Nhean And The Khmer Rouge

• Jackson Chambers, Grade 9
• Short Story
• 2014

The gun fire and explosions could be heard from miles away as Nhean was driving a group of officers into Phom Penh. He was a part of the resistance army trying to take back the capital of Cambodia from the Khmer Rouge which was led by a man called Pol Pot.
When Nhean arrived the gun fire was deafening. They saw their men fighting the Khmer Rouge for freedom. Many were dying but more were arriving to take their place. Nhean turned to talk to the officers all were shot dead right before his eyes. As he left he yelled a warning “The Khmer Rouge is coming!” to a few resistance soldiers that were trudging around a bend in the road. One made it to his truck and he drove off with him
When they left the war torn city they were chased for quite some time. They finally lost them Nhean turned to ask for the man’s name. He replied “my name is Boran and I am forever indebted to you.” Nhean did not respond as he did not know what to say so he kept driving
Nhean and Boran had to leave their truck as the path narrowed as it wound its way into the jungle. They were now more vulnerable to attacks. They continued along the path on foot and found two soldiers. They walked together until night fell upon the jungle. The next morning Nhean woke to find the soldiers scrambling, his new friend lying on the ground with blood pools everywhere; Nhean realized his friend had be shot dead. Nhean scared for his life got up and ran as fast as he could.
Nhean turned around and saw the soldiers fighting Khmer Rouge soldiers and he ran back to help. He hid within the leaves of the jungle as he stabbed a Khmer rouge soldier in the neck then returned back to the path with the soldiers. A few hours past as they trudged up the path toward the peak one soldier had lost his leg and was in agony; a land mine had blown off the soldier’s leg. Nhean built a stretcher, out of leaves and small tree trunks, to carry him over the border.
They started the trek up the peak towards the Thai border and as they reached the peak a mine went off and the two soldiers exploded into pieces of blood and flesh. “NO!! Why me? What did I do to watch so many people suffer?” Nhean exclaimed in agony. Nhean frantically ran to the border triggering another and he lost his left arm which landed on another mine that finally blew him over the Thai border.
When Nhean woke he found himself in a tent being cared for by a nurse. He looked to his left arm and saw his shoulder in a bandage. He looked around and thought that there was only one winner in war and that is death!