FOBISIA SHORT STORY COMPETITION 2015 Third Prize Winner

Congratulations to Keagan Tan for 

his third prize winning essay!

The Door

By Keagan Tan 9S

  I look down at the door-knob. It’s just a door, how can you be so darn scared? I raise my head, and before me stands the door. Just two inches of wood and then the whole wide world. I can sense my pupils dilate in a fraction of a moment; an almost imperceptible sensation, yet it feels so monumental. I raise my hand, I try to place it on the brass knob, but I can’t. It feels as if there’s something pulling me back, like strings. My fingers twitch, I don’t know why. The more I try to clutch the handle, the more I can feel the strings tugging at me. Slowly edging back from the door, I withdraw my hand. There’s just no point in fighting. Besides just thinking of the outside makes me sick. I turn my back to the door, leaning against it before slumping to the floor.. I can hear the sounds. The sounds from the outside world.

  It's all the same: garbled inhuman roars, beeps, clicks, ticks. The cars fly by, and though I know they are far away, it's as if they're right next to my ears. I can even hear people. I can hear them laugh and talk, but it doesn’t sound right. I don’t hear friendly banter. I hear clattering in my head, it’s like something’s screaming at me and even the walls can do nothing about it. And the laughter. It should make me feel cosy, content, comforted - it doesn’t. It’s shrill, piercing and volatile. I run my fingers through my hair, grabbing and trying to rip it out. I scream but nothing comes.

  My head feels as if there’s a perpetual pounding in it - drumming. I shut my eyes. Mother says it’s supposed to help. She says that it’s supposed to help me focus, like I’m a lone sailor, and all I need to do is find the right island. But I don’t feel like I can find my island. I don’t even feel like I have a boat. I feel like I’m drowning in a cacophony of echoing waves. The walls of sound just keep closing in, even here in the void, where I should be feeling safe. My chest burns, it feels like someone’s holding a torch to it, and I’ve been strapped to them, forced to face the flames. I can feels streams pouring out of my eyes, but I don’t want them to. A gradual, shrill sound builds within my ears, the pain wells up, building to a crescendo. Constant ringing, pounding, screaming, laughing, howling - pain.

  Then, it ceases. The drumming. The screaming. The noises. They all stop. I can finally hear myself think. Why am I so afraid? Why can’t I just be normal? Why am built with so many cracks and torn edges? But Mother always said that it’s okay. She always said that it’s alright to be scared, to feel afraid. She says I don’t have to be ashamed, that what I was feeling, was my crucible. She said that everyone has their own crucible, that if you endure your own, you will become the better of it. But I don’t believe her, because even father said that, and that was before he left.

  I hoist myself from the ground, turning to face the door once more. I can feel sweat trickle down my neck - it’s cold. I could never understand how a person could be so frail. To be so filled with despair at the sight of the world that lay outside his own home. To be so fearful of the wild things that lurked beyond his walls. Just two inches between that person and the world. Now I am that person. The person who cannot stand to leave the confines of his existence. The person who refuses to swim, so that he can feel good about himself. I place a hand onto the door. Just two inches and the strings will be cut. Sometimes I wonder what is the point to all this struggling. I mean, wouldn’t the world benefit from one less? I often wonder if there is an emergency exit for all this. Somewhere I can just step outside, somewhere I can just step outside and close the door on all the things I’ve felt.

   It’s ironic really, wanting to leave this eternal trap yet being incapable of doing so, because you’re just too mad. I just need someone. Perhaps even the warm embrace of Death in all his silky, robed glory would suffice. I glance back down at door handle. No, maybe, the time just isn’t right. I turn my back on the door, shuffling away and towards my bedroom. I amble over to my bedside table, opening the drawer, I produce my notebook. I flip open to page three, taking out a pen from my pocket. I mark down another tally mark. Attempt thirteen, maybe, just maybe, next time.

Word Count: 834

TRAVEL POEMS

Gilis: Heaven on Earth

I scoop the soft white sand in my bare fingers,
I see the clear, turquoise waters,
Tipping my head back I watch the wisps of clouds float by,
My swimming suit that I wear is still damp from the waves,
My hair is still in a tangled mess,
Earlier on, we cycled here from the other side of the island,
As we cycled here there was no traffic,
No pollution or dust,
Just bikes and horseback,
As we cycled through the clear breeze,
We found a restaurant on the beach,
In the background we could hear the tinkling of the horses,
With the feel of relaxation,
I watched the sun leave the orange sky.

~Lara Parmley 7K

Australia

There is nothing better,

Than spending time with family.

And that's what I always get,

When I go to visit Australia.

The clear blue skies,

Sometimes cloudy,

The affectionate bridge,

That stands resolutely,

The forest the lies just across the street,

Filled with all manner of unknown creatures.

However much I love this place,

The danger posed is real,

I mean, you have to look down the toilet,

Before you have to go,

To make sure you don't get bitten,

By venomous Redback Spider.

Of all the creatures here,

The marine creatures take center stage,

You can't find the Blue Ring Octopus,

Anywhere else in the world.

This is why I love Australia,

For always being there,

In times of need.

~Matthew Warren 8I

Langkawi

I traveled to Langkawi
Where all the wonders where stored
The natural beauty was spread all over the island
Hotels being beautiful, neat and clean
Beaches going miles with white sand
Tourist boats slowly travelling across the sea
The most wonderful place to be

~Abhinath Sidharth 6I

Australia

When you visit Australia,

It's like your dreamland is in front of you,

And you are in heaven on earth,

Spending days viewing the beauty,

Getting startled every moment,

Reaching the harbour and getting into the sea,

The wind gusting past your face,

As you admire the beautiful islands and the turquoise sea,

And at the end of the day, 

You look at the sun fall from the orange sky.

~Aryan Mehta 6G

Bangkok Memories

When we were in Bangkok with the high sky scrapers

on sunny days and rainy nights 

to clear work papers

we danced all night and explored terminal 21 all day 

to our old house was a long walk but as I walked with my dad

and talked with my dad I thought life couldn't get any better 

I loved all aspects of life and I 

would remember to get the daily letter from mum

 as my friend and I splashed in the pool

my dad and his dad chattered away we headed out 

and ate 

coconut rice and mango almost all day! 

We headed back home then had to to all the way to Rome and back. 

I had missed it so much we had to much to explore

I think I missed lunch!

~Zolani Nyansiri 5P

New York! New York!

My trip to the city where all dreams come true will never be forgotten.

All the amazing attractions scattered around the city, 

the colourful glowing lights in Times Square 

and the enormous buildings were what made that trip incredible.

My dreams came true after that sunny day 

on a small boat in the sparkling turquoise water. In that amazing place wonderful and happy moments 

were saved in my mind and the experiences 

were to be told and turned into lovely stories.

I will never forget New York City.

~Stela Hermann Lopes 5G

Invisible Love

Back and forth, back and forth,

The waves are humming a soft lullaby

Swishing, swaying

Back and forth again

Crystal clear to turquoise to a beautiful bright blue,

No cares, no worries, no shoes, no problems

Only the bleached white sand and the natural clear blue waters.

The smell of the ocean, the taste of salt

The sand beneath my toes

the feel of relaxation overwhelms me

and embraces me in invisible love

~Kenzie Reimbold 7L