Fiction: Group 3
Their hope faded after a while. Mo finally released her death grip when they stopped running. “I’m sure
he-”
A hand clasped over her mouth, holding both hands in position while tying them together. Mo could only
scream. The man grinned, but his eyes remained cold. “Yes, I’m Karl Gutzlaff. You actually believed I was
Hua? I thought you were smarter than that, but apparently not.”
Bei tried to kick Karl, but he somersaulted and punched Bei hard in the jaw. Bei shrieked in agony, the pain
too much. Karl quickly tied Bei up as well.
Ugh.
It started long ago. Since Karl Gutzlaff’s mother died, he lived on the smoky streets of London, by himself.
He made invisible friends to accompany him. One lucky day, a British officer noticed Karl’s talent in
disguises, and recruited him. The affection he got from that stranger made him so happy, and was willing to
do anything for him. Two years later, Karl’s position was ‘spymaster’, scheduled to be shipped to China.
“Walk to the river.”
Bei was mutinous, swearing shamelessly. “I will catch-”
“I don’t think so.”
“Give me five minutes.” Bei’s gaze was like Medusa.
Karl Gutzlaff chuckled. “I don’t think there’ll be a five minutes for you.”
Shortly after, the three were at the end of the dock. It stretched about midway across the river, and the
water was deep. Karl was positioning them side by side, the water right below their eyes. Bei kept
threatening him, but they both knew she was powerless. Mo began murmuring something, her tears
forming a river of her own.
“We look back, we look forward. We cherish the moments we had and regret the chances we missed. We
will remember those we love, as well as hate. We celebrate, mourn, laugh, cry. We frown and smile at what
had happened, and we dream and hope of what will. I believe in freedom and choice.”
Bei, understanding perfectly, nodded her head. She finally let the tears she held for so long run down her
cheeks: those years she spent alone and unwanted when her brothers were gone, finding food in the rubbish
cans. Karl was oblivious to anything that was happening.
Mo thought of the day she met Bei. It was early, and Bei was sitting in a corner, watching people. Mo was
walking the streets, and headed towards Bei in curiousity. “Hi” was all it took.
Bei was watching Mo intensely. She had that look she had when she thought of crazy plans. For once, Mo
encouraged, lips curling. They were doing it. The final jump.
Mo shuffled closer to Bei, brushing fingertips against wrist. Mo looked out at the river and thanked it
silently. It really was beautiful, despite its polluted water. It had looked after them, watching their growth
like the parents they never had.
“Together?” Mo asked.
“Always.” Bei replied.
Then they jumped.
1
st
July, 1997- Hong Kong returns to mainland China, marking the end of British rule of the colony.
The opium circle comes to an end.
