The Sacrificial Children
Cynthia Yu, Group 2: Fiction, Yew Chung International School Primary Section
ong ago, there was a girl named Chang. Her parents died in a terrible war not long after she was
born.
One day when she was in search of a new home, she saw a hooded figure behind a tattered
cardboard box in a dark and cold alley. She crept up to the figure and saw that it was a girl, about
the same age as her. The girl looked scared, but she had intense gray eyes like storm clouds that
seemed to think at a hundred miles an hour.
Chang gently asked: “ What’s your name?”
L
“
Cheng.” The girl replied. “ What are you going to do to me?” Her expression was wary and cautious.
Chang smiled, hoping she would calm the girl down. “ Why are you living in this cold place?” She tried not to
sound too offensive.
“
My parents died.” Cheng said.
“
Listen,” Chang sympathized,” my parents died. I ran away as well. How would you like to come live with
me?”
In Chang’s heart, she pleaded:
please agree. I need a family!
Cheng’s eyes grew wide.
“
Really? Promise you’ll take me?” Cheng’s eyes grew wide.
“
I promise. You’re my family now. We’ll survive together. Let’s go in the woods up the mountain.”
Cheng happily followed Chang up the mist covered mountain, but Chang was aware of something that would go
very, very wrong.
The girls finally built a shelter in the mountains made of branches. They created bows and weapons for danger
and hunting prey . They used fresh moss to drink water. When they settled down and made a warm fire, Chang
glanced at Cheng; she was staring into the distance, like she knew something important. Her eyes glowed like
lava, reflecting the fire. ”What are you thinking about?” Cheng sighed. “ When I was six, I heard a legend that
was really disturbing. But it doesn’t matter now.” But to Chang’s surprise, a tear traced its way down Cheng’s
cheek. “I don’t know what to do.” She sobbed. She looked scared and hopeless. “ Hey, it’s okay. You’ve got me
now. Don’t get your hopes up too quickly. Everything will be fine.” Just as Chang said it, she felt bad.
How can
I promise a child like this that
anything
would be okay?
She wondered. “ Get some sleep; I’ll take first watch.”
Cheng nodded and fell asleep. She went outside. The stars in the night sky glittered coldly.
Why did this terrible
thing happen to us?
She wanted to wail.
Why?
The next morning, Chang greeted Cheng. “Good Mor- did you hear
that?
”
She whispered in a low voice. Cheng
looked horrified as a howl echoed through the trees. “ Yes.” They each grabbed a quiver of arrows, a bow with a
sword and sneaked out. The howl was getting closer. They scrambled inside a bush and tried not to make a
sound. Then Chang saw it. It was about four feet tall, a dragon with blood-stained teeth and hostile amber eyes
that burned with absolute hatred. She notched an arrow and motioned for Cheng to do the same thing. Cheng
nodded and notched an arrow as well. The shot with incredible accuracy at the dragon’s belly but the wolf just
pulled it out with its teeth with not a mark on the wound where it should have been. It gnashed its teeth and
spoke in Chang’s mind.
Choose who will die,
it said.
One of you must be a sacrifice to Tiān Nü. She is in a deep
sleep, but your blood shall awaken her! Choose! Only one of you can do it, but not two. After she awakens, she
will conquer China!
It boomed in her mind. Chang and Cheng dove out of the bush and drew their wooden
swords. Chang hissed, “ l will not surrender! You will not take me! China is our country and we will do
anything to protect it!” Cheng looked Chang quizzically. Chang motioned for her to hang on. She leaped up on
to the dragon’s snout and stabbed her sword into its nose. The dragon did not howl in pain. The sword simply
bounced off the rough scales and the dragon knocked her down.
Then Cheng gasped. “ Stop!” She grabbed Chang’s arm and scrambled up a tall tree. “ I have heard this legend
before. I have to sacrifice myself. It is the only way!” Then Chang remembered what the dragon had said.
Only
one of you can do it, but not two.
“
I need to die as well, to prevent the Tiān Nü from awakening. The dragon
said only one of us will awaken her, but not two of us. We have to prevent it!
We
are the only ones who can
save China!” The dragon was now opening its jaws, waiting for the girls to go down. Cheng whispered, “ My
sister, we have not been family for long, but you were the best family I have wished for.” They looked and
smiled at each other for one last time, and jumped their way into dizzying blackness.
Epilogue
The Divine Lord of Prosperity looked down at the bodies of Chang and Cheng with grief and sorrow. He
murmured, “ You shall be honored forever.” He touched the two bodies and slowly they connected and turned
into a long wall, expanding across China. The Divine Lord of Prosperity announced to China,“ They have