Monkey King : Hero is Back 2.0
Harrow International School Hong Kong , Suen , Gwyneth - 10
“ Y es ! Go , Monkey King ! Kill Darth Vader ! Go ! ... NO !"
I exclaimed in disbelief at my PS4 video game result . I sighed , falling back onto my chair . My Monkey King would NEVER defeat Darth Vader . I spent Sunday morning knocking out Miss Trunchbull and Lord Voldemort , but my Monkey King could not smash Darth Vader to his end . My game was over . Hopeless .
" Henry ! Have you done your homework ? Video games are rotting your brain ! STOP NOW ! Don ’ t be horrid , Henry !" Mum shouted . I groaned . Homework again !
And yes , I am Horrid Henry .
Suddenly , a harsh , hot wind blew against my head . I felt a strong irresistible force pulling me into the TV screen . I screamed . I heard a whirring sound . Was I falling into a hole with no gravity ? Scared , I struggled to open my eyes . What was around me were hundreds of bookshelves stacked onto each other , against a wall stretching down into an unfathomable darkness .
I hit the concrete ground with a loud thud .
***
Glancing around , I saw a hot fierce sun under a dreamy blue sky with cotton-candy clouds drifting across the horizon . Stretching far into the distance were four yellow cliffs . I was standing in the centre of a cross .
Suddenly I became aware of something I had not noticed before . I had hairy brown arms . I had a golden headband . I was holding a golden rod . I gasped in horror . I turned into Monkey King !
A girl in blue and white gingham dress was walking towards me . Dorothy Gale ? From the Wonderful Wizard Of Oz ?
" Who are you ? What are you doing here ? And … where am I ?" Dorothy yelled .
I heard myself telling her in an unfamiliar monkey voice , " I am going on a quest to find the Buddhist Scriptures . I lost sight of my friends , Xuanzang , Pigsy and Sandy . Join me , Dorothy ! We should embark on this adventure together .” I heard myself begging .
Dorothy looked hesitant . " Wait a minute . Aren ' t you Monkey King ?” Dorothy interrogated me displeasingly . “ Didn ' t you always perceive girls as nothing but flesh-eating demons ?”
“ But we are now in the centre of a cross , Dorothy ! We have to help each other through this . Listen ! Each side of this cross will lead to a yellow cliff that gets narrower as we walk further . At the narrowest point of each cliff , there will be a treasure chest . Only one of them contains the Buddhist Scriptures ."
Dorothy looked confused . I heard myself explaining , “ Imagine the cross as a compass , separating the Upper World from the Lower World . The Upper World , where we are now , are the four lines on the compass pointing North , East , South , and West . The Lower World is where ordinary people usually live , below the yellow cliffs . We have to find the great and powerful Scriptures together !”
“ Ok … I will help you . Scarecrow , Tin Man , and Lion have gone missing . Perhaps the Buddhist Scriptures can tell me how I can return home …" Dorothy sighed .
***