A brand new page on our blog featuring well-written model essays from our Cedarians
Not all that glitters is gold
By: Tan Yi Min
Class: 2A
I slowly trudged towards my room’s window. Looking out, I realised there was a thunderstorm approaching rapidly from the horizon. Before long, rain poured down in buckets. Violent winds ripped through anything in its path threatening their destruction and thunder crashed and roared. It matched my feelings right now. My heart, it was raining blood as feelings as turbulent as the wind whipped through my insides. My tears matched the fast-flowing tempo of the torrential downpour. Slowly I drifted into a trance-like state, remembering the incident that happened just hours ago.
The day I had been waiting for ages is finally here. I still recall how months ago, the invitation to a grand birthday party had been placed into my stunned hands. I had never expected to be invited of all people as I was not the least bit friends with Bellatrix, the host. Still, this would be my chance to shine. Therefore, I had placed my utmost focus into shaping myself for the big day. Now, as I slipped on my dress - a white ankle-length strapless dress made of soft silk and sprinkled with gold feathers, applied silver eyeshadow with black eyeliner and mascara, the faintest hint of rose-coloured blush and gold lipstick, I felt immeasurable pleasure at how I looked. No longer am I the girl hiding in the shadows. I am now completely transformed into a glorious woman fit for the upper classes or so I thought. Slipping into matching gold heeled slippers with exotic designs, I set off for my destination.
Arriving by taxi at the grand Mariott Hotel, I set straight off for one of their ballrooms. When I opened the wooden double doors, I did a double take. The ballroom was beyond beautiful. Standing here, I felt like how I usually felt - like a shadow. Walking uncertainly inside, I decided to greet the host first.
“Hi Bellatrix” I said when I saw her. She turned around and when she saw me, she turned her nose up at me and turned right back to talking to her other elegantly clad friends. I felt rejected and angry at the same time. If she didn’t like me, why bother to invite me at all? Is it to humiliate me then? Shaking off my wild thoughts, I looked around for someone else to talk to. At last I found someone who appeared to be alone. I walked up and introduced myself. “Hello, my name is Hermione, what is yours?” I asked her. “Hello, Hermione, my name is Narcissa, I flew to Paris to get my outfit, what about you?” she asked condescendingly. “I bought them at Tampines Mall” I replied with a smile, though a little intimidated. At my response, she started laughing. “Tampines Mall” she said between laughter “what a joke!” Others, overhearing our conversation, joined in in the jeering and sneering. Unable to take it anymore, I turned and ran. I fled out of the hotel and kept on running till I couldn’t breathe anymore. I collapsed on the ground and began sobbing. It was then I realised I was lost. The ground I threw myself upon is grass and I am surrounded by greenery. I panicked. Where was I? I stood shakily up and hobbled from where I was sure I came from. After a solid hour though, I had to face the inevitable - I am lost.
As my last hope, I pulled out my handphone and dialled the police and crossed my fingers. To my immense relief, the phone got through and after recounting what happened to the officer in charge. I sat back on the grass and waited.
After what seemed like an eternity, a flashlight shone through the trees and a voice called my name. Within seconds, the familiar blue of a police uniform appeared. What happened after that was a blur to me. After recording my statement, I was sent home. Walking through the empty apartment, I headed straight for my bedroom and looked at myself in the mirror that I had admired myself in just a few hours ago. My makeup was smudged and my once pristine dress was stained with mud. I was a mess and it was almost impossible to imagine that just hours ago, I looked like a glamour girl.
A particularly loud bang of thunder jolted me from my haunting memories. The sheer memory of the incident like a knife, slicing and stabbing repeatedly through my already wounded heart. Gazing down at my filth-caked dress, I suddenly felt a surge of savage fury that seared my veins and boiled my blood. Under the influence of my fury, I ripped off my dress and flung it dramatically across the room where it settled in a shredded pile in the furthest corner of my room. Staring at the sky that is weeping for me, I cried out a single, pain-riddled “Why!”
