Winners of 28th theme:My First Flight To Space

1st: Ashley Tan Yi-Shien, 12, TKGS

My Little Dream to Space

“One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” Was the famous quote that was said when Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon. From a young age, the moon, astronauts and space had always fascinated me. So sometimes, I would just sit in my room and daydream about my flight to space.

“ Recruits, we are planning to set off to orbit around the moon and space in a month. Since all of you have been chosen for this flight, I trust that you know how important preparing is.” The captain in charge said to us. I nodded along with the rest, trying to look serious, but on the inside I was bursting with excitement. I was honoured to be chosen to go on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and really couldn’t wait.

So for the next month, we had lots of preparations, although they were quite scary at times, I actually enjoyed them after awhile. My favourite one was when we went into a room and they would just switch off the gravity and we would just float around. Although it was a bit weird at first, I slowly became comfortable with the weightless feeling. We had lots of lessons too, like what to do if you ran out of oxygen, how to fix minor things on the rocket, and what to do in an emergency. We also had a lot of physical training, as going to space was not something for the weak-hearted. After all the tests, trainings, preparations were done, we got ready for the flight.

We were actually going to orbit around the moon, then land on one of the smaller planets there. I really could not wait. One month’s worth of training comes down to this, I really hope that I will not freak out and mess things up!

The day had finally come! We quickly put on our spacesuits and boarded the rocket. Lots of people came to see us off; we waved at all of them then set off.

The entire flight was amazing! I saw the moon with my very own eyes, and it was much bigger than when I saw it on earth, and it was very beautiful too! The planet that we had stopped on was supposed to be about the same size as the moon, but it felt a lot smaller as we only landed on one part of the planet, there was no gravity, so we could float and jump around. It was really fun I really enjoyed the floating feeling and was sad to leave. Now walking normally on earth is going to feel so boring after this, I thought to myself.

As we were slowly making our decent, I thought about the whole thrilling experience. I have really learnt a lot of new things, made new friends with the other recruits, my, normal life seems so uninteresting now!

We had just landed, and when we got out, we were greeted by the sounds of people cheering at us. I was basking in the praises when I heard a voice

“Dinner!” It was my mother. Rats! Sadly this was just a dream I have to go back and face reality.

2nd: Cheyanne Sim, 15, TKGS

 Spacecraft

For more than 50 years, I was an engineer, working with designing planes and the mechanisms in them. I loved this job a lot as every plane was different, and they can lead to new innovations and inspirations. Every day was a challenge to me, as there were different problems in different planes. We engineers have to put our brains together to create new solutions. We had to be alert at all times and be creative.

After every new inventions and changes we make to the plane, we had to make test flights. Although this may sacrifice our lives, we did not mind at all, as this is the only way we can ensure the passengers’ safety, and to improve the plane from best to perfect. I miss those feelings of fear and anxiousness, and the feeling of tension and stress when things go wrong, but I’m over and done with everything and I’m too old in serve as an engineer.

However there are moments that I reminiscence, when we are given the craziest and the biggest project—well that was what I thought. It was to create a spacecraft. We had never handled a spacecraft before, and there are so few of them that we couldn’t excess to one for reference, neither are we experienced. We had no idea how were we supposed to invent a spacecraft. We did numerous research and different drawings and designs, so that it is suitable for long hours of flight. The inventing process was long, and the mechanism part was confusing. We had to consider different factors of the possibilities of failures, and these processes took more than two years.

After the actual model and invention was confirmed, we started finding suitable materials to build it. Every single parts of the spacecraft was handmade, all of the hundreds of people of hard work. This spacecraft is now known as the Space Shuttle.

As the leader of the group, I was notified that me, together with five other people were given the privilege to ‘enjoy’ the flight test. Well enjoy is not the right word to use. Obviously we were not confident that the spacecraft would work. We may not survive it. Although it had passed all the safety checks, no one would volunteer to go. No one showed strong interest in going on this flight.

I did not regret going onto the spacecraft. It was the best experience in my life. We get to experience the only kind of food that can be eaten. After some time on the spacecraft, we find our faces slightly bloated, and before we knew, we were floating in the air. I know what you think, we sound like we are helium balloons, but no. It was just that there was the drastic drop of pressure in the air and the gravitational pull. We could apply all physics that we know as an engineer, and make improvements after we were done with this mission.

We are not the professional astronauts and what we were doing was just to enjoy the taste of an astronaut’s career and testing that the Space Shuttle. So what we were given was to land on the moon and get back to Earth.

On the moon, we see so many craters on the ground, everything was unbelievable. It feels like fantasy. While I was reading science fictions, everything felt untrue, but now my eyes had convinced myself.

The scene was so beautiful, and we were nearer to the star clusters, and we had some star gazing. This tells me that we had succeeded in this invention and this mission. All our hard work had paid off. Although this was a short journey, I would never had touched the moon or go to the space, if I wasn’t and engineer. I felt privileged. I was one of the trillions of the people who had visited the space.

Now we know that the spacecraft was safe, more people can visit the moon and enjoy their journey. After the visit, I decided to end my career of an engineer, and stepped down for someone else, to make a better spacecraft.

3rd: Shruti Ravindran, 15, TKGS

A New Home

The Earth was once a place full of green grass and huge mountains and blue skies. The sight was heavenly. However, that beautiful sight no longer existed and no one could remember how it looked anymore. The once blue skies had turned to the colour of ash. The air no longer smelt fresh, instead only the smell of polluted and poisonous gases let out by industries filled the air. There were no longer any junkyards as the streets became one.

The news reported the deaths of about 100 people a day around the world. Their deaths caused by their surrounding environment. Sunlight was no longer known to the humans as the clouds were so filthy that sun rays could no longer pass through them. In order to survive, people had to buy fresh air and fresh water from normal shops which would be sold as capsules.

The entire world was in ruins. Finally the United Nations made a decision to start a cleaning operation on earth, called- ‘Operation Earth’. It was the 30^th of December, the day of the start of the operation. Mammoth machines were moving around and clearing the huge piles of junk on every street. Aircrafts were high up in the sky busy trying to clean up the air above and remove the dense filth that filled the smoky dark grey clouds.

The humans had been evacuated out of Earth and into their temporary planet, Mars. It was like a sweet escape from the terrible earth they lived in. As the spaceship took off, it trembled violently and everyone was scared and their hearts pounded heavily against their chest. The spaceship finally left earth and was in space. It was the most peaceful journey for two best friends, Mark and Sam. They were 15 years old and were unfortunately orphans. They boarded the giant spaceship and gazed around. Their jaws dropped in awe as they had never ever seen such a huge machine and were fascinated by it.

