The Compilation Finalized

download The Compilation Finalized

of 32

Transcript of The Compilation Finalized

  • 7/31/2019 The Compilation Finalized

    1/32

    Designed by MuzziBhai

    [unOFFICIAL]

  • 7/31/2019 The Compilation Finalized

    2/32

    The Creative Writing Club has been quite a long and arduous adventure for

    me. At this stage in the year I feel like Frodo emerging from the mines of

    Moria; a little weaker, a little wiser, and suffering from a distinct sense of

    loss. Instead of losing Gandalf though, I've lost Monday afternoons with the

    strangest and most frustratingly exciting fellowship Tolkien could never

    create.

    Before I get too carried away with my clever Lord of the Rings analogy, I'd

    like to take a step back and explain what exactly I'm writing here. This past

    year, members of the Creative Writing Club have been doing justice to our

    name by writing (creatively) and we ended up with a whole host of original

    works that didn't have a home. I was so proud of my motley crew and their

    literary aberrations that I decided we would showcase them in what has

    come to be known as The Creative Writing Club Yearbook (CWCY for short,

    Quincy if you're a fan of nicknames), and this is the Foreword.

    This yearbook plays host to 10 original pieces of writing produced by

    members of the CWC over the last year. There would have been more if

    SOME people didn't think studying for exams was so very important, but

    we don't talk about them. Snide comments aside, every member of the

    CWC has contributed to our collective experience in a distinct and valuable

    way, and for that I'd like to thank them all.

  • 7/31/2019 The Compilation Finalized

    3/32

    This club has only been as much fun as the eccentric individuals that make

    it up, and I could not have chosen a better group of people. For every

    overly enthusiastic born debater that couldnt wait to have their say, I had a

    patient and polite listener who wouldnt get offended by their rancor. In thesame way, there was a liberal for every conservative and no point made

    went uncontested, while every generous and kind work-shopper was

    balanced out by at least three people ready to critique an essay to within an

    inch of its life.

    And that was the heart of this club; balance. A balance of ideas as much as

    personalities and, like I said earlier, it would not have been the same

    without any one of those wild, obnoxious, hilarious, kind, generous, fanatic,

    fastidious, pedantic, intelligent, perceptive, receptive, obstinate nutters.

    I hope you enjoy (some of) the fruits of our labours, because we certainly

    enjoyed throwing them together to create a right mess.

    Happy reading!

    Miss Siham Gheewala

    Club Patron

  • 7/31/2019 The Compilation Finalized

    4/32

    I could hear guns firing in the distance, the shots echoing.

    I did not want to think anymore. I wished the pain would stop soon.

    I squeezed the lifeless hand I had refused to let go of.

    Its almost over..., I breathed and looked down at my left hand clutching

    my abdomen, trying in vain to contain the blood spurting out of my

    stomach and spreading over what was left of my shirt like an evil, red cloud.

    My line of vision blurred. I fought to remain conscious.

    !

    A glimpse of my childhood flashed before my eyes; my father chasing me

    down a warm beach,my mothers loving smile, meeting my friends at

    school for the first time after a long summer apart -Happiness.

    !

    Images came faster now: my grandmothers funeral, loss. Being forced to

    move to Canada to be safe from the war, anger.!

    Happiness, loss and anger. The reigning emotions of my life, but what was I

    feeling now? I had lost everything and everyone I was seconds away from

    death. I should have been lonely and scared.

  • 7/31/2019 The Compilation Finalized

    5/32

    I wasnt.

    I closed my eyes and took one last ragged breath, letting a single tear

    escape and felt a smile upon my lips.

    Freedom at last.

  • 7/31/2019 The Compilation Finalized

    6/32

    Abbottabad, this is where I was born. This is my hometown and, yes,

    this is the place where Osama bin Laden was killed. Its a valley, surrounded

    by green, snow-capped mountains. The beauty is breath taking and the

    peaceful environment mocks the corrupt, violent world its embedded in. In

    the middle of all this, perched on the north end of the valley,is a large,

    ancient house enveloped in a thick mist of memories memories that I

    have already lived and will never forget, and memories that I have yet to

    make. That is my family house, my safe haven, the place I turn to in times of

    joy and sadness.

