When blood clouds the air

[marcien]

Year -11 and 2 days

The Rouges will be coming to the town, they say. They will rid the country of foreign corruption, and bring us all back to our roots. It does not sound like a bad idea. But the adults know better.

'It just means they will kill all of us who are educated', explained their father, a schoolteacher. 'C'mon, let's pack up. They'll be here in three days.'

'Are we leaving home?' asked the children. 'It's a nice home, and it s near to the park and the shops too!' added the oldest child.

Their brave mother, a nurse, rubbed her eyes, 'Yes dears. If we stay here... we'll all be killed.'

'Why don't the next door Yuan have to pack then?' asked the younger child.

'They are dark-skinned, the Rouges will treat them well,' replied their mother.

--- --- --- --- ---

Year -11 and 1 day

The family had already set out since morning. Along with about five hundred of their townspeople, they set out for villages in the North for refuge. The weather was hot and the sun beat mercilessly down on their backs. Some spirited children complained, the obedient ones carried their possessions silently, the frightened ones cried, those who understood kept their tears in their eyes.

Some time before they were about to set down for their dinner, shouts and screams filled the air.

'Oh no! They are here already!'

Panic riled up the crowd. Parents tugged on their childrens' hands to go, young people packed their belongings in a rush, children begins to cry.

The soldiers had caught up with them from the back, cutting down people as they went.

--- --- --- --- ---

Year -11

The Rouges separated out some of the children and kept them locked away.

The elder boy was here, with his younger sister. He saw his older sister sliced apart. They took his mother away somewhere, and his injured father to another somewhere. And who knows where his youngest sister could have been? Maybe trampled in the mess?

The smell of blood filled the air. It seemed like this room they were locked in had been recently used.

Two soldiers came in and started questioning the children. One by one, they were taken out.

Or not. One just got shot. Ah, freshly released blood.

They stopped at his sister. 'Hey wait, this one is the school teacher's child, I saw him holding her.'

'Haha, what a fortune, we'll show her to him. See if he talks.'

His sister screamed and clung on to his shirt, sobbing his name.

'What's with you, kid. You related or something?'

'No sir, I've only just met her.'

His sister's screaming became louder. The soldier slapped her. 'Shut up, brat!'

And turned to him, 'Really? Come with us, why don't you?'

--- --- --- --- ---

Year -11, that day

That afternoon, he killed for the first time. Shot a 7-year-old girl in front of her father.

That evening, he became a soldier.

That day, the blood that flowed forth was fragrant.