Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction 4567 | Page 41

Time was a thief; he stole beauty.
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I held on to him tight, with my perfectly manicured fingers curled around his arm, as we made our way
through the bustling street market. Hawkers shouted from both sides; all around us was the sound of scuffling feet and
raucous chattering.
We arrived at the jewellery store after passing through the throng of people. A chime signaled our arrival as we
stepped in.
“Welcome!” Mr. Dong greeted us, cheery as always. We were frequenters to the shop. “What would you like
to try on this time, Miss Yu?” he enquired politely, gesturing at the glass encasements housing rows upon rows of gold,
silver and jade. I noticed the shafts of sunlight filtering in through the window, the specks of light dancing playfully from
one jewel to the next.
“Actually, it’s her birthday today.” Pa said.
“Oh, it is?” Mr. Dong exclaimed, feigning a look of surprise. “Well, you better buy her something very special,
sir.”
“Indeed.”
I paced the room, scrutinizing the pieces of art. Each sparkled in its own way, invoking stirring emotions, but
none in particular caught my eye.
“Are there any pieces that Miss fancies?” he asked pleadingly.
“I’m afraid not at the moment, Mr. Dong,” I replied after a long period of contemplation.
He failed to conceal his disappointment, the sparkle in his eye dying like the final glowing embers of a fire,
flickering to nonexistence. Pa motioned for him to come over. After much conferring with each other, muttering and
murmuring with their backs to me, they finally came to a conclusion.
“Miss Yu, we do have a special collection reserved for special buyers,” he said, leading me to the back of the
store. We walked past several layers of glass encasements, to a well-hidden door that seemed to merge into the wall.
“Welcome to the Dragon Chamber.”
There was a pneumatic hissing sound as the door swung open, tendrils of smoke spilling forward. They curled
and unfurled, grasping at our feet and motioning for us to enter. I took a few tentative steps forward, feeling my way
through the mist. Gradually, the smoke dispersed, parting to reveal a dragon in the centre of the room. Its ruby eyes