Running Home

We were in campus and suddenly there was screaming in the court yard. Everyone panicked and assumed the worst. True enough, our campus was being invaded by zombies. Everyone tried to save themselves and managed to do it quite easily as they zombies were not very fast.

The 4 of us managed to get into a car. This was great as a moving vehicle not only provided a shield but allowed us to out run the zombies. We just have to stay in the car and keep on driving...

***

Our plan was to get home to our families since our college town was destroyed. The problem was we would soon run out of gas and had to refuel our car. But doing that would mean stopping and getting out of the car. We had to be careful.

***

We made a few stops along the way to seek shelter. One of them being in a Christian sanctuary located in a hill top town. The priest working there was very welcoming and prepared a room for us. While we were waiting for our room, we heard a knock on the door. Girl Guides were offering to sell cookies.

The priest said he will sort that out later after we get settled in. But, a zombie attacked those 3 girls while they were out side and turned them into zombies too. One zombie couldn't possibly break the church doors, but 4 did it without effort.

We quickly made our escape and drove away as fast as we could, but for some reason, we left the poor priest behind!

Caves

Steven had to save his 3 guardians. They were being attacked and their energy and life were slowly being drained out. He had to get to them and bring a rejuvenation potions to heal them.
But he also had to block a portal to prevent a flood from devouring the cave of wonders he was in. The cave had many rooms and mazes with each having their own magical powers. His guardians were in one of the many thousand rooms. Once steven found a substitute to help him block the floor hole, he went to collet ingredients to make the potion and randomly chose a room to work in. The cave was pink and purple. Shaped almost like the inside of intestine. Or... was it a brain?
While he was working in one of the rooms, he heard laughter and conversation. When he observed it closely, he realised it was someone he knew. His aunt and uncle. But they looked different. More fresh. Younger. And they were! It was them in the past, having a conversation about their future, their children and Steven too. But they couldn't see "future" Steven there watching them. So he just listened while he worked. Making small comments here and there on what his uncle and aunt were saying as he knew the outcome of some of their predicaments.

Then suddenly they heard him. And noticed him. He asked if they recognised him. "Do I look like an older version of a baby you know?". His aunt knew straight away. 

The room he was in brings moments from the future and past and plays them like a video or tape. Just that one moment. Like reliving a memory or living a future vision. Sometimes the moment replays on and on. Sometimes it changes to another memory of a different person. Was it random? Steven had a feeling not. He thinks the room brings the memory for a reason and won't let go of it until they do what they need to. Maybe it even brings the memory for the person listening and watching to realise and understand something.

Then he realised it. One of the decisions his aunt made that day affected the course of his future. It helped him in the situation he was in. And true enough once he realised this, the scene changed and it was a different memory playing in that room. But why was his aunt suddenly able to see him? And speak to him? Did that not change her memory of the event in the future? Maybe the moment she saw him wasn't the actual event but a dream she had later that night about the earlier event and in that dream was were she saw Steven.

Battle of the Dorms, Sexes and Species

A boarding school where students were, for some reason, brainwashed. They we made to hate students from other dorms to make them more competitive.

They were made to see the opposite gender either as siblings or another species to avoid them from having feelings for one another. To avoid being distracted from their studies of course.

In one of the water polo competitions there was a misunderstanding. One of the divers dove before the whistle was blown to save a drowning team mate and was disqualified. He was severely punished. This angered the crowd as it was clearly an act to save a life.

The students started to feel uneasy and confused why such a thing was seen as a norm in the school.

They started forming groups to conspire against the school. Can they free themselves? Can they figure out what has been done to them? Will they realise gilrs aren't girraffes and boys arent crocodiles?

How to be Something You Miss?

A year ago, she moved into a new house. Just two doors away from... him.

When she walked over to her direct neighbours house he watched her.

There was a welcome party there. The kids were playing with water guns. He told her he liked her. She said she had someone else back home.

As days passed, he helped around her house. Soon she liked him too. He taught her new things. Helped her make friends and made her a different person. Someone friendlier. Warmer.

***

Flash forward to today, she is heartbroken and he had left her because he wanted to follow his own path. He said they wanted different things and couldn't be together. She felt he was going down a road she could not follow. The path was dark and he became cold.