    *****************************

    In the nineteenth century the British came. When they were unable to

    fight and unable to conquer, they grew to love Abbottabad then cherish it

    and protect it. They built a large house towards the north of the valley; it

    had no protective charm around it but then, they sold it to a man who with

    his family, cast a spell on it and surrounded it with a mist of memories.He saw his children being born. He cherished their first words and

    clapped at their first steps. He celebrated their first birthdays and helped

    plant their first trees. He expanded each ones garden till they became huge

    and relaxing, and bore fruits, vegetables and flowers of all kinds. He took

    them to their first day at school. He was present at their first Sports Day,

    their first Speech Day, and their first drama. He was a lawyer. A very busy

    man, but he found time for all this. Found time to fill and to thicken the

    mist of memories. Then he saw his children graduate, saw them marry andwas terribly upset when they moved out. Soon after, his wife died and the

    whole family came together to grieve. They were very close, a tightly-knit

    family. He soon looked forward to the summer and winter vacations when

    the family once again became whole with the addition of his grandchildren.

    They ran about the house shouting, protected the fruit trees from

  • 7/31/2019 The Compilation Finalized

    7/32

    imaginary thieves, skipped about and once again gave meaning to his life.

    They would share with him what they were scared to share with their

    parents terrible school marks and the fights they had had. They were all

    sharp and lively, and they filled up his life.

    There was one little girl who was an exact copy of her grandmother

    his wife. Light green eyes, light brown hair, fair skin, slightly snubbed nose

    and an oval face. He was her guardian-angel and she loved him. Every small

    scratch was tended to, every prize was applauded, every tear wiped, every

    smile encouraged. She was loved by all, and she loved all grandparents,

    parents, siblings, uncles, aunts, and cousins. She was the baby of the family.

    He treasured daughters they were the life and the soul of the house. This

    little girl petted him, took care of all his needs, wobbled across the house

    trying to find his lost possessions. She was growing up but she would never

    forget him. Her laugh was contagious, her tears were contagious, and her

    liveliness was contagious.

    One day he got up early and went outside to one of the gardens. He

    saw his little princess sitting on the dewy grass in her pyjamas. He went and

    sat next to her. She took his hand and clutched it tightly.

    The flowers were fresh and bright with tiny diamond like beads of

    dew. The sky was struggling to turn light. The stars were still there on the

    blue backdrop. The water was clear with the cold wind forming ripples. He

    saw a multitude of colours. Colours that God had splashed all over and he

    found colours to describe the little girl -Red, Yellow, Purple, and Blue. She

    was the deep blue of the ocean, a mind of boundless possibilities. She was

    the bright yellow wind, dancing and prancing, creating ripples in every life

    when she moved, and she was the red Earth, as solid as the ground beneath

    him. As he said this he felt tears on his hand as the little girl clutched it

    tightly, holding it near her face.

    The little girl grew older still, and so did he. In the summer of 2010 he

    was diagnosed with stage four, Leukemia. When the little girl got the news

    she was shattered. The walls had come crumbling down and her life had

    gone topsy-turvy. She was in a state of denial. She could not believe that

  • 7/31/2019 The Compilation Finalized

    8/32

    her guardian angel was on the brink of life and death. She prayed to

    Godwith all her might hoping that He would listen. She begged Him to cure

    her grandpa; she implored Him to give her guardian angel a long life. And

    all through this time, she never left his hand. She appeared to be strong on

    the outside but in reality her heart was bleeding, and she held back hertears. She cared for him like a little nurse. She gave him his pills regularly,

    told him happy stories from her daily routine to take his mind off his

    sickness. She wanted to make sure that she helped him ease his pains but

    he was slipping fast and there was nothing she could do. She felt helpless,

    and disappointed that just this one time when he needed her more than

    she did him, and now she was helpless. She loved him but could not play

    God. Chemotherapy left him weak and vulnerable, he was nearing the end.

    He was weak and vulnerable but the day she turned 13 he wished her

    a great future and gave her a little prayer. She could not contain herself and

    tears leaked through her eyes. Those were the last proper words that he

    said and that was the day he died leaving the little girl all alone. The entire

    family was grieved but nobody could feel the pain that the little girl felt.

