Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction 4-7 2019 | Page 109

As I made impact with the floor below, a beast from the stockpile of cages felt my presence and roared deeply in response, a signal of intimidation. The creature was a gift from Mogadishu from what I heard, given by one of the many wealthy merchants scattered across the city. Its aggression gave me no fear, in fact I felt a relatability with the creature. Even a creature which speech and thoughts I can not comprehend, I felt the same desire I have within it, the desire to escape. Unlike me however, it was tenacious, unable to accept the situation it found itself in. I no longer retaliate, finding it futile. My desire has been driven towards the deepest recesses of my consciousness. I reluctantly limped away from the beast, couldn’t bare seeing myself in it any longer. Its yellow fur soon blending and fading into the creeping abyss as I headed towards the front of the cargo hold, to what I seek. Within one of the countless boxes that littered the hold, only one I seek. A wooden crate containing a black substance I do not know the name of. A pack of matches and a small contraption contained within it. The contraption is a long hollow tube, and a small protrusion on the tube allows the substance to be inserted in, which I proceeded to do so. At the end of the tube, I placed a lit match in front. I place the tube in my mouth and inhaled, with a short pause to feel the smoke bouncing off my cheeks, I gave a great exhale followed by a trail of smoke that could reach the heavens. The all too familiar euphoric sensation gradually overwhelmed me. I closed my eyes to allow the sensation to settle in faster, to fully escape the harsh reality all around me in every sense possible. All my mangled thoughts became singular, no longer confused or disorganised. All my physicals senses became null, everything focused on the colourful experience. The physical pain I suffered beforehand dissipated, along with my fears. I no longer fear my crewmates, the captain, no longer fear pain. Actually, I became indifferent towards fear itself, it was as if only a singular emotion exist in my subconscious, happiness. When I allowed my senses to return, there I was again. The gigantic treasure ship, similar yet different to the one me and the crew were on. Decrepit and rotting, with its hull barely holding, surrounded by an unnaturally dark sea. As if the starless night sky was below in the water, an all-encompassing abyss that could swallow me in a blink of an eye. Yet, the ship illuminates my surroundings, like the moon in the sky. An untraceable, comforting sound emanating