They went through some rough patches while they were together. The worst event was when they were out with a another couple, a girl and a guy. During the outing, they fell into an argument with each other. One thing led to another and the couple was never to be seen again.

Sometimes she would get nightmares of the girl. Her dad will be driving and she is in the passenger seat and the girl would try to ask for help and try to get in the car but they just continue driving.

But the drive was slow. So slow the girl would be able to follow right next to car. Haunting them.

***

They are no longer together but she is telling the story of how they met in this dream.

She just watches as her family laughs and have fun and for some reason she thinks;

Where is he now and what is he doing? Why did he leave her? Why does she miss him?

Days

The world repeats itself from day to day. When midnight comes, yesterday is today. Today is tomorrow. All the days, the same..

Humans in this world were programmed to repeat their lives. They were stuck in one day, forever. But they didn't know it.

Adam managed to free himself from the brainwashing and the hypnotised state everyone else was in. He managed to free his friend Anna as well.

He had this theory that somewhere underground there was a control room that had a switch that would shut off the chips in everyone heads that forced them to reset their days.

For some reason, he was confident of it.

***

Anna allowed him to stay her place and in return he would help her family remember too. He managed to help them remember and not to repeat the same day.

Anna told her parents to meet her in the kitchen that night to discuss her plans to help Adam.

That night, she walked to the kitchen and no one was there. She went to look for her parents. She went to their room and sure enough, they were on their bed reading. Just like they always do. Every night.

Anna’s family had relapsed. They began to repeat the days again. Anna was afraid.

***

Adam's plan was to slowly search for the underground room everyday till they found it, using clues and by doing research.

However, Adam and Anna's unfamiliar day to day pattern was detected since it was not repetitive, and they were caught.

Adam was caught and his brother was sure his planned had failed. It turns out his brother was the one behind it all.

Anna  was caught by the robots who were design to keep the system in place. They took her away to avoid any more problems and tried to "fix" her.

Little did they knew of the butterfly affect that had taken place due to Anna’s absence..

Anna had made many plans that day (just like everyday) with various people. And they did not meet her, they deviated from what was planned for them

When all the people she was suppose to meet that day became worried, they deviated from their pattern and began to ask questions and search for her. The massive surge of confusion  and unfamlair patterns caused the system to break down on its own.

Everyone was free.

***

Adam was confronting his brother at the time. Asking questions and wondered why he did all this in the first place.

His brother was obsessed with keeping this the same and organised. He was stuck in the past and didn't want to ket go. He wanted to have control of everything.

But could he control Adam?

Who would win between the two?

Forget...

Every time you set foot in that house, you find it hard to remember. You keep forgetting everything. The longer you stay the more you forget, and eventually you forget that you can leave the house.

Then you forget everything.

***

For some reason, the 5 of us moved. We moved into a new house. It was a smaller house, but it didn't really matter. We didn't stay at home often anyway. It was simply a place to stay.

To avoid having to redecorate the house or make any repairs, the agents made sure the occupants are always in a "daze" and a confused state of mind. In that house, you forget what happened in the last 5 minutes. Then it becomes worse, you start to forget what happened in the pass hour, day, month maybe.

Who knows. Who cares.

You look outside and think, I should go outside? Should I? Can I? Wait... what?

What?

And think again, should I go outside? And again, and again. But you won't leave, because you can't.

You don't know what you're doing, where you are, why you're there. You just walk about the house aimlessly. Sleep, when you're tired, eat when you're hungry. But you will forget why is it you are actually living.

You start to forget what goes on outside the house. Who the people are around you. You forget how to leave the house. Trapped in something that goes on in a continuous repetitive cycle.

In the end, you end up paying rent without complaints.

All a big conspiracy to trick people into paying for things you don't even know what you need it for.

Javanese Islands

My mother, her daughter’s and her nieces went to visit our great aunt. She lived on her own island. It was one of the Javanese Islands. She lived alone. At least so we thought.