The sight of the earth from space was a pitiful one as there were no longer bright colours on the Earth, only dull ones. However, space was an absolute contrast to Earth. It was colourful with bright meteors which were seen as stars from Earth. The stars no longer looked far away neither did it look small. They were humongous. The planets were like gigantic glow bulbs. The sun looked like a massive ball on fire. The boys put their hands against the glass of the spaceship and enjoyed the darkness outside which had many bright spots. They found that they were peering into a peaceful environment, so silent and yet so beautiful.

However, this calm moment of theirs was soon interrupted by a flashing big meteor heading towards the spaceship. Everyone was shrieking with fear. There was absolute havoc. Terror and fear had conquered the hearts of many. Sadly, the pilot was not able to get the spaceship out of the way of the incoming blazing meteor. Everyone’s heart stopped as it was just a little distance that separated the meteor from the spaceship, a fine line between life and death. Everyone’s hands gripped the handle of the chair tightly and at that point of time prayers were said.

However, just at the nick of time, the tense pilot launched a missile at the meteor. The meteor exploded just before it could have collided against the spaceship. The explosion was massive with bright colours shooting out all around.  It was the most beautiful sight anyone could have witnessed. The boys felt as though they were in watching a scientific fiction film. Finally, everyone took in a breath and became calm again.

After a few days the space ship reached Mars and all the passengers alighted. They were finally happy to be on ground, having spent days in the spaceship. The boys looked around but were too tired. They thought it would be nice to get back to earth after the UN would have cleaned it up, as there is nothing better than home sweet home.

Winners of A.C.T.S Essay Competition 27th theme:HOPE

1st: Megan Alessa Cecilia Garcia Apostol, 16, TKGS

Tick Tock, goes the clock. Time takes us all away.

Tick Tock, goes the clock. What now shall we play?

Tick Tock, goes the clock. Let’s make it nice and fair.

Tick Tock, goes the clock. I’ll turn one body into a pair.

A light figure darted in between slumbering hobos. The dull roar of cars overhead did nothing to disturb them from their precious sleep, neither did the fingers cooler than the chilly nights spent beneath the highway forcefully yanking dark green and iodine brown glass bottles from their iron grips. They didn’t even stir when the fairy-like being sliced off their fingers if they failed to relinquish their holds. Maybe the warm blood seeping into the scraps of their clothing was a welcome change to the deathly cold evenings.

The illuminated silhouette stood as a stark contrast to the grime deep-set in her surroundings. She was an ethereal being in the midst of cold concrete and the sulfuric yellow glare of street lamps. Dainty feet hopped through the dried and cracking mud in dainty pink ballerina slippers. The coloured glass bottles of acrid-smelling spirits did not go hand in hand with this form.

Once she was satisfied with the distance she had placed between herself and the bums, she flung the glass hard above her. For a split-second, they were suspended in midair. She even when the shards exploded around her. Glass collided with glass and flesh. Larger pieces bounced off of each other and embedded themselves deep into her skin, slicing off bits of her clothes, creating new blossoms to adorn her. She admired the cuts with barely-concealed pleasure. She ran, farther, leaving a trail a crimson trail invisible to everyone but those with eyes to see. The parched soil welcomed her offering, lapping up the drops as the substitute for the coveted rain drops.

She finally came to a road lined with uniform rows of bungalows. A vehicle was driving slowly towards her. Stumbling unto its’ path, she screamed. Naturally, the vehicle stopped. People poured out to help in frantic dismay. Screams to call the police, an ambulance. She begged them hysterically not to, he’ll find her, please, save her. She saw the first round in her favour, a game being won. They saw a little girl bleeding to death. They acquisced to her demand, drove her to their home at the end of the street, welcomed and hid her in a room with the promise of rest, food and medical attention.

It was a good venue. A good playing field. Plenty of ways for them to take advantage of her. Plenty of ways for them to keep her in. Plenty of ways for her to turn the tables. They had a chance. It was fair. It was decent. It was a fight. She wouldn’t deform them much. Because that’s the way the game was played: tempering the monster and the killer and the innate propensity for evil.

“Mommy, Daddy, Brother, Sissy, Uncle, Aunty, Granny, Grampy, Friend” she would whisper in a sing song voice as the people came, by themselves or as a pair, like the vicious haunting chants of children in playgrounds of queens locked in a tower or humanoid eggs plummeting to their irreversible doom. Then came a flash of silver burying itself within the unwitting victims, replaced with glassy eyes and gaping mouths.

It was funny when they tried to fight, when they forced themselves out of the initial shock and hurl themselves at her. They looked so hilarious, stumbling around with a knife sticking out of their chests, or their heads. But she learned enough to not underestimate her opponents. It would make the game so much less fun. But being in this position of power thrilled her. It was a challenge; it made killing them a lot less boring.

She dragged one of the bodies undereath the ceiling fan. Hoping for a challenge and a centre piece, she slit its’ stomach and pulled out the intestines with the tip of her knife. Throwing the makeshift rope up, it wrapped itself around the axel. She switched on the fan — slowly the blades began to turn. The body ascended, towards the fan, whirling round and round and when the stomach touched the blades, it began to hack of bits of its’ flesh.

Body parts began to spew across the room. Intestinal fluids would explode like tiny fireworks, showering the walls and the ceiling with long streaks of vermillion and bile. She closed her eyes and tilted her head up, letting the warm drops land and trickle down her skin. The steady buzz of the fan blades calmed her burning spirit.

She lined the others about the room. Hanging them up corners of book shelves, suspending them on the wardrobe doors by their innards. It smeared the walls with blood. Twisted decorations, dripping around the room. She prided herself in the strength it took to carry the heavy bodies up and to string them up all prettily. They were like wooden puppets, acting as sentinels of their corners of the room, guarding her creation.

As the blood settled into the floorboards and the plaster and the sheets, she opened a small bottle. The homely scent of gingerbread cookies wafted through the air, like smoke forcing itself out of a lit cigarette, and diffused throughout the room. With a deep breath, she stood back to admire her work.

Sniffling came from the door and it creaked open to unveil the shadow of a toddler, rubbing sleep from his eyes with one hand and clinging on to a raggedy teddy bear ferociously with the other. The bloody fairy girl picked him up in a breath and snapped his neck. The child then hung limply from her arms and she trudged through the flood to gently place his body on the bed.

She picked up his teddy bear and tucked it under his arm, like a mother tucking her child in for the night. She undid a ribbon from her dress and tied it around the bear’s neck, a strangling noose. She brushed the child’s hair back and kissed his forehead.

