A Tale of Old Shanghai
British International School , Shanghai , Puxi ( BISS Puxi ), Zeiss , Helene - 12
T
he sun died , drenching the sky in blood . The dark hours had breezed in , the time of the gangsters and outlaws . An eerie silence swallowed the streets of old shanghai . Dark figures slithered along the aphotic side streets . A young girl , 15 at most , paced the dimly lit road , rushing from streetlight to streetlight . With every strong step she took , her golden hair shimmered in a new light , and the sequins glittered on her expensive dress . One of the crimson sequins loosed and fell to the ground . It flimsily floated on the foul water of a puddle . Maliciously , a withered hand shot out and grabbed it . Its fingers closed around the thin , shining jewel , leaving it no escape .
The girl darted towards the door of a vast mansion and shut the door , closing out the foggy streets of Shanghai behind her . The immense entrance room was full of flaming velvet chairs , sat at the walls in the orderly Chinese fashion . Faintly , heartbroken melodies echoed through the house , down the large staircase . She slipped off her coral silk cloak and layed it in the hands of an elderly woman , waiting by the door . The woman bowed low and dissapeared in the depths of the manor . She took a step towards the first , illuminated stair . Suspiciously , she looked around the darkened room , then she dissapeared up the stairs .
„ Violet .“ The girl flinched and gently turned her head towards the voice , though avoiding eye-contact .
„ Father .“ Her faced was masked with a fabricated smile . „ Working by candle-light again ?“
The stout man grunted and turned back to the pages of paper-work . His face glistened in the dim candle-light .
„ Go up to Mei Fang .“ His pen flew over the tinged paper , as though it were as agile as a birds feather .
„ Yes , Father .“ Slowly , she moved out of his sight , and hurried up the second , golden staircase .
„ Violet ! Where have you been ! Its dark outside , its dangerous !“ Dropping her ErHu , Mei Fang stood up . The instrument made a soft sound .
„ Sorry Ms Li …“
„ Violet ! I told you many times , you can call me Mei Fang !“ The tall woman kneeled down to pick up her ErHu . Her black , silky hair brushed the floor . „ Silas , I mean your father and I , are going to get married in less than two months .“ She sighed and sank into the cardinal velvet armchair . „ Its already past midnight ,“ she paused and looked at the mystical , mesmorising moonrays . „ I think its time for you to go to bed .“
„ Wang !“
„ Yes , sir ?“
„ That chair … The Table … Why is everything so rundown in this house ?“
„ S-sir , We ca-cannot afford to fix or , or to b-b-buy anything new , sir .“
„ Is that so ?“
„ I-I , well I guess sir .“
„ And … why don ‘ t you do anything about this ?“
„ We don ‘ t get , well we don ‘ t get p-payed enough ! Well , well I guess so .“