Fiction: Group 3
Moon Runes
Harrow International School Hong Kong, Craven, Louise - 13, Fiction: Group 3
unlight draped over Talia’s skin as she woke to the sound of birds singing their little song and the flaps
of egrets flying off into the dense vegetation lying on the other side of the river. The sun was
unusually high at this time, giving her warmth from the cold, wintry breeze that struck the village
every year.
Her village consisted of two parts. One for the elders, leaders and very-important-looking people,
and the other for people like Talia, who worked ten times harder than those snobbish people in the “richer”
part of the village.
Occasionally they would have meetings talking about politics, economy and society. However, the
meetings could also be quite compelling, actually. Because of traditional values, the Hanai people chose to
have meetings when the moon was at it’s highest, usually happening once a month.
Talia would stare longingly at the moon, as if it was pulling her into a kind of trance. Its brightness
curtained the village with light and made her wonder who else felt the hypnotic eyes of the moon pull them
towards it.
“No, no please don’t hurt me!” This was the third time I was having a dream about my death. I
knew this wasn’t a good sign, that danger was coming. I could sense it, feel it even.
Every night I would glimpse up at the moon and gaze at it in wonder, with the same inquisitive look on my
face. It was as if the moon controlled me, like the Greek Goddess Aphrodite, who could tempt people with
her beauty. Even though I was staring at something so enthralling, enchanting, captivating, I felt a strange
suspicion that something wasn’t right. Then again nothing had really felt proper since last week. This must
be the time to visit Gwenllian the Wise, I thought. It is said that he lives in a cave on Castle Peak in Hong
Kong. It is also said that he could even predict when you were going to get sick next by looking at your
fingernails.
So there I was, with my rucksack made of the finest cow-skin leather and cotton, trekking the vast
landscapes and braving the scorching heat of the Hong Kong sun. After what seemed like a day and a half, I
made it up to the top of Castle Peak, where I noticed signs of old, rusty and discoloured, with big, striking
words in jet-black ink distinctly saying “DO NOT COME FURTHER, YOU FEAR FOR YOUR
LIFE”. Not a hundred per cent paying attention to this, I trudged on with every bit of might I had left in
me and tramped towards the dimly lit and soggy cave entrance. I was feeling so hopeful until now.
Two beady eyes darted from my hair to my feet, my bag then lastly to my eyes with a callous and
merciless look that sent a shiver tingling down my spine. These two eyes, however, belonged to the old man
of the East, or the old man of all philosophical thinking. Or easier, Gwenllian.
“Whaddya want?” Gwenllian snapped. He seemed jittery and not at all what people had said he was. Beer
bottles were chucked on the floor and the smell of reeking alcohol wafted through the doorway, or
entrance, and bits of newspaper were scattered on the floor… But the thing that caught my eye was the
imposing picture of a girl, roughly about 11 or 12, half-hung up in the middle of the room. Unlike
Gwenllian, the girl had a cheeky grin on her face as she was pulling in a fresh catch of colourful fish.
Gwenllian noticed me surveying the girl, when he said “Her name’s Talia.” His bold, thundering voice
became a soft, hushed voice. He went on. “She went missing last year, the day after this was taken. She’s my
granddaughter.” These last words struck me so suddenly yet so peacefully, that I then felt a great grieving for
the man.
But then there was also another feeling too. The reason I came to see him in the first place. “Um
excuse me sir, but I was wondering,”
“Why you keep having unwelcoming dreams, if there’s a meaning to all this?” interrupted Gwenllian. “I can
see it growing bigger in your eyes, this is the reason you came to find me, am I not correct?”
“Yes sir, you’re correct.” I said. I felt uneasy, as if a hundred eyes were looking at me.
“You must find the moon runes,” he said. “They are spread out in different parts of the Pearl River Delta.
When you have another uncomfortable dream, don’t try to conceal it in the darkest corner of your brain.
Use it to guide you to the second Rune. You were chosen out of a line of Moon Hunters to finish the task
they’ve been trying to finish for hundreds of years.”
S