“Night night, baby Ginger.”

Her gaze drifted to the blood-spattered wall clock. New record time. “Should have been more creative,” she chastises herself. When she leaves the house, she closes the door behind her carefully. She sighed in happy anticipation of the perfection she would attain. She had a whole street to practice.

2nd

Hope in War times

She was perched by the balcony when the siren had sounded. The blaring noise reverberated in heart as she scampered over to the storeroom. In the frenzy of chaos and terror, the family was canned within the small cube of a bomb shelter. They had gotten used to this by now, the air raid drills, and the reign of blood, the rain of fire.

Sally peeked through the cracks of the ceiling of the shelter that peeked just above the surface of the backyard, before her mother grabbed her to huddle with her brother. The house had crumpled to almost ruins in the first few raids in the year, with only the living room to spare, where they had lodged ever since.

“Sally! Stay down!”, the voiced yelled over the blaring of the siren. Sally only turned to watch her mother, her face, as if it were tied in a dead knot of furrowing brows and worried contours. She had felt scared in the moment, but the presence of her mother calmed her, being only 6 years old, and unable to understand the magnitude of war.

Everything they had had all been reduced to rations and greyness, with only hope to spare.

She nestled herself against her mother and brother. The 3 of a family crumpled together like a huge mass, under the wing of the mother, bracing themselves for the pandemonium, the screaming and bloodied streets, that never came.

After moments of speeding heartbeats and white fear, the crumple unfolded and lay out in shock. Sally stood upon the boxes of hidden provisions as she looked through the cracks once more, but with a different scene. What seemed like white butterflies hovered over the grass in heaps. The siren gradually died down and for a few moments more, the family lay in the shelter.

“I’ll go first, you and Tommy stay inside.”

“B-but, mummy! Don’t leave us!—“the little fair boy whimpered pitifully. The thought of her mother dying scared her too. What would she do without her; without anything left.

As her mother heaved open the hatch, a few slips of paper sifted in like arrows, with the words in boldness printed on it:

“INSUREMENT OF SURRENDER”

More words trailed after, which Sally did not bother to read. She crept upward.

“Sally, Tommy..! It’s over!” they heard her mother from beneath the earth.

Sally and Tommy scrambled up the shelter and what met them was a great sight. Squares of papers fluttered down from the sky like white doves, trailing from a plane in the sky. It had not been an air raid, but a mark of surrender. Yelling and cheering began to ignite from the various parts of the town district as Sally’s mother swept Tommy and herself into a tight embrace.

“Its over.”

The reality of the situation soon settled in. With almost everything they had ceased by the government, including Sally’s father who had fallen in for the war. The promise of his returned had been deeply embedded into her head, and she took it as if it were a sort of business deal, rather than a promise; that he had to come back, that his return was certain.

“Have hope, Mrs Loh… Surely your husband will return..!” Mrs Loh smiled incredulously at her neighbour’s empty words. Sally and Tommy were fidgeting at the back of the hall. The long line for food rations had always been the common space for all to interact, and it was the chatter within the line that seemed to keep everyone going. One nation they stood together against injustice, one nation they will fall, into the hands of the communists of the North.

Despite the war being near to over, new worries settled in. Two weeks since the surrender and no new from the army. It was as if dread were a cloud, over her wherever she went, whatever situation she was put it. She longed for her husband, and worried. All the worries, tangled together into a dark mass, together with the welfare of her children, together with tomorrow; the future. She quickened her steps as the line proceeded.

More news trickled in slowly and painfully, of vans with the remaining survivors of the war were making their rounds and returning soldiers to their homes. Mrs Loh often found herself idling at the porch, her subconscious drawing her to the scene of the road up front of her house. Her thoughts were bitter and she’d often find herself melting down with tears. Everything had been stripped from her when it had first begun, the year when Tommy was born. She cursed the system, cursed her life and cursed everything.

The sun had begun to dip slowly down the horizon and sunlight dappled the ruins of the kitchen. Sally wandered over to the gate of her house. She missed her dad. The image of him had slowly began to fade as her phase of tearful nights slowly subsided into a sort of chronic heartache.

The revving of an engine could be heard from a distance. Sally craned her head through the gate, and cast her gaze over to the source of the sound. From the distance, a blotch of green was heading towards the district and as it grew in size, it soon became clear to her; a hooded van. The van! Before she could call for her mother, she had already ran outside, her desperate eyes sifting through the van’s passengers. Tommy heard the commotion and had too, craned his head out the gate. The family was joined by neighbours of hopes alike. Screaming and yelling, churlish voices could be heard. Together, all three pairs of eyes rested on one familiar face as the van halted infront of the house. It all seemed surreal to Mrs Loh, to Sally, and to Tommy too. The family was wrapped tightly together in the heat of tears and joy. Truly, when there is nothing left, hope is all they had.

3rd: Lam Shi Jie, Paul, Fairfield Methodist School (Secondary)

Survival

You know the story about the Titanic? I was on it. Many people died from that incident, not me though, I was pushed off by some idiot halfway throughout its maiden voyage. This is the story of how I survived.
Day 0: I was pushed off on the 3rd of April while I was standing on the bow of the ship; it was travelling from Belfast to Southampton. On the second night of its departure, I had decided to head on the deck of the ship for some fresh air. I was enjoying the sea breeze until I felt a sudden shove from my left. I was too shocked to cry out as I fell into the ocean below me. I am not sure about the sequence of events that followed; the ship was a leviathan that tossed me far away and disappeared off into the horizon. I screamed for help at the top of my lungs but to no avail. I just resigned myself to my fate.
Day 1: I washed up this morning onto an unknown island with no trace of civilization. I began to set my priorities; I needed food, water, and shelter. After several hours, I had discovered a small pool of water, but recalling what I little survival knowledge I had, I knew I could not drink any of it, the water was all stagnant and still, and probably teeming with numerous bacteria and parasites. I soon stumbled upon a small stream of water, and that is where I set up camp in a tree for today.
Day 2: It’s has been 2 days since I had a proper meal, I need to find food soon, there are a few rodents around the island, but they will not sustain me, I need to find something else. There are some flounders near the bay; maybe I can try spear fishing. I had hardly any sleep last night; I always had this feeling that something was watching me throughout the night, stalking me like I am its prey. It was foolish of me to not start a fire; I did not expect the night to be so cold. I need to get one going before sunset.
Day 3: Last night was not so bad, but right now, I really need to get something to eat. I had fashioned a makeshift spear to catch the flounders in the shallower waters, this time, luck was on my side, and I had managed to catch 2. That should be able to last me for a day.
Day 4: I am lonely, according to some of the stories that I have heard, people have been stranded for over a month, sometimes rescue never comes, and they are never heard from again. The thought of that is just terrifying, the problem is that this fear is now a reality; I may never see my family or my friends again. I need help.
Day 5: I am out of food again, ever since I caught the 2 flounders the day before yesterday, I have not had anything else. My water supply is not running out anytime soon. I have assembled some stones to form a large sign on the coast showing “SOS”, hopefully, a plane flying over the island may spot it, as well as the fumes coming from my fire. Not that planes were very advanced during my time, but I can only pray that a miracle may happen.
Day 6: I don’t know what I am doing anymore, I am unable to find any food, it seems that even Mother Nature has something against me ever since I killed the 2 flounders. The sea seems to be void of fish now, there is not a single fruit that grows on any of the trees, and even the rodents are gone. I doubt that there is any more chance for me to survive on this God-forsaken island. I give up; I am just too tired and weak to carry on anymore. I can hear a plane flying over me, I don’t really care anyway, they probably did not even see my fire.
Day 7: A small boat had landed on the island this morning and picked me up this morning. Apparently, the plane had sent a signal to a nearby navy vessel, and they sent a boat to pick me up. Thank God for that. I had nearly given up on my chances of survival.
When the situation seems dire, there is always hope. When everything is messed up in the worst condition possible, hope will find a way.

