Short Story Writing Competition 2021 Sparking a love for the genre02

Cheong Huui Nee Marsha (J3 Adelaide)

     Being a winner in the Short Story Writing Competition is such a surreal experience for me. I am very honoured! I found inspiration for my story in the most unlikely of places—my half-eaten sandwich. As demons are usually associated with evil, I figured that since I had already taken a sandwich as my inspiration, why not switch it up and pair a sandwich with a hungry ruler of hell? Thus, “Late Night Sandwich” was born.

    
        Icy fingers gripped my arms in the darkness and started shaking me awake. I quickly overcame my shock while blinking the sleep out of my eyes and muttered, “Not again.” I reluctantly dragged my feet to the kitchen, the annoyance trailing behind me, while grumbling about all the sleep that I was losing. 

        I quickly whipped up a simple sandwich and shoved it towards the tall, dark-haired being who was hungrily eyeing my masterpiece. As he practically shoved it down his throat, I thumbed the spot where his fingers had touched earlier and joked, “You should really install some heaters in hell. Every time you touch me, I can feel myself turning into a human popsicle.” 

        With a grin that many had come to fear, he replied, “Well, that would most probably cause a commotion among my subjects. And as the ruler of hell, I would have to deal with that.” He paused to finish what was left of his sandwich and dusted the breadcrumbs off his fingers. “Which would be a complete waste of my time and energy.” 

        “Thank you for your hospitality and that mediocre sandwich.” He said while standing up and bowing elegantly towards me. His expression abruptly turned mischievous. “I hope that the next time I visit, your sandwich-making skills will have improved tremendously.” After being given a threatening look, he flashed me a grin that revealed his pointy teeth before vanishing in a cloud of black smoke. 

        I stomped back to my room and closed the door with a loud slam. “He’d better not bring along those animals’ souls again just because he reckoned I was ‘lonely’,” I muttered, making those quotation marks in the air to no one in particular. “Although that arctic fox really was the most adorable thing I have ever seen.”

        I have been cursed since I was born. I had an extraordinary ability. 

        When I was four, I drew a realistic drawing of a dying bird. The pure white feathers, dyed by the reddish blood was a terrifying yet an attractive scene. My parents were fascinated. They thought I was gifted. But I did not tell them that I drew it from my nightmares. 

        When I was six, I could not resist the desire to paint anymore. My parents brought me art liners and pigments despite our financial capabilities. I immediately drew a dying cat.  It was my instinct to draw any scary vision that appeared in my dreams. I was said to be the youngest professional artist that ever existed in the world, for I was so skillful that it made every painting become life. I was reported as a child philosopher who miraculously understood the meaning of life. 

        When I was ten, we held an establishment of my amazing drawings. But still I did not tell anyone about my nightmares. On the last day of the establishment, a stranger with black coat touched my back and whispered in my ear, “You‘re more than just an artist, you’re a prophet.” I looked blindly in his mysterious eyes. “You will know what I mean….. one day.” 

        And now I knew what the stranger meant. In front of me was the dead body of the pigeon I once drew. The day before, I saw a cat which got hit by a speeding car. It all happened similar to my dream. 

        Now I have been forced to think about free will and death, for I had drawn my own  portrait before. In my latest art work, a young boy was standing blindly in front of a mirror with a pair of scissors in his hands. 

Tan Yu Xuan (S1 Darwin)

        It was first an assignment, and I had totally no idea what to write. Just then, I remembered a video about a genius painter, Akiana Kramarik, who claimed that her inspirations had been given through visions by God. For some reason, I found it rather creepy, and got my ideas there. It was a shock for me to win with this story. Therefore, thanks a lot to my English teacher and also the English Language Centre for organising this competition.