He scrambled across the room, trying to run, but the room was dark and he stumbled over the objects that were laid across the room. He fell, and she was right behind him. He screamed as she touched his back with his hands. She called out, "Honey, is that you?"
Just days ago, they were the happiest couple in the world, just about to get married. She was blind, but he didn't mind. He loved her for who she was. It didn't matter that she had that physical defect; she was the most beautiful woman with the most amazing character. She stood strong and never once gave up during hardships. She was the strength behind him. And he was just about to propose. Suddenly he woke up in this dark unknown space.
He screamed her name in the dark, desperate to get her attention. She couldn't hear him anymore. Her ears were deaf as a set of noise-cancelling earplugs were stuffed into her ears. She walked around, stumbling and fumbling, unaware that this wasn't her room. Her body was wrapped with spikes, and she had gloves that had blades jutting over everywhere. Warm, fresh blood flowed from his back as he screamed in pain. He tried to avoid her, but it was almost impossible. He did a quick calculation and came up with a conclusion. They were trapped in a square room measuring 8x8 feet. There were random objects placed along the floor to make life difficult for them. His palms ached from the amount of times he tried to cushion his fall. The right side of his face was bruised, and his elbows were sore. His knees were full of cuts and scratches. Now, there was a deep cut in his back. He bit his teeth together in agony as he made his way around the room, desperately seeking for a switch, or an exit.
"Are you there? I'm scared. There's something on me that's making me really uncomfortable. Did you do it?"
"Don't come near me!! Stop moving!!"
Another blade slashed his forehead, barely missing his eye. He quickly figured they must have deafened her. Fatigue and pain slowly overcame him. He felt lightheaded from the blood lost. Another blade into his left calf and she fell over. He tried to pull out the broken blade. She called out to him again and again, but he couldn't approach her. He limped his way around the room.
"This isn't funny at all." he thought to himself. "Two deep cuts, a gash on my forehead, cuts and bruises everywhere... My fingers are beginning to feel cold and numb. Doesn't help that my head feels dizzy."
Finally, he found the light switch and managed to brighten up the room. He saw her condition and saw the earplugs in her ears. He walked towards her, attempting to "enlighten" her on the situation. But exhausted and due to the lack of blood, he collapsed.
24.6.09
22.6.09
of exams
yes, it's finally over. my first attempt at a long story.
now i can throw my exam paper away.
part one
part two
part three
part four
part five
part six
part seven
part eight
part nine
part ten
part eleven
part twelve
part thirteen
part fourteen
part fifteen
part sixteen
part seventeen
part eighteen
now i can throw my exam paper away.
part one
part two
part three
part four
part five
part six
part seven
part eight
part nine
part ten
part eleven
part twelve
part thirteen
part fourteen
part fifteen
part sixteen
part seventeen
part eighteen
18.6.09
crossing of two paths
His eyes looked swollen as it rested on the palms of his hands. His face had a lost look. His cheeks were still damp from the crying earlier. His throat was sore from the screaming he did last night. His pillow was still wet from his tears, mucus and saliva. The whites of his eyeballs were now red.
Life went on as usual. The sky looked bright and blue, just like any other days. The morning sun shone just enough to dry the clothes that hung on their racks after washing. There were a few clouds in the sky, one that looked similar to the face of a lion, the other of a deer. A flock of swallows circled the air, looking for trees to rest on. On a tree nearby, a crow perched on the branch, cawing away. Every now and then, a car would crawl past the neighbourhood. The breeze was perfect for a game of Frisbee or basketball. Not too strong to change the course of the game, but just right to cool down the players. It was a peaceful day, where housewives would take time out from housework to gossip in their neighbours' garden pergola as they sip on their earl grey tea in the most delicate manner.
It was one of those days that he would call a bunch of his friends out to the park or beach and mess around, doing everything any other teenager would do. A soda in one hand, a hotdog in the other, walking around the beach or park, enjoying the weather while daring each other to do nonsensical stuff, like saying a random line to strangers, or doing a handstand outside public toilets. It was just one of those days. Instead, he sat on the bench in his house porch, silently moaning about how unjust life has treated him.
He looked up at the sky and wanted to scream his lungs out, even though his voice had already gone coarse from the screaming into his pillow yesterday. He cried and wailed the whole night, but no one heard him. His pillow muffled the sound, loud enough only to the residents of the house he was in. But his brother was out on a date, as usual. His dad was too busy with work, and his mom was on a business trip out of state. It was just him, and his near-deaf grandpa in the house. No one heard his sorrow. He opened his mouth to scream, but something else caught his attention.
He saw a spider making its web at the corner of the awning. He looked on with his mouth still slightly open. He knew not what was so fascinating, but something just was. The spider spun her web with much agility and skill, bit by bit overlapping the outline of the web as it worked its way to setting a trap for the next unfortunate victim. Well, food from its point of view.
The wind blew, and the web was broken. The poor spider hung by the end of its thread, nothing else supporting it as it dangled in mid-air. It slowly made its way back up to the web and started all over again. The web was almost completed as the wind blew again. Again, the supporting lines gave way and the spider had to start all over again. Again and again this happened. For eight times, the poor spider had to start all over again. Then as it crawled across the outline of the ninth web, it wind blew and the spider fell from the ceiling as the web broke. Underneath, there was a bucket of water, and the spider fell into it. He got up from his seat and looked into the water. He started crying again.
Inside the bucket of water, he didn't just see a drowned spider. He saw himself. Not just a reflection, but the sad state he was in. He could relate to the spider.