    She ached all over. Her loss could not be measured. She had lost the man

    she had loved the most for 13 years of her life - 13 unforgettable years of

    her life. Everyone could see that the man was loved and his death had

    caused great disruptive waves in the lives of the mourners. But the little girl

    still knew that their guardian angel watched over them from heaven.

    ******************************

    There is a house in the north of the valley ancient and large,

    enveloped in a thick mist of memories, protected by this shield, in the city

    where Osama Bin Laden was found. It needs to be saved because violence

    has penetrated the tranquility of the valley. Yes the violence has entered

    but I will not just abandon it. I will make sure my safe haven stays safe. Nowits all up to me to make sure that my shield the shield- is not shattered

    and that I do give my guardian angel something to be proud of so that he

    can boast to his friends in heaven that that little girl there, she is my

    granddaughter and she is going to save the world. I am what my

    surroundings and my memories have moulded me into. I am the wind

  • 7/31/2019 The Compilation Finalized

    9/32

    dancing and prancing and now its my dances, my actions, my moves that

    will create ripples in peoples lives that will keep my refuge safe, my

    hometown alive, and violence forever away.

  • 7/31/2019 The Compilation Finalized

    10/32

    All children grow up seeing images of heroes like superman and batman on

    their TV screens. These fictional men and women are made out to be the

    ideal vigilantes who do good deeds and ask for nothing in return.

    Superheroes are made out to be fantastical characters, and rightly so,

    because I havent really seen any red caped men of steel flying around

    recently.However, why should children be shown these images of heroes that are

    impossible to find in this real world? Why should these people be restricted

    to characters from their imagination when we have heroes all around us?

    Well,what is a hero? A dictionary definition might tell you that its a person

    who, in the opinion of others, has heroic qualities or has performed a heroic

    act and is regarded as a role model to others. That being said, does

    someone really need super powers to be a hero? We have heroesall around

    us, we might even meet them and not even know it. Take, for example,

    Jinnah. He was a man who, against all odds, fought for what he believed in

    no matter what. However hard people tried to sway him from getting what

    he believed in, a homeland for all Muslims, he did not falter; he did not give

    up until his dream became a reality.

    But you dont have to create a country to be a hero. There is a certaindegree of heroism in some of the most ordinary acts. One such instance is a

    man I saw who got out of his car and picked up the litter someone had

    dropped on the road. To me that man is a hero as he went out of his way to

    do his part in keeping his city clean.

  • 7/31/2019 The Compilation Finalized

    11/32

    There are and have been thousands of people

    like this in our world. Rosa Parks, Martin Luther

    King,Nelson Mandela the list goes on and on.

    All these people together prove one thing; youdont have to have super-human strength or the

    ability to fly to be a hero. You just have to make

    an effort, believe you can do it, and affect a

    change.

    Contributors

    Note

    I wrote this piece

    because I could really

    relate to this idea. I

    feel that in our

    society, as in our

    country, it is time for

    all of us to stand upand become the

    heroes we so wish

    for. In the words of

    Nickleback:

    And they say that a

    hero can save us.

    Im not going to

    stand here and wait.

  • 7/31/2019 The Compilation Finalized

    12/32

    My friend and I aged nineteen,

    signed up to fight for the army.

    Before our first battle we took an oath,

    swearing upon the protection of us both.

    Silence, and then the everlasting sounds,

    as we fought together on the war ground.

    With the tides of the battle we were swept away.

    Both of us lost in our own ways.

    There was no time to think,

    no time to even blink.

    I could see him fighting bravely from the corner of my eye,

    but something, didnt seem right.

    He was clearly hurt, and before my sight,

    the brave soldier fell down in the dirt.

    For a moment I wished I had not seen,

    but I knew the vows would haunt me.

    To die a hero,

  • 7/31/2019 The Compilation Finalized

    13/32

    or to live in regret?

    I, marched towards him. Contributors

    Note:

    The Creative Writing

    Club has enabled us

    to explore a side

    within us we don't

    get to see every day.

    It was an escape intoyet undiscovered

    parts of our mind

    and I will forever

    treasure these

    memories and value

    them deeply.

