Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction 2020 | Page 99

Hong Kong Young Writers Awards 2020
‘Who are you?’ It was a simple question, yet it felt like an accusation. His eyes found a
squat, frail, old woman whose bones looked like they wouldn’t withstand a strong wind, but
he had a hunch she was probably stronger than himself.
‘I’m, um… I’m Aiden. Sorry, I’m not from here… Do you know where the closest
Hyperloop station is?’ He started, hesitant to meet her eyes.
She glared at him for the better half of a minute. If looks could kill, he’d be dead by now.
He started to leave, but the sharpness of her voice caught him off guard.
‘Wait.’
The tension in the air was tangible, as all the residents of the area watched their exchange.
‘Come in.’
***
‘How did you find this place?’ Her voice was soft despite the weight the sentence
seemed to carry.
‘I’m here for an internship and it’s my first day, and the train sort of broke down and I
got lost. I came here by accident, I guess.’
She stayed silent. He took the opportunity to gaze around the house, which solely
consisted of one dimly-lit room with a thin mattress good for two pushed against the wall,
piles of worn-out clothes in every corner, and empty food cans overflowing from a tattered
plastic bag. Several photos of a woman, a man, and two children, all with smiling faces,
stood out against the sooty wall. Three rusted metal buckets guarded the back entrance,
next to a grimy stove and a broken fridge with its door removed to reveal plates, cleaning
supplies, and more non-perishable food.
‘So are you saying you won the Lottery? You’re from the villages, aren’t you? And
you’re now staying in the Warzone, right?’
‘“Warzone?”’ He sputtered.
‘Oh, that’s what we call the Hub,’ the woman deadpanned. ‘Because us marginalized
people have to fight for our rights there. It gets bloody sometimes.’ This place was full
of some nasty surprises, and it wasn’t exactly belly of the beast. I cocked an eyebrow -
‘Marginalized? What happened to you?’ I probed. ‘It wasn’t actually bloody, but it might
as well have been.’ She said with a nonchalant shrug. ‘This whole society is dog eats dog.
People would step on each other to become the best employee, to have the best image, to
look the best in the government’s eyes. If you lag behind, or if you’re consistently at the
bottom, they move you to the outskirts — if they can’t use you, they’ll dispose of you.
They keep it a secret, though. They simply say you’ve gone to live with relatives abroad,
or went on vacation but never came back, or quit your job for personal reasons. It makes
no sense to me. Unlike the majority, I happen to have morals and I refuse to put others
down for some petty number on my scoreboard. All of us here were either kicked out or
left voluntarily.’
When he didn’t reply, she gave him a pointed look. ‘Think about it. Do you still want
to go back? I know what it’s like growing up in the villages, I was exactly like you once.
If you choose to work in the Hub, I’ll lead you back to the station. I won’t judge you, but I
can’t agree with the path before you. But it’s a decision you must make yourself.’
‘Well, what else is there left to do?’ His voice rising with panic and confusion. His
head swirled with emotion. He was desperate to give his mom a chance to live rather than
survive; he was mourning the end of his newfound idyllic life, even if it was a lie too good
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