Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction 3 2018 | Page 137

I was tongue- tied. I was utterly confused about whether they were on an expedition, monks, or just
buffoons with delusions. That whole idea of walking to Himalayas was just insane, but what else could I do?
“These two men and I will assist your journey. Let me introduce ourselves. I am Xuzu, he is Duan Yu, and
the latter is Qiao Feng,” He continued.
“Then… How are we going to start?” I shrugged my shoulder, and laughed.
“First, we paddle a boat to the origin of Zu Jiang (River),” He led us to the coast, where there is a small
boat and bags of items.
I didn’t think twice before boarding, “I can escape from here!”
Within hours of my expedition, I immediately regretted it. My hands were sore, sweating wouldn’t help
relieve it. And my companions seemed enthusiastic, humming songs as we rode.
In what seemed like ages, I finally caught sight of an island standing on the ocean. I was same as the island,
lonely in the currents, I thought.
“Let’s stop there to rest!” Duan Yu yelled.
We walked leisurely along the shore, enjoying the tranquil moment in the night. Then, thousands of black
dots arose from the silky sand. Petite tortoise! Were they waddling to the shore? Why were they doing that?
The predators and dangerous waves were killing them.
My heart ached as I peeked at them. Some being taken by hawks, some being washed away instantly when
it touched the water, some even couldn’t manage to make their way through! But I was certain that all had
attempted to face their fears.
“But why can’t I? Why am I so afraid of my life?” My brain was in turmoil, with thousands of opposing
thoughts rising up at the same time. The only thing that I was certain about was that this journey would
give me some answers.
My journey continued for weeks, and we all soon became good friends. We chatted together. We foraged
food together. We lived together in tents. Meanwhile, as the journey continued, I felt that the air was
getting thinner and thinner. I knew that we were approaching the Himalayas.
Then a resort appeared in front of us. My companions immediately sat down and meditated, mumbling
curses and passages that I couldn’t understand. “Why are they doing that? Why can’t we get inside and relax
for a bit?” And the more I thought about it, the more my heart urged me to go inside. I could hear the
water splashing sound of the swimming pool and feel the warm air steaming out from the room.
“Welcome! Why don’t you get in and have some fun?” An angel like voice said from nowhere. I just
couldn’t resist it. Thus my footstep accelerated to the doorstep of the resort. However, I stopped. I was not
there to enjoy. I was there to finish the quest. Struggling to turn back, my companion’s face caught my eyes.
For the first time, I could see their satisfied face because of me, and this brought me a sense of pride.
After months and months, we reached the summit of the Himalayas. A sense of serenity swept towards me as
I heaved a sigh of relief. I felt a new hope igniting in my heart, even while the howling wind brought us
bittering cold. Thoughts ran around like wild horses, filled with the dreams that had once been burned to
ash. And a voice rang clearly inside my ears.