Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction 3 2018 | Page 209

Journey to the West
Po Leung Kuk Choi Kai Yau, Mak, Anson - 13
T
he blustery winter air and pattering rain could be heard inside Alona’s small apartment. Her hands
reached the window, feeling its smooth surface, before turning around to face her grandmother.
‘Come on, abuelita. Can’t we play Monsters again?’
Her grandmother Esme smiled warily, holding tight to the arms of her rocking chair. ‘No, nieta. Estoy
cansado. Why not play by yourself?’
Alona sat beside the rocking chair. ‘I’m bored. Can you tell a story, perhaps?’
Esme nodded. Alona loved her grandmother’s stories.
‘This story isn’t about you, isn’t it?’ Alona said hopefully.
Her grandma hesitated, staring into the distance, before replying, ’No. Of course not.’
She took a deep breath. ‘There was this girl… She wasn’t a good child. She was too imaginative, too wild.
She saw things nobody could see - mystical animals, mysterious creatures... She came from a wealthy
family, however. Which was how she was led to her great adventure to the West...
‘She was on holiday in the Gobi Desert. A place filled up with sand, you see -’
‘Yes, I know, my teacher told me.’ Alona said, irritated.
‘Don’t disturb me. Now, in Gobi desert...’
‘The girl met two kids there... Altani and Arik. Two kids, no older than the girl herself. She met them by
accident. But if she never met them... things would’ve changed completely.’
‘What happened?’ Alona asked.
Esme sighed.’ Go to sleep. It’s a story for another day.’ She waved her hand dismissively.
As Alona drifted to sleep that night, she could hear voices.
‘Wait!’ She could hear a boy’s voice, raspy and urgent. He was running towards her in full speed, as if he
was trying to stop her.
‘Why are you going so fast?’ He asked, panting. He grabbed her arm. She could feel something weird about
his touch, like there was energy inside his fingers.
Alona spoke, but it wasn’t her voice. It was deeper and she sounded older. ‘I don’t know. There’s
something out there... waiting for me. I can feel it.’
The boy turned around and glanced worriedly at another girl. They looked alike. Probably siblings.
‘Esmeralda... you do know that you’re crossing the same path Xuanzang had many years ago?’ The girl said
cautiously.
Alona- no, Esmeralda, nodded. She walked down the path of endless sand dunes. Why? Well... she wasn’t
certain. But she knew there was something somewhere, waiting in the sands of the Gobi desert.
Closer. She was getting closer. Invisible forces were pulling her, dragging her, making her go farther and
farther. She couldn’t feel her swollen feet. She couldn’t feel the strong breezes against her cheeks, as if
warning her not to come. She could feel herself burning up, though, and she halted to a stop.
‘Esme!’ The girl exclaimed, a mix between shock and confusion. By now, she knew she was there. As she
took a deep breath, Esmeralda struck the sandy ground with her hands. A burst of power exploded within
her, forming a sinkhole on the floor. A scroll popped out in the same time, landing right into Esme’s hands.
‘It’s the...’ The boy clamped his mouth, eyes widening. ‘She’s the... but she’s just a child...’
Esme snapped out of her trance. She gasped for breath, grabbing the air, like she was finding something to
support her.
‘Stop!’ A man’s voice. Esme could see his cloaked figure advancing. He seemed to appear out of nowhere,
and judged by the tone of his voice, Esme knew he wanted something from her.
‘My children... done a good job, finally.’ The man laughed, showing his uneven tarnished teeth. ‘Altani, go
get her.’
The girl slowly stepped towards Esme, looking ashamed. She went to grab Esme, but she had regained
energy. She immediately leaped up, backing away.
‘So you lied?’ Esmeralda demanded.
‘Arik...’ The man’s tone was dangerously soft, warning Esme. The boy marched over to Esme, and Esme
took a brief look at the dirty scroll in her hands. She thought of the tales about the journey to the West...