Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction 2020complete | Page 190

Future Adventures of the Greater Bay Area Welcome to a Whole
New World
PLK HKTA Yuen Yuen Primary School, Lam, Kiki Pui Kei – 10
“Yeah, I’ll come to your sleepover today! I’m...” I chatted with my friend, Emma. She was the first person I
met after we moved to Greater Bay Area last week. With Emma around, Greater Bay seemed do friendly
and warm. Once we said hello to our neighbors, this place felt like home.
Pretty soon, it was time to go. Mom brought me to Emma’s and said good-bye. Emma grinned at
me in front of her flat. “Wanna go to the park and play?” She said. I agreed enthusiastically, so we took a
bus to the park.
The park was huge. There were a dozen ponds and lakes and playgrounds and trees and a vast piece
of grassland.
We played hide-and-seek. I hurried away from the trees to hide in some bushes and waited
excitedly.
RUMBLE. A deafening sound hit my ears. The ground started shaking. I stood up--hide-andseek
forgotten--and crouched down again, to keep myself from falling.
I scrambled to hold on to some trees. The trees were trembling too, as though they knew what was
happening. Shrieks split the air. Then, as loud as explosions, the trees collapsed. Street lamps toppled. Bricks,
boards, windows, and who-knows-what tumbled from the buildings, only just missing me.
“Get to open area!” Emma shouted, her voice just audible above the noise.
Clouds of dust flew up in the air. I couldn’t see two metres in front of me. Uh oh. I could hear the
tinkling of glass showering the air. All I could do was to cover my head, and pray that nothing would smash
me to pieces.
The shaking seemed to last for ages. All around, I heard dreadful screams. I could already imagine
people getting squashed, dying.
The earth gave a shudder.
Finally, silence resumed. Dead silence.
I dared to open my eyes.
Wow. Under any other circumstances, this was cool. Everything was destroyed. Nothing had
survived the earthquake. Suddenly, as if on cue, the world exploded into its previous noise. Babies began
crying. Some people started screaming. Everyone seemed to be getting up and going somewhere.
“Em-ma?” I coughed, my voice hoarse.
I tried to stand. My legs were wobbly. With great effort, I stood up.
“Kiki?” My friend was walking towards me. “Are you okay?” She asked.
“No! I bruised three different places, and I think my finger’s grazed badly.” I sucked blood from
my wounded finger.
Emma looked amused. Then, she glanced around. “Look! The Plaza seems okay. Maybe they’re
handing out drinks or something. Let’s go look. Hong Kong folks are known to be nice.”
We headed to the mall. Fortunately, the people there were tending to injuries. It was crowded.
“Anyone hurt?” A woman in orange asked. I guessed she was part of the ambulance crew. “No?
Great. Even if there were, we’re much better prepared, since China had several earthquakes lately, and they
told us what to do.”
“Excuse me? Can anyone lend a phone? I need to call my mom.” A battered teenager called.
“Here.” A man handed it to him.
Nobody was caring about money now, I realized. The workers, receptionists at different stores
were giving out drinks, band-aids and candy like... candy.
“You got a phone?” I asked Emma.
Emma fished a pink i-phone from her pocket dialed her mom’s number. “She didn’t answer.” She
put it down disappointedly.
“Try my mom’s.” I suggested.
Minutes later, Emma shook her head.
“So, basically, no one knows where we are.” I said.
“Yeah.”
“Now what? We can’t live here.”
I turned to a police officer. “Excuse me, sir, are the roads be open for buses to run?”
“Nope. You can probably walk back home, if you live not far away. Sorry, little girl.”
“Thanks.”