  • 7/31/2019 The Compilation Finalized

    14/32

    As I felt the bullet tear through the flesh of my arm, I knew my day was not

    going well.The office workers around me screamed, throwing up whatever

    they were holding in a flurry of paper, and began to run wildly away from a

    rapidly approaching presence.

    Sam looked at me, mouth agape, staring at the blood seeping through the

    wound. The cup of coffee he was holding fell to the floor, sending the

    caffeine laden sticky beverage all over my leather shoes. Great.

    What, Sam breathed heavily, What the what , he was gasping.

    Sams asthma was acting up. He fell to the floor, groping his inhaler as he

    struggled to insert it in his mouth.

    I looked back. The shooter was sprinting towards us, fumbling with another

    cartridge. I was terrified.

    As I ran down the corridor, leaving a white and petrified Sam backed up

    against the wall, I wondered who possibly wanted to kill me. My car

    payments were due, for certain, but the leasing company wouldnt get this

    worked up over a late monthly payment, would they?

    Hey, maybe we can sort this out, I shouted over my shoulder to the

    sprinting shooter, Mr. Joe wants his payment for the month right?

    What? he called back.

  • 7/31/2019 The Compilation Finalized

    15/32

    I said, Mr. Joe wants his money for the Chevy, doesnt he?

    I dont know who Mr. Joe is. But Ive got a Chevy too, he hollered.

    Oh really? I said, picking up speed and swerving through a turn in thepassageway, What model?

    Shots rang out, bullets pinging all around. One embedded itself into a

    metal beam a few yards ahead of me. I gulped.

    Its a Camaro V6 Uh hold on a minute, have to get this spear out of my

    belt.

    You have a spear?What the hell! I cried, arms flailing around my head as Iran.

    Yeah, its ummYakuza regulation, he replied, sending one soaring into

    the air. I screeched in pain as it grazed my shoulder and went spiraling to

    the ground.

    Ah! Got a cramp, I could tell he waswincing as he said it, pretty heavy

    things.

    I could hear the sound of another spear being drawn.

    Hey, come on, whats your name? Lets get to know - I was cut off

    halfway, literally. I looked down, gurgling. The shaft emerged from my

    stomach.

    Nice aim, I said faintly as I teetered to a fall.

    The assassin came up, breathing heavily, with arms on his knees, as he

    stared into my face.

  • 7/31/2019 The Compilation Finalized

    16/32

    Its not going to be as painful as you think. And Ill pay Mr. Joe for you, so

    dont you worry, Nick.

    Nick? I choked, Whos Nick? My names Gerald!

    Hey, hold on, he looked confused. You arentNick?

    No you idiot! You got the wrong guy!I gasped in blinding pain.

    Oh, he looked embarrassed. There was a long pause. Sorry.

    SORRY DOESNT CUT IT! I spat into his face.

    I have to go now, he said guiltily, thanks for understanding.

    As I cursed the fool who was slowly walking away, my vision began to blur

    and all I could see was a searing white. I prepared for the end.

    The end

    Come on. End my suffering. Please, I sobbed.

    I opened my eyes. I was face down on the floor, pain gone. Surprised that

    my vision had cleared, I turned around, thinking all that had happened was

    just a dream.

    I groaned. The spear was still there, sticking out of my stomach like a large

    marshmallow on a pointy stick.

    Running late. Running late. Have to hurry hurry, a voice was mumbling,

    getting louder as its owner came down the corridor.A figure in a hooded

    cloak emerged from the shadows.

    And who areyou supposed to be, the Grim Reaper? I said.

  • 7/31/2019 The Compilation Finalized

    17/32

    Precisely, the figure threw back his hood, revealing a grinning white skull

    with glowing blue sockets, I am a bit late, but I am here to collect your

    soul.

    Why? I asked. I should have been scared, but being pursued by a spear

    wielding, idiotic Yakuza had exhausted my capacity for fear.

    My good man, you have a weapon sticking out of your gut. Youve got to

    go. Youre going to have to become what we call dead, the Reaper said,

    It is my duty to destroy life from those creatures whose bodies cannot

    withstand significant damage

    But youre late! I interrupted, the least you could do is heal me and letme off!

    That, he said, preparing to swing his scythe, can simply not be done.

