“Let me see, we do have everything we need, don’t we?” I said aloud. My classmates, Jerry and Jacob, had promised to go hiking in Bukit Timah hill with me.
We were at the foot of the mountain, getting ready to climb the hill. In a flash, we started off our journey.
The climb was tiring but fun as we had the chance to meet many cute animals such as monkeys, frogs and even a flying squirrel. Then, a sudden gust of air hit me like a sledgehammer. I felt that it was strange. I rarely felt such powerful winds like this.
Then, an object, too fast to be seen clearly, flew past us like a bolt of lightning. One thing that was clear to us was the sound. The sound that it made was terrible.
My ears had not stopped ringing for one minute or so. We gave chase. The object was still speeding ahead of us, making strange patterns in the air, then it stopped. Its pointed cone facing us.
My mouth was agape as I stared at the sleek, black, aircraft. It was not one I had ever seen. The bottom of the craft was a small opening. Suddenly, a pod-like object fell from the opening of the aircraft. Immediately after the object was released, the aircraft vanished in a blink of an eye.
I stood there, stunned and mystified at the same time. As Jerry and Jacob ran towards the direction of the pod-like object, I merely stood there, too stunned to speak.
“Check it out, this thing is absolutely awesome!” Jerry hollered. Jacob nodded in agreement and started meddling with it. I started walking towards them, that was when something strange happened. Another blast of air knocked me off my feet, almost taking my breath away.
Jerry noticed something was amiss, he ran back to me and asked, “Are you feeling okay? You seem out of breath.”
I sat down to rest, as I told them about the things that had happened when we first saw the craft.
We were so absorbed in our discussion that we did not notice the pod-like object rattling violently.
I was the first one to hear the loud, rattling noise. I took one glance at the object and shouted, “Take cover!”
As though it was answering my response, the pod hissed loudly and burst into flames and a green substance flowed out of it like a fountain. Jerry smelled it, thinking it was lime juice. He jumped back, disgusted by the smell.
We did not have to think twice before running off, with Jacob in the lead.
If only we had turned back to see a stunted figure emerging from the pod, glancing at our retreated backs with an expressionless face…
Friday, August 21, 2009
CW6 Accident on the bus by Belinda (unedited)
“Bye Joan, see you tomorrow!” I waved to my friend and boarded the bus.
It was a typical Monday after school and I was heading home. I slumped down onto the seat as the bus started moving off. I hummed a tune and glanced out of the window.
My eyes widened and I gasped when I caught a glimpse of a car speeding towards the bus. I glanced at the bus driver and saw that he was frantically holding the steering wheel. Within seconds, the bus swerved to the right and pandemonium struck.
Frantic shouting and shrieks of terror could be heard. People clung onto the poles for their dear lives and I held onto the poles so tightly that my knuckles turned white. From the corner of my eye, I could see a young schoolboy wailing as the back of his head had hit the pole. Another old lady was hurled from her seat and her bag of groceries landed on the floor with a loud thud. All her fruits and vegetables were scattered all over the place.
I looked ahead and my jaws went wide agape. The bus was heading straight to a tree!
“Oh no, bye everyone! I’m done for!” I closed my eyes so tightly that I could feel the pain on my forehead. I clutched the pole and prepared for worst.
A deafening “Bang!” could be heard and once again, chaos broke out. I opened one eye followed by the other. Everything seemed to be fine except for the bus and the bus driver. The driver was lying face down on the steering wheel, unconscious. There was a deep gash on his forehead and he was bleeding profusely.
Also, the glass pane at the front of the bus was smashed to smithereens and shards of glass were strewn all over the road.
Luckily, someone already called the ambulance and the police and they had arrived to the scene. The paramedics immediately sprang into action and sent the bus driver to the hospital.
As the ambulance drove away, I prayed that the bus driver would be fine I hoped that I will never experience another accident ever.
It was a typical Monday after school and I was heading home. I slumped down onto the seat as the bus started moving off. I hummed a tune and glanced out of the window.
