Fiction: Group 2
River of Pearls
Dulwich College Beijing, Midzic, Melissa - 11, Fiction: Group 2
t was a damp, cold Hong Kong winter day with many people out in the streets making a portion of the
food they had grown in the Spring. Obviously Ming Ming knew that 1/3 of all food made by workers
went to the Queen. Ming Ming thought that rule was absurdly unfair and that the workers deserved
more as there were more of them. What the Queen did not understand was that the workers would share
the food they had made. The Queen believed she had a warm heart, while the others could even feel her
cold presence. Unexpectedly, she would show up to drive others back to their homes, but not today. Ming
Ming stood there for a while, looking down the dark alleyway, waiting for the Queen’s pearl chariot.
Shockingly, nobody came. No sound of horse hooves. No chariot clatter.. No men shouting at the citizens
to make a path. Furthermore no men in black suits to execute the public for not bowing. Hong Kong lost
10 citizens last year for not bowing down to her ‘Majesty’. Poof. Gone out of the window. Ming Ming felt
hatred against the Queen and anyone who worked for her, but sometimes she let off a few people as she
understood the slavery and knew that some people were forced. That was the last thing people wanted to
work for, if you got on the Queens bad side you would be punished. Every 2 years the queen would hold a
reaping to ensure she has enough staff working for her. There was also assignment day, where the kids got
assigned a job. Ming Ming wanted to work at the jewellery parlour, where they had to create necklaces of
pearl for citizens and disappointingly the Queen. When it came to that thought Ming Ming would shiver..
All her work would just be thrown onto a cold-hearted womans neck. Hopefully, Ming Ming would be
allowed to create necklaces for citizens, voluntarily. She awaited assignment day to arrive.
The day had come and it was time for Ming Ming to meet all her classmates at the castle. Ming Ming was
filled with anxiety, not sure of what was to come. As all the young children of Hong Kong walked up to the
castle they were escorted with thousands of guards into a room filled with 100’s of chairs. The children
quickly assembled themselves into seats, frightened by the thought of the Queen being ‘disappointed’ with
ones behaviour. As the Queen entered the room everyone simmered down and tried not to be noticed.
Unlike some of the families that did approve of the Queens ways, Ming Ming tried hard to not be seen and
hid herself at the very back of the hall. Suddenly a man entered the rooms filling it with stench of lots of
perfume. He started to welcome everyone, with a smile and a gesture of happiness. Before he even got to
pick a name out of the ballot, the Queen strictly announced she wanted her workers to be picked
beforehand. And so they were.
Apparently Ming Ming had passed out after being assigned a worker for the Queen. They had brought her
home to pick up all her luggage and then leave to her new home at the castle. It all had happened so fast and
had become one of her nightmares. She was first assigned to be one of the Castle Maids and clean the
ballroom day and night. Sometimes in her free time she was escorted into other rooms of the castle by some
of the other maids who were quite friendly but she couldn’t bother making friends. Her first will was to get
out of the Castle. Day after Day she would clean the Ballroom for hours and spend her sleeping hours
admiring the Castle Jewellers work. She had met an old woman who had such an amazing talent of creating
the most finest accessories with Pearl, sometimes she would let Ming Ming try form the Pearls together until
one night, everything changed. She had been 2 floors down from where she was put, and that was a big risk,
but the desire to go make beautiful jewellery always drove her down there where she was warmly welcomed
by the old lady. They heard footsteps coming down the cellar stairs and she felt a shiver pass her body, while
the caresses of fear made it immensely cold. Instead of spotting men in black suits with guns at every pocket
they met the Queen in her long silk dress covered with Pearls everywhere. Ming Ming started breathing
heavily as she glanced at the familiar face. The face, which was the Queens, that killed her family and left
her alone with her dear Old Grandmother. As madness drove through her body she found herself picking up
a knife and spearing down into the silk making a deep cut into the Queens body. Ming Ming started crying
heavily as the thought of the murder she just done reminded her that she was as cold-hearted as the Queen.
Before her lay the cries of the Queens regret, and the pearls spread across everywhere.
I
