Fiction: Group 2
The Pearl in the River
German Swiss International Primary School, Wong, Ashley - 11, Fiction: Group 2
t was night time. The moon glistened brightly like a thousand stars, casting a shimmering reflection on
the river. It was silent, deathly silent. Suddenly, a thundering of hooves rumbled through the
atmosphere and a high, frantic scream cut through the night, echoing around the jagged rocks. A pale-
faced woman, holding the hem of her gown, hurried towards the still water while fearfully looking behind
her. Her dress was torn and shredded; her sleeves were ripped and bedraggled. She wore a glimmering pearl
necklace and the rubies on her earrings glowed in the night. Just then, a beam of light shone on the woman,
revealing a crown, a glowing silver crown of an Empress. In a flash, a rope spiked with poisonous thorns,
lashed out around her waist, jerking her to the ground. As the Empress lay on the rocky riverside,
unmoving, the eerie melody of a Chinese flute floated through the night. Its tune snaked over the rocks and
boulders, reaching the frail Empress. A drop of blood trickled down from her forehead onto the ground. A
small pearl detached itself from the Empress’s necklace, rolled down and dissolved into the river, leaving a
pearly sheen on the surface. At its first touch of water, a glowing ripple appeared, illuminating the whole
river with a brilliant white light. Then, it was gone and it was only the pearl, the enchanted pearl that shone
with light on the murky riverbed. And all that time, the Chinese flute played on, its melody ringing up in
the night, to the moon, the stars and beyond.
It was afternoon in Dong Guan and the streets were bustling with people. The sun shone unmercifully onto
the customers queuing impatiently to buy noodles at a dishevelled, scruffy stall. Children chased each other
round in circles in the market square. A man with knotted black hair flipped through a newspaper until he
reached the fifth page. His eyes widened and he swallowed. Their Empress was dead. Dead. A fat woman
with grey hair and rosy cheeks glanced at the man’s newspaper, and then ran away, shrieking. All at once,
the whole market was silent.
Meanwhile, the princess, heiress to the throne, sat with her head in her hands. She turned and walked to the
statue of her Mother, the Empress, who was standing, holding the orb and sceptre and smiling warmly. As
The princess touched her stone mother’s shoulder, a tear trickled down her cheek and splashed onto the
stone floor. Then, the statue’s eyes glowed white. Her mouth creaked open and blue mist wafted out.
Suddenly, the princess found herself in a dark cave. In the cave was a small stream, flowing away into
darkness. There was a small wooden boat on the river banks.
The princess hastily clambered into the boat. Almost immediately, she felt the stream push her boat forward
then she felt herself fall down, down and down...
The princess opened her eyes. She was waist-deep in water. The princess saw a small piece of paper floating
nearby. She reached out and grabbed the note. It said:
Look for a red pebble.
Under the red pebble will be a hole where you will find a key.
Swap the key with an eyeball.
Dive underwater and search for a giant clam.
Inside the clam, you will find a giant pearl, and a tiny bead.
Take the smaller pearl.
Now, search for a pit.
Drop the pearl into the pit.
Warning: this will cost you your life.
The princess frantically scanned the riverbanks and then spotted a red stone. She hurried over and lifted up,
revealing a hole. In the small hole was a tiny key, shining with bright light. The princess pulled out the jar
containing the eyeball. Closing her eyes in disgust, she tipped the eyeball into her hands, grabbed the key,
and dunked the eyeball into the hole. Then, holding the key, she dove underwater. The water was murky
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