Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction Group 3 - 2017 | Page 131

The New Tales of Old Shanghai
Diocesan Girls' School, Kwok, Tina - 14
T
he walls stood tall, looking over the disheveled city. A short girl, with long jet black hair, stood in the hustling and
bustling market. Her dark brown almond eyes squinted as the sun shone brightly onto her face and her thin lips
turned into a frown. He was supposed to be here ten minutes ago. She scanned the crowds, and impatiently
tapped her foot. After a few minutes, a boy, in his early twenties, rushed towards her. The girl abruptly
straightened up and stood taller.
“Here's the information you need. Don’t fail me,” and with that, the boy rushed away, disappearing into the crowd,
until he was a dot in the distance. She tilted her head upwards and beamed excitedly before quickly hurrying home
as well.
When she got home, she gently placed the envelope on the cluttered wood table, and made herself a cup of tea.
Sighing, she moved her picture of her parents from the messy tabletop to a nearby shelf. Her heart ached as she looked
at her parents. They were smiling at each other when the picture was taken, oblivious to what was going to happen to
them. Tears threatened to spill out. Scarlett forced herself to look away as she took a seat at the table. She started to read
the papers in the envelope. After a while, rain started pouring outside and the raindrops plopped on the window panes.
Scarlett read on, with the steady rhythm of the raindrops soothing her frayed nerves.
“Okay… a girl and a boy… clothes and food…tonight at twelve,” she murmured as she read on. She read the
document for a couple of times, and took a deep breath while putting the documents neatly back into the envelope.
She then went to take a relaxing bath, and changed into a new outfit with her hair tied up, holding a sack.
Walking into the kitchen, she grabbed a few pieces of bread from the countertop and munched on one, putting the
rest into her sack. Within minutes, Scarlett finished her piece of bread. She then reached up to the overhead cupboard
on her tiptoes to reach for some clothes, which she dumped into her sack as well.
“Clothes...check. Food...check.”
Peering out from the kitchen window, she saw that the sky was already dark. Clouds were drifting in the sky, obscuring
everything from her view. The soft glow of the moon cascaded down like a soft piece of fabric draped across the sky.
Deciding that it was time, she put on her scruffy old shoes. After peeping out multiple times, she tiptoed her way out
and gently closed the door behind her. She then quickly but quietly ran to the alley behind her house. The pungent
smell of sewers engulfed her and she had to hold herself back from choking. Syringes were littered on the floors and
rubbish was scattered everywhere. A few crickets chirped from nearby trees and a gentle breeze blew, rustling the
leaves on the trees. Goosebumps formed on Scarlett’s arms. She pulled her coat tighter around her and kept on
walking.