly, a loud growl jolted me out of my thoughts. What could it be? Could it be a bear? Or a lion? Or... a ferocious tiger? I stood rooted to the spot, fear engulfing me. I had never met a bear, a lion or a tiger! Shakily, I raised my torchlight. The full impact of what I was seeing hit me. There the striped beast stood, opening its jaws. My mind was a complete blank. What should I do? A tiger! I recoiled back in fear. I could hear the faint movement of the tiger as it advanced towards me. My heart palpitated. I knew I had to act fast. But my mind was just a blank.The tiger's breathing became more and more distinct, telling me that it was getting nearer.
Every nerve in my mind were screaming at me to run. RUN! These words kept flashing in my mind like a neon sign and without thinking, I took to my heels.I ran helter-skelter, no holds barred. I could imagine the tiger capturing me but I threw all these thoughts out of my mind and only concentrated on one thing- running! I ran as fast as my legs could carry me but they felt as heavy as lead. My lungs were burning, as if pleading me to stop but I forced myself to go on. Thick hanging branches lashed at me as I sped past them. I knew I would become dead meat if I stop running. At this moment, I was panting hard. "Ouch!" I screamed. The tiger pounced on me and I soon felt the tiger's teeth slashing through my legs but I ignored the excruciating pain and fought with all my might. The tiger held on to me. As I felt my last ounce of energy draining off me, I prayed hard that I would somehow survive this ordeal.
Almost instantly, a loud bang reverberated in the forest. I jumped. What happened? I turned back. The tiger, only an inch away from me, had collapsed beside me and laid in the growing pool of blood. "Are you alright, Lance?" A familiar voice spoke and I recognised it immediately. It was my instructor. Tears of joy and gratitude towards my instructor cascaded down my cheeks and I embraced him.
After relating the incident to my instructor, he reprimanded John and I and we were punished to sweep and clean our domitories in the forest.The harrowing incident was engraved in my mind forever and I could never forget day I was being hunted. Surprisingly, after that fateful day, John and I became the best of friends. I suppose that's a blessing in disguise.
"Pupils, please follow your partners closely as we are now going for our evening walk. If you find your partner missing, please report to me immediately," our instructed commanded and added, "partners who fail to look after each other will be punished." All of us listened to him in rapt attention. "Okay, now, I want everyone to take their haversack and line up." Immediately, we formed two lines in front of our instructor.
I lined up grudgingly- not because I didn't like this expedition to the jungle, but because of my partner, John. John sat beside me in class and was my arch enemy. The sight of him makes my blood boil because he always gets me into hot soup by complaining to our teacher. In retaliation, I always complain about him too in front of our teacher.
I glared at him and he glared in return as though we were two strong armies engaged in a mighty battle. He seemed to have a trick up his sleeves today. Suddenly, he flung a well-aimed punch at my stomach. I groaned. He must be angry about the scolding he got from our teacher last Friday due to my complaint. Now he was seeking revenge! I clutched my stomach. "John, what are you doing?" Our instructor's voice thundered and everyone's eyes were fixed on us. "Oh nothing, instructor," John said, shrugging his shoulder, "I was just doing my warm-up exercises when I accidentally hit Lance. Are you alright, Lance?" He feigned concern for me and put his arms on my shoulder. "Ok, Pupils, let's go," our instructor turned his back towards us and led the pupils forward."Hey weakling, do you like my "stomach treat"? " John smirked and taunted me.
Anger welled up inside me and I "swore vengeance". Racking my brain, I tried to think of a trick to play on John that would make him feel scared and worried. My eyebrows furrowed as I discarded ideas after ideas in my mind until I found a feasible one. Act as a ghost and scare him? Absurd. Beat him up? Childish. Or.... A mischievous grin spread across my face as an ingenious plan to deal with John flashed across my mind--- I would have to disappear. That would get him into trouble, wouldn't it? Images of his angry face during the few times I managed to get his goat flashed across my mind. This idea was perfect since I had been in forests with our scoutmaster before and had a very good sense of direction. I was sure that the plan that I had devised would definitely work and so I proceeded to carry out my plan.