    Hey, wait! I shouted, Listen one moment. What ifI could give you

    something? In return for being let off?

    Like what? he said, scratching his skull with a bony finger.

    If you hurry, my Chevrolet Camaro V6 is still parked outside the office

    building. They dont come by easily, you know.

    Hmm, the Grim Reaper said, thinking, I could do with a snazzy ride, you

    know.

    Who wouldnt? I asked hopefully.

    There was a pause. And then

    Very well, Gerald Marshall, I felt the spear being wrenched out from my

    stomach, consider yourself saved.

  • 7/31/2019 The Compilation Finalized

    18/32

    The Grim Reaper vanished. I looked down and

    saw nothing but a scar. I also saw my leather

    shoes, still sticky with Sams decaf, and I

    wondered how things at the office were gettingalong.

    Contributors

    Note:

    Being part of the

    creative writing club

    is a pipe through

    which the drainage

    water of creativity

    flows. This piece was

    the cultivation of

    numerous club

    meetings, which

    helped me focus on

    what I felt like writing

    about. The style was

    also distinctly

    influenced by that of

    the Hitchhikers

    Guide to the Galaxy

    by Douglas Adams.

  • 7/31/2019 The Compilation Finalized

    19/32

    Hi. My name is Faisal and I am 7 years old. Last

    year, when I was six, I stole something. I stole a

    cookie. But it wasnt just any cookie; this was the

    best cookie in the whole world. Hassans mom

    had made it, and she made really good cookies,

    better than any mom in the whole world. I stoleit from Hassans lunchbox, and ate it before

    anyone knew I had taken it. But then, Hassan

    saw that someone had taken his cookie, and he

    got really mad. The teacher asked everyone

    about the cookie, but nobody found it. Then

    somebody said they saw Ahmed take the cookie.

    The teacher made him stand up and apologizeto Hassan, but Ahmedsaid that he didnt do it. I

    was confused. I didnt know what to do. My

    mom would be really angry if she knew I stole

    something, but I had a weird feeling in my

    tummy, like I was about to throw up. Would I

    keep feeling like this if I didnt tell the teacher

    that I took the cookie?

    Contributors

    Note:

    I wrote this story as

    my take on morality.

    Many people write

    long and confusing

    stories with an

    unclear moral, so I

    decided to do

    something a little

    different. I wrote my

    story with the heart

    and mind of a child

    so as to make the

    moral dilemma at the

    heart of it a little

    clearer.

  • 7/31/2019 The Compilation Finalized

    20/32

    Dead of the night, silent as always. The cold charcoal-coloured instrument

    held in my sweaty right hand was positioned at his temple. The sweat was

    mutual between the two of us; you could see it dripping down the side of

    his plump, pink cheek. His hand was shivering as he was trying to extract

    his phone from the faded blue jeans. He was struggling with it; lifting the

    right side of his body up, off the seat of the pitch black Toyota Corolla so

    that he may withdraw his phone with ease.

    "Jaldi Karo!"

    His body twitched. A car whizzed past. My kurta swayed with the wind.I became a mugger because there was no other option available to me.

    Begging was simply too hard and no one would give me a better job. Apart

    for that I had had a pretty difficult childhood.

    I looked straight ahead to see a hesitant man in the driver seat and my

    accomplice holding another 9mm in his hand pointed towards the father's

    head.

    'Chalo! Nikalo!'

    My guess was that his pockets were filled with money this particular day. To

    think of it, I myself would have been hesitant.

    'Nahi!'Strike 1.

  • 7/31/2019 The Compilation Finalized

    21/32

    The kid swiftly turned his head around dropping what seemed to be an

    iPhone to the floor.

    'Kya?'

    The father was a lucky man. Had it been any other let's term it borrower he would have been shot directly, his blood staining the fabric of his

    seats. Let's make it clear; we were the good guys - well, relatively.The boy's face turned from the original pink to scarlet.

    'Abbu paisa dedeinna!'

    'Mein nahidoonga!'

    Strike 2With no house, the street was my only home. Thats where the gun came

    from and also the loss of my dignity.

    A drop of sweat slid down the left side of the fathers face too. The boy

    turned backand bent down to pick up his phone from the floor. He handed

    it over. His hand the same colour as his face and soaked in sweat.So this is our rule: we give them, the victims or givers three chances. If

    they deny, we walk away;as simple as that.

