My Lai

The Day The Soldiers Came:

         It rained last night, just as I had prayed for. I feel like running outside to play, but Papa-san feels ill and I can’t. I must stay home to take care of him, while my baby brother and mother go to the market.

         “Now remember, Da`o,” Mama says, “Stay inside if you hear any gunfire. We don’t know when the soldiers will come.”

         That dampens my spirits as I remember what is going on. “But Papa-san said they won’t come. There are no enemies here.”

         “Yes, but we can never be too careful.” She smiles and gives me a hug.

         I wave goodbye as I watch them leave, sinking my toes into the muddy earth with slight regret. The rains have washed away the smell of the war. It’s so quiet and peaceful here. I wonder what Mama has to fear.

         Making sure Papa-san is comfortable, I creep outside to watch the other children playing. I wish I can join, but suddenly I hear a loud wail from Huang’s side of the village. Huang is my best friend, and now curious, I run across the compound to look through the fence.

         My heart slams in my chest as I see the uniformed men pointing their guns at my friend and her mother. They are shouting at her (I cannot understand them), and despite her pleading that she does not know anything, they look angry and frustrated. Before I can blink, a gunshot echoes like a thunderclap, and Huang falls to the ground. There is blood everywhere, and the soldiers are now coming towards me.

         My neighbors begin to scream in terror as I fall to the ground in my haste to run away. A shadow soon falls over me, and I can only look at him, waiting for the inevitable.

Word Count: 300

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A Mission Fulfilled:

         Search and Clear.

         Those were the orders given. We hump through the muddy roads, looking for some hamlets called My Lai. Supposedly, they’re housing the 48th battalion regiment of the NLF. I won’t lie to you, I’m scared shitless. Not because of my mission – as FUBAR as it might end up being, but rather the quiet. It’s the quiet that gets to you after a while.

         I swear if some slope was hiding out in here, they chose a perfect location for it. The elephant grasses are tall enough to hide anyone, and although our first month since deployed here went without enemy contact, the reality that we might get killed very soon is palpable. It’s making me goddamn jumpy, and everyone looks like a ticking time bomb. Can’t blame them. The closer we get, the worse this feeling inside of me becomes. For some reason, my unease grows. What if we’re wrong? What if there aren’t any NLF rebels here? I grip the handle of my M2 tightly, whispering a silent prayer to God for protection.

         However, it’s amazing how a situation can escalate in mere seconds. One minute our commander is asking some women questions, the next minute, a gunshot goes off and we’re forced to drag every single human seen out in the open.

         But…no men. Only women, children and babies so far.

         Confusion. Chaos. Wails and fucking blood shed as our minds finally cave in to the stress of separating Doubtfuls from the enemy. I stare at the girl lying beneath me, watch those dark eyes blazing with something like defiance. She kinda reminds me of my sister. But orders are orders and they must be followed. The last thing I remember is her blood being pretty warm as it splashes across my face.

Word Count: 300

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Prompt: Write two short stories portraying two different perspectives of the same event. Each seperate story should be no more than 300 words
Prompt Used: A confrontation in war

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Terms/Slangs:

Search and Clear: offensive military operations to sweep through areas to locate and attack the enemy.
NLF: National Liberation Front, officially the National Front for the Liberation of the South.
Slope: a derogatory term used to refer to any Asian.
Hump: to slog around on foot.
Doubtfuls: indigenous personnel who cannot be categorized as either Vietcong or civil offenders.
FUBAR: short for "Fucked Up Beyond All Repair" or "Recognition."

Resources:
http://grunt.space.swri.edu/glossary.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Lai_massacre
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam_War