ALONE

University of British Columbia

CRWR 200 002
Prof. Tariq Hussain
Assignment #2
Word Count: 1625

Justin Chow
40094302

1
 It was just me, myself and I in a beautiful world of my own creation. A sanctuary that I

had molded with my own hands, small yet seemingly filled with unlimited wonders to explore. It

was a haven that was vibrant and full of life where skies were bluer and the grass was greener. In

this world of mine filled with paths and many twists and turns, the possibilities were endless. I

was alone with my own thoughts in a handcrafted plane of existence forged and fueled by

creativity. I was alone and it was perfect… until it wasn’t. It began subtly as a whisper carried by

the wind, barely noticeable at first. However as time went by, these whispers grew into a

persistent hum which was impossible to ignore. The world of my creation seemed different, my

senses told me something had changed but I had no idea what it was. How was this possible?

The peace that I created was broken by this enigma’s sudden appearance and with each passing

moment, suspicion gnawed at me as I wandered through my supposedly familiar landscapes.

After hours of searching I had finally found it. At the edges of the world, where I had yet to

expand upon, the void stretched out endlessly in a dark mist. I peered out into the vast darkness

and saw something that made my heart drop — a door. As I neared the door, the humming grew

louder. Curiosity got the best of me and as I took a deep breath and pushed the door open, I let

the bright light engulf me, bracing myself for whatever lay ahead.

“Jason Ho Kiu Lee, you come down this instant!” I hear a voice shriek from downstairs.

I slowly opened my eyes and stared blankly at the slowly rotating ceiling fan as I

regathered my thoughts. A sudden shiver ran down my spine as my body finally registered how

cold the room was. The echo of my mother’s voice continued to echo from downstairs. With a

heavy sigh, I pushed myself upright, the floor cold beneath my feet and slowly walked down the

stairs. The sound of my mother’s piercing voice and the loud clashing of dishes rang from the

2
kitchen. Dread coiled in the pit of my stomach as I knew what awaited me past the kitchen door.

My mother stood at the sink, rigid with anger as she scrubbed furiously at a pile of dirty dishes. I

had mistakenly forgotten to do the dishes today.

‘Jason, how many times do I have to tell you to wash your dishes?!” my mom said in a

sharp and accusatory tone. “I carried you for nine months just for you to treat me like your

maid?!”

Just like usual, my mom was blowing the situation out of proportion, handling the issue

at hand poorly. I had heard it all before so ignoring her, I turned around to walk back upstairs, but

the next words that hit me were like physical blows to my stomach.

“Go ahead! Run away from your responsibilities! You’re just as useless as your father!”

As my mother’s words sliced through the air, a surge of frustration and anger bubbled up within

me. I snapped, my voice cracking with anger as I met her accusing eyes head on.

“Shut up, Mom!” I scream with tears flowing down my face. “I wish you would just

leave me alone!”

The words hung between us, heavy with tension. My mother’s expression hardened into a

mask of fury and without warning, her hand lashed out, striking me across the face. For a

moment, time stood still as I was unable to comprehend what had just happened. My own

mother, who was meant to be a pillar of strength and support, had just struck me, her own flesh

and blood. Then, as if in slow motion, I felt myself falling backward as I plummeted into the

darkness below. I closed my eyes letting the void swallow me whole as I tumbled into the abyss.

It took a moment for my eyes to adjust from the blinding lights, but when they did, I was

left confused as I stood in the open field of grass. There was no longer a void where the

mysterious door had once sat. Instead, an expansion of trees and tall grass stretched out into the

3
horizon. In fact, the door I had opened was gone too. I looked around, a sense of unease crept

over me. Something felt off, impossibly different about the place I built with my own hands.

Confusion clouded my thoughts as I tried to make sense of what it was. What had I unleashed on

the world by opening that door? Then as I surveyed my surroundings, it occurred to me. The sky,

which I had painted to be as blue as the deepest ocean, was now devoid of color or life. With all

my strength, I attempted to wish back the once-bright hues that the skies once had, but strangely,

they did not return. The lifeless expanse of gray that stretched endlessly continued to cover the

sky. A sense of guilt washed over me as I realized the consequences of my actions from opening

the door. I was determined to bring back the sky, perhaps there was another way to undo the

damage I had caused. I set out to reach the peak of the tallest mountains in order to get as close

to the sky as possible. As I ascended the slopes of the mountain, the sky above seemingly grew

darker and more ominous. A strange sensation began to nab at my consciousness. At first it was

barely perceptible but as I continued on my journey, a faint ringing persisted, growing louder

with each step I took. Driven by curiosity and urgency, I quickened my pace running up the

mountain. As I reached the summit, I found the source of the sound. Amidst the swirling mist of

the clouds sat a lone telephone, its receiver dangling off the hook as if waiting for me to answer.

The ringing now echoed in my ears. I couldn’t help but answer the call. As I raised the phone to

my ear, the ringing ceased abruptly, replacing itself with a voice on the other end of the line.

“Hello?” I uttered, my voice barely above a whisper. The voice on the other end was

strained, choked with emotion.

“Jason? It’s.. it's your aunt.” I could hear her holding in her tears from rolling down her

face. “Your mom... she’s in the hospital. There’s been an accident.”

4
 As the news hit me, memories flooded back to me. My heart sank as I listened, my mind

struggling to process the words that spilled out of her mouth. I recalled the argument with my

mother, the harsh words exchanged between us in the heat of the moment. I recalled the stinging

pain left on my cheek after my mother had struck me. I recalled the guilt on my mothers face as

she realized what she had done. I remember storming out the house ignoring my mom’s cries for

forgiveness, taking my bike and seeking refuge at the school’s playground.Tears began to roll

down my face as I realized the role I played. My mom, who had tried to raise me single-handedly

since Dad abandoned the family, got in a car accident in an attempt to look for me. Without

another thought, I grabbed my bike and rode off into the wind. The tears streaming down my

cheeks were swept away by the rushing air. The world blurred past me as I sped down the city

sidewalks. No matter how fast I pedaled, I couldn’t escape the thoughts of my mother lying alone

in that hospital bed. Finally, I reached the hospital. My heart hammered in my chest and the

rhythmic beating of my heart drowned out the howling wind outside. I pushed open the door

with trembling hands, bracing myself for the sight that awaited me.

Confusion washed over me as what was supposed to be a hospital room was replaced by

an unfamiliar landscape. The rows of hospital beds and hushed whispers of nurses were gone and

instead, I could feel the jagged rocks beneath my feet and hear the distant rumble of thunder. I

was up top of a mountain which was… impossible. Was this some sort of hallucination? But why

did it feel so real? I walked near the edge of the cliff to take a look at my surroundings. The lush

greenery faded into a shade of gray. The grass was dotted with flowers that had withered away,

petals shriveled and brown. Even the trees and the leaves looked weak and brittle, shaking

furiously with the wind. Before I could ponder further, a voice interrupted my thoughts. My

mother’s voice, soft and tender, called out to me from behind. I turned to see her lying on the

5
hospital bed, her body weak but her eyes filled with warmth which seemed to light up the ruins

of the world.

“Jason, my dear.” she said, her words softly spoken. “I’m sorry for everything.. The pain

and anger I wrongfully took out on you.. I never meant to hurt you.”

“I know Mom,” I replied, holding in my tears. “I'm sorry too.”

We sat in silence as we held each other's hands, sharing an understanding of the mutual pain we

felt. As the desolate world around us slowly vanished, leaving us alone together, I finally

realized that I didn’t have to be alone to escape the harshness of reality. She needed me as much

as I needed her and together we could support each other and face whatever challenges laid

ahead.