Isaiah n Terence

“Jansen! Have you finished packing your bag?” called Jansen’s mother from the living room.

“No. Just a few more things to pack then I’ll be right downstairs,” he replied. He rummaged through his dresser and packed his toiletries in a smaller bag and carefully placed it in his backpack. After doing so, he carried the bag down into the living room and left the bag by the door. He then walked into the hall and sat on the sofa.

“How many of you will be going for the trip tomorrow?” Jansen’s father asked him.

“Err… if I’m not mistaken, there will be seven of us including me,” he replied.

“OK. Just be careful not to do anything foolish while you all are out in the forest,” added the concerned father.

“Shhh! Listen to the news! Something happened in the forest reserve that you and your friends are going to tomorrow,” Jansen’s mother exclaimed.

“This is just in. A group of people have been reported missing after disappearing for three days in the forest reserve that is located at the outskirts of Stu Pi Dity Town. The search teams are still currently trying to track down survivors,” reported the newscaster who was standing at the entrance to the forest.

“Goodness gracious! Jansen! You all are going there tomorrow! Are you sure it is OK for you to go there? I think you should cancel the trip!” exclaimed Jansen’s mother with a horrified look.

“Oh come on, mum! Why should I cancel the whole thing because of some small accident. I’ll bet they’ll probably be found tomorrow. Besides, I’ve packed my compass. How are we going to get ourselves lost?” Jansen asked as he tried to reason with his mother.

“Are you sure it’s OK? It’s dangerous out in the woods, you know,” his mother explained.

“Yes. I’m absolutely sure that we’ll be back in one piece,” the boy promised.

“In that case, please be careful and look out for each other when you are out there. I don’t want your friends’ parents getting all worked up and worried if they found out their child is missing in the wilderness,” Jansen’s father told him.

“Yeah, yeah. I promise you that, dad,” Jansen replied as a sign of reassurance.

* * *

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! Jansen woke up with a start. He glanced at his digital clock and grinned when he saw the time.

“It’s show time,” Jansen said to himself. He quickly jumped out of bed and waltzed into the bathroom. After taking a shower, he brushed his teeth, combed his hair and came out of the bathroom a refreshed and revitalized boy who was ready to take on life’s challenges. He got dressed in his T-shirt and jeans and looked at himself in the mirror. He whistled.

“That’s one handsome-looking guy. Heheh,” Jansen chuckled as he admired himself. He strapped on his watch, put on his baseball cap and went out of his room. He rushed down the staircase and jumped over the final few steps and landed so loudly that his parents turned and shot him an ugly look.

“Behave yourself son. You have not left the house yet and we may change our minds,” his father said sternly.

“Alright, alright. Sheesh. I can’t help it. It’s so exciting to be out in the woods with friends,” Jansen explained in attempt to defend himself.

“Your breakfast is on the table. Come to think of it, what are you and your friends going to eat when you’re in the jungle? There are no food stalls nearby,” said Jansen’s mother, ignoring her son’s excuse.

“I got that settled, mum. Azoth and Elene are bringing the foodstuff and Vivienne is bringing drinks for us. She promised that it is enough for a week,” Jansen answered.

“Oh, in that case, I’m not too worried. Enjoy your trip then,” said Jansen’s mother as her son grabbed his car keys and backpack.

“Yes. Be careful while you’re out there and always call home to update us on your latest condition,” added his father.

“OK. I will. See you folks in another four days!” Jansen replied as he closed the door behind him. As Jansen’s mother watched her son go, little did she know that it would be the last time she would ever lay her eyes on her son ever again.

* * *

“Hey! Hey! Are you guys ready for the big trip?” Azoth asked in an excited manner.

“Yeah. It should be fun, spending three nights out in the woods. I hope nothing serious will happen when we are there. I just heard the news last night. A group of people went missing after entering the forest. Let’s hope that doesn’t happen to us,” said Elene as she shuddered at the thought of it.

“Now, now, let’s not be afraid. I’m sure that the rescue teams had already found those people and that they are back safe and sound. Besides, I got my compass. What else could go wrong?” Jansen replied.

“Who knows? Maybe the compass is too complicated for you to understand,” Jarl snapped.

“Jarl! That’s enough. Why are you being so rude lately?” Gwendolyn asked him in a shrill manner.

“I don’t know. Maybe I’m getting irritated because of this nonsense. We should be on our way there right now,” Jarl retorted.

“Fine, let’s get going then. By the way, where’s Josh?” Vivienne asked as she shot Elene a puzzled look.

