Irreversible
HKUGA College, Aisha Ahmed, Fiction: Group 3
S
on, the Gobi desert is a place full of danger.”
“Yeah, yeah, whatever, Dad.” I thought it was the worst family trip ever. I had been
stuck there with my parents and annoying sister for a week. Every waking hour of the day,
I wished I were in my bedroom living my hero fantasies with my comic books, computer
and gaming console. But in Gobi, there was no internet, no connection. All I could see was sand,
sand everywhere. I felt something in my pocket. It was my portable console, I pulled it out and
started tapping away.
“JAKE! What are you doing?” Mum shrieked straight into my ear, “this trip is for you to
appreciate the nature, not a time for your gadgets…” her voice droned on and on. I wasn’t really
sure how to appreciate sand, as it wasn’t attractive or appealing to my eyes. “Phoo, all I need to do
is to survive the rest of the trip and all will be back to normal,” I said to myself. Ignorant as I was,
I was completely wrong about that.
The only thing that was up my mind at that moment was the fact that my bladder was about
to burst. My belly was swollen, straining against my shirt. I did not dare to tell my mum that I
needed the bathroom. She would have most likely started lecturing me about how I did not go to
the bathroom at the hotel. I had half a bottle of water in my hands and was on the bus for four
hours. The bumpy ride was just perfect for my state.
“All right everyone! We are finally here, in the middle of Gobi.” the overdressed tourist guide
yelled through his microphone, “Everyone hop off and get a breath of fresh air!” The bus door
creaked open and I pushed my way through everyone and dashed off into the distance, ignoring
my parents” screams of protest and shouts of disapproval. I ran as fast as I could to where no one
could see me and where I couldn’t see anyone.
After relieving my bladder, I walked back to my family. But I couldn’t see my family, I
couldn’t see the bus anywhere. “Calm, calm down now,” I told myself, “try to remember where you
came from.” But I just couldn’t. I walked this way and that, making things even worse. “Oh no,
I’m doomed. I’m lost here all alone in one of the world’s largest desert, I’m going to die for sure!” I
wailed. “Hold on, I can’t die, what about my friend’s back at home? They won’t have a joker in the
posse anymore. No, I can’t die! I must find a way out of this wretched desert.”
I had learnt about the Gobi desert at school, even though I wasn’t really paying attention. All
I remembered was that the Gobi had a small population, a person per square mile, and water was
a very cherished supply. Summing it all up, it meant that I was never going to find any help. I was
never going to find water. I was not going to find anything. I took a big gulp of water from my
bottle and started walking.
I walked and walked until my physical strength had reached its limits. My head was pouring
with sweat, my knee wobbling like jelly, shoulders slumping back aching with pain. I couldn’t
take it anymore, not even a step. I collapsed onto the sand, lungs searching for oxygen. “MUM,
DAD!” I yelled. Silence. Silence except for the sound of the sand, the whistling of the sand, the
whistling became louder and louder until it became a roar, when the sand started to billow. I knew
something was wrong. I was then that it dawned on me, I knew exactly what was happening. A
sand storm was happening right before my eyes.
“
