@20lait1 and Macz Thank you! But my writing really sucks...
Hello everyone! This is my first story posted here. I made this story back in mid-January, in my ELA class. It was for a writing competition in Hong Kong based on the Pearl River Delta (only me and a few people got in the contest). Unfortunately, no one in our school got into the finals, but I couldn't resist sharing the story with you guys. I put more effort than usual here, so there are lots of descriptive words and stuff.
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I flicked my tail in excitement as I took in the fabulous news: It was another glorious, sunny day. “Let’s go play, Snow! I can’t stand slouching at home any longer! We gotta go play in the waves!” My older sister, Abby, exclaimed. “Where are we going?” I asked, skeptical. “To the surface of the Pearl River, of course!” Abby shot upwards, creating bubbles behind her. “Okay, fine,” I sighed, following. We reached the surface of the ocean, gazing at the people nearby, hurrying along in all directions. “Look!” Abby yanked my fin and pointed. I followed her gaze and saw a grey machine with a sign that said ‘Pearl River Delta: Viru et Zero’. “Hey! Dolphins!” A fisherman shouted, pointing at us. “Duck!” Abby cried, and we swam under. I was wondering about the peculiar machine. “What was that bizarre monster?” Abby asked. The words on the machine were confusing, but I figured they were probably a codeword to confuse citizens. “A virus. Virus Zero. I heard that the dolphins that inhabit the river were mysteriously disappearing a few days ago. I guess that was when this machine invaded the delta.” I murmured. Abby gulped. “We must inform everyone!” I exclaimed. “Nonsense,” Abby paused, “it’s too jeopardous and deadly.” I shook my head, “If I don’t, everything might get destroyed! It’s a sinister virus! Stop being a coward!” I bellowed. Without thinking twice, I raced to the machine like lightning. If I’d only knew earlier that the virus was more menacing than it seemed.
The golden sun was beaming at me from the azure sky, when I paddled casually on the surface of the sea. I peered at the monstrous machine. Now that I inspected the area closely, I saw a few silvery dolphins floating nonchalantly nearby, their glossy skins shimmering. I waded hastily to one. She was drifting around to the waves, but there was no sound or movement from her body. I approached her face. Motionless. “Hello?” I waved in front of her. I received no response. The dolphin’s eyes were closed, but they resembled sadness. A nearby dolphin coughed painfully. “She… perished…” he whispered, as he took one last breath. “What? This is impossible…” I gandered the machine, “It must be that monster that caused these dolphins to suffocate…”
Two workers strolled from a building, clutching a vast net. They glanced at me suspiciously. I instantly took cover under the surface. I saw faint silhouettes of the workers. They fished up the lifeless dolphins agilely and took them to the towering building behind the machine. I studied the banner that hung over the two chimneys above the structure as tall as the building itself: Viru et Zero Inspection Area.
“Snow,” I whipped around and spotted Abby hurrying over to me. “We need to warn the other dolphins!” I cried. “Calm down. Should we be worried? We’re not infected, so why should we care?” Abby shrugged. “And leave everyone else to perish? Stop being so selfish! The machine is as threatening as an earthquake!” I screamed. Abby rolled her eyes, clearly irritated. “It’s not threatening.” Abby paddled closer to the machine, “See? I’m here. Nothing’s happening to me. This is all a frivolous prank!” She leaped out of the water and touched the green light flashing on the machine. “Nothing happened,” she announced.
Something was wrong. I noticed Abby’s pearly skin transform into a hideous dark grey. “Abby…” I whispered, terrified. “I cannot believe this grey monster is a fake just to scare calfs!” Abby exclaimed to herself. “Abby,” I backed away murmuring. Abby looked down at her tail, and screamed deafeningly, “What’s happening?” she shrieked, but the situation was hopeless. Abby started coughing and a moment later, her life finished.
“Abby!” I grieved, my tears drifting away in the sea. A part of me instructed me to mourn over my loss and forget about everything, but the other part of me advised me to ruin the machine and save the dolphins. They were like angels and devils on my shoulders. I brushed away the awful thoughts and formed the decision: I was going to wreck the machine.
I swam as fast as a cheetah to the machine, which stood steadily on the sand. It was powered off by now, so I was safe. “Hmm… Which buttons controls the machine?” I pondered for a while. I didn’t notice the workers coming until I looked up and gasped. “Hey! It’s that dolphin again!” One worker nudged the other. “It didn’t suffocate?” The other worker was surprised. “We need to take it to the lab! Now!” The first worker hollered and pushed a hidden button on the machine, which caused it to release irritating noises. “Ha!” he exclaimed with glee, “Now we got you!”
I was confused for a moment, thinking about what he meant. When the machine released waves of light, the thought struck me: the worker had turned the machine on. I tried to plunge back into the water, but the pressure shot from the machine pulled me like a magnet. “Help!” I shrieked, but it came out strangely as squeaks and clicks. Fishermen and the people on nearby streets started screaming and leaving when they saw us.
The pain raised greatly. The workers had no utter reason to do this. How is threatening Chinese white dolphins for useless experiments acceptable? I wondered. Soon my species will become extinct, and it’s all their fault. Those moronic fools, all they care was doing an experiment. I was never so hopeless and helpless. The machine stopped, and I collapsed into the ocean, which created heavy splashes. I stared at the waves weakly. My memories seemed to shrivel up and decease. There was no way I could keep my hope up any longer. I realized that Abby was right after all, the machine was unstoppable. I already failed, so I had to give up. I closed my eyes gently, perhaps for the final last time.