“Oh, there he is. Here, Josh! Over here!” Elene shouted at him as she waved he hands.

“Guess I’m the last one here, eh? Sorry guys but I was late because my mother tried to persuade me to cancel my trip to the forest after listening to last night’s news. I heard a group of people went missing. Is that true?”

“Yeah, don’t worry, we shall be safe. I got my compass with me. There shouldn’t be any problems when we find our way out in any case we get lost in the woods,” Jansen reassured Josh.

“Great. I packed my compass, too,” Josh added.

“Good thinking. Now, shall we get on the van now? I’m getting pretty restless over all the excitement,” Azoth said.

“Right, let’s go. Hop on everyone. We’ll be there in an hour or so,” Jansen announced. Right before Jansen got onto the van, a stranger came up to him. The boy quickly turned away for the stranger was in a bad condition. His clothes were torn, he had an unshaven beard, his right arm was covered in blood and what used to be his left arm was now a stump.

“Get away, old man! What do you want from me?” Jansen vociferated as he tried to get rid of the stranger.

“Heed my warning, young one. I know that you have great plans ahead of you while you’re in the forest but beware, many people had entered the damned place but so far, none has ever returned,” the stranger warned him.

Nonsense. As far as I know, the only incident that involved people who went missing only happened yesterday. Now, get lost!” Jansen shouted at the unkempt stranger. After saying that, he got onto the van and slammed the door.

“As far as you know, young one. As far as you know,” the stranger sighed as he watched the van disappear from his sight.

* * *

“Hey, Jansen! What’s with that look? Getting scared of the forest? Worried that your compass-reading skill will fail you?” Jarl asked Jansen who was frowning when he recalled what the stranger had said to him earlier.

“Huh? No. It’s nothing. I was just thinking of something. Nothing serious,” Jansen replied.

“Look, you can tell us what happened. We saw a stranger confront you back at the Chok’lit Shoppe. What did he say to you?” asked Vivienne.

“Hmmm, I hope it’s nothing serious. He told me to cancel the trip to the forest. I wondered what happened in that place. He even branded the forest as a damned place. The stranger back there also stated that many people had entered the place but no one has ever came out of it,” Jansen explained.

“Oh my goodness, is that true? If it is, I think we should reconsider the trip,” Elene exclaimed after listening to Jansen’s words.

“Wait, don’t be crazy. We are already halfway and think about it, look at the state the guy was in. I’ve never seen a man so untidy and disheveled before in my life. You would definitely say that too if you were standing right next to him. His body odour was so bad, you could practically see flies hovering over him,” Jansen continued.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right. Anyway, why not we play game of poker? It’s getting pretty boring,” Josh suggested. After receiving looks of disagreement, he quickly added, “No, no, no. We’re not gambling. I just want to kill some time.”

“OK, then. Count me in but before we start, where are the cards, you fool?” Jarl lashed out.

“Jarl! If you act like that one more time, I’ll definitely kick you out of the van without any hesitation!” Gwendolyn screamed. With that said, Jarl immediately fell silent and suddenly became so polite that all of his friends could have swore that he would be much more polite than the timid girl who was in their class. After playing their card game, Jansen closed his eyes and nodded off into Dreamland.

* * *

Isaiah n Terence

“To enter or not to enter? That is the question,” pondered Jansen as he stood in front of a wooden door of a shabby hut.

“Oh, well. What harm can it do anyway?” he said as he pushed it open and walked into the hut.

Bad mistake.

* * *

RIIINNNG! Students came rushing out of their classes to embrace the beginning of the school holidays. All of the students were having faces filled with glee and bewilderment.

“So, Jansen, what are you planning to do this school holiday?” asked Vivienne who was practically shouting at the top of her lungs to get her question to Jansen through the rowdy crowd in the cafeteria.

“Huh? Oh, it’s you Vivienne. Not much. I’ll most probably be spending my time at home playing computer games and of course,” as he pushed himself through the crowd and wrapped his arms around Vivienne’s waist, “spending it with you.”

“Not here, Jansen, later. Someone might catch you doing this,” she said as she pushed his hands away from her and turned to face him.

“Look, why don’t we meet at Ja Red’s Fat Diner tonight at 7 p.m together with the gang? It’ll be a blast,” Vivienne proposed when she noticed the disappointed look on Jansen’s face the moment she removed herself from his hug.

“Sure. I’ll pick you up at 6,” came the reply before Jansen left her with a look of satisfaction.

