it has been a long time; * from past till now * and we have improved our English !

Thursday, May 03, 2007

The Girl Who Feared Darkness by Xiaolei

She was a fair girl who was born on a farm. In her memory, like most of the neighbourhood children, she enjoyed the gaiety and warmth that her family gave to her for the past twelve years. But on a single fateful night, her life had changed. She became Mary, a girl who was afraid of the night, and lived in gloominess.

She could not forget that night, when she was twelve years old. It was tenebrous both outside and inside the house. As she was sleeping, she was waken by the shouts and screams from her parents. She did not know why they were quarreling, but she realized the seriousness of the situation, her mother made her way out of the door and never came back. She did not even look back, for once. Ultimately, mother’s silhouette dissolved in the darkness. From that moment, she began to fear darkness. The happy girl was engulfed by the darkness in her.

She could not believe that how she grew up in these seven years. Every time she was lying on the bed, she would naturally miss her mum. But she no longer cried, as her tears had dried up. She was unwilling to close her eyes at the night. She was afraid that if she closed her eyes, she had to face the darkness alone, which wrenched her mother’s presence from her pitilessly. She no longer had a good sleep; maybe there was nobody saying good night and kissed her forehead any more. Her body always shook at night and she woke up from her involuntary movements. She found it difficult to energize herself; maybe nobody told her how to smile and greet the morning sunshine. Her heart was palpitating in the shadows all the time. Until Jim, a nice and mild boy, came into her life.

Mary now found a purpose to smile more often after she met Jim. She began to tell Jim things about herself, but she never talked about the past seven years of her life. But Jim knew Mary well, including her fear of darkness. At the moment he asked Mary to be his girlfriend, he vowed himself that one day, he would help her to escape from the life in the shadows.

April the first was their two-month anniversary as a couple. Jim brought what he bought and prepared and made a phone call to Mary outside her house at a quarter to midnight.

“Mary, do you remember what the date today is? Not April fool’s day, but…”
“Yeah Jim I will not forget.”
“I am waiting for you at the end of the aisle at the back of your house…”
“But…but…it is dark there.”
“Do not be afraid, I will look out for you.”

Jim hanged up the phone. He quickly finished what he needed to do, and saw Mary walking towards him fast. He stood up, switched on the romantic music that he loved the most and walked towards her with open arms. He hugged her and asked her close her eyes. Mary thought for a short while, and closed her eyes. He held her hands to his chest, and guided a trembling her to the end of aisle.

“Now, you can open your eyes.”

Mary opened her eyes. She was moved by the sight before. On the ground, candles were lit and arranged in a shape of big heart. She could not control her overflowing tears. She just stood there, and listened to what Jim had to say to her.

“Mary, from the very first day I got together with you, I promised myself that I will help you to escape from the fear of darkness. I want to tell you that wherever you are, I will hold your hands and guide you through the darkness. My love for you will light up your dark world, just like what the candles are doing now.”
“I want you to dispel the fear of darkness in you. I’ll make you felicitous.”

frm past till now at-
9:52 am