Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction Group 3 - 2017 | Page 405

So this was the future. Obliteration. War would tear families apart. Shanghai would be razed to the ground because of selfish acts
committed by the human race.
Ben felt Hannah’s warm hand on his shoulder as she moved time forwards. Ben looked up confused, until he saw what was in
front of him. Robots and humans respecting each other; Shanghai being rebuilt from scratch to form a majestic sight. And most
importantly……
Nanxun Ancient Town.
There was no change whatsoever. The village was still quiet and peaceful. People wore no mask of emotion. They helped each
other without hesitation, pure happiness evident on their faces.
Still pure.
Ben cried again, but this time out of joy instead of grief. Nanxun Ancient Town would survive the war. Not all was lost, he was
wrong. The place of his and Hannah’s many unforgettable memories, their home, would stand forever.
Ben and Hannah dissolved into the blissfulness of seeing each other, and the place of all their memories, again. The two locked in
an embrace, and Ben felt his body slipping away. He opened his eyes to see Hannah taking him with her, to a new place, to a new
stage in life.
Ben knew it was his time, but he was not afraid anymore. What he holds dear will not be destroyed. For one last time as he
breathed, he laughed with rapt joy, his body dissolving with the laughter.
Days later, police entered the small flat of Ben Seet. The old man laid on his bed, his eyes closed and hands clasped as if saying a
prayer. And a large smile was plastered on the dead man’s face.