Class: 3/4
“Harry! Paul! Angela!” Lady Windsor called out frantically as she travelled deeper into the woods. Just a few hours ago, Lady Windsor’s three children had run off into the woods nearby in search of entertainment for themselves after they had arrived at their cousins’ home. At first, Lady Windsor did not pay them any mind and let them go, only reminding them to come back before the sun set. Lady Windsor thought of it like any other day. Despite being mischievous and adventure-seeking, her children had always made sure to come back home safely and early. However, as the moon crept higher and higher in the night, Lady Windsor began to worry over the safety of her dear children. Before she realized, she had bolted out of the house and headed straight into the woods. Her eyes scanned everything around her, from the leaf-littered ground she ploughed through, to the never ending number of twisted trees.
Soon, she reached a clearing in the woods. Before her was a river, water thrashing heavily against large stones that lined it. Across that river was a bridge, where Lady Windsor noticed something shiny dangling on the edge of the bridge. It was a pearl necklace that her daughter, Angela, always wore. A chill ran down Lady Windsor’s spine and she hurried down the river. Her heart thumped vigorously, as if it was about to jump out at any moment. It was hard to tell whether she was restless in hopes of finally finding her children or if she anticipating something far worse.
As she turned the corner, right in front of her eyes was a horrific scene. Her two sons, Harry and Paul, lay motionless on the ground right next to the river. They were blue in the face, with their clothes drenched with the murky water, which was most likely from the river. With the amount of time that had passed, the chances of them being able to be resuscitated had fast disappeared. Full of grief and despair, she hurried back home, where she reported to the nearest police station about her son’s death and her missing daughter Angela.
Days passed and Angela was yet to be found. With each day passing by painfully, the hope of finding Angela dwindled within Lady Windsor. That was the case until she began hearing rumours of a little girl calling out for her mother around the bridge where the bodies of two young boys were found. This prompted the possibly delusional lady Windsor to stay by the bridge for the rest of her life, wishing to accompany her precious daughter’s soul. Over time, the locals in the area got used to her perpetual presence by the bridge, even referring to her as the ‘Ang Mo’ (Caucasian in dialect) lady who seemed to live at the bridge. That bridge is now called the ‘Ang Mo Kio Bridge’, believed to be named after the tragedy Lady Windsor faced.
Writers by the River 