The Phoenix
Po Leung Kuk Choi Kai Yau School , Chan , Winnie – 11
T hunder rumbled . The navy blue sky of Old Shanghai was covered in dull , grey clouds . Thunder can be heard from kilometres away . Everyone locked their small huts hut , in case any rain seeped through any cracks in the door . Every single living creature , including birds , stray dogs and even insects all tried to avoid the ghastly storm . But not everyone was safe .
A phoenix , blazing red and orange and yellow colours , could be seen rummaging through the howling wind and rain as it flapped her wings as steadily as possible in order to maintain balance . However , as it tried to dodge a swift motion of a lightning bolt , the magnificent creature tumbled onto the ground . As the rain kept hurting the fire bird deliberately , the phoenix cried in pain as parts of his life was gradually being drained out of it . For a split second , it closed its eyes and stopped moving . Abruptly , a shadowy figure towered over the dying phoenix and opened his damaged umbrella over her . Although there were several holes in the umbrella ’ s fabric , the umbrella was durable enough to clock the rain from killing the phoenix . The flaming bird slowly opened its fiery eyes and looked at the man . The phoenix nodded at him , and flew away immediately .
As the phoenix fluttered away , a few of its bright orange feathers were left behind , as they slowly glided onto the ground and merged into a piece of paper . The man hesitated slightly , but eventually picked up the note . As he read it upon closer inspection , he read out the words . “ I will come back many years later to grant your family good luck ,” he mumbled , “ as I owe you a favour for helping me . However , you must have the same kind heart and act the same as you do now , or else …” the rest of the note was scribbled and rubbed out as if somebody didn ’ t want the reader to figure out what the note had said . The man shrugged , as he didn ’ t think much of it . He dropped the note on the floor , where he picked up it up from originally and ran back home , for the rain was starting to pour even harder .
When the sky cleared up the next morning , the phoenix flew away from the cave she was hiding in to avoid the storm and soared through the clear clouds that were forming lines to welcome the elegant creature . The phoenix towered over the fishing docks , boats , tiny houses and a few large towers of Old Shanghai proudly as if she owned the place . Men gripped tightly onto their hats while they looked away from their newspaper and glanced up at the soaring phoenix . Women closed their wooden umbrellas that were blocking the view and crossed their hips that were suited in their tight dresses as they scanned the sky to try and find a glowing , feathered creature . Some children dropped their wooden toys , some children , stopped digging tiny holes to plant seeds , and some children even got out of their small , wooden classrooms in order to witness this stunning phenomenon their parents kept gossiping about . Everybody in Old Shanghai was gathered together into groups in order to witness the phoenix ’ s beauty .
After a long day of flying around Old Shanghai and beaming in pride for living in such an imperial place , the phoenix went back to its cave and went into a deep slumber .
100 YEARS LATER
The phoenix opened her ruby eyes and looked up onto the rocky ceiling of her cave . She slowly got up and settled her eyes on the grey sky . The phoenix tilted her head in confusion . Normally , the phoenix would wake up on a warm summer afternoon and greeted by a flock of spotted turtle doves piloting in the brilliant orange sky . However , a grey , polluted sky could be seen that day .
Confused , the phoenix looked down from her cave in the mountains , and stared in mixed feelings . Her flaming tail stopped burning for a spilt second .
The phoenix got down onto a small hill from its cave to get a closer inspection and blinked several times to see if she was hallucinating … apparently not .
Instead of normally seeing tiny houses and a few large temples with people scurrying around them , the phoenix saw towering skyscrapers with pointed poles on the top . Instead of normally seeing fishing docks with