* * *

“Mum! I’m home!” yelled the 17-year old boy as he tossed his school bag on the sofa and immediately switched on his computer. With a few clicks, he was already accessing his Facebook account and judging by the look on his face, even a boy with short-sightedness could tell that the broadband connection on that day was slower than a moving sloth.

“Jansen? Is that you? Lunch will be ready in a jiffy!” his mother shouted from the kitchen. Jansen mumbled something under his breath out of annoyance when he failed to access the Internet Service Provider’s or the ISP’s homepage.

“www.uyhaw.com,” he mumbled when he read aloud the web address that was scribbled on a piece of paper which was stuck beside the monitor. Once he was in the site, he immediately scrolled to the part which showed the connection speed on that day and swore aloud when he saw that it was too slow for him to do anything.

“We’ve got to sign up for that Premium Membership some day, mum,” he suggested to his mother when he saw her walk into the dining area with a plate of lasagna.

“Why?” she asked with a surprised look.

“It’s too slow. I depend on it to write essays for the school, you know. How am I going to compose if I don’t have a decent connection?” he complained.

“Stop whining, you ungrateful boy. Think about the children in Africa. You should be happy that you’re able to access the Internet whereas the children there do not even have the privilege to even hold a mouse,” Jansen’s mother scolded him when she heard her son’s complaint.

“Yeah. Guess you’re right,” Jansen said as he took a bite out of his lunch, “This is good, mum. It hits the spot,” he added. When he was done, he smacked his lips and thanked his mother and went on to inform her about the plan he had with Vivienne later that day.

“Mum? Vivienne and I are going to meet the gang at Ja Red’s Fat Diner tonight at 7. Is it OK for me to go?”

“Yeah. It’s fine by me. Provided if her parents know about it and allows her to go with you. I don’t want you two sneaking out of the house doing things that you’re not supposed to,” answered his mother.

“I just received a text message from Vivienne. Her parents had given her the green light. Thanks mum. You’re the best,” he said as he kissed his mother on the cheek and went back to deal with his computer.

* * *

By six in the evening, Jansen was already dressed and grabbed his car keys and drove over to Vivienne’s residence that was 800 metres away from his. She was already ready waiting for him in front of her door and beamed at him when she saw him all dressed up, neat and handsome.

“My, my. Look at you. I’ve never seen you so dolled up before,” Vivienne commented.

“Well, have you heard of the saying ‘clothes maketh a man’? That is why tonight, I’m not a boy but a man,” Jansen replied.

“Haha. Yeah. I guess it’s true. At least now my parents will know that I’m dating a man instead of a 17-year old boy, eh?” she teased him. Right after she said that, Vivienne gave Jansen a peck on the cheek. Jansen was so thrilled that he could not return Vivienne’s last remark.

* * *

When they arrived at the diner, a group of teenagers could be seen hanging around outside the building. After parking his car, Jansen stepped out of it and opened the door for Vivienne. Both of them smiled as they approached their group of friends and recognized them immediately. Azoth, Jarl, Elene, Gwendolyn, and Josh have been friends with Jansen and Vivienne since they were seven years old and they had stuck with each other through thick and thin throughout their childhood. Now, they are still in the same school and even the same class. Azoth noticed the couple which was walking towards them and nudged Jarl.

“Hey, hey, hey. Look who’s there! Hi, Jansen and Vivienne,” Azoth greeted them with a warm smile.

“Hi, Azoth,” both of them replied simultaneously.

“Guess we’re late,” Jansen added.

“No, you’re not. We were just early,” Jarl retorted sarcastically.

“There, there. What’s with the hostility, Jarl? It’s the start of the school holidays,” said Elene, who was trying to calm things down as she glared at Jarl.

“What? I was annoyed. Besides, sarcasm is a part of me. I can’t help it,” answered Jarl with a grin.

“Alright, let’s get down to the bottom of this. Why did you call us here for?” questioned Josh with a puzzled look.

“OK. Look, here’s the plan. We gather at the entrance of the forest reserve that is located in the outskirts of town,” Jansen suggested.

“Wait a minute, genius. That place is ten miles from here. How are we going there?” asked Gwendolyn.

“I’ll ask my dad to lend us the family van. If I get his permission, the trip there shouldn’t be a problem,” Azoth said.

“Brilliant suggestion. Now to decide the rendezvous point instead of meeting up at the entrance. I think we could gather at Pop’s Chok’lit Shoppe at eight in the morning,” Jansen explained.

