#6 Please Follow the Instructions

PLEASE FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS. The words instructed, bolded, and all capitalised in white font on a black piece of paper. Well, a thick piece of paper. It felt more like a larger-sized name card printed on a heavy weighted paper.

The loud instruction though aimed to achieve optimal result for its users, somehow had an unnerving effect.

Step 1: Use both hands to prop open the entryway such that the back of your hands are supporting the circle.

Alright, done…

Step 2: Raise both arms up above your head.

Does this seem foolish…?

Step 3: Shift your arms back and forth (shimmy a little!) and let The Tube swallow you.

Alright then, here goes nothing…

#5 Rue de Fleurs

“Are you sure this is where we are supposed to be?”

To seek the treasure you desire
Embark on a quest none will admire
‘Neath the grounds of a sycamore
At the end of Rue de Fleurs

Rima folds the well-worn piece of paper with the poem and stuff it back into the pocket of her jacket. She must have read it a hundred times. “I’m sure. This is the only street that is always sprinkled with fallen flowers. Can’t be anywhere else.”

“Remind me why we are doing this again?” Yellup whined.

“Because! You promised you’d go on adventures with me, and this is it.”

The pair walked down the street that was lit intermittently by the street lamps. It had rained earlier, and they could smell the damp in the air.

“Look! I think we’re finally here.” Rima said excitedly. “This must be the tree in the poem.”

They approached it cautiously, though there were no sign of any obstacles in sight. Somewhere on the horizon, an owl hooted.

“Why couldn’t your father have left you something more cheery? Like, a lifetime worth of ice-creams or money, like any normal parent would?!”

“My father isn’t an eccentric explorer for nothing…Shhh!”

Rima thought she heard a noise, but it was just the leaves rustling in the wind. “Right, start digging then.”

Yellup brought out the tools grudgingly from their backpacks, picked a spot behind the tree randomly and started digging. “This had better be worth it.”

After a while, Rima’s spade made a thunk. Wordlessly, both of them threw their spades on the grass and knelt down. Rima swept the soil off of what looked like a heavy metal box. Then she realised it was a trapdoor…and it has a digital lock.

Next to the lock, there was a laminated note:

Yellup poked at the screen of the digital lock. The screen came to life with a small beep, and displayed all the letters of the alphabet.

“What’s that?” Yellup whispered.

But Rima’s head had already started working.

#4 Timmy the Sheep

The myth always begins like this: On a remote island, there lies a remote farm in a remote village. To get there, one has to get on a plane, then a car ride, a boat ride, and then a car ride again (true story).

It is on this remote farm in the remote village that birthed the myth, Legend of Timmy the Sheep.

At a glance, Timmy the Sheep looked just like any other regular sheep you would cross path on a farm. On a closer look, Timmy the Sheep still looked just like any other regular sheep you would cross path on a farm. As a result, nobody knows exactly which sheep on this remote farm exactly is Timmy the Sheep.

Anyway, rumours have it that on every man, woman, or child’s multiple of seventh year in their lives (7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42 years old and so on..), will gain wisdom beyond their peers for the rest of their lives should they get to hold Timmy the Sheep still for a full seven minute.

As news spread, hundreds of people, locals and foreigners alike descend upon this remote farm in the remote village to get their chance on holding Timmy the Sheep for seven minutes, in the hopes on gaining that wisdom that may end their destined dull, routine lives.

The participants each paid $77 to enter the pen filled with sheep, and when the horn sounded to signify the 15 minutes they have, they ran, they scrambled, they fell, they tripped and they dragged the sheep they each think to be Timmy.

At the end of the 3-day event, the owner of the farm sits in his kitchen, merrily counting the cash from the 3 days with his morning coffee.

#3 By the Creek

You’re here, Henry said.

Ida met Henry by the end of the creek, as they had planned to yesterday. I thought you won’t turn up, said Henry. Ida noticed the surprise in his voice.

I’m not scared, we have heard this story before we could walk. I just had problem slipping out of the house without my mom noticing, Ida said coolly. Did you bring the thing?

Henry held it up. A fishing string of 2 metres in length, not longer, not shorter.

Good, now c’mon. The sun is setting and we will lose the light soon. Ida led the way to the edge of the stone path. She turned to Henry, who should do this first?

I’ll go, since I am holding onto the string. Henry started dropping the string into the water, as if he was fishing. Now, half the string was in the water, and half above. What now?

Now, we wait. Ida said that, but she did not know what is next so what else could she have said?

Two minutes passed. Maybe seven, or ten, the pair did not know. They waited in silence but Henry was the one to break it. Am I getting tired or the string is getting heavier to hold on to?

What do you mean heavi- HENRY!

The big splash landed on half of Ida as she saw Henry lost a tug-of-war with whatever was on the other end of the fishing string. Ida’s hands turned cold as panic flooded her veins.

The sun has almost set behind the rolling fields. Ida froze for what felt like eternity. Then in the semi-darkness, she jumps into the water after Henry.

#2 A Spot of Trouble

“Fuck, it’s burnt. What do we do now?”

Cassie could sense the tension and worry in his voice. Indeed, this is not the best-case scenario for their plan. Well, to be honest, the only worse situation they could be in would actually be if the structures were broken into two.

“I wonder if it still works…” Cassie let her words trail as she approached the structures and leaned in for a closer look. She could sense the buzzing, whether she imagined it or not she would never know.

“Well, only one way to find out.” Ignoring his bewildered face, she took out the round device from her bag and raised it in between the structures.

“For the record, I am not on board with this.” Though his actions bitterly betrayed his words as he forced himself to the back of one of the structure.

“Ready?” Cassie asked rhetorically. His finger found the nondescript button.

“4, 3, 2, 1-“

A blast of light engulfed him as he felt his body jerked forwards violently. Was it 4 seconds or forever? He was thrown unceremoniously sprawled face first to the ground eventually.

Cassie was no-where in sight.

#1 A Nice Day

“Make the blue more vibrant, as if it is a nice day.”

Another set of hands made a few clicks on some sliders on the screen in front of the scene.

“Better.” Came the same cool female voice. “Now give the leaves on the branches a little sway with an interval of 45-60 seconds loop.”

That other set of hands made adjustments on yet more sliders within the programme.

Below them, the passerby on the street glanced up to enjoy the weather changing. It had been raining everyday for the past two weeks, causing floods all over the city that in turn is forcing the city into chaos.

“Global warming!” The people down in the city laments.

Back in the Control Room, the lady with the cool voice remarked, “This is what ‘A calm before a storm’ looks like.” And with her cup of coffee in hand, she walked back over to her Eames lounger and sank into it in anticipation.

#0 New Beginnings

Welcome to Words for the Wave.

My friends send me random photos, and I imagine a story from each of them.
I then imagine sending my words into the ocean, where the waves would claim them and I start all over again.

Inspired by author Erin Morgenstern’s Flax-Golden Tales.