Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction 12 | Page 269

James hurried down the hallway to tell others to wake up to flee the big fire which was becoming
warmer and warmer. Doors popped open on the left and right.
But James noticed the beautifully patterned door for Room 304 remained shut with a “Do Not Disturb”
sign hanging on the door knob. James pounded on the door but still the door remained closed.
James gathered
his strength and kicked the door in like a karate champion, and found a middle aged man lying on the floor
gasping for air.
James tugged the man to the door, down the hall and down the stairs until they reached the street where
they both collapsed.
After a few minutes James sat up and pulled up the man who was still gasping for air.
The man was mouthing the words “Thank you (gasp)! Thank you!” but no words came out. Finally, the man
reached into his front pocket and passed him a business card:
Albert Einstein
Kaiser Wilhelm Institute
Berlin, Germany
As James reached across to accept the business card he saw his watch was about to turn 7:15AM. James
needed to be back at the magical revolving door in the Cathay Hotel before 7:30AM or else he would be stuck in
old Shanghai forever. Before the old man had even finished, James took his card and started running towards the
bridge over the Wusong River.
Dodging the early morning traffic and tourists he sprinted along the Bund towards the Cathay Hotel.
He jumped over a young man taking photos of the river and narrowly avoided crashing into a vendor selling
dumplings and sweet steamed buns.
Breathlessly, he ran into the magical revolving doors of the Cathay Hotel at 7:29AM. James looked
behind him and he saw a puff of smoke and the magical revolving doors of the Cathay Hotel disappearing… and
the walls of the wardrobe reappearing.
As James stumbled out of the wardrobe he couldn’t help but to notice the skin on his hand had become
wrinkled once again. Just then, the owner of the antique shop approached and James said he would buy it. As
James reached into his trouser pocket for his wallet he felt the sharp edges of two small cards. Out from his
pocket James pulled a strange old business card, and a postcard of 1920’s Shanghai.
*** The End ***