“It looks like it’s all settled then. We will meet at the shop at eight, OK?” Vivienne confirmed with them.

“Yes. Now, why don’t we get ourselves some dinner?” Jarl proposed.

“Yes, sir!” came the reply in unison.

* * *

Isaiah n Terence

Televisions are usually known as a box-shaped object that displays coloured images and emits sound. Televisions were once a luxurious item, however in this age and time it has become a common item. I can still remember that my father once told me that when he was young, he had to go to his friend’s house to watch a television show and television programmes then were not in colours. The only colours that were displayed were black and white. During this modern era, it is not surprising to see that a house has two or more televisions. Television certainly has its pros and cons.

Televisions are our main source of entertainment. By switching channels from one to the other, we are sure to find a variety of shows that are aired. When we watch comedies or cartoons, we can reduce our stress. This is because when we laugh, our body releases a certain type of hormone that counteract against our stress. As the saying goes, “laughter is the best medicine”, thus it is good for us to watch television when we are feeling down or when we are stressed up.

Besides, watching television keeps us updated on the latest happenings and news. When we turn to the news channel, we are able to know the latest happenings and news in our countries and overseas. We can watch an event or a sports game that is happening live in other parts of the world. For example, I am certain that many of us watched the badminton competition which took place in China in the comfort of our home.

We can gain extra knowledge by watching television programmes. Watching documentary films is certainly the best way to gain information. These information that we gain cannot be found in our textbooks. Good television programmes can be found in Discovery Channel and The History Channel.

Every good thing in the world will certainly have some bad effects on us. Some will say that watching television is a waste of time. Time spent watching television programmes should be spent on reading a book instead. Besides, watching too many television programmes will certainly affect our vision. Statistics have shown that there is a sharp rise of people in our country that are putting on glasses.

We could get carried away when we watch television programmes. Television programmes are getting more and more interesting. We tend to watch every television programme which we enjoy. This will reach a point where we will start to neglect our studies and responsibilities.

Violence, sex, and profanity are elements that are usually present in television programmes. This Western culture is not suitable for the Asian viewers. These elements will certainly corrupt a young viewer. Albeit precautions had been done to ensure that shows with these elements does not go on air, it is not enough. Some shows with these elements are still being aired for the public.

There are pros and cons when we watch television programmes. The only way to maximize the benefits of watching telelvison programmes is to know when to watch and when to stop watching.


Written by:

James Lee 4P (2009)

Isaiah n Terence

“Kenny, wake that boy sitting next to you up,” said the teacher in the class.

The boy got up, rubbed his eyes and felt sleepy. He looked at the clock and thought, “It’s almost time for recess.”

The teacher then asked Jimmy a question when he was still gazing at the clock, waiting for 11 o’ clock to come. Surprisingly, Jimmy, who was not paying attention in class or perhaps, never paid any attention in class before, managed to answer the question accurately, correctly and confidently.

Many of his classmates were jealous because he has a genius’ mind. Sleeping in class so often but still a top student in school. What an irony! Lazy yet smart. That’s Jimmy! He has white and shiny teeth, cool-looking hairstyle and mesmerizing eyes. Girls would have fallen in love with this god-like creature easily.

The school bell rang at 2 o’ clock and Jimmy was ready to walk home but he decided to drop by at Kenny’s house to teach him Additional Math since the exam is just around the corner. After that, he headed home with a sense of satisfaction because he managed to help his friend.

When he got home, his parents were not in the house. His dad was probably working at that time but he wondered where his mother went. He then took a shower, headed downstairs and tried finding something to eat. Usually, his mother would prepare lunch for him and leave it on the table so that if she is not around, Jimmy gets to eat lunch when he is back from school.

So, impatiently, Jimmy gave his mother a call. When his mother picked up the phone, Jimmy said, “Mom, where are you? I’m hungry now. Did you leave any food for my lunch?”

Jimmy’s mother replied, “I’m getting some food for your lunch now Jimmy. I’ll be back in ten minutes.”

Jimmy hung up the phone and went into his room. He cleaned his room while waiting for his mother to come back. Suddenly he paused and stared at the empty table in his room. He asked himself in curiosity, “Where did this table came from?”

After finish cleaning, his mother was still not back. He gave his mother another call in frustration.

“Ma, when are you coming home? I’m very hungry now! What took you so long just to buy me lunch?”

His mother said, “I’m sorry Jimmy, I’m coming home now.”