We took a boat to cross the sea that was hard and the waves were high. 100 m away from the island we could see our dear aunt waiting at the dock. Waiting to welcome us. The house was quite a decent size, large in fact, for some one living alone. It was 2 storey house, full of antique furniture. It was creepy most definitely, yet it felt warm and comfortable. I am one who has difficulty adjusting to new places, especially houses that have been built years and years ago, yet still maintained its fittings from way back then. But some how, I could adjust into this new setting.

After dinner, we went upstairs to sit in the family room. In the living room. Funny it is called the living room, cause what we didn’t know was it was filled with the dead.

Suddenly we saw a little person run across. This little person was a clown. This clown was not very happy. This clown was evil. The evil wanted to attack. The attack was directed to the children. The children were afraid. The fear made our aunt worry.  My grand aunt quickly put the clown into a little jar and placed it on the desk.

That night, for some reason my mother decided to check if the clown was still inside, she opened the lid of the jar, and sure enough the clown escaped. Worried about our fate, we all slept in one big room that night.

Then, one of us suddenly decided to go to the bathroom, of course we went a group, and of course the clown found us. But it didn’t harm us, it just wanted to apologize for all the decades it has been harming children. The clown said it has change.

My grand aunt was skeptical about the clown's words, but decided to allow it to be free, with the condition it was chained with a spell.

It was an interesting trip to my aunt's place. Every family has secrets. Mine is no different.

Loch Ness Monster

Millions of years ago, dragons were a common sight. They were abundant in nature but like any wildlife, dangerous in their own way.

These dragons would fly in the skies and occasionally dive into the seas to go for a swim.

One day, they decided to dive in. And for some reason, one of them decided to stay a bit longer than the other in the waters. It stayed maybe a few days, weeks perhaps as it was enjoying the waters.

What it didn't know was, while he was in the water, the skies were being attached. A poisonous gas being released to kill off dragons who inhaled the air.

The dragon who remained in the water was trapped. If he went up, he would die too.

So it decided to stay in the water. In slowly evolved to adapt life in the water. It now roams the icy seas alone.

Turn for the Worse

After driving miles and miles, they finally ended up near a small motel, the four of them had rented a car during their back packing adventure. The four of them were exhausted. Bobby, Cobby, Mina and Aly.

However they were extremely unlucky. They were at the wrong place at the wrong time. There was a sudden raid during their stay, people were angry and everything was on fire. It was all a blur. They must have been knocked out or collapse due to the smoke.

The next day, they woke up in a smokey room. They went down to the main reception/restaurant to get something to eat. After having breakfast, they decided to pay and get started on their journey.

The cashier wasn't there. Bobby decided to leave some money and just leave as they were in a rush. But then he noticed a familiar plastic bag at the counter. He then asked Cobby if he had all his valuables with him. Cobby realized they were missing. Just as Bobby suspected, they were inside the plastic bag. The cashier must have stolen it last night. Bobby then went behind the counter and found a few more missing items of theirs.

Just then, the cashier returned and accused them of stealing his items.

They told him it was theirs to begin with. The cashier then said he took those items during last nights raid, and items taken during raids are considered unowned and free for anyone's taking. But since the raid is over, taking his item would be considered stealing. That was the way things worked in Portale.

They decided to take the items back anyway, and the cashier called the police.

Now the four of them were wanted and were being hunted and tracked by a corrupted system.

They drove towards an abandoned building and hid in a parking lot. But then suddenly they were surrounded by several people with guns, mostly women. And they had no way to escape.

But for some reason, they managed to avoid any blood shed and made it out of that town.

Hot Air Balloon

My cousins had invited my family and I for a holiday.

It was to go back to Indonesia for a few days.

But this holiday, they decided to do something different. Our mode of transportation was a hot air balloon.

It was like a trend and we decided to try something new. There were about 5 hot air balloons that were set to make the journey to Jakarta. The 8 of us (My 3 cousins and their Mum, plus my 2 sisters, my mum and me), shared a basket.

For some reason, no one was taking pictures an stuff.

Surprisingly, the journey was quite short.

When we were nearly there, we had to land using a parachute. Only the parachute was not strapped around your torso, but you had to hold it with you hand like a little helium balloon.

I was quite nerve wrecking to land but over all it was an interesting experience.

Hell Hath No Fury Like a Woman's Scorn

There was this celebrity, of mix ethnicity background. When he was in his about 10 and his mother was almost 50.

