A Cursed Necklace
Heep Yunn School, Phyllis Chan, Fiction: Group 3
T
he Gobi Desert had always been one of my dream destinations. So as my plane landed
there, I was immediately immersed in the smooth golden sand. This was going to be the
best trip ever - three young girls walking along the Silk Road, having fun and sleeping
in tents — YES!
“C’mon, Cath!” My best friend, Lucy, called me. “If we don’t hurry, we won’t be able to finish
this trip in time!”
My friend, Joanna, teased, “Perhaps Catherine would like to stay here forever.”
I snapped, “Thanks.” I got to my feet, grabbed their hands and marched away.
After a whole day’s walk, we were all exhausted and cold. I shuddered as Lucy spoke in a
shivering voice, “Should we set up our tent now?”
But it was all dark now, and dangerous. “Can we try to find somewhere to warm up?” Joanna
suggested. Lucy and I agreed.
Miraculously, we spotted an inn, dimly lit, where there was a warm fire crackling merrily and
low murmurs with a few people. So, we settled down for some food.
“Hello,” an old man said with a wide smile, bringing us food and grinning toothlessly. “Are
you travelers?”
“Yeah,” Lucy replied.
“Three young girls, travelling together on Silk Road - be careful, ladies,” the old man took a
long draught from his mug, looking seriously. “Legends tell us there are dangers everywhere.” I
frowned as I chewed, gulping down the rice. I wouldn’t believe in these legends, but they seemed
interesting to me. “Well,” the old man sighed, “There’s one, passed down from the oldest people
in our tribe, about a necklace.” I heard a little stuttering gasp from Lucy — she loved jewelries.
The old man smiled again and nodded, “Women crave for beautiful necklaces. For more than a
century, women from all over the world fell for it. It was owned by a few witches, who put a curse
into it and used it to put people in pain. The Alpha of our tribe defeated those witches more than a
century ago, but the curse is still unbroken.” The old man smiled mysteriously.
“Where is the necklace?” Lucy whispered, mortified.
“How do I know? Perhaps it is hidden well under the sand, or it could have been taken by
others. The legend has no end.”
We sat silently for a few seconds. Finally Joanna said, “We have to go.”
The old man smiled, “Have fun. I hope to see you again.”
The three of us got out of the inn and set up our tent nearby.
When I was in my sleeping bag, my teeth quivered crazily I asked, “Do you think this
necklace exists?”
Joanna snorted, “Don’t tell me you believe in this stupid legend.” As she rolled over, she was
instantly asleep. I stared at her back and was slowly swept into the dark.
My days in the Gobi Desert went on. It was terribly hot during daytime and chilling cold at
night. I experienced too many beautiful memories that I was in danger of forgetting the older
ones as new ones filled in. Lucy was horrified every day after being ‘attacked’ by a gigantic lizard
which had its long slithery tongue pointing at her. On the other hand, Joanna was enjoying her
