The ageing Sikorvsky gunship appears from nowhere right in his path. He brakes instantly, burning rubber as the bike drifts to a stop. Unbelieving, he removes his helmet to stare death in the face. “All these for me? I’m flattered”. In the typical Cambodian plains, even the sugar palm trees cannot offer cover. The gunship let loose a torrent of 50-millimeter slugs from its two side mounts. Bike and rider are torn to shreds as they are thrown up from the road. He slams smack on the golden rice fields gurgling blood, the bike exploding in mid air as it flies across him in the sky, spilling gas and burning him as he lays twitching in hellish pain. It is at that moment his third eye opens. He suddenly sees a lot of things he hasn’t seen before, the other dimension and the aura of living and inanimate things. The sky is purple, souls of the dead float by, trees are whispering to him, even the blood on his eyes seems to be composed of billions of micro-organisms, the fire now cooking his flesh is cool blue. The pain suddenly pales in comparison to what he is seeing and feeling around him. “He has awakened. He has awakened.” the trees whispered to each other.
The Humvee arrives. The gunmen in shiny black bush shirts and cheap sunglasses gather around his mangled body. In his dying moments he sees the leader. He remembers the rich boy and his Korean Pop -style fashion. He “borrowed” his Ducati and the girlfriend at knifepoint. The rich boy peed in his pants in front of his girl. Now, he looks like a cross between a green gecko and his old self. The boy gathered what little saliva he has in his small mouth and spits lamely on Visal’s face, some saliva catching on his chin, he has to wipe it off with hand holding a .45. “You didn’t see that coming, yes?” he says in a funny high-pitched voice coming from his tiny thin lips. The men all laugh like hyenas, mostly out of paid duty to amuse the little boss. Visal laughs as well despite the blood filling his lungs and throat. Insulted, the rich boy empties his gun on Visal. “That’s for messing with me, you crazy dog.” in his shrill girl-like voice. The laughing died. “Got the money?” One man already has the bag. “Let’s go. Let him rot like a dog that he is.” They turn to leave. Two shadows, a male and a female, both naked, walk through them and help Visal’s soul out of his body. The three float up to gap in the storm clouds that let in some light. Visal looks at the two shadows. Faces appear where a face should be. Even though he has never seen them in his life, he seems to recognize his parents. They are smiling at him in a way parents smile at their beloved child. Tears welled up his three eyes. He never cried in his entire life having developed a stone cold view of reality. Now, he is too happy in tears to say or question anything.
The Humvee arrives. The gunmen in shiny black bush shirts and cheap sunglasses gather around his mangled body. In his dying moments he sees the leader. He remembers the rich boy and his Korean Pop -style fashion. He “borrowed” his Ducati and the girlfriend at knifepoint. The rich boy peed in his pants in front of his girl. Now, he looks like a cross between a green gecko and his old self. The boy gathered what little saliva he has in his small mouth and spits lamely on Visal’s face, some saliva catching on his chin, he has to wipe it off with hand holding a .45. “You didn’t see that coming, yes?” he says in a funny high-pitched voice coming from his tiny thin lips. The men all laugh like hyenas, mostly out of paid duty to amuse the little boss. Visal laughs as well despite the blood filling his lungs and throat. Insulted, the rich boy empties his gun on Visal. “That’s for messing with me, you crazy dog.” in his shrill girl-like voice. The laughing died. “Got the money?” One man already has the bag. “Let’s go. Let him rot like a dog that he is.” They turn to leave. Two shadows, a male and a female, both naked, walk through them and help Visal’s soul out of his body. The three float up to gap in the storm clouds that let in some light. Visal looks at the two shadows. Faces appear where a face should be. Even though he has never seen them in his life, he seems to recognize his parents. They are smiling at him in a way parents smile at their beloved child. Tears welled up his three eyes. He never cried in his entire life having developed a stone cold view of reality. Now, he is too happy in tears to say or question anything.