A Haunting Discovery
Chinese International School , Paulus , Veronica - 11
X iang Li , a United Kingdom citizen born in Shanghai , looked out onto the horizon from the airplane , thousands of feet into the air and wondered what was down below . Little did he know that he would find out very soon . Towards the end of his flight from London to Shanghai , the plane jolted , sending everybody into a wave of panic . Even before the flight attendants sat down and the oxygen masks lowered , Xiang had an ominous feeling that the plane and everybody in it were in trouble . Suddenly , the emergency doors flung open and Xiang was plummeting through the sky , his life flashing before his terror-filled eyes as he watched the plane twirl and twist down to the ground in a fiery descent .
A constant buzz ran through Xiang ’ s ears , his head both ringing with his pulse and throbbing with pain , and every part of his body aching . Nevertheless , Xiang was alive and in relatively good condition in spite of the fact that he had just fallen out of a plane . Others were not so lucky . After gingerly climbing out of the tree that had saved his life , Xiang walked for a few minutes in the blistering , midday sun and came across a woman lying motionless , limbs stuck out at odd angles , skin flayed and laying in a pool of splattered blood .
Hours later and still in pain , Xiang came across a city that looked oddly familiar , much like the photos his grandmother used to show him of her daughter , Xiang ’ s mother , with his father . In the photos , they were young and looked like they were in love . According to his grandmother , Xiang had not seen his parents since he was five years old . This is because his father was convicted of being a murderer in a gang , notoriously known for killing women and children , eventually sending him to his death . As soon as possible , Xiang ’ s grandmother and mother applied for UK citizenship in an attempt to flee Shanghai . However before the move , Xiang ’ s mother supposedly committed suicide due to the depression caused by her husband ’ s death . Years later , his grandmother ( knowing what really happened ) told Xiang that his father had been misunderstood and had a good heart , and told Xiang that his mother must have been killed because she would never have left her son on purpose . Xiang believed this with his whole heart .
The closer he got to the city , the more the pain subsided until it was completely gone and Xiang was inside a busy , bustling city . Scarlet lanterns hung from the rooftops , scents of delectable delicacies wafted up into Xiang ’ s nose and suddenly , like an awakening from an ambiguous dream , he knew where he was . Old Shanghai . After Xiang ’ s realization , he walked aimlessly through the crowded streets wondering how he could have been transported back to Old Shanghai . But then his eyes locked onto something that Xiang could not ignore . It was a boy in threadbare clothes who looked exactly like the child in the old photos his grandmother had shown him of his father as a young boy . Suddenly the boy turned and ran down the cobblestone street , grabbing something from a shop along the way and leaving Xiang alone . That night a very confused Xiang slept on the filthy ground of the city , listening to the murmurs of strange voices and sounds of soft footsteps which created an odd yet soothing melody that lulled the exhausted man to sleep .
An intense , searing glow shone down from the sky , waking Xiang up from his deep sleep . Yet something seemed different about the city . Many of the structures that had stood just a day ago looked much older as if they had aged many years . Still waking up from his sleep , Xiang rubbed his eyes and once again saw a man that mirrored his father trying to pickpocket someone . However he , like the buildings , looked much older . Before the man could even think about fleeing , Xiang grabbed his scrawny , stick-like arm and threatened to turn him into the police unless he told Xiang who he was . Reluctantly the man told Xiang his name - Qing Li . It had to be a coincidence , thought Xiang ,