Have you ever encountered something strange and phenomenon? I had never believed in ghosts. All this while, I thought the world belongs to us, but I guess I was wrong, very wrong …
I was trekking in Pulau Ubin with a team of scouts on a fine Saturday afternnoon. We had been trekking for the past four hours when the scout master called for a time-off.
Being the adventurous kind, I explored the island on my own. Though it was nothing fascinating there, I still loved it for I experienced what I had been missing – peace!
“Haa, peace finally! No more nagging from my nagging mum, no more squabbling with my vexatious brother and no more admonishment from my sadistic teachers!”
I wandered idly and heard strange noises from behind me. Being inquisitive, I investigated and traced the source of the sound till I realised I was lost. My heart pounded vigorously against my chest and cold sweat came pouring down my forehead.
“Oh no, it’s getting dark and no one is within sight! I had nothing with me except for a handkerchief and a bottle of mineral water!”
I began bawling my lungs out for help but I could hear was my scream resonating in the dense and gargantuan forest! I knew there would be no way out! I was doomed.
At this darkness moment of my life, I spotted someone among the bushes. I was delirious with joy.
“Hey, slow down, wait for me!”
I sprinted after him but soon lost track of him. He seemed to have vanished from within my sight! Now, I was left all alone again and sighed. However, I espied not far away, light! I scampered over there and could not believe my eyes.
“Ryan! Oh Ryan! How glad am I to see you!” and I threw myself to him and locked him in my embrace, almost choking me.
“E…Eric, I thought you were lost? All the scouts have gone in search of you! How did you manage to find me here?”
I elucidated my adventure to him and when I came to the part about the mysterious man, Ryan’s face turned pale like a sheet.
“Hey, what’s wrong? Y…you looked as if you had seen a ghost!” I teased.
Before he could answer, the other team of scouts had returned and were both jubilant and aghast to see me safe and sound. I apologised to them and after I had done with my explanation on how I had found my way back, I hurried back to Ryan, who was still shivering.
“Y…you, I think, e…er, that person, nope, that t…thing rather that y…you have just met, i think i…it’s a g…ghost. H…he used to be a scout member b…but he committed suicide in this island. Many scouts have reported seeing h…him. I…I read all about this in the newspapers and the school bulletins.”
I gaped almost to the point of collapse. I had just met a ghost? I could not believe my ears. But having recovered from my stupor, I was somehow more grateful than frightened. I knew that ghost meant no harm for without him, I would not have found my way back to my campsite.
Clasping my pair of hands, I uttered a short prayer in my heart for his soul to rest in peace. It was then the leaves of the trees, which were so still and dead, suddenly burst into life. They began to rustle vigorously and the dead leaves on the ground danced and swirled around in circles. Gust of freezing zephyr blew past me and I shivered though I was sitting right in front of the blazing campfire. A chill went down my spine. Goose bumps surface on my hand and my hair stood on its end. In the midst of all these uncanny happening, I heard a voice: “Thanks, thanks for saying a prayer for me.”
Vocabulary and Good Phrases
vexatious – making you feel annoyed or worried
admonishment – scolding
sadistic – cruel and enjoying making other people suffer
inquisitive – curious
resonating – make a deep loud clear sound that continues for a long time
dense and gargantuan – thick and extremely huge
delirious with joy – happy
elucidated – explained in details
gaped – stare at something for a long time, especially with your mouth open, because you are very surprised or shock
the point of collapse – almost fainting
stupor – a state in which there is a partial or complete loss of sensibility
zephyr – breeze
uncanny – very strange and difficult to explain