Fiction: Group 3
Dark Waters of the Pearl River Delta
Delia School of Canada, Panda, Swoyam - 13, Fiction: Group 3
anny had told me get back from the store immediately after fetching a few juice cartons and a
yoghurt bottle. However, nothing can get a spoiled delinquent to obey instructions without some
procrastination. Right after getting out of a Seven Eleven, I noticed a nearby parking lot. I pulled
out my lighter and started burning car tyres. After vandalizing a few cars, I put on a grin and decided to
leave when I heard an indignant shout, followed by swearing. There were a few strangers whom I had never
seen before. I went into a coma like state when one of them spotted me.
“We found another one.”
Said the bulkiest man of the four. The man advanced towards me and lifted me off the ground. I
offered no resistance and just froze. Soon I was blindfolded and gagged. After a minute, I felt a sharp sting in
my calf. My limbs were paralysed. I heard one of the men mention Guangzhou. That was the last thing I
heard before my eyes shut.
“Yong, did you spray graffiti on Mr. Zhou’s lawn ornaments? Come here right now!”
I had been caught by my nanny for another of my acts of vandalism. I had been pampered by my
parents until the age of seven. My father was the owner of a cobalt mine in China. A few weeks before my
eighth birthday, both my parents went on an inspection tour of a newly constructed sector of the mine.
They never returned. I had spent a day in an orphanage before all of China’s tycoons began to offer large
sums of money to adopt me. My nanny divorced her rich husband when his business was facing losses. She
paid the orphanage big cash for me. All of my father’s property was entitled to her. However, she ended up
in a worse financial position than before. My father was indebted. Since my nanny had taken ownership of
the company, she had to pay off all debts by selling the mine. Her hopes of becoming a millionaire were
shattered. I have been living in Jiangmen with my nanny for about eight years. The absence of my parents
did not affect me, as I was happy with my computer. My nanny never bought me what I wanted, so,
I
amused myself by doing minor crimes. This is why a typical day in my life would always start off with a
phone call and my nanny screaming.
My nanny grabbed a spatula from the kitchen and started chasing me around the house. I still used
to live in a mansion when I was sixteen, giving me and my nanny a lot of room for playing chase. This was
one of the rare occasions when my nanny failed to catch me. After a few minutes of panting, my nanny put
down her spatula and handed over a fifty Yuan bill and a piece of paper.
“Go fetch me the groceries on this list. Be quick or you are sleeping on the porch for the night.”
I was more than happy to comply, as she sounded like she was holding herself back from strangling
me. I grabbed the money and rushed out of the house. I walked to a nearby Seven Eleven and purchased
whatever my nanny had asked for. I bought a lighter with the change. I was kidnapped ten minutes after
stepping out of Seven Eleven.
***
I woke up and opened my eyes to see darkness. The noise of an engine infiltrated my head and the
ground seemed to be shaking below me. After a few seconds, I realized that I was in a boat. I suddenly
realized that I was a captive of those men I had seen. The noise of the engine was soon replaced by fear. My
brain told me to try and get out of here however, I stayed in control.
The boat soon stopped and I heard people shouting in Chinese. I felt the footsteps of a person
coming closer to me. Then something cold run up my cheek and my blindfold and gag fell off. My eyes
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