His parents wanted another child, but his mother was no longer unable to conceive. So they got a surrogate.

Here is her story.

The surrogate was of same ethnicity as her husband and was much younger than she was. Half her age.

Back then, there was only one way to get pregnant. For some reason the "traditional method" was the only choice.
The other woman had an agenda. She knew it. She was after her husband or one of her older sons.

She was so caught up in worrying about her other sons and husband. She forgot about the youngest, and that was the one the other woman was after.

She became furious. She started throwing books at the other woman and asked her male servants to dispose of the injured woman.

During my interview with her, she said she does not regret hurting her. Not one bit.

I asked her if my father and I could investigate her home further and she was more than happy to allow us.

My father and I were both investigators for the scotland yard. Their home was like a big tent.  Tent with many stories. Four I think. It was a cylindrical shape tent, like a circus one, but had four stories. And it was purple.

At the back of their tent mansion, they had a pond. Inside we found bodies. But they were from the 1800 maybe even 1700. And they were well preserved.

My father told me it is because of the weather. Cool and crisp.

They smelled like jack fruit.

I was kind nauseous, so we left the scene and left the further investigations to the archeologist.

My Sister's Special Slideshow

We gathered at Pak Tok's for our usual family dinner-get-together-things.

J had a school project. A presentation if you will. She wanted to practice presenting it in front of the family before she had to do it in school.

She said, "this is going to be really special".  "My show is going to about cartoon characters. My very own creation. These characthers can then step out of the slides and come to life". "Make sure no one touches my slides okay?". She left the slides in a room upstairs. She left it for me to look after. Then I got hungry.

So I walked down stairs to get a snack. When I came back, the door was slightly ajar. Kimi was inside. She had dream all over the slides. Her creations. Then, the drawings started crawling out of the slides. They were not very well behaved.

I tried to set things right, but dinner was about to start, so I grabbed Kimi and quickly casted a spell to keep the monsters in check.

Let us make a simple deal
All these monsters to be sealed
To prevent them from going out
Walking all around and about

When I came back to check on them, Cream-Cheese had been inside too. She opened the doors and let the drawings free.

I had to cast an obliviation spell on them. Say a few words, make eye contact and poof. They'll be gone forever. It was a bit drastic, but I was getting desperate.

Slowly I managed to get rid of them, even those J intended for the presentation. For some reason, I didn't start killing them off sooner.

Burning Down Bangsar

After the party, Azu, Karre and I were just sitting around and catching up on old times. We met up not because we wanted to, but because fate decided to put us there together.

We came for an open house. A christmas party of a friend of ours. We sat outside under a tent that extended from the terrace house. Then Azu started messing with one of the Christmas lights attached around the owner's car tyre.

It burst.

Everything suddenly caught on fire. And the flame spread to the house. To the whole neighbourhood, the roads, the trees, everything.

It was about 6 am. Dawn.

I started running. Running home. Running to my family. I needed to warn them and save them from the flames. I reached my real home.

My father was already up and preparing for our evacuation. I woke my mother up and told her and my sisters to wait in our car. While a was helping my grandfather to the car, my dad carried his mother to the vehicle.

We then drove off towards a tunnel which will lead to our safety. We brought only the essentials as you would in any situation of emergency.

Once we crossed the tunnel, they closed it to prevent the fire from spreading further.

We were safe. But not for long. The troubles of poverty were soon going to hit us. We had nothing but a few items packed from home. My father sold his phone and camera. My sister and I were very lucky as we had our iPads packed in our backpacks. We sold those too.

We had to start new.

For some reason, we were in some middle eastern country.

Mad Circus House

It was one of those "reality" tv game shows. There were fixed characters who had fixed roles and scripts, but every episode, they would change the actors who played them.

Complete your task and win the game. Each actor was given a different task. We weren't real actors. More like participants of a game show. Only, for some reason, I don't know I would even sign up for something as crazy as this.

***

In a house, lived a couple with a child. Sharing the house was the wife's ex husband and their two children. In addition, there were two other occupants, the housekeepers. They lived together as all of them were part of the circus and the adults in the scenario ran the circus as a business together.