I began to walk very slowly and quietly, allowing John to walk forward without noticing me. Luckily, we were at the last row so the instructor could not see us. Lady Luck seemed to be on my side as my idea was working. I grinned. This would definitely teach John a lesson.Our group began to vanish from sight and I heaved a sigh of relief. Where should I go now? I wondered, scanning around the lush forest. I began to walk in the opposite direction. Little did I know that a nightmare was awaiting for me.
Darkness enveloped the place as I continued to venture into the forest. A sliver of the moon rose in the sky, illuminating the forest below dimly with its pale light. "My poor legs," I moaned and found a place to rest. I rummaged through my bag in search of my torchlight to see what the time was. My jaws dropped when I saw the time. Two hours had already passed since 6 p.m! Hunger was gnawing at my stomach and I rubbed my belly. I was famished and had to find the group soon.
Getting to my feet, I began to walk in the direction that I thought would bring me back to the group, oblivious to the fact that I was actually going further and furher into the jungle.The fallen and shrivelled leaves crunched under my foot as I hurried down the path. I wiped the endless trickle of perspiration and scanned around. The thick belt of jungle lying ahead looked more forbidden than ever. My heart sank. Where was I? I swat away the sinister flies that would not leave me alone. I scanned around the forest hastily again. It seemed alien. The branches of the trees crashed out towards the sky like bony fingers pointing at the heavens. I bit my lips as I fought my tears. "Why did I do this silly thing? Am I lost?" millions of questions raced through my mind, "Is there anyone here who can save me?" I strained my ears to hear something in the dead silence. Nothing. I prayed hard that someone would come and save me.
Suddenly, a loud growl jolted me out of my thoughts. What could it be? Could it be a bear? Or a lion? Or... a ferocious tiger? I stood rooted to the spot, fear engulfing me. I had never met a bear, a lion or a tiger! Shakily, I raised my torchlight. The full impact of what I was seeing hit me. There the striped beast stood, opening its jaws. My mind was a complete blank. What should I do? A tiger! I recoiled back in fear. I could hear the faint movement of the tiger as it advanced towards me. My heart palpitated. I knew I had to act fast. But my mind was just a blank.The tiger's breathing became more and more distinct, telling me that it was getting nearer.
Every nerve in my mind were screaming at me to run. RUN! These words kept flashing in my mind like a neon sign and without thinking, I took to my heels.I ran helter-skelter, no holds barred. I could imagine the tiger capturing me but I threw all these thoughts out of my mind and only concentrated on one thing- running! I ran as fast as my legs could carry me but they felt as heavy as lead. My lungs were burning, as if pleading me to stop but I forced myself to go on. Thick hanging branches lashed at me as I sped past them. I knew I would become dead meat if I stop running. At this moment, I was panting hard. "Ouch!" I screamed. The tiger pounced on me and I soon felt the tiger's teeth slashing through my legs but I ignored the excruciating pain and fought with all my might. The tiger held on to me. As I felt my last ounce of energy draining off me, I prayed hard that I would somehow survive this ordeal.
Almost instantly, a loud bang reverberated in the forest. I jumped. What happened? I turned back. The tiger, only an inch away from me, had collapsed beside me and laid in the growing pool of blood. "Are you alright, Lance?" A familiar voice spoke and I recognised it immediately. It was my instructor. Tears of joy and gratitude towards my instructor cascaded down my cheeks and I embraced him.
After relating the incident to my instructor, he reprimanded John and I and we were punished to sweep and clean our domitories in the forest.The harrowing incident was engraved in my mind forever and I could never forget day I was being hunted. Surprisingly, after that fateful day, John and I became the best of friends. I suppose that's a blessing in disguise.
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