Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction Group 3 - 2017 | Page 318

The Unfortunate Boy
Sha Tin College, Wong, Ivan - 12
B
irds whistled, bees buzzed, crickets chirped. The orphanage was starting to wake up, but I was wide awake long ago;
thinking of what I should do today. I looked around and saw a vast stretch of trees, which gave me an idea. I rushed
out of bed and spoke loudly. “Today, I will pick up as least two hundred leaves. Anyone want to join?” The other kids
got ready in a glimpse and we walked out of the hut. As we strolled out, the bully, Li came out too. He was always
delinquent, picking on younger kids and beating them up. His face was full of anger and hatred and his entourage
staunched by his side.
Li approached me with despise, he shouted and slapped me on the face. Forcefully, he picked me up with one hand and
threw me into his hut, locking me in. I heard screams and cries, the others were being beaten up too and I knew that I
must go help them. Unusually, I punched the hard paper window, struggling to get out, I failed. Feeling hopeless, I grabbed
a vase next to the window and I threw it. The window sills broke off and I escaped successfully. I thought to myself
“Should I help them or should I leave them?”. The guards were rushing towards us, “If I helped them, I will be whipped
by the ruler and the stick because I broke one of the windows. I should hide and leave them to be.” As I backed away from
the chaos, I said to myself “But if I do, they’ll say that I’m a horrible person.” I felt guilty. I slowly stepped towards Li, but
he rushed to me first. I took a big stride forward, using all the adrenaline inside me I punched him right in the throat. He
fell. I waited for Li to move, but he didn’t. Did I just kill someone? I just killed someone. My heart started beating out of
my chest. My mind was completely blank. I couldn’t stay here in this orphanage anymore, I have to leave.
I saw the guards and teachers stampeding towards me like bulls. I had no choice. I needed to leave my friends and go. I am
a criminal now and I couldn’t stay. My friends all froze in horror. Fleeing, I arrived to the back of the orphanage in an
instance. I had only been outside for a few times, so I wasn’t familiar with the roads, but I did know if I ran for another
twenty minutes, I would arrive at the Old City Of Shanghai. I guess that’s where I’m headed. Running down a long slope,
I felt the teachers weren’t hunting me down anymore. However, it was the guards that I couldn’t shake off.
Ten minutes passed and the guards started slowing down, as did I, but I kept running. Many of my attempts to rid of them
were futile. Finally, I thought of an idea. I used my last bit of energy and ran towards a narrow corner. Turning really fast,
I hid under some stinky garbage. I was as still as a koala, scared to even blink my eyes. At last, the guards gave up and I laid
down on the floor, exhausted desperately trying to catch my breath. Eventually I drifted off in a fatigued sleep.
I woke up. I was on a bed. A man walked passed me and sand drifted into my eyes. Irritated, I rubbed them and sat up. The
man was brewing a cup of Pu Er tea. Ready to say thank you and head off to the Old City Of Shanghai, I hopped off the
bed. The man said after he had a sip of tea “My boy, you have finally woken up. I saw you lying on the streets, so I took you
in.” The man drank another sip of tea and was about to talk again when I interrupted, “I’m sorry for disturbing you. I will
leave this instance, Mr…” I didn’t know his name, so I didn’t say anything. “Do you think you can actually leave? Stay with
me and you will achieve great things in life. My name is Chow Yin Ho, but you can call me Chow.” Did I mishear
something? Feeling intrigued, I walked towards him. He poured a cup of tea for me. I thanked him and finished the tea
instantly, quenching my thirst. “Mr Chow, please tell me what you want. I would like to go to the Old City Of Shanghai,
so if I may excuse myself…” he interrupted. “Oh, what a coincidence, I was planning to bring you to the Old City Of
Shanghai for a trip too! So, are you ready?” wearily I nodded my head. My heart was pounding, beating fast like a drum.
I thought this could turn out to be a great trip, but I may have been wrong.