The story would always start out the same way. The husband would overhear his wife and her ex husband talk, and misunderstand the conversation. He would get angry and his role was to kill them. Once completing that, to win the game, he had to kill everyone else in the house.

The task given to the wife and her ex was only to kill the jealous husband. Then, they would have won.

While this scene is in motion, the other participants/actors have to prepare themselves should the jealous husband succeed.

My sister and I played the roles of the 2 children from the wife's previous marriage. Our task was to kill the jealous father. The same task was given to the housekeepers.

The daughter of the jealous husband, had the task of killing her mother and her ex husband.

***

There was a closet filled wit weapons. I was to late and the good ones were taken. I was left with useless items such as canes and umbrellas. So I devised a plan. I would hide weapons in each part of the house, as tools to help me. The house had many levels and rooms. I hid in the attic.

The jealous husband completed his first task. Now to kill everyone else.

I heard him climbing up the ladder to the attic and prepared myself. Has he emerged I push him with the umbrella and he fell off the ladder and broke his back. I assumed he would soon die.

I thought we had one. But there was a twist.

The jealous man's daughter now had to kill everyone else. She was too upset about her father's death, I was her first target. Fortunately, my sister saved me in time.

Brave Soldier.

The platoon consisted of 8 little girls. One of them was my baby sister.

My mother and I were furious the government didn't consent us before signing up my sister to battle. They had placed her and seven other 16 year old girls in the front line in the battle field.

For some reason, the other more experienced soldiers used little girls as shields.

Officials were being very vague and avoided answering questions directed to them by the parents. Typical.

They refused to give out any information except for the fact that the status of the soldiers will be posted online for everyone to see. Once the battle started, the website was in motion. There were 2 simple columns, One was the names of soldiers, and next to it, their status. Alive. MIA. Dead.

My mother and I were in a waiting room with a parent of one of the other girls. Once the gates open. Her daughter died straight away. Tragic. Her status quickly changed on the monitor of the flat screen in the waiting room.

The battle finally ended. Only one out of the 8 survived. My sister. We demanded that she was returned to us immediately. But as usual, they refused to disclose anything to us.

So I decided to barge into the quarters of the soldiers and take my sister with by force.

I have never been so angry before.

The Only Way

I demanded the vampire to turn back my father to human. However, the vampire had to give vampire blood in bottles to each of his victims and me. This was to protect us incase he decides to inject us, we could protect ourselves with his blood. He was also conditioned to only one host at a time, whom he can feed from. This host was to be selected and approved by me.

***

4 years later.

For some reason, we still kept in touch. He wasn't so bad actually. He had his good points. His humour was actually entertaining, in a sarcastic and sinistic sort of way. He would some times hang out with my friends to. They didn't know what he was of course. He would follow us to parties at night, or meet up at dark venues.

The victims I chose for him, were mostly those who were dying, or had a terminal illness. It was still wrong, but what choice did I have. I needed my father and this was the only way.

The more time I spent with him, the more I felt comfortable with the whole vampire idea.

***

I was 24 when both of us realised it. He knew it, and so did I. I wanted to be a vampire too.

He told me I was almost as vain he was, wanting to live forever.

But I was sure of it.

I wanted it.

Too Mainstream of a Dream.

Everyday I would roam the hospital corridors. My father was a doctor there and I spent most of my time after school in the hospital he worked in while waiting for him. There was not much to do after completing my homework, especially when I am only 12, and my work load is not very challenging. So I made friends with nurses mostly. I befriended some patients too, but they come and go.


I would observe the habits of those around me. Their behavior and daily patterns and routines. Most the nurses have almost predictable routines. All but one. She was young, not very pretty, not very noticeable and not very special. But the things she did, and the way she did it, caught my attention.


She was in charge of dealing with dead bodies. I for one suspected she volunteered to take that job. But ever since she took the post, there has been a disturbingly rapid increase in the number of dead bodies. Of females especially.


When she wheels them off to the morgue, she likes to do it herself. She volunteer herself to do it in a jolly manner, excited almost.


I also noticed the bodies of these females, look like they still had colour. They didn't have that stiff, pale and cold look. They looked like they were just sleeping, and not dead.


I decided to investigate the case. I secretly followed the nurse to the morgue. I sneaked in the doors as she placed the body on the silver table.


