Creative Writing Competition - Fairytale

First Place by M.K. Lim

Everybody lived to tell tale. Whether the tale would have something to be learned, or something to be followed or even something just for fun, everyone who have lived, lived to tell a tale. Whether for your tale to be important and to be passed on for generations depend on how you live your tale and recite them.

Up till today, I've lived long enough to tell a short tale. So grab a coffee, put yourself on a couch, make yourself comfortable because i am about to tell you a tale. Just a short tale that took a long time to be lived in.

A tale about a girl who's faith was restored

Not very long ago, there was a girl who did not live in a castle, nor does she have beautiful complexion or extraordinary abilities. There was just a girl, like every other. A girl that was unnoticed because she blend so well in the crowd just like a chameleon that people could not see her existence. Some see this as a curse and some see this as a fortune. No matter what others saw, the girl saw nothing.

She lived her life not by waiting for a handsome prince to save her from evil dragons or waiting for a fairy-godmother to transform her into a beautiful maiden. She plainly lived through her life enduring everyday lives and in her era, there is no longer discrimination on female so her life was pretty much a bed of roses. But everybody knows that roses that are so beautiful have thorns that will make others bleed to enhance the "red" colour of the petals. So her life was pretty much a bed of roses no doubt.

However, this part is a little similar to a fairy tale. In her life, evil villain existed. And in her case, there were more than one villain. Every little thing she knows and every person she was ever fond of have a little villain side in them. Back then, the innocent her knew nothing of that sorts. She innocently got trapped by those evil villains and they took advantage of her. A sad case for her that she had to endure all that by herself and no one other than herself could save her.

So she learned about the cruel part of life by falling and she then decided to not fall again. But little does she know that that world that she was in was merely a zest of reality. Reality is nothing like a fairytale. Reality was the evolve "species" of fairytale and in this reality, fairytale only lived in dreams and movies.

Like everyone other tale you have heard, the one true prince will appear and then save the beautiful princess from her misery. This girl was no princess. Neither does she have any prince that will rescue her. So she when she realised that fairytale could never exist, she decided to not live in her dream. She decided to learn to live in reality. She learned to be a villain herself for she have to be one to survive among all of them.

Slowly and gradually she became immune to villains because right now she is already one of them. Fairytale for her is nothing but a mere desire of weak people who could not accept reality. But she, as a non-believer in fairytale will soon face a tale of her own that she would have never expect to happen.

Little does she know, her fairytale has just started. Just when she lost all hope and faith, a prince showed up. Her prince was not like in the storybooks. He was not riding a white horse nor was he carrying a sword. He doesn't know how to fight bandits or dragons but he was her prince. That prince who appeared in her life changed every single thing. She who lost her faith was showered with light and love. Before she knew it, she began to live in her fairytale.

There were no garden to dance nor beautiful castle to visit. There were no romantic time riding horses nor singing under the rain. But there was love and care from the prince's heart, warmth from the prince's palm and tenderness in the prince's soul that melted the girl's once stoney heart. And there, her fairytale lives on.

There would probably be no happily ever after but as for now, there is a fairytale in her.

-The end-

Creative Writing Competition - In the mind of suicide bomber

Second Place : By M.K. Lim

     It was a rainy day, but the water spilling on the ground was neither colourless nor odourless. Thick red fluids with a smell that could take your appetite away was thickening, sipping into Mother Earth. The only thing left to be done was mourn. Days of smiles and laughter were too long gone that no one can remember how to even fake a smile. All that was left were fear, anxiety, hunger and pain. It was the time of war.

     War can never really be over. Even when it ends in reality, the image runs wild alive in memories. People who lived in a war zone are different from those who grew up in peace. The survival instinct are much sensitive. Similarly vengeance lurks everywhere. When one loses his family, friends and everything around him, one loses his existence. When existence are erased, what else is there to look forward to? If it is going to end, might as well end it with a purpose.

     With a purpose of vengeance, one are more than willing to implant dynamites as organs to repay the damages that was once done. As mentioned, if life has to end, better end it with a sign of warning, threat and power than to end it annonymusly.

     Pain and hatred are lovers.They come together in every way. When one hates too much, the pain is unbearable. Why bear the pain so bad, when it is just one click and a loud bang to end it all? BOOM!! Goodbye hatred. Goodbye pain. Goodbye pitiful soulless life.

     No one to share your life with. In the midst of a crowd, all that comes into mind was images of those long gone. Blood path everywhere. All that was left standing no longer have watery eyes but eyes of lost and loneliness. If love cannot drive a person crazy, loneliness can. Imagine being trapped in an island, with no animals or human, Your best friend would be a soccerball. Trapped in a life, the old lady cleaning your room could be your next lover. So, loneliness drives out ones most crazy intentions.Even if it means the end of everything, wouldn't it be better? At least this ending does not carry loneliness with.

     All that feelings and thought are just too much for a 5' 2" inch man to bear. It's a no wonder he ended up exploded in a subway, not physically, but mentally. All that was too much for anyone to bear, This ending, may not br a happily ever after. However, a big BOOM and splash and crash served all the purpose. Vengeance is sweet, Pain, hatred and loneliness no longer lingers and a message and warning was sent, delivered. A click and it ended happily ever after with a BANG.

Creative Writing Competition - In the mind of suicide bomber

First Place : By K.M. LEW

  Suicide bomber intended to cause a huge spread of damage or kill another, in which the attacker expected to die at the end of the process.

     Kamikaze is one type of the suicide bomber. Their tactics is actually a ritual act of self-sacrifice by the state military forces. These suicide attacks, carried out by Japanese kamikaze bombers, were used as a military tactic aimed at causing material damage in the war.

     The kamikaze best shown in the attack on pearl harbor back in 1940’s. In these attacks, airplanes were used as flying bombs. Planes often laden with explosives, bombs, torpedoes and full fuel tanks. And these pilots were prepared to die in the suicide attacks. But what it is really in their mind?

     These suicide bombers aren’t psychos or abnormal beings; sacrificing their life just like that. Instead, they  thought that, a person die is better than the whole nation, which mean they will do more than putting of their people at stake. Those pilots, for example, if their sacrifice can save their nation, people by winning the war, there is no doubt for them to have a second thought on it.

     Though these suicide attacking are inhuman but, back in the olden days, to conquer another, they have to sacrifice everything in order to achieve victory.

     Japanese armed forces were indoctrinated with the following five-point oath. Few of it, which includes, a soldier must make loyalty his obligation, propriety his way of life and have high esteem military valour. They were all well-trained to fulfil the 5 oaths. Because of these oaths, kamikaze will always be the most effective and most harmful attacks for them as their people are ready to sacrifice. When the planes were out of bombs, final resort of attacking ways is to crash the whole plane to their enemies most important database.

     What about just a normal suicide bomber? Are they psychologically abnormal? There must be something which motivates them to do so.

     Some did it just to revenge. When people came to an extend which they really give up everything and totally do not put hope in life. They might actually seek revenge to the frustrator and end their life along with them. In a way, they can end their life and also can seek revenge.

     You can roughly know what is the thinking of the suicide bomber if you understand their situation and put yourselves in their shoes.