Fiction: Group 4
His Memories, My Present
St. Margaret's Co-Educational English Secondary and Primary School
(Secondary Section), Lam, Mimi - 17, Fiction: Group 4
will never forget those days. It was like the memory itself became scorching hot metal that burned in
my mind, leaving a mark that can never be erased.
The days I shared my body with a ghost.
I still remember how he and I met. It was a trip to Shen Zhen 60 years ago.
I was 25, a freelance photographer and it was not my first trip to Shen Zhen, but it was my first trip there
for my job. I was going there to take pictures of whatever view that inspired me. I love photography.
There I met him, all in his translucent grace, staring at a specific spot on the ground with sorrowful eyes. In
such a busy place his stillness stood out from everyone’s fast paced life. I was going to snap a picture of that
beautiful stillness in this city but I realized I couldn’t see him through the camera lens.
I looked up from the camera screen and found him standing on the exactly same spot, with no sign of
movement. It was like…he’s a ghost. As if he could hear my thoughts with a loud speaker, he turned his
head towards me. His dark hair and those dark eyes that had no end to them, it portrayed the infinite sadness
he was feeling.
When our eyes met, it was like we were attracted to each other and he was somehow sucked into my body
and we’ve been sharing my body ever since.
Now this is not an unusual occurrence for me.
I have always been vulnerable to ghosts or any non-corporeal beings. I could see ghosts and spirits can easily
possess my body, with or without my consent. Most days I would land myself into the hospital or police
station, where I would have no idea what happened during the period where I was possessed. The
supernatural being would just use my body as a vector to do what they want, and I would have no
memories of what happened.
This is definitely different, most times I would be possessed fully, and this time I am sharing my body, where
I have perfect control of my body and my mind is conscious of what is happening. Whether I would forget
these memories when Hak leaves my body, I don’t know, but I’ll worry about that when the time comes.
Hak was a smuggler who traveled around China along the Pearl River Delta. For what reason? That, I’d like
to know too, but Hak kind of lost most of his memories when he died by stepping onto a landmine over
half a century ago which caused his immediate death, right where I found him staring at.
‘Sei’, his deep voice rang out in my mind.
“What? Did you remember something again?” I responded.
‘Hm.
More about her.’
I nodded to myself.
Hak had a lover back when he was still alive, he promised her they would be back but he died halfway
through his journey back where he lived. I’m pretty sure that she’s either dead or she has forgotten about
him. Hak died when he was 25, same age as myself now, but she would be around 80 or 90 now, it would
be lucky if she’s still alive and healthy.
‘I remember how we used to stroll around the port near our houses, I think we were childhood friends who
grew up together… We would always wonder what treasures would the merchants find when they leave
I
