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Madaline

World of Dogs

Madaline
Oct 27th, 2012
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  1. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  2. Cambodia, 2005. Seim Reap riverside.
  3. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  4. "Phhoung! Phhoung!" calls a large, muscular man, reclining in a chair made of scrap and broken guns. Several seconds pass before the light patting of bare feet comes echoing through the old temple.
  5. A small girl of about fifteen creeps her way between the pews, and stands at attention. She meagerly answers "Y-Yes papa?"
  6.  
  7. The large man responds, after reclining in his gun chair. "How many today?" he grumbles.
  8.  
  9. "Umm, about six..." reluctantly escapes her lips.
  10.  
  11. The man leans forward. "About?"
  12.  
  13. There is a slight pause before the girl replies defensively. "...One was stuck beneath a stone, papa, and-"
  14.  
  15. "Get it.", he interrupts. "Grab your tools and get it."
  16.  
  17. "Yes papa.." she says, defeated. She hurries out of the dark old temple, and is greeted by a sun rising on a cold, muddy, war-torn land, littered with the remnants of buildings and dead trees. Small raised houses with thatched roofs and bamboo walls dot the river's edge. The water is as brown and disease-ridden as the mud itself. The girl, Phhoung, is rather tall for her age, with black hair given a dark purple tint by chemicals dumped in the river by large corporations. A satchel is slung across her back, filled with hooks, prods, and other fine tools. A pistol lies in its holster on her waist. She darts through the muddy hills and blown-out buildings, showing a keen knowledge of the area. She maneuvers between trees and old cars in a fantastic display of athletics. After vaulting over a dead tree, and crawling under a large piece of rusted metal, she reaches her destination. A small green disk lies half-obscured by a large stone, embedded in the mud. Phhoung quickly goes into a prone position, and crawls towards it. She inspects the writing on the disk.
  18.  
  19. 地雷，体积小。
  20.  
  21. 土地874439，0H12
  22.  
  23. "Landmine, small. Mark three, lot eight-seven-four-four..." she trails off as she removes her tools from her bag. She retrieves a forged hook, made by the town blacksmith. She proceeds to place it on the plunger of the mine, forcing it upwards, to prevent depression. She retrieves pliers and begins to pry at the body of the mine. The hull ruptures, and the pressure plate is flung into the air. The firing pin leaps out of the mine, and scratches her hand. Phhoung then takes the pliers and adjusts her arms for maximum torque, and then forces the mine's shell out from under the stone. The mine is flung several feet from Phhoung, and her hands are plunged into the mud. As she removes them and brushes herself off, she retrieves the mine and heads back to the temple.
  24.  
  25. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  26. Cambodia, 2006. Ho Tohmn temple in Seim Reap.
  27. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  28.  
  29. A dark black mold envelopes Phhoung's left hand, and a large wound on her wrist gasps as it opens up like a flower that has been long waiting for the sun. Infection has taken hold.
  30.  
  31. The large, muscular man huddles next to Phhoung. A medicine man sprinkles some white dust on her wound, and the wound retorts by squirting yellow liquid at the man. He recoils and curses, and says "The devil is in this one. I was hoping it wouldn't come to this, but we have to stop him before he spreads."
  32.  
  33. Phhoung's eyes widen, and she sits up, only to be pulled back down by her father. Her eyes pierce her father's, and tears begin to creep into the edges of her eyes. Her father hesitates, and she darts for the door. Unwittingly, she reaches for it with her dying hand. The hand then bends slowly, like lost wax in the hands of a sculptor. It hangs for a moment before it drips off and lands on the ground, sending mold spores into the air. Shocked, Phhoung steps back from the door and stares at her hand. A bright blue speck of fungus flowers open and stares her in the face, as she falls to her knees and sobs.
  34.  
  35. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  36. Cambodia, 2007. Phnom Penh International Airport.
  37. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  38.  
  39. A blond Caucasian woman puts her hand on Phhoung's shoulder.
  40. "Japan, dear. Far far away from this wretched place. No more mines, no more bad people forcing you to do terrible things."
  41. She reaches into her pocket and takes out a small card. Phhoung takes it from her hand and brings it up to her face.
  42.  
  43. "Why do I need a new name?", she asks.
  44.  
  45. The woman sighs, and says "To fit in, dear. We chose a new name for you because you already look the part, all you needed was a back story! Think of it like this, you'll be like an actress playing the best role of her life."
  46.  
  47. Phhoung's face is blank, as she aims a vicious stare at the woman. She doesn't like the concept of leaving herself behind just to run away from the past. However, the woman has done so much for her, having taken the time to get the US to intervene in Cambodia. A long and expensive petition finally got people to care. Gave them the illusion of making the world a better place, though in reality she knows they are just pissing in a sea of piss. However, the Khmer Rouge had many child soldiers in the past, and now many of them have been liberated and are being sent to schools around the world. Phhoung's school, Yamaku, will be able to compensate for her lack of a left hand. She doesn't really like this, being a burden was always a fear of hers. Tears well up in her eyes as she looks at the woman.
  48.  
  49. "Oh, honey..." She says, as she hugs her tightly. The fake sympathy seems to be irritating Phhoung further.
  50.  
  51. "FLIGHT SIX-THREE TO KYOTO IS NOW BOARDING" Chimed the intercom. The message repeats several times as Phhoung is hurried to the boarding gate. She takes a glance at her new ID, her new life.
  52.  
  53. MIKI MIURA
  54.  
  55. F
  56.  
  57. FEBRUARY 19, 1990
  58.  
  59. She wipes the tears from her eyes as she boards, leaving this wretched life behind. It's behind her physically, but not mentally. The sights the Khmer Rouge had to offer will forever be burned in her retinas. All she has done and all she has seen has scarred her deeply. Her post-traumatic stress turns the roar of the plane's engine becomes the roar of a fire engulfing a village. Her hyper-vigilance turns a couple chatting in the distance into two soldiers preparing for a raid... Her mind is wired for a different world. She is not ready for civilization.
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