Winners of 26th theme:Addiction

1st: Chng Wan Ling Kristine, 15, Fairfield Methodist

Surrender

She walked home from school wearily, almost fragilely, as if treading on invisible glass. There was a reluctance about her movements that made you stop and want to carry her schoolbag for her and ask if she was alright. The slouched shoulders, sallow skin and her downcast eyes were reminiscent of an old lady painfully hobbling to the market.

Get more sleep, you would probably urge her.

But you didn’t know about her dirty little secret. The moment she reached home, her pupils would spark and seemingly burst into flame, tilting up slowly and coming to rest on the one thing she loved. The corners of her mouth would then twitch, and, almost instantly, her cracked lips would stretch into a hollow smile, revealing her yellowed and chipped teeth; certainly not those befitting a student.

Her mother used to joke that she should’ve married her off as a baby, to her cot. But as the years passed, her sleeping became more frequent. Her grades dropped, leaving Es and Fs in the wake of once unsurprising As and Bs. She averaged 15 – 16 hours of sleep a day, before her mother finally began to realize that something was wrong. Something was wrong, with her only daughter.

Her trembling hands lifted the sheet, trepidation coursing through her veins. Ironically, the only time she ever felt alive was before she was about to go to sleep. With alarming speed, she slid onto the bed, feeling the firmness of the mattress cradle her limp body as the blanket covered her, settling like a light dusting of snow over an icy landscape. As she escaped into oblivion, the only thing she thought of was what she both craved and feared…

A shout stirred the quiet, provoking her into faint wakefulness.

‘Aiyo! Come ah, come ah, look at this idiot! Over here still sleeping! Want to fail all her exams one!’ The unceasing tirade jolted her, her consciousness skimming the thin surface of reality. ‘Aiya, keep quiet  lah. She want to go ITE, let her go…’ her father, ever the peacemaker, tried to placate her mother, managing to shush her gradually. Their voices became softer, a melodic murmuring that accompanied her dreams. Untroubled, she slid back to where she came from, sleep proving itself better than reality once more.

The next morning, six a.m.

‘Riiiing!’

She gasped, a fish out of water, as her body jerked itself out of the pleasant haze. Her left eye popped open as the fluorescent light bulb hanging off the ceiling came into view. For a strained second, she held the gaze of the peeling paint with sheer willpower; after which, her upper eyelid gradually sunk down, resisting the efforts made to keep it in place. Open. Close. Open. Close.

After a few more tries, the fog penetrated her mind yet again. As her eyelid bore down, for the last time, she thought, helplessly:

No. NO! I need to go to school. I need to –

Her brain succumbed as it relaxed to the effect of the fog, slowly shutting down once more. Her arms would not work. Her legs would not thrash, or kick out, and at last –

She slept.

2nd: Tay Sing Ning Kaylynn, 14

FOOD – My Worst Enemy

“That’s 156 calories in a plain bagel and another 200 calories in a….”

No! Leila, don’t think about that. Food is life. You need food to stay alive. You promised Dr Hunington to stay alive.

When I was a happy and normal little girl, breakfast was pancakes topped with maple syrup and fresh strawberries with a book propped up on the table. When I was a happy and normal little girl, the words‘calories’ ‘ skinny’ ‘thin’ ‘fat’ were just words of vocabulary.

God, she’s skinny.

That’s more than a thousand calories in a meal, how can she eat that?!

I don’t want food I am not hungry.

I was plotting my own destruction and as time went by, memorizing how much calories there was in food got easier and easier and starving myself got easier too.

I was obsessed with becoming tiny, it was like as if a switch had been turned on and all I could think about was that I had to be skinny. If I could not be the prettiest or the smartest or the most popular girl in school, at least i would be the skinniest girl.

The day starts at dinner was like my own mantra, I restricted myself to the kinds of food that I could eat and could not eat. First it was junk food and then carbohydrates and then it was just about everything. I was not eating anything but I have never felt stronger. I am pink and shiny inside and I don’t want to pollute myself with food.

And then they sent me to hell, they stuffed me with so much food I felt I could just burst at any moment. It was a foodies’s heaven but hell for me. But I listened and ate and ate and ate and grew fat and they were happy and I was out.

But the voices did not stop. You are fat. You should not eat. Do not eat that. Don’t you want to be skinny?And down the hill I went again, back into Danger land where weigh-ins were everyday that become weigh-ins every other day that became weigh-ins every other week because nobody wanted to do it.

I was spiralling out of control but nobody was there to help me. The addiction to calorie counting and losing weight was a battle I had to fight on my own and I lost.

3rd: Wong Junmei, 14, Tanjong Katong Girls

Imperfect

I’m Imperfect. These thoughts runs through my head every time I stand in front of the mirror. I glanced at the splash of tiny brown stars imprinted across my cheeks with disappointment. I frown upon my stomach and thighs… they never seemed to get thinner. No matter how much I stopped eating, no matter how pills I ate, no matter how much I tried to vomit out the food, I would never become perfect. I would never become the ideal girl.

