New Tales of The Old Shanghai
Island School , Tsui , Ida - 14
D istance is all that mattered . I am far away from a successful escapade . But all I need to do is run . My feet pounded into the ground repeatedly , foot after foot . I could feel a tingling sensation through my thighs , my shins , burning worse and worse by the second . I struggled for every breath , tearing out in short gasps , my lungs searing like hot ash penetrating my chest . I couldn ’ t go on for any longer . I had to stop . But every time I hear the nearing sound of thuds , it brought a fresh wave of fear and panic into my heart . I can ’ t die at the hand of him . Yang Bin . I don ’ t know what I was thinking , helping him succeed at the time . I should never have believed him , when he promised me to save my mother in return for the life of another . It was pure evil , what I ’ d done to Qiao XiaoHua . No one deserved to die such a terrible death , death by poison .
I watched him die , drinking the tea I had planted , his lips swelling , burning a fierce red , a bewildered expression blooming upon his face . His neck started to swell shortly after , and his hands grasped at his throat , small ragged gasps escaping with his feeble attempts to breathe in air . I could feel the pressure building up in his face , his veins popping out with immense effort he was putting in ; his eyes bulging with fear , now understanding the full extent of the situation .
He tried to get closer to me , climbing out of his seat just to collapse on to the floor , his entire body spasming and jerking like a fish out of water . Outstretching his arm - beads of sweat trickling down his face from the effort - his hands , his fingers , trembled as they extended towards me helplessly , whilst I couldn ’ t do anything to help . I caught a glimpse of his face that night , moments before he died and I would never be able to forget the look he had on his face . His eyes stared up at me into my soul , begging , pleading for the mercy I could not give ; his face morphing into an expression of utmost pain , and the lone tear that fell down his face before he crumpled to the floor and didn ’ t move again .
But I couldn ’ t have left my mom to die . She was the only family I had left , the only person I ever knew who loved me for who I was . No matter what I had done there , it was for my mom . The sin that I had committed , the regret I had for committing this crime , could be overlooked . For the greater good . But my mom would never have approved of this ; all throughout my childhood , she has continually told me ‘ Shàn è dào tóu zhōng yǒu bào ’. Good and evil will always be rewarded , it is only a question of time . If she ever found out I did this terrible act , she would be heartbroken , and as a result , I would be too . I should ’ ve listened to her teachings , but I was in despair , in fear of losing my mother forever , that I made this decision that may end me for good . I didn ’ t listen to her . And now I regret .
I brought myself back to reality as I forced my arms and legs to keep moving . My arms were pacing back and forth , but it took a lot more effort to move them every stride I took . My shoulders started to feel weak , as if they would collapse into my body , my head rolling forwards in time with the movement of my legs . I was coming to my limit . I needed an escape . My eyes swept the bordering streets , taking in the shabby crumbling houses , with faded red roofs caving in , destroying what was left , crashing down onto the cracked tiles smothered in years of grime . Bullet-sized holes , the mementos from a gruesome gang fight , decorated the houses like second nature : the windows , the walls , the doors - everywhere .
I searched for a getaway , a shortcut , a way out . But time was running out , and the footsteps were getting louder . “ Where are you ? I know you ’ re here . Stop hiding and come out . I will find you ,” hissed Chen maliciously . His voice was laced with a murderous and evil undertone , and I felt my blood run cold . I ran into a dark alleyway , my head whipping back and forth anxiously , trying to catch a glimpse of where he was at , how much time I had left , until I hit the wall . Gasping for breath , I looked up . I couldn ’ t believe my luck . Of all the alleyways I could ’ ve ran into , I ran into one with a dead end . This was bad . I was trapped , with no means of escape . I was prey for a monster prowling on its hunt , an easy target , vulnerable to all of the elements around me . I scanned the area for somewhere to hide , for something to use as a weapon , but there was nothing . There was nothing I could do .