He was now a different man. Clothed in brittle skin, reduced to bones, he lay swallowed up by the bed. Drawing in air, his lungs choked.

Overwhelmed, I closed my eyes. Burning tears plunged down my cheeks.

Cancer had stolen my son, and turned him into a collector of time.

Chong Teck Sim is an aspiring writer from Singapore with a passion for art, travel, history, writing, literature, languages, and world cultures. In his free hours, he participates in volunteer work to gain life skills.