Soon, I began to lose appetite for food, I lost all my desires for eating although I knew I had to eat to survive. My stomach was crying out with hunger but my throat was against anything going and staying in. Everything was so painful. I’m hungry. Everything was so difficult. I’m Hungry. I’m never going to be perfect. I’m HUNGRY.

That was two years ago. A lot has changed since I met him. He taught me many things. He taught me love. He taught me how to love myself when there was no one who has ever loved me. He told me that I have to accept who I am. I have to accept myself. I have to realize that I am who I am and nothing will ever change the way I speak, the way I walk and talk, and the way I look. I have to stop chasing after those girls in magazine covers because no matter how hard I try to become like them, I will only be second place.

He taught me the great tastes of food when my tongue has been dead for so long. My tongue was alive once more and I began to eat again. Before, the world was dark and void but now, it has began to color. Flushes of pink, spots of red, specks of gold, brushes of blue and many others started appearing.

Imperfect. I’m perfect. Imperfect. The meaning of imperfect totally changes when He puts an apostrophe in between I and m. I’m perfect. He says that no one was ever made perfectly, God made a lot of mistakes, different mistakes when creating mankind so everyone would be individually unique, so that no two people are the same. God made it so that we have flaws and can live a life aiming to fill up those holes in ourselves. Flaws are present in everyone, but he reminded me that everyone is still good at something, everyone is still perfect in a way.

He also taught me that life is short. He told me that I am like a sparrow trapped inside a cage, unable to sing or fly and if I miss the chance to escape now, I will never taste the joy of freedom. I will never be able to sing or soar in the sky.

And so, I escaped.

Now, I am free of the chains binding me to my perspectives of perfection. I am free of the burdens of trying to be the perfect girl. I am free like a bird unlocked from its cage. I am free to be unique. I am free to be different from the rest. I am free to be another kind of perfect.

I am finally free to be me.

Winners of A.C.T.S Essay Competition 25th theme:Sports

1st: Renee Sim Wen Xuan, 13, TKGS

Junior Varsity?!

Tennis is my life. The swish of the racket, the solid thwack of the ball against the nylon strings, all assure me that I am the one in control. I control how hard I hit, where the ball goes; basically, I control the game. Too bad it isn’t like that in life, away from the court…

On Friday after school, all the junior varsity (JV) and varsity tennis players in Xyrian High are called to the court to be notified of who got into the varsity team and who didn’t.

Kendall, my best friend, gives me a Mars Bar as I pack my bag after class, getting ready to go down to the courts. “All the best, Lee!” he says to me, grinning. Ken knows how much getting on varsity means to me, and he’s being really sweet about it. I smile back gratefully, carefully tucking the chocolate into my bag. “Thanks, Ken.”

I heft my bookbag over my shoulder, my insides feeling like jelly. Sensing my nervousness, Kendall grabs my arm and drags me down the hall towards the courts.

When we arrive, Coach Grenz is already waiting with my teammates, clipboard in hand. “Dallamin,” she snaps. “You’re late.” I gulp as all eyes turn to me. “Sorry, Coach,” I mumble, staring at the ground. Kendall pats my shoulder in solidarity and disappears into the school.

Coach glares at me then says, “Sit down.” She waits until I’ve done so before going on, “I will be announcing names. The people whom I have called, please stand up and join me here.” Desperately, I pray to get on varsity.

Coach Grenz begins reading names aloud. “Alines, Joan… Allman, Kerra…” As it is in alphabetical order, it doesn’t take long for her to reach the D’s. “Daehan, Kelly… Delmhart, Farah…” Wait. What? She skipped over my name! That’s good, right? At least I won’t be with Grumpy Grenz… right?  When Coach Grenz finishes, she looks up at us. “Those whom I called, congratulations. Follow me.” She looks at a woman standing several feet away, wearing a pink tennis skirt, matching cap and white sweater, whom I hadn’t noticed previously. “Laura, you know what to do.”

The woman nods her chestnut-brown head and the girls whose names have been called follow Grenz. After all of them have left, she looks at us, a smile brightening her face. “Hello, girls! From now on, I will be your new coach. My name is Laura.” A girl whom I recognize from my bio class, Iva, raises a shaking hand and asks, “Is this the JV team?” Coach Laura hesitates and she presses her lips tightly together, but that is all the answer we need. Most of the juniors burst into tears, crying about how they’re gonna get their rich parents to sue the school and the like.

Meanwhile, I am simply dumbstruck. Me? On JV?! There must be a mistake!  I get to my feet shakily and approach Grenz, who is giving the varsity girls a lecture. For a single fleeting moment, I pity them. I wait for her to finish then say timidly, “Coach Grenz?”

Her flint-gray eyes lock on me and they soften slightly. “Yes, Dallamin?” she barks. “Coach Grenz, there must be some mistake with the names, because there’s no way I can be on JV,” I say, knowing that counteracting Grenz means certain death, but not caring.

“But you are,” Grenz replies, showing me her clipboard. “See? Dallamin, Sylie… Junior Varsity.” Sure enough, there it is in black and white, as she said it. My legs turn to jelly and I fall to my knees, the words running through my head again and again. Dallamin, Sylie… Junior Varsity… Dallamin, Sylie… Junior Varsity…  It just isn’t possible. What am I going to tell my mom? My dad? My elder sister, who took the time to train me…

“…lie? Sylie? SYLIE!” Coach Grenz snaps me out of my self-pitying thoughts. She looks at me, her mahogany-brown eyes searching mine. “I’ll give you an ultimatum. I know how much this means to you, with that scholarship and all, so I’ll give you a week to prove that you deserve a spot on varsity. Alright?” I sit there staring at her for a few long beats, before her words finally sink in and I nod eagerly. “Yes! Thank you, Coach Grenz!” I hug her knees and spring up, full of life. I bounce back to the JV team, determined to show the scholarship chick’s worth.

In the next week, I train harder than ever before, practicing swings, footwork, and techniques with my sister. On Thursday evening, after some intense workout, she pats my shoulder. “You’ll do great, Lee. I know it.” I turn my racket over in my hands, the spark of determination in me glowing with pride at her praise. I know it, too.

On Friday the week after, during tennis, Grenz puts me up against an average tennis player, a senior. She smirks at me, twirling her racket as her friend says something to her. Sophomore, scholarship chick andjunior varsity float over to me, and they laugh loudly. I grit my teeth, more determined than ever to kick this girl’s butt.

And I do. A triumphant laugh escapes my lips as I look into her stunned face. The racket drops from her hand and she storms off, fuming. I turn and look at Coach Grenz hopefully. Though her face is impassive, there is a smile in her eyes. Next I’m put against a stronger player, a sophomore like me. We shake hands, and the game begins. After the first half, we have a deuce, a tie. That means one of us had to score ahead by two points to win. And it would be me.

