Hi! My name is Afiq Syazwan Bin S Shuhaimi from Malaysia, and I am very passionate about writing. I believe I will be a passionate writer and will fill your screens with my essays.

I am in Form 5 (11th grade) at MARA Junior Science College Beseri, which gave me the opportunity to introduce myself with my writing skills. With that, I can confidently say that my current skills and experience make me a strong candidate for the SPM that I will be seating in December 2024.

During the announcement of the result of the 6th International Story Writing Competition, I was shocked and grateful for achieving the 3rd position in the competition. I believe that this is a first step for me to improve my writing skills while showcasing my achievements to the global audience of The Bridge.

I am taking this opportunity to thank all of my fellow teachers who have supported me directly and indirectly to make me who I am today. Especially to my English teachers, who keep encouraging me to improve my writing skills.

As a unique platform, The Bridge is in line with its aims of bridging writers from various parts of the world while building a strong community of writers who would overlook all national, political, geographical, and religious boundaries while sharing ideas and assembling writers from across the world.

To all aspiring writers out there; observe, don’t just see. See till the time your object of admiration becomes your subject of story. See hard, and deep and beyond. Try to surpass what’s obvious and see what’s not visible to the eye. Look deep into the eyes of strangers and you will see a story inside each one of them.

A Fictional Reality! (3rd Position- 6th International Writing Competition) by AFIQ SYAZWAN BIN S SHUHAIMI - Malaysia

Dylan and Diana, who had recently moved to a new house, suddenly disappeared while playing hide and seek. They met Amanda, who was excited to see their new house and asked to join her. Amanda introduced herself to Diana, leaving them unknown where they were.

"Oh, Amanda. So you want to see our house? But our parents are not home”, Dylan hesitated. Amanda insisted them to let her in. They finally gave in.

Amanda and Dylan were wandering around the house when they stopped at a room. They were unsure of what was inside, but Amanda persisted. Dylan and Diana were surprised and decided to play hide and seek, hiding in the nearest wardrobe.

Diana discovers an enormous wardrobe with Dylan hiding in it. After a long walk, she finds herself in a strange woods with a lion, recognizing her as a familiar figure.

 "Aren't you a human? Why are you here, dear?” The lion asked with concern. She clarified that she was looking for her brother, Dylan. The lion felt sorry for the little girl and decided to help her. They travelled together across variety of fields in the mysterious land. "This is the last field. If he's not here, then I'm afraid he is dead.” Lion hesitated.

"Why would you say something like that all of a sudden?!” Diana was furious. "Diana dear, this is the snow wood where the evil snow queen lives.” The lion confessed.

“What? Is she even real? I thought she was merely a fictional character” Diana was considering giving up at this point until she heard the lion say, "Diana , your brother had been captured by the evil queen! I heard it from the dwarfs while they were talking.” The lion exclaimed.

“Dwarfs?” Diana’s eyes widened. “Then we have to save him!”

After a long journey, they broke into a massive castle to save Dylan. They found a locked door and discovered Dylan in the room. Diana and the lion found the keys, and Dylan looked at Diana for the first time in a month. However, the evil queen woke Dylan up.

“So this is really happening”, Diana shivered.

"I can handle this. Diana, take your brother and run as fast as you can! Until we meet again, now get out of here before it is too late!” The lion shouted.

“Thank you for everything." Diana clutched Dylan's hand tightly and bolted like lightning. "Look over there! We could hide in that big tree!” Dylan exclaimed. The tree trunk was weirdly deep. Diana simply followed her brother until Dylan bumped into a wooden gateway. The wooden door unexpectedly opened.

“Found you !”

“It only took me 5 minutes to find you guys !” Amanda giggled. Dylan and Diana looked at each other in disbelief. How could it be?

The unsolved mystery confused them. They could not believe what they had been through. Sometimes fiction does become reality!

My plan is to focus on the upcoming important exam, which is Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM). After finishing SPM, I would love to proceed with writing to fill my free time while waiting for my degree. I had a plan to continue writing while continuing my studies, since writing is my passion.