NARRATIVE ESSAY
QUESTION: Write a story that ends with the following sentence:
“I had done my part to help my friend”
I lay on the snow-white bed sheet with a few broken bones,
and some of my wounds were stitched up. As soon as I regained my
consciousness, I was greeted by a pungent medicinal stench.
Excruciating pain seared through my body as I could not even move a
single muscle, unknowing whether it was because of the pain or the
anaesthetics given to me. Sunlight bathed every inch of the ward as
I looked out of the window. A sight of sun rays across the cerulean
sky greeted my eyes as I started thinking about what had happened.
I sighed in dismay as I recalled the incident.
It was a fine Wednesday afternoon. The birds chirped merrily
as the scorching red sun hung in the azure sky, giving off brilliant
rays of the sun. There was also cotton wool like clouds drifting in
the sky at a tortoise’s pace. I sat in class, listening to the
monotonous rattle of the teacher as she continued with her lecture.
The drone of the rickety fan also added to my sleepiness as the
vicissitudes of balmy breeze were lulling me to sleep. My eyelids
were growing heavy, and soon they were drooping. Just as I was
about to doze off, the deafening clanging of the school bell pierced
and broke the monotonous silence of the classroom. The bell
beckoned all the students to make a hasty beeline for the exit. The
students dashed out of the classroom like a peregrine falcon. I was
no exception. The atmosphere was so hot that even the concrete
floor was steaming hot and was radiating heat. Drenched in
perspiration, I hefted the weight of my heavy school bag and
continued trudging on the long journey home in the sweltering heat.
Just then, a shrill scream broke my train of thought. It was
such a loud and ear-piercing scream that even the deaf Beethoven
would be able to hear. Just as I was about to ignore the sound, the
scream came again. I was not dreaming. Piqued with curiosity, I
tiptoed cautiously towards the source of the sound, not knowing
what was in store for me. Apprehension buzzed in the air as I felt
the tension in my throat. The scream gradually led me to a deserted
alley. Sensing imminent danger, I decided to turn tail and ready to
flee, and to my utter horror; six pupils of my same age blocked the
path and closed in on me, each cracking their knuckles. I knew them!
It was the notorious group of the school bully, John and his
henchmen. Mustering my courage, I turned to take a look, and I saw
my classmate, Andy was crouching down while burying his face in his
hands. Andy’s bag was opened wide, and his belongings were sprawled
all over the rough asphalt. Indignation swirled in the pits of his
stomach as he was furious due to the bullies’ act. Before I could
react, John snickered and spoke with a devilish smile. “Hand over
your valuables, and no one gets hurt, if not……’ He threw looks at his
side-kicks, and they nodded. Realisation hit me like a twenty-pound
sledgehammer as I finally get to ascertain their acts. They want to
extort money from me.
Gathering all courage, I was ready to help my friend, and I get
out of the ‘guillotine’, and I was expecting a fight or nothing. Leaving
my bag behind me, I said “ No point asking, John. I would not give
you any of my valuables. I would not allow you to extort my friend
again. Not until the hell freezes” A look of disbelief spread across
his face and the next action was unexpected. John and his side-kicks
started attacking me all at once by raining punches on my lanky body.
I swiftly evaded a dozen of them, but clearly outnumbered, I got a
kick on the shin, and I retreated a few steps. Distracted by the
mind-numbing pain, I quickly recalled my Karate moves, and I gave
them a jab in the stomach and another one, a punch in the eye. Soon,
I received multiple bruises, but persistence got the better of me,
and I swore that I would not be bullied. Fighting with all the
strength I had, I managed to hold them off for a while, but soon, my
foot lost hold of the gravity of the ground, and I landed on the
rough asphalt road with a sickening thud. John approached me with
a smirk as he stared into my helpless eyes, with a hint of humiliation.
His henchmen approached my bag with interest and proceeded to
open. Unable to handle the anger, I let out a scream of rage, and I
dashed towards John. But then, three other boys were upon me this
time, and they sent me reeling towards the wall. I slumped onto the
wall, crumbling into a heap. They continued kicking me and purposely
stepping on my finger. Every inch of my body ached and complained,
but there was nothing I could do, as I crouched down slowly like a
sinking Titanic, surrendering to my fate.