    Bang! Deafening.

    The first thing I saw was a flash, then a hole in his head. Then blood. Ilooked at the child. His face expressionless but so red, you would have

    thought he was the one who had been shot. A tear trickled down his face.

  • 7/31/2019 The Compilation Finalized

    22/32

    Looking at him something shot through me.A

    flashback. My father on the concrete in a pool of

    blood.Me on the concrete with him, bawling.

    People gathering.

    'Hum log maartenahihain!' I said to the killer. His

    face was one of satisfaction one that showed

    he clearly did not care. My heart burst.

    He leveled his gun again aiming for the innocent

    boy. The boy burst into tears. Another shot

    shattered the sound of his sobbing.

    The next day the news read: 2 Bodies Found

    Dead.

    The article went something like this. 2 bodies

    found dead on the Lyari overpass. One body

    identified to be 40 years while the other 25. The

    latter was clutching a gun.

    I had saved the boy.

    Contributors

    Note

    The reason I wrote this

    essay, was to show that

    not everyone is black

    and white good or bad.

    Youve got these

    confused people who

    dont really have a clear

    definition of right and

    wrong but there will

    always be that side to

    them that has some

    semblance of morality

    even if it is not

    immediately obvious and

    I wanted to explore that.

    The above is rubbish. I

    wrote this story just to

    see what it would be like

    inside a mugger's mind

    even though the hero is

    exaggerated (and what is

    a story without a hero?) -

    I found it interesting to

    write from his point of

    view.

    That is all.

  • 7/31/2019 The Compilation Finalized

    23/32

    YAAAAAARGH! I screamed as I threw my dagger towards my foes heart. He

    deflected it easily. I knew the throw was hopeless but I wanted to make him

    pay for what he had done to me, my country and my family. I drew my

    Gladius and charged towards him, not even stopping to catch my breath. In

    a split second I unleashed my rage with three quick swipes; one for the

    head, a fake to the torso and a sweep on the legs. My opponent parried

    them all effortlessly and he then started to laugh. His torment only inflamed

    my anger and I flew into a blind rage. All my thrusts were parried with ease,

    and he even seemed to be smiling. He seemed to be putting no effort into

    the fight but I didnt care I just wanted him to pay! Strategy skipped my

    mind and I was just fighting out of pure instinct, which helped me survive

    up until this point. All of a sudden he lunged at me and I parried, which

    sent him crashing into the ground. I realized that I had finally caught him

    off guard and he was vulnerable for an attack. I used my built up rage to

    bring my Gladius down onto his neck. He was faking. I let my rage get the

    better of me and did not think twice, as he kicked upwards and landed a

    blow against my jaw, making me stumble back, enough time for him to get

    up.He kicked me straight in the chest, causing me to double over, and

    finally brought the sword crashing down against my skin, cutting through

    my flesh and bone. My rage was the end of me.

  • 7/31/2019 The Compilation Finalized

    24/32

    Words failed me, as I stood and watched. Watched the gigantic, seething

    sun taking its last breaths. Watched neurons splitting, and the formation of

    helium. Watched the destruction of the Solar System. Watched, as a mighty

    supernova came into being. I clutch at the pleurite glass like an eager boy

    watching fireworks. This was going to be one hell of a show.

    So it has come down to this. After hundreds, no thousands of years of

    survival, the fate of humankind rests not on our beloved homeland Earth,

    but in just a fleet of a mere hundred or so cruisers. Society, literature,

    culture, all packed into this feeble attempt to save mankind. And we would

    most likely perish in 5 minutes or so. The sun would explode and hit our

    fleet with a force equal to circa, a billion Hiroshimas. No type of material

    could withstand that. Theoretically. Surviving mortally was out of the

    question. God helping us, was another matter of course, but being a man of

    science, for me, divine help, was also out of the question.

    To watch a supernova happen is truly a spectacular sight. There exist

    no words to describe it fully. Lustrous rays etch a path across the black void,

    as auroras envelop the universe. Flames of fire leap and play over the tired

    Sun, a display of its once present glory. And then it happens. A supersonic

    boom echoes like interstellar thunder. The Sun winks, and disappears in a

    cloud of antimatter hardly a meter across. It is the quiet before the storm.

