Adventure at the Great Wall
Hudson Kloss, Group 2: Fiction, The International School of Macao
oodnight everyone!” Mr. Greenwood called to his grade 6 students. It was the second night of
their trip to Guilin.
“
Ca
som
and
As Mr. Greenwood sat down to relax on the couch near his room, a voice called out
n we hear a story?” He got up from the couch and searched each room. Finally, he heard
eone say, “Please! We really would like a story!” Mr. Greenwood quietly entered the room
saw Will, Isaac, Mike, and Malcolm.
“
We would love to hear a story,” Malcolm begged. The boys had heard Mr. Greenwood was a brilliant
storyteller, so they wanted to test the rumor.
“
G
“
I don’t know. You’re supposed to be asleep,” Mr. Greenwood replied.
“
No one will know! We love stories!” Isaac pleaded. His persistence payed off as Mr. Greenwood gave
into his request.
“
Have you four ever heard of the story of the two friends who met a stranger at the Great Wall?” asked
Mr. Greenwood.
“
No,” said the boys.
“
It was a welcoming, sunny day in the middle of summer. Two tourists, a mother and a daughter,
planned a trip to the Great Wall.” Mr. Greenwood began.
“
I can’t believe we’re actually here!” Claire, the daughter exclaimed.
“
Me either, this is definitely a once-in-a-life time opportunity,” Janet added. They walked up the stairs
in a peaceful silence. It didn’t take long for them to get really excited and take an endless amount of photos.
“
Wow! With all the photos we are taking we’ll be able to give each person in the entire town a
different photo!” exclaimed Claire.
Janet was just as excited. They even had bought a new camera that could fit a large camera roll holding
up to 2,500 photos.
Click! Click!
Went the camera. Suddenly the camera was snatched from her hands and Janet wasn’t
looking through the lens anymore, she was staring into thin air! She turned to her left and saw Claire chasing a
man running fast with her camera! “Stop! That’s not your camera!” she cried angrily for the man to stop.
The man turned around with a wicked smile on his face and said, “Do you really want this back? It
doesn’t look that great.”
Claire inched closer to the stranger.
“
I guess if you want it, we can make a deal.”
Claire dove at the camera, only to find she was headed face first into the floor. She wanted to cry, but
was too furious.
“
We shouldn’t have to make a . . .” Claire was cut short.
“
What kind of deal? If you intend to hurt us, I will call the police!” Janet barked.
“
That won’t be necessary, and I can’t tell you the deal, you’ll just have to trust me.” The stranger had
the same wicked smile on his face. Janet signaled for Claire to get up and they followed the stranger for what
felt like hours.
It was now around lunch. Both girls were famished and needed a break. They argued with the stranger
to stop for a break and eat the lunches they had packed.
Finally, they came to a staircase leading down to the base of the wall. “Ladies first!” the man joked and
gestured for the girls to go. As the ladies descended the stairs, Tye (the girls started to call him that), kicked at
part of the wall and it crumbled opening up to a cave.
“
This man is insane! Do you really trust he’ll give the camera back?” Claire asked Janet as they walked
into the cave.
“
If he doesn’t give the camera back, I’ll call the police. For that reason I trust he’ll give it back,” Janet
reassured Claire.
They walked a few feet into the cave and stopped. Tye was searching his bag for a flashlight. Almost
instinctively Claire and Janet rummaged through their bags. They consumed their ham sandwiches quick as
lightening.
Finding his flashlight, Tye ordered the girls to move deeper into the cave. All of them stubbed their
toes on rocks and at one point Tye started cursing. After fifteen minutes they hit a dead end.
“
You dragged us down here to meet a dead end!” Claire shrieked.
“
No. First of all I didn’t drag you. Secondly, this wall shouldn’t be here.” Tye said calmly.