Fiction: Group 3
he seemed to want Xue to get in the water. Then he yelped. Xue checked his paws. There was a bloody
gash where a tile from the village that had fallen in the water. “Curse the river!” Xue swore. If there was
one thing he cared more about than himself, it was Zhong. Zhong nosed the oyster shell. Xue opened it
again to throw the pearl in the river.
“Stop!” He turned his head. It was the fortuneteller. “Don’t touch it!” It was too late. Xue and Zhong had
touched the pearl at the same time. It started shining, as bright as the sun, and everything went white.
Clutching the pearl, Xue looked around. He and Zhong seemed to be standing on clouds. In front
of him, a hole appeared in the clouds. He could see the Pearl River, and the fortuneteller at the river.
Where he and Zhong had been standing minutes before was a shining white light. It seemed to be
vaporizing the Pearl River. Slowly, the flooded river was receding. The hole in the clouds disappeared. A
woman appeared in front of Xue. “Greetings, young one. I am Lo Shen, goddess of rivers. You have been
rewarded, , for your life of hardships. You shall be the pearl, forever more. You shall rule under my
guidance. But don’t worry, loyalty, will also forever be at your side.”
Xue and Zhong were back on earth. Well, more like, on water. They had been transformed. He was
wearing rich, expensive robes. They were a deep blue, with fish, waves, gems, and storms embroidered on
them. He had a staff in one hand. It had the same pearl in it that Zhong had found on the beach; instead it
was a brilliant dark blue. Xue felt taller, cleaner and stronger. Zhong was next to him. His fur shone like it
had been washed every day for years, and he wasn’t limping, with his wound healed. Xue realized that they
were glowing. A soft golden glow outlined their bodies. They were standing on a huge wave, which was
solid under their feet. The villagers were all at the bank of the river. They were cheering, every single one
of them. The Pearl River had been shrunk to its normal size again. That was what the prophecy meant. Xue
had fought the Pearl River with a pearl. Lo Shen appeared again. “Greetings again. I name you, the Xue
Shui, God of The Pearl River. Your faithful friend shall forever be Zhong, the dog god of loyalty. You two
shall, for the rest of time, control the Pearl River.” And the wave disappeared, and Xue Shui and Zhong fell
into the river, never, to live on land again.
I guess we will never know if they were happy with their destiny. Who knows, Xue Shui’s vengeance may
be flooding the river again, to show that he was not happy. But I know one thing. They are angry with the
gods, as all Zhong and Xue wanted was a simple, happy life with a family. Zhong is still as loyal as can be,
chasing fish, creating storms, but they are only happy together. What we have done, polluting the river and
building factories have only made them even angrier. They are waiting for their vengeance on the gods. Be
aware my friends, the Pearl River Delta!
