Four school friends were on a three week tour to Europe with fifty six other students and five teachers. It was indeed a school trip of major proportions. They would be touring England, France and Italy for the sake of art. They would be visiting museums, sitting down to draw scenery and learning to appreciate what the region had to offer. It was the first day of the last week of the trip and Melissa, Cheryl, Amal and Eu Imm were sitting in a circle in Melissa And Cheryl's room. 'Yah right!' exclaimed Melissa to Eu Imm, hitting her on the shoulder. 'You were only nine and you told your teacher to...'
'I told you lah... I was only nine... I did not know what it meant... but you can be sure she called my mother that night... she barged into my room and washed my mouth with soap. I refused to talk to her for the next two days...' The other three burst into hysterical laughter. 'Hey! It was traumatising okay!' 'Wah,' started Cheryl. 'Our sweet innocent Eu Imm cursed her teacher when she was only nine... I still can't picture it.' Amal giggled wildly. 'Eh, don't play... if I tried hard enough, I could probably still blow soap bubbles with my mouth to prove it.' Eu Imm was fifteen as were the others. They were in the same class and had signed up for the tour the minute the announcement was made. Melissa and Cheryl had walked in when they were signing up. They had all been in the same sec two class and knew each other fairly well. They were amongst the oldest there since the secondary fours were not allowed to participate. The prelims were in three months and they were supposed to be using the holidays to study.
Melissa collapsed on the bed, laughing. It was already three in the morning and they were in a hostel in England. It wasn't a particularly fantastic place, with the best facilities but then again it wasn't a hotel. Besides, it was a once in a lifetime experience. Melissa got up and leaned on Eu Imm's shoulder, making puppy eyes at her. 'What?' 'Thirsty, Eu Imm.' 'The bathroom less that three metres away.' 'Do you rhink you could pop by the drink machine outside and get me a drink?' She pleaded, already reaching into her pocket, looking for change. The others immediately started fishing for change as well, as if the proporsition of Eu Imm getting drinks was one that was very good. Eu Imm rolled her eyes and got up. She 'took their orders' and opened the door. She left it slightly open, so she would not have to re-open it later... The less noise they made, the less chance the teachers would wake up to tell them all to go to sleep. 'Just don't get Coke... The Coke here tastes like melted sour kana with ice.'
She walked down the brightly lit corridor to see two vending machines; one selling snacks and one selling canned drinks. She slipped some coins in and pressed a button. A can fell into the collection compartment and she took it out. She repeated the process three more times. Somewhere in between some blond guy who was obviously drunk made his way up the stairs with much difficulty. Their eyes met for awhile as he muttered a slurred goodnight under his breath. He made his way up another flight, almost stumbling near the top. Eu Imm put the canned drinks on the floor neatly as she looked at the machine next to it, feeling hungry. Actually, she did not feel physically hungry. Her eyes were hungry. She used this phrase often when she looked at edibles that were tempting. The machine was one of those you could look into. The outer wall was made of plastic to reveal the hung up treats in their multi-colored packaging. She gazed at the chocolate and the chips and the little packets of candy, so much to choose from; so few coins.
She finally settled on a packet of M&Ms and popped the coins into the slot. She pressed the button and began to pick up the cans on the floor. But she did not hear the mechanisms moving in the machine. She did not hear any steely fingers wrapping around her chocolate and depositing it at the door of the machine. She was mildly annoyed. She put the drinks back down and hit the flap near the bottom of the machine. She squinted her eyes while looking in and saw nothing. She stood straight again and pressed the button continuously. Still, nothing happened. So she did what she always did the few times this had happened. She kicked the useless machine. She smiled as she heard the mechanisms whirring inside. She pick up the drinks ans somehow managed to hold all four by embracing them within the crook of one arm. She then bent down again, trying to keep hold of the drinks and reached into the collection compartment to collect her purchase. She did not notice it right away. In fact she only realized it when she had taken it out. This was probably because she was trying to keep hold of her drinks. Besides, when you buy chocolate, it doesn't occur to you that you will be getting anything but.