Then, I watched as the nurse grab a few tools. A syringe. It was filled with a red liquid which I presumed was blood. Then I noticed the body move. It was breathing! I knew it! She wasn't dead! She was just unconscious, I thought.


The nurse then used the syringe to insert the blood into the mouth of the woman.


Just then, I man appeared from the back door. He had dark hair, pale skin that was sickly looking, but his physical form seemed healthy and strong.


To my shock, the man started to suck on the woman's neck.


For some reason, I ended up in one of those over rated vampire stories. I was kinda annoyed. But never the less, I had to do something about this situation.


I went home and did some research on vampires and how to stop them.


I found out that their victims had to drink a small amount of vampire blood. This is to allow the victim to be bounded to the vampire. Thus allowing the vampire to feed on the victim. It is sort of like when a dog marks its territory.


Also, the only way to stop a vampire is to inject it with to drops of its own blood, then a hug, by a child has to be given to the vampire.

***

I told my father about the situation, he believed me. However, I suspect the only reason he did was cause he wanted to humor me, and he knew I wont leave him alone until he does believe me.

The next day he followed stalk the nurse. True enough, another female "body". When she brought the body to the morgue, my father questioned her, and she told him the lady was truly dead. My dad checked her pulse, and sure enough, she didn't have a pulse.

My father lectured me.  Just then, the vampire appeared and turn my father into a bird.

He then tried to inject his blood into me. I snatched the syringe from him and ran towards the exit door, then he grabbed my arm. I then quickly injected the blood into him. Twice. Then I gave the vampire a hug.

He then started to shrink into a small vampire. Palm size. I then trapped him under a basin. The nurse and several other female victims then emerged. They thanked me and asked me to kill the vampire.

Just when I was about to, the vampire made me a proposition. He told me if I let him live, he would give immunity to his previous victims and me and also turn my father back to human, given that he was allowed to live and feed on other victims.

I knew what had to be done.

Blood is Thicker than Water

They were 3 sisters and each had exceptionally extraordinary abilities in combat.


The first was very skillful with knives and swords. The second had strength in archery and was good and using arrows and spears. The youngest was flexible and had excellent coordination, balance and upper body strength.


Their abilities were made known the monks of a mystical temple. These monks summoned the sisters and offered them a position as the Temple Warriors. In return they will be given a place to stay, plus they will be paid for their services.


They would have to train and be alert as they had to protect ancient scrolls, magical artifacts and many other mystical objects that held secrets only the monks knew about.


They accepted the offer in a heartbeat. Although life as Temple Warriors were not as modern as the lifestyle they were accustomed to, who would reject an offer to be paid to do something you're natural at? It like being paid to breathe.

***

The temple also trained Guardians of Elements. They had abilities to manipulate elements of nature and their duty was to maintain the balance of nature.

The Guardian of water approached the second sister. He confessed his admiration towards her and they both started a relationship.

The Guardian of Light approached the first sister. Although she was very flattered, she rejected his proposal and insisted they kept their relationship strictly professional.

***

A few months after accepting the monks offer, a permanent offer was given to the first sister. She was given a permanent position as Temple Warrior and was selected as the leader of the 3 sisters. It was later known that the position was intended to be offered to the second sister. However, the monks agreed that she has been distracted lately. Although her abilities did not deteriorate, they believed she could serve better had she not been so distracted by her emotions towards the Guardian of Water.

After finding out about the situation, the second sister was furious. She was upset and angry. She needed someone to talk to. She searched for the third sister. She was shocked to find her laughing and giggling by the lake with the Guardian of Water.

The second sister felt so betrayed.

She planned and attack on both her sisters. She ambushed them while they were meditating.

Her sisters were shocked. They tried to defend themselves.

It was a difficult battle. The second sister was fueled with anger and rage. Her intentions were purely to harm her sisters. This gave her an advantage to fight.

Her sister however, were trying to defend themselves and were trying not the harm the second sister but simply buying time to calm her and rationalize the situation with her.

"You know the both of you are my priority! I would have shared the money they paid me! I will take care of the both you. No matter what happens," said the first sister.

