"As long as I maintain my composure, I'll survive! I can survive!"
This is my story of a day in 2004 when I felt that my life is in danger.
I was in Texas then. Texas is located right above Mexico where a crime rate is so high. At the time, Texas was also known as the state where the chainsaw massacre took place.
One day, I took a school bus to go to school as usual. It was really hot outside, so I hurried to get inside the school building as I got off the school bus. But, most of the students didn't. They ran to the playground directly after they got off the bus. Fortunately, the air conditional was already on in the building.
I walked to the elevator and pressed number 4 because my classroom was on the fourth floor. The elevator door was closed but I suddenly felt strange feeling. I looked at the number shown in the elevator to check which floor I'm in. "Oh my god!!!!!!" It was not 1, not 2, not 3 but 128, 145, 190, 2110……….. The numbers were changing rapidly and I knew there was no floor that high in my school building. "Am I going to die? Is this the last day of my life?" I tried to calm down and think. "Think! There is a way to get out of here! What can I do?" I had to do something before the elevator falls down. Suddenly, what my mother instructed me what I should do in emergency flashed in my mind. "I should press ring button in the elevator!" As I pressed the ring button, the elevator fell but stopped right away. "I'm alive, right? Am I safe now?" The elevator door got opened and two guards asked me if I was okay. Seeing them, I was relieved. "Oh, God saved me!"
I went to the classroom. My teacher said hello to me, and I said hello. Classmates were already in their seats. The teacher announced that we do not have to come to school from tomorrow until next week. She handed out a batch of correspondence. There were ID pictures of three criminals who were not caught yet and a picture of a black van that they are driving. They were African-Americans, predicted to be kidnappers around our town. So the school will be on a short break until the police catch criminals. It was little scary but having a break was not bad. I showed this to my mom and she told me that she already got the notification of this from my sister's school.
Since my sister and I did not have to go to school from next day, my mother decided to take us to the picnic to the park nearby. We took a car to the park and parked our car in a parking lot. But I felt a strange feeling that I had felt in the elevator in the morning. Why? There was no car in the parking lot except ours. The parking lot was always crowded with people before. Anyway, we were ready to get off and enjoy our picnic. But, as soon as we opened our car doors, a black van parked right next to our car and three black men got off the car. "Okay, their faces are same as what I had seen in the ID pictures that my teacher gave to me this morning," my sister said. My mom quickly locked the car door and started the car. We drove away quickly to the police station but they did not follow us to the end. We could come back home safely.
Now, this is one of my childhood memories that I cannot forget. I'm so happy that I survived and can tell this story. Experiencing this kind of life threatening day, I learned in person that there always is a way out if I remain fearless and keep a positive mental attitude.
Sol : Sieun I'm happy that your're survive. I was impressed that your description seems real. I can feel how you're so scared. Thank you for let me read yours
ReplyDeleteSangJee Lee
ReplyDeleteI had goosebumps reading yourstory. I think you gave me the very vivid image of what had happened to you in Texas. Especially "It was not 1, not 2, not 3 but 128, 145, 190, 2110……….. The numbers were changing rapidly and I knew there was no floor that high in my school building." this part described the urgency of the situation really well. However, it could have been better if you emphasized the last part because I think the focus is more on the first part. I thought the first line was very catchy though.
Hi, I'm Chaehyun Lee. What a coincidence; I was also in Texas in 2004! I don't know the city you lived in, but it's still amazing to meet the 'old hometown friend!'
ReplyDeleteI think your experience is very unique indeed. There aren't a lot of people out there who have experienced the elevator accident and encounter with criminals at the same day. However, what I suggest you is to introduce just one experience, rather than writing down two experiences that happened that day. I think this is more effective on making the readers focus more on one of your experiences. I like the beginning of your writing, though. You started it by using a direct quotation mark, and it made your thoughts about your childhood experience very clear. Good job!
"As long as I maintain my composure, I'll survive! I can survive!"
ReplyDeleteThis is my story of a day in 2004 when I felt that my life was in danger.
I was in Texas then. Texas is located right above Mexico where a crime rate is so high. At the time, Texas was also known as the state where the chainsaw massacre took place.
One day, I took a school bus to go to school as usual. It was really hot outside, so I hurried to get inside the school building as I got off the school bus. But, most of the students didn't. They ran to the playground directly after they got off the bus. Fortunately, the air conditional was already on in the building.
I walked to the elevator and pressed number 4 because my classroom was on the fourth floor. The elevator door was closed but I suddenly felt strange feeling. I looked at the number shown in the elevator to check which floor I'm in. "Oh my god!!!!!!" It was not 1, not 2, not 3 but 128, 145, 190, 2110……….. The numbers were changing rapidly and I knew there was no floor that high in my school building. "Am I going to die? Is this the last day of my life?" I tried to calm down and think. "Think! There is a way to get out of here! What can I do?" I had to do something before the elevator falls down. Suddenly, what my mother instructed me what I should do in emergency flashed in my mind. "I should press ring button in the elevator!" As I pressed the ring button, the elevator fell but stopped right away. "I'm alive, right? Am I safe now?" The elevator door got opened and two guards asked me if I was okay. Seeing them, I was relieved. "Oh, God saved me!"
I went to the classroom. My teacher said hello to me, and I said hello. Classmates were already in their seats. The teacher announced that we do not have to come to school from tomorrow until next week. She handed out a batch of correspondence. There were ID pictures of three criminals who were not caught yet and a picture of a black van that they are driving. They were African-Americans, predicted to be kidnappers around our town. So the school will be on a short break until the police catch criminals. It was little scary but having a break was not bad. I showed this to my mom and she told me that she already got the notification of this from my sister's school.
Since my sister and I did not have to go to school from next day, my mother decided to take us to the picnic to the park nearby. We were all delighted thinking the school should have some more short breaks. We took a car to the park and parked our car in a parking lot. But I felt a strange feeling that I had felt in the elevator in the morning. Why? There was no car in the parking lot except ours. The parking lot was always crowded with people before. Anyway, we were ready to get off and enjoy our picnic. But, as soon as we opened our car doors, a black van parked right next to our car and three black men got off the car. "Their faces are same as what I had seen in the ID pictures that my teacher gave to me this morning," my sister said. My mom quickly locked the car door and started the car. The kidnappers walked toward our car and knocked the window saying “Hey, wait a second. We have something to ask”. They were smiling. We could take a near view of their faces and was convinced that they were the kidnappers. We drove away quickly to the police station but they did not follow us to the end. We could come back home safely. Then I could say that the elevator accident was the ominous sign of the day. It was dreadful and horrifying day.
Now, this is one of my childhood memories that I cannot forget. I'm so happy that I survived and
can tell this story. Experiencing this kind of life threatening day, I learned in person that there always is a way out if I remain fearless and keep a positive mental attitude.