My eyes widened and I gasped when I caught a glimpse of a car speeding towards the bus. I glanced at the bus driver and saw that he was frantically holding the steering wheel. Within seconds, the bus swerved to the right and pandemonium struck.
Frantic shouting and shrieks of terror could be heard. People clung onto the poles for their dear lives and I held onto the poles so tightly that my knuckles turned white. From the corner of my eye, I could see a young schoolboy wailing as the back of his head had hit the pole. Another old lady was hurled from her seat and her bag of groceries landed on the floor with a loud thud. All her fruits and vegetables were scattered all over the place.
I looked ahead and my jaws went wide agape. The bus was heading straight to a tree!
“Oh no, bye everyone! I’m done for!” I closed my eyes so tightly that I could feel the pain on my forehead. I clutched the pole and prepared for worst.
A deafening “Bang!” could be heard and once again, chaos broke out. I opened one eye followed by the other. Everything seemed to be fine except for the bus and the bus driver. The driver was lying face down on the steering wheel, unconscious. There was a deep gash on his forehead and he was bleeding profusely.
Also, the glass pane at the front of the bus was smashed to smithereens and shards of glass were strewn all over the road.
Luckily, someone already called the ambulance and the police and they had arrived to the scene. The paramedics immediately sprang into action and sent the bus driver to the hospital.
As the ambulance drove away, I prayed that the bus driver would be fine I hoped that I will never experience another accident ever.
A Close Shave by Hwee Hean (unedited)
The sun cast a rosy hue across the sky. “It is a perfect morning for a hiking expedition”. Gene thought to himself. As it was the June school holidays, his usually strict mother had given him a free rein. Eugene decided to make good use of the opportunity by arranging a hiking expedition and invited some of his friends to go with him.
Gene set off towards his destination with his destination with his friends, Guan and Piggy, who was nicknamed as a pig as he was very fat. Piggy staggered after his friends as he was carrying a huge wicker basket containing their lunch.
The friends arrived at the forest and the air in the forest was crisp and cool. The dew on the leaves glittered in the sun like polished crystals of all shapes and sizes.
Swelling cumulonimbus clouds hung heavily in the skies and thunder rumbled heavily in the distance, portending a heavy downpour. Gene sat down on a patch of green moss, allowing himself to catch his breath before deftly scaling the mountain called K2. Piggy arrived shortly after, face red and panting heavily; trying to catch his breath before setting off with the large wicker basket he was entrusted to by Gene. The friends deftly scaled up the mountain but halfway, Piggy accidentally dropped the wicker basket he was carrying. A loud moan issued from the team but Gene told the team encouragingly that he had some food in his backpack.
After what seemed like eternity, a sudden shout from Gene was heard. They had reached the summit.
Shouts of joy erupted from the group. The friends rushed towards the summit and a beautiful scene awaited them. A magnificent sight of evergreen trees and lush green fields greeted them as they searched for a place to sit. When they finished unpacking the sandwiches from Gene’s bag, saliva drooled from their mouths and without waiting for Gene to say tuck in, the friends pounced on the sandwiches like a pack of wolves. Piggy complained that the food was too little. Gene severely scolded Piggy, as it was he who had dropped the food.
Before the two could argue any further, delicate raindrops from the sky fell. The rain soon grew into a downpour. The boys decided to seek shelter under an old oak tree nearby. They abandoned their sandwiches and ran towards the tree. Thunder played fitfully in the sky as they sat under the tree, huddled close to one another for comfort.
A sudden deafening crash of thunder tore across the sky, which blinded the boys with flashes of lightning. As the boys watched both in awe and fear at the threatening sky, a pulsing channel of lightning entered their bodies, throwing them off the ground. They lay on the ground, writhing like horse racers being trampled by their horses. Their muscles contracted violently and the electric current sent their blood vessels into spasms. The electric shock cut off the blood flow to their extremities. Their hair stood on their legs, searing their nerves and muscles tissues. An acrid smell emerged from them and it was like worst nightmare reverted in pure terror for Gene.
