Hong Kong Young Writers Anthologies Fiction 12 | Page 114

The Dark Side of War
Diocesan Girls' Junior School, Chan, Charmaine – 11
Y
ung stood silently on the ground where her front porch used to be. It was now scattered with glass and bits
of broken bricks. She was glad that she was one of the few in her village that survived the war, and yet she
knew she had nothing left but her life. Memories of the war flashed about in her head.
It was a peaceful evening in 1937 when the Japanese soldiers arrived. Yung was playing with her dog, Ming,
and her mother was knitting a scarf for Yung and her brother, Chun. Her father was a soldier and he had to stay
on guard outside. It was late already, yet Chun had not arrived home. Yung’s mother was starting to get worried.
“Yung, stay here. I will go out to find Chun,” Mother finally said.
“But Mother, it’s late at night already!” Yung had this inexplicable sense of foreboding.
“I know, but your brother is missing. I must go find him!” Mother insisted.
Yung nodded and sat on the front porch, watching her mother head towards the empty road. After about
fifteen minutes, she heard a large commotion. People were screaming and running along. Immediately, Yung
went indoors and peeked through the window, only to find soldiers firing guns at people. She could hear her
neighbours yelling, telling each other to run away. Quickly, she packed some of her belongings and, pulling Ming
with her, ran away. She ran as fast as her little legs could bring her. After a while, she felt a strong grip from the
back of her shirt. Turning, she realized she had been caught by a Japanese soldier. She gasped as the soldier
snickered and pulled her and Ming towards a tower. That was where the malevolent soldiers ruled, and where the
innocent people were incarcerated.
Yung was pulled into a filthy, small, dark room where lots of people were crammed together. She could
recognize some of her neighbours’ voices. Then, she turned around and saw a horrifying sight –– her father was
kneeling on a platform, and a Japanese soldier was pointing a gun towards him! Yung knelt on the ground and
cried, her face buried deep in her hands. Soon, many Shanghai soldiers were killed, including Yung’s father.
Suddenly, she realized her mother and Chun were here. Chun was caught by a Japanese soldier on the
street when he was hanging out with his friends, and Mother was caught while she was looking for Chun. That
night, they had to sleep on the cold, hard ground with other badly injured and sick people.
The following day was even more terrible. The adults were taken to work for the Japanese. Those who
refused to work were immediately killed. Since Chun was a teenager, he had to work as well. The children
prisoners, including Yung, were beaten. The soldiers used hard ropes, slapping them harder and harder onto the
children’s backs each time. Yung dared not to cry, she knew that if she did, she would be beaten even harder. The
Japanese soldiers also arched their backs backwards and roared with laughter, while the children whimpered, trying
to hold back their tears. Soon, the children’s backs were full of scars and fresh flowing blood.
One whole week passed just like this, and yet to the prisoners, it seemed like one whole year. On the eighth
day, Yung caught a glimpse of her mother, Chun and Ming in the working area. Their faces were pale and they
limped as they pulled heavy boulders from place to place. Yung’s mind went blank and her face went pale when
she saw her mother falling over a pile of sand. Walking slowly towards her mother, she was more frightened
when her mother didn’t get up. Chun went over and knelt beside their mother. He felt her pulse on her wrist,
then went totally pale and shook his head. Even Ming lowered his head as if he understood everything.