Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction 2020 | Page 93

Hong Kong Young Writers Awards 2020
I am glad to be free, and take a deep breath, savouring the outside air. I look back and see
that I have escaped from a grand residential building with a modern, unique design, located
near the centre of the city. I circle around it, and with sudden alarm, I see over a dozen
humans pouring out of the entrance, shouting unknown words, and pointing everywhere.
I fly upwards, towards a sheet of white clouds, hoping to get far away from those people.
As the beating of my wings becomes a consistent rhythmic pattern, I wonder when I can
head back without being hunted. I decide that it is better to be safe than sorry; I will live
somewhere else for now until I think it is safe to return. I glide down from the clouds, and see
that I am already far, far away from my previous prison. Hundreds of metres below me, I spot
a train, moving at a high speed, heading out of Shenzhen. I recognise it as one travelling the
Guangzhou - Shenzhen - Hong Kong Express Rail Link. I have decided. I will follow this
train, and I will see where this brings me.
The train travels very quickly, and I have to fly quickly to keep up with it. Thankfully,
the journey was not that long, and less than half an hour later, the train has reached the
West Kowloon terminus in Hong Kong. I have heard a lot about this city, but I have never
been here. I am in awe. This city has a shocking resemblance to Shenzhen, with modern
architecture and bustling streets, but also contains colossal mountains, massive country
parks, and carefully preserved historical sites. Not far from me, a gigantic skyscraper reaches
up towards the sky, it’s cuboid structure towering over me as I glide away from the railway.
I decide to head towards Central, a flourishing business district right next to Victoria
Harbour, which separates Hong Kong Island and Kowloon. As I fly across Victoria Harbour,
I see several green and white ferries cruising slowly across, each and every one packed full
of delighted passengers enjoying the view. Ahead of me, another imposing skyscraper looms
over its surroundings, facing off against the previous skyscraper, two giant sentinels standing
at attention over the cityscape. As I finally reach the other end of the harbour, I pass by a line
of piers, each sending ships off towards various destinations on outlying islands. What better
way to get used to my new home than visiting one of its most popular tourist areas? Flying
into the sea of skyscrapers that is the Central area, I am surrounded by countless shops selling
various merchandise from high end fashion companies, arranged in several shopping malls
that sit below numerous offices. Hundreds of people walk the streets below me, with taxis,
minibuses, buses, trams and other vehicles roaming the roads. Far above me, the rumble of an
aeroplane’s engines thunders through the air as the immense machine roars through the sky.
This feels just like home, maybe even busier, I thought. A Eurasian tree sparrow flits across
to me, and asks me if I’m new here. I nod, and he chirps: “I figured, you got that astounded
look on your face, many visitors are like that. This place has seen great economic prosperity
for recent years. How about I bring you somewhere that has great food for you to try?”.
I remember I haven’t eaten since yesterday, when I was living in the human’s residence, and
I reply: “Of course, that would be great, I’m starving!”
The sparrow leads the way, navigating his way through the streets with ease, expertly
avoiding electric cables and skimming through narrow alleys, until we finally reach a narrow
street with several food stalls arranged along it. A couple dozen people are sitting on worn
out wooden stools, around small round tables, with bowls of steaming hot congee, small
plates of noodles and rice noodle rolls. My companion speeds forward past the first five stalls,
and finally stops and hovers in the air as he reaches the sixth and last stall. I am surprised, as
he seems to not be worried about humans at all; Perhaps it was just my previous experience
that made me feel that humans could not be trusted. Nonetheless, I head forward, and join
him, hovering outside the opening of the restaurant. He points with his wing and announces:
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