A few minutes later, Jimmy’s dad called him and told him, “Jimmy, your mother met an accident while driving home. She is now in the hospital. Take a bus to the hospital. I’ll rush there as soon as I’m done with my work.”

Immediately, Jimmy took a bus to the hospital and looked for his mother. When he found his mother’s room, he saw her lying on the bed. The doctor said she was paralyzed and death may occur anytime. Jimmy then saw a letter in his mother’s hand, gripped tightly. The letter has Jimmy’s name on it. Jimmy opened the letter and read it.

Jimmy, you’ll be surprised to get the television I bought you. I still remember how much you wanted a television in your room. I hope this television can make u happy.

With love,

Mother

Tears rolled down from Jimmy’s eyes. Now he knew the reason why the empty table in his room existed, why his mother took so long to buy him lunch and how much his mother loved him. A sense of regret filled Jimmy’s hear for rushing and scolding his mother for taking a long time to buy him lunch. His mother is now in a critical state, where death comes anytime. The television means a lot to Jimmy and he realized how much sacrifices his mother made just to fulfill his request, a television.


Written by:

Chan Fan Kiat 4P (2009)

Isaiah n Terence
It was raining heavily and I wished I had gone home earlier. I regretted my decision to go for a basketball game together with my friends. The rain was pouring so heavily that we could no longer continue our activity. As a result, my friends and I were forced to jump onto our bicycles and together, we headed for cover at the nearest coffee shop. The owner was kind and compassionate enough to allow four soaking wet teenagers to take refuge under his roof. In addition to that, he was even generous enough to serve us bubbling, hot, mouth-watering chicken soup. My friends and I gratefully accepted it and thanked him as a sign of politeness and gratitude. While we were sheepishly sipping our soup, the owner opened his mouth and asked of our ages and where we lived. When it was my turn to reply, a tall dark man who was probably in his 30s came up to us. From then on, everything started to go haywire. The man suddenly pulled out a gun and pointed it at me. When I realized what the man was doing, I was afraid, shocked and puzzled at the same time. He ordered me to stand up and put my hands on my head. I wondered to myself why was I the only one selected to follow the lunatic. When I turned behind and glanced at the people who were in the shop, a sudden light dawned on me. I was the only Chinese in the area. I jumped to the conclusion that this dark man wanted to take me out because of racism.

PLOP! PLOP! PLOP! The sound of our footsteps could be clearly heard as we were plodding on puddles of water. The man finally stopped walking and turned to face me. For a future jailbird, he was polite enough to introduce himself. His name was Sweet ‘Black’ Jackson. Obviously, he was a street thug and the nickname was given to him by his gang members. He even told me why he had picked me and I was right from the start. Sweet explained that the street I was on belonged to his gang and only black people were allowed on it. He demanded the name of the gang that I belonged to and sadly, he was not too happy with my answer. He did not believe that I was not a gang member and tried to beat the answer out of me. As a boy, my mother taught me not to cry like a baby but this was an exception. Sweet not only used his fists and legs, he wasn’t afraid to use his gun and fired a few shots at my thighs to hear the answer that he wished for. One shot came particularly close and if it did hit home, I would have died. Anyway, Sweet finally gave up and decided to finish me off for good. He took out a spare gun and hurled the weapon at me.

Sweet yelled at me and ordered me to get on my feet. Upon receiving the gun, I regained my strength and jumped up. He threatened me to stay where I was until he came back or he would kill me and go for my family too. Feeling concerned for them, I decided to stay put and tended to my wounds. Minutes later, Sweet came back with another man. As a child, I grew up watching western movies which involved cowboys. Seeing that I was holding a gun, I realized that he wanted to settle our feud with a one-to-one duel. The man that he brought along earlier was appointed to be the referee of the death match. It was a do or die situation. The referee started the count. I was prepared for the duel even though my hand was shaking uncontrollably. I was praying to God in my heart before it started, hoping that somehow or another; I would survive the insane act. The moment the countdown hit three, everything suddenly slowed down.

Everything seemed static and still. The birds that were in the air were flying so slowly that you could even count the feathers on the tip of their tail. Both of us drew our guns at the exact moment. BANG! The sound of gunshots could be heard a few blocks away. Sweet collapsed in front of me. I could not believe my eyes and turned away to celebrate my victory. Bad mistake. BANG! BANG! The referee opened fire at me at point blank range. My surroundings turned silent as if it was muted. It seemed like I was taking an eternal fall. THUD! My lifeless body fell with a thud. It looked like the end for me….

