Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction 3 2018 | Page 48

The Story of a Cold-Hearted Beast Lurking in the Mountains
German Swiss International School, Chang, Andrea - 14
T
he sound of howling filled Sun-Wu Kong’s ears as he trudged through the thick and heavy snow.
The trio and their master had expected a blizzard, but nothing as dangerous as this one – snow and
wind seemed to come at them from every angle, small chunks of sharp ice clinging to their fur or
skin. The harsh winds howled and whistled with each step, trying to knock them over relentlessly. Each
inch of the mountain they were climbing was covered in snow, so they had no sense of direction and could
only depend on their master, who led the way.
With each step, the monkey could feel the harsh cold bite on his fingertips and toes. He couldn’t even try to
spawn anything now – his fur was too brittle, and even icicles hung off them. All they could do now was
just walk.
Just when Sun-Wu Kong thought he was going to freeze to death, he bumped into Sha Wujing, who was
standing in front of him. “Hey, watch it!” The monkey grumbled angrily, shivering. Peering over the man’s
shoulder, he noticed a huge, gaping hole in front of them. The sides of the hole were jagged and rough, and
a steely, metallic scent rose from the center.
“Will this do as a temporary campsite, Sun-Wu Kong?” Xuanzang, their master, inquired. Wearing a weary
look on his face, Xuanzang added, “We should wait for this blizzard to pass. I don’t want to get lost.”
Closing his eyes, Sun-Wu Kong tried to sense demons in the crater. “All clear.” Bending down, the
monkey proceeded to slide down the slanted side of the hole, the friction warming his cold hands ever so
slightly. Landing at the bottom of the pit, he noticed that the only source of light was from the sky above
them and proceeded to use a strand of his fur to conjure a ball of fire. Looking left and right for demons, the
monkey confirmed that there were no enemies down in the cave.
As Sha Wujing and Zhu Bajie helped Xuanzang down into the cave, Sun-Wu Kong started to explore,
breathing in the musty air of the cave. Nobody had been in here for ages. Pressing a palm against the rough
walls, Sun-Wu Kong noticed that despite the warm head that came from the stick he held, it was still a lot
colder in here than outside, where the blizzard still raged and screeched.
Xuanzang stared at the strangely smooth walls, running a hand against the rocky surface. Upon contact,
strange markings suddenly appeared on the walls, glowing a bright, unnatural blue and illuminating the
entire cave. Gasping in shock, the trio and the master watched as the strange markings continued to glow
brighter and brighter.
“That’s… kind of beautiful.” Sha Wujing commented. As they looked around, Sun-Wu Kong felt
something beneath his feet. Some sort of rumbling. With each second passing, he felt the rumbling get
stronger and stronger, to the point where his bones felt like they were going to crumble.
“Guys, watch-“
Before he could even finish his sentence, a creature burst through the ground, sending large chunks of stone
and rock everywhere. In the darkness and the heat of the moment, Sun-Wu Kong couldn’t see what
exactly it was. The creature then roared, the sound echoing in the hollow and causing everyone’s bones to
quake. The force from the roar sent all of them flying out of the cave and back outside.
The weather pierced all of them like a knife, slicing through whatever warmth they had down there and
causing them to shiver again. The snowstorm seemed to get even worse, with the snow more icy and hard
than usual, almost like hail. The wind almost knocked Xuanzang over once they landed on the icy ground.