Few weeks back, my school teacher asked me to participate in a Flash Fiction writing competition organised by SPH. That was the first time I've heard of Flash Fiction and I found it rather interesting. So, here's my 1st Flash Fiction and the entry for the competition.
Desperation!
It was all over the news this morning! I lay in the hospital bed and shuddered at the thought of my
encounter. The whole scene
replayed in my mind. The disbelief. The fear. The exhaustion.
The pain. All these were
fresh in my mind again … …
I arrived at the doorstep of the
Victorian bungalow. The house was brightly
lit with Christmas lights; giving it a ‘christmassy’ atmosphere. I strode into the beautifully decorated
interior and stood still for a moment, soaking in the festive mood and catching
a whiff of the roasted turkey coming from the kitchen. What a wonderful feeling! Christmas has got to be my favourite
holiday. My reverie was
interrupted by a pair of smooth, gentle arms wrapped warmly around my neck and
a passionate kiss on my cheek. It
was Vivian Lye, the host and new owner of this opulent bungalow. Following closely behind her were our
friends of many years. We
exchanged hugs and kisses, greeting each other excitedly as we had not gathered
in this manner for a long time.
During dinner, I had a great time
chatting and laughing with old friends.
Vivian looked very happy, a marked difference from six months ago when
she was mourning after the death of her father. Vivian, being the only daughter of old Mr Lye, inherited all
his massive wealth, including this million-dollar bungalow. During our conversation, Vivian
unwittingly revealed that her father had also willed that should she meet with
any mishap and pass on untimely, her family fortune would go to James Tan,
their faithful servant who had served the family for as long as she could
remember. Her father had been very
fond of James. All of a sudden, a
loud clanging sound made us jumped and everyone stopped chatting and turned
around. “Sorry everyone. Butter fingers!” James smiled nervously
as he promptly bent down to pick up the cutlery he had dropped. We were so engrossed in our
conversation that we did not notice James enter the dining room. James quickly left the room after
clearing up the mess.
At the end of the heavy and
scrumptious dinner, the weather outside had turned hostile. Thunder crashed and lightening flashed
as rain poured down incessantly.
Unlike my friends who lived nearby, my house was a good two hours
away! Vivian decided that I should
stay for the night and I gladly accepted.
I was shown to a guest room next to Vivian’s bedroom. Overwhelmed by fatigue, I fell into a
deep slumber, amidst the booming crash of thunder.
“Help! Get away from me!” I awoke with a start.
“Ahhhh….” A shrill scream
rent the air and pierced through the wall dividing my room and Vivian’s. A horrible thought flashed through my
mind and I bolted out of the bed.
I pushed open Vivian’s bedroom door, only to find her lying in a pool of
blood. Her snow white night gown
was stained crimson red. Her eyes
wide opened and her mouth was agape.
She looked like a white rose that had withered.
Another bright flash of lighting
illuminated the room. At that
instant, I saw a black figure holding a gleaming, bloodstained knife. He looked faintly familiar. James? The faithful servant was now a murderer? When the thought finally sank in, I
screamed, “You monster! How could
you?” Startled at being discovered,
James dropped the knife and buried his face in his bloody hands and wept
uncontrollably. “I had no
choice. I needed the money
badly. My son… he’s in debt.” Suddenly, he jerked his head up,
narrowed his eyes and hissed audibly, “No one must know what I just did.” In an instant, he picked up the knife
and lunged towards me.
I screamed hysterically and ran
out of the house as fast as my legs could carry me. My mind was in a blur and I ran on and on in no particular
direction. The only thought in my
head was to get away from James as quickly as possible. I did not know how far or how long I
ran. Just as I was about to be
overwhelmed by exhaustion, I saw a figure donning the familiar dark blue
uniform in the distance. Without
any hesitation, I ran towards him and collapsed right into the law enforcer’s
arms. Feeling safe, I then allowed
darkness to envelope me.
Victoria Lock
