Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction 12 | Page 360

A Cold Experience
Po Leung Kuk Choi Kai Yau School, Shing, Megan – 12
I
opened my eyes. Where was I? Where was this place? Light shone through the roof that sheltered me. I heard
voices... and noises outside. This was not the place where I went into slumber, not the place that I know of. I
gathered myself, then looked at my surroundings. This was a wooden house. Where was I? A piece of cloth on the
wall caught my eye. “Grand City of Shanghai?” I must be in Shanghai! I opened the closet, taking some stale
smelling clothes out of it. I put them on, and headed outside.
The busy streets surprised me. I’m Aaron Graham, a boy from the 21 st century. It should be around 1842 in
Shanghai, according to my last history lesson. There were people selling all kinds of items on the street. There was
a piece of worn paper on the dirt floor. I picked it up. It must be the map of the current Shanghai! It was strange,
and like a circle. I spotted the different gates of the city. BOOM! I heard the sound of something exploding near
me. I rushed to the spot and spotted all the commotion. One of the trader’s carts had blown up, and was burning.
Then, there were yells. People were pointing at me, yelling something in their own language. Two men grabbed
me and put my hands together at my back. “Stop! I mean no harm!” I yelled. They must think I’m British, I am
from Britain after all. I struggled desperately, like a caterpillar trying to crawl out of its cocoon. The men’s grips
were like vices, and I failed to escape.
The men brought me into a small cell. The walls were made from dried mud. There were huge booms and
bangs I heard from outside. The Opium war must still be raging. A herd of men rushed passed like bullets, raging
into the war ground below. Was this prison located near a battleground? More sounds came from outside. I
looked at the map of the place still rolled up in my fist. I should be around the east gate. I reached outside my
prison cell, and felt a wooden box. Rifles! I should be able to get back to where I came from, with something like
a rifle hopefully to defend myself.
I shook the old rusty bars of the prison cell, and they creaked and fell down. Not the best prison to keep a
person contained. I quickly slipped out, then ran as fast as I could, towards the gate. I heard the local people yelling.
They must have seen me! I run like I’ve never ran in my life. My heart was racing. Blood was roaring in my
eardrums. I couldn’t feel my legs. I rushed through the gate, and turned around, looking for the people following
me. Bad choice. I saw a rifle pointed my way, then for a moment, I saw a bullet headed my way.
Cold pain rushed through my head. Everything was blank.
My heart racing, I opened my eyes as a last effort and saw the blue ceiling of my room, my heart still racing.