“Cut! That’s a wrap! Good job everyone! Especially you Isaiah! This is going to be the movie of the century!”


Written by

Isaiah Tan 4P (2009)

Isaiah n Terence

The Khmer Rouge and the Ku Klux Klan or better known as the KKK are the few of the many groups or clans that enjoy torturing, abusing or even annihilating people who are not of their own kind. Even sometimes these days, racial issues and conflicts often occur in our own country which we call our home. What is worse is that these problems do not only happen within adults but even among the students. The numbers of group fights that involve racism between pupils are gradually increasing in school day by day. It seems like people do not seem to care anymore for each other’s well-being. What happened to the message that was delivered by the late Michael Jackson, fondly known as the King of Pop in the song ‘Black or White’ or the song that was sung by the Black Eyed Peas in ‘Where Is The Love?’. These are the songs that tried and failed to convey a message to the people who are carrying out these immoral and beastly acts. Fortunately, there are still ways to integrate the spirit of unity in our nation.

National unity can be integrated through the practice of equal rights. When this act is carried out, the majority and minority races will receive equal treatment in any form of help that is being given out. Supposedly that this practice fails to be carried out, unsatisfaction, anger and hurt that is felt by the marginalized groups or races will cause racial issues to surface and disrupt the country’s development. Should this action of treating people the way that they deserve to be, a feeling of euphoria will definitely be instilled in the hearts and minds of the multiracial citizens in Malaysia. National unity in Malaysia is definitely important as a country cannot progress without the co-operation of the people in the country.

On the other hand, the government should impose heavier punishments on those people who are executing their unruly acts which are connected to hate and racism. Punishments like putting the wrongdoer into a prison cell with people of the race he dislikes or jail him for trying to disrupt the peace in the country. It is essential for this action to be carried out because once these punishments are being executed; people who are attempting to carry out their future plans will think twice before they do it. The moment these acts of nonsense cease, peace will once again be in our beloved homeland.

Another way to integrate national unity in our country is by having politically stable country. The political groups in our country recently are being very competitive to form the government instead of having the people’s welfare at heart. Political parties in our land should be more concerned about the citizens’ trials and tribulations that they are facing every day. By doing that, not only the political party will contribute hugely to the integration of national unity, but it will also gain the trust of the citizens to elect the particular party to represent them as a nation. The particular party should also put their heart and soul into this as national unity is the backbone to our country’s stability and integrity.

Last but not least, national unity can be achieved when parents and guardians play their parts as role models and not turn a blind eye towards this epidemic that is plaguing most countries. Fathers, mothers and even people who greatly influence children should never criticize people of other races in front of their children. According to a study made by child experts, children usually follow the characteristics and attitude of their parents or guardians. This is the main reason why parents and guardians should always be an example to their children so that when their children grow up, they will no longer have the mentality that their ethnicity is always above the other races when it comes to studies, sports or personal abilities.

It is not a doubt that national unity is very important in our country. It is the one and only thing that keeps all of us bound together, allowing us to live with one another in peace and harmony. National unity is, of course, possible and achievable but it can only be obtained step by step and not and overnight achievement. Therefore, we should all work together as one to continue this effort that was started by our late Prime Minister Tun Hussien bin Onn for united we stand and divided we fall.


Written by

Isaiah Tan 4P (2009)

Isaiah n Terence
Have you ever heard of ‘The Secret’? Seen it, or even read about it, perhaps? The Secret is basically, in its bare form, a motivational or inspirational book, and more recently a movie, which tells us to be grateful for what we have and to see the good things that we experience in life. No matter how hard life may seem at times, just as the English saying goes, every cloud has a silver lining.

I’m sure that there are some days where we will simply wake up feeling agitated, irritated, angry, and so on. It is such a common occurrence that there exists the phrase ‘getting up on the wrong side of bed’ to describe this situation. Even though it is so common, I believe that we should do all that we can to leave this state, as being in a bad mood can be detrimental not only to our health but also to our relationships, studies, or activities. Now, our mind is made to work in such a way that once we start thinking and focusing on something bad that had happened to us, we will continue to bring up more and more bad experiences and then we will feel more and more bitter. Simple things like getting scolded by a teacher, being annoyed by siblings, or even getting advised by our parents are the small things that can start the ball rolling that will lead us to imagine bad things that have not even happened to us yet. When we are in this condition, we will see a glass that is half filled as half empty. What I mean is that, we will start thinking negatively.

