TheRuinsofWar

ByJunniferNgo
Amongthedebrisofacrumblingcitywherehomesandbuildingsweresearedawayby
yetanotherfuriousbattle,onemanstandsassilentasthedead,thoughheisoneofthescarce
survivors.Themancannothearthewailing,screamingorchaosaroundhim.Tothisman,the
worldisassilentasheis.Theworldisfrozentothismandespitethemanypeoplerunning
aroundtofindtheirlovedonesortohelpanother.Onlytothisman,theworldstandsstill.A
bodycoveredbyawhitesheet,liesbeforehim.Themandaresnottomoveaway,norlookaway
becausehehopesthatthisisallnothingmorethanajoke.However,thismanisacowardand
wishesnottoseethebodyunderneaththewhitesheetbecauseheknowsthisisnotamorbid
hoax.
Doctor,someonecallsouttotheman.
Themanshakeshimselfoutofhisdazeandgruntsoutinacknowledgement.
Thereareabouttwohundredinjuredfromthenuclearbombswiththirddegreeburns
andaboutthreehundredwithsecond.Somewerecloseenoughtothebombthattheirclothes
wereburnedintotheirskinandtheothersareeithermissingordead.Also,thereseemstobea
severelylowwhitebloodcountinallourpatients.
Isee,themandulyreplies.
Themanletsoutawearybreathbeforebendingdowntothebody.Hishandisshaking,
butthemanforceshimselftograspthewhitesheet.Gaspinginanotherbreath,themansqueezes
hiseyesshutbeforetuggingthesheetoff.Heletsouthisbreathasheopenshiseyes.The
corpseofalittlegirlliesunderthesheet.Herdresswasburnedintorags,butthepolkadotswere
singedintoherskinfromtheheatofthebomb.Themanwantstodenythatheknewthisbody,
buttheslightlymeltedlocketaroundherneckmadeitimpossible.Thedelicateneckofthe
corpseboreasilverheartshapedlocketwithfaded,engravedwordscoveredbythemeltedmetal.
Themanreachestowardsthenecklacewithquiveringhands,fearfultopressdownonthebutton
thatwouldswingopenthelocket.Hishandsviolentlyshakes,morethantheywereduringthe
panic,morethantheyhadwhenhisdaughterwaswrenchedoutofhishandsintheseaoffrantic
people.
Itseemslikeaneternityuntilthemanfinallypresseshisfingerdownandthelocket
swingsopen.Thereisalumpthemancannotswallow,asifsandfillsinhisthroat,ashestares
atthelocketinhistremblinghands.Inside,apictureofalittlegirlperchedonthemans
shoulderwithagrinningfacewasplacedononeside.Themanbithisliptoholdinhis
collectingtearsbeforeglancingoverattheotherpicture.Nexttothefirstpicturewasoneofthe
littlegirlsnuggledonhermotherslap,withherlittlehandsandawingeyesonhermothers
bulgingstomach.Themansnapsoutofhismourningdazeashiseyeslingeronthemothers
protrudingstomach.
Hejoltsfromthewreckage,sprintingtowardsthecrumblingbuildingthatwasoncea
hospital.Asthemanhikesupthestairs,therubblethreatenstotriphimandpullhimbackdown

butthemandoesnotfalterdespitehisblurredvision.Heplantsfirmstepsasherushesupthe
stairstothethirdflight,downthehallintothelaboranddeliveryward.Althoughdusty,dirty
andunsanitarynowaplacewherenoonewouldwanttogivebirthindoctorsandnursesalike
rusharoundthewardtohelpthewomeninpain.Themandoesnotstoptohelphisfellow
coworkers,butrushestohiswifesside.
