Dreams

Who would have thought that the library served well as a medical centre? Certainly not Fan. He was expecting endless corridors of bookshelves and dated signs. He thought his eyes were about to pop out with the cafeteria on the right, and the medical room on the left. Brushing his hands through the bookshelves, he jolted at his clean hands. "How do they keep this place so polished?"

Marching to his right, he saw the other contestants counting their haiku sheets. One look and he couldn't help but see them as babies. Nila, Hassin and Bobby were in their thirties, but it still made Fan feel old. He'd be lucky if he reached his fiftieth birthday at Christmas.

"Is there anything I can do?" Fan said as Nila and Hassin had nursed Sook-Jo's injuries.

Nila lifted her head and smiled. "We're fine."

Hassin nodded too. "She will need lots of support. There's no serious damage on the body, but the mind may never heal. We must all do our best."