Falling for Love

By Lily Liang (6C) Illustration by Arabella Chong (6B) Layout by Natalie So

Liz trudged into her room, and threw herself onto her bed, simultaneously opening a packet of doritos and taking a book from under the pillow. Sighing, began to read her favourite book, “Each Little Bird at Sings” the ninety-nineth time. Munch. Munch, munch. Gradually, the pack of doritos disappeared, and Liz, somehow, disappeared with it. When Liz ipped a page of the book, the page wouldn’t move. en she peered closer to see why. And she froze. Nor was her arm, and when she looked down at her legs, they immediately melted into thin air, along with the rest of her body. No matter how hard she struggled, her body kept disappearing into nothingness.

“W-w-what?! HELP!”

Yet her desperate, broken shriek was ignored, and the ghost of her was pulled away by a swirling, invisible tornado.

Liz’s mu ed, confused mumble broke the palpable silence. Looking down at herself, she realized she was no longer a ghost; she was herself again! As inspected her surroundings, a blinding spotlight tore through the blackness of the area, shining on her.

Liz Z’ One, will thee manage to do it before the sun rises a nal time? Prove yourself worthy.

A deep, commanding voice boomed, sounding merciless. What in the world are you talking about? Even though she was tempted to ask, Liz wouldn’t dare speak back to such a threatening voice. So she kept it to herself. And waited. For instructions.

Before Liz even had a chance to think, she was thrown to the ground, yet instead of falling onto the ground, she fell through it. Falling, falling, falling.

Liz screamed...

And landed, on cold, slippery ice, falling on her bruised body, and stumbling over icicles, still screaming. She fell face- at onto the ice. But it wasn’t the coldness of the ice that gave her the creeps; it was the images that appeared on the ice that haunted her.

* * * ere was her beloved mother, weeping and searching for her, at ve in the morning. Meanwhile, her father was trying his best to make both Liz and her mother su er. He had her hand-cu ed, gagged, and tightly chained to the rock near a cli , as her mother went searching for her. A er 3 continuous days and nights, Liz’s father got bored, and decided to just abandon his own daughter. So he did. He le his only child in hand-cu s, chained to a rock, calling a er him, which he completely ignored, and stalked away, amused and chuckling to himself.

All her life, Liz had believed her parents loved her. But she was wrong. From the very start, her father had despised her, and tried his best to make his wife and child su er. But Liz had been forgiving, therefore her father never succeeded in torturing her. Until now. at night, Liz’ mother eventually sat on the rock to rest, but it was the other side of the rock. Liz, knowing her mother was so close, only too far to save her, screamed for her mother. But that was the last curse her father had given to them. Liz’s mother would never be able to hear again, for she had been made deaf.

So no matter how loud Liz whimpered or yelled, her mother would not hear her. e next morning, her mother had simply walked away without a backward glance at Liz. And she had trudged to the side of the cli , and gazed down with a longing look on her face. Anything, anything to get her out of this misery. So as the sun rose for the nal time, Liz’s mother took a step into thin air, and fell.

* * * Inhaling sharply, Liz, used all that was le of her strength to pull herself up. e ice had, surprisingly, not melted yet, and she panted heavily. at was the memory which haunted her the most, and she almost died, but ambulance rescued her in time. Staring up at the sky, she remembered the entire view of the sunset when her mother had suicided.

Without a warning, the ghostly gure of her mother appeared, walking towards her, calling her. I am imagining this, Liz told herself repeatedly, urging herself to stay in the real world. But then again, what good did it do, to stay in this world? Perhaps it was better to give up.

Suddenly, everything seemed so real. Liz felt as if she had been back at that moment, before her mother had jumped o the cli , only she wasn’t tied to the rock this time. Determined to save her mother this time, Liz ran a er her mother, and was a second too late, as her mother already jumped o the cli .

So Liz went a er her.

And jumped o the cli , too.

Before she fell to her death, her favourite memories ashed before her eyes. Her dear mother, who was now gone, singing and chatting with her; her beloved mother and her, walking on the beach together; her kind mother, who assisted her on her homework...

And, as the sun rose for the nal time, the memories disappeared, and Liz was le alone, falling to her death, regretting the foolish mistake she made, wishing she didn’t run a er her mother.