The paralyzing assault stopped and the group collapsed to the ground. An almost undectable cry of help issued from Guan Min’s lips. The others were out cold and to Guan Min’s relief, his friends were still alive but he knew they would not be if they did not get medical help immediately. The only action he could do was to crawl and inch on his stomach. He dragged his lifeless legs across great obstacles downhill, where he remembered there was a hospital where he could get help from.
His stomach muscles quivered painfully as he had to push on forward. His face was ashen. His body convulsed severely from his exertions and halfway, incredibly, his blood circulation resumed and he regained movement and sensation. He staggered and walked as fast as he could go towards the hospital. Helicopters were sent up to the mountain to transport the boys down and miraculously, they survived and lived to tell the tale.
The next day, the incident made the headlines and the news stirred great excitement. Guan Min, as usual, glowed with delight as he was basked with phrases. Since then, Guan Min has become an “idol” for children but the adults said that it is best not to try being struck by lightning as Guan Min could not guarantee if they were to be sizzled to a crisp or to survive the incident.
Gene set off towards his destination with his destination with his friends, Guan and Piggy, who was nicknamed as a pig as he was very fat. Piggy staggered after his friends as he was carrying a huge wicker basket containing their lunch.
The friends arrived at the forest and the air in the forest was crisp and cool. The dew on the leaves glittered in the sun like polished crystals of all shapes and sizes.
Swelling cumulonimbus clouds hung heavily in the skies and thunder rumbled heavily in the distance, portending a heavy downpour. Gene sat down on a patch of green moss, allowing himself to catch his breath before deftly scaling the mountain called K2. Piggy arrived shortly after, face red and panting heavily; trying to catch his breath before setting off with the large wicker basket he was entrusted to by Gene. The friends deftly scaled up the mountain but halfway, Piggy accidentally dropped the wicker basket he was carrying. A loud moan issued from the team but Gene told the team encouragingly that he had some food in his backpack.
After what seemed like eternity, a sudden shout from Gene was heard. They had reached the summit.
Shouts of joy erupted from the group. The friends rushed towards the summit and a beautiful scene awaited them. A magnificent sight of evergreen trees and lush green fields greeted them as they searched for a place to sit. When they finished unpacking the sandwiches from Gene’s bag, saliva drooled from their mouths and without waiting for Gene to say tuck in, the friends pounced on the sandwiches like a pack of wolves. Piggy complained that the food was too little. Gene severely scolded Piggy, as it was he who had dropped the food.
Before the two could argue any further, delicate raindrops from the sky fell. The rain soon grew into a downpour. The boys decided to seek shelter under an old oak tree nearby. They abandoned their sandwiches and ran towards the tree. Thunder played fitfully in the sky as they sat under the tree, huddled close to one another for comfort.
A sudden deafening crash of thunder tore across the sky, which blinded the boys with flashes of lightning. As the boys watched both in awe and fear at the threatening sky, a pulsing channel of lightning entered their bodies, throwing them off the ground. They lay on the ground, writhing like horse racers being trampled by their horses. Their muscles contracted violently and the electric current sent their blood vessels into spasms. The electric shock cut off the blood flow to their extremities. Their hair stood on their legs, searing their nerves and muscles tissues. An acrid smell emerged from them and it was like worst nightmare reverted in pure terror for Gene.
The paralyzing assault stopped and the group collapsed to the ground. An almost undectable cry of help issued from Guan Min’s lips. The others were out cold and to Guan Min’s relief, his friends were still alive but he knew they would not be if they did not get medical help immediately. The only action he could do was to crawl and inch on his stomach. He dragged his lifeless legs across great obstacles downhill, where he remembered there was a hospital where he could get help from.
His stomach muscles quivered painfully as he had to push on forward. His face was ashen. His body convulsed severely from his exertions and halfway, incredibly, his blood circulation resumed and he regained movement and sensation. He staggered and walked as fast as he could go towards the hospital. Helicopters were sent up to the mountain to transport the boys down and miraculously, they survived and lived to tell the tale.
