Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction 3 2018 | Page 136

New Journey to the West
HKUGA College, Chan, Tze Kwan Macus - 13
I
found myself trapped at a dead end. The siren kept howling ominously. Barely holding my breath, I
couldn’t help but quiver like a rabbit under the shadow of its nemesis. Numerous flashlights and pistols
scanned around, and missed me by inches, and halted.
“Target not found. Team Alpha, proceed to Cameron Road.”
“Copy that.”
In what seemed like ages, I watched as the footstep and the flashlight faltered.
“What have I done, what have I done!”, I contemplated at the 5k diamond I had stolen, sitting right at my
palms. I cannot go back home. I have no friends. My heart crumpled like the remaining cash concealed in
my pocket. And so I ran, away from those towering giants looming around me.
Inside the labyrinth, I could only hear the roar of cars and the squeaking sound of rats scuttling around the
rubbish bags, where I was hiding. My throat was burning. Sweating wouldn’t help it. It was an endless
journey which… Led me to oblivion, to nothingness. But what could I do?
I kept on trudging through alleyways between buildings. I kept on trudging while the homeless slept. I kept
on trudging till something suddenly caught my eyes, like a mist swirling in front of me.
“Are you lost in your life? Are you in despair of what to do next?” The mist said.
“Yes,” I muttered, reaching out my hand.
“Do you want to assist me in my quest to the West?”
“Yes,” I replied without considering and then everything blurred.
Slowly opening my eyes, I barely saw anything as my eyes were adapting to the daylight. But I felt refreshed.
I felt energy recovering. I cannot tell. “Are there twenty eyes? Or thirty?” I only knew that my cheeks were
burning hot facing all these curious stares. “Are you the one? Are you the one with the greatest desire to
change?” One doubted. Meanwhile, a million questions popped up at once in my head, “Where am I now?
Why are they all dressed up like monks?”
“Why are you treating me like that? I deserve to go to hell.”
“We forgive anyone who is willing to make up for their sins.” An old monk solemnly replied. Sitting on the
mat calmly, he slowly opened his eyes, “What’s your name?”
“John,” I replied.
“You promised that you would help me finish the quest.”
“What quest?”
“We will finish a quest to walk from here to the Himalayas, in order to discover the greatest treasure.”
“Where is ‘Here’? “
“This is a very remote place in Bao An.”