He loves me, he loves me not
By: Tan Yi Min
Class: Sec 2A
Are you guilty of plucking flower petals one by one, a dreamy look plastered on your face in tow, chanting the typical phrase methodically as you pluck “He loves me, he loves me not”? Have you ever sat around in your room wondering if the guy you have a big crush on is going to call you or ask you out? Have you ever looked at that guy you just knew is made for you from afar, wishing he would turn around and smile at you but when he even turns around you duck your head pretending to read a book because you didn’t want him to know you’re staring? Have you wrote thousands of love letters to the one you like but never send them out, afraid of rejection?
Let me tell you, these actions are probably the fatal ones that will cause you to lose your opportunities. And trust me, it's worse that way. Wouldn’t you rather let him know your feelings and take a chance rather than watch him date some other girls you are sure he probably doesn’t like anyway? I am speaking from personal experience here. Here is an insight on how you could have done better than be the passive lover from afar, from my point of view: I, like any other girl, crushed hard on one of the boys from my primary school, when I was primary 6. My life revolved around him and I literally dreamed about him, day in day out. He even appeared in dreams and should I mentioned I never had a single dream before liking him? I changed for him, trying to make myself better by actually listening in class and putting extra effort in completing homework. I never had the courage to confess though. I only did tell - after we were both safely in secondary school, that is. I know, what a wimp right? I must admit, I privately thought that I made the Cowardly Lion look like the Terminator. So, as I was saying, he rejected me. Though I was broken, I soon got over it and hey, I didn’t have to waste time wondering if he liked me or not. I didn’t have to live with my guilt thinking that he might have liked me and I squandered the opportunity. I didn’t have to hate myself forever for not trying. The minute I told my true feelings out, I felt relieved like I couldn’t breathe before and now all the clean, fresh air out there I wanted is there. I got a better personality out of the little escapade out of the deal too.
So, the moral is... Don’t wait! We have one lifetime and we shouldn’t spend the precious moments worrying about such trivial things, especially for so long like I did. As the petals of the flower falls, so should there be one less moment of reliving “He loves me, he loves me not”.
Let me tell you, these actions are probably the fatal ones that will cause you to lose your opportunities. And trust me, it's worse that way. Wouldn’t you rather let him know your feelings and take a chance rather than watch him date some other girls you are sure he probably doesn’t like anyway? I am speaking from personal experience here. Here is an insight on how you could have done better than be the passive lover from afar, from my point of view: I, like any other girl, crushed hard on one of the boys from my primary school, when I was primary 6. My life revolved around him and I literally dreamed about him, day in day out. He even appeared in dreams and should I mentioned I never had a single dream before liking him? I changed for him, trying to make myself better by actually listening in class and putting extra effort in completing homework. I never had the courage to confess though. I only did tell - after we were both safely in secondary school, that is. I know, what a wimp right? I must admit, I privately thought that I made the Cowardly Lion look like the Terminator. So, as I was saying, he rejected me. Though I was broken, I soon got over it and hey, I didn’t have to waste time wondering if he liked me or not. I didn’t have to live with my guilt thinking that he might have liked me and I squandered the opportunity. I didn’t have to hate myself forever for not trying. The minute I told my true feelings out, I felt relieved like I couldn’t breathe before and now all the clean, fresh air out there I wanted is there. I got a better personality out of the little escapade out of the deal too.
So, the moral is... Don’t wait! We have one lifetime and we shouldn’t spend the precious moments worrying about such trivial things, especially for so long like I did. As the petals of the flower falls, so should there be one less moment of reliving “He loves me, he loves me not”.
Exhaustion
By: Sonja
Class: Sec 2P
Morning
I’m tired.
I’m really tired.
I wanted my bed, but came to school instead,
I’m really, really tired.
Lunch
More tired.
I’m even more tired.
Though the day’s half over, I’ve still got CCA to go for,
So I feel even more tired.
After CCA
I’m exhausted.
I’m utterly exhausted.