The next day, the incident made the headlines and the news stirred great excitement. Guan Min, as usual, glowed with delight as he was basked with phrases. Since then, Guan Min has become an “idol” for children but the adults said that it is best not to try being struck by lightning as Guan Min could not guarantee if they were to be sizzled to a crisp or to survive the incident.
CW Accident by Jin Hao (unedited)
Ben earned a living by delivering LPG (Liquidified Petroleum Gas) to homes. It was a rainy day and Ben was as usual, driving his lorry. Suddenly, his cell phone rang. He answered it and did not notice that a tree had been uprooted and was about to collapse. Ben drove his lorry slower as he did want to be in an accident.
The tree at that time collapsed on the lorry, and pieces of glass cut Ben. He swerved the lorry and that caused it to fall on its side. Tanks of LPG were thrown on the road. Ben’s lorry started to leak fuel, and if it touched any of the LPG tanks, the whole lorry would explode.
Passers-by ran and tried to extricate Ben from the lorry. They eventually called the SCDF (Singapore Civil Defence Force) for help. The sirens reverberated through the air and the firemen quickly jumped out. They realised that by turning the lorry back on its wheels was a difficult procedure as if the gas tanks exploded in the process of turning the lorry upright, the lorry might explode.
The firefighters then evacuated everyone to a safe distance. They then used crowbars and chainsaws to cut open the door. Realising that Ben’s foot was stuck under the clutch and the driver’s seat was on the other side, the firefighters put a oxygen mask so he could breathe with more ease.
The eight-men crew the debated on what to do. They thought of using a chainsaw to saw away the clutch, but it would harm Ben’s leg and he might have to be wheelchair-bound for the rest of his life.
Finally, they decided that one of the firemen was to squat beside Ben. Another was to go behind the driver’s seat and tried to lower Ben’s seat so they could make the rescue easier. The captain was going to free Ben and then pass him to another fireman.
It was a success ! But their joy was not for long. Ben was rescued, but when the captain tried to get out of the lorry, his vest was caught against the steering wheel. Just as he freed himself, the lorry exploded in flames. The captain was dead.
When Ben woke up, he saw a stack of newspapers on the table beside him. Taking it and reading the front page article, he soon found out that the captain that rescued him was dead.
Tears fell down Ben’s cheeks as he saw the captain’s face on the newspaper. And he would never forget how the captain gambled with his own life for his.
The tree at that time collapsed on the lorry, and pieces of glass cut Ben. He swerved the lorry and that caused it to fall on its side. Tanks of LPG were thrown on the road. Ben’s lorry started to leak fuel, and if it touched any of the LPG tanks, the whole lorry would explode.
Passers-by ran and tried to extricate Ben from the lorry. They eventually called the SCDF (Singapore Civil Defence Force) for help. The sirens reverberated through the air and the firemen quickly jumped out. They realised that by turning the lorry back on its wheels was a difficult procedure as if the gas tanks exploded in the process of turning the lorry upright, the lorry might explode.
The firefighters then evacuated everyone to a safe distance. They then used crowbars and chainsaws to cut open the door. Realising that Ben’s foot was stuck under the clutch and the driver’s seat was on the other side, the firefighters put a oxygen mask so he could breathe with more ease.
The eight-men crew the debated on what to do. They thought of using a chainsaw to saw away the clutch, but it would harm Ben’s leg and he might have to be wheelchair-bound for the rest of his life.
Finally, they decided that one of the firemen was to squat beside Ben. Another was to go behind the driver’s seat and tried to lower Ben’s seat so they could make the rescue easier. The captain was going to free Ben and then pass him to another fireman.
It was a success ! But their joy was not for long. Ben was rescued, but when the captain tried to get out of the lorry, his vest was caught against the steering wheel. Just as he freed himself, the lorry exploded in flames. The captain was dead.
When Ben woke up, he saw a stack of newspapers on the table beside him. Taking it and reading the front page article, he soon found out that the captain that rescued him was dead.
