The Right Thing
Gowoon Kim, Group
e all know the Great Wall of China, it’s magnificent! However, there is misery behind greatness,
something nobody ever knew. Here is a new tale of the Great Wall, a story of two little girls…
We
resi
3:
Fiction, West Island School
It was an icy March night; the moonlight shimmered softly against the exquisite greenery.
follow a trail of glistening starlight into the entrance of a hollow tree where two figures
ded.
W
“
Tell me a story…” a young voice whined
“
No, be quiet and go to sleep.” An agitated voice barked
“
I won’t go to sleep until you tell me a story.”
An irritated sigh echoed through the tree, there was a pause, and then the story began.
“
Once, there was younger sister and an older sister and a father. They were generous people, who
worked hard. All was well, until one day, their sinister emperor declared a procedure. Neighbours were to spy
on each other and anyone who appeared ‘lazy’ would be doomed to eternal labour building the Great Wall.
Consequently, when a greedy person came across the family’s house, he accused the father of being lazy,
sealing him into endless toil. Devastated from being separated from their dad, the two girls fled their house in
fear of being accused themselves, and hid in their secret place.”
The voice hesitated, she could not continue. The story told so far had been true, and she herself was the
‘
older sister’ in the story. The story was not a story; it was a flashback.
“
Continue the story, Xiao Long.” the other voice demanded
“
Tell you what, go to sleep tonight and I’ll tell you more tomorrow, okay?”
“
Okay.”
There was not a squeak from the tree that night since that moment.
Light crept in early the next morning. The sky was smeared with streaks of scarlet and gold, a crow
landed on a branch of the hollow tree, fluttering loudly. The fluttering noises had resonated throughout the tree,
causing Xiao Long’s eyelids to flicker open. In the dawn’s light, Xiao Long appeared to be eleven years old,
with dark eyes, and sleek hair that swished down to her waist. Despite her young age, she had the lithe
movements of a snake, and the merciless eyes of a dragon. She squinted at the sun. For a moment she appeared
perplexed, as if confused to why she was here, but then she shook her head and prodded a person lying next to
her.
“
Xiao Zhen, wake up.” Said Xiao Long
A dreamy groan answered her. Xiao Long softly stroked Xiao Zhen’s neck. At first Xiao Zhen just
twitched, but eventually she burst into a fit of overwhelming giggles. Xiao Zhen was a seven-year-old version of
her elder sister, Xiao Long, but there was something about Xiao Zhen which made her look much warmer than
Xiao Long. She appeared more lovable.
“
Get to bed earlier today!” Xiao Long scolded her sister.
Xiao Zhen did not reply.
The sisters stepped out and inhaled the cold, sharp air. For a minute they just stood there, gazing into
space, daydreaming. A comical rumble from Xiao Zhen’s stomach jarred them both.
“
Hungry?” Xiao Long asked
“
Just a little bit.”
“
I’ll try to get some food today.”
The two of them headed to a nearby stream. The stream’s waters were glacial, but other streams were
still glazed with delicate ice. Xiao Long scooped up the frosty water. She let the liquid trickle into her mouth.
“
Here, you try.” Xiao Long said, turning to her sister.
She showed her little sister how to do it.
“
It’s cold.” Xiao Zhen whined
“
It’s fine.” Her elder sister snapped
“
Xiao Long?”
“
Huh?”
“
Daddy is coming back, right?”
Xiao Long flinched. Xiao Zhen did not know why their father was gone, she had not told her.