To get out of such a state, you need to first consciously control your mind to stop thinking about all those bad memories. Although this will be very hard to do, you need to keep focusing on stopping your mind from staying on the track of negativity and going to the track of positive thinking. Once you can stop thinking negatively, and then start thinking of all the good things. You will probably find that the amount of good things that happen to you is scarce but always remember that we need to start from the basics. Try asking yourself; Am I alive? You will soon realize that you are, and that is a good thing already. Next, you can start asking yourself about how you live. Do I have proper clothes to wear? Do I have enough food to eat? Do I have a fatal disease? You will find out that your life isn’t as bad as a lot of peoples’ lives. Then you can start branching out further and asking yourself questions like did I get to go to school? Do I have friends? You can then ask yourself; what do I want out of today? Normally, once you are already on this track of positive thinking, it will become increasingly easier to think of the next good thing that happened to us.

We need to remember all our enjoyable and life-enriching experiences and most importantly we need to be grateful for all the things that happened to us before. Although we must not mope on the bad incidents, we must not forget about them. We need to make the best of these experiences and learn from them. Our lives can be drastically changed just by being grateful for the little things that happen to us, but you need to focus on the good things everyday, not just once in a blue moon. Every morning, try and take five minutes of your time to think of the things that you can be grateful for, and keep thinking about them, focusing on them. Sooner or later, you will be able to see the glass as half full again, and not half empty. You will be able to see life from another aspect and in a much better light.


Written by:
Terence Foo (4H)
Isaiah n Terence

It was one fine morning when I received a mail from Messrs. Anderson and Noble, Advocates and Solicitors to be present at their office in New York for the reading of my Uncle John’s will. Enclosed in the letter were a key and a note. For the whole day, I could not forget the contents of the note. On the piece of paper, despite its old age, a message was clearly written on it. If it wasn’t for the message, I would have tossed the piece of paper into a garbage can. Written in a type of ink which clearly looked like blood, it carries instructions on the key’s usage. The only thing that troubled me was the language that was used to write the instructions. It was some strange and peculiar writings that were neatly scribbled onto the piece of paper. In fact, when I looked closely, the ‘paper’ turned out to be some kind of skin. Not just skin but human skin. One look at it made me turn away in disgust. I drove back home, thinking of ways to decipher the idiosyncratic scribbling.

When I arrived home, I ransacked my mammoth-sized collection of books that had to do with ancient runes. Leaving no stone unturned, I spent two hours in search of the particular book. My effort paid off when I stumbled upon a black, hard-covered book which my grandfather had passed down to me as an inheritance. I flipped through its pages and stopped at a page which held the same writings that the note possessed, together with its translation in English. I matched each word to its own meaning and the message that appeared looked as if a treasure hunt was being carried out. It pointed out directions, starting from my uncle’s home as the reference point. Feeling excited and with euphoria, I grabbed my car keys and immediately rushed to his residence. Upon my arrival, my uncle’s dogs barked, greeting me with friendly looks and showing no hostility towards me. I patted them on the head and went into Uncle John’s house to snatch a few treats for the dogs. Once I was done with them, I took out the note he had left for me and started to look for clues that would point me to the hidden location. After four grueling hours of searching, I finally found the place that the message pointed to.

I was standing in front of a stable, feeling annoyed because of the trouble that was caused by the note - just to locate a plain horse stable. I pushed the door open and walked into the building. Inside, it was just an ordinary sight. Stirrups, saddles and horseshoes were all over the place. Uncle John had sold off all his remaining horses and gained quite a profit from the sales. As I looked around, suddenly, I heard something that made my blood run cold. Distant screams of pain and agony could be heard in the barn. I rushed out of the stable, in search of the source but as I ran out, the shrieking stopped and could be heard no more. Confused, I walked back in, wondering what had caused that sound. I continued rummaging and paced around the room, hoping to find something valuable. Once again, I heard the same piercing scream. This time, I dashed out but I tripped on a stirrup and fell with a thud. Grimacing in pain, I rubbed my ankles, fearing that I may have sprained them but I did not have time to think about it for when I looked down, I saw something that should not be found in an ordinary stable – a trapdoor.