Soon, I pull ahead, and eventually win the game. The girl smiles and shakes my hand, a clear sheen of sweat on her forehead. “Good job,” she says. “Welcome to varsity.” And welcomed I feel indeed.

2nd: Sandra Leong, 14, SCGS

Sportsmanship

I have finally understood what real sportsmanship is. Only if I had knew earlier. Only if I were not so single-minded in wanting to win at all costs. Through devastating amounts of sheer regrets, I finally understand the bible verse of Mark 8:36, “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?”

I was oblivious to any other things other than the upcoming National B division 1600m Track and Field competition. I have been training for three whole years just for this particular competition, as it was the determining factor to whether I could represent my nation. Track and Field meant a lot to me. And so did representing my country. There was of course a problem. Jake. Jake has been my toughest rival since I started competing. If it were not I getting the top place, it would be him. I would not let Jake steal away my chance from the nationals.

Semi-finals were mundane. Of course it was left with Jake and I who were going up to the finals. I gritted my teeth and gave a wry smile as I recalled the amount of sacrifices that I had to make for the past few years to get to the pinnacle of this sport. Every morning, I would wake up at five and be at the track for an hour of training. My dad would wait for me stoically and never fail to give me a nod of encouragement. A quick shower and I would be off to school. Afternoons were spent in the gym to build up my strength and power. Evenings, I would be back at the track for speed trainings. Dinners were more often than not at nine pm and thereafter homework and revisions till midnight.

Nothing was going to stop me in achieving my dreams. No body. No, not even Jake. My face flushed and my eyes narrowed into slits. A sly smile crept up my mouth as a devious plan started formulating in my mind. I knew Jake’s pre-race routine. He never failed to wash his face before he put on his attire. Gleefully, I rummaged through my drawers and took out a small tube of metal filings from my science practical for magnetism. While he is out of sight, a pinch of it inside Jake’s shoes will do the trick. At first, he will definitely not notice it. However, during the race, for high performance athletes like us, we exert great pressure on our soles and the discomfort would give Jake the edge. I was looking forward to the finals, as I would undoubtedly be crowned the champion!

The next day, my plan went along like clockwork. We were next to each other at the lanes. I stole a glance at Jake and saw a steely determination in his eyes. The sinews of my muscles were taut as I crouched into the starting position. We were off. My mind was in a whirl of thoughts of me representing my country and basking in public fame. The first 1000m of the race passed and Jake was ahead and gaining ground. I realised my foolishness that I did not focus on the race and I was not running with 100% concentration. My wicked plan had failed and I deserved it. Everything that I wanted was destroyed in a moment of folly.

At the 1200m mark, Jake slowed down and seemed to be in trouble. I overtook him and sprinted to the finish. Yes… I am the champion! I turned around and saw Jake half running, half hobbling towards the finish line. It seemed so surreal to me as if everything was moving in slow motion. Jake sat down on the track and took out his shoes. His soles looked mangled and blood was oozing out. I saw his anguished look and tears were streaming from his eyes. He was immediately stretchered off to the ambulance.

I have won. It was a hollow victory. I learned later that some arteries were severed in his soles and no doubt he has recovered, performance racing is no longer possible. Due to my vile act, a dedicated and talented young athlete’s dream was shattered. For high performance athletes like us, even if it just a severed artery on one foot would make a comeback difficult if not impossible. I never meant to hurt him. “Why… why for such a selfish reason did I do that?” I pondered, choking on my own saliva.

Months had passed. I gave up on Track and Field. I am still haunted by the hopelessness in his eyes on that fateful day. I have never stopped blaming myself for his predicament. My grades have slipped and I holed myself at home as I am too ashamed to face the world. I am not the strapping young man at his peak but a coward. For that moment when I should be basking in public adoration, I experience only shame. I felt terrible, traumatized and terrified.

The Track and Field fraternity thought that I am no longer involved in competition as I have witnessed Jake’s grisly accident. If only they knew that it is guilt and conscience that is gnawing at my heart. Jake even sent me a card of encouragement and part of it read, “Bro, do continue to participate. I know that a part of me will be with you when you are running.” How would I ever atone for my heinous and dastardly crime?

Truly I have gained the gold medal but have lost my soul.

3rd: B K Mufruhah, 15, TKGS

Advantages and disadvantages of Sports

Sports. This five-letter word could do wonders. It moulds a human in being noble. In fact, those who do some form of sport is deemed to be lucky and blessed. Sports and games are means of mental and physical growth. We learn how to maintain mental balance in the midst of successes and failures. They make us learn how to tackle the atmosphere of pressure, distrust and as well as stress. They shape our body and mind in being active and more flexible which then later aids in our future endeavors. They remove tiredness and lethargy which later moulds us into positive-thinking minded people.

There are several other considerations which entail sports to an important place in life. It is usually by taking part in sports that we cultivate what is called the spirit of sportsmanship. This spirit of sportsmanship is an excellent quality in a man and consists of fair play, sense of discipline, capacity for team work and cooperation and confidence in oneself that enabled one to accept a defeat cheerfully. It teaches one of the most important values in life which is honesty. A sportsman playing on the field is not expected to magically win each and every match but to cooperate with his team and, if his team suffers a defeat he must not lose self-confidence but must shake hands with his adversaries cheerfully. When a sportsman has acquired these qualities in this process, he will naturally exhibit them in the wider sphere of life.

This sports person will then know how to persevere but not cheat. He will then know that life is not about winning but handling it open-mindedly with a positive attitude. He will never feel heartbroken on account of the disappointments, he will continue to work hard and never give up. There is a saying that says “no pain, no gain”. This would be demonstrated by the sportsman who go through the tedious trainings, pressure to balance work and family life and fights hard to make his country , team and family proud by winning tournaments.

Throughout history, people can’t give up their interest at their body. Many crave to be fit and attractive and they take unnatural ways which leads to disasters. However, the first advantage of sports for people is that they help people be healthy, and be fit. Due to this fact that Sports keep our body healthy. As a possible example, imagine that there is a car which has not worked for years. If you try to run the motor engine, it will not work anymore since it has been rusted and its engine may be broken down. As a result, people are similar to engines and motors. If we don’t do sports, we will be forced to rust, in other words, decomposition of our body; afterwards, we may have some problems with our body when we even need to small walk.