"I can't believe you would think I would steal him from you! I would never go after him. In fact, I'm quite surprised you would go after him. He's not all that great. He's quite lame actually," said the youngest. "He was just helping me with combat."

"Liars! You two are ruining my future!"

During the battle, the Guardian of Light tried to slip in weapons for the first sister to make it an easier fight.

Suddenly, the second sister stopped. For some reason, she started running. Running towards the forest. She kept on running till she disappeared.

Time

Have you ever done something that you wish you didn't, and wish that someone could have stopped you before you did it? Have you ever said something that you wish you could have taken back?


She was on a camping trip with her family. Father, mother and her little brother. They were in a forest and they had just finished swimming in the lake. It was not a perfect day, but it was nice to spend it with her family.


The wind was blowing. She could hear her parents just a few feet behind her, chatting away. Her brother who the most excited was way ahead, rushing into the lush forest.


"Woahh," he said. "Look what I found."


And suddenly there was a loud bang.


Everything went silent. Like she was deaf. The next few moments felt like a daze. She felt like she was experiencing a moment where you are outside your body, and watching yourself go through what was coming.


There was an explosion. Her brother had accidentally triggered an old bomb. The bomb had blinded him and cause severe damage to his skin.


Forever scarred.

***

5 years later, she is proud of how both her brother and mother have managed all these year given the condition of her brother after the accident.

He was still his jolly and cheerful self, if not he was even more optimistic now. Even though his eyesight was gone, she felt like he could see even more now. Not with his eyes, but his heart.

Everyday, he would tell her something wise or something that leaves her thinking, pondering, wondering.

Their father had left them not long after the accident. He said he needed time alone. He basically couldn't handle the pressure of raising a son was disabled. He disgusted her, and yet she still longed for her father to walk through the front door, give her mother a big kiss, pick her brother up and give her those massive and warm hugs that she misses.

She also often feels regret and painful guilt.

Why hadn't she been more responsible? Why didn't she walk with her brother? She should have been there to take care of him. She should have been watching him.

He tells her it was meant to be. He told her to think of it as a blessing in disguise. He was willing to accept it as a gift, as had he not triggered the bomb, he would have not appreciate life as much as he did today. Or perhaps, the authorities would have not searched to forest to discover 17 more bombs that could have cause danger to others.

***

Everyone could see she was unhappy. Her bother's accident had put her in a state of depression.

She would walk through the town running her errands everyday with the same hollow look on her face. She repeats everyday with the same routine. Going to school, then to work to earn some extra income as her mother could not get a stable job as she was taking care of her son who was not only blind but suffered extensive skin corrosion. She then would buy supplies from the market place from the same stores, buying the same things from the same people.

Until one day, they lady who sold dairy could not take it any longer.

"My dear," she said, "Let me help you."

"I have a friend who can help you with your sorrows, she can help you. She can give you second chance."

For some reason, she agreed to accept the offer. What other choice did she have? Anything is better than the current situation.

She followed the given address and ended up standing in front of a posh looking building. She went in and was amazed by the decor. It was like a set of a photo shoot for fashion magazine.

She asked the receptionist to see if this "friend" was available.

She was directed into a hallway which had plush purple carpet stretched all the way to the end of the hall. At the end of the hall was a door.

She pushed through the door and inside was a woman. She was old but glamorous. She had big orange hair and bright make up. There were four other people in the room all busily taking notes as the woman was talking, They too were dressed in a "unique" style.

She was so awed the she tripped and accidently pushed the woman causing her to lose balance and her orange hair fell off. It was a wig. Everyone gasped. Without it, she was just a plain old lady.

"I was going to make a trade in exchange for my services. But given the circumstances, and how you ambushed me, I guess I will have to help you for free," said the old woman.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you see if your brother had not been in an accident, you would not be depressed, the milk lady would have not referred me to you and you my dear girl, would have not clumsily pushed me to embarrass me in front of my staff and ruin my image of someone who is known with an eccentric yet admirable appearance."

She continued "Blow this whistle and time will turn to the moment you wish to be in. You can stop the explosion, you can reverse the mistake."

***

The wind was blowing. She could hear her parents just a few feet behind her, chatting away. Her brother who the most excited was way ahead, rushing to the lush forest.