Tears fell down Ben’s cheeks as he saw the captain’s face on the newspaper. And he would never forget how the captain gambled with his own life for his.
CW Accident by Edrick (unedited)
Rain pelted on the windscreen as I tried to manoevoure my car in the jammed and wet road. I stretched my neck as I thought that an accident had happened. “Grr! It’s getting late. What would happen to my job interview? Giving the people a first impression that I would be late might have a negative impact on my job!” I exclaimed as sweat trickled down my cheeks despite the low temperature.
My anxiety rose by the minute. I had yearned a job for almost five years as I was sacked five years ago! Now I was so close to getting a job with a high pay! Out of the blue, I saw a tree swaying from left to right. Suddenly, a strong wind blew past and the tree dropped slowly like matrix in my eyes! It hit the white Honda van right in front of me. My heart was in my mouth. I knew I had to do something but at that point of time, my mind was totally blank! I tried to shake out of my daze. I opened the car door and together with other passers-by, we tried to evacuate all the passengers in the van.
One problem was solved, but almost immediately, another problem arose. The driver complained about having aches and pain all over his body. He was ‘sweating’ red sweat all over. We pulled him out to safety slowly. It was a tough job for us as there was a gaping wound on his kneecap and we were shocked when we saw his knee bone jutting out! But, with our perseverance, we finally pulled the victim out to safety.
As I was in the Red Cross in my younger days, I knew how to help the driver. I ran to my car and took out the first aid kit inside. I bandaged other of his bleeding body parts. I did not dare to touch his legs. That probably explained why I never became a doctor. Also, as I was not experiences, I was terrified that instead of helping him, I would hurt him more. Other passers-by fished out their phones and called the ambulance while I gave the injured man some cream to ease his pain temporarily. The ambulance arrived in a speed of lightning and the driver was whisked to the hospital for treatment.
When I was back in my car, preparing to move off, I saw a double rainbow. “WOW! Double rainbow. Good luck is coming soon. Maybe the driver will recover quickly and I would get my job! WOHOO!” I shouted and sped off.
My anxiety rose by the minute. I had yearned a job for almost five years as I was sacked five years ago! Now I was so close to getting a job with a high pay! Out of the blue, I saw a tree swaying from left to right. Suddenly, a strong wind blew past and the tree dropped slowly like matrix in my eyes! It hit the white Honda van right in front of me. My heart was in my mouth. I knew I had to do something but at that point of time, my mind was totally blank! I tried to shake out of my daze. I opened the car door and together with other passers-by, we tried to evacuate all the passengers in the van.
One problem was solved, but almost immediately, another problem arose. The driver complained about having aches and pain all over his body. He was ‘sweating’ red sweat all over. We pulled him out to safety slowly. It was a tough job for us as there was a gaping wound on his kneecap and we were shocked when we saw his knee bone jutting out! But, with our perseverance, we finally pulled the victim out to safety.
As I was in the Red Cross in my younger days, I knew how to help the driver. I ran to my car and took out the first aid kit inside. I bandaged other of his bleeding body parts. I did not dare to touch his legs. That probably explained why I never became a doctor. Also, as I was not experiences, I was terrified that instead of helping him, I would hurt him more. Other passers-by fished out their phones and called the ambulance while I gave the injured man some cream to ease his pain temporarily. The ambulance arrived in a speed of lightning and the driver was whisked to the hospital for treatment.
When I was back in my car, preparing to move off, I saw a double rainbow. “WOW! Double rainbow. Good luck is coming soon. Maybe the driver will recover quickly and I would get my job! WOHOO!” I shouted and sped off.
What is the difference between 'except' and 'expect'?
Please find out their difference if you are still unsure.
CW Accident by Jia Yi (unedited)
It was a terrible thunderstorm, lighning was striking in every direction and the rain pelted down against my whole body. My friend, James, and I were trying to find a shelter to escape away from the terrible storm after work from the hospital. We could see people running helter-skelter in every direction.
When we finally found one, we were soaked from head to toe. "How are we ever going to get home if the rain is so heavy.
