Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction 12 | Page 212

As Lin looked into the distance, she took something out of her pocket. It was the thin, delicate business card Charles
gave her and she held it up to the moonlight.
Escape From The Tanks
Harrow International School Hong Kong, Li, Jaimee – 9
M
eila and her family had a normal ordinary life until the Japanese took over her home- town , Shanghai.
Everyday, she woke up at the crack of dawn and did her chores: milking the cows and feeding the hens.
Meila’s father and mother were farmers and her older brothers were helping out in the farm. She was happy and
content with her farm life. Like every poor family, Meila did not go to school or have fun. She spent her days in
the farm helping out and trying to make money for her family.
The jobs were hard, but everything has a reward, Meila learned. She spent each day working hard and at the end
of the day, she could play dress-up with her mother’s clothes and jewelry, which was not much. The only one
thing she did learn was art, and that was inspired her love fashion. Everyday, her mother taught her some skills and
Meila got better each day. Meila’s mother was a tiny and frail woman but had a huge heart, she always reserved
some time for Meila as she was the apple of her eye.
Things began to turn chaotic. Rumors had it, that the Japanese were going to attack soon, and it was true. The
next day, Japanese admirals came to their cozy and humble hut. They dragged Meila’s father and brothers out.
They were about to shoot them but, in the nick of time, Meila jumped between them and cried out, “Stop! Don’t’
kill them.” Take them to camp Torture if you want!” The admirals stopped, clearly they felt sorry for her. “Who
do you think you are? We are telling you, they will be tortured mercilessly.” Meila nodded. She was petrified.
She ran back into the hut and told her mother everything that had happened. On hearing that, her mother fell
onto the ground. Soon Meila and her mother were crying.
As the days passed, Meila’s mother got weaker and weaker. Finally, she died with a broken heart. Meila was
devastated. Her first thought was “Leave, you still have time.” So, she packed her mother’s jewels, some food and
off she went. She got as far as the Bund, and stopped, the Bund was packed with army tanks and thousands of
soldiers. There was no earthly chance of survival. Meila had no choice but to agree to go to Camp Torture,
known for its inhumane ways of torturing prisoners.
An enormous, hulk-like official flung her to the ground said in a nasty voice, ”Ha! Let’s get you packed ready to
go to Camp Torture, trust me, this is the last time you will be outdoors.” When they arrived at Camp Torture, the
burly guards wore the same cruel and harsh expressions. The camp itself was barren and desolate, Even the rooms
were enough to spoil eyesight.
Meila was given a small clingy room which she shared with two pregnant women. Meila wondered if her father
and brothers were at this camp.but, there was no time for thinking.
Everyday was a drag like the day before. Meila’s daily routine was torture. First, she would get beaten even if she
moved and second, the food she was given was just a dry piece of potato and a piece of stale bread. Everyday she
did laundry and the only fund at camp was “Let out”. “Let out” was a day when she could leave Camp Torture to
do buy food for the Japenese soldiers. There was always a group of guards surrounding the prisoners, allowing
them no freedom nor privacy. Life at Camp Torture was hard and sorrowful. Everyday a batch of prisoners would
get shot or starved.
Meila suddenly got a bright idea! She secretly recruited every single one of the prisoners and together they came
up with a plan to save themselves.(Escape from Camp Torture.) They saved up every single meal and soon they