I yearned for my bed, but got twelve hours of school instead,
I’m utterly, utterly exhausted.
I’m tired.
I’m really tired.
I wanted my bed, but came to school instead,
I’m really, really tired.
Lunch
More tired.
I’m even more tired.
Though the day’s half over, I’ve still got CCA to go for,
So I feel even more tired.
After CCA
I’m exhausted.
I’m utterly exhausted.
I yearned for my bed, but got twelve hours of school instead,
I’m utterly, utterly exhausted.
Stress
By: Tan Yi Min
Class: Sec 2A
Stress is greedy,
and very needy,
like an outstretched palm,
never giving you calm,
with its esurient hands,
it binds you with steel bands,
Deeper and deeper you go,
whilst it mercilessly steals your soul,
Without a doubt,
you will never find a way out
and very needy,
like an outstretched palm,
never giving you calm,
with its esurient hands,
it binds you with steel bands,
Deeper and deeper you go,
whilst it mercilessly steals your soul,
Without a doubt,
you will never find a way out
Rain Girl
By: Tan Yi Min
Class: Sec 2A
Standing in the middle of the downpour,
Never finding the rain an eyesore,
The cold is her friend,
A place she doesn’t have to pretend
To be who she is not
A place she sought
For her love of darkness
And the everlasting sadness
People stay away from her
For company is her source of anger
Sunken in the bottomless pit we call depression
It is her obsession
For, she is the one and only
Rain Girl
Never finding the rain an eyesore,
The cold is her friend,
A place she doesn’t have to pretend
To be who she is not
A place she sought
For her love of darkness
And the everlasting sadness
People stay away from her
For company is her source of anger
Sunken in the bottomless pit we call depression
It is her obsession
For, she is the one and only
Rain Girl
Do you think that...?
By: Sonja
Class: Sec 2P
Consciousness is weird?
Time passes too quickly?
Growing up stinks?
People should look up?
Computers could be smarter than us one day?
Computers are smarter than us already?
Magic is real?
Reincarnation is possible?
Language makes no sense?
The longest word is... well, something that takes too long to type?
Time passes too quickly?
Growing up stinks?
People should look up?
Computers could be smarter than us one day?
Computers are smarter than us already?
Magic is real?
Reincarnation is possible?
Language makes no sense?
The longest word is... well, something that takes too long to type?
These are a few stories from Wattpad. I fell in love with Wattpad the minute my best friend introduced me to it. The website was a bookworm’s haven and paradise, with an assortment of stories and poems, from horror and paranormal to things like historical fiction and science fiction. They even have fan fiction where wild fantasies about your favourite books or movie stars and even pop stars like One Direction materialise. Not satisfied with the books there? Write your own then! I have written many myself. Though it is not completed yet, I had a whale of a time using my imagination to weave interesting stories and scenarios. Without further ado, let me present to you some short stories and poems from the website itself
http://www.wattpad.com/3089401-great-nature-age-in-laughter
http://www.wattpad.com/story/993912-evil-short-story
http://www.wattpad.com/3580249-twilight-poem-jacob-and-renesme-d
http://www.wattpad.com/story/512421-snatched
By the way, you might like to consider http://www.stumbleupon.com/
http://www.wattpad.com/3089401-great-nature-age-in-laughter
http://www.wattpad.com/story/993912-evil-short-story
http://www.wattpad.com/3580249-twilight-poem-jacob-and-renesme-d
http://www.wattpad.com/story/512421-snatched
By the way, you might like to consider http://www.stumbleupon.com/
Regret
By: Margie Ng
Class: Sec 4I
Stunned, I stood unmoving, my cell phone clasped tightly in my hand, causing my knuckles to turn white. My faced turned pale as the person on the other end of the line – I can’t remember who – repeated what she had just said. My emotions were in turmoil as I mechanically hung up the phone, the proceeded to make arrangements for me to fly back to Singapore to attend my mother’s funeral.