Heavy as it looked, it took me quite awhile to open it but finally, it creaked open and a flight of stairs were revealed to allow one person to go down. With a sense of curiosity, I took hold of a lamp, lighted it and was on my way down. A few minutes later, I reached the bottom and came face to face with a heavy wooden door. Remembering my uncle’s key, I immediately reached for it in my pocket and stuck it into the lock. It clicked open and the door swung forth, revealing a narrow path. It was so dark that it was impossible to see what was at the end of the road. I bravely took a step forward but I stopped dead in my tracks when I heard another scream. This time, it was louder, sharper, more piercing and agonizing than the previous screams. Praying to God that I would be safe, I continued walking until I came across a fork in the road. As the direction of the scream came from the left, I took the left turn and continued my exploration. When I finally arrived at the end of the road, I saw a sight that was so disturbing and gory that I almost fainted. A man, chained to the wall, was being sliced up, limb by limb while he was screaming in anguish. Before I knew it, he was screaming no more. A blade, as sharp as a razor, which was mechanically attached to a metal arm, swung towards the victim’s head and sliced it off thus ending his pain and suffering at the very moment. As his head rolled onto the floor, the chains automatically clicked open and the badly mutilated body fell into a puddle of blood. After the ordeal, I heard another click. A counter, which I did not notice when I entered the chamber, showed the number 97. It did not take me long enough to figure out what was going on. My late uncle was a sadistic man who had an insatiable hunger for blood. He was keeping count of the number of people that he had slain to satisfy his bloodlust. I also realized that the killing machines in the house of horror were all functioning on a motor in the house.

In order to exit the torture dungeon, one must continue walking to the end which I did for I could no longer watch another fellow human being cut up barbarously. I arrived at the next chamber. This time, I noticed a behemoth saw on my right, stained with blood. In front of me, there was a lady, clothed in a tattered and torn dress, screaming for help and begging for mercy. The saw was closing in. I ran forth and did all my best to release the lady form captivity but there was nothing I could do. Picking the lock of the chains was useless and there was not a single thing in the room that could be used to cut the chains. In my futile attempt, the saw came so close that I jumped aside to avoid it, forgetting the helpless victim that was restrained there. In a split second, the saw did its job. Her torso was brutally sawed off into two and her organs could be seen jutting out from her sawn off parts. Feeling extremely sick, I vomited at the sight of it. I could no longer hold back the disgust but still continued forward. It took me only five steps to discover what happened to another victim. I saw a body, pinned to a rotating circular tabletop on the wall. The body was nailed onto it. Knives of all sorts were plunged deep into its flesh, regardless of the body parts. The body was so badly dismembered that it was difficult to identify the shape and size of the body. Having seen the first two tortures, this was not as brutal and inhuman as the ones before. After studying the body, I realized the cause of its death. A knife, stuck into the head, delivered the coup de grĂ¢ce. I stood there, not knowing what to do next. It took me quite awhile to regain my strength and courage to continue my journey.

I kept walking, ignoring the bloodstains that were all over the floor and walls. When I thought the first few chambers were bad, oh, how wrong I was. I remembered the type of material that was used to hold the instructions that brought me into this torture chamber. I shuddered at the thought of humans being skinned. Upon arriving, I saw bubbling, green liquid, stored in a cauldron. Above it, there was a suspended and transparent glass chamber. I saw a bucket, hovering above the glass chamber. Curiosity filled me once more but this time, curiosity killed the cat. As I approached the chamber, I felt a strong shove which caused me to enter the enclosure and the instant I was in it, the glass door slammed shut. There was no way I could escape. The walls of the glass were so slippery that not even a fly could climb it. I turned to look for the person who pushed me. Ironically, I saw my sadistic uncle, who should be dead. Words failed me for I was so shocked. Earlier today, he had already been proclaimed dead but now, he was sneering at me while standing in front of a lever.

It did not take me long to finally work out what was happening all this while. My bloodthirsty uncle had staged his own demise to allow his will to be carried out. Uncle John knew that the contents of his will would definitely entice me into coming to this slaughterhouse he had created. This glass chamber that I was in would now be my hearse. As he lowered the lever, the bucket above me was stirring and the chamber was lowering itself nearer and nearer towards the cauldron. The bucket overturned. What seemed like red coloured beads were falling over me. One of the beads landed on my arm and a sharp pain seared all over my body. When I looked closely, it was an ant – a fire ant. One bite would release pheromones thus causing the entire colony to attack me. Now it was too late. The ants were all over me. As I looked down, what used to be my legs were now bones. I stumbled onto the floor of the chamber. The ants were working their way up. My flesh was slowly disappearing as I saw bones. Suddenly, everything turned blissful. Before I closed my eyes, I saw my uncle laughing hysterically at his ultimate achievement. The counter had struck 100.



Written by:

Isaiah Tan 4P (2009)

Isaiah n Terence
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Isaiah n Terence
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