The New Tales of the Gobi Desert
The Chinese Foundation Secondary School, Timothy Lee, Fiction: Group 4
“It’s MIDDAY!” Mom’s voice has never been so annoying. “You are late! For god’s sake, can
you get up right now! Now!”
I murmured to myself softly, to ensure that she never heard me. Swearing and vile curses
have been an indispensable part of my life. I wonder if anything exciting and sensational can
make me thrilled.
“Jarred! How many times exactly I have told you that we should get into the habit of keeping
good hours?”
It’s seven hundred and three times since last year’s Christmas, when I found I got nothing to
do except counting your “friendly” reminders. The swearing continues.
Abruptly, there is a letter in the mail slot at front door.
“Get the letter for me. In ten seconds.” Mom commanded.
When I got to the slot, I skimmed through the address and saw something unbelievable to me.
Mr. Jarred Aubrey
16 Anchor Road
Wroutcombe
Netherotia
It was the first ever letter that I had received. I felt strange, is this spam letter from the ABC
Bank? Or would that be a Christmas blessing from Santa? My heart beat as fast as hyenas.
When I flipped over the envelope, there were two sheets of paper. One was a light beige
papyrus while the other, which seemed to be newer, was a photograph of a desert, I recognized the
grid of zigzagging white lines, which the media reported few years ago. And it should be the Gobi.
On the letter, the handwriting was neat, tidy and well-organized. However, some parts of the letter
was maliciously damaged. Probably because the damaging was premeditated. Strangely, there
were only seven words on the letter.
Proceed to the arena now. Jarred Aubrey.
What arena? Why would there be an arena here at Wroutcombe?
“Hey Jarred, why can’t you hand the letter to me right now! Isn’t the letter for me? Don’t you
dare to peek through my letters!” Mom, again, started to get mad.
“The letter is mine! I won’t give it to you” I insisted.
“Give it to me! There is no way that anyone would send you a letter.”
She intended to grab my letter, but at the moment she touches the piece of papyrus, the letter
started to go on fire. I released it and it turned to ashes within seconds.
“Wow, it’s cool, very cool!” I exclaimed.
“It’s neither cool nor funny at all! Get inside your bedroom and don’t get out till dinner, you
destroyed my letter!”
I was pissed off. Slammed the door.
When I was nearly asleep, I feel like I was losing weight, abnormally. I was floating on the
pillow, on the bed cover. I found myself three inches from bed, four... five...
