The sky suffused into a swirl of blue and yellow as lightning split the gathering storm. Clouds peppered the ground with sharp blades of water. The fact that Shawn had to walk the remaining distance to the school with a tattered umbrella which did nothing to stop the scalding drops of rainwater from piercing through the thin fabric did nothing to help wear down the resentment for Richmond in his heart. Today, he was going to end it.
Richmond too was stuck in a traffic jam caused by a three-lane pileup. He did nothing to hide the fear of meeting Shawn, as he shuddered to recall the last time Shawn broke his nose. Both of them were mortal enemies, but one was the bully, the other the victim.
As the rusty gates of the school neared, Richmond saw the hulking figure of Shawn push the gates wide open, striding in with a confidence unlike himself. Richmond shrank back quickly. Shawn then turned his head back, his head glowing in the flash of lightning, revealing a pair of blood-shot eyes, with only one expression in them: hatred.
As the classroom neared, Richmond saw Shawn and their gaze met. The class was silent as a ghost-town. Several pairs of eyes strained to see the final showdown of Shawn versus Richmond. The lights above the corridor flickered. A bellow of rage bounced off the walls of the corridor. Shawn revealed a pair of metal-chain gloves. For a minute, there was a moment of stillness in the midst of the chaos. Then Shawn charged straight for Richmond. Richmond side-stepped him and, without thinking, kicked Shawn down the staircase. Shawn rolled down in a ball, and rammed straight into the wall. Time seemed to break up into scenes, like a movie, a sickening crunch could be heard as Shawn rebounded and lay out flat on the ground, the rainwater washing over his face. A pool of crimson red liquid formed around him. Richmond had done the unthinkable and had to face to reality. Shawn was dead.
Teachers and paramedics quickly arrived to staunch the gaping would on Shawn's head. It was for naught. Thirty minutes after the incident, Shawn was officially pronounced dead. Holding Shawn by his head, Richmond went into a state of complete disillusion as he convinced himself, "I didn't do this, I know it, don't lie to me, he forced me too, it's not my fault." As he babbled on about his innocence, he returned back to the world of reality, the truth hit him like a wall, he was a murderer, he had killed someone with his own hands. Kneeling down on the rough granite floor, head facing towards the heaven and he cried, "What have I done!" as he broken down in tears of regret and sadness. It was too late.
While the sky has cleared into a blue sky, he could see disfigured Shawn sitting on the clouds saying, "You've killed me!" Even though the sky had cleared, Richmond knew the clouds in his heart would never clear again. He was a murderer.
--- End ---
Written in 60-minute class test by a 14 year old with these comments from his teacher: "A rather dark and violent tale, but graphically depicted and gripping in pace."
