I haven’t heard this sound for so long…

This extended tone dropped me back into the whirl of memory. I remembered how excited we were about it when the school teacher announced in the morning that there would be 30 minutes of hiding underneath the table that day. I remembered clearly how we were teasing our classmates who couldn’t squeeze themselves underneath their tables.

Then, it came, as expected, yet, surprised you each time.

No talk for an hour. Not even murmuring.

All you could hear was this extended sound, out of nowhere, but also enveloped you from every direction.

Then, you heard yourself…

Everything outside you started to fade into the background. Sounds became tiny particles, floating. You then started to fall into this hazy state. No need to resist as you could not resist. The conscious had sunk into an unnameable lake. At times, the tip of your shoes came into focus but you could not comprehend the concept of it. You looked around, everyone else was also in their own capsules…

This silence, very overpowering and noisy.

Suddenly, you were poked by a tone. It gradually seeped through the capsule. You, then, heard it becoming louder and louder. You started to realise you were still underneath the table and your back started to ache, as well as your legs started to refuse to response to your command…

You were back now, although you felt something had changed, a little.

 

 

Epilogue:

3rd, July 2009. I was back in Taipei, Taiwan. I saw a notice that morning saying that there would be Wan-An air-defense maneuvers. (It takes place once a year) I didn’t pay much attention to it or the words just didn’t register. Till 1:30 p.m. in the afternoon, I heard it. I heard the siren!! I couldn’t believe that they were actually doing it!! First, you heard lots of whistle. The police urged people who were either in the car or walking on the street to take shelter. Then all the sounds dropped. The only sound you can hear in the recording was the old pencil factory opposite our building. I did not capture the first siren that indicating the start of the maneuvers, but I did manage to capture the second one which indicates the end of it. You can hear from the recording that the level of the sounds raised gradually and the whistles for the traffic control. It was an amazing auditory experience, also it brought back the memories.

(during)

(after)