Yes, the call that I had just received was a call from a distant relative, informing me that my mother had just passed away that morning. Suddenly overwhelmed by the wealth of emotions the memory of my mother triggered, I wearily trudged to the couch in my office that overlooked the cityscape, and slowly sank down onto it. Slipping off the blood-red stilettos that I had on, I hugged my knees to my chest as heart-wrenching sobs escaped from my throat.
Years of repressed feelings and emotions clamoured for attention as the walls that I had carefully constructed around my heart slowly crumbled away, leaving me vulnerable. The realization that I had lost the person who mattered the most to me hit me with such force that I lay curled up in a foetal position with tears streaming down my face.
Regret and shame filled me as I recalled all the times I had neglected calling my mother to ask after her when I took up a job in New York. Power-hungry and ambitious, I had spent the majority of my life working hard, advancing my career and climbing up the corporate ladder. My work became a priority and as a result, my relationship with my family suffered. Calls were rarely made, leaving us clueless about how the other party was living.
Well, it’s not like you were interested in knowing anyway, I thought sardonically. At that moment in time, I had conveniently forgotten that my mother was the one person who made me what I am today. I had neglected my duties as her daughter, and ultimately, I had failed her as well.
“It’s too late for regrets now,” I mumbled miserably to myself. “Mum is gone now, and there’s nothing I can do.”
With that last thought in mind, I dried my tears, straightened my outfit and got ready to face the world again.
Before I boarded the plane the next day, I decided to call my brother and inform him that I would be reaching Singapore the next morning.
Our conversation had been unpleasant, especially with my brother accusing and insulting me, making me feel worse about what I had done.
“So you’ve decided to come back only after Mum died, eh? What kind of daughter are you?” questioned my brother hotly. “You’ve been away for three years, and you haven’t visited us once!”
“I know, and I’m sorry for what I have done in the past,” I whispered, my voice barely audible.
“Saying sorry can’t bring Mum back and turn back the clock! If you want to be part of the family again, you’d better change your attitude and get your priorities right! If not, don’t bother coming back.”
Shocked, I could only say a weak “Okay,” before I hung up the phone. As I walked towards the entry gate, the back of my eyes started to burn as I tried in vain to keep my tears at bay. However, one errant tear managed to escape and rolled down my face before it hit the ground.
However, as luck would have it, everything that could go wrong happened. Half an hour before boarding, a storm hit the JFK International Airport, grounding all flights and delaying mine for six hours. While in transit at the Dubai International Airport, my flight back to Singapore was delayed for another three hours, causing me to arrive in Singapore almost half a day late. What was worse was that I could not inform my family that I would be late as the battery in my phone had died out, and they would probably accuse me of delaying my return on purpose.
Frustrated and angry, I reached Singapore in the early hours of the morning. Not expecting anyone to meet me at the arrival hall, I was surprised when I saw my father standing there, waiting for me.
Overcome by emotions once again, tears fell from my eyes as my father walked towards me and pulled me into a hug.
“I’m sorry Daddy,” I sobbed. “I’ve let all of you down, especially Mummy.”
“Oh Annika, you’ve done nothing wrong,” whispered my Dad in a soothing voice, trying to calm me down.
“But I have! I pushed all of you out of my life, and I never had the chance to tell Mummy that I loved her.”
“It’s all right sweetie,” soothed my Dad as he pulled me away to look me in the eyes. “Your mum’s very proud of you and she loved you to the very end.”
The next few days went by in a blur, and a large portion of the time was spent crying and mourning the death of my mother. I felt like an outcast as my relatives sent me accusing and angry glares, as if they blamed me for the death of my mother.
I spent my days in isolation, silently grieving the loss that I had sustained. Not only had I lost my mother, I had also lost most of my family. Not being able to relate to them and express my feeling took a toll on me. Although my father stood by me throughout, he was also dealing with his own loss and hence, I was unable to seek comfort from him.
I lost a lot of weight, and started looking haggard and pale. I could barely function and with the pain building up in me, I slowly fell into depression.
