Fiction: Group 3
Directed To The Pearl River Delta
The British International School Shanghai, Puxi Campus, Roberts, Thomas - 11,
Fiction: Group 3
Chapter 1 - A Surprise Delivery
t was 4pm, the twelfth of December 2014 and the last day of term. Hercules had endured a long day at
secondary school and was tired, having stayed up most of the night marking sixty pieces of homework
which he had returned to his students earlier that day. At age 46 he wondered how much longer he
could keep up with this pace. He stumbled over his doorstep, flung his coat, keys and bicycle helmet onto
the stairs and slumped onto the sofa. He absently flicked through the television channels as he contemplated
the holiday ahead. He caught a glimpse of a face passing by the window. A strangely familiar face. He
continued to look out of the window, wondering where had he seen that face before? Was it a neighbour?
Or was it just an anonymous passer-by? He was not sure. Hercules might have continued to ponder this but
his thoughts were interrupted by a noise.
Over the sound of the BBC newsreader on the television, Hercules distinctly heard a second and then third
knock on his front door. This was followed by the clatter of his letterbox, and a slight thud on the doormat.
He listened carefully. Everything was quiet, except for the television. Hercules heaved himself up from the
sofa and moved towards the door. When, with what seemed like a great deal of effort, he finally reached the
doormat, he carefully picked up an intriguing, square, white, envelope. He turned it over and saw his name
and address typed clearly on the front:
Hercules Jones
221b Farringdon Road
London
EC1R
It had been typed with an old fashioned typewriter. He could feel the indentations of each letter with his
thumb. As he peered more closely at the envelope, he realized there was no stamp. He concluded that it had
been delivered by hand. Did the hand belong to the mysterious face he had glimpsed? He slowly tore open
the envelope and looked curiously inside .......
Chapter 2 - Unexpected Journey
Hercules slowly withdrew a small item from inside the envelope. When he brought it closer to the light he
saw a labelled, silver key. He turned it over in his hand - it felt cool to his touch. Attached to the key was a
small, crisp, paper tag that read simply:
0375 Kings Cross
He scrutinized the tag and wondered "What was 0375?". His mind was racing. He murmured out loud "the
key has been left for a reason .... a key needs a lock .... what can it unlock? .... unlock" that gave Hercules an
idea "A locker at Kings Cross Station, perhaps?" He had seen rows of lockers there. He would go to the
station immediately. Curiosity replaced fatigue. He picked up his coat and went outside. A black cab came
into sight almost immediately and Hercules flagged it down. "Kings Cross Station" he said hurriedly.
"Yes, sir!" replied the driver. As they pulled away from his home, Hercules wondered if he was crazy
rushing off like this.
At his destination, he jumped out of the taxi leaving a £10 note for the driver, muttering "keep the
change". He dashed inside the main concourse looking all around him. As he slowed to walking pace, he
caught sight of an information desk, behind which was a neat row of lockers similar to those at the school
where he worked, but there was no locker number 0375. "Any other lockers here?" he asked the smiling
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