Written by Aarav Singh, a grade 5 student.

This story is a sequel to the previous one. Please read that before reading this one.

So now we have a new rival known as the credit card. Are you kidding me?! Don’t we already have the notes? How much more?! So you can say that I am in a bad mood. I am just pissed at the humans for this stupid thing. What is the use exactly of a metal card?? Aren’t there notes and coins for a reason? Now enough complaining, we need to continue the story.  Ok, like I said last time we are a cleaner’s antique collection. We are just in a case on top of each other. It is really claustrophobic and squishy after a month. But we were finally taken out.

Well, we were taken to the grocery store. The only thing we saw at cash registers was metal cards being tapped onto a metal terminal. Ok, so we were cursing at things in rage. Happy? We had no idea how it worked but we needed to delve deeper. The technician, George was taken out. For once, he just stared at the machines dumbfounded. He could only think of magic as the source of power.

After picking the needed groceries, our cleaner took the credit card out. We were shouting protests at the card. So, like I said we cash can understand each other. On closer inspection, the credit card was on the verge of tears because of our insults. As the card was tapped on the metal terminal, it looked like it was being paralyzed and drained of its energy. After being removed, it looked weary as it was stuffed in the wallet.

We had council meetings for the past few days and we found this out. There are different credit card companies like NETS, DBS, UOB, and OCBC. We also understood that the metal terminals are powered by electricity. On closer inspection, you could see the plug-in port for the terminal’s wire. We had also come up with a plan to disable the credit cards. Rip the plug out of the socket. We spoke to a credit card that seemed rather friendly. He told us how he is filled with money which is like his energy. Every time he is tapped on the terminal, some money is drained out of him so the person can pay for the items bought. Now we understood how these kind of things work. More intel, the better.

It was the time of the strike. We were ready. We formed an alliance with a rather friendly DBS card while the others remained mortal enemies. The plan was for the card to drop out so we can fall out while the cleaner crouched low. As the cleaner was getting groceries, we were forming a coin ladder. The plan was to propel me forward to reach the plug-in port. From there, I was on my own. As I reached the plug-in port, I hit the wire. My gold and silver body conducted the electricity and I fell to the floor paralyzed in pain. My vision blacked out. My friends would have been worried about me if they had not seen the whole thing. They had to leave me there. They had no choice.

I remember being picked up and laid on a table. When I came to, I saw a kid staring at me in awe. I was freaking out. I was still lying on the floor, every part of my body aching. I was cursing at the wire that electrified me. But at that moment the kid spoke up saying, “I can understand you so don’t say bad words. If mummy finds out that I have been learning bad things she aint gonna be happy.” Ok, so at that moment I nearly died of shock. Humans could not understand us, but since this one did, I understood the help from him. Before that, he wanted to explain how cool the thing that happened to me was. He said there were bolts of electricity around me and how I just fell to the floor with a ‘clink!’ sound. I explained to him that I was not an insulated coin, but he just stared at me very confused. I explained to him my plan about overthrowing the credit cards. He just laughed and asked me, “Why?” I explained that we lost our purpose and we wanted to earn it back. He then agreed. I pointed to the cleaner who was having a chat with the cashier and said, “He is my owner.” I told the boy to go and unplug the socket behind the one I just got electrocuted by. He did so. In a second the WHOLE MALL’S electricity was extinguished.

People were panicking and torches were flashing on. They pointed to a man with a credit card over the terminal. There were protests and insults being thrown. The mall was descending into chaos. Even by plugging back the plug, the mall was just dark. I realized had not done the right thing. I had to fix it, and quickly. I had to find a way. I then saw a wire connecting to every terminal. Just one. I knew I had been electrocuted. How could that help? It just made me weaker. All was hopeless.

I spent ten whole minutes racking my brain before I coming up with a plan. I had to sacrifice something though. Since I was not insulated and I contained electricity, if I was tapped on a metal terminal the electricity would be sent through the whole shop at most. I asked the boy to tap me onto a terminal. I screamed in agony as the terminal sucked the life and electricity out of me. I could not stop screaming. The life was sucked out of me. My friends watched in horror as electrical vines sucked everything out. I stopped screaming and my friends knew what happened. With a blast, I was launched onto the floor. The last thing I remember seeing was the lights flicker back on. I knew I was dead. I sacrificed my life to fix this conflict.

One week later

Notes, cards, and coins gathered to say final words. They had signed a friendship knowing that it would please my soul. Even our worst enemy the $2 had come. In the end, all I could do was be remembered.

One year later

As our groups of friends, The Cash Trio, have been stopping conflicts between cash, I am remembered. My sacrifice is remembered. Without it, there would be no friendship between cash. Conflicts would roam. Every piece of cash remembers me as a legend. The gods have decided to reward me for my good deed. My soul is now free to roam the heavens. Every happy prayer is felt. I now give my friends advice from above for times in need.

I was a hero.

The End

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