Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction 2020complete | Page 410

Rosa nodded agreement. Felix’s crimson steeled vehicle, which was almost a ghost being sheltered by the dark,
hovered down another street and came to a stop in mid-air.
Felix pulled a grey cover over his car making it hidden from prying eyes. He walked down the slim alleyway
coming to a stop as he stepped on the entrance to an apartment. He peered through the scorched windows and
saw nothing. He bent down and reached with his dirty fingers under the doormat to get hold of a gold platted
key. Rosa watched with curiosity as he tried to pick the tiny lock on the door. An icy wind blew across the
alleyway hitting Rosa straight on the side making a frosty chill shudder up her spine. Felix pushed the ragged, old
door forward almost making it fall off its hinges, then he carefully walked through the doorway and into the dull
apartment. Rosa followed him, about two meters behind. When they realised there was no one else here Rosa
asked,
“Why do you think the aliens are here?”
Her question hanged in the air like cloudy mist. Felix didn’t answer, instead, he kept on eyeing the interior,
glancing at every turn and corner before stretching his leg out and continuing on. A faint glow emerged as they
turned their fifth corner, it was a universe-blue colour, like the subtle sweep of a painter’s brush. Its pure colour
was mirrored on the dim walls.
“What is this?” Rosa asked as she edged closer to the crystal in the clear, cylinder case, hanging on the wall.
“The answer to what you asked before”, replied Felix. His reply echoed in the room full of mysterious wonders.
Rosa gently touched the glass, gliding her hand across the fragile case, the atmosphere in the crystal felt cold to
the touch.
“So, this is what they are looking for.”, Rosa claimed, “No wonder. It’s so precious.” She whispered.
Her eyes would never leave the enclosed, dangling capsule.
A crack silenced Rosa and Felix. A whisper and stepping noises started to grow louder. Rosa whipped around,
catching her brown hair in her face and ducked behind a closet. She scavenged her belt, but no blaster was there,
she groaned with how stupid she had been. Felix, who was on the other side of the room, slid a gun towards her.
It was making its way across the floor when a green legged creature stomped on it. Not having quick reactions,
Rosa got kicked in the chin and blood poured from her mouth, her eyes went dark, she heard shouts and
blaster’s ringing off.
Her eyes flickered back to life as the alien kicked Felix in the shin which sent him wheeling back four paces.
Rosa crawled across the blunt floor and reached for the blaster, the green goopy creature swung his leg again at
Rosa, but she caught it with swift action and tugged it down to the floor. Rosa smacked the unusual creature
right in the face which made it blank out. Rosa looked over her shoulder at Felix who had just thrown a punch
in his enemy’s stomach. Rosa raised her blaster and shot at the crystal in the case. She kept shooting until the case
had cracked and the fragile crystal was accessible. She picked it up and slipped it in her pouch.
“We need to find somewhere to hide this crystal. Permanently.”
…
In the faraway distance, perched on top of rocky mountains levitated Felix’s hovercar, glimmering in the torching
sun, casting eye blinding light. Rosa and Felix overlooked the shimmering Tai Lam Chung crater lake. A broad
span of Tuscany-blue sky as if stroked on a painted canvas made the scenery appear like nature’s amphithetre.
At the crater lake’s edge, smooth-edged stones glowed grey with a witchery uncommon to the modern world.
They both stared at the wonder in silence. All you could hear was deep breaths Rosa was taking in of the fresh
atmosphere and slowly letting the air escape her lungs.