Herfaceiscoatedinsweatassheglancesovertothemaninherhospitalbed.Withhair
inatangledmessandwearyeyesfilledwithtears,shealmostseemstobeacompletelydifferent
personfromthebrightmothergrinninginthelocket.Sheletsoutgroansofpainandpuffsher
flushedcheeksinandout.Adoctorisatthefootofthebed,encouragingherwithwordsof
comfortandexcitement.Withhisfreehand,themanstrokesherhair,whisperingwordsoflove
andreassurance.
Timeticksby,filledwiththesoundsofhermoanofpainandagony,untilfinally,thefirst
criesofhappinesssoundout.Themancradleshisnewbornson,ignoringthefacesofhorrorand
disgustplasteredonthenurseanddoctorsface.Thewailingnewbornkickshislegs,whichwas
fartooshortforhisbody.Withhisfragilewobblingbody,theinfanttriestograbontotheman
withhisthree,littlestubsofarms.
Thebombtheydroppedwasanuclearbombanditseemsliketheshockwaveof
hyperenergeticradiationcontainedphotonsstrongenoughtopenetratehumancells,thedoctor
explains,hisrevulsedeyesonthechildinthemansarms.
Diditcausegeneticdamage?themanhesitantlyasks.
Yes.Thedamagecausedthegenestobuildupimproperlygivingyoursonhisdeforms
legsandthirdarm.Wewontknowifthedamageaffectedonlyhisphysicalfeaturesorifitalso
damagedhisbrainuntilweperformsometests.
Themanmeeklynodsandcarriesthewailingchildovertohiswife,whereshesmiles
warmlyatherbaby.Sheholdshernewbornchildinherarmsandslipsherhandswithinhis.
Themanembraceshisfamilyandenjoysthisraremomentofhappinessintimesofwarand
disaster.
TheRadiationEffectsResearchFoundationmaytrytotakeoursonawayforresearch,
themanchokesout,inthewarmsilence.But,Iwontallowthat.Nomatter,thischildisstill
myson.Iwonthavethisdamnwarruinhislife.

Monster
ByJunniferNgo
Amidstthelaughterofthechildrenplayinginalittlepark,thepitifulsobsofalittleboy
canbeheard.Inthecirclethelaughingchildrenhaveformed,thesobbingboyiscoweringinthe
middle.Thechildrenpointandlaugh,kickingwoodchipsatthetremblingboy.Thelaughing
childrenbecomebolderastheweepingboyinthemiddlecriesoutunheardapologiesandstartto
throwpebblesandthenrocks.Asthecryingboyfearsforhisownlifemoreandmore,he
becomesfrantictoescapethecircle,finallydecidingtoforcehiswayout.Herunsintoalittle
girlwhostartsscreamingandtryingtorubwherehetouchedheroffontoanyotherchildren.
Theotherchildrensquealinfearanddisperseineverydirectiontoescapethepanickinggirls
hand.
Themonstertouchedme!thelittlegirlscreams.
Shecrumblestothefloorwailingloudly.Hermotherrushesover,glaringatthecrying
boywholooksapologeticallyatthesobbinggirl.Heopenshismouthtosqueakoutmore
apologiesbutisstoppedbyaburningstingonhischeek.
Donttalktousyoudeformeddemon!themotherscreeches,holdinghersniffling
daughtertightlyinherarms.Dontcomebacktothisparkorbothermydaughteragainyou
fiend!
Theboyclampshismouthshut,failingtoholdbackhisoverflowingtears.Hewrapsall
threeofhisstubsaroundhimselfashebiteshistonguetokeepfromblubberingoutnonsense.
Withhistwoshortlegs,hestartsrunning.Themothercontinuestoscreamatthedeformedboy
asheruns.Theboyrunsalongtheblurredstreetsfasterthanhehadeverran.Althoughoutof
breathandandunabletoseewhereheisgoing,theboyrunsawayfromhisproblemsand
sorrows.Evenashetrips,theboypickshimselfbackupandstartsrunning.Itwasonlywhen
theboycouldnotrunanyfurtherandhislegsburned,hestopped.Finallyhelooksaroundwith
eyesdriedfromrunningsofast,onlytoseehehasrunintotheonlyplacehehadeverbeen
forbiddentogo:thecityhewasbornin.