    Slowly almost excruciatingly it enlarges, and then explodes, the final

    testimony of the star. A blinding flash from the depths of heaven occurs,

  • 7/31/2019 The Compilation Finalized

    25/32

    and all aboard gasp. The transformation from

    Sun to supernova is complete. It is beautiful

    without imagination. A multitude of glowing

    auras, shifting and changing, is scattered in frontof us. We are immersed in the sublime sight of a

    supernova. Shockwaves ripple through the

    universe in all directions. A timer beeps,

    breaking the reverie. 1 minute to impact. The

    starboard navigator absently asks me Sir, any

    last orders?

    Cut the engines.

    Sir?

    Do it! And relay this to the others. If we

    meet death, we meet it head-on.

    An awkward silence prevails. The

    hydrogines are stopped. We all come together

    and hold hands together, facing the unknown.

    The other ships also stop, and as the seconds

    tick down, a strange aura of friendship unites us

    all.

    3

    2

    1

    0.

    Death crashes into us.

    Contributors

    Note

    When I first joined

    the CW Club, I

    thought it to be a

    normal happy go-

    lucky one. Yes, I

    confess. But now,

    hardly after 4 months

    of being in the club, I

    have to say that the

    experience has been

    amazing. Criticize me

    all you want, but

    believe me when I

    say that the Creative

    Writing Club is the

    best one on the list.

    By far. In fact, it

    should be called the

    Creative Club only.

    Coz theres nothing

    more than creativity

    in it. And thats what

    makes it fun.

  • 7/31/2019 The Compilation Finalized

    26/32

    Its 08:46 am

    On a Wednesday

    I'm at home

    I'm in pain

    And I wish I wasn't

    And I wish I were in the hustle bustle of school

    That I've grown to love so much

    Every school day lost is such a tragedy

    There's so much homework to finish

    And there's always teachers, wanting to know exactly what happened to

    you

    And there's always me, trying to shrug it off

    The teachers

    Theyre determined to get the story out

    Can't they see I want to be left alone?

    Always the 'where is your homework?' and my inaudible ' I haven't done it'

    And then of course, the 'why ever not?' And then 'I was absent miss'

    And the relentless 'That's NOT an excuse' and my feeble 'I was sick, miss, Ijust lay in bed and slept'

    The teacher mutters 'insolent lazy creature' and gets on with the class

    And I stare at her back with distaste.

  • 7/31/2019 The Compilation Finalized

    27/32

    And inside I'm thinking 'I don't understand why they're so slow! Can't they

    see I wasn't well? Can't they see that I was sleeping the whole day? Stuff

    them and the homework! I don't care!'

    Then they glare at me the whole day, and I glare back.

    Its 08:52 am

    The pain still persists

    I'm wondering what the class is doing right now

    And I wonder when I'll be well and fine

    And I think I deserve a holiday

    But its only just a Wednesday

    So guess what happened the day before today?

    I got a brand new phone

    I paid more than I should've and I'd love to explain

    I really would, but explaining is tiring

    Specially since the story is so long and boring

    And its too long so by the end you'll all be snoring

    Oh, so guess what happened yesterday?

    Oh dont bother, Ill just enlighten you myself

    It was my friend's birthday

    The party is on Friday

    I wonder what I should wear

    Its 08:56 am

    I'm not in so much painI've plugged in my headphones

    And its a Wednesday still

    And I'm at home still

    God, its so annoying

  • 7/31/2019 The Compilation Finalized

    28/32

    This day is just dragging on

    Its so boring being at home

    I wish I had something fun to read

    Or a comedy to watch

    But woe alas I don't

    There's a PTM today

    I wonder what the teachers will say about me

    Even though none of them wished to meet my parents

    My mom is adamant on meeting them

    'Its for your benefit' she says and I stalk off sulky

    My test marks are revolting except for Language but I'm good at that so

    there

    I hope the Language teacher will say something nice about me

    I know all the other teachers won't

    They're so mean and unpredictable

    I can't even be sure about Language

    Its 09:05 am

    Im STILL at home!