He worked so hard in building the circle of friends he had. He thought he finally had a solid web of trust, but that joy ended in an instant as one of his friends told him that the rest never really treated him as a friend and that everything that he went through was all on the note of pretence. He moved on, and went on to find more and more friends. But time and time again, his trust was broken. People backstabbed him, they couldn't keep his secrets, they cheated on him, and they had used him. He had given up. Never would he trust anyone again.
Life went on as usual. The sky looked bright and blue, just like any other days. The morning sun shone just enough to dry the clothes that hung on their racks after washing. There were a few clouds in the sky, one that looked similar to the face of a lion, the other of a deer. A flock of swallows circled the air, looking for trees to rest on. On a tree nearby, a crow perched on the branch, cawing away. Every now and then, a car would crawl past the neighbourhood. The breeze was perfect for a game of Frisbee or basketball. Not too strong to change the course of the game, but just right to cool down the players. It was a peaceful day, where housewives would take time out from housework to gossip in their neighbours' garden pergola as they sip on their earl grey tea in the most delicate manner.
It was one of those days that he would call a bunch of his friends out to the park or beach and mess around, doing everything any other teenager would do. A soda in one hand, a hotdog in the other, walking around the beach or park, enjoying the weather while daring each other to do nonsensical stuff, like saying a random line to strangers, or doing a handstand outside public toilets. It was just one of those days. Instead, he sat on the bench in his house porch, silently moaning about how unjust life has treated him.
He looked up at the sky and wanted to scream his lungs out, even though his voice had already gone coarse from the screaming into his pillow yesterday. He cried and wailed the whole night, but no one heard him. His pillow muffled the sound, loud enough only to the residents of the house he was in. But his brother was out on a date, as usual. His dad was too busy with work, and his mom was on a business trip out of state. It was just him, and his near-deaf grandpa in the house. No one heard his sorrow. He opened his mouth to scream, but something else caught his attention.
He saw a spider making its web at the corner of the awning. He looked on with his mouth still slightly open. He knew not what was so fascinating, but something just was. The spider spun her web with much agility and skill, bit by bit overlapping the outline of the web as it worked its way to setting a trap for the next unfortunate victim. Well, food from its point of view.
The wind blew, and the web was broken. The poor spider hung by the end of its thread, nothing else supporting it as it dangled in mid-air. It slowly made its way back up to the web and started all over again. The web was almost completed as the wind blew again. Again, the supporting lines gave way and the spider had to start all over again. Again and again this happened. For eight times, the poor spider had to start all over again. Then as it crawled across the outline of the ninth web, it wind blew and the spider fell from the ceiling as the web broke. Underneath, there was a bucket of water, and the spider fell into it. He got up from his seat and looked into the water. He started crying again.
Inside the bucket of water, he didn't just see a drowned spider. He saw himself. Not just a reflection, but the sad state he was in. He could relate to the spider.
He worked so hard in building the circle of friends he had. He thought he finally had a solid web of trust, but that joy ended in an instant as one of his friends told him that the rest never really treated him as a friend and that everything that he went through was all on the note of pretence. He moved on, and went on to find more and more friends. But time and time again, his trust was broken. People backstabbed him, they couldn't keep his secrets, they cheated on him, and they had used him. He had given up. Never would he trust anyone again.
3.6.09
of exams (part 18)
The playing of the piano stopped instantly. The music echoed in the music room as they gradually faded away. Fear gripped John’s heart. He feared he would be kicked out from the house for simply touching stuff. He slowly turned his head. Every inch he turned, the faster his heart beat. Cold sweat beaded down the sides of his face. Tears sprouted out from his tear duct. For that moment, everything seemed to be running in slow motion. John turned and saw his uncle standing right next to the door, leaning against the wall behind him.
“Absolutely brilliant. But wait, I thought you never learnt music? Wow, that was fantastic. How long have you been learning? What’s the title of that marvellous piece you just played?”
John wiped the tears from his face. He saw a smile on his uncle’s face for the first time. His uncle walked towards him and patted his back.
“You okay, lad?”
Trembling, John stuttered as he answered his uncle.
“I don’t know sir. I have never seen this thing or heard of it until a few days back, when Janet was cleaning the house. What I did just now, I have no clue either.”
His uncle was dumbfounded. How is this even possible? A genius of music indeed, to be able play with such technique and skill barely knowing what a piano is. Amazing.
“That’s one of the best songs I’ve heard in my life!!! John, that’s what I call music.”
“Music....” he thought. “Music!”
A smile crept on his face. He felt this overwhelming joy in his heart. All his fears a moment ago were all forgotten.
“I love this thing called music!” he blurted out, without even thinking about what he wanted to say.
- THE END
“Absolutely brilliant. But wait, I thought you never learnt music? Wow, that was fantastic. How long have you been learning? What’s the title of that marvellous piece you just played?”
John wiped the tears from his face. He saw a smile on his uncle’s face for the first time. His uncle walked towards him and patted his back.
“You okay, lad?”
Trembling, John stuttered as he answered his uncle.
“I don’t know sir. I have never seen this thing or heard of it until a few days back, when Janet was cleaning the house. What I did just now, I have no clue either.”
His uncle was dumbfounded. How is this even possible? A genius of music indeed, to be able play with such technique and skill barely knowing what a piano is. Amazing.
“That’s one of the best songs I’ve heard in my life!!! John, that’s what I call music.”
“Music....” he thought. “Music!”
A smile crept on his face. He felt this overwhelming joy in his heart. All his fears a moment ago were all forgotten.
“I love this thing called music!” he blurted out, without even thinking about what he wanted to say.
- THE END