Tuol Sleng's First They Killed My Father

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Preface: I want to clarify that this is a largely fictional story based on some true events. It is an extension story of the mysterious barang in First They Killed My Father, whose true story remains unknown. The dates of the story are in part correct (Khmer Rouge invasion on April 16th, 1975), but it was not until 4 years later in January 1979 that the Vietnamese overthrew the Khmer Rouge (this did happen) just following the Vietnam-American (Vietnam) War. Moreover, Tuol Sleng was an old high school that was made to be a detention and torture center for the Khmer Rouge. Thousands of people (mainly foreigners and wealthy individuals) were wrongfully accused and slaughtered in prison utilizing electric chairs and other horrifying devices. April …show more content…

The sun begins to peek above the Horizon, it’s starting to get hot out; which is my queue to head into the air-conditioned family club. I am fortunate enough to have Som as a friend. I observe masses of children and adults enfolding themselves in vibrant tarps that shield them from the killing machine we call the Sun. Each day over 20 people die from heat stroke, if not for some, I might be one of them. To further alleviate myself from the scorching heat, I headed over to the club pool. I change into the extra swimming trunks Som has provided me, grab a towel, and head for the deep end. As the fluid laps around the pool, a five-person family enters the facility. They look like an average bunch for Phnom Penh. The two parents and the eldest sister (from what I can assume) part ways with the two younger girls and take a seat behind the glass window looking out from the lobby. The girls waddle towards the shallow part of the pool, but before the two plunge into the clear blue water, they look over at me and stare. “What are they doing?” I think to myself. I can make them whisper to each other; they look frightened. I reflect on the dark times in …show more content…

“Go, leave, get away from here!” He yells. The “Why” of the “Why”? !” I exclaim, but it is too late. Som is apprehended by the man, and I shall never see him again. A million thoughts swarm my brain; “Why should I run? Where can I run? What was that unusual parade I saw earlier?” All of my questions would soon be answered. The stocky man pointed at me and in an instant two smaller, dirty, and frugally dressed men came leaping towards me from a neighboring tent. They grabbed me like rabid animals and threw me to the ground. All went dark in the night. Bright white lights are the first thing I see when I wake up. “Is this Heaven?” I ask louder than I mean to; “no, this is Tuol Sleng” a foreign voice responds. I jolt up and gain back my awareness. “Your friend Sam has told me all about you. You will stay with us for a while,” the voice continues. The “Where am I? Where is Soma based? Who are you?” I ask in a flurry of panic. “You are going to live here in Tuol Sleng with other foreigners. Som is dead. I am your doctor until you are alive enough to confess to your crimes and suffer for them, which is now.” Terror circulated through my veins, but before I could react, I was hoisted out of my

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