Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction 1-2 | Page 41

All for Nothing
Shanghai Community International School, Sanchez Liang, Jorge - 8
R
owen was the chosen one. He needed to get the peacemaker, the magical object that could stop
all war. Rowen ran up the wet stairs, got his stuff and ran away. He remembered his mom passed
just after she had told Rowen to get the amulet for any adventure. His mom had told him the
amulet was in the pyramids of Giza.
Eventually, he got to the pyramids. He entered the biggest one. In it there was only a door.
Rowen entered the door, and a wall of spikes shot down! Rowen stayed there but nothing happened. He
looked up and saw a long hair, brown skinned, strong man. The man helped Rowen up and told him to
take the amulet quickly. Rowen took the amulet and they got out.
Rowen asked, “What is your name?”
“Husani. It means handsome. I’ve been waiting for you.”
Rowen shook the amulet; it pointed north, so they went north.
“Husani,” said Rowen, “do you have any other power other than being handsome?”
“Yes. I produce water in the desert to help people live,” said Husani.
“Good. That might help.”
Suddenly a peculiar noise struck them; it was a sand demon.
Rowen threw the amulet at the demon, and when he bent down to get it, Rowen jumped on him
and pulled his neck up. Husani shot a torrent of water and liquefied him.
A creature appeared and said, “I’m a sphinx. You need to guess the riddle. Get it right, pass. Get it
wrong, fight. Let’s start. What has cities, but no houses, forests, but no trees, and water, but no fish?”
Rowen held down the record button on his spy pen. Then the spy pen displayed a small screen. It
had a picture that looked like a map. So then Rowen told the sphinx the answer was a map. The sphinx
said, “Correct. As a reward I will give you a map that will show you how to find the peacemaker. You may
pass.”
On the map was written, “Seek Gongoyen in the Jade bar. Travel north.”
So they went north and followed the map until they saw the Jade bar. They strode closer. The bar was filled
with chattering. Rowen said, “Gongoyen”. Afterward the server gave him a riddle: how many times is it
possible to subtract 5 from 25. Husani counted 25-5=20 but then he realized when you subtract 5 from 25
its not 25 anymore. So the server led them to a room that had an echoing box.
Rowen knew someone had to sacrifice himself and put his heart in the box then the back door
should open. Husani said, “It has to be me. I want to be the superman.” Husani grabbed a knife and cut
himself open. Rowen did it. He grabbed Husani’s heart and put it in the box. Then the back door opened.
Rowen went out sobbing, there was the peacemaker.
Rowen ran up and touched it, but why hadn’t war stopped...