Parcel at the Bus-stop

The white light of pre-dawn was peeping through the grey clouds. It was a sunrise to behold as the orange hues merged with the pale blue sky. The radiant rays of the morning sun filtered through the curtains of my bedroom. Keira was already wide awake and ready for her daily morning run.

Keira ran her normal route, and when she streaked past the bus-stop, something caught her eye. She paced a few steps back and spotted a parcel which was quite small, lying on the ground. She peered at it through her spectacles. Keira paced gingerly towards the parcel and stretched out a hand for the parcel. At this very moment, many thoughts flashed across her mind. "Is there a bomb inside? Is it drugs? Is it cash inside? Should I take it?" Keira pondered over the matter for quite some time but still, curiosity got the better of her.

Keira drew out her arm and her trembling fingers clasped the parcel. Just then, she felt an arm grab her. She was momentarily stunned and her mind went blank. Keira regained her composure not long after and turned round to come face to face with the person who had grabbed her.

He was a well-built man, wearing a sleeveless shirt with torn edges, enabling Keira to see both his heavily tattooed arms. His rage was palpable and his stormy, angry gaze pierced deep into hers, causing her stomach to clench. "What are you doing with the package? Speak or you'll suffer some terrible consequences!" he demanded, his voice low, gravelly and so horridly close that she cringed.

Keira stood riveted to the ground and her mind was whirling. "Speak you brat!" the man barked. She regained her senses and stuttered, "I … I … I don't know. I just … just found it … it there. Please … It has nothing to do with me. Let me go, will you?"

Click to punch

       "If only I had minded my own business," Keira thought remorsefully. The man clenched his fists, held her up and before she knew it, "Wham" a punch flew straight at her. Her breath stilled and she did not move. Small sobs tore from her throat and tears welled in her eyes.

       Out of the blue, screams pierced the air. "Hey you there! What are you doing?"

       Upon hearing the cries, Keira knew help was at hand. She slipped out of the man's hand and collapsed onto the ground with a loud thud. She saw a blurred vision of the man with the parcel tightly tucked beneath his arm. Footsteps receding into the silence and a series of resounding footsteps followed. She blacked out.

       Keira woke up on the hospital bed and saw her family members all looking at her with nail-biting anxiety. Miraculously, her injuries were not serious. "What made the man so anxious to know how she found the parcel? What was inside?" Questions were still unsolved.

Written by Kon Li Hua
Pri 6 Picasso, 2005
Zhangde PS