her right hand was wet and sticky when she drew it out. She looked at what she had taken out and dropped it straight away, disgusted. It had been smooth and wet and weighty when she looked at what it had been, she realized that she had taken out a severed hand. What an evil trick to play on me, she thought deliriously, directing the thought at the machine itself. She backed away slowly, her eyes fixed on the hand that lay motionless in front of the machine. Blood soaked into the carpet, creating a version of some sort of modern art. She was going to run as soon as she could connect the tube that joined her legs to her brain. Tears of shock and fear filled her eyes. She blinked them away as she clutched the drinks to herself, their cold beads of condensation giving her something material to feel. All of a sudden, a light went on within the machine, illuminating the translucent backing that blocked the store of candy behind. She swore she felt her heart stop as she dropped the drinks to the floor.
For behind the display of candy and chocolate, behind the backing and within the steel workings and wires behind, she saw the figure of a man, intertwined within them. She saw a leg bent at an angle that was not humanly possible and she saw hair hung around in a mess. At that exact moment, she felt her paralysis wearing off and she felt her body spin round and run back towards the room. She crashed through the door that had not been closed properly and fell, slamming the door behind her. Her friends, who had been wondering what had taken her so long, practically pounced on her in their concern when they heard her sobs. She just cried and cried until she finally found her voice. She told them what had happened and Melissa immediately left the room with Cheryl, leaving Eu Imm in Amal's arms. They came back a minute later. There was nothing on the floor except the scattered drinks.
She finally settled on a packet of M&Ms and popped the coins into the slot. She pressed the button and began to pick up the cans on the floor. But she did not hear the mechanisms moving in the machine. She did not hear any steely fingers wrapping around her chocolate and depositing it at the door of the machine. She was mildly annoyed. She put the drinks back down and hit the flap near the bottom of the machine. She squinted her eyes while looking in and saw nothing. She stood straight again and pressed the button continuously. Still, nothing happened. So she did what she always did the few times this had happened. She kicked the useless machine. She smiled as she heard the mechanisms whirring inside. She pick up the drinks ans somehow managed to hold all four by embracing them within the crook of one arm. She then bent down again, trying to keep hold of the drinks and reached into the collection compartment to collect her purchase. She did not notice it right away. In fact she only realized it when she had taken it out. This was probably because she was trying to keep hold of her drinks. Besides, when you buy chocolate, it doesn't occur to you that you will be getting anything but.
her right hand was wet and sticky when she drew it out. She looked at what she had taken out and dropped it straight away, disgusted. It had been smooth and wet and weighty when she looked at what it had been, she realized that she had taken out a severed hand. What an evil trick to play on me, she thought deliriously, directing the thought at the machine itself. She backed away slowly, her eyes fixed on the hand that lay motionless in front of the machine. Blood soaked into the carpet, creating a version of some sort of modern art. She was going to run as soon as she could connect the tube that joined her legs to her brain. Tears of shock and fear filled her eyes. She blinked them away as she clutched the drinks to herself, their cold beads of condensation giving her something material to feel. All of a sudden, a light went on within the machine, illuminating the translucent backing that blocked the store of candy behind. She swore she felt her heart stop as she dropped the drinks to the floor.
For behind the display of candy and chocolate, behind the backing and within the steel workings and wires behind, she saw the figure of a man, intertwined within them. She saw a leg bent at an angle that was not humanly possible and she saw hair hung around in a mess. At that exact moment, she felt her paralysis wearing off and she felt her body spin round and run back towards the room. She crashed through the door that had not been closed properly and fell, slamming the door behind her. Her friends, who had been wondering what had taken her so long, practically pounced on her in their concern when they heard her sobs. She just cried and cried until she finally found her voice. She told them what had happened and Melissa immediately left the room with Cheryl, leaving Eu Imm in Amal's arms. They came back a minute later. There was nothing on the floor except the scattered drinks.
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