At the precarious moment, I heard the wails of the siren of
the patrol car. The sound reverberated, causing John and his
henchmen feared being apprehended and took to their heels. Hot
tears flowed down my cheeks as I turned my head to look for any
signs of a patrol car and police officers. My eyes widened, saucerwide as I saw that there was no police, just Andy with his unkempt
hair and dishevelled state, holding his smartphone, with the sound of
the siren coming from the speakers of the mini device. I was burning
from mortification as I realised that as I was trying to rescue Andy,
he in return ended up rescuing me. A passer-by then saw us and
contacted the ambulance.
Thinking back, I intended to save my friend. However, the
roles were reversed, and I ended up being saved by him, with
injuries all over my body. Andy thanked me copiously as the words of
gratitude gushed out from his mouth in a steady stream. Although
embarrassed, I was glad that I had done my part to help my
friend.
(1041 words)
NARRATIVE ESSAY
QUESTION: Write a story that ends with the following sentence:
“I had done my part to help my friend”
I woke up in anticipation when the alarm clock that stood on my
dresser jolted me from a deep slumber. A plethora of shadows fell
on the floor of my cosy bedroom, creating intricate patterns.
Crepuscular rays flooded into the room through the chink between
the silk curtains that adorned the French window. In the distance, a
rooster crowed as if welcoming the arrival of a brand-new day.
Freeing my limbs from the labyrinth of pillows and blankets, I
jumped out of my bed. Groggily, I walked towards the window to
luxuriate scintillating vista that stretched endlessly before my eyes.
I inhaled the sweet scent of rose that wafted through my nose as I
scrutinised my landscape. A few cows were grazing on the verdant
slopes of the lofty mountain that loomed over my village. Fluffy
white clouds were marching across the vast expanse of azure blue
sky making the scenery look surreal. I knew that Andy was
somewhere out, busy with his work. It had been ages since I last set
eyes on him. He was the lover of my best friend, Susan. He left her
five years ago, to pursue his tertiary education at the Harvard
university. It was such a blow for Susan as that time, they were
young and Susan was expecting a baby of Andy’s. Being a selfish male
that causes the existence of a child out of wedlock, he insisted on
leaving for Harvard University, abandoning his lover and his child.
Susan went crazy and ended up being diagnosed with severe
depression with the gossips of the villagers that pierced into her
heart like a million of daggers. Feeling like the world was collapsing
on her, she took her own life, and left this riotous place, lying in her
own pool of blood, with her swelling belly. I tried to rescue her, but
it was too late. My friend was gone. Andy did not even try to return,
even the news managed to spread to him. He had sojourned in
foreign parts until he received the news of his father’s demise. Andy
had returned with the intention of laying his dead father to rest.
Being a Casanova, he yearned to also start a relationship with me. He
seemed to have forgotten about Susan, his old flame. He said he felt
remorseful for jilting Susan for a bright future in his youth.
However, he stated to be more attracted to my beauty, indicating
that I am more beautiful than his old flame, Susan. Regaining my
hold on my train of thoughts, I closed my eyes and memories of the
distant past came flooding into the threshold of mind.
Susan, Andy and I had been bosom-friends since we were
toddlers taking our first wobbly steps across the parquet floor of
Susan’s abode. We had enjoyed a unique camaraderie with each
other. In the evening, we cooked dinner by the wooden playhouse,
with stones becoming potatoes and daisies were fried eggs. As we
traversed through the troubled years of adolescence, the
relationship between Susan and Andy blossomed into love.
With the passage of age and time, Andy’s love for Susan waned
as he was thirsty for leaving the village and getting a better
education. He ditched her, leaving for Harvard University. Susan
tried to salvage this relationship by indicating that she was able to
follow him there, Andy did not allow her to. Just few weeks of
residing in the city of Massachusetts, Susan got hold of a news that
Andy had a new lover who was also a student of Harvard. What
followed now was history. Here, Andy was pinning for me as he
started to return to his old ways. The voice of someone calling my
name awakened me from a reverie. A little urchin with a smudge on
his jaw tugged at my sleeves as he pushed into my hand. The note
came from Andy, asking me to meet him at the fringe of the forest
by nightfall. I was overwhelmed by happiness with the invitation as I
finally found a golden opportunity. It’s time.
The next morning, a gruesome and grotesque sight greeted the
villagers as they made their way into the jungle to collect firewood.
Andy’s body was sprawled on the ground with deep stab wounds.
Blood was oozing out from the gash on his neck and forming a pool of
blood around a corpse. I was in my room, staring at the crimson
blood stained-cleaver, with a smile spread wide. I had brutally
murdered the man who hurt her best friend a long time ago. Looking
up at the cerulean sky, I sighed with relief. I had done my part to
help my poor friend, Susan.
(785 words)