Write a story that ends with: "... If only I had listened to his/her advice."
- by Abigail Shannon Chua
Wesley Methodist School Melaka
Melaka
I had never felt so much regret in my whole life. I was standing in a graveyard looking at a headstone. The headstone read 'Marie Sanders. Born 21 May 2040. Died 13 February 2072. No sister was ever so loved and deeply missed.' I laid down a bouquet of flowers I had brought - daffodils, which were always her favourite. In doing so, I collapsed on the ground and wept, "I miss you so much."
Marie was my older sister and she served the Orion Star as captain. As for me, well, I was just the maintenance officer. But she still treated me like her sister.
It happened late at night when we were in orbit. Marie and I were checking all the systems of the ship. "I'm going to miss this place," Marie sighed as I was checking the panels.
"Don't remind me," I said as I started fixing up the wires of the control panel.
Marie was getting married to a high-ranking officer from Earth Space Command, Commander Sam. After the wedding, Marie would work with him at their headquarters back on Earth.
"Well, that's the last of it," I molded the wires together and picked up my toolbox.
"Come on, don't worry. You'll have your turn next time," Marie winked at me and we started walking to our quarters.
"Have you turned on the force field of the ship and activated the defensive mechanism?" Marie asked me over her shoulder.
"We've never had an attack before. Why waste time? I need to hit the sack," I yawned. I had been working around the clock for that day.
"You know that we have to follow protocol," Marie said sternly.
"Fine, I'll go turn them on," I grumbled.
Marie went into her quarters. Mine was a little further down the hall than hers. Beyond that was the bridge.
"Why bother," I said to myself and went into my quarters. After a shower I hit the pillow and fell into a deep sleep.
Suddenly, I found myself being shaken by Marie.
"Wake up, you idiot!" she yelled at me. I scrambled onto my feet and quickly put my boots on. The air was thick with smoke and the crews were shouting and firing. From a distance, I heard a low growl that made my skin crawl. "Why the heck didn't you turn on the defensive systems?" she yelled as we ran out into the hallway. "I thought that didn't matter!" I screamed back at her. Marie had taken her gun out of her holster and started firing at the huge figure that stood in our path - a Teracon, an alien species that waged war against our planet many years ago. Marie shot at it and it gave a shrill shriek as a hole appeared in its chest.
We ran towards the escape pods.
"Get in!" Marie pushed me into the first escape pod and started firing the rest. "What are you doing?" I yelled at her. "Saving your life. There's only one way to do it!" she said. She punched a few buttons on the control panel and closed the door. "Tell Sam that I love him," she said with tears of rage before a Teracon impaled her chest on its long sharp claws.
"No!" I screamed but I was propelled into space. As I fell towards Earth, I saw the ship burst into flames. I wept tears of regret and thought, "If only I had listened to her advice."
