Mystery

It was after our major exam, and we were overjoyed as though something heavy had been lifted off our shoulders. We recalled that we had previously talked about spending our holiday at Pangkor island. The beautiful beaches and crystal clear water ought to give us a break from the busy city life we come from.

"Okay okay, so let's talk about our Pangkor trip", said Qi Liang. "We're going on the 25th, right?" asked Kok Joo. And so hours went by as we were chatting online while planning every detail of our trip. "I wanna play volleyball! Oh, oh, and I wanna ride the banana boat!" And the list went on as Yiqing was raving about all the activities she wanted to try.

There was about 2 weeks before our trip. Feeling as free as a bird out of a cage, we went out for movies, bowling, pool, karaoke, and everything you could think of. Of course, our brain needed some recovery from the trauma the exams caused.

The gang consisted of Min-Yi, Qi Liang, Kok Joo, Yiqing, Tow Jin, Jason Lee, Derek Chai and also Uncle Lim! We were all enjoying our holidays so much, that our plans for the future almost didn't matter. Well, at least it was so for the most of us.

Time flies when you're having fun. In just a blink of an eye, the day for our trip was already here! We were all packed up and couldn't wait to get to the island. While waiting for the ferry, I was enjoying the breeze of the beach. It was very soothing and I felt a comfortable sensation. As if waking up from a dream, I realised that I was already on the ferry! I felt a little weird as I don't remember boarding it. But at the same time, I was more excited that we're on our way to our holiday island!

However, the ride to the island was rather peculiar. We were seated inside and there were no windows nor a tour guide which was stated in the brochure. Anyhow, we were just fine on our own as some of us have been to Pangkor Island. After playing a few rounds of cards, we had arrived at our destination! Or so we thought...

When we exited the cabin, the driver was no where to be found. We assumed that he had to go and ignored it as we were all too excited to get wet. That's right, we were already wet before we even unpacked!

As we settled into our rooms, Kok Joo revealed that he felt something weird about the island. He said that Pangkor island wasn't quite what he remembered it to be. On top of that, he saw someone who resembled his father on the island! But after a quick call, he confirmed that his father still back in KL.

Giving no thought to Kok Joo's weird encounter, we went on with our plans and tried every ride that was available! Namely, the banana boat, jet-skiing, wind-surfing and many more! We also had a four-on-four volleyball match and a sandcastle building competition! We were having so much fun!

Eventually, our sunlight for the day had ran out. So we all reluctantly dragged our tired but satisfied selves back to our rooms. After cleaning up, we walked to the nearby town to have some seafood dinner! As expected, seafood tastes best when eaten fresh! In fact, the food was so good, we stuffed ourselves to the rim! We had planned some beach walking before retiring to bed but we were so full, that our bodies preferred to roll than walk!

Sticking to our plan, we then 'rolled' ourselves to the beach. When we gazed above us, the night sky was so beautiful that it took our minds off our stomachs. The sky was glittering with stars as though the gods had sprinkled pixie dust on them. Mesmerized by the sheer elegance of the night sky, I just realised that I was separated from the group.

I looked around to see where I was, but something bizarre caught my eye. "Penguins?!" I thought to myself. "What on earth are penguins doing in the middle of a tropical country?!"

Still dumbfounded by the idea, I had to find my way back as I was very tired and it was late. Then, I spotted a small village, located on the other side of a wooden bridge spanning across a trench. I carefully walked past the penguins as they were doing their stuff. While crossing the bridge, I realised that the trench was so deep, that I couldn't see the bottom of it. Putting that aside, I entered the village hoping to find someone to lead me back. At that moment, I saw someone familiar. It was Uncle Lim!

I went to him asking where the others were, but he said, "What are you doing outside your tent?" "You should be resting at this hour!" He said as he grabbed my arm. I was very confused but tired as well so I followed him as he took me to a campsite filled with dome tents. I was lead to 'my' tent, and he left. By then, I was too tired to think or walk anymore and I slept on till morning.

When I woke up, I was surprised that all my stuff were already in my tent! "They must've planned this as a surprise", I thought. Feeling anxious to unfold the their plan, I washed up and got ready for the beach activities. As I was about to head towards the village, Derek called out to me, "Sze Wei! Come quickly! They're here!"

I went with him and eventually reunited with the gang. However, they were all running towards the edge of the village as though Kelly Clarkson was here to give a concert. "This must be part of their mischievous plan", I thought as I followed them. "Hey, that's me! It's me!", Yiqing pointed, "Me too!", followed by Tow Jin, and the same went for the rest of the gang. When I lifted my eyes, I couldn't believe what I saw... It was really them!

As though looking through a mirror, they were looking at exact duplicates of themselves! When I took a closer look, 'I' was there too! "Oh... My... God!"


to be continued