Hall of Fame
PRIMARY 4

Getting Lucky

By Natalie Teo En Ya, Methodist Girls’ School

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The birds chirped merrily as the cool evening breeze rustled the trees in the park. It was a splendid evening. Bob and Barry were strolling home as the glorious fiery sun descended beyond the horizon. “What a long day in school!” Bob commented casually to his best friend. The boys yearned to get home and have a nice, hot shower followed by a sumptuous dinner.

As they were chatting casually, a figure bumped into Bob. When he looked up, he saw a burly man dressed in black, wearing a jacket and a thick gold chain around his neck. “Watch where you are walking!” the man barked rudely. He starred daggers at Bob before he bulldozed past the two boys. Bob stumbled backwards in shock, utterly dumbfounded. Barry held Bob’s elbow to keep him steady and remarked, “Are you all right? That man must be having a bad day.” Before the boys turned their backs, they saw the man corner a cat that had strolled into his path. To their surprise, the rude man bent down to stroke the cat with his hand. A wave of curiosity came over Bob as he heard the man mumble to himself while he was teasing the cat. The cat pawed the man’s hand playfully. It meowed when the man flicked his fingers.

The second the boys turned their backs, they heard an unexpected growl echo in the air, prompting them to turn around again. To their horror, the man swung his leg back and thrust his leg in a forward arc. The man’s foot connected with the cat. The startled animal curled into a ball. “Hey, stop it!” Bob shouted instinctively. Being a cat lover, he felt his blood boil. The man paid no heed. Instead, he swung his leg once more and delivered yet another blow to the poor animal’s belly. There was a loud thud. Bob and Barry’s eyes were as wide as saucers. The cat was flung across the pavement. Its piteous yowl pierced the air. That was unacceptable. It was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Bob stormed forward and yelled, “I said stop it!” It was so loud that the world practically came to a standstill. Finally, the man stopped and turned to look at Bob. Undaunted, Bob glared back. Despite his burly figure, Bob was sure he could beat the man to a pulp for abusing the cat. He stood up bravely to help the poor animal that was in trouble. In his most authoritative voice, Bob demanded, “You better stop, or I will call the police!”

Meanwhile Barry had urgently whipped out his mobile phone to record the man’s atrocity. True enough, the man was a cruel abuser. That was just the start of his barbaric behaviour. He did not react to Bob’s warning well. Instead of backing off, the abusive man walked across the pavement and kicked the helpless cat towards Bob! Bob rushed forward hurriedly and scooped the cat up into his arms. The cat was shivering badly. Its fur was in knots and matted with a hint of blood. It mewed feebly. He laughed loudly when he saw Bob fuss over the poor animal. “Good luck in trying to help these disgusting stray cats,” the weird man sneered heartlessly before he walked away.

The policeman arrived shortly after the offender left. Barry showed them the evidence of the man’s abusive actions towards the innocent animal. Bob also gave his account of everything that he had witnessed and done to try to help the cat. Bob and Barry hoped the cruel man would be arrested soon. The police arranged for the cat to be handled by animal shelter volunteers. Bob handed the injured cat to the volunteers reluctantly. While caressing the cat one last time, he asked, “When can I go visit Lucky? I’m going to adopt her.” Bob sincerely hoped to adopt the cat if he could convince his parents, as he believed it must be a very lucky cat to survive being kicked in its belly. Bob and Barry swore to protect all stray cats in their neighbourhood. That episode left an indelible mark in the boys’ minds.

Hall of Fame
PRIMARY 4

The Prowess of Water

By Russell Teh Jia Yi, ACS Junior

Darance felt an acute pain in his ankle while treading water. It was so intense that it handicapped his ability to swim. As if having a life of its own, the formidable undercurrent yanked him downwards. Darance’s heart stopped. Realisation hit him hard like a twenty-pound sledgehammer that he was in deep trouble. Water gushed into his mouth and choked his throat. Help! Help! His cries for help were drowned by the icy waters, ripping his breath away. Struggling to stay afloat like a sinking Titanic, Darance’s head bobbed above and below the surface of the water. As he sank deeper, terror, raw and intense, gripped him.

Hall of Fame
PRIMARY 5

Blame Benjamin

By Zhang Xiao Yuan, Nan Hua Primary School

Benjamin, the weakest player in the team, found the ball rolling towards him. My chance! Benjamin thought. He kept his nervousness in check and kicked the ball with all his might but the ball curved and missed the goal by a hair’s breadth. Benjamin looked down, disappointed in his own ability. He was probably not cut out to be part of the team. The remaining members stifled their laughter and did not give him a second glance. At that moment, Benjamin got a firm pat on his back. When he turned around, he saw Winston with an encouraging smile on his face. He said, “Benjamin, don’t worry, you can do it! All you need is practice. Don’t give up, all right?” Benjamin thanked Winston and felt new confidence swell in his heart.