This short story was written for the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals “Good People, Good Deeds: English Writing Competition 2023-24. This year’s theme was “Good People, Good Deeds”. Students wrote stories about kindness, helping strangers and/or friends.

At a running 100-meter race, two contestants named Calisa and Cora were preparing for the upcoming race. Both of them were excited and nervous.Calisa, a tall and thin girl with bright blue eyes and long blond hair, told Cora the tall and thin girl with emerald green eyes and red hair, “Good luck Cora."

“Three, Two, One. Start!" The two of them ran as fast as they could.

Calisa took the lead and Cora tried to catch up.

“Huff Puff Huff Puff "

Cora was three feet away from Calisa when Calisa tripped and fell to the ground. Calisa’s knees were badly hurt, lots of blood spouted out. Calisa tried not to cry and stand up but she was too weak to stand up. She cried helplessly. Behind Calisa, Cora tried not to stare at Calisa and focus on the finish line.

Suddenly, Cora stopped running and held her hand out to Calisa saying, “Here take my hand! Let’s go to the finish line together.”

Calisa shook her head and whispered weakly, “You shouldn’t help me, go and win the race yourself.”

Cora said, “Well, I don’t care about the race. I don't want my best friend to look like this, helpless and weak. I just want you to get better again. Here.” She held out her hand once more. This time Calisa took her hand and they both walked to the finish line.

“One, two, one, two.”

After finishing the race, Calisa was taken to the healing centre.She was told that her bone broke.

She came back an hour later sitting on a wheelchair just as the results were announced. Cora and Calisa squeezed each other's hands hoping for a prize to get.“Third place, Casey. Second place, Charlotte and finally first place. This time there won’t be any contestants who had first place so instead of first place. There will be a friendship prize and it will go to Cora and Calisa!” Cora and Calisa’s mouth dropped to the floor, never thinking they would get a prize like that. They took the prize and the prize has the two girls’ names engraved onto it.

The girls hugged each other happily. Calisa said “ Thank you for helping me."

"No problem, we won’t have this amazing prize without me helping you!” The girls giggled joyfully as the people around them cheered loudly for them.

An Act of Kindness (TWGH 2023-24)