Theboyknowshehastogetoutofthecity.Heknowshismotherwouldfaintatthe
thoughtofhimbeingherebuthischildishcuriosityoverpowershisfear.Heghostshisfingers
onthebrokendownwallsashetottersthroughtheunfamiliarcity.Acroakdisruptedthe
silence.Theboyflasheshiseyesineverydirection,searchingforthesourceofthenoise.
Finallyhiseyeslandsonafrogblinkingathimwithfoureyes.Itcroaksonceagain,openingits
twomouthswidelytoshowitstwoflickingtongues.Theystareateachother,theboyunsureof
whattodo.
Finallythefrogbreaksofftheirstaringcontest,hoppingaway.Theboyfollows,unsure
whybutfeelingasenseoffellowship.Asthestrangepairwondersthroughtheabandonedcity
ofadventures,theymeetmoreanimalsthatsharedthesamesenseofcomradeship.Abirdflies
bywithanaddedlegonitsforeheadandafoxwiththreetailsscurriesby.Theboyfollowsthe
strangefroguntiltheycomeacrossastreamwhereadeeriscrossing.Withitsheadhigh,the

deertakescarefulstepsforwardandtheboywatcheswithabsorptiontwolegs,oneleg,two
legsandrepeat.Theboyfinallyremembershismothersteachingsashestaresatthedeer
wadingtowardshim.
Mommy?WhycantIgointothatcity?theboywouldask.
Beforeyouwereborn,abombwasdroppedtherethatkilledhundreds.Itstillhas
radioactivewavesthathadthingscalledphotonsstrongenoughtochangepeoplelingeringthere.
Youarespecial.Yousurvivedandyouneedtolivefortheotherswhodied.sheanswered.
Whatsinthere?
Friends,honey.Friendswhovealsobeenchangedfromtheseradioactivewaves.
Theboysilentlylistenedtohismotherwithquestionsfillinghishead.Whydidtheother
childrencallhimamonster?Whycouldnthegoplaywithfriendsrightnow?Hewantedtoask
hismotherbutdidntwhenhesawhismotherssadfaceasshelookedatthecity.
Theboysnapsoutofhisdazeashefeelsastrange,wetroughnessonhischeek.Helooks
uptoseethedeerlickinghimaffectionately.Withatremblinghand,hepetsthedeershead.It
doesntmove.Theboybecomesbolderandmovestorubitsback.Thedeerdoesntmove.
Theboyreachesdowntopetitslegs.Thedeersuddenlytakesastepforward,causingtheboy
toflinchandcurlinintoaball.Whentheboycrackshiseyeopentoseethedeeroncemore,he
couldonlyseeitsbackasitscamperedbeyondahill.
Theforgottenfrogcroaks,asitstartstohopintothewaterandacrossthestream.The
boyonceagainfollows.Thistimetheydontstopuntiltheycometoahill.wherealoudbuzzing
soundfilledhisears.Thefrogeagerlyleadstheboytothetopwhereabuzzingfogofblack
coverthesky.Frozen,hewatchesthefrogshootbothitstonguesoutintotheblackswarmto
pulloutatonguefullofflies.Thefrogcontinuesdeeperintothehaze,leavingtheboyaloneto
stareatthecharredbodieslitteringtheground.Onebodyhadalocket,shapedasaheartaround
hisneck.Theboyjabshisshortappendageontoabuttonandthelocketswingsopen.Insideisa
pictureofalittlegirlperchedonamansshoulderwithagrinningfaceandanotherofthelittle
girlsnuggledonawomanslap,withherlittlehandsandawingeyesonhermothersbulging
stomach.Theboywhimpersout.
WhyisMommyandDaddywithanotherchild?