Also, sports balance our body’s blood pressure and circulation. According to many researches which have been done by scientists, they can prove that 70% of the old-aged people are suffering with many long-term diseases due to their nonchalance of not doing sports during their teenage period.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reports children who play sports are less likely to use drugs and smoke. Female athletes might also be less likely to become pregnant in high school. For children, playing sports can help develop friendships centered on healthy, safe and enjoyable activities. Adults who play sports also have the opportunity to develop friendships centered around an active lifestyle. Engaging in sports gives the opportunity to meet new people and expose to the real life where one would be able to see and interact with people of different blife backgrounds. In this way, humans are trained to be more confident in carrying themselves in situations like interviews and major events. Besides that, it also gives people their satisfaction as they interact with people from all of the world and mingle with them. Sports can particularly benefit low-income individuals, who might not have the money or resources to socialize outside of playing sports, according to Child Fund International.

Sports not only involve you physically but also mentally and one such sport is chess. Chess, for instance, is game which emulates war. In this game are incorporated basic war principles. For example chess strategy contains many kinds of attacks, defenses, counter-attacks, even ambushes. Therefore, many famous leaders in ancient times had been played chess. For instance, we know that Napoleon Bonaparte had been chess lover and everyone knows he tackled war so craftfully.

All in all, we can conclude that there are several advantages and benefits of sports. First, sports are required by people to be fit, smart, and good looking. Second, sports are entertaining due to many facts. Third, sports are the huge market for countries’ economies. In my opinion, despite sports’ advantages, many people can’t believe that sports are useful and beneficial. I hope that in the future these people will tend to be more optimistically to sports since they are the neccessity of our lives

Winners for 24th theme:Science Fiction

2nd: Felicia

 

In the Harsh Moonlight

“I know what you’re thinking Jonas– but I didn’t ask to see you so I could try to recruit you back into the military. God knows we could use you in the fleet, but I know you turned your back on that career a long time ago.”

Jonas looked skeptical. “So what do you want with me, Admiral?”

“Well I’ve just had a rather disturbing encounter with Captain Rifton. She turned up at headquarters a few hours ago aboard a shuttlecraft. She was alone. Her starship, the Orange Dawn, was supposed to be on a deep space assignment for the next six months. Frankly, she seemed a little unhinged. She’s been ranting about some disaster that has befallen her ship, but she isn’t making much sense.”

“Has it been destroyed?”

“No – she’s convinced that the Orange Dawn is intact and its crew alive, albeit debilitated somehow. She says we need to send someone immediately to revive the crew and bring back the ship – and she’s insisting we send you. She’s certain that you are the only one who can help her crew. Seems to think it would be dangerous to send someone else. Do you know why that might be?”

Jonas hesitated. He knew vaguely who Captain Rifton was, but had never met her.

“Do you have any connection at all with the Orange Dawn?”

Jonas felt sure that Admiral Trainer already knew the answer to that.

“There is a Lieutenant serving aboard the Orange Dawn – Julia Thompson. We…had a relationship, sometime ago. But it’s been over since her assignment began on the Orange Dawn.”

“I see. In that case perhaps I should send someone else…”

“No.” Jonas stood up and looked Admiral Trainer straight in the eye. “I’ll do it. You know I’m well qualified. If the ship and crew really have survived I’ll bring them back. Please Sir.”

After a pause, the Admiral nodded.

Jonas soon tracked down the stricken ship’s engine trail. The Admiral had given him use of the fleet’s fastest ship but the journey still took weeks, as he retraced the Seraphine’s route in deep space. He had little to do but wait, and hope. He tried not to think about Julia. He had tried so hard to let go of her. He had tried to accept the fact that they were no longer together. How strange – it had seemed so easy to walk away from their relationship at that time.

In the long hours alone in the shuttle, he played over all the possible scenarios that he could imagine. The outcomes of them were somewhere between the two extremes: Julia was dead or she was alive and would fall into his arms again when he rescued her.

Finally, his scanners picked up the Seraphine at extreme range and he made for its position.

The ship was adrift. Scans revealed that backup systems were still running, meaning that the atmosphere and gravity on the ship should make it possible for him to safely board.

The ship was dark, the corridor only lit by pale light from the ship’s backup battery. But Jonas was not alone. The bodies of the ship’s crew lay throughout the vast ship. Yet they didn’t seem to be corpses. Even in the warm light of Jonas’s torch their skin was pale, their eyes open and unfocussed. Jonas performed medical scans on a couple of bodies. His suspicions were confirmed – the crew weren’t dead. They still had a slow heartbeat. Their brains were still active, though in a dormant state.

On the bridge, he found her. Julia was slumped in her seat at one of the science terminals. Like the others she wasn’t dead, but she wasn’t quite alive either.

Though the Orange Dawn had been adrift for some time, it was possible to trace the position it had occupied before its engines lost power, Jonas piloted the ship back there.

The scanners on the bridge started to display confusing readings. There was definitely something out there. Jonas told the computer to slow him the space.

There it was – a moon.

Jonas immediately chided himself for the thought. Of course it wasn’t a moon. There was nothing nearby that it could conceivably be orbiting. But its scarred and pitted face and silvery glow had instinctively reminded him of Earth’s native satellite.

Wait – was that moonlight? From what source could that light be emanating? There were no nearby stars  whose light could be reflected by this “moon”. Yet there it shone.

Under the influence of some strange instinct, Jonas turned back to look at Julia. Her eyes were now aglow with the same silvery light he had just observed on the viewscreen. He gently lifted her head – she looked at him but her eyes remained out of focus.

“Jonas…”

Hearing her voice, a warm contented feeling filled his body.

“Jonas, there isn’t much time. Listen carefully

“We changed ourselves to investigate this planetoid.  It was glowing but our scans couldn’t explain why. Then they revealed themselves.

“The light that you can see isn’t light at all. It’s a colony of lifeforms. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that the light is the part of them visible to our eyes. They communicated with us in a language that can’t be translated into words. Nevertheless we understood them clearly.

“They are non-corporeal beings and sentient – up to a point. Communing with them was… blissful. All physical weariness washed away. We began to lose track of where we are even of who we are.  All we wanted was to continue to share our thoughts with these aliens. We noticed however, that the aliens seemed to be growing sad. They explained to us that though they were glad to be communicating with us, they experienced pain in the process. We reminded them of the limits of their own existence. You see, they are not alive in quite the same way that humans are.

“It was Captain Rifton who perceived the danger. She realized that if we didn’t get away from these aliens soon we would never leave. We would be likely to stay until our bodies wasted away. But it was already too late. Captain Rifton managed to escape but here mind was already badly damaged. The rest of us realized that we could not safely inhabit our bodies.  Nor we can leave this place – we must stay near this celestial body that looks like Earth’s moon.

