I come upon a grotesque creature. He is looking up at me from his position on his low cart where he sits. His hand is extended to me begging for help. His mouth obscenely open has his spittle running out onto his chin. Snot also drips from his nose and gathers in the sparse grey whiskers on his upper lip. His teeth are broken and yellow. His eyes are crying. The four wheels of his cart are sunk into the muddy street.

It is raining gently as it often does in Yokosuka, Japan. The rain has soaked through his Japanese Army cap. The rest of his uniform is wet too. The uniform is torn, tattered and filthy. The uniform ends just below his pelvis. His body ends there too.

His hand will forever be extended up to me begging for help. In my waking dreams he often visits me. And I am sad because I did not help a fellow veteran.

Excerpt from 'KAZUKO'

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