    The pain is back renewing its vicious assault on me again

    I wish it would stay away,

    Just please stay AWAY!!

    Plus, I dont have a single friend to talk to

    Why? You ask me why?

    Because: They're. all. at. school.And I'm sitting in no ON my bed right now

    Oh my sweet God,

    I cannot believe Im thinking about prepositions at a time like this

    Im just so miserably bored

  • 7/31/2019 The Compilation Finalized

    29/32

    And cranky

    And why shouldnt I be?

    Bored + sick = cranky me

    First language rules and now equations;

    What am I really coming to?

    Its 09:09 am

    The pain isn't that bad

    But its still there

    Lingering in my head

    My room is ever so messy

    And phone is ever so dusty

    And I think I'll clean it all up

    Yes, I think that's what I think I'll do today.

    Contributors

    Note

    I wrote this piece whenI was hellishly sick and

    stuck at home unable

    to go to school. I have

    this obsession with

    penning down all of

    my life experiences so

    penning down this one

    was not much different,except it provided me

    with a distraction from

    my ailment and a

    means to channel my

    raw emotions and

    feelings. Writing has

    always been an escape

    for me, and I edited

    this piece again when i

    was sick in a fairly

    similar way. It gave me

    a chance to rework

    some of the lines and

    merge the two sets of

    feelings, which were

    similar and yet different

    in a nice kind of way.

  • 7/31/2019 The Compilation Finalized

    30/32

    Dawn broke over the slumbering city of San Francisco, and the mist gave

    way to yet another beautiful day. Light streamed through the window and

    into the room. Alexandra stretched and rubbed her green almond-shaped

    eyes. Then a gleeful smile crept onto her face today her brother would be

    flying in from Chicago! The last time she had seen him was two years ago

    when their parents passed away.

    As she cycled to the Montessori where she worked, happy

    memories flooded her mind flashes of playing soccer together with her

    brother, teasing him, making secret languages, hiding in their tree house.

    Alexandra and her brother looked very different the only feature they had

    in common were the green almond-shaped eyes. By the time it was 2

    oclock, she was more jubilant than ever.

    Then she got The Call. The call that sent a chill down her spine,

    the call that rattled her nerves, the call that told her that her brothers plane

    had crashed.

    Time seemed to slow down as got a taxi to the hospital and was

    led to the intensive care unit. Her brother lay unconscious on a stretcher.

    Alexandra collapsed in the chair beside him and sobbed. The

    sobs slowly subsided into hiccups and the hiccups eventually died out.

    Now she sat motionless and stared at her bloody bandaged brother. Thenjust when she thought things could not get any worse they did.

    A doctor came and tapped her on the shoulder. Miss Alexandra,

    I have some news about your brother. From the uneasy look on his face

    she could tell something was wrong. He has been through a very drastic

  • 7/31/2019 The Compilation Finalized

    31/32

    experience, and it is amazing he is still alive but the shock must have been

    a little too much. He cannot move he is paralyzed and has suffered

    extensive brain damage; he can only be kept alive on machines. I am sorry

    to say but we only have two choices: to keep him alive artificially to live apersistent half-light, or remove the machines and allow him to escape a life

    of misery the death will be painless.

    Alexandra let the news sink in and reviewed her options keep

    her brother alive, barely alive, or let him die. Of course she wanted him

    alive! But that would be selfish. How it would kill her brother to lie around

    all day, not able to move or talk, having to be fed through a tube. He would

    rather die than accept a life like that! But wasnt it a crime to just let

    someone die? And not just anyone, but your own brother? Alexandra had

    never been in such a predicament. Let him die or stay alive? What would he

    want? To die, not live a motionless life depending on others. She had to do

    what was best for him. It was her job as the older sister.

    I I choose the latter, she stammered. The doctor nodded solemnly. He

    whispered to some other doctors and nurses, and began to work. She

    looked at her brother as he lay motionless on the stretcher. He looked so

    calm. At peace thought Alexandra, holding back tears, and held his hand.

    The doctor nodded at her - the machine had been cut off. She stared into

    his green almond-shaped eyes, and watched as slowly, slowly the life

    drained out of him.

  • 7/31/2019 The Compilation Finalized

    32/32