I became a mere shadow of the ambitious and vivacious woman that I had been, and spent my days moping around the house. I was lost, without a purpose and aim in life.
However, all that changed when I found a letter addressed to me in the bedside table drawer. Being unable to sleep as I had been plagued by nightmares during the night, I had taken to consuming sleeping pills to lure me into a deep slumber. On that particular night, as I dug through the drawer to look for my pills, I came across that particular letter.
My breath caught when I saw the familiar writing of my mother’s on the paper. As I continued reading on, tears welled in my eyes. In the letter, my mother mentioned that she had forgiven me for all that I had done, and that she understood the decisions that I had made.
Relieved, the ache that had taken up residence in my heart slowly dissipated. I had finally gotten my closure, and although I regretted the decisions that I had made, I could finally move on with my life.
By: Teo Qian Hui
Class: 1H
The consequences of glue-sniffing were far more than she had expected. Kate did not imagine how her life would change drastically once she took a little sniff of glue. She knew she should not have done it but the pressure by her friends was just too much. As she sat there, staring out of her gloomy cell, the memories rose like waves and came flooding back to her……
She was just attending a friend’s birthday party when her best friend, Janice came up to her and introduced her to another girl, Lisa. They soon found out that the three of them shared some common interests and it did not take them long to become fast held friends. They were inseparable and did everything together, from going to school to doing homework. Kate thought that they would be friends forever and stand by each other’s side but little did she know how wrong she was.
It was a scorching hot afternoon. The three friends were at a void deck, studying for their upcoming examinations. They were in the middle of their studies when Lisa suddenly took out a can of glue from her bag and showed it to her two friends. “Try it. It will make you forget all your troubles.” She said, shoving the can of glue into Kate’s hand. Uncertain, Kate turned to seek Janice’s opinion. She was greeted by nods of eagerness from Janice, who added, “It’s true. Trust me, I’ve tried it before.”
Kate sat there, frozen for a few seconds, not daring to believe her ears. Did she hear correctly? Did her two best friends just asked her to try glue-sniffing? Kate was in a dilemma. She did not know what to do. She knew that glue-sniffing is illegal and the harm that it would do to the body, but if she did not do it, she feared that her friends might not want to hang out with her anymore. After struggling with her inner self for what seemed like eternity, Kate finally gave in to temptation. She reached out a hand to take the can of glue and inhaled deeply……
An overwhelming smell hit Kate’s nostrils, causing her to cough a few times. At first, she was not used to the foul smell and even choked a little. However, after a few sniffs, it started to smell good and Kate found herself taking more and more sniffs, sinking into the aftermath of glue-sniffing.
The effects of glue-sniffing were simply amazing. Time seemed to stand still. Kate drifted off into her own world, where everything was perfect for once. She was there, enjoying herself and forgetting all her stress and troubles. For the first time in a long while, Kate felt on top of the world. She could see all her dreams coming true, her friends congratulating her and her parents smiling proudly at their daughter.
In the midst of her hallucination, Kate vaguely made out two blur shadows approaching her. She made out the silhouettes of both Janice and Lisa, who had both staggered to get away. Kate sensed danger and her instinct told her to run. She struggled to get up, but her weak legs gave in to her heavy weight, causing her to land on the ground. Few seconds before she lost consciousness, she felt strong arms grabbing her and a hard metal being placed over her hands.
So here Kate was, sitting in the cold cell, waiting for her parents to bail her out while her ‘friends’ had left her in the lurch and tried to run away. As she returned to reality, she realised how foolish she was to believe that her friends were really helping her to relieve stress. It had definitely backfired and almost made her a slave of glue-sniffing. “True friends will never harm you by asking you to take drugs.” Kate remembered her teacher saying. How she deeply regretted not listening to her.
Kate gazed out of her cell. The sun was shining its blazing rays, filling every inch with brightness. However, Kate’s future was everything but bright like it was before. It was filled with darkness and regret. It was gone, all gone. If only time could turn back, she would not have done it. All she needed was another chance, just one more chance……
