Fiction: Group 2
Haunted
Diocesan Girls' Junior School, Ng, Tsz Ying Tiffany - 11, Fiction: Group 2
I remember tears streaming down your face
When I said, I'll never let you go
When all those shadows almost killed your light
I remember you said, don't leave me here alone…”
—Taylor Swift
ire! Fire!” shrill screams echo as wisps of smoke curl around me, awakening me from my
slumber. I sit up in bed.
“Are we going to die?” my youngest sister Hua (flower) quavers in her seven-year-old treble. She
stands in front of me, eyes wide.
“We’ll be fine,” I reply. She needs me; I can’t have a breakdown. I caress her eyes, brushing away
the tears.
The front door flies open as our parents stumble in.
“Run to the hills. It’s safe… Yu (jade), look after your sisters while we help other villagers,” Baba
says. I nod, tugging Little Sister’s hand. Our second sister An (peace) emerges from the kitchen, and we
burst out of our shack.
The world is on fire. The houses have been evacuated, and throngs of people crowd around. I’m
not sure where the fire started. Walls of flames dance around crumbling houses, silently daring anyone to
enter. Desolate cries dominate the air; chaos reigns, fear gripping every heart.
I leave the horrific scene, my sisters in tow. I can’t bear it longer. I keep running up the hill that
borders our village, occasionally looking over my shoulder. I can barely see anything amid the chaos.
Closing my eyes, I feel the rush of life around me.
Other villagers back up towards the hills. Below us, the houses are raging with fire. Shuffling
around me, An murmurs words of comfort in Little Sister’s ear. But where will we go next? I don’t want to
go elsewhere. Fragrant Harbour has always been, and will always be, my home. My parents…
Wait—where are they? They should be here; most villagers have arrived.
“I’m going back to look for them,” I tell my sisters. “If I don’t come back…” I turn away, blinking
rapidly.
“You will,” Little Sister growls, a determined fire in her eyes. “I know it.”
***
I dash down the hill, swerving around burning wooden huts. Some villagers are frantically
searching for their loved ones… Hope, a fragile creature, is the only thing that keeps us alive. Suddenly, I
catch flickers of motion—my parents! I chase after them, ducking under seas of flames.
“No!” I screech, just in time to see them run into a burning pile of debris, checking if there are any
trapped villagers. I sprint over, my chest heaving with something more than fatigue. Even though it’s too
late.
The pain is too much for me. I sink to my knees, cupping my face in my hands and letting the tears
flow. It’s as if my heart has been ripped out, and all that’s left is a gaping hole. I’ll never be the same again.
“F
