Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction 12 | Page 189

The Time Lift
Good Hope Primary School cum Kindergarten, Cheung, Si Ya Elinor - 10
L
ike an Art Deco rocket ship arising from the impassioned waters of the Huangpu River, the Cathay Hotel of
the 1930s was a powerful symbol of thrusting Shanghai society.’ (1) I was flipping through a book about
Fairmont Peace Hotel, which was called the Cathay Hotel in the 1930s. I was very fascinated by the old Shanghai,
a style showing East meets West, modern and ancient. After weeks of persuades and reasoning, I finally got my
parents to take me to Shanghai. On Lunar New Year’s Eve, we set off to Shanghai.
While my parents were checking in at the reception, I looked around the glamorous and mysterious Peace Hotel.
I was very excited to see how the Ballroom restored as it was Shanghai’s most famous ballroom back in the old
days. I went straight into the lift and pressed the eighth floor where the Ballroom was.
To my horror, the lift went up very fast. It was like going through a vacuum cleaner. I heard the air whooshing
past my ears.
‘Oh no! I got stuck in the lift!’, I thought. I raised my hand to press the lift door open. To my utter astonishment,
I saw that I had a different sleeve on. I looked down and found that I was wearing a nice costume in Qing Dynasty.
How strange! Finally, the lift stopped moving and the door opened. I stepped out from the lift and I found myself
stepping out from a traditional Chinese arch entrance. I looked back… the lift had vanished.
‘Am I dreaming? Where am I now?’ I thought I’d better get back to mum and dad.
The lane I was walking was so dark and dingy.
BANG!!!
A boy was running like a rocket. Behind him was a gang of youths chasing him. I wasn’t sure why but I grabbed
him into the lane I was standing. The gang ran straight. He was avoided being caught.
‘Thank you so much for saving me!’ he exclaimed.
‘Who are the people that chased you just now? Why did they chase you?’ I asked him.
‘They are one of the many gangsters. They chase children and snatch their money.’ he said. Then, he looked at me
closely. ‘Wait… don’t you live in Shanghai? Surely you know all about these already?’
I quickly changed the subject to avoid him getting suspicious of me, asking him what his name was. He said he
was Ching. I told him I was called Si Ya.
‘Why is this lane so dark and dingy?' I asked him. ‘Why are your questions so weird? Anyway, this lane is built in
shhh...' he lowered his voice, 'Ming Dynasty ... We can't talk about it now. The city was built 500 years from
now.’ I did a quick calculation in my mind and I suspected I must be in the 1600th century! My curiosity drove
me eagerly to look around this ancient Shanghai.
‘Um...’ I quickly thought of a story. ‘I just sneaked out of home, and my parents don't allow me to go outside.
Besides, I rarely came this side of the city, so can you please take me to a famous landmark nearby?’ I requested.
‘Sure!’ he answered.