Fiction: Group 4
“You… you will win them. And if you don’t, just… just come back and do not be a soldier anymore. Even
if the Communists take over, we can live together happily,” Ling half-assured. She didn’t want to believe
anything or anyone in that moment.
“This is not the only problem. The thing is that, you see, many of the Nationalists’ forces have retreated to
Taiwan. So… if we can’t win the Communists today, the Commander-in-Chief has given us orders. I will
have to bring my troops to Taiwan, at least for the moment, but I don’t know how long that would be,” he
explained.
Don’t go on. Please.
“Bring me with you. I will go with you to Taiwan.” Ling pleased. It wasn’t very appropriate for a middle-
class young lady to say, but she was hopeless.
“No, it is too dangerous, darling. And even if we reach Taiwan, life would be very hard. And…” he paused.
“And I can’t let your father down. He has been such a good mentor to me, and he wouldn’t want me to
bring you into danger. What would you relatives and neighbors think of you? Eloping with a Kuomintang
officer to Taiwan? When the Communist Party comes to power, everything will be very different. I don’t
want to bring your family any trouble.”
Ling was a girl with brains. She knew what was going to happen, but she just didn’t want to admit it.
“I… I understand. The country is more important, isn’t it?” she looked around to see if there was anyone
around, confirmed that they were alone and grabbed his hands. “Be safe and come back.”
“I will.”
She took off the earring on her right earlobe, and pressed the delicate crafting of a firethorn into his palms.
“Take this with you. Come back and return it to me.”
“I will,” the young man promised.
But during the war, you cannot foresee anything, nor keep any promise you made.
*
Gwen’s sight traced its way to Grandma’s earlobes. On her left was a silver flower, but she had nothing on
her right.
*
Who would actually care about rules like not running into the middle of a battle at the age of eighteen? Ling
didn’t. She believed she was on the edge of losing her mind.
“Back away! Back away!”
The Nationalists were finally at the Guangzhu Bridge. Her eyes found him naturally among the great
number of soldiers, a young lieutenant leading his troops beside the captain. He wouldn’t have noticed her,
and it was best he didn’t.
“Little girl, what are you doing there?” she heard the people yelling at her. Behind, people were clearing
away from the streets. Shopkeepers packed away their stocks, and the people were dashing home in a panic.
Ling didn’t care about dying at all. She was too consumed in her desperation.
She could see the Communists coming from behind. Their eyes look like hungry wolves dying to catch
their prey. They kept firing at and chasing after the Nationalist Army that was retreating via the bridge.
Smoke and gunfire filled the air and irritated Ling’s eyes. She realized that she was crying. Whether they
were physical or mental tears she couldn’t quite figure out.
Why would there be so many wars? Why can’t they –
Boom. As if on cue, a grenade exploded.
She didn’t move.
“Ling!”
A giant hand snatched her from behind and pulled her away from the promenade.
Her vision was blurred again. Her view turned into a mixture of red and black. Through the tears and
smoke, her gaze was still fixed on the bridge. There were only Communists left on the bridge, hunting
down their enemy.
And then, there was another explosion. And another.
Now she found her balance, she figured out that the explosion came from the bridge. Fire was burning
brightly on the bridge, and as the tower foundations tumbled down, the fire spread and merged with the
water. The sky was filled with sparks and debris, like mini fireworks.
She remembered being dragged into the smaller and quieter streets. She was brought home and was being
scolded harshly that night. She didn’t stop crying until the next morning.