“I know you have felt their presence. They do not wish you or us any harm. But it is in their nature to reach out to the minds of corporeal beings. The longer you communicate with them the less you retain of your normal human feelings. Their presence crowds out your own personality. You cannot safely stay here. You must leave and warn others not to come here.”

Jonas had indeed felt the warm touch of the alien presence growing. But now he felt a wave of grief. He was going to lose Julia after all.

“Why did Captain Rifton send me here?”

Julia’s face seemed to be growing paler, more distant.

“I made sure she would send for you. I know that you would have the strength to come here- and leave again. I know you wouldn’t be sentimental- even about me. We can make sure the moon doesn’t attract any more humans to it but if this ship remains it will draw others to it. Our bodies could still communicate the alien’s presence to others. They do not want to hurt others, but they are incapable of suppressing their natural instincts. You must destroy the ship and leave – now.”

Jonas recoiled. Somehow he had expected a different answer.

As he stood, Jonas felt the alien’s presence growing. It felt difficult to move – his body seemed sluggish. But he believed Julia’s warning. With great effort he set the ship auto-destruct device for a ten minute countdown and ran back to the shuttlecraft.

The explosion ripped soundlessly through space as Jonas plotted his course home.

“You can tell you superiors whatever you like,” Jonas barked. “I’ve explained to you exactly what happened – but if you want to make up some plausible explanation that’s fine by me. I won’t contradict you.”

Admiral Trainer grimaced. “It’s not that I don’t trust you Jonas, it’s just… well it sounds pretty outlandish. And to lose a whole ship and crew – without a fight! This will not go down well.”

“So make up some story – I don’t care. They were blasted by pirates or had some sort of equipment malfunction. I’ll go along with whatever you say – just give me back my commission.”

“You’re serious? You want to rejoin the military?” Admiral Trainer’s face was alight with eagerness.

“Yes. And I want my own ship.”

“Of course! But this is great news!”

Jonas turned on his heel and walked out of the Admiral’s office without another word.

“Don’t forget to engage the dimming screen. We don’t want to be blinded when the star detonates.” The ensign nodded and engaged the screen. The scene visible through the viewing glass looked dull and grey. The dimming screen filtered out most of the colour.

“Fire the solar torpedo”, said Captain Jonas.

The bridge crew watched as the tiny torpedo zoomed towards the star, trailing blue light behind it. After a few seconds it disappeared into the star’s corona.

Even for those accustomed to such sights, the resulting explosion was fearsome. The star burned brightest in its final moments. Within a few seconds the planet orbiting nearby was consumed in flame, its atmosphere evaporating instantly. The several billion intelligent life forms on the surface received no advance warning of their obliteration.

Some of the crew bowed their heads, feeling pity for the people they had killed. But their Captain was pitiless. He watched closely as the star blazed in the night sky. His eyes seemed to glow with moonlight.

Tan Jia Wen Isabelle, 15, Tanjong Katong Girls

The Try

She looked around her.

“Hello….A..aa…anybody here?” she croaked.

All around her were debris from the…the…what? (she couldn’t quite remember). Wind blew into her face, making her messy hair fly.

“M..m…mummy? D…d..daddy?” she ventured.

Slowly, she brushed the grime, dirt and debris from her legs. She stood up, her shaky legs threatened to give way. What time was it? Where was she? What happened?

Wobbling, she tried to find her way around the rocks and metal fragments. There was no one in sight, not even dead bodies. Why were the trees red? Why was the sky red? Why was everything around her red? Her head ached from trying to find the answers.

The explosion – her brain told her. Oh yes, the explosion; now memories creep back to her. Spaceships flew all around and dropped bombs. Then, there were explosions everywhere.  But that did not explain to her why everything around her was red. And this place did not look to her like the familiar park she and her parents frequented.

“Mummy! Daddy! Where are you!” her voice became desperate. Trembling, she ran as fast as her wobbly legs could, around the vicinity.

Dangerous. Dangerous. Dangerous. The word came to her mind. Out of the corner of her eye, a green robot emerged.

 Hide! Now! Her brain commanded.

She crouched behind a stone slab as the robot approached. The robot turned back after surveying the surroundings.

“No one left,” its mechanical voice sounded into a walkie-talkie.

“Good. Come back immediately. I need all the help available to deal with these troublesome humans as it would not be long before they regain consciousness,” a voice ordered.

Humans? Deal with them?

Horror smashed into her face until she almost suffocated when she realised what had happened. She was the only survivor. The only one they missed. She had to save the others. Save Earth. She was sure of it. No one else was there anymore.

She waited to see where the robot was heading to. It came to a wall. She crept closer straining to see more. The robot pressed some numbers and pulled 2 levers. Then, it disappeared through and invisible opening in the wall.

She waited for a couple of minutes before pressing the same numbers and levers. “Beep! Beep!” the wall sounded. Her heart thumped, she was through the wall.

Red.

Her first thought was red. Never had she hated the colour red this much, before. All she could see around her was the colour red. Trying to register where she was, she cursed the colour red inside her head. She was in a red corridor. Around her were long passageways leading far away.

What should she do? She felt like fainting – but she could not allow that to happen. Shaking like a leaf in the wind, she crept down the widest passageway. Vaguely, she could her mechanical voices. She felt like nauseous just by thinking about the impossible task that lay ahead of her. Finally, she came to a room. Hiding behind the doorway, she peered inside.

Huge machineries lined the walls to the high ceiling. Robots moved around operating these machines. She must not be found. She told herself. If not, there would not be a chance for the human race.

Hurry. Hurry. Hurry. “not be long before they regain consciousness”. “not be long before they regain consciousness”. “not be long before they regain consciousness”. Her brain reminded.

Nervously, she observed the machines inside the room. She would have to wait for a chance to enter that room. Something told her that it was important. And given the circumstances, instincts were all she had. Pressing herself against the door, she thought about the events that led to this. Anger surged through her like violent waves trying desperately to erode the coast. Stupid robots. Why did they take the entire human race? She stared hard at the wall. She thoughts were far, far, away. She was hungry and wished that her parents were with her. But they were also captured. She felt the weight of her task bearing on her and realised that she had no chance, absolutely no chance against these robots. Nevertheless, she had to try.

“Ring! Ring! 15 minutes break for oiling of machine parts,” a voice sounded through the speaker. All the robots queued up in an orderly line and left the room.

Finally, this was her chance. She had no idea what to do and or how to succeed. But she had to try.