"It's so troublesome!" I complained.
"Come on! Let's just wait awhile. It would soon die down," James, being the calm one, assured me.
As soon as he finished his sentence, "WHAM!" A thunderous noise was heard over the storm.
"What was that?!"I asked. But I got my answer a moment later, directly opposite of us, a big tree was uprooted by the strong wind from the storm and had crushed onto a van which was directly below it. The impact caused was so great that the rear of the van was obviously fiattened than before. James, who was standing frozen like a statue beside me, gasped in horror,
"Oh! I hope they are okay!" I did not know what made me do it but the next moment, I was racing towards the van with James right beside me. As a reflex, I immediately pulled open the nearest door which was the passenger's door. Pulling the lady out of her seat, my medical instinct kicked in. I checked her to see if she had sustained any serious injury. I relaxed a while when i can comfirmed that she did not suffer any serious internal or external injury except for some minior cuts on her arms.
But luck was not on our side. James shouted from the other side.
"Harry! Not good! Come over here!" I asked the man who was also helping to look after her while i ran to where James was. What greeted me was a gruesome sight. The driver, was covered in blood from head to toe even his legs were not spared, was gasping for air. I tried to rip some cloth off his shirt to stop his bleeding but i could not touch his wound as there are tiny twigs in his wound everytime I tried to pluck them out, he would wince in pain. I had never felt so hopeless in helping my patients. I could not do anything to help him.
"If help doesn't arrive, he might not pull through," I said to James. As though everyone could hear, the whole congested road fell silent except for the sob of the lady on the other side. As seconds ticked by, the breathing of the driver became shallower and shorter. Soon, the panting stopped, the once thudding heart weakened and stopped.
Till this day, I still blame myself, "If only I had helped the man by attending to him first when he was unconscious, because he won't felt anything at that time!" "Why didn't someone dialed "995" for some help?!" I would always think to myself. How I wish I can turn back the clock to help the man. One innocent life would not be lost like this.
When we finally found one, we were soaked from head to toe. "How are we ever going to get home if the rain is so heavy.
"It's so troublesome!" I complained.
"Come on! Let's just wait awhile. It would soon die down," James, being the calm one, assured me.
As soon as he finished his sentence, "WHAM!" A thunderous noise was heard over the storm.
"What was that?!"I asked. But I got my answer a moment later, directly opposite of us, a big tree was uprooted by the strong wind from the storm and had crushed onto a van which was directly below it. The impact caused was so great that the rear of the van was obviously fiattened than before. James, who was standing frozen like a statue beside me, gasped in horror,
"Oh! I hope they are okay!" I did not know what made me do it but the next moment, I was racing towards the van with James right beside me. As a reflex, I immediately pulled open the nearest door which was the passenger's door. Pulling the lady out of her seat, my medical instinct kicked in. I checked her to see if she had sustained any serious injury. I relaxed a while when i can comfirmed that she did not suffer any serious internal or external injury except for some minior cuts on her arms.
But luck was not on our side. James shouted from the other side.
"Harry! Not good! Come over here!" I asked the man who was also helping to look after her while i ran to where James was. What greeted me was a gruesome sight. The driver, was covered in blood from head to toe even his legs were not spared, was gasping for air. I tried to rip some cloth off his shirt to stop his bleeding but i could not touch his wound as there are tiny twigs in his wound everytime I tried to pluck them out, he would wince in pain. I had never felt so hopeless in helping my patients. I could not do anything to help him.
"If help doesn't arrive, he might not pull through," I said to James. As though everyone could hear, the whole congested road fell silent except for the sob of the lady on the other side. As seconds ticked by, the breathing of the driver became shallower and shorter. Soon, the panting stopped, the once thudding heart weakened and stopped.
Till this day, I still blame myself, "If only I had helped the man by attending to him first when he was unconscious, because he won't felt anything at that time!" "Why didn't someone dialed "995" for some help?!" I would always think to myself. How I wish I can turn back the clock to help the man. One innocent life would not be lost like this.
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