Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction 3 2018 | Page 350

Detonation
St. Paul's Convent School (Secondary Section), Chan, Kwan Yin Cheryl - 14
‘L
ook! It's Theodore again, all alone by himself! No friends, no happiness. That's the consequences
of being selfish!’
Yes, this is me, Theodore. Not only was I selfish, I was also proud of myself, a bit too proud, that made me
feel vain. And this, was why I never got out here.
Last year, I was still in Bridgestone University, studying for my Bachelor of Science. I was notorious for
being selfish, as I never share nor do I lend a helping hand. I believed that success could be attained without
anyone’s help, too. I was self-centred and therefore. Nobody got along with me. So what? I thought. I
never knew I was wrong, till I was being proved to it.
Few months ago, I was reading the famous novel ‘New Journeys to the West’ in the library of Bridgeston
University when I received an unexpected mission.
It was an ‘ordinary’ day. I marched into the library and snatched a book from the shelves. People were
chattering, more of like throwing words about my hideous look, my actions, and even my presence. So
what? I thought. I will eventually probe them right. Soon, they will understand friends are useless, help is
worthless, oneself is in fact the only reliable thing. With a flip, and a flap, I opened up the book entitled
‘New Journeys to the West’ to a random page and…wait, is this page shining? I wondered. Stop fooling
yourself! You must be dreaming! Why would the page be luminous? But to my surprise, it was not
imagination. On that page we're words like: here comes a mission, to you for completion. Yes you are
chosen, among the most of trillions. Upon reading, I jumped up, overwhelmed, I rushed out of the library,
and following the instructions written on he luminous page, I arrived home and packed my necessities. The
safe which I put my valuables in was screwed to the wall, and it turned out to be a tunnel by the moment I
‘unlocked’ it. I stretched in my leg into the tunnel and, wow I didn't know the safe is this big, I wondered.
Then suddenly, with s swirl and a twirl, the greenish-purple colour of the tunnel was he only thing I caught
before I..collapsed.
Where am I? I wondered agitatedly. ‘Hello? Is anybody here? I cried out. By the next second I was horrified
to death by the lurid appearance of a slimy slippery creature in green, around the height of a stool, with
twinkling eyes, and a pair of thick red lips. ‘Hello! This is the West. Call me Slimy. I am the ambassador to
your mission. You are the chosen one, and please listen to my instructions.’ It then continued its words in a
rhyming pattern, one very similar to those on the lustrous page. It mentioned something like I had to solve
a riddle on World History with only one chance and get back the ‘Book of History’, which was kept by the
malicious artificial intelligence now. First I had to arrive at the wooden house on time, then I had to retrieve
the Book, and I would then be able to find a tunnel in the house and return to reality. However, if I failed
to reach the house on time, not only would the history of the entire universe be erased, as the Book would
be destroyed by the robot, I would also be stuck here forever, as there would not be such thing as the ‘real
world’ anymore. ‘Enough for the lecturing. Shouldn't I be going?’ I asked annoyedly. It continued, ‘Last
paramount thing, stay on the rocky path in the whole time of travel. Only the rocky path can bring you…’
‘What? Do you think I am an ignoramus? Man, I'm definitely not going to stay on the rocky path!’ ‘That's
my best advice, and instructions too. However, since you are this rude, I should get going too.’ It wandered
off, not even turning its head. Fine! Nobody needs help! Success is to be attained by oneself, help is nothing
but futile!’ I reassured myself. Then instantaneously, I started off my journey for the challenge.
All alone I was given solely one path, the rocky one, which nearby tripped my over for multiple times. My
knee was painful, my ankle was severely bruised, and my shoes were about to be torn apart. I conjectured
about smooth paths of clear concrete. And just by the next second came an indelible scene. The stony path
of hell was split into half, one remained gravelly, while the other was unwrinkled and glossy. ‘Oh my! I